Chapter 9 Make-up Lesson (1)

Those few words of provocation yesterday were just to get her to come to the side class for extra lessons. This Mr. Qu has a really weird personality.

If he really had such intentions, he should have just said it directly. Why would he invite her here under the pretext of punishment...

"So that's what you meant..." She replied softly, her face bright and beautiful, more delicate than a flower. "It seems I haven't thought deeply enough and don't understand your intentions."

Chu Qingluo suddenly remembered the copy he had brought with him and was about to stand up and hand it over. Just as he took a step, he was stopped by the young master in a cold voice: "This is the Qin Dao that I copied while reflecting on my mistakes. Sir, you haven't reviewed it yet."

"Let's put it aside for now."

His deep eyes suddenly dimmed, and his gaze was so cold that she felt inexplicably chilled.

Seeing this, she hurriedly sat back in her chair, thinking that since her husband was so pure and noble, he must not like others to approach him for no reason and had a habit of keeping himself clean.

But then she thought again, there were so many women around during the night study session, and the teacher didn't avoid them, so maybe... he just disliked her.

The assassination had presumably been thoroughly investigated by the teacher. This man, a man of great virtue and propriety, certainly didn't want her to be implicated in any way. Chu Qingluo raised her lips in a silent smile, flipping through her book nonchalantly. With this free time, she could really catch up on her missed lessons.

However, she felt sleepy after reading for a while. The courtyard outside the window was very quiet. She looked up and looked at the elegant room she was in. The furnishings were as simple as a boudoir, with only a zither standing on the other side of the hall.

Although she hadn't looked closely, she knew that the zither was rare and valuable, and it must be the jade zither that the master had always kept with him.

Chu Qingluo looked around leisurely for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Sir, do you often stay in this side hall?"

"Why do you think so?" The elegant figure beside the desk asked calmly, and his deep eyes suddenly raised.

Wen Yu then looked around, her eyes slightly widening, her face showing a certainty. "I see the tea set, the books, and the objects placed everywhere are all dust-free and very tidy. I think they are usually cleaned."

The act of pouring tea stopped there, and Qu Hanjin followed suit, looking at it, and said something puzzling: "A place that is spotless does not necessarily mean it is a permanent residence."

"And there's your zither," she said, her gaze fixed on the zither stand, her voice lowered. "This zither looks very valuable, so it shouldn't be moved around too often. Wherever you keep it, it must be a place where you enjoy it all year round."

Hearing this, he did not answer. When he looked at Yuqin with his clear eyes, he looked away in an instant, and there seemed to be a trace of discomfort in his eyes.

"Did you get into an argument with someone again during last night's study?"

Just as Chu Qingluo was wondering why the gentleman was avoiding a zither, she didn't understand why, and then she heard him suddenly talk about the quarrel last night.

"Yes," she admitted with a low laugh, then suppressed her barely perceptible smile and replied seriously, "Those in high positions always act arrogantly and forget themselves in front of those of low status."

Qu Hanjin handed a cup of tea to her, his expression calm, the chill faded a little: "You have been repeatedly warned and refused to change, only to bring disaster upon yourself."

Even after it was explained that she wasn't the one who caused the trouble, the young man not far away, who looked like a banished immortal, still felt that she was to blame. She chuckled after hearing this and responded calmly, "The teacher is teaching me a lesson, and I accept the punishment."

Well, among these teachers who always talk about fairness, how many of them can distinguish right from wrong? They are all just pursuing personal gain and desires.

Why should she be so concerned about this? The most important thing is to restore the country, so just let such trivial matters go.

Her unwilling anger suddenly disappeared, and she lowered her eyes to look at the words in the book again. After a few moments, she heard the teacher calling her softly.

"Chu Qingluo..."

Qu Hanjin muttered the name softly with his thin lips, as if deep in thought. Then he looked at the jade cup that was handed to him and said, "Try this tea."

This was the first time I heard the teacher call this name. Although the tone was a little cold, it sounded gentle and pleasant when called out in that clear voice.

Her whole body stiffened slightly, and she felt a sense of restraint in her heart, but she didn't know where this feeling of restraint came from.

This was probably because he was Mr. Qu, who was respected even by Emperor Daning. He had a dignified demeanor and an irresistible aura.

"I'm not too particular about tea. I wonder how you would like me to taste it..." Chu Qingluo raised her finger to the cup, took a sip of the tea, and answered without hesitation, "The tea is sweet, and seems a little different from what I usually drink."

Hearing the sound, he stood up gracefully, walked to the cabinet, and took out a paper bag from the drawer as a gift: "If you like to drink, take this paper bag with you."

She tore open a corner of the paper in confusion and saw that it contained tea leaves.

She guessed that this item might have been given by someone else, and since the gentleman had a lot of it, he just passed it on. "Was the tea a gift from a friend?"

"Just picked it this morning."

But the gentleman replied nonchalantly, and the tender leaves inside the paper seemed to be picked by him one by one.

Her thoughts couldn't help but go back to the moment they first met. At that time, the gentleman seemed to be picking tea in the mountain fog and accidentally ran into her. Chu Qingluo sighed inwardly.

He lived such a carefree life that he looked more and more like an immortal who was not affected by worldly affairs.

She stared at it for a moment, put the tea leaves into her sleeve, and asked cautiously but curiously, "Is this the tea that the master personally picked in the mountains?"

"The tea trees have been planted for three years, and their leaves should be ready to be picked." After pondering for a while, Qu Hanjin slowly walked back to the desk. Thinking of something, he walked towards her lightly again.

