Chapter 29: A Father’s Favoritism

“A great kindness deserves no words of thanks!”

After Tang Yan left, Shen Bai knelt on the ground and bowed to Lin Yaoyao and her brother.

Lin Yaoyao and Lin Feiyuan each took one of his hands and pulled him to his feet.

“Brother Shen, from today on, we’re family! Don’t be so polite.”

“Yeah, I, Lin Feiyuan, have gained another brother. From now on, I’ll look after you at the academy!”

Lin Yaoyao couldn’t help laughing. With his lousy kung fu, who knew who would be looking after whom in the future?

“Lin Feiyuan, stop bragging. Maybe one day you’ll be relying on Shen Bai.”

Lu Yan’er joined in, teasing Lin Feiyuan, and everyone burst into laughter.

Gu Mingchun stayed behind to treat Shen Bai’s injuries. Lin Yaoyao and Lin Feiyuan went back to ask their father to come to the academy to vouch for Shen Bai.

Inside the Lin family’s front hall.

Over the past few days, Lin Xuanzhong had heard the rumors about his daughter Lin Yaoyao, and he was deeply uneasy.

During the arena matches, Lin Xuanzhong had sensed something was off. Lin Yaoyao had been tested before and had no spiritual root, but that day her Frozen Palm technique had shown the power of a water spiritual root.

He had wanted to question Lin Yaoyao directly, but he had been busy with clan affairs and had put it off.

Today, when he finally had time, he heard the servants say that the fifth miss and the third young master had gone to Tianyuan Gambling House. Lin Xuanzhong was so angry he nearly threw his teacup to the ground.

The recent assessment at Tiandu Academy had finally given the Lin family a moment of pride, and Lin Xuanzhong had barely managed to feel some comfort.

Who would have thought that within a few days, that unfilial son Lin Feiyuan would take his sister to a gambling den, proving once again that he was idle and good-for-nothing, unable to change his spoiled nature.

“That unfilial brat! When he gets back, I’ll break his legs!”

Lin Yaoyao and Lin Feiyuan had barely entered the estate when they were summoned to the front hall.

“You unfilial son, kneel!”

Lin Xuanzhong’s brows were furrowed, his expression stern.

Thud!

Lin Feiyuan instinctively knelt. Every time his father got angry, this was the expression, and he knew it well.

‘What was going on?’

Lin Yaoyao hesitated, wondering whether to kneel or not. Looking at the old man’s state, he was angry, really angry.

‘Better kneel anyway.’

Lin Yaoyao had just started to bend her knees when Lin Xuanzhong grabbed her.

“Little Five, you’ve done nothing wrong. No need to kneel.”

Lin Yaoyao shot Lin Feiyuan a smug look. The old man doted on his daughter. Too bad you’re a son.

Lin Xuanzhong saw that Lin Feiyuan had admitted his mistake with a good attitude, so half his anger faded, and his tone softened.

“Third son, do you know your mistake?”

Lin Feiyuan knelt there and thought for a moment. What exactly had made Father angry this time?

“Father, I… I know my mistake!”

Lin Feiyuan couldn’t be bothered to think further. He had spent all his time with his sister lately. If he’d done something wrong, he’d just admit it. Admitting fault was the right move anyway.

Lin Xuanzhong was somewhat surprised that Lin Feiyuan admitted his mistake so quickly.

This boy used to be so stubborn, always talking back and making excuses. Had he changed his ways, or was he just humoring him?

“Then do you know where you went wrong?”

This question truly stumped Lin Feiyuan.

Admitting a mistake in a daze was easy, but the specifics? What mistake had he made?

Lin Feiyuan looked to Lin Yaoyao for help. She shook her head. She had no idea what the old man was going on about either.

Lin Yaoyao pointed at Lin Xuanzhong, signaling Lin Feiyuan to just ask the man himself instead of playing guessing games.

“Father, what exactly did I do wrong? Just tell me directly. I don’t know!”

Lin Xuanzhong’s anger, which had half subsided, was successfully provoked back by Lin Feiyuan.

