Normally, a person can't be this unlucky all the time, but she really is.

Sensing the gaze that the other person had inadvertently cast upon her, Zhan Xinjia froze. She quickly lowered her head even further, squatted in the corner, and frantically dug at the mud with her hands.

For a moment, she suddenly understood why Yan Hui had frantically dug at the ground in the beggar's den as if she had suddenly fallen ill.

Because her current state of mind is the same as when the geese returned—

Damn it, dig already!!

Dig a dog hole so I can crawl out!

When that faint scent of ink and wash came to her side, Zhan Xinjia was so frightened that she held her breath, afraid of being recognized.

Fortunately, the young man kept his eyes straight ahead and never stopped walking, passing by her without flinching.

Relieved, Zhan Xinjia wiped the cold sweat from her forehead guiltily. She turned around and watched the departing figures of Lord Shen and Chancellor Wen.

They probably...didn't recognize me, right?

Why did Young Master Shen suddenly decide to substitute teach at the Imperial Academy? He's so clingy! Can't we give him some privacy? Is anyone going to keep an eye on him?!

Alas, you can escape this for a while, but you can't escape it forever.

When the second class arrived, Zhan Xinjia, who had no choice but to meet Master Shen, stood outside the door. She lowered her head, nervously twisting the corner of her sleeve with her fingers, and spoke timidly and in a voice barely audible.

"Master..."

The young man inside glanced at her casually, his slightly upturned phoenix eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny, his tone neither warm nor cold.

"What have you been doing? Don't you know you're already late?"

"I'm sorry..."

Although he obediently apologized verbally, Zhan Xinjia didn't really take it seriously.

She had figured it out. Now that Lord Shen had come to the Imperial Academy, wouldn't she be able to put her arm around him, conspire with him, and openly use his connections to get in?

What's there to be afraid of, High Priest? From now on, she can walk sideways with impunity, since Lord Shen will protect her!

Thinking of this, Zhan Xinjia became more confident, puffed out his chest, and had an arrogant air about him.

She straightened her collar and was about to step inside when the young man's indifferent voice rang out again—

"Since you're late, just stand at the door with your book."

"Oh... huh?"

Zhan Xinjia looked up in disbelief, realizing what had happened.

no? ? ?

Is this some kind of selfless act of betraying one's own family? Little Shen was so gentle and easy to talk to when he brought her here this morning, how come he's suddenly become so heartless?

She tried to argue and struggle, frantically winking at him in an attempt to evoke some "fatherly love," but the young man's gaze had already shifted away from her, turning instead to look down at the book he was holding.

He never looked up at her again, as if the two were complete strangers.

"Alright, let's not waste other people's time."

His words were delivered without much intonation, which, combined with his formal and solemn attire, gave him an air of coldness befitting a person in a high position.

The room fell silent, not daring to offend the new substitute tutor, even the most unruly young master. After all, he was the Crown Prince's tutor, a first-rank official, and the Crown Prince's advisor. To receive even a few words of instruction from him was an honor.

At the doorway, Zhan Xinjia, puffing out his cheeks, gritted his teeth, leaned against the wall without any regard for his posture, looking just like a lazy, roguish thug.

She flipped through the book in a huff, not actually reading a single word.

So be it, let him stand as punishment. There's no need to be sad.

The young man glanced at her sideways, but made no attempt to address her minor emotional outburst.

He smoothed the creases in the book with his fingertips, sat up straight, and calmly began his lecture.

The class was quieter than usual; everyone remained silent, afraid of angering Lord Shen. It wasn't until noon, when he finally put down the book he had rolled up, that everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The class is finally over.

Shen Suqing walked out without looking to the side, and Zhan Xinjia, still angry, didn't look up at him either. Just as the two were about to pass each other again, a soft handkerchief was suddenly stuffed into her hand.

She paused, then looked up in surprise.

In the long corridor, the figure of the young man in blue robes had gradually faded into the distance.

What does that mean? She was a little confused. While her mind was racing, she unconsciously followed the back of Master Shen to an elegant and secluded little residence inside the building.

This should be a place for Lord Shen to rest temporarily.

They had already followed them to the door, but Zhan Xinjia hesitated, unsure whether she should go in.

If it were any other day, she would have happily rushed over and acted coquettishly towards Master Shen. But today, Master Shen was acting strangely, looking both fierce and rigid, just like when the two of them first met.

Oh well... he wouldn't want to see this bad student anyway.

She gave a reluctant snort in her heart, and just as she turned to leave, the young man's calm and composed voice came from inside the room.

"You've already come all this way, why didn't you even say hello? You rude, naughty kid."

Zhan Xinjia paused, then, with a "what the heck" attitude, pushed open the door and went inside.

This is a very elegantly decorated little house. The first thing that catches the eye upon entering is a long, large lattice window with wind chimes hanging from the eaves, which tinkle crisply in the breeze from time to time.

The room was bright and airy, and most of the furniture was made of bamboo. Even the table and small couch covered with white cloth painted with ink paintings were woven from green bamboo strips.

A large bookcase was placed against the left wall, with some calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall, and then there was a tea table, on which a few lotus buds were placed in an antique bamboo white vase.

The young man in blue robes sat gracefully on a bamboo couch, reading a book, backlit by the light.

The background is a large expanse of green bamboo and withered plum branches planted outside the latticed window. The dazzling, bright light, like floating gold, seeps from behind him, gilding his casually hanging strands of black hair with a hazy, soft glow, making him look like a banished immortal.

He held a copy of the "Qingjing Jing" (Classic of Purity and Tranquility) with his long, slender fingers. His fair, well-defined fingers rested on the dark blue cover, as if carved from cold jade, complementing each other perfectly and making him exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

Zhan Xinjia's heart skipped a beat.

What can I do? I just can't get angry at this face.

Damn it! It feels like whenever she sees that stunningly handsome face of Xiao Shen during an argument, she can't help but slap herself twice. She simply can't bear to throw a tantrum at him.

After inwardly berating herself for her shallowness, Zhan Xinjia tried to strike up a conversation.

"Did you need something from Lord Shen?"

Hearing the sound, the young man holding the book looked up.

A pair of beautiful, jet-black eyes were raised, looking down at her. The half-closed phoenix eyes made it impossible to discern the emotions in them, always revealing a faint indifference or an elusive detachment.

"You have no manners at all. Don't you know you should address me as 'Master' here?"

Upon receiving the letter, Jia choked up.

Hey, he's really getting into it?!

Why is Master Shen so fierce today? She didn't do anything wrong!

Seeing the little girl's gloomy face and her extremely aggrieved expression, Shen Suqing put down his book and finally couldn't help but soften his tone.

He tried to persuade her and reason with her.

"You can make a fuss at home as you please, but the Imperial Academy is a place for learning and studying. Here you must abide by the rules. There is no Ah Zhi or Master Shen here. Remember to call me 'Master' when you see me. Don't keep causing trouble and getting punished, understand?"

"...I didn't cause any trouble."

"Then why did I only go home to change my clothes, and when I came in I saw you standing as punishment?"

"Anyway, it's not my fault."

After a long while, Zhan Xinjia finally managed to squeeze out a few words in a low voice, still feeling unconvinced.

She hit him because that chubby boy spoke out first, not because she deliberately started it. Even though Master Shen knew nothing, he still wronged her, and he didn't even listen to her explanation.

How can anyone be so mean? He's so gentle at home, but as soon as we're out, he acts like he doesn't know her at all...

Feeling increasingly aggrieved, Zhan Xinjia simply stood at the doorway.

She wouldn't go inside; she looked at the sky and the ground but not at him.

She would never give him a kind look again.