Now that she had made up her mind to attend the women’s academy, Linlang needed to make thorough preparations.

She was, after all, a woman who had come from another region. She knew nothing of the noble young ladies’ backgrounds, their social connections, or the personal sensitivities she ought to avoid.

Though the wooden box had included a list of supplies needed for enrollment, what Chu Linlang felt she needed most was a reference roster of her fellow students, for her own private use.

So when she returned to the house, she straightforwardly compiled a register of the young ladies she had met that day. She then handed it to Situ Sheng and asked him to help her mark the names with circles, ranking them first, second, or third.

She was a woman from out of town, with nowhere near the experience and acumen of those who had spent years in these great households.

Her only option was to ask her employer to take the trouble to make it clear to her: which young ladies’ fathers and elder brothers were on good terms with him, which held opposing political views, and what these young ladies were generally known to be like in temperament — all needed to be noted in careful detail.

She did not intend to laboriously scheme to curry favor with anyone. She simply had no status or background herself, and only wanted to conduct herself with care, so as not to offend people without realizing it.

Once she had marked down all their likes and dislikes and things to avoid, she would have a method to follow.

Situ Sheng took the register and was quite earnest in helping his female household manager sort out her difficulties, annotating the official ranks and names of these young ladies’ elder brothers and fathers.

However, while doing so, his long arms stretched out wide, trapping Chu Linlang in front of him — like teaching a child to write — holding her hand to write together.

He had taught Linlang to hold a brush this way before, but in those days Chu Linlang had a clear conscience and was naturally at ease.

Now, when his large hand closed over hers again, Linlang felt as though a thicket of man-tall wild grass had sprouted in her heart, making it impossible to act as though nothing had happened.

After patiently writing a few characters along with him, Linlang pressed down on the large hand that was resting at her waist, and turned her head to say quietly: “Hey, don’t push your luck. I wasn’t thinking clearly that day, that’s how you managed to get… get the better of me that little bit.”

Thinking back on how she had not immediately refused him that day, Chu Linlang felt her willpower had been far too shallow — she was just like her former husband, unable to restrain herself when faced with a beautiful person.

She had specifically taken some time to come into the study today, using the register as a pretext, to actually have a proper conversation with him.

She was not someone who lacked silver and was trying to latch onto a wealthy man for security. However great his official post, he was not Chu Linlang’s type.

He mustn’t misunderstand that she had tacitly consented, and from now on become his kept mistress — hidden from the world.

So Linlang refined her words slightly, and expressed, in a roundabout way, her gratitude for his lordship’s affections, while indicating she did not blame his lordship for being forward that day — but it would be best if they could let the matter pass as though water had flowed by, leaving no trace.

Hearing this, the large hand of Situ Sheng paused. He tilted his head to look at her fair white profile, and with considerable seriousness made a correction: “It was not I alone who was forward that day. I only held you. It was you who pinched my chin, pulled me by the neck, and kissed…”

Before Situ Sheng could finish his mortifying words, Chu Linlang had already anxiously covered his mouth with her palm, her voice pitched slightly higher: “Did I not say my head was not clear at the time? Must you keep going on about it!”

A flash of laughter passed through Situ Sheng’s eyes. He said lightly: “I am wrong. It is because I saw you provoking tenderness in all directions, and for a moment my heart was moved beyond my control, and I was ungentlemanly toward you…”

Chu Linlang let out a small breath of relief, feeling that this was how he ought to talk.

But just as she loosened her hand, the man pressed closer. His large hand cupped the back of her head, and once again he brought his thin lips to rest upon hers.

The man’s scent was cool and clean. In the entwining of lips and tongue, there lingered the light fragrance of aged tangerine peel tea he had just drunk.

Chu Linlang was momentarily ensnared by him, unable to pull free. As if a demon spirit had entered her body, her slender arms unknowingly wound around his neck like climbing vines.

