Chapter 7 Chapter VII

Alex trotted down the stairs in his traveling attire, for yesterday a carriage had brought news that he must make a trip to London.His younger brother was expelled from school by Xifeier. This was the first time someone from the Lei family was forced to drop out of a prestigious school. He felt angry and worried, wondering what factors or events had led to this result.Henry has always been an energetic child, full of mischief and mischief, and a very kind personality.In the letter from the principal of Xifeier, there was no explanation at all, only that the child was no longer welcome to go to school.

Alex sighed heavily: he thought that he hadn't taught and guided the child enough, and whenever it was time to punish him, he couldn't bear to scold Henry.Henry was still very young when his parents let go, but Alex was more like his father than his elder brother.He wondered if he had treated the child well, and he thought guiltily that he should have married years earlier so that Henry had a loving female elder in his life. A petite figure in pajamas hurried up the stairs, interrupting Alex's thoughts, and Lily, who was almost naked, was hurrying up the stairs.He stopped and looked at her haste.

She suddenly noticed his presence, stopped a few steps away, looked up into his stern face, moaned and reached out to touch his head. "Just pretend I didn't meet you, okay?" "Not good, Miss Luo," Alex gritted his teeth. "I don't explain," she muttered. "I want you to explain where you were and what you were doing!" Alex stared at her silently.She might have been telling the truth before, that she did have a hand with a servant, and the appearance fit it—pajamas, bare feet, haggard face, dark circles under the eyes, as if she had been exhausted from a night of debauchery.He didn't know why the thought made him so angry, usually he didn't care what other people did as long as it didn't inconvenience him.But at this moment, he felt a strong bitterness in his mouth.

"Do it again next time," he said coldly. "I'll pack for you myself. Shamelessness may be envied in London, but it won't be tolerated here!" Lily looked him in the eye rebelliously, then continued upstairs, muttering to herself. "What did you say?" he growled. She turned her head and put on a fake smile. "Have a good day, my lord." After Lily returned to her room, she asked the maid to prepare hot water.She slid into the bathtub, splashing water absently on her chest, the walls were covered with Chinese flower and bird wallpaper, and the mantelpiece was carved with gazebos and dragons.This kind of decoration has long been outdated, at least an old pattern of more than two decades.If I were to decorate this place, there would be many things that would need to be changed, she thought, and then she dived into the hot water, and only allowed herself to think about what had just happened when she emerged.

Sleepwalking became more and more frequent. Yesterday she woke up in the library, but today she was on the sofa in the front hall.How did she get there?How did she get down the stairs safely?God, she might break her neck! She can't allow this to go on like this! Lily wondered in horror if she should start tying herself to the bed, but what would anyone who found her think? Maybe she should try drinking before bed... if drunk enough... no, it would be a quick and easy way to kill herself, she had seen too many people ruined by strong alcohol in London.Maybe talk to a doctor about the sleeping pills...but what if he says she's a crazy woman?God knows what that would be, she closed her eyes. "Maybe I'm crazy." She clenched her fists to herself, a stolen child would drive any woman crazy.

After taking a bath, she sat in front of the fire, ran her fingers through her wet hair, and thought about today's plan in her mind. First, she flicked her finger. "I have to convince Earl Wolverton that Red is indeed pursuing me instead of Penny, so as to remove his suspicions." " "Miss? I'll collect the dirty sheets." "By the way, take the pajamas to wash—vomit, tell me where Lord Lei is, I want to talk to him." "He's gone to London, miss." "London?" Lily frowned. "But why? How long will it be?" "He told Steve he'd be back tonight."

"Well, this journey is very fast. What can he accomplish in such a short time?" "Nobody knows." Lily felt that the maid knew but refused to tell. Earl Wolverton's servants were very tight-lipped and very loyal to their master.Lily didn't ask any more questions, but just shrugged nonchalantly. Westfield is located on the hillside in the northwest of London. It is the most famous public school and has cultivated many great statesmen, artists, poets and soldiers.Alex himself graduated from this school, and he also hoped that Henry would perform well here.But obviously things backfired.

Ya Li was brought into the principal's office, and Principal Tong greeted him without a smile. "Sir Lei, I am really relieved to see you come to take our prisoner. This young man has a dangerous and fiery temper, and he is really not suitable for studying in Xifeier." Alex heard his younger brother's voice at the same time. "Alex!" Henry, who was sitting on the bench against the wall, ran towards him, and then stopped again, trying to pretend to be restrained. He couldn't help laughing, pulled him over, and looked at him carefully. "Son, why did he say you are dangerous?"

