Ning Yi stood before the window for a long time, gazing at the drooping willows swaying outside. The soft, graceful posture of those green willows made him momentarily think of a figure, recalling how someone had slightly raised their face in the daylight that day, eyes hazy yet calm. When he looked down at her, her bearing also had the charm of willow branches—soft yet resilient.
Suddenly irritation arose in his heart. This spring scenery was so bright and lovely, yet heavy clouds of gloom rose in his eyes.
“No need,” he said indifferently. “Just a scholar, nothing more.”
Xin Ziyan glanced at him, a trace of amusement flashing through his eyes—this person was very abnormal, very abnormal, but he didn’t plan to foolishly point it out.
“Some days ago, Chengming Hall summoned Academy Head Zhang for pulse diagnosis in the middle of the night. At the time, old Zhang was on rotating rest and was pulled from bed to rush over.” Xin Ziyan casually changed the subject. “Afterward when he came out, he didn’t say much, only that it was wind illness.”
Chengming Hall was the emperor’s sleeping quarters. Academy Head Zhang was the foremost person in the Imperial Medical Academy. Xin Ziyan spoke with a smile as if this matter was truly as understated as his tone suggested.
Ning Yi glanced at him, his eyes showing nothing. After a long while, he said: “There was nothing to it originally. Laughably, my eldest brother rushed over early the next morning to attend to the medicinal soup. The old master said nothing, but on the third day rejected his memorial requesting to replace the Minister of Revenue.”
The smile at the corners of his lips held some helplessness. Xin Ziyan looked at him sympathetically—one doesn’t fear wolf-like opponents, only pig-like teammates. Anyone stuck with such a master would feel helpless.
His Majesty was getting old, his health declining day by day. All the princes had their ears pricked to capture every movement from Chengming Hall. For instance, this middle-of-the-night summons for Imperial Physician Zhang to treat illness was an extremely important signal. But capturing it was one thing—one couldn’t show it so obviously on the surface! The incident happened in the middle of the night, and the Crown Prince knew about it first thing the next morning. Wasn’t this telling the old master—Chengming Hall had his informant, and he was waiting to inherit the throne!
“Being a bit foolish is good,” Xin Ziyan patted Ning Yi’s shoulder. “If he weren’t foolish, you couldn’t have lived this long either.”
The smile at Ning Yi’s lips remained unchanged, but his eyes grew slightly colder by a few degrees, showing a frost-like chill, just like at this moment, the chill emanating from the old injury on his chest.
“That’s thanks to you.” Ning Yi’s fingers lightly tapped the window frame. Through the openwork flower wall, he watched the students coming and going outside. Near mealtime, the students were all going to the dining hall. Among the crowd, one figure seemed somewhat familiar…
However, he immediately laughed mockingly. How could it be? No matter how good that damnable woman was at hiding, she couldn’t enter Qingming, which seemed relaxed but was actually a dragon’s pool and tiger’s den.
Thinking of how after that day he could no longer find any trace of her, a certain faint irritation rose again in his heart. As for why he was irritated, he was unwilling to figure it out and didn’t want to figure it out—he had more important things to do. All the various sceneries along the road shouldn’t divide any of his attention.
His life was full of crises at every step. One mistake and he’d be doomed eternally. And he had already been too tolerant and indulgent with this woman—almost unlike his usual conduct. This kind of thing that escaped his control couldn’t be allowed again and again.
Withdrawing his gaze, he turned around and looked directly at Xin Ziyan, suddenly saying: “Is sir prepared?”
“My intention has never changed.” Xin Ziyan, who had always been laughing and carefree, also put away his smile and met him seriously.
The two men’s gazes collided, both resounding and stern, neither avoiding nor yielding.
Outside the window, wind was about to rise.
Feng Zhiwei didn’t know that close at hand there had been a conversation about her, just as Ning Yi didn’t know that close at hand was the damnable woman he had searched for in vain.
