Teacher Zhang didn’t want to see the two of them again.
Even so, Qin Manhad done something last night that she had never done before—she had humbled herself in front of another person. And she sounded quite pitiful, too.
Teacher Zhang hesitated as he thought about the various gifts he had received from theYao familyover the years. In the end, he finally agreed.
But the moment he laid eyes on the mother-daughter duo again, his thoughts instantly went back to the incident at the Music Association.
If it hadn’t been for Yao Ran’s duplicity, he wouldn’t have suffered such loss and humiliation fromPresident Tan.
At the end of the day, when all was said and done, these two were still at fault.
Even the elders of the inner sect were displeased with how things had turned out. It was their reaction that finally made him realize that the Yao familywasn’t worth it at all.
And so, despite agreeing to the meeting, Teacher Zhangmade up his mind that he would no longer care aboutYao Ranin the future.
In any case, she was still the precious daughter of the Yao family, so he was fairly certain that no particular disaster would befall her.
As for him, if he continued to meddle in this matter, there was no telling how many more of his peers or how much more of his reputation he was going to lose.
“Teacher, please forgive me. I was too desperate that I wasn’t thinking clearly. I promise, I didn’t mean for any of those things to happen. Allow me to take responsibility by kneeling.”
Without waiting for a response, Yao Ranimmediately dropped to her knees after she finished speaking.
Teacher Zhang peered at her and noticed her thin frame and red-rimmed eyes.
He slammed his teacup on the table and said in a stern tone, “What are you doing? Don’t tell me you came all the way here just to kneel in front of me.”
It was an outrage!
If outsiders were to behold this scene, they would likely think that he was being harsh on his apprentices.
“Teacher Zhang, please let her express her remorse. How will she learn from her mistakes otherwise? She was fortunate enough to have you as her teacher, yet she never took care of that rare opportunity. She even angered you due to her recklessness. It is only right that she reflects on herself.”
Qin Man said nonchalantly. Her face even showed a hint of mockery.
If this so-called daughter of hers wasn’t so useless, they wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.
Besides, she was convinced that Teacher Zhangdidn’t have a heart made of stone. After all, he had doted onYao Ranin the past. Now that the girl was kneeling at his feet,Qin Man didn’t think he would refuse her again.
“Mom is right. I am in the wrong, and I should be kneeling. Please don’t be too considerate of me. I don’t deserve it.”
Yao Ran’s tears streamed down her cheeks as her body was racked with sobs.
“I know how much you care about me, Master. I was a fool for not cherishing your tutelage. This is why I am offering you my deepest apologies in the only way I can.”
Unable to bear the sight before him any longer, the butler turned woefully to Teacher Zhang. But when he caught sight of the other man’s expression, he had no choice but to swallow his words.
It was true that the Master had adored this pupil very much, and used to sing her praises to anyone who cared to hear.
The butler never imagined that the two would drift apart under these terrible circumstances.
Teacher Zhang harrumphed and waved his hand dismissively.
Still, a look of pity passed over his eyes.
He knew all too well just what kind of person Qin Manwas.
To live in such a cold and demanding household, he could understand why Yao Ranhad felt the need to go to such lengths to hold on to her parents’ approval.
What Teacher Zhangcouldn’t tolerate was the fact that the girl had also lied to him!
He found himself vacillating yet again, because while it was true that Yao Ranhad committed a mistake, his affections for her as his promising pupil were genuine as well.
“Teacher Zhang, please have a look at the gifts we brought with us.”
Qin Man stood up with a smile and handed over a box.
Inside was a 100-year-old ginseng. It had high medicinal value, especially for the elderly. In some cases, it could even save a life in critical condition.
If Teacher Zhanghappened to contract a sudden illness in the future, he could just pop a piece of the ginseng root into his mouth and he should recover in no time.
To Qin Man’s dismay, however, the man didn’t even bother glancing at the box’s contents. He simply gestured at the butler to give it back.
He knew that if he accepted this gift, he would be expected to give something in return.
Teacher Zhang wasn’t interested in becoming a pawn of theYao family.
“Please accept it, Teacher Zhang. If it weren’t for your guidance and dedication, myRanranwouldn’t have gotten this far. You are her benefactor as much as her teacher, and I would like to count on you to cultivate her skills in the future.”
Qin Man plastered her best smile on her face, her eyes twinkling with expectation.
In reality, her emotions were anything but pleasant. She never thought this old man would be so tough in the face of their persuasions.
And to think that she had even bothered to come in person today! Yao Ran was kneeling on the ground, too, but he didn’t even appear to be moved. Perhaps he was heartless, after all.
If only she didn’t need Teacher Zhangto get out of this mess, she wouldn’t disgrace herself by fawning over him like an idiot.
All of a sudden, Teacher Zhangturned toYao Tangwith a glare.
“Get up!” he barked. “Get up, I say! If you don’t get up right now, I’ll have you thrown out of my house!”
He didn’t care for the sight of a former pupil lowering herself to him like this. She might have wronged him, but kneeling in front of him now wouldn’t change a thing.