Situ, my lord, was truly a diligent cultivator in whatever art he applied himself to — whether it was combing hair, or the skill of lips and tongue. Even if his first attempt was somewhat clumsy, by the next time he exercised the skill, it was sure to make one see him in an entirely new light.

And so it was now. Compared to the last time, Situ, my lord, left one feeling considerably more gratified.

Chu Linlang only felt as though she had turned into a pool of water, confined within the cage of his arms, like a stream hemmed in by domineering mountains, imprisoned within one small space with nowhere to flow.

After this lingering kiss came to an end, Chu Linlang felt as though a male fox spirit had drawn away eight tenths of her vital energy and ten tenths of her strength.

Even with no strength left, she still had to seize the initiative. So she steadied her spirit. Her large, moist eyes glared at Situ Sheng: “How can you still…”

Situ Sheng was perfectly matter-of-fact: “You pinned a crime on me without grounds. If I do not make it a reality, how am I to be convicted?”

Chu Linlang was speechless. Well, that was quite the argument — deserving credit to this former Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review for being skilled at judging cases.

But Situ Sheng had gained the advantage and proceeded to crow over it, adding idly: “Moreover, you found it gratifying…”

Chu Linlang was caught by her own earlier incriminating slip of the tongue, and once again felt her cheeks blaze red — hot enough to brew tea.

With him taking this sort of attitude, she was truly not suited to staying here much longer.

But just as she started to say she wanted to leave, Situ Sheng reached out and held her back.

He was no longer teasing her. The smile on his face gradually faded. His gaze locked onto her face, and in complete earnestness he said: “I have been wavering for a long time about whether I should keep you here. At that time, my plan was to send you away. I still have a manor in Lingnan — left to me by my… maternal grandfather. The climate there is hot all year round and not particularly pleasant, but at least it is a remote place free from the eyes of the court. I have already transferred it to your name. Whenever you are willing, I will arrange for someone to escort you there. You will not have to wander around with rough men like Xia Qingyun, and your father will not be able to find you there.”

Having said this, he took a land deed from the drawer and placed it in her hands.

Chu Linlang looked at the deed for house and estate in her hands — not a thin one — and felt that this out-of-nowhere gift felt somehow like… a will being declared.

Fie, what an inauspicious comparison. What was he doing, making arrangements like this — as though he could not go on living?

But she had also heard that Situ Sheng seemed to have stirred up some formidable hornet’s nest in court. Word had been going around these past few days about many officials submitting memorials impeaching him — even she, who had no part in court affairs, had caught wind of it.

Could it be he felt he might be called to account by those officials, and was making early arrangements for her? He truly was an employer with heart and righteousness.

Thinking this, she only felt an inexplicable stuffiness in her chest. She shoved those estate and property deeds back into his hands and said coldly: “Knowing you can no longer hold your ground in the capital, why did you still entangle yourself with me?”

The smile on Situ Sheng’s face gradually disappeared. He looked into her bright eyes and said slowly: “Because I am not, after all, a good man. I held back and held back, yet still could not bear to watch you walk away before my eyes with another man. If there comes a day when I am gone, there will at least be no one to trouble you anymore. I only hope you will occasionally remember me — and not forget me entirely…”

Chu Linlang truly could not stand this man’s sudden bouts of gloom. She reached out and gave the top of his head a firm smack: “Fie on you, and fie again and again! What dark and gloomy talk is this! Even if you wanted to get something for nothing, you need to show a bit of manly spirit. Don’t tell me you want to play the frail and sickly scholar to win a woman’s pity?”

Chu Linlang instinctively felt this man was putting on an act, angling for her sympathy — but she seemed to rather be falling for it anyway.

Besides, she had only just managed to get into the women’s academy. How could she simply up and leave?

Situ Sheng’s thin lips curved in a faint smile, and his eyes harbored some emotion she could not read.

This conversation was cut off halfway.

Dongxue knocked on the door as usual and came in without waiting for an answer.

In the blink of an eye, Chu Linlang was as though fire had been set beneath her — she leapt off Situ Sheng’s lap in one bound, snatched up a feather duster nearby, and made a pretense of dusting the shelf.

