The following week at the same time, Jiang Tong pulled himself together and arrived at the Xiao residence punctually. He had expected Young Master Xiao wouldn't back down easily, but he hadn't anticipated a different kind of trouble altogether.
The rules of the Xiao household were tedious. The masters used the main entrance of the mansion, while servants and other miscellaneous personnel used a side door, allowing them to reach the rooms without crossing the grand living room. As Jiang Tong ascended the steps of the mansion, a servant was already waiting at the side door. However, the calm composure from the first visit was gone, replaced by a look of utter consternation.
The reason became clear the moment Jiang Tong stepped inside. The living room was a scene of total devastation. His unruly student stood stiffly in the center of the wreckage, a distinct handprint on his cheek, yet he still wore a cold smirk. Opposite him stood a tall, middle-aged man who shared fifty percent of his features and a hundred percent of his temperament. His eyes were wide with rage, his face flushed crimson, and the muscles in his cheek twitched slightly in his fury. He wore a handmade suit, but his sleeves had been roughly rolled up, making it easy to see exactly where the mess on the floor had come from.
No introduction was necessary; Jiang Tong knew this was his employer, whom he had yet to meet.
"Go to Lady Marlene’s house tomorrow and apologize," Xiao Zhizhong—or William Xiao—said sharply. He was not a man who typically let his emotions show; today was a brief exception, and he was already shifting back into a pragmatic mindset, seeking a way to resolve the dispute.
"Why?" Kenneth tilted his head, his confusion appearing innocently genuine. "Every debt has its debtor. I wasn't the one who went to bed with her."
The veins on Xiao Zhizhong’s forehead throbbed. He was so incensed he couldn't speak.
"How did I ever father a thing like you?" he hissed through gritted teeth.
Kenneth maintained a steady smile. "Hurry up and get a DNA test. Perhaps the heavens will be kind and show we have no relation at all."
With a sharp *crash*, a crystal vase on the coffee table met its end.
The servants stood with their heads bowed, as silent as cicadas in winter.
Two dignified figures in a magnificent villa, arguing with melodramatic lines in polished English—it gave Jiang Tong the illusion that he was on a soap opera set. Having no desire to be dragged into it, he kept his eyes on his nose and his nose toward his heart, focusing entirely on his own path as he walked.
But fate had other plans. The sound of metal scraping against the floor was particularly grating in the silence. He looked down and lifted his foot; a blue crystal cufflink was sparkling on the floor, having left a long scratch across the wood.
Jiang Tong gave an awkward smile as he felt everyone’s gaze converge on him.
"Hello, Mr. Xiao. My name is Jiang Tong." Seeing that Xiao Zhizhong didn't recognize him at all, Jiang Tong took the initiative to introduce himself. "I am Kenneth’s Chinese tutor."
Xiao Zhizhong truly possessed remarkable self-restraint. Though he had been smashing furniture in a rage just moments ago, he managed to look quite amiable and kind in front of a stranger.
"Teacher Jiang, you’ve come at a good time," he said warmly. "Kenneth is habitually unruly and has gone through countless teachers. I knew this in my heart, but I’ve been too busy with business to properly discipline him."
"As luck would have it, I am here today, so you needn't fear him." His smile held a hint of reassurance. "Teacher Jiang, tell me everything Kenneth has done, every single detail. I will certainly discipline him today and see that justice is done for you."
Jiang Tong was stunned. His mind raced. Xiao Zhizhong had lost ground in the argument with his son and was now using Jiang Tong to open a new front. After all, Kenneth Xiao’s hatred for Chinese lessons and his reputation for tormenting teachers were well-known; there would be no way for him to talk his way out of it.
The tables had turned. The image of the young boy holding a check with his fingertips, his expression full of disdain, flashed before Jiang Tong's eyes. If he filed a formal complaint now, he could go with the flow, please the boss, and vent his own frustrations. It was a win-win situation with no downsides.
Skipping class without reason, treating a teacher with contempt using money—all he had to do was add a little color to his description of the scene, and the young Master Xiao would be in for a severe scolding today.
Jiang Tong had made up his mind, yet he found himself instinctively looking toward Kenneth. The boy’s back was ramrod straight, his lips pressed into a thin line. The handprint, which had been red at first, was beginning to swell. Against his jade-white skin, it was exceptionally prominent.
