Chapter 145 Family Discipline

Chapter 145: Family Discipline

Lin Nanshu’s expression froze, and he instinctively pulled his robe together, but Cheng Ge had already yanked his robe open.

A lurid patch of bloodstains had seeped through the plain white undergarment, with whip marks trailing from the shoulder down to the abdomen, the flesh curling outward, gruesome.

Cheng Ge’s fingers trembled violently, and his voice suddenly shot up: “Who did this?!”

Lü Rou gasped and hurriedly went to fetch the medicine kit.

The dog Dahuang stood frozen in place, a dead rat dangling from its mouth, while even Star Frost slid off the dog’s neck and curled into a tight ball, not daring to move.

Lin Nanshu grasped Cheng Ge’s wrist and said softly, “It’s nothing. I ran into a group of assassins a few days ago, and one of them was skilled with a whip. I accidentally got hit.”

“Assassins again?!” Cheng Ge gritted his teeth and flung open his entire outer robe.

Those whip wounds were a mix of old and new, the most severe already festering—clearly unhealed for days.

Lin Nanshu felt a bit embarrassed under his gaze, his earlobes reddening as he tried to pull his clothes back into place.

Cheng Ge held on, staring at the wounds, a heaviness in his chest.

“And you say it’s nothing? You could practically go straight on the grill with a sprinkle of cumin.”

Lin Nanshu: “...”

Just then, Lü Rou returned with the medicine kit and said cautiously, “Master Cheng, maybe you should tend to Master Lin's wounds first.”

Cheng Ge dipped his fingertip in the ointment and gently spread it over Lin Nanshu’s wounds.

He leaned in very close, his lashes almost brushing against Lin Nanshu’s skin.

“Did you catch those assassins?” His breath brushed across Lin Nanshu’s chest as he spoke, his voice as light as a feather’s touch.

Lin Nanshu’s Adam’s apple moved: “Mm, they were all caught.”

Cheng Ge kept his hands moving, but a sweet, cloying smile curled at the corner of his mouth: “Then you’d better take good care of them.”

His face was serene as a bodhisattva’s, but his voice was chillingly clear: “Put them through the works: tendon extraction, skinning, waist chopping, and death by a thousand cuts. Don’t you dare go easy on them, okay?”

Lü Rou’s hand shook, and she nearly dropped the tea cup.

Lin Nanshu coughed lightly, his gaze falling on Cheng Ge’s swinging feet: “I heard that Muyu defeated Prince Alutai of the Northern Di at the hunting grounds.”

Cheng Ge’s hand pressed a little harder, then immediately softened.

He pursed his lips, his lashes fluttering rapidly, and pretended he didn’t care: “Mm... what are people saying?”

His toes couldn’t help but tap lightly on the ground, like a cat waiting for a scratch.

Lin Nanshu watched his little attempts to suppress a smile, a spark of amusement in his eyes: “They say that Cheng Xiezhi is supremely brave and won it in three moves.”

Cheng Ge immediately couldn’t hold back a laugh, then hastily composed his face, pretending to be serious as he continued applying the medicine.

A few seconds passed…

“Psh, it’s not that exaggerated.” Cheng Ge let out a modest little cough, continuing to apply the medicine gently, but his eyes sparkled.

“I mean, just single-handedly taking on a hundred, sweeping through thousands, unstoppable, invincible, crushing everything, and taking heads like picking fruit.”

As he spoke, he stopped mid-motion, forgetting the ointment in his hand, and swept his arm through the air with a flourish.

“First, I used a move called ‘reaching for the moon in the water,’ forcing him to retreat in panic, scurrying away with his tail between his legs.

Then I gave a loud shout and unleashed the legendary ‘returning spear’ move!

That bastard was scared out of his wits, his legs trembled, and he messed his pants.

He immediately knelt before my red-tasseled spear, begging for mercy at the foot of my spear, shouting for the Great Zhou warriors to spare his life.”