She absolutely did not want the people in the house to notice the “illicit affair” between the two of them. How would things end if they did?

Dongxue had not noticed anything unusual between the two of them. Head down, she carried in a delivery of quality paper that had arrived at the house, and also reminded the senior young lady that she had just wiped down that shelf that morning.

Chu Linlang laughed drily, saying she had just remembered, and cleared her throat, once again shooting Situ Sheng a dark look.

However, Situ Sheng’s expression was not looking particularly good either. He seemed rather displeased with the female household manager’s flustered secrecy, and shot her back a look that was difficult to describe.

Chu Linlang was not particularly skilled at handling the aftermath of these private matters. She turned her head, tucked the feather duster under her arm, and fled out of the study like a person running for their life.

After that day, Chu Linlang saw no more of Situ Sheng — he was so busy he could not even return to the house.

News of the reform of official allotment fields spread quickly throughout the capital and beyond. Every official, whether in the capital or posted to the regions, was discussing what measures this reform would bring.

Those who had honestly conducted themselves and had not exploited loopholes in the allotment field system were fine enough. But those who had enclosed land under the allotment field system were restless with anxiety.

Apart from some bold individuals who banded together to memorialize the Emperor — declaring that this action would easily destabilize the court — still more of the opposition directed their fire at Situ Sheng of the Ministry of Finance, who was overseeing the reform.

Situ Sheng’s reputation, which had only recently begun to recover, was once again like dung dragged by a dog through the street — after warming up briefly, it turned completely cold again.

As for Chu Linlang, she was also very busy, preparing for her enrollment.

This women’s academy was not like a school for young girls, with lessons every day. Classes were held once every two days, which allowed the noble young ladies time for their usual social engagements.

But apparently the assignments they were left with were considerable. No matter how much the noble young ladies liked to play, if assignments were not completed, they would be punished with double writing exercises. If they still could not finish, they would be asked to leave by the teacher.

So this academy had the outward appearance of leniency with strict enforcement behind the scenes. Every female student had to apply herself in order to complete her studies.

For Chu Linlang’s first day at the women’s academy, she was up early and dressed herself carefully.

She ordinarily liked to wear pink skirts. But compared to those young women of sixteen or seventeen, being “advanced in years” as she was, wearing pink would make her look like she was trying to appear younger than she was.

So she deliberately wore a plain white skirt, and kept her hair accessories as simple as possible — her high-pinned hair adorned with only a single hairpin.

Fortunately, her features were delicate and lovely, her forehead clean and full, and this kind of plain and elegant style actually suited her quite well.

Xia He and the others could not help but exclaim one after another: “Senior young lady, we always see you in red and green. We never imagined you’d look this good in pale and muted colors too. You look like… what’s the phrase — untouched by a speck of dust!”

Chu Linlang felt that was an exaggeration. A woman as thoroughly worldly as she was — what had she to do with “untouched by a speck of dust”?

What was so great about white clothes? They looked just like mourning garments. If not for the fact that she didn’t want to compete with those noble young ladies for attention, she would not have worn them at all.

But when she went out that clear morning, she saw Situ Sheng, who had not been seen for several days, waiting for her in the carriage at the gate.

She saw him lift the carriage curtain and peer out. When his eyes found her, they seemed to brighten ever so slightly, and those thin lips curved into a faint smile. Chu Linlang suddenly felt that wearing something like a mourning garment occasionally was not so bad after all.

“My lord, how did you come back?” Chu Linlang got into the carriage as she spoke.

He had not been back to the house for the past two days. It was clearly early morning, yet he looked utterly exhausted — obviously he had been up through the night.

Situ Sheng sat steadily in the carriage, his voice carrying a lazy, slightly hoarse quality: “Today is your first day of enrollment. I came to see you off.”

But no sooner had Chu Linlang settled into her seat than he lay his head down in her lap, pressing his fingertips to his forehead and saying: “I was up all night. My head aches. Rub it for me.”

