Chapter 6 Chapter 6 "How dare I, Miss."
Zhang Jingxuan's gaze paused on Xue Yuanyin for a moment, and his voice was a little hoarse when he spoke:
"What can I do for you, Miss Xue?"
Xue Yuanyin stood in front of Zhang Jingxuan and heard his voice, confirming that he had caught a cold.
Some long-forgotten memories flooded into his mind. Seeing how tall and graceful he was now, Xue Yuanyin almost forgot that he was actually a sickly person in the past.
Zhang Jingxuan was the third child born prematurely to Madam Zhang, a frail woman. True, he had two older sisters, but one died at birth, and the other died at the age of two or three due to frailty. Only Zhang Jingxuan seemed to have a tougher life and survived.
He was born with a weak constitution and was always sick. When the Xue siblings met him, he had already been drinking medicine from a jar all day long. He could not get wet in the rain or catch a cold, otherwise he would easily get sick.
Therefore, the Xue brothers and sisters and the Prince of Xuanping, who was very close to him at the time, always took care of him outside the pass.
So when Zhang Jingxuan later pretended to be weak, but in fact he had already recovered, they didn't even notice. I wonder what other methods the Zhang family found to cure his weakness.
Because she hadn't seen him sick in all these years, Xue Yuanyin had almost forgotten these old memories. Now that she saw him suddenly caught a cold, she belatedly remembered, could it be that he still couldn't get wet in the rain?
Thinking about how she had dragged him to move books yesterday, Xue Yuanyin felt a little complicated.
But this little bit of complexity was not enough to make her feel guilty towards Zhang Jingxuan. As long as he was not too weak to die, he had to finish the work at the library!
Besides, there is a crucial ten-day exam coming up. If he misses it due to health reasons, how can she beat him?
The people around them cast their fiery gazes on the two of them, clearly looking out for the fun.
Under the expectant gaze of the entire school and Zhang Jingxuan's watchful eyes, Xue Yuanyin took out the porcelain bottle containing the pills, placed it on the table with a thud, and ordered with a stern face:
"You, eat it!"
There was a moment of silence in the air, and then someone leaned over to look at the porcelain vase.
Zhang Jingxuan's gaze rested on the porcelain vase for a few seconds before he raised his eyes and said, "Isn't it enough that you've found a lover based on my appearance? You're also trying to poison me?"
"What do you mean by 'find it the way you look'? Don't be so narcissistic!" Xue Yuanyin snorted. "Don't even think about escaping your job at the library. This is a cold medicine. Take it now and go back to fulfill your punishment after school. Otherwise, just wait and see!"
Zhang Jingxuan raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at the porcelain bottle again. Just like the air around him suddenly became quiet, he stared at the porcelain bottle without moving.
After a while, just when everyone thought he was going to frown, Zhang Jingxuan suddenly chuckled. It was unclear whether he also felt it was ridiculous or he thought of something else.
Under Xue Yuanyin's cold gaze, he pursed his lips and said, "How dare I, Miss."
Xue Yuanyin frowned. What was that tone?
But he had already promised, so he wouldn't go back on his word. She finally let out the anger in her chest, turned around and left the school as if she had won a battle, no longer looking at his arrogant and annoying face.
The people around watched the excitement and then dispersed. Only a few people who were on good terms with Zhang Jingxuan stayed. They sat next to him and watched Zhang Jingxuan open the porcelain bottle and swallow a pill with water.
Zhang Zimo subconsciously reached out to stop him, but unfortunately it was too late, and he watched his cousin swallow it. He lowered his voice and asked worriedly: "Cousin, are you really going to take the medicine she gave you?"
"Yeah." Zhang Jingxuan put away the porcelain bottle and smiled nonchalantly, "I caught a cold, and she happened to have medicine, so why not take it?"
The person next to him thought for a moment and said, "It's probably because of the upcoming ten-day exam. Only those who do well will be recorded in Dr. Jiang's performance record. She's just afraid that you'll catch a cold and not take the exam, so she wants to beat you."
Zhang Zimo nodded thoughtfully, "That makes sense. If it were someone else, it might be admiration or love, but Xue Ling definitely wasn't like that. Xue Ling worked really hard to win."
After they left, only Su Mian and Guan Bai were left in the school. They had not left in order to complete their punishment and happened to hear the discussion that had just taken place among the others.
Su Mian's eyes widened as he muttered, "No, she was even willing to give me cold medicine just to keep an eye on Zhang Jingxuan. Then why didn't she give it to me when I was sick before? The hatred between them is too great."
