Chapter 468: People and Names Cannot Be Combined

When Gu Yuhe and his group returned to the inn, Gu Jiayue and Jiang Luli were already waiting at the door.

Two red lanterns hung under the eaves of the inn. The afternoon sun shone obliquely on the bluestone slabs, casting the shadows of two people standing side by side. The tassels of the lanterns swayed gently in the wind, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

"Second sister! We're back!" Gu Yuhe shouted from a distance, waving his arms. His voice was filled with excitement, and his steps were so fast that the hem of his clothes was blown up by the wind.

Gu Jiayue frowned slightly, with a look of confusion in her eyes.

Jiang Luli, who was standing by, noticed her confusion and moved closer. He explained in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, "This is your younger brother, Gu Yuhe."

Little brother?

Gu Jiayue looked carefully at the young man running towards her.

He has curved eyebrows, a nose bridge and lips that are somewhat similar to mine. His face still has the childishness of a teenager, and the intimate tone he uses when speaking shows that he is someone close to him.

"Second sister, second sister, do you know? The questions in this college entrance examination are too easy!" Gu Yuhe quickly ran to Gu Jiayue, grabbed her wrist and shook it. His eyes were shining, and he didn't notice her strangeness at all, still immersed in the joy of "How could the college entrance examination be so easy?" "I answered many policy essay questions, even the most difficult "Book of Songs" Principle, I wrote it smoothly, don't you think I'm amazing?"

"Of course it's amazing." Gu Jiayue said sincerely, with a gentle tone.

She didn't treat the child lightly.

Although she had never taken the imperial examination, most of the Gu family's children in Kyoto had to take that path. She remembered that when her brother was preparing for the exam, he often stayed up late into the night, losing countless hair. She also remembered that she took Huachao all over the city to search for medicinal herbs that could help his hair grow.

She has always been aware of the hardships of the imperial examination. The fact that Gu Yuhe finds it "easy" shows that he is truly capable.

"Hehe!" Gu Yuhe scratched his head and laughed even more happily, "Second sister, you haven't forgotten what you promised me, right?"

Gu Jiayue's heart instantly rose.

Oh no, she totally forgot what she promised!

Gu Jiayue's fingertips quietly clenched the corner of her clothes, the smile on her lips was a little stiff, and her eyes involuntarily drifted towards Jiang Luli, full of help.

Jiang Luli coughed lightly, took a step forward, and spoke in a serious tone. "Alright, aren't you tired after two days of exams? Go back to your room and freshen up and rest. The hot water is ready. If you have anything to say, we can talk after dinner."

He didn't know what Gu Jiayue had agreed to, so he could only help her change the subject.

In Gu Yuhe's heart, Jiang Luli's "deterrence" is no less than Gu Yuchuan's.

When Jiang Luli was still teaching at Qiushi Academy, if he was lazy or didn't finish the questions well, he would be punished by running laps or being slapped on the palm of his hand.

When he heard the familiar voice, he felt a dull pain in the palm of his hand.

So when Jiang Luli opened his mouth, Gu Yuhe immediately wilted. But he still didn't give up, staring at Gu Jiayue and said, "Second sister, you can't go back on your word!"

After saying this, he walked into the inn, looking back every few steps.

Zhang Chuyan stood behind, his eyes fixed on Gu Jiayue.

He always felt that there was something wrong with the Master.

The look in the teacher's eyes when he looked at Gu Yuhe just now was obviously unfamiliar, and his tone of voice was soft, as if he was coaxing a child.

Although teachers in the past were approachable, they were always decisive and efficient, whether they were lecturing or handling matters, and they were never so "gentle".

But when he looked more closely, the person before him was clearly the Master, even the tiny mole on his left eyelid was identical. With Master Jiang standing next to him, how could he be wrong?

Zhang Chuyan frowned. What on earth had happened in the past two days?

"What are you all doing blocking the door?" Jiang Luli turned to look at the students still standing at the door, his expression cold. "Go in and rest. Don't block the way."

The students who had wanted to share interesting stories about the exam with Gu Jiayue lost interest immediately after his scolding and walked inside with their heads lowered.

Following behind were a few students who had just arrived last year to study. They had never seen Jiang Luli before and curiously tugged at Sun Hai's sleeve, whispering, "Sun Hai, who is this young master? Why are you all so afraid of him?"

Sun Hai glanced back cautiously at Jiang Luli, only to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw he wasn't looking his way. He lowered his voice and leaned close to his ear. "You're late, but you didn't know he's also our school's teacher. His surname is Jiang, and he used to be the headmaster of Huaqing Academy in Kyoto. He's as brutal as Gu Yuchuan. Someone was distracted in class, and he made them copy the Analects ten times as punishment. Their hands are swollen!"

When the student heard this, his whole body trembled violently.

