"..."

"…………"

What's the meaning?

The powerful minister would rather get soaked in the rain than share a roof with her.

I'm not a plague.

very good.

Damn it, you've really messed with me.

Jiang Shuwan looked at Pei Yanzhi with a cold smile in her heart, and then she noticed that he had indeed grown taller.

She used to be about shoulder height, but now she's only up to his chest, petite and delicate. No wonder his shadow enveloped her just now.

It's infuriating that she cooks so diligently every day, yet she just doesn't grow taller.

Pei Yanzhi had a congenital weakness, so how come he grew up so fast?

Jiang Shuwan was furious and found Pei Yanzhi even more displeasing. She exchanged a few casual words with him and then went back upstairs.

"Miss, why are you back so soon?"

"Why not come back and treat him to a meal? He's out celebrating with his classmates about getting a study abroad spot. Why should we join in and make a fool of ourselves?"

"I see. No wonder I ran into the young master on the street. He's usually at the Imperial Academy at this time. But, Miss, why do you sound a bit sarcastic?"

Jiang Shuwan =_=: "...Am I am-yin-yang?"

Qingxing=_=: "...Don't you have any?"

Meanwhile, Pei Yanzhi returned to the teahouse with an umbrella. The servant exclaimed, "Young Master, why is half of your body wet?"

He glanced at his shoulder and saw that his right side was completely wet. He flicked the water droplets off his shoulder and said calmly, "It's nothing. Go get some clean clothes."

"yes."

The servant took the order and left, and his classmates all gathered around, asking questions all at once.

"Yanzhi, is that your sister-in-law? That little blackboard we have belongs to your sister-in-law, right? Those Taoist priests are so mysterious, sometimes they make things that we don't even know what they're for. Your sister-in-law is really lucky, she got a new blackboard after just one meal."

"By the way, why didn't you call us over so we could pay our respects?"

“She’s young and frail, and it’s raining, so it’s not good to keep her outside any longer,” Pei Yanzhi said as he walked inside.

“We can invite her in—” The student from the Imperial Academy, looking at the somewhat shabby and chaotic teahouse, scratched his head sheepishly. “I forgot that my sister-in-law is a lady from a respectable family. Unlike us men, she can’t come and go as she pleases. Besides, this teahouse is so simple that she might find it unappealing.”

Pei Yanzhi: "..."

He paused for a moment, recalling how Jiang Shuwan had sat in the snow without any regard for her image, hugging a snowman and rubbing her face against it. The corners of his mouth unconsciously curved into a smile. "She's not that kind of person."

The other classmates nodded in agreement. They had all seen how Jiang Shuwan was preparing to come over, so they figured she wouldn't look down on their shabby old tea shop.

"In that case, why not invite your sister-in-law over? It's not far at all."

Suddenly, an untimely voice rang out.

Pei Yanzhi looked up and saw the other person immediately. It was his classmate from Class A, whose family was poor and who had never been kind to the wealthy students of the Imperial Academy.

"Or is it that it's not your sister-in-law who's complaining about the tea shop's shabby appearance, but you?"

The other person was still talking.

"It's ridiculous. They come and go with us every day, pretending to be just like us, and they even wear prison uniforms. Everyone knows that prison uniforms are what poor students like us wear because we can't afford clothes."

"He always acts like he thinks highly of us, but when he sees his pampered wife, he can't bear to let her step into the room?"

"That's true. Judging from the way my sister-in-law is surrounded by people, like a precious princess, she'll probably be leaving as soon as she comes in."

The man's sarcastic words were grating to hear. While the others were trying to persuade him to shut up and stop talking nonsense, and were about to comfort Pei Yanzhi, there was a loud "bang" when a teacup was slammed onto the table, splashing tea everywhere.

Pei Yanzhi's face was as cold as frost as he glared at him.

"This is a humble abode, but my virtue makes it fragrant."

"If you find the teahouse shabby, you may leave!"

"You!" The man was speechless with anger. His family was poor, so how could he think the teahouse was shabby?

"Alright, alright, stop arguing, it's all trivial."

"Peace is precious, peace is precious. We're going on a study tour together next month."

"That's right, that's right."

With everyone's encouragement, the man gave up. The servant brought clean clothes, and the owner, seeing Pei Yanzhi's extraordinary bearing, specially prepared a room for him.

As the servant helped him change his clothes, he asked curiously, "Young Master, you had an umbrella, so why are you so wet?"

Pei Yanzhi: "..."

He was bumped into, and in an instant, he was only a fist's distance away from Jiang Shuwan.

The orchid scent emanating from the girl was completely different from perfume. When he got close, he inadvertently inhaled it and found it to be light, delicate, and pleasantly fragrant.

That would be extremely impolite.

Looking back now, it seems even more rude.

A hint of unease crept onto his face. "Don't say anything more. When you get back to the manor, tell your grandmother that I've secured a spot for the study abroad program. That will put her mind at ease."

His voice was also a bit deeper than usual.

----------

On the other side, Jiang Shuwan had just returned to her private room on the second floor when she saw a group of wealthy young men in fine clothes and riding spirited horses galloping past on the street.

"Miss, it's the young master."

Qingxing spotted a familiar face and scoffed, "Young Master didn't get a spot for the study tour again. I don't know what he's so happy about."

Yesterday's exam at the Imperial College awarded places for students to travel and study abroad.

Study abroad requires trekking through mountains and rivers, and a trip can last for two months. Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles, and you can learn a lot by studying abroad.

At the same time, the safety of students is also a big problem. After all, sometimes they are in the middle of nowhere and they can be killed by robbers.

Therefore, while study abroad programs are beneficial, they are not available every year.

Today is a year of great exams, and there is a study tour. The teacher leading the tour is the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, a renowned scholar of our time. The students are working their hardest to secure a spot on the study tour.

The list of places for the study tour was released today, and the Imperial College gave the students a half-day off to relax and celebrate.

That's why Jiang Shuwan was able to run into Pei Yanzhi on the street.

Pei Lingyu is quite interesting; even though she didn't get a spot, she still rallied a group of people to come out and have some fun.

Jiang Shuwan glanced at them and saw that Pei Lingyu's friends were all dressed in rich and noble clothes, clearly indicating that Meng Yin had entered the Imperial Academy.

A group of people entered a brothel, shouting as they entered. Qingxing's eyes widened in surprise.

"Young Master, you still go to brothels?"

How strange! These rich kids go to brothels as easily as eating a meal. Jiang Shuwan silently complained while drinking tea.

Pei Lingyu had a penchant for visiting brothels in his past life to mourn his lost true love; otherwise, how could his reputation as the most devoted lover in the capital have spread and reached Jiang Yao's ears?

Jiang Yao was blinded by love; all she could think about was how affectionate he was and how he couldn't forget her, instead of the meaning behind his visit to the brothel.

"Miss, do you think the Second Miss knows about this?"

"They probably don't know..."

I don't know now, and it's hard to say whether I'll know in the future.