Chu Linlang pursed her lips, and finally reached out to massage his head acupoints. She teased: “This is hardly a child entering school for the first time, needing a father or elder brother to escort her. If you come to see me off, my lord, what name will you go by?”

Situ Sheng let her slender fingers press at his acupoints, and found the dull throbbing in his forehead easing considerably. He took hold of her slender, pale hand, and pressed a gentle kiss to her palm: “It is just looking for an excuse to come back and see you.”

These words made Linlang’s cheeks flush with a young girl’s blush.

How had anyone once said this man was a Liuxia Hui who did not touch women? He was far too skilled at this. He barely had to open his mouth, and he could set a woman’s heart all aflutter…

“In a moment, the women’s academy gate will be full of those vying in splendor and beauty. What is there to… see in me?”

Situ Sheng smiled faintly, sat upright again, and drew her into his arms: “Though your hair is black and your robe is white, you surpass the spring colors of the world in number beyond counting…”

Chu Linlang was left half weak in the legs by this one compliment.

She was no literary scholar herself, yet she was completely defenseless against this kind of man who spoke in such elegant, flowery phrases.

If not for her awareness that she would soon have to get out of the carriage and face important people, she might well have lost control again — grabbed this handsome man by his clothing, pressed her face against his broad chest, and returned the compliment: “Your wide shoulders and narrow waist, my lord, also surpass the spring colors of the world in number beyond counting…”

Of course, such wantonly forward behavior required her to drink a full flask of strong spirits to bring it out.

It seemed the words she had tried to use to distance herself from Situ Sheng that day had not taken root in his heart, or perhaps he was playing the fool while perfectly understanding the situation.

Could this private affair, one that would lead to no conclusion, truly be so addictive to him?

Before long, the carriage arrived at the gate of Rong Lin Women’s Academy. By now, quite a number of carriages had already stopped there. Noble young ladies were being helped down from their carriages one by one by their maids and attendants.

Rong Lin Women’s Academy sat adjacent to Yi Lin Academy, the two institutions separated only by a low wall.

At this hour, the students of Yi Lin Academy were also trickling in by threes and fours for their early morning classes.

Those young students, catching sight of these graceful and lovely noble young ladies in the distance, could not help but steal glances and whisper among themselves.

When Chu Linlang stepped down from the carriage, what she saw was this scene — a group of young men and women, each pretending with some awkwardness to be casual and unintentional, sneaking glances at one another.

The season was drawing close to spring. Outside the walls, on the branches of apricot trees, buds were swelling in the morning sun, carrying a hint of spring.

Watching these young men and women of just the right age peeking at each other over the low academy wall, Linlang could not help but sigh — how truly lovely was that tender adolescent time of life.

Just then, the man behind her also stepped down from the carriage, and his gentle voice interrupted her enjoyment of watching those young people: “Chu Niangzi — you forgot your book chest…”

When Situ Sheng appeared in his official robes, those still somewhat unpolished young scholars were instantly outshone.

The noble young ladies’ gazes could not help but fall on Situ Sheng and Chu Linlang.

At this moment, the tall man stood with hands clasped behind his back, head slightly bowed, speaking quietly with the woman in white and simple hair — and the way their eyes met, was it not the very picture of a tender and elegant scene of a talented man and a beautiful woman?

After Situ Sheng had quietly said a few more parting words, he looked up toward the other side of the low wall.

His gaze was too keen. The students who had been drifting slowly beside the low wall and refusing to leave suddenly scattered like startled birds at his glance.

Only then did Situ Sheng turn and board the carriage. He still had to go back to the Ministry of Finance shortly, and the carriage wheels rolled away swiftly.

Yixiu Junzhu, just stepping down from her own carriage, caught sight of this scene and laughed coldly, saying to the maid at her side: “What kind of background does this Chu Niangzi have? She even passed the examination? And she has her employer come personally to see her off — quite the grand airs!”

