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“Old Bai? WeiYa Cottage?” Tang Luo was a little taken aback, because he really found it hard to connect these two things.

Due to his responsibility of supporting orphans, Mi Bai had always been in a tight economic situation. Although his painting stall has received great acclaim since it opened, it still needs time to ferment. At this stage, his monthly income won’t exceed 50 g°ld coins.

But WeiYa Cottage, as the representative of mid-range restaurants in Xihng, would cost over a dozen gold coins for a meal. This would equate to his monthly income. Even Xu LaoYing was his recognized good friend, Tang Luo didn’t think Mi Bai would host such a banquet.

in Mi Bai’s heart, the children were always the most important. He wouldn’t let the kids go hungry in order to treat Xu LaoYing to a meal. If he were to host dinner, it would be at his house. Considering this, Mi Bai must have had a change in circumstances over the past two months. Tang Luo turned to Xu LaoYing and asked, “Has Old Bai come into some wealth?”

“Ahahaha!” Xu LaoYing laughed loudly, as if something amusing had happened. “You don’t know, do you? Old Bai is really popular now!” “Popular? What kind of popular?” Tang Luo asked curiously.

“DO you remember that auction official we met at the auction house, Xiao Zheng? He stopped by Mi Bai’s stall, bought a piece of calligraphy, praised it, and now Old Bai’s calligraphy and painting stall has become really popular. Every day all his works are sold out!” Xu LaoYing said proudly. He has always believed that Mi Bai’s calligraphy and paintings had surpassed those of the royal court, but the people of Xiling seemed indifferent. However, just a single compliment from auction official Xiao Zheng drew numerous people to buy Mi Bai’s work, making his step closer to becoming a grand calligrapher which filled him with joy.

Upon hearing Xiao Zheng’s name, Tang Luo nodded his head as if he understood.

If it was him, then it was not surprising.

If one were to determine the benchmark of enjoyment for the young masters of Xiling, it would be Mi Hou and Xiao Zheng, even recognized with the grand titles of Northern Zheng and Southern Hou.

Among them, Xiao Zheng is more respected by the children of the Xiling clan, not only because he is the eldest son of Xiao Jinlin, but also because he has honed the art of enjoyment to perfection.

Xiao Zheng excels at everything from eating, drinking, playing, music, chess, and paintings to collecting antiques. He is a well-known Gambling Saint. If he praises Mi Bai’s work, countless people would buy it to imply that their taste is akin to Xiao Zheng’s.

In reality, these people wouldn’t know the difference between good and bad calligraphy and paintings. They’re simply trying to curry favor in a cultured and refined way. Nevertheless, their pretension would significantly improve Mi Bai’s living standards. From this perspective, vanity is indeed a major driving force.

“This is fantastic.” Tang Luo exclaimed. He has always hoped that the high-minded scholar whom he met could live a better life and achieve his dreams.

“isn’t it?” Xu LaoYing nodded repeatedly. His trip to Xiling has made him immensely grateful. He got a sworn brother, recognized a younger brother, and also made a good friend.

There’s a saying that to have one confidant in life is enough. He thinks he must have been extraordinarily lucky in his previous life, as in this life, these people kept appearing one after another.

His bewildering peach blossom eyes curved into crescents as he smiled: ‘Tm going to visit Old Bai to see his calligraphy and paintings, do you want to come along?”

“You go ahead, I still have things to do.” Tang Luo shook his head and walked into his mansion. He came back this time to discuss the closure matter with his mother. Plus, there is the issue of Elder Zug’s impeachment that he needed to talk about with his mother. With Mi Bai’s banquet happening after three days, he wouldn’t rush to meet him anytime soon.

After bidding farewell to Xu LaoYing at the gate, as soon as Tang Luo stepped into the courtyard, he saw a beautiful woman standing with the steward. All the stewards bowed when they saw Tang Luo, while his mother Xu Shuhui looked worried, with her eyes blankly gazing into the distance.

Looking at this scene, it appeared that his mother had been waiting with the steward for a while, but she hadn’t shown herself. But why did she look so worried? Tang Luo was startled and quickly said, “You all may rise. Mother, I’m back. What’s the matter?”

The call from her son finally snapped Xu Shuhui out of her trance. She softly replied, “Mother is fine.”

“You all may leave now. 1 need to talk to my elder son.” With that, she took Tang Luo’s hand and walked towards the front hall. Tang Luo obediently followed her, because he could tell his mother seemed worried and it seemed to concern him.

Of course Xu Shuhui had worries. She had just been woken up by the sound of drums and gongs outside the door, and when she went out with the steward, she heard some of her daughters discussing death pledges and Tang Luo’s cold words. This conversation had thrown her into a state of shock.

Her eldest son had always been intelligent and extraordinary, but she never thought that Tang Luo could be so indifferent to the affections of others. He was still just a fifteen-year-old boy, but he ignored the genuine affection of several girls. To him, romance that others coveted seemed like a mere trade-off of conditions, with women being merely objects in his eyes. This realization caused her great concern about her son’s future.

After dismissing the surrounding people, Xu Shuhui led Tang Luo to the front hall, where they sat facing each other.

“Son, do you really dislike women?” the beautiful woman with a worried expression looked into Tang Luo’s eyes and uttered such a sentence. “Of course not,” Tang Luo shook his head, “Why do you ask, mother?” “Mother heard your conversation with the young ladies from four families.” Xu Shuhui spoke softly, “Not all women are as selfish as those four ladies. Please don’t be disappointed in all women.”

He had never had much hope, let alone disappointment. Tang Luo looked calm as he responded, “Son understands.”

Hearing his son’s calm response, Xu Shuhui was even more worried. Other people’s sons would have started cherishing the company of women. Tang Luo, on the other hand, had never shown any interest in women. Before, she thought her son was precocious, but today, she had a different opinion. Looking into Tang Luo’s eyes, Xu Shuhui asked delicately, “Son, do you… do not… like women?”

I

What? Tang Luo looked shocked, not understanding why his mother, Xu Shuhui, would ask such a question.

Seeing her son’s surprise, yet not denying it immediately, Xu Shuhui’s heart thumped. She remembered some rumors about same-sex relationships and thought it would be better to clarify. So, pretending to be casual, she said, “Mother is asking whether you prefer boys. It’s actually okay. Some people are born different. Many people are attracted to the same sex, not the opposite sex, mother has seen many people like this, it’s quite normal…

Homosexuality and same-sex attraction. Tang Luo finally understood what his mother meant, and hurriedly interjected, “Wait, wait. Mother, I must clarify this. I do not have a preference for men. I like women, not men. Mother, you can rest assured..”