She was currently sitting in the dining hall, very skillfully leaning over to count the meat in Gu Nanyi’s bowl. Today it was braised beef. Feng Zhiwei counted—ten pieces. She immediately picked up his bowl skillfully and naturally, transferring two pieces to her own bowl.
Eight pieces. Young master wanted eight pieces.
Yan Huaishi was never around during meals. He wasn’t a student and couldn’t build relationships in class, so naturally he had to make full use of mealtime. This person could be called superb at building relationships and cultivating connections. Yesterday Feng Zhiwei heard him say the dormitory supervisor had invited him to dinner and sworn brotherhood with him during the meal.
And Qingming Academy’s Political History Academy dormitory supervisor was known as “Iron-Faced Yama”…
Gu Nanyi was completely unmoved by Feng Zhiwei’s flattery and attentiveness. He did everything with the same attitude—eyes only looking at the one chi three cun before him.
However, his eating posture was quite elegant, though sometimes there was a sense of unfamiliarity, as if he wasn’t practiced. Feng Zhiwei thought maliciously: Could it be this child normally had people feed him?
Having been at the academy for several days, she had gained some understanding of this place. It was clearly relaxed on the outside but tight on the inside, with mysteries everywhere. Recently she’d been frequently studying that golden silk monkey skin book. Once, unintentionally, she discovered that the inconspicuous little flower garden between the Political History Academy and the Military Affairs Academy was extremely similar to a certain type of formation mentioned in the book.
No wonder the academy didn’t allow people to wander about after nightfall. No wonder the academy dared to easily let in a student like her with unclear origins, bringing along Gu Nanyi, this clearly abnormal and dangerous person.
They simply had nothing to fear. She discovered that if anyone dared cause trouble here, they’d probably immediately be torn to pieces.
Of course, this was her discovery, not necessarily others’. At the very least, all of the academy’s arrangements were very secretive. On the surface it appeared peaceful and harmonious, no different from an ordinary academy.
She was eating with her head down and didn’t notice a youth getting up and coming over. The constantly clamoring voices all around suddenly quieted slightly.
That person walked straight toward her, clasping his fists boldly: “Brother Wei.”
Feng Zhiwei looked up blankly. Before seeing who it was and immediately returning the courtesy, the other person had already said in a voice like a great bell: “Brother Wei, I heard you’re Master Hu’s prized student? This humble one has a matter to discuss with you.”
Feng Zhiwei tilted her head and smiled: “Could this be a classmate from the Military Affairs Academy? Master Hu’s political theory exam must trouble you greatly? Though this younger brother is not the master’s prized student, providing some crib notes for brother should be no problem.”
That youth was overjoyed. He hadn’t expected Feng Zhiwei to be so understanding and sensible, already guessing his purpose without asking anything. His red face lit up with radiance as he hurriedly said: “I’m truly too grateful. This humble one is Chunyu Meng from the Military Affairs Academy. If Brother Wei needs anything in the future, just find me!”
Feng Zhiwei smiled and glanced at him—of course I’ll find you. If I hadn’t learned from Yan Huaishi that you come from a military family and are tacitly the big brother of the Military Affairs Academy, would I bother with you?
Chunyu Meng left contentedly. Everyone quietly snickered. This fellow could have left the academy long ago, but kept failing the difficult and tricky Master Hu’s political theory course. Unfortunately, Master Hu and old General Chunyu had an extremely good relationship. So poor Chunyu Meng, who could have already sought a military post, couldn’t extricate himself because of this matter.
After a while, it was indeed Master Hu’s exam. Chunyu Meng climbed over the wall in the middle of the night to seek Feng Zhiwei’s guidance. The two drank wine under the pear blossom tree in the courtyard. By the time a pot of wine was finished, Feng Zhiwei had also completed an essay.
Having handed in his assignment satisfactorily, Chunyu Meng was in a cheerful mood. Leaning against the pear blossom tree and tapping his wine pot, he sang loudly: “Morning battle follows golden drums, evening sleep embraces jade saddles. I wish to take the sword at my waist and go straight to behead Loulan!”