"A prank," Henry replied. Ali smiled regretfully.Henry was very playful, but he was a good boy and any father would be proud of him.Although small for a twelve-year-old, he was strong and strong, excelled in sports and mathematics, and secretly loved poetry. There is often an infectious smile in his eyes, and his blond hair needs to be combed frequently to suppress the disobedient curls.To make up for his lack of height, Henry has always been bold and decisive, the leader of the company.But once he did something wrong, he would apologize quickly, so Alex couldn't imagine what he had done to get expelled from school.Must not be a big deal.Uh, he will appease principal Tong, apologize to him, and then persuade him to let Henry stay.

"What kind of prank?" The person who answered was President Tong. "He knocked down my front door," he snapped. Alex was dumbfounded. "what you do?" Henry looked away guiltily. "Gunpowder." He pleaded guilty. “That kind of explosion could have seriously injured me,” Mr. Tong said, eyebrows drawn over his eyes. "The same goes for the housekeeper." "Why?" Ali asked, bewildered. "Henry, this isn't like you." "On the contrary," Principal Tong commented. "He always has been, Henry willful and rebellious - hating authority, unable to accept any form of teaching and training."

"You're talking nonsense," Henry pushed back, glaring at the principal. "I accept everything you offer and more!" Principal Tong looked at Alex with a "look" expression. Alex lightly grabbed the boy by the shoulders. "Look at me, why did you blow up his door?" Henry remained stubbornly silent. Principal Tong began to answer for him. "Henry's the type who won't—" "I've heard your opinion." Alex interrupted the principal, and his cold look made him shut up immediately.He looked at his younger brother, his eyes softened. "Henry, tell me." "It's all right." Henry said vaguely. "Tell me why," Alex said warningly. "Now." Henry glared at him angrily, and answered with great reluctance. "Because of corporal punishment." "You were physically punished?" Alex frowned. "For what reason?" "Any conceivable reason!" Henry blushed. "Using birch branches, wooden sticks... They are always punishing physically, Alex!" He turned his head and glanced at Principal Tong. "One time I was one minute late for breakfast, one time I dropped a book in front of the English teacher, and one time my neck was not clean enough... In the past few months, I have been beaten at least three times a week. I am so damn disgusted!" Alex's face was expressionless, but his heart was filled with anger. "let me see!" Henry shook his head, his face flushed even more. "Alex—" "Let me see!" Henry looked back and forth between his brother and the principal, and sighed heavily. "Why not? Principal Tong has already seen too much." He turned around, took off his jacket reluctantly, fumbled for the waistband of his trousers, and pulled down the trousers several inches. Alex gasped for breath as he saw what they had done to his brother.With a mix of welts, bumps and bruises on Henry's lower back and butt, this kind of treatment doesn't seem normal or necessary to anyone, this kind of physical punishment isn't about discipline - it's about perverts who take pleasure in abusing others hand.To think of a loved one being treated like this... Alex tried his best to control the anger in his heart, not to look at Principal Tong so as not to kill that guy in anger.Henry pulled up his pants and turned to face him.His eyes widened when he saw Alex's cold eyes and twitching muscles. "This is completely in line with common sense." President Tong said self-righteously. "Physical punishment is a normal tradition at Syfel." "Henry," Alex interrupted him in an unsteady tone. "Henry, besides physical punishment, what else did they do to you? Did they hurt you in other ways? Henry looked puzzled. "No, what do you mean?" "It's okay," Alex pointed to the door. "Get out," he said quietly. "I'll be right there." Henry procrastinated, turning his head curiously. As soon as the door was closed, Alex strode towards Principal Tong, who instinctively took a few steps back. "Sir Ray, corporal punishment is the accepted method of education—" "I don't take it," Alex grabbed him roughly and pushed him against the wall. "I'll have you arrested," exclaimed the headmaster. "you can not--" "What can't be done? Kill you? Maybe not, but it's not far away!" Alex grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground, the principal nearly suffocated. "I understand that you are a pervert. You only find children to vent your anger. You are satisfied with whipping and bleeding. You are not worthy of being a human being!" "Ji... Discipline..." Principal Tong panted in pain. "If your so-called discipline causes permanent damage, or if Henry reveals that you have abused him in other ways, you'd better run away and don't get caught by me," Alex