Some young ladies on good terms with Yixiu Junzhu immediately chimed in: “When I caught a glimpse of her examination paper, she seemed to have written only one line. How could someone like that pass? Everyone says Qi teacher is upright and impartial. It turns out he also plays favorites.”

Another said: “Oh, don’t look down on this Chu Niangzi. She was a properly established official’s wife before. It’s just that she apparently could not bear children, so her husband discarded her and took as his new wife the Sixth Imperial Prince’s young aunt by marriage.”

When Chu Niangzi had shown up for the examination the other day, she had spent half the time propping her chin in her hand daydreaming, and handed in a near-blank paper. Everyone had assumed she would not pass and had not paid her much attention.

But now, seeing that she had become a fellow student at the academy, they inevitably gossiped and speculated on what crooked paths this divorced woman had taken to get into the academy.

Any other woman, hearing this “private whispering” at a volume loud enough to fill one’s ears, would surely be mortified enough to go find a corner to cry in secretly.

But was Chu Niangzi like other women? She looked at all these young ladies as though they were a bunch of little children.

Could she be made to cry by a pack of children? That could wait for the next lifetime.

Of course, not everyone was regarding her with such hostility. For instance, Miss Guan Jinhe, who had earlier had her fortune told by Chu Linlang, was very warm. She felt that Chu Niangzi must be in an awkward position being spoken of like this, so she proactively came over to greet Chu Linlang: “Chu Niangzi, you passed too? How wonderful! I was just thinking about when your Tortoise Immortal would gather its spiritual energy again. After class today, could you read one more hexagram for me and ask about my future husband’s prospects?”

Miss Guan Jinhe’s father was a seventh-rank secretary of the Imperial Academy — his official rank was not high, but he was a legitimate student of Qi Gong.

Her prospective husband was Wang Lianjiu, the third son of Censor Wang of the Censorate — the same ideal match that Xie Sheng had previously been seeking for his second daughter, Miss Xie.

Earlier, the Wang and Xie families had been very nearly at the stage of exchanging the children’s birth dates. Who would have expected the whole affair to blow up over the scandal of the second young lady Xie being involved with a married man.

Censor Wang had not known the truth at first, assuming the Xie family had simply changed their minds. When he learned of the hidden reasons afterward, the always proud and aloof Censor Wang was thoroughly revolted, and told his wife plainly that when next they chose a daughter-in-law, they must find a girl from a family of clean and strict reputation.

After much searching, the Wang family settled on the third daughter of the secretary of the Imperial Academy’s household.

Back in Jizhou, Chu Linlang had often heard Xie Youran complaining to her sister about how the Wang family’s third young master was a toad in a muddy puddle.

It seemed that the young master’s appearance ought to be quite unattractive.

Though this Miss Guan was a little plump, her pointed chin paired with a pair of large eyes gave her a kind of distinctive, full-figured prettiness as a young woman.

It was just unclear whether she had seen her future husband, and whether she would be like Xie Youran and take issue with the Wang young master’s looks.

On the way to the classroom, Chu Linlang gently probed whether Miss Guan had ever met her fiancé.

Miss Guan’s large eyes lit up as she nodded, unable to stop praising him: “I have never in my life seen anyone as clever as he is. When my father tested him on his studies, young master Wang answered everything fluently. Unlike me — I can never remember the key points. My father says his essays are brilliantly written. If I get the chance, I’ll bring one for you to read!”

Though Miss Guan herself was no great scholar despite having a father of exceptional learning, she harbored a genuine and wholehearted admiration and reverence for Wang young master, who was as learned as her father.

As for Wang young master’s flat head, wide mouth, and a few oily spots on his face — all of this was eclipsed by his overflowing talent, rendering Miss Guan blind to all of it.

After finishing her account, she was also impatient for Chu Niangzi to divine for her whether, after marriage, she and her husband would live in harmony and loving respect for each other, growing old together.

Chu Linlang smiled and shook her head: “Is there any need for divination? With a temperament as gentle and fine as yours, Miss Guan, and your understanding of how to appreciate your future husband’s strengths, you will surely be of one heart and mind with young master Wang and grow old together.”