I didn't expect that the tea trees on the back mountain were also planted by the gentleman.

She was extremely stunned and could not believe that the Grand Master of Music of the Ministry of Rites had such leisure time and was really living a leisurely life like a god.

Chu Qingluo was filled with admiration and smiled softly, "I never thought you could be so elegant and graceful. I admire you. No wonder people say you're a banished immortal who's fallen into the mortal world. Now that I see you, you really do look like one."

"What's puzzling?" Walking to her side, he naturally looked down at the volume, his eyes softening a little.

After chatting for a while, she almost forgot that she came to the Yatang for a tutorial class. She quickly raised her book, lowered her head in shame, and whispered, "I was so busy chatting with the teacher that I forgot to read..."

"Well, I'll teach you again."

Qu Hanjin turned around and took the scroll. He thought that since he had some free time, he might as well teach him again. "You'll be practicing playing the qin in a few days. You should put more effort into the knowledge you need to learn."

Before she could think about it, the elegant young man in the elegant room was already standing leisurely in front of her, slowly teaching her a piano lesson that she had never heard before.

If she was going to stay in the Music Bureau for a long time, she would have to attend the class. She thought about it for a few moments, then listened attentively in silence, wanting to prepare for the banquet in advance and be prepared for any eventuality.

I studied in this way for one or two hours.

Seeing that noon was approaching, as soon as the class was over, she closed the register lightly, bowed respectfully to the teacher, and was about to leave.

The jade-like young man in the hall waved his sleeves leisurely, and the sharp edge he had just revealed had quietly dissipated, as if he had become closer. "If there is anything you don't understand, you can ask during the night study session. If you don't want to attend the class then, you can come to this side hall tomorrow and ask."

"Come again tomorrow..."

Chu Qingluo suddenly stopped and looked back in confusion.

Close? How could she have such a ridiculous idea? They had only met a few times, so why would Mr. Qu be so close to her...

However, the gentleman's action was exactly what she wanted.

If I could have a private relationship with this person, I wonder how interesting it would be in the future... She thought silently in her heart, turned around gracefully, and smiled brightly at him.

Her jade fingers tapped the desk nonchalantly. Qu Hanjin calmly put on his brocade robe, then sat back down at the desk. He replied solemnly, "You missed two days of classes. It's unfair to compare you with others."

She followed his instructions and bowed humbly, her autumn eyes like clear water still holding a faint smile. She accepted calmly, and suddenly felt that she might come here often.

"Yes, the students will come on time."

"Your clothes have changed into something brighter, which really suits you better." He saw Jing Rou speaking slowly, with a dull expression, but he didn't say what his intention was.

"Thank you for the compliment, sir."

Instead of listening to this riddle, it would be better to perform a courtesy. Chu Qingluo stepped out of the side hall, leaned over with a faint smile, and the gloomy face of Meng girl flashed through his thoughts, and his body suddenly froze.

Noticing her strangeness, he couldn't help but frown and opened his lips in confusion: "Is there anything else?"

"The misfortune last night was not caused by the students themselves. Someone took advantage of their power to bully others, and the misfortune was sent down from the sky." Now that she could be alone with the teacher, she was determined to seek justice for the slander she suffered last night, not for herself, but for that kind-hearted girl.

"Teacher, you have always been able to distinguish right from wrong. As for the cause and effect involved, I will not elaborate further."

Qu Han seemed to have other thoughts in mind. He barely said one word and ignored it: "I will make the judgment myself."

Walking along the winding path through the corridor of the side courtyard, admiring the peach and willow trees and spring flowers on both sides, she felt extremely happy. She happily had lunch, took a short rest, and then followed everyone into the main hall to study. Her life became much more comfortable.

As for the murder case in the south of the city, the palace guard Feng Yi died in his own house. The gentleman did not seem to make things difficult for her, and did not even say a word, so she did not mention it again.

The teacher really protected the student and buried the matter in the past.

She also reported to him about the quarrel in the mansion last night. What decision Qu Hanjin would make was no longer under her control.

Chu Qingluo didn't hear any movement at the next table. The girl just lowered her eyes and was distracted, her mind wandering elsewhere. She concentrated on finishing her afternoon lessons, and when the girl came back to her senses, she told her what happened in the side hall.

It was not until the night study session, just before the teacher entered the classroom, that Meng Ying'er finally spoke cautiously, fearing that she would be scolded by the teacher again.

The maid held up the book to cover her eyes and whispered, "Qingluo, if you don't ask the master about his confusion tonight, I'm afraid he will be angry again later."

"No," Chu Qingluo replied calmly, her beautiful face solemn, every word she said was true. "The teacher told me this morning when I went to the side classroom for tutoring. If you have any questions, you can ask them during tutoring tomorrow."

"Did you really say that, sir?"

Meng Ying'er opened her bright eyes slightly and looked at her doubtfully, putting aside the frustration in her heart. Suddenly, she became interested in her going to the side hall. "By the way, I'm curious about what other mistakes you made. Did you tell me, sir?"

She slowly shook her head and sighed, then replied softly, "I didn't say a word. I was just catching up on the lessons I missed the past two days."

Mr. Qu really acted in accordance with his duties. When he saw that a student had missed a class due to punishment, he asked the student to go to a side class for tutoring.

Meng Ying'er admired him even more. Thinking of him, she couldn't help but feel warm in her heart. She felt that he was the most fair person in the world.