James Carter always spoke with an air of superiority, which greatly annoyed William Carter. Without showing any emotion, he said, “Thank you for the reminder, cousin. I stayed up all night yesterday and finally finished.”

James Carter gave a faint smile. Academics were his source of pride. He smiled reservedly before saying, “It’s good that William is willing to work hard. Don’t be like uncle—he barely managed to become a scholar, and then… haha… You need to bring honor to uncle.”

William Carter couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “Idiot,” and responded with a careless “oh,” not bothering to pay him any more attention.

But James Carter continued with a smile, “Since you’re here, you should listen carefully to Teacher’s lecture. Come, I’ll give you my seat—the one at the very front—so you can catch up on what you missed before.”

The people in the back immediately burst into laughter. Ever since William Carter started attending school, James Carter had been targeting him. By giving up his own seat and letting William Carter sit in front, he probably didn’t realize that Mr. Harris also held a grudge against William Carter.

It was probably because… his father eloped. In this era, hypocrites like Mr. Harris would extend their hatred to anyone related, so naturally, he didn’t like the child born after the eldest son of the Ye family eloped.

What’s more, Mr. Harris was hired by the second uncle, and during class, Mr. Harris always treated William Carter with indifference.

James Carter went to his desk and picked up the bamboo basket holding his writing tools. This thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy looked at William Carter with a meaningful gaze.

William Carter knew exactly what James Carter was up to. The other clan brothers joined in, jeering, “Yeah, yeah, William, don’t waste big brother’s kindness.”

“Sitting in the front, Teacher will pay more attention to you.”

Sitting in the front would be foolish—Mr. Harris already found him an eyesore.

William Carter thought about finding a secluded corner, not wanting to argue with a bunch of little brats.

Just then, Mr. Harris coughed—it turned out he had come in at some point.

The students immediately fell silent and hurried back to their seats. James Carter, quick as lightning, grabbed his bamboo basket and sat in a seat toward the back.

At that moment… William Carter suddenly realized he was in trouble.

Except for the very front and center seat, all the others were already taken. This second cousin was really devious.

William Carter couldn’t hesitate, because at that moment, Mr. Harris’s murderous gaze was already fixed on him. William Carter simply pretended not to notice and boldly sat in the empty seat.

This spot was truly “prime real estate”—almost right under Mr. Harris’s nose. Mr. Harris held his ruler, and to show how strict he was, he would wave it around passionately while teaching, making a whooshing sound with every swing. Because he was so close, William Carter felt like he might wet himself from fear.

As for Mr. Harris, seeing William Carter sitting in the front row, his face immediately darkened. He thought William Carter was shameless, that this illegitimate child of the Ye family had taken the best seat for himself—what a waste! It would be much more pleasing if James Carter were sitting there.

So he narrowed his signature triangular eyes and gave William Carter a sinister look, but couldn’t lash out just yet. Instead, he said, “The county exam is approaching, so all students must work even harder. Today’s lesson is…”

Mr. Harris’s classical ramblings made no sense to William Carter. He tilted his head, pretending to listen attentively—not because he was unwilling to study, but because Mr. Harris’s dislike for him was always obvious. On top of that, Mr. Harris’s lectures were utterly boring. William Carter would rather self-study with his AI after school and practice calligraphy than listen to Mr. Harris’s cold, tedious lessons.

Now, hearing Mr. Harris recite things like “the wheel is made by man, the three materials must be cut at the right time,” he finally couldn’t take it anymore.

At first, he barely managed to stay awake, but eventually—thud—his head drooped and hit the desk.

Hahaha…

Laughter erupted. William Carter rubbed his eyes and, still groggy, saw Mr. Harris glaring at him with a murderous look.

Crap!

William Carter quickly sat up straight, but his head was still spinning.

Mr. Harris barked, “William Carter!”

William Carter finally pulled himself together and replied, “Student present.”

Mr. Harris’s face twisted with rage. He waved the ruler in the air, making a sharp whooshing sound. Mr. Harris was very skilled—he suddenly stopped the ruler mid-air, his eyes glinting menacingly. He suddenly raised his head, his expression returning to calm, but his eyes still locked onto William Carter, with a sharpness hidden deep within.

Damn…

This was a sign that the gentleman was about to use not just words, but also his hands.

Although William Carter hadn’t dealt with Mr. Harris much, he knew that whenever Mr. Harris made this face, a beating was probably coming next.

“You… stand up!” Mr. Harris said deliberately, dragging out his words.

William Carter had no choice but to stand up. A wise man doesn’t fight when the odds are against him—he was only twelve, after all. If he didn’t play the fool, should he play the hero?

He respectfully said, “What are your instructions, Teacher?”

Mr. Harris didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids. He enunciated each word: “What did I just teach?”