Housewarming

The spring imperial examinations have ended, the weather is gradually warming up, and peach and apricot blossoms are blooming in profusion. It is said that the spring breeze brings forth the flowers of success, and young ladies may also pluck them.

On the day the results were announced, three hundred names were displayed on yellow paper spread out on the east wall of the Ministry of Rites, which was more than ten feet long.

Beneath the list of successful candidates, a bustling crowd gathered. Some laughed heartily, many more beat their feet in despair, and of course, there were also those filled with utter anger and mockery.

"The Cen family member actually came in last place!"

"Why isn't the one from the Dou family here?"

The atmosphere in the Sun residence became tense due to Dou Chuan's arrival.

The two matchmakers he brought were now standing awkwardly in a pavilion in the distance, while the kingfisher in the cage below remained silent as a cicada in winter.

The voice, gruff and sarcastic, uttered "Lord Sun." Sun Yanfang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, carefully choosing his words, and said cautiously, "His Majesty's eyes and ears are particularly sharp this year, and he has even caught those who used coded language to take the exam for others."

More importantly, he was present at the examination hall, and just one sentence from him made him uneasy, and quite a few of them ended up going off-topic.

Dou Chuan sat in the main seat, casually fiddling with his teacup, looking around with the same unbridled arrogance as the host. "This has stumped Lord Sun? Lord Sun is not as discerning as your daughter, who noticed the scholar's betrayal. Otherwise, I would have been the one arrested."

"It must have been Wen Ruo's doing!" Sun Xuerong stepped out from behind the screen.

"Shut up, go back inside!"

Sun Xuerong's face darkened. "Father, it is true. Young Master Dou and Young Master Cen have always been evenly matched. How come the one in Examiner Yuan's hands passed? As far as I know, Cen Boyi was Wen Ruo's colleague. She must have been involved."

Sun Yanfang was immediately furious. "This is none of your business. Go back inside."

“Since Father used my marriage as a cover, how could it have nothing to do with me?”

"Wen Ruo?" Dou Chuan murmured, then sneered, "People from Honghu Academy actually dare to come."

Sun Xuerong's face was ashen. "With Qi Guanlan backing him up, his reach is getting longer and longer. In a few years, I'm afraid the small Baiyuzhai will be too small to accommodate everyone."

At this moment, Baiyuzhai was completely empty.

The mansion, located two streets away from the Gu residence, had a new owner. Firecrackers were exploding in front of the gate, red silk was hanging high, and two maids were distributing fruits and candies for the wedding. Wen Ruo, as the owner, was practically stiff with a forced smile.

She and Chi Xu each enjoyed a residence, just a few steps apart, making it convenient for them to visit each other. They also had General Gu as a neighbor, neither too close nor too far. The Empress had gone to great lengths to ensure their safety.

Today was her housewarming day, and Wen Ruo kept looking into the distance, but she didn't see any familiar figures.

Besides her family and a few people from Baiyuzhai, Cao Xi, Zhao Heng, and Miss Zhou were all in the hall. Wen Ruo finally met Miss Zhou's husband. You can't judge a book by its cover; he looks so gentle, but he's actually a quarrelsome and sharp-tongued person.

Several tables were set up in the courtyard to entertain the surrounding neighbors so they could get to know each other.

The people were most interested in Qi Guanlan. When Wen Ruo toasted, she asked when the two would hold their wedding. When the banquet was almost over, they had drunk too much while toasting, so Hong Shiliu and A Chu took care of seeing the guests off.

"Wen Ruo moved to a new house, but Qi Guanlan didn't come!"

"Miss, Qi Guanlan and Wen Ruo have had a fight!"

There was only one person in the backyard. After the maid delivered the soup to help her sober up, she went to the front hall. The crabapple tree from her old home had been moved to the front of her house. Green buds had already sprouted on its branches, and the emerald green leaves rustled in the wind. Only a few flower buds were still asleep.

The heavy cotton-padded coat had already been put away. Wen Ruo took a hoe and dug a small pit around it. She then took out a wooden box from the house, stood in front of the crabapple tree for a while, and finally did not put it in. Instead, she picked up a bamboo chair.