Miss Guan, hearing this, her round cheeks colored like they had been dusted with rouge. Though she was a little embarrassed, she loved listening to Chu Niangzi talk.

The two of them got along splendidly at first sight, chatting and laughing their way into the classroom.

Yixiu Junzhu, walking behind them, watched the two conversing cheerfully, and could not help but sneer again: The whole capital knew that Miss Guan was going to marry that ugly son of the Wang family. Having parents arrange her marriage was one thing — if she simply endured it, that would be that. But this foolish Guan girl behaved as though she had struck gold, going around everywhere telling everyone, and even becoming bosom friends with a maidservant from a Attendant’s house on first meeting. Truly baffling.

Thinking this, she glanced at Tao Yashu not far from her side, and smiled: “Miss Tao, do you see? Even household servants come to study in the same hall as you and I now. Why not have Duke Yong Ning speak to old Qi, and advise him that this women’s academy cannot simply take in any stray cat or dog?”

She said this in a loud enough voice that even Chu Linlang walking in front could hear it.

Using the motion of climbing the steps as cover, Chu Linlang pretended to help Miss Guan lift her skirt hem, and stole a glance at the situation behind her.

She saw that Miss Tao Yashu was walking with her gaze fixed straight ahead — she did not even cast a sideways glance at Yixiu Junzhu.

Having made her remark, Yixiu Junzhu received no reply from anyone, and was thoroughly embarrassed — she could not help but glare fiercely at Miss Tao.

Chu Linlang smiled inwardly. That was the difference between the granddaughter of a county magistrate’s assistant and the legitimate granddaughter of a ducal house.

She need not think about it too hard. At this moment, the Crown Prince and the Fourth Imperial Prince were matched against each other on equal footing. Would Tao Yashu, the Crown Prince’s maternal cousin, bother giving the time of day to the niece of Lady Jing, the favored concubine?

This tactic of pulling someone in as a figurehead — shouldn’t one grab a docile fool to manipulate? Yet Yixiu Junzhu had gone to provoke Tao Yashu. She had truly brought this embarrassment on herself.

When class began, Chu Linlang politely declined Miss Guan’s invitation to sit beside her, and still chose the most out-of-the-way seat in the corner of the classroom.

She was different from those bright and youthful young women, and did not expect to acquire five cartloads of talent and skill here.

Moreover, her foundational knowledge was shallow. If she occupied a good seat and then could not answer the teacher’s questions, that would be most inappropriate.

She had assumed this first lesson might involve poetry and composition and the like. But to her surprise, a middle-aged teacher in his thirties arrived and proceeded to lecture on the history of the preceding dynasty.

What had seemed like stiff and lifeless passages in books became, in this Teacher Liao’s mouth, fascinating and engaging enough to keep everyone riveted — including Chu Linlang, who had been planning to let her attention drift during class.

No wonder Situ Sheng had said Qi teacher’s academy was unlike other places. Many of its teachers were hidden dragons and crouching tigers — unwilling to enter official service, they had come to the academy to teach and earn their keep.

After attending the women’s academy class and receiving the assignments from the teacher, the young ladies were free to leave.

Chu Linlang had come in the morning riding in Situ Sheng’s carriage, and now that school was out, she would either walk home with Xia He or hire a donkey cart for the journey back.

Just as Xia He was asking her senior young lady how they would get home, a familiar voice suddenly rang out in anger nearby: “Chu Linlang? What are you doing here?”

Chu Linlang turned to look. Misfortune! Why had she run into Xie Youran here?

She looked further behind. What a crowd — she had really walked into something! There were also her former mother-in-law Zhao Shi and her former husband Zhou Sui’an. And her former sister-in-law Zhou Xiuling shrank behind the others, looking at her with a shy and embarrassed expression.

Looking at the large gift boxes being carried by the small attendant in Zhou Sui’an’s entourage, it appeared they had come to the academy to present gifts.