Evan Sullivan couldn’t stand Chad Sullivan’s behavior at this moment, which was like a country bumpkin entering the city. He couldn’t help but remind him, “Just sit in the carriage—what’s there to see outside? It’s dirty and messy. Hurry up and put down the curtain!”

In the past, when he followed his mother to visit his grandmother, he too had curiously pulled open the curtain to look outside, only to see nothing but chaos, and was scolded by his mother for it!

Casting a sidelong glance at his nephew’s serious face, Chad Sullivan couldn’t be bothered to reply. His gaze fell on Evan Sullivan’s left hand, which was tucked behind his back.

Sensing that Chad Sullivan had noticed, Evan Sullivan reacted as if facing a formidable enemy, hiding his hand even more tightly. Chad Sullivan raised his eyebrows thoughtfully but didn’t press the issue. Instead, he pulled the curtain even wider.

Seeing that more than half the window was now exposed, Evan Sullivan became both anxious and angry. He could no longer hide his injured hand and lunged forward, trying to yank the curtain down. It wasn’t until Chad Sullivan grabbed his left wrist that he panicked, but he still put on a brave front and snapped, “What are you doing? Do you want people to laugh at us, saying that those from the Yue family have no manners?”

“Laugh at us? Hah, who doesn’t know that the Bai Gate Yue clan only rose to prominence with Grandfather? There are countless families in Jinling who claim a hundred-year heritage—when have they ever looked up to the Yue family?”

At this moment, seeing that Evan Sullivan’s left hand was tightly bandaged, clearly from a beating with a ruler, Chad Sullivan couldn’t help but let out a mocking laugh. After letting go, he casually pointed to the curious commoners peering at the carriage outside and, leaning against the carriage wall, said, “Just thirty years ago, how was Grandfather any different from those people out there?”

“You… you…”

Chad Sullivan paid no mind to Evan Sullivan, who was so angry he was trembling and couldn’t even speak. He said calmly, “Don’t forget your roots. Those five words aren’t mine—they’re Grandfather’s.”

Hearing that it was the old man’s words, Evan Sullivan suspected that Chad Sullivan was just using Grandfather’s authority, but in the end, he deflated like a punctured ball and couldn’t argue any further.

Through the opened curtain, he saw street vendors hawking their wares, passersby haggling, rows of shops… Though it wasn’t as clean and tidy as the mansion, he found his resistance fading and his interest growing without realizing it.

So much so that when the servant’s voice came from outside the carriage, announcing they had arrived at the Qiu residence, he was caught off guard and hurriedly pulled down the curtain while Chad Sullivan wasn’t looking.

Chad Sullivan didn’t care about this at all. When the carriage door opened and he saw Evan Sullivan fumbling to straighten his clothes, he simply got out of the carriage.

The Qiu residence’s entrance was on a long street and looked unremarkable at first glance, but with just a glance, Chad Sullivan saw blue bricks and black tiles, exuding an ancient, understated elegance.

So this is what it means to be a so-called scholar—even renting a house is so particular.

In front of the gate, four youths of about sixteen or seventeen were chatting, all dressed in scholar’s robes—deep blue, stone blue, pale green, and scallion green. Clearly, Evan Sullivan’s attire followed this style.

The four of them were refined and composed, chatting and laughing as if they hadn’t noticed the newcomers at all.

A carriage was parked by the south wall of the street, and five or six well-groomed, glossy-coated horses were tied to the hitching post. At first glance, the place was even tidier than the main gate of the Yue residence when Chad Sullivan left.

Amidst all these subdued colors, every passerby couldn’t help but look at Chad Sullivan, because his clothes were a striking splash of red among a sea of green—exceptionally eye-catching.

Thus, when Evan Sullivan finally finished tidying his appearance and got off the carriage, he saw Chad Sullivan’s flamboyant outfit and wished he could distance himself from him on the spot. But since they had arrived together, he could only grit his teeth, ignore Chad Sullivan, and walk straight to the gate, bowing to the four young men.

“May I ask, gentlemen, is Mr. Qiu at home? I am Evan Sullivan of the Bai Gate Yue clan, here to seek instruction.”

He didn’t mention Chad Sullivan at all, reciting the lines he had rehearsed several times before the matron, desperately hoping Chad Sullivan would take the hint and not come over to ruin his chances.

“Bai Gate Yue clan?” The youngest-looking youth studied Evan Sullivan thoughtfully, then suddenly burst out laughing.

Realizing he’d lost his composure, he turned away and said nothing more, but one of his companions, with a half-smile, chimed in, “I’ve only heard of the Wu Zhong Yue clan and the Jinyang Yue clan, but Bai Gate Yue clan? Never heard of it!”

This was the first time in his life that Evan Sullivan had left the Yue residence alone. Faced with such malicious mockery, he was caught off guard, his face turning alternately pale and flushed—utterly embarrassed.

“He’s here to study—what’s the point of saying all that?” The oldest youth finally spoke up to stop his companions, but did so calmly, “Mr. Qiu is speaking with a guest at the moment. Please wait a moment, young master…”

He had just finished speaking when he caught sight of his teacher escorting out a handsome, upright young man in hemp robes and straw sandals. Judging by their cheerful expressions, the conversation had gone well, so he immediately turned to greet them.

Evan Sullivan saw the youth quietly reporting something to the middle-aged man in his forties, glancing at him from time to time. Instantly, he ignored the unfriendly looks from the three young men at the gate, his heart full of hope.