Chapter 342 - 343: So Shameful

Translator: 549690339

The little one immediately began to worry as he looked at Ling Yue, “Brother Xiaoyue, can you not leave? Xiao Shu likes you, and wants to play and go to school with you. Xiao Shu doesn’t want you to go home – your stepmother treats you badly, and they’re not nice!”

Ling Yue hesitated and looked at Gu Junzhu and Ye Xingbei, “Would it be a burden to Uncle and Auntie?”

“No,” Ye Xingbei petted his head softly, saying, “If your father can take care of you well, Auntie doesn’t object to you going home with him. But if your father is still like before, not coming home for half a year or a year because of his projects, Auntie wouldn’t want you to go back.”

Ling Fangzhou’s work was special, almost all of it was confidential work.

A project, typically isolated for three to five months, even up to a year.

During that time, Fangzhou couldn’t possibly go home.

If Ling Fangzhou doesn’t go home, Ling Yue would have to be with his stepmother.

Ling Yue’s stepmother raised him with severe malnutrition and Ling Fangzhou was helpless to intervene.

If Ling Fangzhou isn’t with Ling Yue, Ling Yue’s stepmother has a multitude of ways to wear Ling Yue down, even without resorting to hitting or scolding. She could simply neglect him to the point of ruin.

Ling Yue was a good kid, and Ye Xingbei had already established an emotional bond with him. She hoped that Ling Yue could get the proper care he deserved, and not have to go back to that cold and icy home.

Ling Yue lowed his head, quietly speaking, “If it won’t trouble Uncle and Auntie, I’d like to stay.”

“Stop overthinking it! ” Gu Junzhu pat his head, “From today onward, you’re my apprentice. As my apprentice, I look after you while you’re young and you look after me when I’m old. It’s only fair, no one is troubling anyone.”

“Yes!” Ling Yue nodded fervently, and looked up at him, “Uncle, once I’m grown up and capable, I’ll definitely take good care of you, Auntie and Xiao Shumiao!”

“From now on, don’t call me Uncle, call me Master,” Gu Junzhu said, “I had originally planned to choose an auspicious day, get some witnesses and hold a formal ceremony for you becoming my disciple. But since your father showed up, let’s keep things simple.”

Having formally accepted then apprentice, he has the confidence to legitimately fight with Ling Fangzhou to keep Ling Yue.

Ling Yue hesitated, then suddenly remembered what Gu Junzhu asked him to do when he accepted Senior Master Xiang as his grandfather.

With a sudden movement, he knelt down and knocked his forehead on the ground three times to Gu Junzhu, calling him “Master”, and again to Ye Xingbei, calling her “Mistress”.

“…” Ye Xingbei blushed.

The title of “Mistress” was somehow embarrassing.

Was it because she was too young?

Gu Junzhu casually took his watch off his wrist and gave it to Ling Yue, “A gift for our first meeting.”

He had not prepared anything special and didn’t have anything suitable for Ling Yue, but he’d make it up to Ling Yue in the future.

Ling Yue took it with both hands, giving another kowtow, “Thank you, Master!”

Ye Xingbei didn’t bring anything, she ruffled Ling Yue’s hair, “I’ll make up my gift later.”

Ling Yue shook his head quickly, “It’s not necessary, Mistress.”

“No, it’s necessary,” Ye Xingbei laughed as she helped him to his feet and brushed his knee, “We can’t have our Xiao Yue giving kowtows for nothing, can we?”

Xiao Shumiao hugged Ling Yue and looked up at him with twinkling eyes, “Brother Xiaoyue, do I have to call you Senior Brother now?”

Ling Yue nodded, “Yes!”

“Senior Brother Xiaoyue!” Xiao Shumiao was very excited, continuously calling out, “Senior Brother Xiaoyue! Senior Brother Xiaoyue! Senior Brother Xiaoyue!”

Ling Yue looked down at him, his gaze warm.

In this way, there’s no need to return to that cold home he despised, right?