Lin Nanshu: “…”

Lin Nanshu was silent for a few seconds, but quickly recovered.

He coughed twice and said, “Muyu is truly… both a scholar and a warrior—a true asset to Great Zhou.”

Cheng Ge was instantly pleased. He quickly finished applying the medicine and carefully smoothed Lin Nanshu’s clothes back into place.

“You don’t have to envy me too much. From now on, your big bro's got your back. No need to be afraid.”

Lin Nanshu looked into Cheng Ge’s eyes, the corners of his lips lifting involuntarily. “With Muyu’s words, I’m reassured.”

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, and a young servant rushed in.

“Master Lin, the Grand Tutor is waiting outside the mansion.”

At these words, Lin Nanshu’s fingertips trembled slightly. The light in his eyes, which had held a smile just moments before, instantly darkened.

He rose slowly, his robes hanging heavily on him.

“Muyu, I…” He hesitated, his gaze lingering on Cheng Ge’s face for a moment before speaking softly, “I’ll come see you another day.”

Cheng Ge was a little confused, but thought it was probably Lin Zhufeng worrying about Lin Nanshu’s injuries and coming to pick him up personally.

“Then make sure you rest and recover. I’ll come see you once I’m better.”

Lin Nanshu gave a slight nod, then turned and walked away from the Prince Cui’s residence.

Outside the mansion gate, an ornate carriage stood quietly, its curtains drawn low.

Seated inside was Grand Tutor Lin, only a glimpse of his stern profile visible.

“Grandfather.” Lin Nanshu bowed, his voice flat and emotionless.

The curtain stirred slightly, and Grand Tutor Lin’s deep voice came from within: “Get in.”

Inside the carriage, the faint scent of aloeswood hung in the air.

Grand Tutor Lin sat with his eyes closed, resting, steam curling softly from the teacup on the low table.

After a long moment, he spoke slowly: “The one I have chosen for you is the legitimate daughter of the Vice Minister of Rites. Her family background is clean, and her character and appearance are both excellent.”

Lin Nanshu sat straight-backed, his gaze fixed outside the carriage window. “I’ve said before, Grandfather, I do not wish to marry.”

Grand Tutor Lin opened his eyes, a trace of anger flickering in them.

“All for that Cheng boy? Lin Nanshu, are you going to throw away all our ancestral traditions?!”

The carriage jolted suddenly, and the jolt hit Lin Nanshu’s wound, his face immediately went pale.

He gritted through the pain, his voice stayed steady: "Grandfather, in this life... my heart belongs only to him."

Grand Tutor Lin stared at his pallid face, then suddenly noticed the blood seeping through his collar, his expression froze.

Lin Zhufeng was advanced in years, and the affairs of the Lin family were complex, and it was getting to be too much for him.

Even though Lin Nanshu helped, he wasn't the family head, so some matters were inconvenient for him to intervene in.

Now Lin Nanshu was already twenty-three, way past the age he should've been married.

But having lost his mother as a child, and with a dad who didn't bother with family matters, the matter had been delayed.

Now Lin Zhufeng planned to have him settle down first, and then after a couple of years, fully hand over power and let him take over the Lin family.

Who would've thought that just a few days back, when he first brought up the matter of marriage, Lin Nanshu said he was into a guy.

Lin Zhufeng nearly had a stroke and collapsed on the spot; for all his calculations, he had never imagined that the grandson he had raised for over twenty years would actually be a lover of men!

When he's long gone, how could he face the ancestors!

He immediately flew into a rage and gave Lin Nanshu a lecture on the spot, trying to steer him back to the right path.

However, Lin Zhufeng never expected that Lin Nanshu, who usually appeared deferential and observant of family teachings,

would be as stubborn as a mule on this matter. Lin Zhufeng talked himself hoarse, but Lin Nanshu wouldn't budge.

Seeing him like that, Lin Zhufeng's blood rushed straight to his head, and without another word, he locked him in the ancestral hall and dealt out the family punishment.