Worlds Apart | Chapter 9 | Refusing to Let Go | Novela.app

Xiao Fengtai could not quite explain his own attitude toward Jiang Tong. Jiang Tong had a pair of good-tempered, downturned eyes and a face that could be considered passably elegant, though he did not stand out in a crowd. At their first meeting, Xiao Fengtai had swept a glance over him and assumed he had seen right through the man. No matter how dismissive Xiao Fengtai acted, the ability to read people and assess a situation had been ingrained in the Xiao family’s genes through generations of observation; it was a primal instinct. Jiang Tong’s old-fashioned rimless glasses, his plaid shirt washed until the colors faded, and the frayed edges of his old backpack all revealed one thing—he was desperate for money. Among all his previous Chinese tutors, Lu She was merely the best of a mediocre lot. Xiao Fengtai hadn't intended to make things difficult for Lu She’s friend. Three thousand Singapore dollars shouldn't have been a small sum to Jiang Tong, and Xiao Fengtai felt he was being generous enough. He knew his posture lacked respect, but he didn't care. Jiang Tong’s significance did not warrant his respect. He had encountered too many people like him—ambitious servants in his household, ordinary children at school trying to break into his social circle, his father’s girlfriends... They were teased and humiliated by him, yet they were forced to pretend nothing had happened, maintaining a pleasant facade in his presence. They preferred his money over his respect. Gradually, he discovered that in the eyes of many, he was not a person, but a bank card, a share of equity, a piece of real estate. At first, this realization brought him sadness and anxiety, but eventually, it became second nature. He learned to appreciate the ugly displays of sycophancy and social climbing around him, even finding a bit of amusement in it. When he handed over the check, he had observed the suppressed anger in Jiang Tong’s eyes. Xiao Fengtai had smiled, gripping the check tightly, waiting for Jiang Tong to endure the humiliation and, amidst the mockery of the onlookers, pull the check from his hand inch by inch. Yet Jiang Tong had not only refused his money but had also mocked him with poise and dignity in front of his friends. Xiao Fengtai had been furious. He loathed people who acted morally superior. If Jiang Tong ever dared to step through the Xiao family’s doors again, he would find every way possible to make him regret what he had said. For an entire week, whenever he had a spare moment, he found himself involuntarily plotting this revenge. He had finally devised a thorough plan, yet he never expected that Xiao Zhizhong would take his anger out on him because of that woman. Even more unexpected was that Jiang Tong would risk his job to bail him out. Hadn't he just humiliated the man to his face? Didn't he need the money? How did he dare to presume his thoughts? Who did he think he was? And why... why did he say those things to him? Xiao Fengtai’s feelings toward Jiang Tong began to grow complicated. In an era where paper was becoming obsolete, Jiang Tong wrote with a strong, vigorous hand in regular script. The scene of them sitting side-by-side by the window, reading poetry line by line, felt familiar to Xiao Fengtai. It was as if, a long time ago, someone had also held him as a young child on their lap, teaching him those obscure yet gentle verses with infinite tenderness and patience. During their face-to-face lessons, he began to lose control over his urge to steal glances at Jiang Tong. Xiao Fengtai started to wonder what kind of person Jiang Tong was once he left this seaside mansion. His expectations gradually built up, only for Jiang Tong to suddenly announce his departure from his life. Watching coldly as Jiang Tong prattled on about the handover process after his substitution ended, a fire ignited in Xiao Fengtai’s heart. The young man looked relaxed and at ease, a trace of a smile playing on his lips—was he really that happy to be rid of him? Was the price his father offered not enticing enough? He had clearly tried his best to cooperate with Jiang Tong and be a good student. The hidden fire in his heart burned intensely, making Xiao Fengtai restless. Finally unable to restrain himself, he lashed out at Jiang Tong with sarcasm. However, seeing Jiang Tong’s smile vanish and his expression turn somber, Xiao Fengtai felt no joy—only a deeper sense of grievance. *I won't let you have your way,* he thought resentfully as he pulled out his phone. ***