In early April, spring was growing richer. Peach blossoms and pear blossoms had opened in great drifts around the Yan family home, and the mistresses and young ladies of the household often sat in the peach garden in their leisure hours, brewing red tea and admiring the blossoms, their laughter filling the air.

Yan Qin had been punished harshly by the Yan patriarch last time and had been unusually well-behaved for a while — though her bad habits remained unbroken. Every few days she would still find some excuse to make trouble for Yan Qing. The difference was that unlike before, taking any advantage of Yan Qing was no longer an easy matter.

After Yan Qing returned from Taishan, she waited until she had recovered a little, and the nursing school sent someone to ask whether she could return to classes.

Yan Qing had been attending the nursing school for three years, yet remained in the first year — because her health had always been poor, and between her frequent absences and sick leave, she had fallen behind in a great deal of her coursework, and her academic performance was naturally not up to standard. Even so, Sixth Miss persisted in attending — and that, at least, earned a measure of genuine admiration for her determination.

For the Yan Qing of today, however, the material taught at the nursing school was elementary at best. Still, compared to spending every day at home surrounded by these young ladies and concubines, she would rather be at school.

Murong accompanied her to and from school every day. While classes were in session, Murong would wait in the school’s sitting room, and when classes ended would come to find Yan Qing and help manage the small daily tasks of her life.

On this particular day, on arriving at school, Murong learned from others that the first-year class was due to have its quarterly examination — a routine testing event the school held every quarter, which every class took very seriously.

“Miss, why don’t we ask for leave today?” Murong suggested cautiously on their way to the classroom.

“Ask for leave?” Yan Qing didn’t understand. “Why?”

Before Murong could answer, two classmates walking side by side ahead of them provided the answer themselves.

“Isn’t that the Eldest Miss? The Eldest Miss really does get special treatment — she even brings a maid to school. Honestly.”

“Hasn’t Eldest Miss been absent for months? Coming back today of all days, when there’s an exam — she’s deliberately here to drag our class results down.”

“Everyone knows how much Teacher Zhang cares about this exam. When she sees Eldest Miss, her eyes are probably going to go crooked with irritation.”

“What can anyone do about it? Her father is one of the school’s board members. Three years of school and still in first year — and she doesn’t even seem embarrassed.”

Murong had been listening to these two classmates sing their little duet, and was about to step forward to stop them when Yan Qing pressed her hand down and shook her head. “It’s fine.”

“But…” Murong was still worried. If Miss insisted on attending, she would inevitably face even more mockery — especially given Miss’s academic results, which were, frankly… too miserable to look at.

“Go wait in the sitting room. I can handle things here.” Yan Qing said, and turned her wheelchair toward the classroom on her own.

Murong wanted to say more, but then thought of Miss’s recent behavior, and her heart quietly settled. This was, after all, the same person who had made even Director Shi see her in a new light. What right did she have to question Miss? Her place was to believe in her fully and completely.

The moment Yan Qing entered the classroom, the chatter inside fell abruptly silent. More than twenty pairs of eyes swept toward her at once. In this all-girls school, Yan Qing’s existence was undeniably striking — she had a beauty that could bring down cities, and a family of tremendous wealth. What balanced the scales for everyone else, however, was that she was crippled and her academic performance was poor. These two things alone were enough to eclipse all her other brilliance.

Yan Qing ignored the mocking, contemptuous, and envious gazes around her and wheeled herself to her seat.

“Everyone settle down — the examination is about to begin.” Teacher Zhang had barely stepped through the door when she spotted Yan Qing seated not far away. The excited energy on her face immediately collapsed.

Teacher Zhang was privately displeased, but when she thought of Yan Qing’s father being one of the school’s board members, she swallowed all her grievances back down. After all, compared to the class’s overall results, keeping her job was more important.

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