Sensing Jiang Tong’s gaze, the boy looked back coldly, his eyes like icy stars, showing not the slightest intention of begging for mercy or backing down. But with that large handprint branded on his face and his hair falling messily over his forehead, his fierce gaze had the unintended opposite effect. It made him look like a wounded little animal, possessing a certain unconscious piteousness.
The living room was so quiet one could hear a pin drop. They were all waiting for Jiang Tong to speak, waiting for him to accuse the boy.
"Young Master Xiao..." Jiang Tong said with difficulty. "He... he..."
"He has made great progress lately."
Xiao Zhizhong’s face was a mask of disbelief. "What?"
"Young Master Xiao has indeed made significant progress recently." Once the words were out, Jiang Tong began to weave the lie fluently. "His attitude toward learning has been serious lately, and he completes all his assignments on time. For this week's school quiz, he even specifically asked me to prepare extra exercises to help him consolidate his knowledge."
"I praised him to his face and assumed he had told you—it seems he was too embarrassed to mention it."
He smiled at the boy. "Kenneth, since Mr. Xiao asked personally, I can't keep it a secret anymore."
The boy stared deeply at him, his gaze complex and unreadable. His messy bangs obscured his eyes; at first glance, he truly did look like someone whose secret had been exposed, rendered speechless by shyness.
Xiao Zhizhong, however, was caught off guard. It was like throwing a punch into a bale of cotton, leaving him in an awkward position. However, his son had always loathed Chinese; for him to change his attitude and study diligently was, after all, a wonderful thing. The thought that the boy was making progress in silence but didn't dare tell him—and had even been wrongly accused—caused the heart that had been hardened by fury to suddenly soften.
"Is that true?" he asked Kenneth gently, seeking confirmation. "This is a good thing. Why didn't you tell me?"
The boy avoided his searching gaze and gave a cold huff as his only answer.
The father and son had just had a massive row where secrets were exposed; it was only natural for the child to feel a bit lose of face. Xiao Zhizhong believed it more and more, his heart turning tender, and his anger vanished completely.
Now that he was calm, the bright red handprint on Kenneth’s face became an eyesore.
He coughed lightly. The servants, reading the room, swarmed forward to clear the mess, bringing ice packs and ointment for the young master’s face and handing him black tea to soothe his throat. Amidst the orderly bustle, the stagnant air in the living room began to circulate once more.
Jiang Tong’s part in the drama was over. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Xiao Zhizhong, he was led to the study to wait for the lesson. Given Young Master Xiao’s pampered nature and his current "heavy injuries," it would have been perfectly reasonable for him to skip the lesson, allowing Jiang Tong to get paid for doing nothing. Jiang Tong took out his vocabulary book to memorize words, planning to head back to the lab early, when the door behind him opened. It was Kenneth.
In that short time, Kenneth had fixed his hair and changed his clothes. Whatever treatment had been applied to his face had made the marks fade until they were almost invisible.
"Why did you lie?" He glanced at the vocabulary book, his gaze settling on Jiang Tong’s face as he asked with a frown.
Jiang Tong acted surprised. "Where did I lie? Did you do poorly on your test last week?"
The boy fell silent. Seeing his frustrated expression, the corners of Jiang Tong’s mouth finally gave way to a "just as I thought" smile.
He really *had* done the exercises Jiang Tong prepared.
"In light of the fact that I helped you out today, why don't we call a temporary truce?" he proposed the peace terms with a smile. "You behave during class, and I’ll leave on time. I won't take up a single minute of your free time, and I’ll guarantee your test scores are good enough to pass muster. How about it?"
"Even if you don't care about grades, it’s very annoying if the teacher calls your parents for a meeting every other day because your scores are too ugly." Jiang Tong hit him right where it hurt, coaxing him patiently. "You do me a favor, and I’ll give you some peace and quiet. We both benefit, and neither of us loses time."
"Oh, right," he added. "To practice your speaking, we will only communicate in Chinese during class from now on."
"Deal."
Kenneth kept his handsome face taut as he quickly sat down beside Jiang Tong. He didn't look at him again, instead staring intently at the desk. If his gaze had physical weight, he would have bored a hole through the rosewood tabletop.
Jiang Tong’s smile widened. He remembered Lu She comparing the boy to a donkey that kicks its heels.
*He’s clearly a kitten,* he thought. *Sharp teeth and claws, ready to scratch if you aren't careful.*
*But once you stroke the fur the right way, he’s actually quite cute.*
***
