Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Xiao Family situation.
“Stay close to me,” Zhao Yun whispered, her voice low and firm.

Shan Yifeng obediently followed as they moved cautiously into a shadowed alleyway. The air was thick with tension, the faint scent of damp stone lingering as they stepped further in.

Without hesitation, Zhao Yun summoned her beast—a towering, armored creature with gleaming fangs and sharp eyes that immediately took a protective stance in front of Shan Yifeng.

Then—

“Shit! We’ve been discovered! Disperse—everyone, go!”

The moment the alarm was raised, figures in the shadows exploded into motion. Like trained rats in a maze, they vanished into the labyrinth of alleys, slipping away before Zhao Yun could react.

Damn it!

She bolted after them, her figure a blur of movement as she attempted to close the distance—but no matter how fast she was, no matter how sharp her instincts, she couldn’t catch a single one.

Zhao Yun stood at the edge of a rooftop, fists clenched. Me, a Gold Rank, and I couldn’t even capture one of them?

She clicked her tongue in frustration, turning back toward Shan Yifeng, who had remained safely behind, guarded by her beast.

The boy, rather than looking worried, simply gave her a wide, toothy grin.

“Sister Zhao, it’s okay. You don’t need to be sad.”

“I’m not sad,” Zhao Yun muttered, crossing her arms. “I’m just worried they might come after you when you’re alone.”

Shan Yifeng, completely unfazed, gave her a playful wink. “Oh! Then, Sister Zhao, you better not fail to protect me properly, okay? Hehe!”

Zhao Yun narrowed her eyes. “Little rascal!”

Without warning, she lunged at him, but Yifeng laughed and darted away, dodging her attempts to catch him like a mischievous monkey.

Their earlier tension melted away, the two of them momentarily forgetting the threat that loomed over them.

After a few more hours, they finally settled down as they prepared to return back.

“Do we have to go back?” Shan Yifeng asked, his voice tinged with reluctance as he cast a longing glance at the bustling streets behind them.

“Yes, we have do,” Zhao Yun replied with a dramatic sigh. “I can’t wait for my omelet—ahem—I mean… your master will kill me if I’m late.”

She coughed into her fist, but the slip was already out.

Shan Yifeng squinted at her, unconvinced. “You hesitated.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You totally did.”

“Shut up and get on Dixie,” she huffed, mounting her summoned beast with practiced ease.

Still suspicious but unwilling to argue further, Shan Yifeng climbed on, and with a swift command, Dixie took to the skies.

The moment they landed, Shan Yifeng practically flung himself off the beast, his eyes lighting up as an unmistakable scent hit him.

“It’s pork! It’s pork!” he hollered, racing toward the house as if he hadn’t eaten in days.

Zhao Yun shook her head at the boy’s antics but moved to recall her beast. Before she could, a voice called out.

“Let her be,” Ace said casually, stepping onto the porch.

“I’ve got some beast feed here.”

Zhao Yun paused, raising a brow at him, but she didn’t question it. With a simple nod, she followed Shan Yifeng inside—as if she had been invited in the first place.

Ace leaned against the doorframe, watching her saunter in without a hint of hesitation.

She turned back, locking eyes with him.

“My omelet—cough—I mean, I escort him well,” she said, clearing her throat as if that would erase the mistake.

Ace smirked. “Right. Your omelet.”

Zhao Yun averted her gaze, muttering something under her breath before making her way toward the kitchen.

…

The Xiao family’s grand hall buzzed with tension. A long table stretched across the room, where elders and key figures of the family sat, their expressions ranging from outrage to concern.

“Family head! This Hua family is getting outrageous with their demands!”

Elder Xiao Bo slammed his fist against the table, causing the teacups to rattle.

“They want our genius, Xiao Ling, to marry into their family? This is blatant coercion!”

“Do they think we are blind?” Another elder, Xiao Fang, scoffed.

“The Hua family is clearly trying to secure a powerful bloodline under their name. Xiao Ling’s talent is unmatched—marrying him off would mean losing our greatest future powerhouse!”

“But rejecting them outright could bring trouble,” an older, more cautious elder interjected.

“The Hua family isn’t one to take humiliation lightly. Are we prepared to deal with the consequences?”

“Prepared or not, we cannot bow to their arrogance!” Elder Bo barked, his face red with anger.

“If we agree, what message does that send? That the Xiao family can be dictated by others? That our talents can be traded away like livestock?”

“And what of Xiao Ling himself?” A younger family member, Xiao Ren, spoke up.

“Has anyone even asked what he wants? Shouldn’t his opinion matter in a decision about his own future?”

The room fell into silence for a moment, before another elder scoffed.

“Hmph. Young people these days are too soft. Marriages are alliances! Do you think our generation had the luxury of choosing?”

“The times have changed, elder,” Xiao Ren retorted.

“And Xiao Ling is not just any disciple—he is a prodigy. If we force him into a situation he despises, what if he turns his back on the family instead?”

A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the hall, but others still looked unconvinced.

At the head of the table, Xiao Wuzi, the family head, sat in silence. His brows furrowed as he listened to the growing debate.

Finally, he let out a deep sigh and rubbed his temples. “Give me a break.” His tone was heavy, exhausted.

“Let me sort out my thoughts first before all of you give me a headache.”

The hall quieted at once. Though heated, everyone knew better than to push the family head too far.

For now, all they could do was wait for his decision.

In a secluded courtyard within the Xiao family mansion, the moon cast a pale glow over the quiet space. A woman stood by the window, her long robes flowing softly in the night breeze.

Despite the serenity of the moment, a deep, unspoken weight hung in the air.

“Ning’er, how is my son?” Her voice was calm, yet beneath the surface, an ache lingered—one that only a mother could understand.

The young woman before her lowered her gaze slightly, hesitating for a brief moment. “Elder… your son, he has changed.”

Xie Ning’er, the one who had always watched over Xiao Zhi from the shadows, spoke with measured words. “Unlike before, he now shows care for those around him. He protects, he teaches, and he…” she paused, carefully choosing her words, “he carries himself with a strength I have never seen in him before.”

Xiao Ziyun closed her eyes briefly, absorbing the words. It was as if each syllable was a delicate thread, stitching together a version of her son that felt both foreign and yet deeply familiar.

Then, Ning’er’s tone shifted. “Elder, it seems… your son is planning something.”

Xiao Ziyun’s eyes flickered open, sharp and knowing.

“He has been drawing closer to the Hua family. He speaks to them often, aligns himself with their affairs.” Ning’er hesitated before continuing, “I fear… he is planning to take revenge on the Xiao family.”

Silence.

The air between them grew heavy, thick with an emotion neither of them dared to name.

For a long moment, Xiao Ziyun said nothing. She merely stood there, gazing out the window, her fingers lightly tracing the wooden frame.

The world outside was vast, stretching into the unknown, much like the path her son now walked.

Finally, she lifted a hand, dismissing Ning’er with a quiet wave.

Xie Ning’er hesitated, wanting to say more, but the weight in the elder’s expression made her hold her tongue. With a respectful bow, she took her leave, disappearing into the night.

Left alone, Xiao Ziyun let out a slow, measured breath.

Her fingers curled slightly, pressing against the cool wood beneath them.

“Oh, my baby boy…” her voice was barely above a whisper, a lament carried only by the wind. “What are you thinking? What is it that you want to walk?”