Chapter 66 This is called Female Alpha and Male Omega.
Xiang Ruzhen said urgently, "Don't ask yet, the supervisor is on his rounds. If he, a young master, is caught barging into the Royal Academy, he will be paraded through the streets. You must hide him quickly."
Lu Jinlan turned around helplessly. Although it was a single room, the space was limited. Where could she hide someone if she was suddenly asked to?
She glanced at the young master; he didn't seem to take up much space.
She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, and her height seemed to have not yet fully developed. Standing next to the tall Ruzhen, she appeared even more delicate.
He was slender, with slightly chubby cheeks, and didn't look malnourished. He was very fair-skinned, but had a healthy complexion. His snow-white satin dress accentuated his fair face and red lips, making him look like a snowball.
Those dark, round eyes were timid and silent. Noticing her scrutinizing gaze, they hid behind Xiang Ruzhen.
As soon as Lu Jinlan tilted her head, Xiang Ruzhen frowned and coughed, "Lu Jinlan."
Lu Jinlan gave an awkward laugh, "Haha, hide it under the bed. There are some things under the bed, I'll take them out now."
She pulled out several jars of wine and some dried fruit that she had hidden under the bed, glanced at the young master, and said, "Go inside."
The young master glanced at Xiang Ruzhen, then without dawdling, he straightened his clothes and climbed in using both hands and feet.
The two quickly used various objects to block him. After they finished setting things up, Xiang Ruzhen gave a wink, and Lu Jinlan followed her outside to talk.
Xiang Ruzhen: "I really don't feel comfortable leaving a man in your room."
Lu Jinlan snorted, "Then why don't you hide in your own room?"
"It's not a private room where I live, so it's inconvenient."
"Then hide it where Wuxin is."
"Wu Xin is even more lustful than you, so I'm even more worried about him."
Lu Jinlan chuckled, sighed, and patted Xiang Ruzhen's shoulder, "Don't worry, although your young master is quite lovable, he's not my type. Besides, my friend..."
Xiang Ruzhen quickly covered her mouth, "Shh! This concerns a man's integrity, don't talk nonsense!"
Lu Jinlan frowned and slapped her hand away. "You just touched dirt all over your face. Are you going to cover my mouth?"
Xiang Ruzhen wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Let me tell you, he just found out that his sister was sent to the front lines. He and his sister are very close, so he wanted to come to the academy to see if she had left any letters or anything, but he couldn't find anything and I caught him. Anyway, he's very pitiful. He cried like a baby when I asked him. Please help me hide him well, and when it's completely dark, I'll find a way to send him out."
Lu Jinlan nodded in agreement.
However, after Xiang Ruzhen left, Lu Jinlan suddenly felt a little lost. It was her room, yet suddenly it felt inconvenient. Given her reputation, she had to be discreet.
When Yan Wuxin came to find her, he saw her squatting at the door and asked in surprise, "What are you doing here? The house isn't finished tidying up yet?"
Lu Jinlan: "The tidying up is done, but..."
Yan Wuxin: "Then aren't you going in? I want to see what kind of mess you've made."
As she spoke, she pushed open the door and went inside. Lu Jinlan quickly followed her in, saying, "Wuxin, let's go outside to talk. It's a bit inconvenient here."
Yan Wuxin plopped down on the bed, lounging there as if it were her own, and asked in confusion, "Why? Is there something inconvenient here? Do you have a man hiding under your bed?"
Lu Jinlan pursed her lips and nodded helplessly.
Yan Wuxin sat up abruptly, opened the wine jar, and saw that the young master was staring at her with wide eyes, silently.
Lu Jinlan quickly pushed the wine jar back, "Don't touch it. We just changed dorms today. Supervisor Situ will be patrolling the dorms soon. If she catches you, you'll be in big trouble."
Yan Wuxin lowered his voice, "You're really bold to bring a man here. When did you get this new favorite? They're so inseparable."
Lu Jinlan protested, "I didn't bring him; he came on his own. He's not my man; he belongs to Ruzhen."
Yan Wuxin curled his lips and said disdainfully, "Lu Jinlan, what kind of relationship do we have? We've done things that could have cost us our lives together. Why are you hiding this from me about a man's affairs? Everyone knows that Ruzhen doesn't get close to men, so why are you pinning this on her? If you don't want to admit it's yours, I'll accept it even if you say it's mine."
