Pan Qing?!

Zhou Shaojin said in surprise, “I don’t know anything about this! Has she come?”

Cheng Jia pouted and pointed inside.

Zhou Shaojin fell silent.

Pan Qing probably wasn’t here to attend class—she was here to find out whether she had actually overheard what she and Pan Zhuo had said, wasn’t she?

She took a deep breath and entered Jing’an Studio with Cheng Jia, smiling.

A desk had been added next to Zhou Shaojin’s. Pan Qing was wearing a rose-colored gold-brocade vest over a white Hangzhou silk spring shirt with a plain standing collar. Her jet-black hair was simply styled in a bun, and she sat quietly at the newly added desk reading.

Hearing the commotion, she looked up and greeted Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Jia with a smile. By her ears, two pearl earrings the size of lotus seeds swayed back and forth—elegant with a touch of liveliness.

Truly a beauty!

What a pity she was a beauty wearing a mask, inconsistent inside and out!

Zhou Shaojin sighed inwardly and stepped forward to exchange courtesies with Pan Qing.

Cheng Jia, however, kept her eyes straight ahead and sat down in her own seat.

This arrangement placed Cheng Jia on Zhou Shaojin’s left and Pan Qing on her right, with her sitting in the middle.

Having lived two lives, this was the first time she’d been so conspicuous, so important.

Zhou Shaojin mocked herself inwardly as Nanny Shen arrived.

Seeing Pan Qing, she showed no surprise. She exchanged a few pleasantries with Pan Qing with a smile, then began the lesson.

Clearly someone had already informed her.

The three of them quietly listened as Nanny Shen lectured on a chapter from the “Biographies of Exemplary Women.”

During the mid-class break, Pan Qing poured Nanny Shen a cup of tea and chatted with her about events since they’d last parted.

The next lesson was calligraphy practice.

Zhou Shaojin spread out her rice paper, preparing to practice.

Cheng Jia ran over and whispered to her, “After school, come have lunch at my place, won’t you? I’ve had them roast a wild pheasant.”

Zhou Shaojin felt helpless and said, “I promised Grandmother I’d have lunch with her at noon.”

Cheng Jia persisted stubbornly, “Then come have dinner at my place?”

“I have to go to Hanbei Mountain Manor to copy scriptures. I don’t know when I’ll return.”

“Then when you come back, have a maid let me know and I’ll come find you to play.”

“If it’s too late, let’s wait for a day off instead, shall we?”

As the two were exchanging words, Pan Qing walked over with a smile and said, “What are you talking about? So intimate. It truly makes one envious.”

In her previous life, she and Cheng Jia had been even more intimate than in this life, yet Pan Qing had never envied her then!

The moment Pan Qing opened her mouth, Zhou Shaojin’s heart filled with additional wariness.

“We’re discussing where to go play on our day off,” Cheng Jia said, looking at Pan Qing rather provocatively. “Shaojin says we should go boating in the garden then.”

Pan Zhi served mostly in the north, so Pan Qing was a landlubber.

“Is that so?” Pan Qing smiled, showing great interest. “I rarely have opportunities to go boating. I should join you then.”

Cheng Jia puffed out her cheeks, wanting to refuse but seeming to suddenly remember something. Her eyes rolled around several times before she smiled sweetly and said, “Wonderful! We definitely won’t forget Sister Qing when the time comes.”

Pan Qing smiled slightly and looked down to examine the characters Zhou Shaojin had written, then showed a surprised expression and said hesitantly, “This, this is written by younger sister Shaojin?”

Before Zhou Shaojin could answer, Cheng Jia already said proudly, “Of course these are Shaojin’s characters! Otherwise why would Old Madam Guo have Shaojin help her copy scriptures! That’s why Shaojin usually has no free time—she has to practice calligraphy.”

Pan Qing said “Oh” thoughtfully and glanced at Zhou Shaojin.

Cheng Jia chattered on, praising Zhou Shaojin extensively.

Soon it was time for calligraphy practice, and Jing’an Studio quieted down.