squeezed his throat until his face paled. Ashes. "Otherwise, I'll cut off your head and hang it in Henry's bedroom as a souvenir for him to read Sifle!" He suddenly let go of Principal Tong, and he fell to the floor, coughing and panting.Alex slammed the door open and strode away. He found Henry, took his hand, and started to sprint. "Why didn't you come and tell me?" Henry struggled to keep up with him. "I have no idea." Lily's accusation that he was inaccessible and emotionless suddenly crossed his mind.Is what she said partly true?He frowned sullenly. "You think I don't care? I don't know? You should have told me about it!" "I thought there would be improvement... I could take care of myself..." Henry said vaguely. "So the explosives were planted?" The boy was silent, and Alex sighed heavily. "Henry, I don't want you to take care of yourself. You are not at that age yet, and you are still my responsibility." "I understand," Henry said, deeply offended. "But I know you're busy with other things, like a wedding—" "Damn wedding! Don't use it as an excuse!" "Then what do you want me to say?" the boy asked hotly. Alex gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down. "I want you to understand that if you have any trouble, come to me first. No matter what the trouble is, I will never be too busy to help you." Henry nodded. "What are we going to do now?" "Back to Thunder Wind Garden." "Really?" The boy almost laughed. "But my things are still in the dormitory." "Is there anything important?" "No." "Very well, stay here." "Do I have to come back?" Henry asked terrified. "No," Alex said emphatically. "I'll get a tutor and you can go to school with local kids." Henry squawked excitedly, threw his hat into the air, let it fall on the floor behind him, and the two left the school together. "Shh, I think he's coming." Lily caught a glimpse of Alex's carriage coming up the driveway, and immediately pulled Redela out of the music room.He, Dolly, and Penny were singing and playing the piano happily. "Lily, tell me what you're planning." "I suppose Lord Wolverton will come to the study for a drink, and I want him to see us together." Lily pushed Redela to the leather chair, sat on his lap, and pressed his mouth when he was about to object with one hand. "Kiss me, and do it realistically." "But must it be done? My feelings for Penny..." "None of that," she said impatiently. "must--" "Hurry up, damn it!" Red obediently obeyed. This kiss was really nothing special to Lily, God knows why poets and poets would describe this boring experience with so much fanfare.She quite agrees with a certain writer surnamed Shi who said, "God knows what fool invented kissing." But couples in love seemed to enjoy the custom, and Lord Wooverton had to believe that she and Red were lovers. The door of the study opened, and Lily stroked Red's hair, trying to pretend to be kissing.Then she raised her head slowly, as if she had just realized that someone had broken in. Earl Wolverton stood at the door, dusty and dusty, with his brows knit together.Lily smiled boldly. "Look, my lord, you've invaded our intimate moments—" She stopped abruptly, and then realized that there was a little boy next to Lord Wolverton, and Lily blushed in surprise. "Miss Luo," Alex said with a gloomy expression. "This is my brother Henry." "Hello, Henry." Lily greeted reluctantly. The boy looked at her amusedly, straight to the point, wasting no time. "If you're going to marry Alex, why are you still kissing Sir Stone?" "Ugh, I'm not that Miss Luo," Lily replied hastily. "You're talking about my poor...my little sister." She jumped down hastily, nearly falling, remembering that she was still sitting on Red's lap. "Pinny and Mama are singing in the music room," she told Alex. Alexis nodded. "Come on, Henry, let me introduce you to Penny," he said dully. Henry didn't seem to hear, but walked towards Lily instead. "Why is your hair cut like that?" he asked. Lily laughed. "They always get in my eyes when I'm hunting and shooting, so I cut them out." "Are you hunting?" Henry was fascinated. "That's dangerous for women." Lily found that Earl Wolverton was also staring at her, and couldn't help laughing mockingly. "Henry, your brother and I met for the first time, and he said the same." Their eyes locked, and the corners of Alex's mouth twitched, as if he was holding back a smile. "My lord," said Lily playfully. "Don't worry about my being a bad influence on Henry, I'm more dangerous to older men." Alex rolled his eyes. "I believe, Miss Luo." He took Henry away without looking back. Lily's wind didn't move, she was very confused, and her heartbeat was extremely irregular.His tired, disheveled appearance, with a protective hand on his little brother's shoulder... All this gave her a strange feeling.She wasn't the type to pester a man, but she suddenly wanted someone to touch his hair, prepare him a light