Chapter 26: Divergent Intentions

There is a phrase: "as close as glue and lacquer." It describes a romantic relationship between a man and a woman that is intimate, profound, and inseparable. To reach such a state, certain conditions are required, such as shared interests, mutual affection, and a heart without barriers. Chen Xiaofu and An Xiaowei, a couple who fell for each other at first sight, met all these criteria; at this moment, they were already inseparable.

They had lunch in Chen Xiaofu’s small courtyard. Old Huang stood guard at the gate, not even letting Liang Jingru enter. After lunch, the two went straight to the library. Old Huang stood guard at the entrance of the library, refusing to let anyone in. He was well aware of the betrothal between the young lady of the An household and his young master. Back when he used to lie on the lounge chair outside the side room in the South Courtyard, he had worried that the An family might call off the engagement once they learned of the young master’s condition. Even if, for special reasons, the An family could not break the engagement, he feared that the young lady would surely look down upon the young master, leaving him with no hope for a happy life.

He had not expected the young lady of the An household to arrive in Lin'an. She had come at the perfect time—just as the young master went out, just as he underwent a complete transformation, and just as he began to live under the sun. This was the best state Old Huang had seen his young master in over the seventeen years he had served him. Since they had fallen in love at first sight and confessed their feelings, they had essentially accepted each other. Old Huang felt that whether or not the young master read books was no longer important; what mattered was for the two of them to spend more time together and deepen their bond.

"Xiaowei, I must hurry and go through the books here." When Chen Xiaofu said "go through," it sounded to An Xiaowei like he was merely reviewing them, implying that he had already read these books before! There were likely ten thousand volumes here. An Xiaowei grew even more delighted. She looked left and right, and seeing no one else, she took off her veil and tossed her head, letting her beautiful hair sway. Chen Xiaofu swallowed hard as he watched her graceful posture. One must forgive him; in his previous life, he had never touched a woman, and he was salivating at the sight of such unparalleled beauty.

"Hmm." An Xiaowei gathered her hair with both hands, her sleeves sliding down to reveal arms as fair as scallions. And there was the undeniable allure beneath her long white dress! Chen Xiaofu’s eyes went wide.

"You go ahead and look; I will read some books too. I won't disturb you." An Xiaowei seemed to feel a bit of weight on her chest and turned her head, only to catch Chen Xiaofu’s intense, unblinking gaze! A rosy flush immediately flew to her cheeks. She glared at him in coy shyness: "Where are you looking? Read your book!"

Chen Xiaofu quickly averted his eyes. Good heavens, this girl was going to be the death of him! "That’s not my fault."

An Xiaowei raised her delicate eyebrows. "Are you blaming me, then?"

Chen Xiaofu grinned. "It truly can only be blamed on you, for being born as beautiful as a celestial being! Yes, as the poem says: 'Shoulders like carved jade, waist like slender silk. A graceful neck, revealing fair skin. No cosmetics needed, no powder required. Cloud-like hair piled high, elegant brows arched. Bright lips, white teeth, eyes that sparkle, dimples that charm. A glorious figure, serene and poised...'"

An Xiaowei looked at Chen Xiaofu again. She could hardly imagine that he could use such exquisite words to describe her. Her heart felt sweeter than honey. In the eyes she turned toward him, there was joy, admiration, and deep love.

Chen Xiaofu reached out and gripped her fragrant shoulders. Her body stiffened instantly, and she suddenly took a step back, her delicate nose twitching slightly. "Read your book!"

"Oh, but when you are by my side, I forget how to read."

"...Then I shall leave."

"Don't, I'll read."

"Mm, later... later you can look as much as you want!"

What a deadly little temptress! Chen Xiaofu quickly turned away, taking half a cup of tea’s time to steady his mind. He began to read. An Xiaowei bit her red lip, watching him with soulful eyes.

Time slipped away as Chen Xiaofu turned the pages. The sun had shifted to the west, and many students had already gathered by the Willow Pond at the Lin'an Academy. Mei Changyu had returned, still sporting a bruised and swollen face. He stood beside Pan Qingyun, his gaze scanning the crowd. Opposite them were the twelve scholars from the State of Qi. Standing in the center was not the great talent Mo Zhiqiu from the Royal Academy of Qi, but the youth named Yu Fu. Mo Zhiqiu stood to his left, and Shang Qianwen to his right. These twelve scholars were also craning their necks in anticipation. They were all searching for Chen Xiaofu!

Shang Qianwen withdrew his gaze and looked at Yu Fu, whispering, "The teacher said he is in the library with An Xiaowei; it seems he won't be coming."

Yu Fu took a deep breath and cursed under his breath: "That dog... he used his handsome face and that silver tongue of his to bewitch Xiaowei!"

"Third Young Master, do not be anxious. The fact that he dares not come is a sign of a guilty conscience, which proves that the poem was definitely not written by him! It also shows that his so-called talent is fake! Miss An is one of the most talented women in the Great Zhou; she surely values a youth who is truly gifted! She is merely momentarily deceived by Chen Xiaofu. Once we tear off his hypocritical mask... she will be even more disappointed. She will certainly break off the engagement!"

"For now, Third Young Master, remain calm. Do not rush. In these three rounds of competition, if you win the top spot and strip Chen Xiaofu of his disguise, Miss An’s attitude toward you will surely change."

A smile appeared on Yu Fu’s face: "Qianwen is right! But since that fellow won't come out of the library, how can we expose him?"

"That will likely require the teacher to step in."

"Mm... after the questions are set later, I will go and ask the teacher to intervene."

It was not just the twelve youths led by Yu Fu who wanted Chen Xiaofu to make a fool of himself; Pan Qingyun and his two companions felt the same. However, Pan Qingyun’s schemes seemed deeper than Yu Fu’s. At this moment, he flicked his golden-threaded folding fan and gave a sinister smile: "There is a term called 'killing with praise.' Chen Xiaofu wrote a poem capable of entering the seventh floor of the Wenfeng Tower; in my eyes, that is a good thing. Now, every student here knows he wrote such a powerful poem and believes he has the talent of a great scholar... but we know that is impossible! We must praise him even higher. Eventually, someone will be unconvinced, and when we expose him then, he will fall even harder! He will surely have no face left to see An Xiaowei! He will likely jump off a building again... but if he doesn't jump..."

Pan Qingyun’s expression darkened, and he snapped his golden-threaded folding fan shut. "Then I shall arrange for him to jump into the river! Chen Xiaofu suffering a setback and drowning himself is perfectly reasonable. Surely An Xiaowei cannot remain a widow before she is even married? She will have to marry eventually. The Second Prince is destined to ascend the Eastern Palace, and the Second Prince needs a Crown Princess with high talent and an impeccable reputation!"

By the Willow Pond, there was another person filled with immense frustration. It was Liang Jingru! An Xiaowei had invited her to come to Lin'an, but this friend of hers, blinded by love, hadn't been seen since meeting Chen Xiaofu! She had actually run off to the library with him! A lone man and a lone woman—like dry tinder and a raging fire. That fellow Chen Xiaofu was glib-tongued; she hoped Xiaowei hadn't already been "devoured" by him in that library!

"No, that won't do. Later, after the questions are announced, I must use the excuse of answering them to go to the library and see for myself! Yes, I must go and check on those... two dogs!"