Chapter 9 The good student has completely collapsed.
It felt like Qiao Xi was just a student in the class who hadn't finished her homework, but then the teacher brought in the principal.
This is an unforgivable crime!
Qiao Xi clenched her fists and looked at Yi Xiao.
Yi Xiao gloated: "When the Emperor comes later, he will do this problem in front of you. I just explained it to you. Don't say that your teacher is not kind. Have you finished looking at the answer? If you have, I will take it back."
"No!" Qiao Xi quickly pressed her face against the table, covering the answer tightly. "He hasn't arrived yet! Let me check again."
"Okay, see for yourself." Yi Xiao smiled kindly as he sat next to Qiao Xi, watching her anxiously memorize the answers with a look of satisfaction.
I feel inexplicably relaxed.
To be honest, this was the first time Qiao Xi had been so engrossed in learning since Yi Xiao began teaching her.
Yi Xiao noticed that Qiao Xi seemed a little afraid of the Emperor.
Although Yi Xiao didn't quite understand why Qiao Xi was afraid of the Emperor.
But he seemed to have come up with a clever trick for Qiao Xi to learn.
For example: If you don't study hard, the Emperor might come.
It can even lead to sayings like "If you don't practice your skills properly, the Emperor will come" or "If you don't study properly, the Emperor will come."
Thinking of this, Yi Xiao crossed his legs in a good mood and almost laughed out loud.
Qiao Xi glanced at him resentfully, her brows furrowed.
Yi Xiao stood upright, smiled frankly at Qiao Xi, and extended his hand in a "please" gesture, as if to say: Haha, you little girl, you've finally met your match. Hurry up and do it.
Qiao Xi took a deep breath, turned around angrily, and gripped her pen.
She was so foolish, really. She only knew that Yi Xiao would give her the answer, but she didn't know that Morax would come.
She regretted not paying attention in class and regretted daydreaming when Yi Xiao was explaining the problem to her.
This feeling of regret was so familiar that it accompanied her almost throughout high school.
Qiao Xi sighed and pursed her lips.
She barely managed to go through the questions according to the answers, but it was still utter nonsense. She only vaguely understood it, and her mind felt like it was covered by a layer of fog. It was so painful.
Qiao Xi grabbed her hair, ink smeared all over her face.
"Master, please tell me again, please." Qiao Xi was at her wit's end, so she blinked her big eyes at Yi Xiao and tried to act cute.
Yi Xiao was no longer buying her act.
Qiao Xi had no choice but to continue looking at the answers.
If you don't understand it, just memorize it. It's just one question anyway, so just get it over with and you can always study harder later.
Qiao Xi made up her mind about the plan and started memorizing the answers.
Finally, she was able to memorize the answers smoothly.
Not long after, she heard the sound of the door to the Bamboo Garden being pushed open.
It should be Morax.
With the answer in her mind and confidence in her heart, Qiao Xi quickly opened the window and peeked out.
Morax stood in the courtyard and saw the small bamboo house window open, and Qiao Xi, with her chubby face, poked her head out and smiled at him.
Morax nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
Qiao Xi curled her lips into a smile, then pulled her head back. She closed the window, stood by the table, and said to Yi Xiao with a smug look on her face, "Morax is here, Master. Watch how I use my fluent problem-solving skills to make you proud!"
Yi Xiao stood up.
"I'll be waiting."
He went outside to greet Morax.
"Your Majesty," Yi Xiao said respectfully to the visitor.
Qiao Xi followed Yi Xiao with a bouncy gait. She stood there, maintaining her composure as Yi Xiao had instructed, but her eyes were filled with undisguised joy.
Morax didn't understand what this girl was so excited about.
He walked in, and Yi Xiao made way for him. Qiao Xi said to him, "Morax, you've come."
When Yi Xiao heard Qiao Xi call out "Morax" in front of the Emperor, he almost lost his balance.
Before this, he could hardly imagine the scene of addressing the Emperor by his given name in front of him.
Morax was not surprised. He lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Qiao Xi's wrist. He paused for a moment, and only looked away after seeing the bandage on Qiao Xi's wrist.
"Mm," he replied to Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but did Morax glance at her wrist just now?
She couldn't help but raise her wrist; apart from the extra gauze, it wasn't a big deal.
Yi Xiao didn't notice this small movement, but Morax subtly noticed it.
Morax said no more and walked to Qiao Xi's desk.
There were three sheets of paper on it. One had thick, bold handwriting and recorded the question, which should have been written by Liu Yun. The other had elegant handwriting and recorded the answer, which should have been written by Yi Xiao.
And the third one...
Morax was unusually silent.
Yi Xiao patted Qiao Xi on the back, gesturing for her to come to Morax.
Qiao Xi was reluctant; she didn't really want Morax to see what she had written.
“Morax.” Qiao Xi approached Morax and muttered softly.
Morax looked down at her, his tone indifferent, yet seemingly deliberate: "Which one did you write?"
Qiao Xi secretly glanced at Morax, and when she realized he was looking at her, she guiltily looked away.
Qiao Xi carefully pointed to the paper where Yi Xiao had written the answers: "Morax, would you believe me if I said I wrote this?"
I don't believe it.
"Then you really shouldn't have believed it." Qiao Xi pursed her lips.
Qiao Xi's table wasn't big, but things were neatly arranged. Morax noticed a half-disassembled cube on the table.
He randomly pulled out a blank sheet of paper and handed it to Qiao Xi.
“Do it,” he said.
Qiao Xi took it and naturally sat back down, leaving Morax standing.
"You said Master said I study hard, so why don't you believe that the writing on that piece of paper was done by me?" Qiao Xi seemed to still be a little resentful.
“I didn’t say you write neatly,” Morax replied.
