Chapter 75 Hoping the Eldest Young Master Returns Soon

Chapter 75: Hoping the Eldest Young Master Returns Soon

Cheng Feng and Shang Shaohao took on the martial arts coach together, but they didn’t even last a minute before both were floored.

Shang Shaohao’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

He’d shot up recently and thought he had improved somewhat, only to realize he was still completely outclassed by the coach.

He charged again, teeth gritted, but this time it was even worse—he was floored in under a second.

Cheng Feng, on the other hand, had a clearer sense of his own ability. After getting up, he took his place properly to the side and didn’t recklessly advance again.

Shang Xu watched for a while, then told them coolly to keep at it before turning and leaving.

From that day on, Cheng Feng and Shang Shaohao were plunged into a *sea of suffering*. Every day after school, their first task was to make a beeline for the training hall for boxing and physical training. They had to get up before dawn for morning drills, with zero room for slacking.

Their old routine had been much simpler—go to class, do homework, and call it a day.

But now, their days were jam-packed: morning drills, then school, then more training after school, followed by homework. There was hardly any time to catch their breath.

Shang Shaohao was constantly scheming about running away, but the grounds were crawling with coaches and bodyguards, with nowhere to run.

Butler Liu saw him moping and sighing and couldn’t help teasing:

“I thought you loved to fight? The Eldest Young Master said you’ll get to fight to your heart’s content from now on.”

Shang Shaohao rolled his eyes, seething:

“Who said I like fighting? And this isn’t fighting—it’s just getting beaten up, okay!”

The coach chimed in calmly, “Once you've got some real skill under your belt, you can have a proper fight with me. That’s what fighting is.”

Shang Shaohao shook his head like a rattle drum. This is too hard! Who'd want to train like this?

Seeing he was still looking for a way out, the coach was quiet for a beat before suddenly speaking up:

“Young Master Shaohao, do you know how the Eldest Young Master got so tough? He started training with me when he was six and has never stopped all these years. These days he can floor me in just a couple moves.”

Cheng Feng felt a jolt hearing that.

So the Eldest Young Master had endured the same hardships when he was young.

When he was just a little kid, he not only had to study but also practice martial arts and excel at everything. The Eldest Young Master probably had no childhood, which was why he was so grim every day, wasn’t it?

From then on, both he and Shang Shaohao stopped fighting the training so much, focusing wholeheartedly on their practice.

Cheng Feng also wanted to become as strong as the Eldest Young Master. Only by becoming stronger could he protect his mother and never be bullied again.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. Cheng Feng could clearly feel he'd filled out and gotten stronger. He slept soundly at night, and his mind seemed to have clicked, making him more efficient in listening to lectures and solving problems.

Of course, he still couldn’t defeat the coach, but at least he could hold his own for three moves now.

Another mock exam arrived. Thanks to his hard work during this period, Cheng Feng’s ranking finally improved, moving up from the 350s to 300th.

Shang Shaohao’s progress was slower. He advanced by 200 places but was still hovering outside the top 1,000. However, Shang Xu didn't skimp on the rewards either. The lavish prizes made Shang Shaohao develop a surprising love for hitting the books.

On paper, Cheng Feng was here to take care of Shang Xu, but as the days went by, it felt more like he had just moved to a new place to live, without any real duties.

Forget taking care of the Eldest Young Master—in over two months, he and Shang Shaohao had only seen Shang Xu five or six times combined.

The so-called “caretaking” was nothing more than helping the maids with odd jobs. The rest of the time was entirely his own to arrange.

As for his wages, he got paid in full, and there were even extra bonuses for academic improvement, which he was more than happy with.

Later, Shang Xu went on a long trip, lasting a full month. When he returned, the first thing he did was check their academic progress and martial arts skills.

Shang Xu personally arranged an assessment. Looking at their report cards, his expression remained neutral, but he seemed satisfied.

As for martial arts, he stepped onto the mat himself to spar with them.

When Shang Shaohao heard he was going to fight his brother, he immediately lit up, bouncing on the balls of his feet, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

The coach had praised him quite a bit during this period, making him feel invincible and floating on cloud nine.

Cheng Feng stood quietly to the side, waiting for Shang Xu’s command.

Shang Xu changed into loose black training clothes, wore no protective gear, and walked straight to the center. Looking at the two boys bundled in protective gear, he lifted his chin and said, “Come on.”

Shang Shaohao gave a yell and lunged forward, aiming a kick at Shang Xu.

