The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 567: Hu Zhe, the Master

Chapter 567: Hu Zhe, the Master

The final words from Xu Hu Zhe knocked the wind out of Xu Feng.

’They reminded him of little Hu Zhe?’

How could he refuse now? But at the same time, he couldn’t ignore the tiny crumb of information that had just been dropped on him. Bai Mo was involved in this too? Wasn’t he supposed to be studying?

"We do need reliable people," Xu Feng muttered before a voice suddenly pulled his attention away.

A simple looking woman carrying a basket stepped out of the rear side entrance. Her eyes immediately landed on Xu Hu Zhe and Xu Zeng, and without hesitation, she called out, "Masters have returned!"

Her voice was a bit different, unusual in a way that Xu Feng couldn’t quite place, but it wasn’t unpleasant. More than that, the woman’s attire caught his eye.

She was wearing clothing strikingly similar to the uniforms worn by the servants of Nanshan Estate.

The colors, the fabric, the cut, it was unmistakable. Though not an exact match, it was close enough that Xu Feng knew someone had gone out of their way to make it resemble Nanshan’s modernized servant wear.

His best guess? Xu Hu Zhe.

The realization brought a small smile to his lips. It was subtle, but the effort behind it wasn’t lost on him.

However, the woman herself was looking at him with unease, her nervousness practically radiating from every part of her body. Xu Feng frowned slightly, glancing at the others. That was when he noticed something...

Xu Zeng was now wearing a mask. The mask was the one Xu Feng had personally given to Xu Hu Zhe. And as for Hu Zhe himself? He had a brand new mask altogether. Hu Zhe had been wearing this mask for the last four days, but Xu Feng hadn’t realized it until the original mask made its own appearance.

Or rather, a reappearance.

’What the heck?’

Xu Feng’s lips parted slightly, ready to ask what was going on in the world, but before he could utter a word, the woman’s gaze locked onto him again. She stared. Hard.

Then, to his utter bewilderment, she started shifting her attention between him and Xu Zeng, her eyes darting back and forth as if trying to make sense of something incomprehensible.

Xu Feng had no idea what she was thinking, but whatever conclusion she came to must have been startling because, in the next instant, she whirled around with an unimaginable speed, tossing the basket aside as if it were nothing but an obstacle.

"Cai! Cai! The big master has arrived!" she hollered, her voice carrying and vibrating through the quiet space behind the inn.

Xu Feng blinked, completely thrown. Big master? Him? He turned to the two masked men beside him, his expression incredulous.

"Am I being set up?" he whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

Xu Zeng, still masked, shrugged with all the nonchalance in the world, while Xu Hu Zhe let out a small, barely contained chuckle. A nervous one at that.

This was going to be interesting.

Xu Hu Zhe shifted uncomfortably, his voice barely above a murmur as he admitted, "I asked them not to call me master," he paused, hesitant. "But they call Zeng and Momo—" He caught himself mid-sentence, quickly correcting, "Master Bai, masters. So they insist on calling me master as well..."

Xu Feng had a lot on his mind, and that was not one of them. He had 99 problems, but this was definitely not one of them.

"Yes, yes," Xu Feng waved a dismissive hand. "I keep telling you, Si and San, to stop calling me master. You aren’t slaves anymore, but I let you call me as you will. Being called master won’t kill me, and it won’t kill you."

Hu Zhe cleared his throat. "To make a distinction, I let them call you Big Master..." He trailed off, glancing toward Xu Zeng with a hint of guilt. There was an unspoken uncertainty in his expression as if he wasn’t sure how to justify his own title of merely ’master’ while Xu Feng was deemed the ’Big Master.’

Xu Zeng, being out of touch as usual, picked up where Hu Zhe hesitated, and set on his own agenda. "We told them you were the master of the home they might live in." His tone was even, matter of fact.

Xu Feng exhaled through his nose. This all felt like too much formality for something he hadn’t even planned or mentally made space for. But now that it was already decided, he simply accepted it and moved forward.

Their party strode toward the separated backyard space of the inn, the children, Si, San, and his husbands trailing behind.

The master servant relationship was convoluted, but he had bigger issues at hand. There were now ’big masters’ and ’little masters’ involved, and given the assessing look the woman had given him earlier, there was no way she hadn’t noticed how eerily similar his and Xu Zeng’s hair color was.

