A Maid's Survival Story in a Noble Family Mansion? Rich Landlords Are More Appealing.

He didn't say anything more, but that aloofness had already melted away.

Old Wang noticed the subtle change in his son's tone, and a huge weight was lifted from his heart. He even felt an urge to cry.

He nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you and we'll discuss it further."

He rubbed his hands together, wanting to help tidy up, but didn't know where to start, appearing somewhat clumsy.

Madam Wang walked over at the opportune moment and said gently, "Master, why don't you accompany Yan Ning to the study to rest, have some hot tea, and calm your mind? I'll tidy up here."

She looked at Wang Yanning with gentle eyes, "Yanning, there's still some soup warming in the pot. I'll bring it over to you later."

Wang Yanning met Madam Wang's concerned gaze. This time, he did not look away, but nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble, Aunt Cui."

Madam Wang's smile deepened: "No need for that, you should all go and rest."

As if he had received a royal decree, Old Wang hurriedly led his son towards the study. His steps were surprisingly light, as if the dramatic rift that had just occurred had never happened, or perhaps, compared to the thawing of his relationship with his son, it was nothing at all.

In the study, the father and son sat facing each other, and Old Wang personally poured tea for his son. The rising steam slightly dispelled the chill in their hearts.

"By the way, Ning'er," Old Wang said, holding his teacup. As if he had suddenly remembered something, his eyes lit up and he said eagerly, "When you were talking to Master He before, didn't you say that a classmate recommended you to study at the Kaifeng Prefectural School?"

"Going to Kaifeng is good, the Kaifeng Prefectural School is good, Father will prepare silver for you, no, Father will..."

He almost blurted out something like "I'll divide the family fortune among you," but seeing his son's slightly furrowed brow, he stopped himself and changed his words:

"Your father fully supports you, don't worry. You don't want to use the Wang family's money, but once your father returns the clan lands, the remaining money will be ours, and you can use it as you please."

Wang Yanning held the warm teacup and fell silent.

Although going to Kaifeng Prefectural School meant better teachers, a wider world, and a greater chance of standing out in the provincial and even metropolitan examinations and achieving official rank.

This was the path he had pursued through years of hard study, and the direction he should have devoted himself to after breaking free from family constraints.

Now the opportunity is right in front of us. Lin Lang's maternal grandfather personally recommended the book, and Zhou Wenbo and Qian Wenbai also hoped to go with him. Not to mention that although Master He did not say it explicitly, he obviously preferred a better university.

This is clearly a ladder to success. Now, his father is going all out to support him.

But he knew very well that he didn't want to go right now.

He wasn't particularly obsessed with becoming an official. He studied hard for years, perhaps initially with the thought of bringing glory to his family and making his mother proud, but later it became more of a habit and a way to prove himself.

His desire to rise to the top stemmed less from a fascination with power and more from a yearning for the ability and status to control his own destiny and protect those he wished to protect.

He didn't want to be as powerless as his father had been, nor did he want the people he cared about to face any contempt or hardship because of his lack of success.

He thought he had long been used to loneliness, but Chen Wanxing's appearance was like a warm ray of light, quietly shining into his long-closed world.

The correspondence over the past few months, along with these few meetings, have all taken root in his heart.

He longed to get closer to that light, to have more interaction with her, and to have her by his side in the future.

However, Kaifeng is far away, the prefectural school is strictly managed, and the coursework is heavy. Once you go there, you will probably have little free time to return during the year, except for long holidays.

This meant that he and she would be separated by several days of travel and a long period of separation. Letters could be exchanged, but ultimately, there would be a barrier.

He feared that time and distance would diminish the budding feelings in her, that someone more suitable or closer would appear in her life, and that he wouldn't be there for her when she needed him...

Therefore, his original plan was to stay at the Ruyang County School. Although the teaching staff was slightly inferior, he could return home every month during his days off, and since he and she were both in Ruyang, it would always be convenient for them to meet.

He can work hard to make up for his shortcomings while slowly nurturing this friendship that he cherishes.

However, the image of his father, who had just stubbornly broken with the clan, his back hunched yet exceptionally resolute, kept replaying in his mind.

His father went to such lengths for him, almost cutting himself off from the familiar clan world, placing all his hopes, expectations, and favoritism on his son.

This heavy expectation, mixed with guilt and responsibility, caused the scales of choice in his heart to shake violently once again.

Wang Yanning was caught in an unprecedented dilemma. Reason told him that he should go, but his emotions tugged at his clothes, whispering words of reluctance and worry.

His fingers tightened slightly around the teacup, his knuckles turning white.

In a daze, he seemed to see Chen Wanxing sitting opposite him, quietly listening to him recount his dilemma of whether to stay or leave.

The imagined scene was astonishingly clear; even the curve of her eyelashes as she tilted her head slightly to listen was exactly the same as the one deep in his memory.

He had unknowingly memorized her every smile and frown so vividly.

But the person opposite him didn't comfort him; her face seemed to be only calmly blank. This calmness made Wang Yanning more uneasy than any blame.

"Young Master Wang, you don't need to go to such lengths for me."

Wanxing believed that two people who understand and cherish each other should illuminate each other's path and work together towards a better future; that was the right thing to do. Your words make it sound as if I have become a burden to you.

Wanxing could not bear such heavy sentiments, nor did she want to become a stumbling block to someone else's future.

Since Young Master Wang has such lofty ambitions, he should spread his wings and soar high; why confine himself to one corner? If this causes hesitation, it would be better to part ways here and wish each other well—that would be the best outcome for both.

May your future be bright, young master.

Yes, Wang Yanning suddenly woke up.

How could a woman as insightful and self-assured as her accept his "deep affection" that carried the connotation of "sacrifice"? This was not what she needed, nor was it what she desired.

What good could his self-righteous devotion do, other than weighing a heavy weight of guilt on her heart and building an invisible wall between them?

Ultimately, he was afraid. He was afraid that the distance would be too great, that their feelings would fade, that the years would pass and she would stop waiting, and that he wasn't good enough and would ultimately miss out...

This fear fueled his urge to stay, but he misused the method and misexpressed his feelings.

Moreover, deep down he felt an even greater unease, concerning human nature and his future with her.

Human nature is base. It's not that he doesn't trust his own feelings at this moment, but rather that he fears the darkness that might grow in human nature as time and the world erode it.

He couldn't help but think that if he had stayed at this moment, he would have chosen this seemingly more "stable" path of staying together.

One year, two years, three years... If many years later, he is still struggling academically and unable to "make it"...

On some weary and frustrated night, does he ever have a fleeting thought, "If I had gone to Kaifeng back then, perhaps..."?

Even if it's just a fleeting moment, it's still a stain on her and on this relationship.

He absolutely did not want any resentment or regret in the future, not even the slightest potential for unconscious anger to be directed at her.

He didn't want her to bear even a fraction of the psychological burden that might arise from his unilateral "sacrifice," which originally had nothing to do with her.

True protection might not be about giving up better opportunities to stay by her side, but about becoming strong enough to shield her from the wind and rain, no matter where you are.