The bamboo chair swayed gently, his shoulders rose and fell slowly with his breath, his eyes were half-closed, concealing most of their brilliance, and he no longer had the ease he had during the day. His rounded fingertips danced casually, and the wooden box made a ticking sound. He looked somewhat nonchalant.

The hangover soup was forgotten.

The bright moonlight pierced through the sparse clouds, and a long, dark shadow swept in from afar, radiating a faint glow. A gentle breeze brushed against the wall. "What, are you thinking of me?"

Wen Ruo shook her head, closed her eyes and then opened them again. Whether it was because she was too drunk or too lazy to speak, she stared straight at her and asked, "Why did you take so long to get here?"

Qi Guanlan glanced at the now-cold hangover soup. "Drunk?"

To say so openly that you miss him.

She shook her head again, then suddenly frowned, opened the box, and there lay two imperial edicts.

Qi Guanlan tried to take one, but Wen Ruo slapped it away, saying, "Mine."

She shielded it with her arm, treating it like a precious treasure. Qi Guanlan slowly squatted down. "Yours, why don't you read it to me?"

Wen Ruo thought for a moment, her fingertips dancing back and forth as she hummed a lullaby. Then her fingers froze, and she paused for a moment before looking up and asking, "Can I take it back?"

Qi Guanlan raised the corners of his mouth, then deliberately suppressed it, "No."

A look of sadness flashed across her face.

Qi Guanlan lifted her wrist and shook it. "I was just teasing you. You can choose again."

Wen Ruo turned around in surprise, a smile suddenly spreading across her face. "You're so kind."

Is she really drunk? I've never seen her drunk before. Qi Guanlan looked her over carefully and said softly, "Choose."

Wen Ruo's index finger stopped again, then she quickly picked it up and unfolded it. She blinked, then suddenly pouted and said sadly, "Why are they running around like this!"

Qi Guanlan held her hand and read aloud, "Wen Ruo is still unmarried, but she is exceptionally talented. She and Qi Guanlan are a match made in heaven."

Wen Ruo repeated, unable to resist a smile, "This one is still the best!"

"Is the other one not good enough?" Qi Guanlan asked curiously.

Wen Ruo nodded, then shook her head. "You can't say that."

"It's very good, but unfortunately it will make you sad."

Qi Guanlan's heart tightened. "Why?"

I understand the fleeting pleasure, but I'm greedy; I want to be with you forever.

"real?"

"But it's so hard to change."

"Then we won't change it."

"Really?" Wen Ruo tilted her head, thought for a moment, and took out another one. "Then I'll give you a chance."

"You see?"

Qi Guanlan suddenly paused, then put it back. "I'll look at it later."

Wen Ruo refused, stubbornly placing the imperial edict in his hand, saying, "I won't let you see it again."

"Someone's coming!"

Qi Guanlan stood up, turned around and looked at the courtyard gate. The footsteps were heavy. It was Hong Shiliu.

Wen Ruo's eyes widened slightly, and in a flash she pulled Qi Guanlan into the room. The room was arranged according to her wishes, and even though her mind was a little hazy, she still found the hiding place accurately.

"Wen Ruo, why aren't you drinking the hangover soup?"

A knock sounded at the door. Hong Shiliu looked at the dimly lit room, hesitated for a moment, and then pushed the door open and came in. "Wen Ruo?"

The curtain moved slightly, and Hong Shiliu immediately fell silent, turning around to close the door.

The room fell silent again. Wen Ruo turned over, tore open the imperial edict, and without caring where she was or whether she could see it clearly, shoved it directly at Qi Guanlan's face, "Look!"

Qi Guanlan froze on the bed, glanced at it briefly, and coaxed her in a low voice, "You've seen it all, now you can put it away."

Wen Ruo frowned in confusion, leaning close to him as if trying to see clearly. "Aren't you sad? Did Her Majesty the Empress lie to me?"

Qi Guanlan's breath hitched. He had no time to think about being sad. He swallowed a few times. "I'm sad, so can I leave now?"

