"Oh, I see. No wonder you look so different from the other students," Xiang Wan said with a smile.

Among men, Nangong Feng was relatively short, and at first glance, he could easily be mistaken for someone effeminate. However, perhaps because they had spent so much time together, no one considered such thoughts. Now, with him—or rather, her, Nangong Pei—deliberately concealing her identity and gender, even a casual observer would likely not notice.

In the original owner's memories, Nangong Pei always wore exquisite makeup, and her appearance was only about 50% similar to her current look. If it weren't for the somewhat subtle attitude and gaze she gave Xiang Wan, Xiang Wan probably wouldn't have guessed it for a while.

This is quite interesting. It turns out that Wu Ziyu and Nangong Pei knew each other so early on and seemed to get along quite well. Now, Nangong Pei is still by Wu Ziyu's side as a man, watching him get married and having to pretend to be a good brother at his wedding banquet. He must be feeling extremely unsettled inside.

"I think Nangong, oh, please allow me to call him that, has a special relationship with our Ziyu, and he's also quite handsome. He must be very popular with girls," Xiang Wan teased with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Nangong Pei's expression darkened. She glanced at Wu Ziyu, then lowered her eyes, pursing her lips without replying, creating an awkward atmosphere. The male classmate next to her said, "Sister-in-law, you're absolutely right. Afeng is very popular with women, but he especially likes to stick close to Ziyu. It makes us wonder if he's attracted to men more than women, hahaha."

These words made everyone burst into laughter. Wu Ziyu, seemingly angry, scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? Today is my wedding day, don't be so frivolous, or you'll scare Wan'er."

"Oh, so you're already protecting your sister-in-law. Alright, alright, let's drink, okay?"

Seeing the group chatting and joking so familiarly, Xiang Wan knew they had a good relationship with Wu Ziyu. Only Nangong Pei sat quietly at the table without saying a word.

"You guys keep drinking, I'll go back and change my clothes and then come back."

After Xiang Wan finished speaking, she turned and walked towards the inner courtyard. Wu Ziyu wanted to see her off, but she pressed him down in front of the table and wouldn't let him move.

The front yard was bustling with activity, but after turning through a gate to the back yard, most of the noise was blocked by the courtyard wall. Xiang Wan asked Huan'er to go to the room where her dowry was kept and bring back some of the medicinal herbs she had prepared. While changing clothes, Xiang Wan quickly made some hangover medicine and took a good amount with warm water before going out again.

After the long journey, she was a little hungry. When she arrived at Nangong Pei's table, a servant brought her a new set of chopsticks and bowls, and some new dishes. She didn't say much, focusing on filling her stomach. Only after she had eaten most of the food did she raise her head and listen attentively to their casual conversation.

"If you were to ask who has the most power in the country right now, it would undoubtedly be the Black Commander in Beiping. Quite a few people have come to him for help."

"Oh, Xuewen, do you also want to join the army?" a burly male student asked from across the room. The person who had spoken earlier was Mo Xuewen. He was thin, with a sallow complexion and cheekbones that were much higher than average, making him stand out from the crowd and easy to remember.

Mo Xuewen slammed his hand on the table and said, "What a fine young man! If he doesn't join the army, wouldn't he be wasting his youth?"

"Would your father agree? You're the only son in your family, so you can only dream about studying."

"Don't even mention me, haven't you all thought about this? Ziyu is the most learned among us. Let's hear what Ziyu has to say."

"Yes, Ziyu, what's your opinion?"

Wu Ziyu put down his chopsticks, picked up his wine glass, and said, "Today is a good day, let's not talk about those things, let's drink. I'd like to propose a toast to everyone."

After taking a sip of wine, Wu Ziyu put down his cup and poured himself another. The others exchanged glances, subtly scrutinizing Xiang Wan before changing the subject and raising their glasses to drink.

Xiang Wan pondered to herself that these people were probably hesitant to say certain things because of her presence. Nangong Pei raised her wine glass to her lips, the slight curve of her lips betraying her feelings.

After pouring a full glass of wine, Xiang Wan raised it to the group and said, "Dear classmates, it's fate that we can gather together. Here, I'd like to propose a toast to everyone."

After speaking, Xiang Wan downed her drink in one gulp, poured herself another, and addressed the crowd: "I know you are all ambitious young people. As the saying goes, a good man's ambition lies in all corners of the world; to establish merit, build a career, and protect the country is what a true man should do. If I weren't a woman, I would love to join you all in making a name for yourselves. Now that I've married Ziyu, I'm not that short-sighted. Ziyu has ambitions, and his ambitions extend beyond petty matters; therefore, whatever Ziyu chooses to do, he should do it according to his heart. In the future, we will all go our separate ways, but I hope you will not forget the friendship we shared today. No matter what the future holds, we will always have this bond. Here, I toast you all once again."

After another glass of wine, everyone raised their glasses and said in unison, "Sister-in-law, you have such a generous spirit, bottoms up!"

Xiang Wan started the conversation, and the atmosphere at the table became noticeably warmer. No longer holding back, everyone spoke their minds freely.

Wu Ziyu glanced at Xiang Wan several times, hesitating to speak. Xiang Wan smiled at him, raised her wine glass and clinked it against his, whispering in his ear, "Young Master Wu, to be fair, I'll speak up for you this time, but you'll have to speak up for me next time."

Wu Ziyu nodded and downed the wine in his hand in one gulp.

Their whispered conversation was perceived as an intimate chat by onlookers, eliciting a constant stream of teasing. Nangong Pei gripped her wine glass tightly, her fingers drained of blood, as if she were about to crush it.

"After talking for so long, I'm curious, what are Nangong's plans for the future?"

Xiang Wan steered the conversation toward Nangong Pei, successfully attracting everyone's attention.

The male classmate wearing black-rimmed glasses spoke first: "Hey, sister-in-law, you don't know yet, do you? A-Feng is Zi-Yu's follower. Of course, wherever Zi-Yu goes, A-Feng goes too."

“That’s right, none of us could persuade him. If Ziyu doesn’t confess, Afeng won’t come out. Sister-in-law, you just have to wait and accept him as your younger brother so he can stay by Ziyu’s side more often.”

"Cough, cough." Wu Ziyu choked on the wine he had just put in his mouth and coughed while holding onto the table.

Before Xiang Wan could react, she saw a hand put on Wu Ziyu's back, patting and punching him.

"Look at you, you care even more than your sister-in-law. Be careful Ziyu doesn't fall for someone else later." "Hahahaha."

The teasing from the crowd made Wu Ziyu cough even more violently. Nangong Pei turned around and brought over a glass of water, holding it to Wu Ziyu's lips.

As Xiang Wan watched, she reached for the water glass, but Nangong Pei wouldn't let go. With a sudden effort, the water spilled between Wu Ziyu's legs, making it look like he'd wet himself, instantly creating an awkward atmosphere.