Chapter 243: Farewell in the Snow

After the teachers started the topic, the students were instantly like torches that were lit, with blazing light flashing in their eyes and all of them having a lot of inspiration.

They either looked up at the snowy sky, muttering to themselves; or paced back and forth with their heads down, their brows sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed. When an inspiration came to them, they could not wait to speak and express their masterpieces in a moving and emotional voice.

Those young faces were filled with confidence and pride, as if their poems could be compared with those of the ancient sages.

At the beginning, the students presented their original poems one after another, and novel verses flowed from their mouths. Some described the whiteness and purity of snow, and some used snow to express their lofty ambitions. There were exclamations and applause from the audience.

But as the game progressed, everyone gradually felt that their creativity was exhausted and they could no longer come up with new ideas.

In desperation, the students began to recite poems written by the ancient sages. Even so, everyone's enthusiasm remained unabated.

Wine cups were intertwined in the house, and laughter and poetry were intertwined. Everyone was immersed in this joyful atmosphere, as if they had forgotten the passage of time.

Even though it was late at night, they were still reluctant to leave, as if as long as this drinking game continued, separation would never come.

However, the due separation finally arrived as expected.

In winter, Qiushi Academy is shrouded in a hazy snow. The icicles hanging from the eaves reflect the faint sunlight, making the bustle inside the academy even more vivid.

Juzhou has a custom of "staying at home on the seventh day and not returning home on the eighth day". Today is the third day of the twelfth lunar month. The sky is clear and the sun is shining, dispelling the haze of the past few days.

Such good weather is perfect for embarking on a long journey.

In front of the school gate, the students were carrying their bags, walking slowly and heavily, looking back every few steps, their eyes full of reluctance and attachment.

They looked back at the familiar school from time to time, as if they wanted to engrave every tree and blade of grass here into their minds.

Gu Jiayue looked at the students' backs as they walked away, feeling disappointed.

The carriage slowly drove out of Taohua Village. The students stuck their heads out of the windows and looked at Gu Jiayue who was standing at the entrance of the village and watching them.

In the cold wind, Gu Jiayue's thin figure looked particularly lonely.

The students' throats tightened and waves of sadness surged in their hearts.

Zhang Sheng was so excited that he made a trumpet shape with his hand and put it to his mouth, shouting, "Master, it's cold, let's go back!"

The voice echoed on the empty road, filled with concern.

Gu Jiayue forced a smile, waved her hands vigorously, and said, "Go without worry." But she couldn't hide the reluctance in her eyes.

In the carriage, Shi Jingyuan nudged Jiang Luli, who looked a little lonely, and teased, "Why don't you go over and say goodbye?"

Jiang Luli was stunned when he heard this, and his eyes involuntarily looked towards the figure at the village entrance.

At this moment, Gu Jiayue was standing on tiptoe, constantly looking in their direction. The cold wind ruffled her hair, but it did not affect her concentration at all.

Jiang Luli's throat tightened instantly. During their time together, he had already hidden his feelings in the little details of their daily lives. He believed that with Gu Jiayue's intelligence, she would definitely notice it. But she never responded. He could clearly feel that Gu Jiayue respected and admired him, but there was no romantic admiration between men and women.

Jiang Luli subconsciously tightened his grip on the jade pendant he had been holding in his palm. The warm touch coming from his palm could not dispel the hesitation in his heart.

He was not sure if he still had the courage to take another step forward and test Gu Jiayue's feelings.

"Are you going? If not, then leave. If you are any later, you won't be able to reach Juzhou Prefecture before dark." Shi Jingyuan urged.

Jiang Luli looked at Gu Jiayue with complicated eyes, and finally lowered the curtain. His face returned to its usual calmness, and he said, "Let's go."

Shi Jingyuan raised his eyebrows and asked again, unwilling to give up: "Are you sure? If you leave, you really leave."

Jiang Luli remained silent, his whole body emitting a cold aura that kept people at a distance.

Shi Jingyuan curled his lips helplessly, looked at his stubborn cousin, and had to order the coachman to ride away.

Being timid like a woman.

Unlike him, he strangled his thoughts in the cradle from the very beginning.

The wheels rolled, raising clouds of dust, and the last carriage gradually disappeared on the winding road of Taohua Village.

Gu Yuchuan looked at his sister, still gazing at the direction the carriage was leaving, his eyes full of worry, and couldn't help but remind her, "Go back, they've already left."

Gu Jiayue finally came to her senses, gently shook off the snow on her umbrella, and followed Gu Yuchuan to leave with a sense of loss.

Just then, a burst of rapid horse hoof sounds came from far away.

Gu Jiayue turned around subconsciously and saw snowflakes falling on the back of her hand, bringing a hint of coldness.

Jiang Luli rode his horse and galloped against the wind and snow. He was wearing a sky-blue coat today, and a navy blue cloak with white fox fur on the outside. He looked particularly heroic in the wind and snow.

Gu Yuchuan immediately became alert and quickly protected Gu Jiayue behind him. His eyes were full of wariness and dissatisfaction as he stared closely at the man who had left and returned.

In his memory, Jiang Luli was the most honorable prince in Dagan in his previous life. In the future, he would become the regent who held military power and made the court fear him. His reputation could even make children stop crying.

In his previous life, Gu Yuchuan was a staunch royalist who fought endlessly with the regent's forces in the court every day. Therefore, he always suspected that his death was related to Jiang Luli.

But after rebirth, everything became different. Not only did many unfamiliar people and things appear, but even Jiang Luli appeared in this small Taohua Village, which made him doubt whether he was really reborn.

But some details matched his own youth, and he was confused every day.

Gu Jiayue looked at Jiang Luli who rolled off his horse, and suddenly felt a strange feeling in her heart.

But this feeling came and went quickly, and before she could savor it, it disappeared without a trace.

Jiang Luli nodded politely to Gu Yuchuan, then looked past him and tenderly at Gu Jiayue, saying, "Miss Gu, I have something to discuss with you. Could you please move aside and talk?"

Gu Yuchuan stood in front without any hesitation and said in a cold voice: "There is nothing that cannot be said to others. If you have anything to say, just say it here."

In his opinion, although his sister had many more strange features than in her previous life, as an older brother, he naturally had to protect his sister's reputation. How could he allow her to meet with a strange man in private?

Jiang Luli narrowed his eyes subconsciously, feeling a little unhappy. He secretly complained that Gu Yuchuan had become increasingly boring since his stupidity was cured. He acted like an old scholar all day, observing everyone with those pretentious eyes. It was really annoying.

Gu Jiayue gently patted her second brother's shoulder and said soothingly, "Don't worry, second brother, we won't go far."

She was actually very curious about what Jiang Luli wanted to say to her.

Gu Yuchuan took a deep look at his sister, then reluctantly put down his arms, took two steps back, and said in a somewhat unfriendly tone, "Whatever you want."

The two walked about ten meters to the left and stopped. Gu Jiayue was the first to break the silence and asked, "Is there anything else you need to tell Jiang Shanchang?"

Last night, the teachers had already talked a lot about the development and future of the school.

She was mentally prepared for the departure of Jiang Luli and others.

She never took the bet seriously.

Being able to keep these people of extraordinary family backgrounds in the academy for a few months was already a pleasant surprise. She knew that the academy was her responsibility and could not selfishly force these "emperor's darlings" to stay.