meal, and let him confide in his troubles. "Lily," Red asked. "Do you think he'll believe our kiss was real?" "I'm sure he will," she automatically replied. "Why not?" "He's a very perceptive guy." "I'm getting tired of people overestimating him so much," Lily said, and immediately regretted her sharp tone. She was just surprised by the image in her mind, and her imagination fancied herself embracing Lord Wolverton, feeling his lips pressed against her, her hands stroking his blond hair.These thoughts made her stomach tense, and she unconsciously raised her hand to touch the nape of her neck. He had only hugged her once—when Lord Wolverton picked her up when she fell off his horse, and nearly suffocated her.The strength of his hand and the violence on his face had frightened her at the time.She doubted that he had presented this side to Bai Luolin. Lily is very curious about the mysterious Lorraine. Is she really in love with Earl Wolverton, or did she agree to marry him because of his wealth?Or is it because of his noble blood?Lily had heard that Americans place great value on titles and noble blood. What was Earl Wolverton like next to Bai Luolin?Could he be gentle and smiley?Did Lorraine make him happy? These unsolvable questions made Lily very annoyed, and she blamed herself silently, what did Earl Wolverton's lost lover look like to her?Most importantly, save Penny from him. Alex said goodbye to the candidates for the teacher, and sighed deeply.This is already the fourth person he has interviewed, and none of them have been satisfactory so far.He guessed it would take a while to find a governess with the discipline and understanding that would suit Henry's needs. In addition to interviewing tutors.Alex was also busy with meetings with sharecroppers.They complained that the hare population was endangering their crops, and his gamekeepers were unhappy to inform him that there had been a surge in poaching. "It's not bad for them to hunt hares, my lord," said the overseer. "But they set traps and hunt rabbits at night, which interferes with the breeding season of wild pheasants. There will not be enough wild pheasants to hunt this year!" At the same time, he and the land agent discussed his property in Buckinghamshire, talking about rent collection and other land management issues. "You should get a full-time manager," Lily commented after hearing part of the discussion. "This is the case with men of the same status as you." "I know how to handle my own affairs," Alex replied abruptly. "Of course." Lily smiled frivolously. "You'd rather do everything yourself, and probably enjoy going to every tenant farmer for rent. If you had the time, I'd be surprised you didn't sweep, mop, and knead the dough yourself—why hire servants when you're so good at it?" Alex told her to mind her own business, and she said he was a medieval tyrant. Privately, he considered her proposal.Most of his work can be done well by someone else.But if he thus has more space, what is he going to do?Spending time with Penny?Although they get along civilly with each other, they don't feel that they are happy in each other's company. Of course, you can also go to London to gamble, hunt, attend banquets, and join the political circle, but all these seem so monotonous.Alex could also regain some of the friendships he had been avoiding for the past two years, especially those who knew Lorraine and mourned her death, and Alex could not bear the pity in their eyes. Frustrated and frustrated, he went to Penny, who clung to her mother like a shadow.He tried talking to them both, but after a few minutes, he ran away mumbling that he had work to do. Laughter and the sound of shuffling cards came from the corridor, and he followed the sound curiously to have a look. The first thought in his mind was that Henry had a friend visiting, because there were two small figures sitting cross-legged on the floor and shuffling the cards. One of them was obviously Henry, but the other... not only was Lily wearing her maroon trousers, she had borrowed a shirt and vest from Henry.Alex walked in on purpose, deliberately scolding her for being disheveled and inappropriate.But as he got closer, his eyes wandered to Lily, and he couldn't help swallowing hard.She sat on the ground, her trousers tightly wrapped her thighs and knees, emphasizing her slender calves and feet. God help him, she is the most thought-provoking woman, he has seen many attractive women, saw them take off their clothes or put on clothes, whether it is luxurious dresses or naked, only silk obscenities in the bath However, none of this is more attractive than Luo Lili's appearance in trousers. Alex felt his blood running faster, and his body was tense and excited. He struggled desperately, trying to evoke the image of Ping Ni in his mind.However, this move failed, and he had no choice but to look for Lorraine in the depths of his memory, but