“You unfilial son! If you want to waste your life, go ahead. But your sister is a young lady from a noble family, and you actually took her to a place like a gambling house.”

Gambling house?

Before going to see Shen Bai, Lin Yaoyao and Lin Feiyuan had indeed made a trip to Tianyuan Gambling House.

So the old man was angry about that. Lin Yaoyao breathed a sigh of relief, while Lin Feiyuan looked aggrieved.

“We didn’t go to the gambling house to gamble. We went to get money. Yaoyao won a lot of money for me. I didn’t…”

Ouch!

Before Lin Feiyuan could finish, a whip lashed across his body. Lin Xuanzhong had lost his patience.

“You unfilial son! Not only are you a gambler, but you also spout lies and slander your own sister. I’ll beat you to death!”

Lin Xuanzhong was in a rage, and Lin Yaoyao couldn’t talk him down no matter what.

“Father! It really isn’t Third Brother’s fault. I was the one who wanted to go to the gambling house!”

The whip came fast and precise, cracking heavily against Lin Feiyuan, who curled up in pain, looking so pitiful and wronged that even Lin Yaoyao felt a pang of sympathy.

Speechless. Lin Yaoyao was telling the truth, but the old man wouldn’t believe her.

With a thud,

Lin Yaoyao knelt down. Lin Xuanzhong froze, then slowly lowered the whip in his hand.

“Little Five, what are you doing? No need to plead for this unfilial son!”

Lin Feiyuan stood aside with a face full of grievance. Heaven had no eyes! No one believed the truth!

“Father, it was I who brought Third Brother to Tianyuan Gambling House to place bets. And last time at the arena match, betting the family estate against someone, that was my idea too.”

Ah…

Lin Xuanzhong felt embarrassed. He had beaten the wrong person!

Lin Feiyuan looked aggrieved, rubbing his red, swollen arm and occasionally blowing on it with his mouth. Lin Xuanzhong couldn’t stand his flippant demeanor.

“That’s still his fault. As the elder brother, he should have stopped his sister from making a mistake.”

Lin Yaoyao covered her mouth and snickered.

That’s it.

Third Brother, you’re on your own.

The old man insists on beating you. I can’t do anything about it. Your sister did everything she could.

Looking at Lin Yaoyao’s smug expression, Lin Feiyuan finally understood. Father just wanted to beat him up!

“Father, you’re too biased. Am I even your real son?”

Crack!

Another whip.

A solid hit. The sound alone was painful to hear, and Lin Yaoyao watched the show from the side.

“I’ll teach you to talk nonsense! I’ll beat you to death!”

Seeing that Lin Xuanzhong was serious, Lin Feiyuan instinctively dodged behind Lin Yaoyao. Lin Xuanzhong quickly pulled back the whip.

“If I’d known, I would never have had such an unfilial son, to spare the family the trouble!”

Lin Feiyuan looked unconvinced and demanded to know why, when he had already been punished for his mistake, Lin Yaoyao didn’t get punished for hers.

Lin Yaoyao pinched Lin Feiyuan’s arm hard.

‘You little! I helped you just now, and you’re trying to drag me down with you?’

Lin Feiyuan said shamelessly, “Share happiness, share suffering!”

Lin Xuanzhong felt a bit guilty. His favoritism was too obvious, so it was only natural for his son to be upset.

“Little Five, you’re a girl. Next time, don’t go to places like that gambling house. Get up now, don’t kneel anymore. The floor is cold.”

Lin Yaoyao nodded obediently. Lin Feiyuan looked incredulous.

That was it? She got off scot-free, just like that?

Not a single word of scolding, not a single whip!

From now on, when he did something bad, he would definitely bring his sister along. That way, he’d surely get punished less.

Lin Feiyuan pouted like a sulking child. Lin Yaoyao stood up and pulled him.

“Third Brother, get up.”

Lin Feiyuan glanced at Lin Xuanzhong and only got up slowly after receiving his tacit approval.

The one who made the mistake didn’t get beaten; the one who didn’t make a mistake did. None of the three spoke, and the atmosphere grew tense.

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