I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 15 Cold Violence

Zheng Fa couldn’t help but feel a shred of sympathy for Wang Gui.  

The Seventh Young Master, who had seemed like an enthusiastic youth earlier, was truly insufferable when he decided to make things difficult.  

He threw Gao Yuan’s book chest onto the ground, the corners of his mouth curving up in a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. It was obvious that his earlier command for them to “get lost” wasn’t a joke.  

“What, nothing to say?” The Seventh Young Master, seeing Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan remain silent, smirked knowingly. “Did someone tell you that following me would lead to a life of luxury and wealth?”  

“Bullsh*t! Do I look like an easy person to serve?”  

Well, at least he had a pretty accurate understanding of himself.  

He gave the two a once-over, then collapsed into a chair, propping one leg over the other with a careless attitude. “Were you hoping I’d become the Family Head so you could act like big shots under me? Heh, let me make it clear: even if I were old enough, this whole ‘Family Head of the Zhao Estate’ nonsense—anyone else can have it! Keep dreaming!”  

Gao Yuan’s face turned pale. He’d heard about the Seventh Young Master’s erratic reputation in the estate but hadn’t expected it to be this extreme.  

Zheng Fa, however, wasn’t disappointed. His goals were clear—to explore martial arts in this world and improve his family’s circumstances. Who the Seventh Young Master was didn’t really matter that much.  

Walking away just because of a few harsh words? Zheng Fa wasn’t that naïve. The Zhao Estate had called him here to be evaluated—he had no choice in the matter. Whether he became a study attendant wasn’t up to him either.  

The Seventh Young Master seemed slightly put off by their lack of reaction. His mocking tirade felt less directed at them and more like he was venting about something else.  

Seeing they still didn’t respond, he waved a hand dismissively. “Not leaving? Fine, then stand outside where you won’t be an eyesore.”  

Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan moved to stand at the doorway. Through the translucent glass on the window, they watched the Seventh Young Master pacing inside, visibly frustrated, before sitting down again to read.  

He read with a seriousness and frustration that struck Zheng Fa as oddly familiar—it was the look of someone on an exam, trying hard but completely lost.  

A classic underachiever.  

This sparked Zheng Fa’s curiosity. Whatever the Seventh Young Master’s faults, his dogged determination to study seemed out of place for someone so chaotic. What kind of book was he reading?  

Time crawled by as they stood at the doorway, ignored by everyone. The sun climbed higher, its heat growing more oppressive. Neither of them had eaten or drunk anything all morning, and the scorching sun left them both parched and miserable.  

Next to him, Gao Yuan kept licking his dry, cracked lips, making it worse until his lips started to peel.  

Just as their spirits were starting to fade, soft footsteps approached from behind. A maid appeared, carrying a light green porcelain plate piled high with freshly washed grapes. The water droplets on the grapes sparkled in the sunlight.  

Zheng Fa clearly heard Gao Yuan gulp audibly.  

The maid deliberately walked in front of them, almost parading the grapes before disappearing into the room behind the curtain.  

When she lifted the curtain, a cool breeze wafted out from inside, catching Zheng Fa’s attention. Curious, he glanced in and noticed a faintly glowing blue pattern on the floor.   ṜΑɴꝋ฿ЁŠ

“A formation?” he thought. “A simple household formation?”  

What surprised him more than the Seventh Young Master enjoying such conveniences was the fact that this world had formations created solely for comfort. To Zheng Fa, this was a clear sign of the Immortal Sect’s influence and the level of cultivation civilization here.  

The maid placed the grapes in front of the Seventh Young Master. Picking up one grape at a time, he walked to the window as if purposely giving Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan a clear view.  

Under the scorching sun, with their mouths parched, the two could only watch as the Seventh Young Master slowly ate the entire plate of grapes.  

When he finished, he smiled smugly at them before returning to his seat to read. Watching his now-furrowed brow, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but curse inwardly—serves him right!  

By midday, apparently bored, the Seventh Young Master finally dismissed them.  

Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan followed a maid to their assigned residence. The further they walked, the more dejected Gao Yuan became. The Seventh Young Master’s courtyard was spacious, yet he’d refused to let them stay there. His rejection couldn’t have been more obvious.  

Their residence was a small single-story house without a courtyard. Inside, one room held a table and a few chairs, while the other contained two beds with a cabinet at the head. There was no other furniture.  

After showing them the place, the maid left without a word, avoiding them like the plague.  

Watching her hasty retreat, Gao Yuan sighed deeply and gave a bitter smile. “My father warned me about the Seventh Young Master… but this is worse than I expected. If this is the first day, how will we manage the days ahead?”  

Zheng Fa unpacked his belongings and placed his clothes in the cabinet, remaining silent.  

Flopping onto the bed, Gao Yuan asked, “Don’t you have any thoughts about this?”  

“What’s there to think?” Zheng Fa shrugged. “The Seventh Young Master isn’t all that bad.”  

“Huh?”  

“He doesn’t like us, right?”  

“Obviously.”  

“Has he actually done anything to us?”  

Gao Yuan frowned, thinking it over. For all his antics, the Seventh Young Master hadn’t harmed them.  

“See? He doesn’t like us, and we don’t like him. But whether we’re his study attendants isn’t up to him. We’ll just have to make do.”  

“But if he doesn’t like us, we won’t last here long.”  

Zheng Fa nodded. The Seventh Young Master was, after all, the master.  

“I can’t afford to get sent back—my dad would kill me!”  

Zheng Fa said nothing. If he got sent back, the consequences might be even worse—Steward Wang at the estate was probably waiting for just such an opportunity.  

Their thoughts were interrupted by a man who appeared at the door, saying, “Chief Instructor Xu wants to see you.”  

Gao Yuan leaped to his feet, excitement replacing his earlier gloom. “He’s going to teach us martial arts!”  

Zheng Fa raised a brow. “Didn’t you already practice martial arts?”  

“You don’t get it. What I learned was just farming techniques. My dad never dared teach me the estate’s martial arts!”

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