But with a loud “thud,” he was kicked flying by Shang Xu instead, landing on the ground and groaning in pain.

Cheng Feng took a deep breath and stepped forward slowly, throwing a punch at Shang Xu. But as his fist neared, he feared actually hurting the Eldest Young Master and instinctively held back.

Shang Xu’s eyes darkened, giving him no room to hold back. He punched Cheng Feng in the chest and pinned him to the ground. Looking down at Cheng Feng, his voice was cold and stern:

“Fight me with all your strength.”

Cheng Feng grimaced in pain, his back pressed against the ground, making it hard for him to breathe. The Eldest Young Master was serious! How ruthless!

He looked up into Shang Xu’s sharp eyes, swallowed hard, and quickly scrambled to his feet.

This time, he didn’t dare hold back in the slightest, giving it his all.

But even so, he couldn’t even touch the hem of Shang Xu’s clothes before being knocked to the ground again, unable to get up for a long time.

Shang Xu looked at the two sprawled on the ground, his expression cold and indifferent: “You’ve trained for three months, and this is all you’ve achieved?”

Cheng Feng and Shang Shaohao both hung their heads, not daring to make a sound.

Shang Xu turned to the martial arts coach, his tone leaving no room for argument: “Increase their training load. Don’t let them slack off even a bit.”

With that, he turned and left.

The coach hurried over to help Cheng Feng up. The boy was already covered in bruises, his eyes red with pain, tears welling up. The coach applied medicine to both of them and granted them a day off before resuming training.

As the days slipped toward the end of the year, another mock exam concluded. Cheng Feng’s name appeared on the grade’s top 200 list, ranking 150th—a remarkable improvement.

Clutching his report card, he felt delighted, thinking he would finally get to see the Eldest Young Master this time and surely hear a word of praise.

But what he received instead was news that Shang Xu had been in a car accident.

Cheng Feng rushed to the hospital with Shang Shaohao. Almost everyone from the Shang family was gathered outside the emergency room.

Shang Zixuan was sobbing, clutching a handkerchief, and choking back tears:

“Wuwu… Brother promised that if I made it into the top ten, he’d buy me a Chengming bag. He said he’d give it to me in person…”

Shang Nanzhou held the still-crying Madam Shang, comforting her.

Shang Shaohao hung his head, his eyes rimmed a frightening red. He tried and tried to hold it in, but in the end couldn't hold it any longer, crumpling to the ground and sobbing uncontrollably.

Cheng Feng's gaze was fixed on the emergency room door. The glaring red light was searing; the surgery was still ongoing.

He clenched his fists. The Young Master had been so good to him... A lump formed in his throat, and his eyes couldn't help but redden. He quickly raised a hand to wipe away the moisture at the corner of his eye, praying again and again in his heart for Shang Xu's safety.

After what felt like an eternity, the operating room door finally opened.

The doctor came out with bad news: Shang Xu's leg injuries were too severe, and he might never be able to stand again.

These words landed like a massive boulder, crushing everyone's hearts. Master Shang and Madam Shang swayed, nearly fainting on the spot.

From that day on, Cheng Feng never saw Shang Xu again.

He heard from Shang Shaohao that the Young Master had been transferred abroad for treatment.

Later, he learned from Shang Shaohao that the car accident was no accident at all—it was deliberate revenge by a sworn enemy of the Shang family. That enemy had already gone bankrupt.

The New Year's bell soon rang out. That winter was exceptionally cold, and the snow fell heavily.

Cheng Feng put on the red coat from the Shang family. The material was thick and warm, giving his complexion a healthy glow.

Standing in the snow, he watched large snowflakes drift down from the gray, overcast sky. He looked toward the manor's main gate, but it remained empty. The Young Master still hadn't returned.

Shang Shaohao ran over to tug at his sleeve, inviting him to see in the New Year with the family.

Cheng Feng shook his head and politely declined.

He left the Shang family manor and went to the hospital.

His mother's condition was unchanged. The doctors had said it might never improve.

But Cheng Feng didn't believe it. He had long since transferred his mother to the best psychiatric hospital. He believed that one day, she would get better.

This New Year, he spent it with his mother.

The hospital room was very quiet; his mother slept soundly. Cheng Feng sat by the bed, watching the brilliant fireworks blooming outside the window, clusters exploding against the ink-black night sky, breathtakingly beautiful.

He clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and earnestly made three wishes in his heart.

May his mother's illness recover soon.

May the Young Master be safe and sound, and may his legs fully heal.

May the Young Master return home soon.