“It’s just Master Hu’s political theory course,” Feng Zhiwei said, her eyes growing more hazy with wine influence, smiling as she asked. “Is it worth being this happy?”
“You don’t know,” Chunyu Meng laughed. “I was already appointed as Captain of the Wumen Changying Guards long ago, waiting to take up the post after leaving the Military Affairs Academy, but have always been delayed from proper business by this sour scholarly nonsense. It’s so frustrating!”
Feng Zhiwei’s brows moved—something seemed wrong here? Political theory was a supplementary course outside classics, history, philosophy, and literature, never considered important coursework. Moreover, Chunyu Meng was from the Military Affairs Academy—military officers had even less connection to this. Why did Master Hu repeatedly make things difficult for him in political theory courses?
Already appointed as Wumen Captain…
Could it be to delay him? Why would they want to delay him?
She was pondering this when the room door suddenly creaked open. Gu Nanyi walked straight out, drifting toward them like a ghost. Feng Zhiwei thought “not good” and jumped up before finishing a mouthful of wine, pushing Chunyu Meng toward the exit. Chunyu Meng looked at her bewildered, shouting: “What are you doing?”
How could Feng Zhiwei have time to explain—yesterday a wild dog barking three courtyards away had disturbed Young Master Gu. The young master had been like this, drifting out like a ghost, and when he returned his sleeves were stained with dog fur.
It was all her fault. After drinking a few mouthfuls of wine, she’d forgotten that Young Master Gu didn’t like noise.
Chunyu Meng, affected by the wine, still hugged the tree foolishly smiling and refused to leave, completely oblivious to Jade Carving Gu’s quiet killing intent. Feng Zhiwei saw things going badly and quickly pounced over, trying to block Chunyu Meng. In her haste, the hot flow in her body suddenly surged, and then she felt her body lighten and whooshed out.
“Bang.”
A sensation both soft and firm.
A scent both rich and light.
Feng Zhiwei, who had suddenly unleashed extraordinary strength, overshot her target and crashed into Gu Nanyi’s embrace…
Feng Zhiwei herself hadn’t reacted yet. She had absolutely no concept of that uncontrollable hot flow in her body, only feeling she’d suddenly shot out very far and crashed into something, then seeing stars and flowers falling in chaos.
Below her face was something soft and thin, comfortable and fitting, the sensation very familiar.
Feng Zhiwei knew this was bad—not bad that she’d mistakenly entered a man’s embrace, but that Young Master Gu also detested close-range contact. The next moment she would definitely be thrown onto the roof by Young Master Gu.
She suddenly heard Chunyu Meng’s gasping sound behind her, then she was pushed away. From the corner of her eye, she caught a startled glimpse of a gauze veil on the ground.
She’d knocked off Gu Nanyi’s gauze veil?
A vague thought suddenly flashed through her mind. She immediately looked up to see Gu Nanyi’s face, but was still a step too slow. Gu Nanyi beckoned with his hand and the gauze veil on the ground flew back onto his head. Through the vaguely flying white gauze, he seemed to extend his finger and touch the corner of his lips, then slightly tilted his head and gently sucked on his finger at his lips.
Through the gauze curtain, one could vaguely see that expression—carrying a bit of innocence, a bit of curiosity, a bit of confusion and exploration. With a posture unrelated to romance yet naturally intimate, he tasted this flavor unknown in his life.
A faint wine aroma faintly dispersed.
Feng Zhiwei stared in astonishment at his calm and natural posture of tasting the wine liquid at his lips, purely clear like a child yet with a sweet charm.
Only then did she remember that she had just been drinking with Chunyu Meng, had rushed out halfway through a mouthful of wine, then crashed into Gu Nanyi and knocked off his gauze veil, and then the wine liquid at her lips perhaps also… touched his lips?
And then he… licked away that bit of wine?
Feng Zhiwei’s face flushed bright red.