Lu Jinlan sighed helplessly, and was about to explain when there was a knock on the door.
She quickly whispered, "The supervisor is here. Just pretend it's yours and get through this for now."
Situ Mei has been promoted from acting supervisor to full supervisor. Lu Jinlan opened the door, and she came in and looked around. "Why is there another person in this room?"
The two were taken aback for a moment, and Situ Mei smiled and said, "Wu Xin, you're not from this room, are you?"
Yan Wuxin then realized what was happening and gave an awkward smile, "Yes, I just came to visit. I'll go back now, please don't remember me."
Situ Mei glanced down, and the two of them tensed up again.
Situ Mei tapped the wine jar with her foot. "Is this wine? Jinlan, storing wine is against the rules."
Lu Jinlan quickly replied, "It's not wine, it's water, spring water from the back mountain."
As she spoke, she took Situ Mei's arm and began to flatter her, "Master, you are the most loving master in the entire academy, you wouldn't be so cruel."
Situ Mei glanced at her with a smirk, "If it's wine, that's definitely not an option, but water is fine too. If you're tired from reading, just moisten your mouth and don't let it interfere with your studies."
Lu Jinlan said happily, "Thank you for your teachings, Master."
She picked up a jar of wine and hurriedly wiped away her handprints. "Master, this jar is a gift from your student to you."
Situ Mei refused, saying, "Wouldn't that be considered accepting a bribe for personal gain?"
"Hey, I already said this is water. It's good water from twenty years ago, so it's not considered a bribe. Please accept it."
Situ Mei lowered her head and sniffed; the rich aroma of the wine wafted into her nostrils.
She smiled and said helplessly, "Then I'll accept you. You two are both so cunning. You don't seem to study very hard, but you're experts at eating, drinking, and having fun. I'm not trying to criticize you, but you should learn from Ruzhen and focus your minds on the right things. That way, you can improve your knowledge and cultivation."
The two nodded repeatedly, and Situ Mei muttered to herself for a while before finally leaving.
Yan Wuxin leaned out the window and watched Situ Mei walk away completely before turning around to reach under the bed.
Lu Jinlan grabbed her arm. "What are you doing?"
Yan Wuxin: "Didn't you say this person is mine? I haven't even seen what my man looks like. Is this acceptable? At least let me take a look."
Lu Jinlan said urgently, "It's on me. Don't look anymore, Ruzhen will be here soon."
Yan Wuxin: "So what if she came? She's not interested. Don't be so petty. It's not like I'll lose a piece of my flesh if I take a look at this young master."
Hearing what the two said, the young master trembled with fear and kept backing away, wishing he could dig a hole in the wall and escape.
Yan Wuxin gently coaxed them, "Don't be afraid, I'm a good person."
Lu Jinlan: "You're scaring me. You should go back now."
As the two were talking, Xiang Ruzhen pushed the door open and came in.
The two were taken aback. She looked past them and reached her hand under the bed. "Come out, the supervisor has already left."
A rustling sound came from inside, and a man's exceptionally fair hand timidly reached out and placed on Xiang Ruzhen's palm.
Upon seeing this scene, Yan Wuxin sat down on the ground as if he had seen a ghost.
A man? And Xiang Ruzhen?
Lu Jinlan nodded, as if to say: Yes, that's what you think.
Yan Wuxin felt a chill run down her spine; the scene was far too impactful for her. Moreover, she could clearly sense the strange atmosphere between Xiang Ruzhen and the young master. The two of them stood together, seemingly forming their own personal barrier.
She and Lu Jinlan felt superfluous staying there. For a moment, they wished they could climb out the window, but they were afraid of missing this unprecedented spectacle, so they awkwardly remained where they were, not moving an inch. They could only silently express their shock with their eyes and gestures, like a pantomime.
However, the two of them didn't stand on ceremony and acted as if the two of them didn't exist, doing whatever they wanted.
The young master had been lying under the bed for so long that not only were his clothes dirty, but his face was also covered in dust.
Xiang Ruzhen took out a handkerchief from her bosom, raised her hand to wipe his face, but then felt it was inappropriate. After hesitating for a moment, she handed the handkerchief to him, her voice extremely gentle, "You wipe your face, it's dirty."
