Chapter 1146: Delight
A person’s worldview and temperament were more or less fully shaped by the age of twenty. Unless they experienced a tremendous upheaval, such things were very difficult to change.
Today, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu enjoyed status and authority, but before the age of twenty, they had nothing of the sort. Qi Xuansu’s earlier hardships needed no elaboration. Zhang Yuelu, despite being from the prestigious Zhang family, was not particularly valued. The Zhang family divided resources strictly. What she had was more like the daughter of a small, ordinary household.
Though the two had made something of themselves, many of the habits ingrained in their youth remained and showed themselves unintentionally. One could call them down-to-earth or simply petty, depending on perspective.
Qi Xuansu had the thought of emulating his superiors to be reserved and magnanimous, but he still occasionally revealed a rough Jianghu killing aura.
Zhang Yuelu was more extreme because she was shaped by her early environment. Though she tried hard to change and be more inclusive, she still often fell back into old patterns.
In short, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu lacked this noble aura, at least for now.
Qi Xuansu felt that true nobility belonged to people like Li Changge, Yao Pei, and of course, Li Tianzhen.
This noble aura was not about luxurious clothing or refined manners but an innate confidence and fearlessness—the entitlement and belief that everything they possessed was well-deserved.
This could not be learned.
Qi Xuansu endured hardship to reach his current status, so he knew that none of this was guaranteed. That was why he was always suspicious about the hidden price behind his fortunes. It was also why he was so grateful to Madam Qi, and why he cherished everything he had gained.
Only those who possessed everything from birth would think it was natural.
To them, wealth, comfort, and supplies seemed to sprout from storerooms and shelves by nature’s will. Thus, they knew nothing of the hardship needed to obtain those things. They believed that the respect, obedience, flattery, fondness, and service from others were all rightfully theirs, so they knew nothing of gratitude.