Nanny Shen looked at each of their desks, gave a few pointers to each, then went to the adjacent side room to read and drink tea, accompanied by a young maid.

The study immediately came alive again.

Cheng Jia asked Zhou Shaojin, “My brother brought back some orchid stems from outside. Do you want any? If you do, I’ll have a servant send you a few stalks later. Plant them in a Xianyang pot and they’ll bloom by the Spring Festival.”

Pan Qing smiled and said, “I didn’t know younger sister Shaojin enjoyed calligraphy. I recently acquired several ink cakes from Wende Pavilion. I’ll have a servant send you a few later to try and see if they suit your hand.”

Zhou Shaojin was speechless.

But this feeling was actually quite nice!

After thinking it over, she said to Cheng Jia, “No need to go to such trouble. I’ll just have Chun Wan fetch them later.” Then to Pan Qing she said, “Thank you, cousin Pan. I’ve been practicing calligraphy diligently, so I won’t be polite with cousin Qing.”

She accepted things from both sides, offending neither, though there was ultimately a subtle difference—she spoke much more casually with Cheng Jia.

Then Zhou Shaojin set down her brush and stood up, smiling. “I need to use the privy.” Without inviting anyone, she walked straight out of the study.

Cheng Jia glared fiercely at Pan Qing.

Pan Qing looked left and right. Seeing Cheng Jia’s maid sitting far away under the eaves doing embroidery, her expression darkened. She sneered coldly, “Cheng Jia, don’t cause me trouble, or I won’t be polite with you. I’m merely a guest at the Cheng family for a few days, while you might spend your entire life in Jinling. Which is more important—at your age, you should be able to distinguish!” Having said this, she glanced at Cheng Jia disdainfully and swept away.

Cheng Jia was so angry she stamped her feet.

Pan Qing left the study and headed toward the privy.

The bluestone path wound and twisted, with green bamboo swaying gracefully on both sides.

Zhou Shaojin, wearing a pink plain Hangzhou silk vest, stood calmly and composedly before a cluster of dappled Xiangfei bamboo, elegant as an orchid.

Pan Qing froze.

Zhou Shaojin was already smiling and greeting her: “You’ve come! I wonder what you wanted to see me about?”

Pan Qing was momentarily speechless at the question, looking at Zhou Shaojin with somewhat obscure emotions.

Zhou Shaojin smiled at her, her clear black-and-white eyes like a mountain spring—clear and transparent, revealing everything beneath.

Pan Qing laughed mockingly.

Suddenly she felt several degrees of shame at being outshone by pearls and jade.

Since they were both clever people, playing such games was rather beneath them.

She slowly walked over and stood beside the Xiangfei bamboo.

“You should know my father was promoted to Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Shandong, right?” Pan Qing said, viciously tearing off a bamboo leaf. “But you probably don’t all know that my father was promoted because he went through eldest uncle Jing’s connections, do you?”

It was easy to guess.

Cheng Jing was someone who enjoyed helping people, especially clan relatives and in-laws. As long as it wasn’t something evil, if someone asked him for help, he would do his best to assist.

Zhou Shaojin said nothing. She guessed Pan Qing didn’t need her to say anything.

“If not for my uncle, how could he have achieved his current position?” Pan Qing’s eyes flashed with cold light. “Yet even so, he’s still not satisfied. Time and again he has my mother write letters to Uncle, either talking about how dedicated and hardworking he is as an official, or how difficult his posting is. If Uncle’s reply letters show even the slightest dissatisfaction, he mistreats my mother…”

She stopped here, seeming to have more to say but holding back.

Clearly what Pan Zhi did to Cheng Xian was something Pan Qing found too shameful to speak of.

Zhou Shaojin was quite surprised.

In her previous life, Pan Zhi and Cheng Xian had always been a mutually respectful couple, and Pan Zhuo and Pan Qing were enviable children of an official family.

