Chapter 175

Fusheng looked down at him and sighed. It didn’t matter; there was no rule in this world stating he could only like people. He thought that liking a little butterfly was perfectly fine, too. The following year, Fusheng did not pass the imperial examinations to become a *juren*. Yet, he was not discouraged; after all, very few people passed on their first attempt. He simply regarded it as a common occurrence. He continued to prepare for the next round, hoping to place on the Golden List, imagining that his parents would surely hold him in higher regard then. To him, passing the exams and entering a government career were secondary; what he truly craved was his parents' attention. Only when he succeeded would his father take notice of him. Over the years, he had learned that the lady currently in the residence was not his biological mother, and he understood why his father did not love him. It was his younger brother who had told him—though "told" was hardly the word; it was pure mockery and condescension. He had said that no matter what Fusheng did, their father would never like him, and he should stop wasting his breath.