Whatever. It wasn’t his biggest concern.

As they entered the backyard space, more bodies and noises became apparent.

Xu Feng’s eyes quickly took in the ragtag group of people gathered there. Zhang Hui, the woman from earlier, stood nervously with a poised but cautious demeanor. She was hovering between the open space and a closed door.

Close to her stood her younger brother Zhang Cai, and his sworn brothers Ping and Chun.

The sight of Ping caused Xu Feng to pause momentarily. His bruises were still evident, though less severe than what they looked like a week ago. His healing progress was apparent to Xu Zeng and Xu Hu Zhe, but to Xu Feng, the sight of a battered child made his heart clench.

His hands were itching to give someone a beating in return.

The three boys stood in a loose formation, their thin frames betraying their past.

They might have been between ten and eleven, but their malnourished bodies made them appear even younger. The scene tugged at something in Xu Feng’s chest. It reminded him too much of the first time he had encountered Xu Si, Xu San, and even Xu Hu Zhe when he first arrived at Nanshan Estate.

As soon as they saw him, the boys perked up and hurried toward him, their eager movements respectful but bold. After giving proper bows to Xu Zeng and Xu Hu Zhe, they turned their full attention to him.

"Big Master!" Zhang Cai took the lead, his voice steady despite his young age. "We are honored to serve you!"

"Yes, Big Master!" Chun followed up, his enthusiasm clear. "We will work hard, like cows and donkeys!"

Ping, the most injured of the three, gritted his teeth and stepped forward. His movements were still stiff, but the fire in his eyes burned bright. "I will heal quickly, Master. I will work just as hard as my brothers! We are not lazy at all!"

Xu Feng blinked at them. They weren’t cowering or begging for pity. No, they were determined to prove their worth. The sheer determination in their eyes nearly overwhelmed him.

Words could be cheap though. Actions were what spoke the most clearly.

Behind Xu Feng, his ’entourage’ entered the space, his two husbands moving slightly closer to him. The effect was immediate.

Maybe because it wasn’t a slight movement at all, Xuan Yang and Xuan Jian were intimidating on a good day. When they were meant to be intimidating, they were like towers. Scary towers, which were nice to look at if one was brave enough.

The young boys stiffened at the quiet but commanding presence of the two. Though neither man said a word, their mere presence was enough to create a noticeable tension in the air.

The intimidation tactic worked... but not entirely.

Before the boys could start sweating, Xiao Long took it upon himself to ease the situation. From his perch in Xuan Jian’s arms, he suddenly babbled loudly, his little hands waving dramatically.

"Ah, ah, ah-ha-ah." He took a breath before continuing, his hands moving intentionally. "Ahhhhh! Ba-ha-ha. Nahhh!"

As if conducting an important diplomatic meeting, he looked toward the newcomers with a welcoming expression, then turned to his father as if gauging whether they were acceptable.

Da Long, now in Xuan Yang’s arms, eyed his brother with mild disdain. He exhaled sharply through his nose, unimpressed. "Mmmh."

Xu Feng barely held back his laughter. He rubbed his forehead, wondering just who his son took after.

Not Xuan Yang. This husband was too reserved. Not Xuan Jian either, who, despite his warmth toward family, was ice itself when it came to strangers.

Xiao Long couldn’t take after him, right?

Xu Si giggled beside him, while Xu San looked faintly proud. This was their young, young master after all...

Before Xu Feng could puzzle over it further, a small cry echoed from the back buildings. Specifically coming from the door Zhang Hui was hovering in front of earlier.

Zhang Hui’s head snapped up. Her entire body tensed for a split second before she stretched her feet. Without a word, she rushed toward the room the cry had come from.

Moments later, she returned, cradling a baby in her arms while balancing a small basket with another child inside.

Xu Feng’s gaze flickered toward her, taking in the nervous way she held the children. The infant in her arms wailed softly, while the slightly bigger one in the basket fussed with little whimpering noises.

The tension in the air shifted.

Zhang Hui hesitated, as if unsure how to proceed. Once the youngest started crying, it was hard to keep him quiet. This wasn’t the type of first impression they should make in front of the Big master.

Xu Feng stepped forward, his voice softening. "Are these the ones Hu Zhe wants me to meet?"