Qi Guanlan groped his way to the bedside in the dim light. Just as he stepped onto the footrest, he was caught off guard and heard Wen Ruo sobbing.

"You can leave now!"

Wen Ruo hugged the imperial edict tightly, her body slowly curling up. "Let's pretend nothing ever happened."

Qi Guanlan looked down at his newly changed black robe, which he had specially commissioned to be embroidered with crabapple blossoms, but unfortunately, he was delayed by some matters and arrived late.

Before he could say more than a few words, Wen Ruo pushed him onto the bed without even taking off his boots. He'd probably get a scolding from Wen Ruo when she woke up tomorrow.

At this moment, Wen Ruo seemed to be in a dream, murmuring to herself as if comforting herself, "Anyway, I only like it, I can forget about it."

"Yes, I'm an official and rich now, so I don't need to get married."

Wen Ruo suddenly sat up and bumped into Qi Guanlan face to face. Qi Guanlan was glad that he had learned martial arts, which allowed him to react so quickly, and the two did not end up with bloodied heads.

Wen Ruo threw the imperial edict on the ground and said in a huff, "I can find a male concubine who is more obedient than you, Qi Guanlan!"

Qi Guanlan was so angry that he locked her in his arms. Wen Ruo was stunned, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why aren't you leaving yet?"

"To serve you."

Wen Ruo stared at him blankly. Qi Guanlan wiped away her tears and said irritably, "Where have I been disobedient? Is there anyone more obedient than me?"

"Wen Ruo, get up and drink some hangover soup, or you'll have a headache tomorrow morning."

Qi Guanlan paused, then whispered in her ear, "Shh, your mother is fierce, don't let her find out I'm here."

Wen Ruo covered her ears with both hands, swayed as she got out of bed, and before she even reached the door, it was opened and a warm handkerchief was slapped on her face. "Wipe your face."

Then, Hong Shiliu poured the hangover soup into her mouth in one swift motion.

"Go to sleep."

Wen Ruo obediently turned around, walked slowly to the bedside, lifted a corner of the door and crawled in, kicking off her shoes and pulling her legs back. Hong Shiliu simply closed the door for her.

Wen Ruo buried her face in the pillow. What had she just said?

"Awake?"

Qi Guanlan lay on top of her, the faint smell of alcohol masked by incense, his silky black hair occasionally brushing against her neck. Wen Ruo slightly hunched her shoulders, her heart itching from the magnetic voice.

"When I arrived, I found that Dou Chuan had arranged for people to clean up the area, so I was a little late."

"oh."

Wen Ruo found memories of the Dou family in her turbid thoughts.

The Cen and Dou families, two prominent clans, were surprisingly similar in their methods of maintaining their former glory. One family chose to resort to deception, while the other preferred to bluff.

These two child prodigies, who rose to fame at a young age and were evenly matched, are now likely to have made a huge embarrassment.

She had asked Cao Xi privately, and it turned out that the first two fellow disciples were also forced out by the Dou family.

She tracked down the scholar who wrote the letter for her.

Unfortunately, they didn't catch them in the act.

What, now you want to deal with her?

"What, are you looking for a gigolo?"

"More obedient than me?"

Qi Guanlan leaned down and gently bit her burning earlobe. Wen Ruo's mind went blank, and a tingling sensation ran up her spine. What was he doing?

"Words spoken while drunk are not considered true."

Qi Guanlan put his arm around her waist and pulled her slightly, causing Wen Ruo to fall onto him as he complained, "People say that you only speak your true feelings when you're drunk. It's one thing for you to run away, but you even had to take other people with you."

"Are you trying to drive me crazy?"

Wen Ruoxin's heart skipped a beat. She turned her face away and said, "You should go back."

Qi Guanlan pouted, "He was just holding me and wouldn't let me leave."

Wen Ruo instinctively retorted, "What do you mean?"

"Then why are you crying when I move?"

Wen Ruo's eyes widened. Qi Guanlan leaned back slightly, leaned close to her ear, and chuckled softly:

"What are you thinking about, Lord Wen?"