he couldn't see Lorraine's face...Damn it!He can hardly remember... He could only see Lily's knees, her curly neck, the light movements of her fingers as she shuffled the cards.It was like an arduous battle to keep his breathing normal and steady. For the first time, he couldn't remember Lorraine's voice and the shape of her face...all of them were engulfed in a white mist.All his treacherous senses were absorbed by Lily, and all the light in the room was concentrated in her radiant beauty. Lily immediately sensed Alex's presence with a short glance, her shoulders tensed waiting for some negative criticism, and her hands continued to demonstrate. She skillfully cut and split the cards. "Watch now, Henry," she said. "Just push the stack straight into the other stack...they're back in their original order...See? The A's are still at the bottom." Henry smiled and took it to practice. Alex watched the boy play cards. "You know how they deal with cheaters?" he asked. "Only for those who are not skilled," Lily answered first. "A master has never been caught." She pointed to the space beside her, inviting guests to sit down in the living room as gracefully as a lady. "Want to join, sir? I broke my strictest rules to teach your brother my best skills." Alex sat on the ground next to her. "Should I be grateful?" he asked sarcastically. "Turn my brother into a liar..." Lily grinned. "Of course not, I just want the poor little fellow to understand the ways in which other people may take advantage of him." Henry snorted in self-loathing, slipped his fingers, and the playing cards scattered on the floor. "It's okay," Lily leaned forward to collect the cards. "Practice well, Henry, you will be proficient in no time." Alex couldn't stop himself from staring at Lily's round buttocks as she leaned diligently to pick up poker poker hands from the floor, and a new reaction rushed through him, warming the surface of his skin.He pulled the edges of his jacket together over his thighs so as not to make a fool of himself.He should have gotten up and walked away at this moment, but he stayed where he was, sitting next to the craziest woman he had ever seen in his life. Henry folded the cards together. "How is my governess, Alex?" Alex barely looked away from Lily. "I haven't found a suitable candidate yet." "Very well," said the boy emphatically. "That last one looks like a goddamn pig." Alex frowned. "What did you say?" Lily tended to whisper to Henry. "Henry, don't use the new vocabulary that Aunt Lily taught you in front of your brother." Without thinking, Alex grabbed Lily's arm. "Miss Luo, you are aptly proving the reason why I don't want you to get close to him." Lily was startled, and quickly glanced at him, expecting to see him frowning coldly, but found that he was smiling mischievously, which made her Heart pounding. It's so strange that being able to make him laugh actually gave her a sense of accomplishment, and she couldn't help but smile back at him. "Do you know why your brother hasn't found the right man? He won't be satisfied until he finds Galileo, Shakespeare and Plato all rolled into one. I pity you, boy." Henry made a face. "Alex, tell her it's not true!" "I have certain standards," Alex admitted. "Finding a qualified tutor took more time than I expected." "Why don't you let Henry choose?" Lily suggested. "You can handle the rest of your work, let him do the interviews, and then he'll ask you for permission." Alex snorted. "I'd like to see which type Henry will choose." "I'm sure he'll make the decision responsibly; besides, this is his tutor, and I think he should have some decision-making power." Henry was obviously thinking deeply about this question. "I'll pick a great one, Alex. Otherwise I'm damned." The idea was so out of the ordinary, but on the other hand, the responsibility was good for Henry, and it shouldn't hurt to try it out. "I'll think about it." Alex said cautiously. "But the final decision is mine." "Uh," Lily said with satisfaction. "It seems that you have a time to be reasonable." She took the playing cards, shuffled them skillfully, and placed them on the floor. "Shall the cards be cut, my lord?" Alex stared at her intently, wondering if that was how she looked at the Koch Club, her black eyes gleaming with mischievous invitation, her little hand brushing back the curls that fell from her forehead.She will never be anyone's dignified and submissive wife, but a charming and lovely playmate, with the cunning of a high-class courtesan mixed with the gambler's gambler and the wild cat's acumen... She has a hundred different characteristics, no One item is all he needs. "Playing what?" he asked. "I'm teaching Henry the essentials of blackjack," said a defiant gleam and smile on her lovely face. "Do you think you are good at blackjack, sir?" He slowly stretched out his hand, took the deck of cards and cut the cards. "It's a deal."