“This time, Father heard from somewhere that eldest uncle Jing obtained the position of Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, and he actually had Mother write to eldest uncle Jing asking him to recommend Father for the position.” Pan Qing showed some mockery on her face. “He didn’t stop to think—how could he, a fourth-rank prefect serving in the provinces, possibly be recommended to the Imperial Academy over those old scholars who’ve worked at the Hanlin Academy for ten or twenty years? He’s simply…” She paused, swallowing the words “courting death” and continued, “Naturally this matter failed! So he threw tantrums at home, saying Mother was useless, couldn’t please eldest uncle Jing, that after all they were separated by branch lines and beyond the five degrees of mourning. He said if he’d known it would turn out this way, he should have sought to marry Aunt He back then. At least he’d have had a brother-in-law who was a successful examination candidate, unlike Uncle Lu who studied his whole life and was still just a county graduate…”

Cheng He?

Zhou Shaojin’s eyes widened.

“You didn’t expect that, did you?” Pan Qing smiled bitterly. “Back when both my mother and Aunt He were unmarried, seeing the Third Branch’s wealth and status, he married my mother… All these years, whenever he loses his temper, he brings up this matter again…”

Which family didn’t have its difficult scriptures to recite?

Pan Qing certainly wasn’t seeking her out just to discuss these family matters.

She had no intention of wasting time with Pan Qing on this subject.

However, Pan Qing’s words suddenly brought to life all those fragmentary words she’d overheard at the time.

Zhou Shaojin understood.

She said, “In other words, you came this time ostensibly to celebrate the Second Branch’s old ancestor’s birthday, but forming a marriage alliance with the First Branch’s cousin Xu is your real purpose. What does this have to do with me? Why are you so nervous that you couldn’t wait to rush over and warn me the very day after the birthday banquet?”

“You misunderstand!” Pan Qing hastily explained. “I had no intention of warning you. I’m just worried about my mother… My brother thinks highly of you, but my father is someone who always likes to scheme in his actions. My brother is destined to have his hopes disappointed…”

Pan Zhuo?!

Thinks highly of her?!

Zhou Shaojin was so angry her hands and feet turned ice-cold.

What did Pan Qing mean by this? Did she think something would happen between her and Pan Zhuo?

This was too absurd!

The Pan siblings appeared bright and honorable on the surface, but their actual conduct was utterly outrageous.

What did Pan Qing take her for?

A flame of anger immediately ignited in her heart, and her expression involuntarily turned cold and stern: “Since ancient times, marriage matters have always been ‘by parental decree and matchmaker’s word.’ I didn’t realize that the sons and daughters of the Pan family don’t observe these customs. Whether you want to marry Cheng Xu or your brother wants to marry a wealthy family’s daughter, you’ve found the wrong person!” With that, she turned to leave. “I’ll pretend I never heard about this matter. Don’t bring it up again in the future!”

“Shaojin!” Pan Qing grabbed Zhou Shaojin’s hand and said earnestly, “I meant nothing else. Just as you said, the matter between cousin Xu and me will naturally be decided by our parents. I’m just worried about my mother—if Father’s wishes aren’t fulfilled, he’ll torment Mother even more… I know this matter has nothing to do with you, and I shouldn’t have sought you out. But as you know, no matter what I do, Cheng Jia looks at me with angry eyes. I don’t even have anyone to talk to… A family like the Cheng clan could never arrange ‘exchange marriages,’ and even though they’re cousins, if word got out it would still sound bad. I’m worried that if my brother makes a fuss, everyone will lose face…”

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

When all was said and done, she was just afraid Zhou Shaojin had taken a liking to Pan Zhuo and would interfere with her marriage to Cheng Xu.

This was Pan Qing’s real reason for seeking her out, wasn’t it!

No wonder in her previous life Cheng Xian had left the Cheng family dejectedly with Pan Qing and Pan Zhuo, and hadn’t returned to Jinling even once in the following decade or more!

Without even identifying the key points correctly, yet dreaming of marrying into the Cheng family’s First Branch—truly… courting death!

Knowing the outcome, Zhou Shaojin nearly laughed out loud.