Reunion

Song Jiaoling stood outside the Princess's residence for a long time, but Liao Yan did not appear.

She was worried and dizzy from the scorching sun. Fortunately, the maid who came with her was quick-witted. She repeatedly begged the guards, saying that her classmate from Zhiqiong Hall had come to visit the princess and had important matters to discuss. She only wanted to see Princess Kunrou. However, she was coldly refused each time.

Song Jiaoling grew increasingly disappointed as she waited. Having never been turned away by Liao Yan before, she couldn't help but start overthinking. She had finally managed to regain her top spot on the list and should have been able to breathe a sigh of relief. But if what her father said earlier was true, why was she becoming even more distant from her position as a study companion?

Liao Yan was proud but not arrogant. Although she was always as proud and aloof as a cloud, she was always a bit gentler towards others.

This has made her even more fearful and confused.

But she knew this was her last chance.

Thinking of this, Song Jiaoling couldn't help but take a deep breath, forcing herself to stop thinking about it.

She dared not leave and could only stand outside the Princess's residence and wait quietly. She didn't know how much time had passed, but her legs were so weak that she could hardly stand up. The little maid beside her, who was holding a huge gift box, also began to tremble slightly with her hands.

The vermilion gate remained tightly shut. It seemed that Princess Kunrou would never come to see her, no matter what.

After such a long and helpless wait, she was filled with fear and anxiety, and her eyes were already brimming with crystal tears.

After an unknown amount of time, the heavy gate finally creaked open. The guards standing on both sides bowed in salute, and with the solemn clanging of metal from their heavy, gleaming armor, a graceful and elegant woman emerged from the gate.

Bathed in the warm sunlight, the woman wore a phoenix-tail skirt of gilded silk, its hem trailing on the ground like drifting clouds. Her headdress was adorned with a gold hairpin studded with blue and green gemstones, and a tourmaline hairpin with pearls was tucked diagonally into her black hair bun, further accentuating her dark blue hair and snow-white skin.

Song Jiaoling had never seen such a person dressed in flowing blue and purple robes before. For a moment, she was completely captivated by his dazzling beauty. It took her a long time to come to her senses before she hurriedly knelt down and bowed, saying, "This servant, Song Jiaoling, greets the Princess."

The beautiful and elegant woman walked slowly without lifting her eyelids, supported by her maids and servants, onto the phoenix carriage that had been prepared beside the vermilion gate. From the direction she came from, a graceful young woman also approached slowly.

Song Jiaoling recognized the familiar figure and couldn't help but catch her breath again. Liao Yan was wearing a light ochre square-necked quilt, with a gold-embroidered and colorful gauze shawl draped lightly over her arms. Her ink-black hair was styled into a double bun, adorned with intricate gold and bronze flowers, and dazzling with jewels, exuding the utmost nobility.

Her attire was completely different from her usual school uniform. Yet, it reminded people that only such dignity was worthy of her status.

Before Song Jiaoling could panic, she quickly bent down and whispered, "Greetings, Princess Kunrou."

When Liao Yan was in Zhiqiong Hall, he always disliked people paying their respects to him and avoided all formalities. Now, upon suddenly hearing the greetings, he couldn't help but lower his gaze and look at the figure lying on the ground not far away.

The eldest princess, already seated in her sedan chair, remained expressionless behind the layers of light gauze curtains. Only a cold, questioning voice came from behind the curtains: "What has happened?"

Liao Yan respectfully replied, "Mother, it is my classmate from Zhiqiongtang who happened to come here to visit."

The eldest princess remained silent, and Liao Yan said softly again, "Mother, I will be right back."

Seeing Princess Kunrou finally walking slowly towards her, Song Jiaoling hurriedly raised her head, looking at her with nervous yet eager eyes, and then revealed her most skillful gentle smile.

Liao Yan said calmly, "I've said it many times, there's no need for such formalities. Please get up."

"Princess, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Liao Yan clearly had no interest in catching up in front of his own door, and his face remained cold: "If you've come here for the matter of being a study companion, then please leave."