Yan Wuxin grabbed Lu Jinlan's hand and rolled up his sleeve to show her the goosebumps on his body.
She whispered in Lu Jinlan's ear, "That's terrifying! How could Ruzhen make such a loud noise? Isn't she always so eloquent? What's she doing? Trying to soothe a child?"
Lu Jinlan shook her head. "No, when we went to her house last time, I didn't see her speaking this softly to the child."
"Ruzhen must be possessed by an evil spirit, it's terrifying."
"I think that person is also possessed; the base of their ears is completely red, and they don't dare to look at her."
“But Ruzhen doesn’t even dare to touch other people’s hands. At this rate, your child will be running all over the place by now, and she’ll still be exchanging glances with him.”
"Why don't we go outside? Maybe he'll feel bad if we keep an eye on him." Just as the two were about to get up, Xiang Ruzhen said, "You two keep an eye on the patrol team for me, I'll see him out."
Yan Wuxin was taken aback. "Huh? You're sending them away already?"
Xiang Ruzhen countered, "Otherwise what?"
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "Uh, what I mean is, we can't just send him away like this. This young master doesn't seem to know any martial arts. What if the patrol team sees him? You should pull him away."
Yan Wuxin understood immediately, "Ah, yes, yes, that's exactly what I meant."
Xiang Ruzhen glanced at the young master and said, "Excuse me."
She grabbed his wrist through her sleeve. "Let's go."
"Wait a minute!" Yan Wuxin suddenly said, "I don't think this will work. You are a martial artist, how can he keep up with your pace? Don't hurt him, just carry him."
Xiang Ruzhen: "Holding you?"
Lu Jinlan: "Carry it on your back. It's more convenient to carry it on your back. Otherwise, you won't be able to get over the wall."
Xiang Ruzhen thought it made sense, and then looked at the young master, "Can I carry you on my back?"
The young master blushed and nodded, then leaned against Xiang Ruzhen's back.
Watching Xiang Ruzhen leave with her back to the door, Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin gripped each other's hands so tightly that they left red marks.
Like monkeys on Mount Emei, the two were so excited that they jumped up and down, even leaping onto the rooftops and chasing after it.
The young master turned around, utterly puzzled, and asked softly, "What are they doing?"
Xiang Ruzhen gritted her teeth and answered seriously, "They're helping us distract the patrol team."
*
Seeing Xiang Ruzhen and her group climb over the school wall, Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin finally stopped.
The two found the highest rooftop, brought out two jars of wine, drank and admired the moon, waiting for Xiang Ruzhen to return so they could question her in detail.
Yan Wuxin sighed, "I never thought Ruzhen would like someone like him. He doesn't know any martial arts, but she doesn't find him a burden."
Lu Jinlan chuckled, "You don't understand, this is called female Alpha and male Omega, she likes this kind of thing, it's just right for her."
"Girl or boy? What's with the 'oh'? He can't even talk properly. It's a pity. Although he's good-looking, he's not good at speaking, which will make him less romantic at crucial moments."
Lu Jinlan spat out half a mouthful of wine, "Who said he can't speak? He's not mute."
"Huh? Isn't that right? He didn't say a word, and I was so anxious that I wanted to pinch him. I thought he was born unable to talk."
"Tch, they didn't tell us, but they told Ruzhen quite a bit."
"Hey, tell me, whose young master is he? He looks so delicate and frail, but he's quite bold to come here."
"I don't know. We'll ask Ruzhen when she gets back."
Half an hour later, Xiang Ruzhen returned to the school.
The two men stood on the rooftop and waved vigorously at her, "Ruzhen, come up here, don't pretend you didn't see us."
Xiang Ruzhen smiled helplessly and leaped up.
The two men immediately surrounded her, one on each side, demanding, "Tell us, tell us, what happened?"
Xiang Ruzhen honestly replied, "I was originally going to take him home, but when we got to the street, we ran into his servant who was looking for him, so I took him back."
Yan Wuxin: "Huh? You just let him go back like that? Did you even ask him what his name was? How old was he? Who did he belong to? Where did he live?"
Xiang Ruzhen shook her head. "I didn't ask any of those questions."
Lu Jinlan sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Ruzhen, Ruzhen, let me tell you, based on my own experience, the most important thing in dating is to first understand the other person's identity. This can save you from taking many detours."