He had already experienced the strictness of Master Gu Yuchuan, but he didn't expect that there was someone who was "equally qualified" to him!

He suddenly felt that the future was bleak.

If I fail the college entrance examination this time and have to stay in Qiushi Academy, won’t I be watched by two “devil teachers”?

He didn't dare to think about it anymore. He returned to his room in a daze and lay down on the bed. He didn't even have the energy to wash up.

When the student in the same room came in, he saw how distraught he looked and thought he was so sad because he didn't do well in the exam. He didn't dare to disturb him. He quietly changed his clothes and tiptoed out of the room for fear of disturbing him.

In the evening, the students gathered in the inn hall for dinner.

The table was filled with hot dishes, steam was rising, and the fragrance filled the entire hall.

Braised pork, stir-fried vegetables, and the chicken soup that students love.

Jiang Luli stood beside Gu Jiayue, holding a piece of paper covered with names, and quietly helped her identify the people. "The one in the blue shirt is Sun Hai, and the one next to him wearing a square scarf is Zhang Chuyan..."

"Wait, what's this kid's name?" Gu Jiayue pointed at a round-faced boy.

"His name is Li Junci, and his nickname is Broom." Jiang Luli explained patiently.

"Li Junci...Okay, I'll remember that." Gu Jiayue repeated it silently twice, then pointed at another young man, "What about this one? What's he called?"

"Gu Yubai, nicknamed Shi Deng, his family used to be carpenters."

The more Gu Jiayue tried to remember, the more panicked she became, her fingertips unconsciously scratching the table. "Master Jiang, is it okay if I just tell them I've lost my memory? These names are too hard to remember!"

For some reason, she has been unable to match people's names with their appearances since she was a child.

Apart from the family members she saw every day and the maids and nannies who served her personally, everyone she saw looked basically the same.

She remembered that when she was in Kyoto, she called the name of the daughter of the Minister of Personnel wrongly at a banquet and was laughed at by a group of people. Since then, she has been hiding at home and didn't like to go out.

Later, as time went by, everyone forgot about the incident, and she instead gained a good reputation for being quiet and gentle.

So this really was a beautiful misunderstanding.

Jiang Luli was stunned for a moment. The Gu Jiayue he knew would never look embarrassed like this, let alone complain easily. Amnesia seemed to have really changed her.

Seeing that Jiang Luli didn't say anything, Gu Jiayue looked up at him, her eyes full of confusion.

Jiang Luli collected his thoughts and said softly, "It's not that I can't, but I'm afraid the children will worry. They all rely on you."

Gu Jiayue sighed and nodded. "That's right. Don't let them worry about it. I'll try again... Is this child's name Zhang Xinghai?"

"It's Zhang Haixing..." Jiang Luli corrected helplessly.

After memorizing for a while, the students finished their meal and left, but Gu Jiayue still couldn't match the name with the appearance.

Jiang Luli gave up and turned to order his men, "Go get some white paper and charcoal pencils."

Soon, white paper and charcoal pencils were delivered.

Jiang Luli spread the paper on the table, picked up the charcoal pencil, and started painting with a flick of his wrist.

He did not paint in the traditional ink style, but used charcoal to outline the contours, adding layers of shadows. After a while, a boy with a round face and two dimples when he smiled appeared on the paper.

It was Li Junci.

Gu Jiayue's eyes lit up as she leaned over to take a closer look. "Master Jiang, what kind of painting technique is this? I've learned a lot of calligraphy and painting before, but I've never seen a painting technique like this. It's so realistic!"

Jiang Luli paused as he gripped the charcoal pencil. His voice trembled, a tremor he didn't even notice. "You taught me this."

Did she teach you?

Gu Jiayue was stunned and looked down at the painting on the table again and again.

But no matter how hard she tried to recall, her mind was still blank.

Forget about teaching her painting skills, she doesn't even have an impression of this kind of painting method.

Is it something he learned in the past two years?

She thought back to the vague conversation she had heard in her mind yesterday.

The words "soul" and "physical death" swirled in his ears, and suddenly a sharp pain came from his temples.

"hiss……"

Gu Jiayue covered her head, her body swayed, and she squatted down. Her face turned pale instantly, and fine sweat oozed from her forehead. Even her lips were bloodless.

Jiang Luli's heart tightened, and his previous doubts were replaced by worry. He quickly supported Gu Jiayue's arm and helped her sit on the chair. "Wait, I'll go get a doctor!"

But just as he reached the door, he ran into a group of people coming in from outside.

The leading man was wearing a moon-white gown and had an upright posture.

Seeing Gu Jiayue, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he walked forward quickly, his voice a little anxious: "Jiayue! How are you?"

Gu Jiayue raised her head and saw the face of the person who came, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Brother Qinghe..."