However, those few words completely extinguished Song Jiaoling's hopes and enthusiasm. Upon hearing this, her expression changed, her thin lips pursed tightly, and her voice became soft and almost inaudible:

“I don’t understand… The princess has always treated me so kindly, and now I’ve ranked first in the imperial examination, so I should…”

Liao Yan showed no surprise whatsoever, as if he had already expected that Song Jiaoling had learned the results of the examination from her father, as well as the reason for her visit today.

Her eyes, which were usually cold and aloof, now appeared even more piercing and noble under her exquisite makeup, and when she didn't speak, they had a stern look that commanded respect without anger.

However, just a glance from that gaze made Song Jiaoling's heart tremble slightly.

Liao Yan smiled faintly and said, "You've always been intelligent, how could you not understand?"

There seemed to be a barely audible sigh in his words, but it was as if it was quickly masked by his calm tone.

"Although Yao Suran is usually flamboyant, she would never be so stupid as to take all the blame on herself. On the day Lin Xu was implicated in cheating and punished during the exam, you, Song Jiaoling, were the biggest beneficiary of this."

Song Jiaoling was taken aback, seemingly incredulous, and asked, "Does Princess Kunrou doubt me?"

Liao Yan remained noncommittal, his expression still indifferent.

"Although Yao Suran comes from a prestigious family and has always been arrogant and domineering, she is only obsessed with makeup and beauty, and competing to outshine others. How could she have ever cared so much about the brush tip? That day, she broke the brush tip herself and then dragged you out to testify about Lin Xu borrowing the brush. With witnesses and evidence gathered, she was caught red-handed right under the doctor's nose. If you say that it was just a coincidence, I absolutely do not believe it."

With each word Liao Yan uttered, Song Jiaoling's heart sank even deeper.

As she listened, she completely forgot to argue. She only heard Liao Yan's voice, as faint as wisps of smoke, drifting in the air. There was a very faint sense of regret in it, but it was as light as a snowflake, turning into nothingness and disappearing before it could even touch the ground.

"—Originally, I wanted you to be my study companion."

She doesn't remember how she got home.

All she could hear along the way was the rumble of carts and the cacophony of voices. But the tear tracks on her face had long since dried, and not a single tear could fall again.

She recalled that when she first entered Zhiqiong Hall, she was cautious and timid, pretending to flatter others, fearing that she would be ostracized by other students because of her humble family background. She was even more embarrassed and at a loss for what to do in front of the Yao sisters, and could only respond humbly and awkwardly.

She had to be well-versed in the ways of the palace, the sycophancy and the bullying of the weak, even at a young age, so that she wouldn't be easily looked down upon in school.

Later, through her own talent and learning, she was finally able to compete for the position of the princess's companion. She approached Liao Yan so carefully and diligently, and was also very wary of being looked down upon by him. However, after getting to know him, she discovered that this most proud and aloof ice lotus in the school was actually as clear and flawless as the moon in an ice pot, and never looked down on herself like others.

It turns out, she had once been interested in him too...

Now, however, that is no longer possible.

Having lost her position as a companion to the princess, it would be difficult for her to stay in Zhiqiong Hall for long, given her status. She also didn't know how to explain herself to her father, who had high hopes for her.

Ironically, it was only during these precarious days of entering the palace that she began to harbor even the slightest hope and delusion.

Song Jiaoling let the cool evening breeze brush against her face. Her eyes were already red and swollen. For the first time, even she, who was always so determined, could hardly see the road ahead.

.

Lin Fu had felt guilty ever since dealing with Qingwu's matter. He had intended to find an opportunity to talk to his daughter, but this was put on hold because of Qi's sudden pregnancy. The Lin family hadn't experienced anything like this for several years, and everyone was inevitably in a state of panic. By the time he finally managed to settle everything and had some free time, he could no longer find any trace of his daughter.

When he went to court in the morning, she was still fast asleep;

After he returned home from court, she went out to play.