Xiang Ruzhen calmly said, "I was thinking that it would be too rash to ask these questions so soon. First, I haven't decided whether to propose marriage yet. Second, I already know that his sister is our senior from school, and his family lives in the capital. I'll find out more when I'm ready to propose."
These few words left Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin looking at each other in silence for a long while.
Lu Jinlan tentatively reminded him, "You... why don't you ask him if he's engaged? What if he's already married?"
Xiang Ruzhen was quite confident, "No, I can feel that he wants to marry me."
Yan Wuxin asked in surprise, "He said it himself?"
Xiang Ruzhen: "He didn't say anything, but I could sense it."
Yan Wuxin gasped, "Then you'd better not make assumptions. I often have these feelings, only to find out that the other person doesn't think that way at all. I'm not trying to discourage you, but I'm afraid you'll get too emotionally involved and hurt yourself."
Xiang Ruzhen said, "My feelings are different from yours. I have never had this feeling before, and I probably never will."
Lu Jinlan chuckled, "You're unmarried, and you've become a Casanova in just one day? Tell us, what's that feeling like?"
Xiang Ruzhen lay on the rooftop, bathed in the soft moonlight, and asked in return, "Have you ever met a man and felt like you liked him at first sight?"
Yan Wuxin thought for a moment, "Would wanting to sleep with him at first sight count as liking him?"
Xiang Ruzhen shook her head. "No, you've slept with so many men, but I haven't seen you particularly like any of them."
Yan Wuxin: "I'm like someone who walks through a sea of flowers without a single petal clinging to me. Sleeping is simple, but liking someone is troublesome. What about you, Jinlan? Do you ever have that feeling that Zhen described?"
Lu Jinlan smiled. "Yes, I do, but the problem is... I often have this feeling."
The three of them looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Later, they talked about other things. By the end, the wine jar was empty, and Wu Xin was already drowsy. Lu Jinlan tidied up and prepared to go downstairs.
Xiang Ruzhen suddenly spoke up: "Tell me, why is he so fair-skinned? As fair as the moon."
Lu Jinlan took a moment to realize who she was talking about.
Lu Jinlan smiled, "If I didn't know you well enough, I would have suspected that you were lustful."
Xiang Ruzhen said, "I don't know if it counts as lust, but I just wanted to pinch his cheek because he's so fair-skinned."
Lu Jinlan glanced at her. "Did you pinch it?"
Xiang Ruzhen: "Of course not, wouldn't that be too presumptuous? Besides, it would be against etiquette."
She thought for a moment and added, "But if I marry him and keep Little Moon at home, I can pinch his face every day."
As Xiang Ruzhen spoke, she hoisted Yan Wuxin onto her shoulder like a piece of pork, saying, "I'll take her back, you should get some rest too."
Lu Jinlan looked at Xiang Ruzhen's retreating figure with a hint of doubt.
Do you just want to pinch his cheek? Not just once, but many times. Not a gentle pinch, but a hard pinch. Pinching until his eyes redden, and he pitifully sheds tears, then gently coaxing him.
Lu Jinlan realized today that Xiang Ruzhen wasn't without desire, but rather abstinent. What if one day she stopped abstaining from desire...?
Lu Jinlan looked up at the night sky. "Little moon, good luck to you."
*
A few days later, the three of them were eating in the cafeteria. Yan Wuxin brought up the young master again, "Seriously, do you have any plans to marry him?"
Xiang Ruzhen: "Yes, I've already thought it through. Once I graduate and become an official, I'll propose marriage."
Yan Wuxin was taken aback: "What? That means we'll have to wait at least two more years, by which time the little moon will have turned into an old moon. And what if something goes wrong? You want people to keep waiting?"
“I didn’t ask him to wait. If something goes wrong, then we’re just not meant to be. It’s not his fault, and it’s not mine. I’ve gotten used to wanting things I can’t have all my life. But whether fate treats me kindly or not, I will do my best and fight for it. As for the result, does it matter?”
Yan Wuxin and Lu Jinlan stared at her blankly. Yan Wuxin bit his chopsticks and said, "Ruzhen, if I were a man, I would want to marry you."
Xiang Ruzhen smiled and tapped her bowl, "Eat your food."
Days passed, and the border conflict reached a stalemate. Sometimes good news came, sometimes bad news.
Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye, and the sweltering summer is here again. Yu Mian's due date is fast approaching, and Lu Jinlan and the others will soon be facing their first year's end-of-year exams.
Over the past six months, the three of them have learned about all aspects of the year-end exams through different channels and have devised a detailed plan to circumvent the rules.
Lu Jinlan took out a schedule. "We'll finish all the exams tomorrow morning, and the examiners will grade them together in the afternoon. Normally, it should take a maximum of two hours to get the results. However, the annual exam results aren't released until the next day. I suspect that's the time that's left for some people to rig things."
Xiang Ruzhen said, "This year, only our grade is on campus. The second and third-year students are all on the front lines. They're only changing the grades of 100 of us, so it won't take much time. Besides, the order of rankings must have been decided in advance. Someone will go in, re-cover the name tags, and then write three fake transcripts."
"One copy was tucked into the dean's memorial reporting the results and presented to the emperor. Another copy, along with the original document, was given to the Hanlin Academy for archiving. And yet another copy was posted on the outer wall of the academy, making it public."
Yan Wuxin calculated, "Doing this will only take one or two hours. If these people are experienced, have a lot of manpower, and prepare in advance, it may not even take an hour. After this group finishes their fake work, they will leave the examination building. Next, it will be our turn."
Lu Jinlan nodded and said, "That's right, they faked it, but we really did. It's a pity we can't prepare in advance, so we can only write it on the spot. To ensure fairness, we also need to verify the real scores of this exam and make three real score reports. There are only three of us, so it will take at least two or three hours to do so much."
Xiang Ruzhen said, "Two hours is enough. We'll start as soon as those people leave. If there are any unexpected situations, we can just stay up all night. The supervisor will post the notice at dawn, by which time we should have finished everything. Once the notice is posted and the memorial is sent to the front line of the resistance, it will be a done deal, and there will be no chance to change it."
Yan Wuxin laughed and said, "The one who delivers the memorial is the dean's servant, the one who posts the notice is the academic supervisor, and the one who delivers the archives is an ordinary faculty member. They shouldn't know the specifics of the forgery. As long as we make it look convincing, no one will notice the problem. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. This trick of substituting one thing for another is absolutely brilliant. Let's do it!"
"Okay, cough!" Xiang Ruzhen suddenly coughed.
Yan Wuxin hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"
Xiang Ruzhen waved her hand, "Lewen caught a cold, and I think I caught it while taking care of her these past two days. But it's okay, I'm healthy and strong, it's just a cough."
Lu Jinlan said, "Summer colds are the hardest to deal with. I'll tell Manager Ping tomorrow morning and ask her to have someone prepare some medicine so you can get better sooner."
Xiang Ruzhen smiled, "Don't be nervous, it's just a minor illness, we'll talk about it later. Tomorrow night is crucial, let's double-check everything we need to prepare."
The following evening, the three men lay in wait, watching as the examiners who had finished grading the papers left the grading building. Not long after, a group of unfamiliar faces entered the building with keys.
An hour later, the group left. The three exchanged glances, jumped up to the second floor, pried open a window, and silently sneaked inside.
The three of them first covered the windows with a thick black cloth, then took out the prepared candles, knives, abacus, writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone, and officially started working.
To calculate the scores, the fake name tags needed to be removed first. Yan Wuxin pulled out the top test paper, which clearly bore Lu Jinlan's handwriting, but had someone else's name on it.
"Jinlan, guess who took your place in first place?"
Lu Jinlan: "Is there any need to guess? Even a fool would know it's Zhao Zhiyu."
Xiang Ruzhen leaned closer to take a look, "Indeed, it was right."
The second place went to Xiang Ruzhen's exam paper, which had Lu Jinlan's name on it.
Yan Wuxin laughed and said, "It seems that this group of people are also afraid of you, this troublemaker, and only dare to move you to the back one place."
Lu Jinlan snorted, "I suppose my reputation for causing trouble makes those people have to be careful. But the person they should be most wary of is my mother-in-law."
Lu Jinlan scrolled down again as she spoke, "Third place should be Zhao Zhiyu, but she's already in first place. I'm curious who they'll assign her to."
She pulled out the third exam paper and looked at it; the room fell silent instantly.
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Author's Note: I honestly laughed while writing this chapter; the images in my head were funnier than any comedy movie! [laughing emoji]
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