The candlelight flickered in the room. Qiao Xi looked up at Morax, the dim light casting shadows on her unadorned face.
The light resembled the dragon and phoenix candles of that night.
Yi Xiao stood to the side, almost numb with shock. Why was this girl sitting while the Emperor stood? Wasn't she a little too carefree?
“Xiao Xi,” Yi Xiao walked over, “offer the Emperor his seat.”
Qiao Xi realized what was happening, said "Oh," and tried to stand up, but Morax pressed her down with his middle and index fingers.
Two fingers landed on her shoulder with slight pressure; it tickled through the cotton of her clothes, so Qiao Xi had no choice but to sit down.
Morax removed his hands and put them behind his back. He said to Yixiao, "Let her do the problems. It's late. I won't stay long. I'll just take a look."
Yi Xiao said, "Alright, but Your Majesty, are you only going to take one look on this trip back?"
After hearing this, Qiao Xi frowned and glanced at Yi Xiao, as if she wanted Morax to take a few more glances.
In just that short time, she wanted to disappear into the ground.
Morax nodded.
Yi Xiao knew the Emperor was busy, and said, "I understand, Your Majesty."
Actually, Qiao Xi also had her own little scheme in mind.
Since she had lost face in handwriting, she was determined to show off her skills in the next problem-solving exercise and demonstrate to Morax what intelligence, wit, fluency, and penetrating insight truly meant!
She memorized the answers.
"Morax, I can do this problem now," Qiao Xi said with a smile, looking up at Morax with confidence.
Upon hearing this, Morax moved closer to her, his clothes resting against the table, his back slightly bent, blocking a small patch of light and the wind blowing in from outside.
Qiao Xi picked up her pen, dipped it in ink, and could clearly feel Morax right beside her, very close. If she listened carefully, she could even hear Morax's breathing.
This feeling was like when the proctor suddenly stood next to her during an exam and watched her answer the questions.
Qiao Xi closed her eyes slightly, then opened them a moment later. She cheered herself up—it's okay, I've already memorized the answers, what's there to be afraid of?
She took the pen and started writing on the paper, but her wrist suddenly stiffened when the pen tip touched the paper.
The answers I just memorized
She forgot...
Qiao Xi looked up at Morax and blinked.
Morax lowered his eyes slightly and calmly met her gaze.
Qiao Xi had no choice but to reread the question and then firmly write "Solution" on the paper.
She couldn't help but glance at Morax again.
Morax looked at the "solution" on the paper, somewhat puzzled.
The room was quiet. Yi Xiao stood to the side, having already guessed quite well that Qiao Xi had forgotten the answer.
Putting myself in his shoes, I personally think Qiao Xi is quite awkward in front of the Emperor right now.
Yi Xiao has been taking care of this child since she arrived. Seeing her troubled state now, it's as if he's forgotten all the times he was so angry he jumped up and down before. Yi Xiao only thinks about how Qiao Xi is feeling now, so he feels a little sorry for her.
Today, his intention was not to embarrass Qiao Xi, otherwise he wouldn't have come to give her the answer in advance.
Feeling sorry for her disciple, Yi Xiao quietly used a bit of wind to rustle the paper with the answers written on it on the table.
At that moment, Qiao Xi lowered her head, looking listless.
Seeing this, Yi Xiao felt even more heartbroken. He thought how happy the child was while eating, and now he saw her so upset.
So he used a little more force, but accidentally used too much force and blew the paper with the answers right in front of Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi stared at the answer that had fallen from the sky for a moment, and after she came to her senses, her mind was filled with gratitude for nature's gift.
Morax was also slightly taken aback, and he glanced back at Yixiao.
Yi Xiao pretended to be stupid.
Morax sighed helplessly. He looked back at Qiao Xi and saw that she had big, mischievous eyes and was looking at the answers line by line.
While Qiao Xi was concentrating on memorizing the answers, a hand suddenly reached out, and with a "whoosh," Morax snatched the paper away.
Qiao Xi looked up at him.
Morax looked into her eyes as he calmly folded the paper with the answer written on it and put it back on the table.
"I have other things to do, so I'll stop here for today," he said.
Morax's expression was neither happy nor angry, but it still made Qiao Xi pause for a moment.
After seeing the Emperor off, Yi Xiao returned to find Qiao Xi sitting at the table, head down, rubbing her eyes.
She cried?
He thought to himself.
In the past six months, he had never seen his apprentice cry.
Yi Xiao sighed, carefully stepped forward, and comforted Qiao Xi:
"Xiao Xi, don't take it to heart. When the Emperor says there's something wrong, he means there is. He's not blaming you."
After he finished speaking, he gently patted Qiao Xi's shoulder.
Qiao Xi looked up at Yi Xiao with sleepy eyes and said, "Master, I'm so sleepy. Morax is finally gone."
After she finished speaking, she yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"......"
"You little rascal!"
Yi Xiao was so angry that he turned and left.
*
As dawn approached, it snowed again. Qiao Xi woke up while lying alone in bed.
She inexplicably ruminated on the scene of Morax watching himself unable to solve the problem.
She knew that she was completely unable to establish herself as a good student.
The sound of snow falling outside continued. Qiao Xi got out of bed, turned on the lamp, and walked to the clothes rack. Morax's cloak was still there. Why hadn't she thought of returning it to him?
She pushed open the door and went outside. It was so cold outside that she shivered all over. Just as she was about to close the door and go back inside, she suddenly saw Morax walking towards her from a distance with a pen and ink.
A note from the author:
----------------------
“She’s so stupid, really. She only knew that Yi Xiao would give her the answer, but she didn’t know that Morax would come.”
Adapted from Lu Xun's "The New Year's Sacrifice"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