He's either busy practicing archery with Liang Zhengyuan today, or he's going out fishing with a small fish basket and four or five servants tomorrow.

A bad feeling flashed through Lin Fu's mind...

My daughter seems to have reverted to the fearless little tyrant she was a few months ago. In fact, it's even worse than before.

At least, Lin Xu used to treat him with the utmost respect, no matter what.

Recently, however, she has stopped paying her respects to him morning and evening, and even when he sends someone to invite her to his study for a chat, she always finds an excuse to avoid meeting him.

By the fifth day, Lin Fu could no longer sit still. He dressed neatly early in the morning and sat down in front of the Luoya Residence in the backyard, waiting for his daughter to get up so he could have a heart-to-heart talk with her.

But after waiting and waiting, there was still no movement from inside Luoya Residence. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Lin Fu coughed a few times and called over the maidservant standing at the door to ask her a question:

"Miss, have you not gotten up yet today?"

The young maid had only been assigned to serve her master for a short time, and she was exceptionally energetic. She raised her head and said in a crisp voice, "Reporting to Master, Miss went out before dawn, saying that the fish and shrimp before high tide are the freshest. She took three or four large baskets and went out."

Lin Fu felt a sharp pain between his brows. "Then why didn't you mention that I sat in the courtyard for almost half an hour?"

The little girl blinked and answered quite seriously:

"Reporting to Master, Miss instructed us to remain silent before the master speaks and wait for the master to finish giving instructions before speaking. I was just waiting for you to speak, Master."

Lin Fu's face immediately turned bruised, but there was nothing he could do. He could only sigh quietly, turn around, and walk out of the courtyard with his hands behind his back.

.

On the banks of the Weilong River.

Dou Yanxun, wearing a straw raincoat, slowly steered the boat into the river, alternating between his palms as he rowed.

As dawn broke, he, who had not slept well for a long time, had dark circles under his eyes. A thick fog always shrouded the riverbanks in the morning, obscuring the verdant mountains on both sides in a vast expanse of mist.

The float bobbed up and down as he skillfully tossed the several mandarin fish he had caught into the carved fish basket, using one hand to prop up the rod.

Early morning fishing in sparsely populated areas always yields a bountiful harvest. On days when he never goes out to sea, he comes to the Weilong River every morning to catch freshwater fish and shrimp, and after sunrise, he sends all his catch to Muchunlou, where it becomes the day's special dish.

It's summer now, and the seafood from the Weihe River is even more delicious. The whitebait with its delicate flesh is a delicacy on the plates of the Mujing royal family. The black perch is sliced ​​and eaten raw, and its fresh and delicious taste is perfect with yellow wine. Since he had nothing else to do, he also contributed to the bustling scene of Muchunlou being filled with guests.

However, he recently noticed something strange.

He usually only had his lone boat on the river at dawn, but now, for some reason, he could always faintly hear the sound of other boats rowing through the thick river mist. At first, he didn't pay much attention to it, after all, there were many people who came to fish on the Weilong River. Among them were not only fishermen who got up early and worked late, but also literati who "only fished for the snow on the river," who would take a lone boat, wear a lotus-leaf robe, and enjoy the secluded and beautiful river scenery before returning home in high spirits.

But after encountering the same small boat for several days in a row, he couldn't help but have some reservations.

The people on the boat were clearly neither literary figures who compose poems nor ordinary fishermen.

For many years he lived a secluded life, with fishing being the only thing that allowed him to relax. He had long been accustomed to enjoying the solitude of wandering alone in the gentle breeze and drizzle. Therefore, when the tranquility of the clear, rippling river that belonged only to him was broken, he couldn't help but feel displeased.

Splash—splash—

The sound of oars gradually rose again in the distance.

Dou Yanxun narrowed his eyes. Through the thick fog, he could only vaguely make out that the boatman was wearing a wide-brimmed hat and had a thin, wiry figure.

Before I could see anything clearly, I heard the person's voice drifting from afar through the misty smoke:

"What a coincidence, Young Master Dou."

This annoying boatman turned out to be a woman.