Guan Bo scratched his head. He was a stubborn person and hadn't figured out the twists and turns yet. He asked Su Mian in a daze, "Is there any connection between them? Others sending medicine is a sign of admiration, so why not Xue Ling? Do sworn enemies have to be sworn enemies..."
"Wait a minute." Su Mian interrupted him mid-sentence. "What did you just say?" Guan Bai asked blankly, "Does a mortal enemy necessarily mean a mortal enemy?"
Su Mian: "No, the previous sentence."
Guan Bai thought for a moment and said hesitantly, "Why isn't Xue Ling... this sentence?"
Su Mian nodded as if waking from a dream and said:
"Yes, that's it. You asked a strange, off-the-beaten-path, and tricky question... Why isn't Xue Ling one of them?"
-
After the punishment of the library was finally completed, Xue Yuanyin lived a very peaceful life. Except for some unexpected events during the ten-day exam, everything was fine.
The surprise was not that she got second place again, but that although she was first, Zhang Jingxuan did not come to take the exam at all.
He had indeed taken leave, but she didn't know why. This annoyed Xue Yuanyin for a while, feeling a sense of frustration, having won without even fighting. Or perhaps, she preferred to think of him in a darker light—that he simply didn't take her seriously.
However, Zhang Jingxuan seems to be very busy - this is a recognized fact by everyone.
Her life was peaceful, but the capital was not peaceful.
The news that the emperor was selecting a candidate from the Ruexing Hall to accompany him to the imperial palace was widely known, and many people were watching closely. Zhang Jingxuan, a young and renowned figure, had also been admitted to the Ruexing Hall, which had drawn the attention of the royal princesses and even officials of all ranks outside the capital.
The most anxious among them was Princess Ning Yan.
It was no secret in the capital that the princess, a noble and noble woman, was infatuated with Zhang Jingxuan. Word of the pampered princess's desire to attend Ruxing Hall gradually spread throughout the capital.
Xue Yuanyin only found out about it when she heard her classmates talking about it in school.
Everyone was chatting animatedly early in the morning.
"We have to take the annual exam and regular performance to enter the Ruxing Hall, but the princess's status is superior to others. If she wants to get in, she just needs to act coquettishly to the emperor."
"There has never been a precedent for a royal descendant to enter the Imperial College. Moreover, she knows exactly who she is here for. Will the Master of the Imperial Academy really agree to this?"
"It's hard to say, it's hard to say..."
Xue Yuanyin listened for a moment and then stopped paying attention. There were simply too many girls in the capital who had a secret crush on Zhang Jingxuan, but they were all too reserved to reveal their feelings. Princess Ning Yan, with her noble status, felt safe and secure. In reality, one more girl wouldn't make a difference, and one less wouldn't make a difference either.
She was actually quite happy that Her Royal Highness the Princess could enter the Imperial College. Firstly, she would have a companion, and secondly, she could see how lively Zhang Jingxuan was.
According to her understanding of Zhang Jingxuan, marrying Princess Ning Yan would hinder his career, and would do more harm than good to both him and the Zhang family, and would definitely be a big trouble.
Just thinking about it, Xue Yuanyin felt a little gloating.
Time flew by, and it wasn't long before the emperor left for the palace. Zhang Jingxuan also returned to the academy. Everyone was eager to get a spot on the emperor's roost, and no one made any more trouble. Life was going smoothly.
Princess Ning Yan had not come to the academy for a long time, and it seemed that the idea had been abandoned. The people in the academy also gradually put the matter behind them and no longer paid attention to it.
Less than ten days before His Majesty left for the temporary palace, Xue Yuanyin set out for school as usual.
Because she had been studying too late recently, she got up late today and had a terrible headache. She simply took half a day off. After lunch and a short rest at noon, she felt no longer tired. She packed her bookcase and set off for the Imperial College.
The gate of the Imperial College was closed at this time. If she reopened the gate and went in, it would alert the Dean. If the Dean knew that she stayed up late to study, he would definitely scold her.
Xue Yuanyin got off the carriage in advance with the book box, and slipped under the crooked tree at the side gate of the Imperial College. He skillfully threw the book box over the wall, tied up his sleeves and trouser legs, stretched his hands and feet, and climbed up the wall in a few steps.
Very good, my martial arts skills are still fresh.
Xue Yuanyin sat on the top of the wall, looking for a suitable leverage point on the other side of the wall, and thought to herself in self-repentance: Although she has always aimed to be a delicate and beautiful girl, what does this have to do with her martial arts skills?
She is just a weak girl who knows martial arts.
Wait, where's her bookcase?
Xue Yuanyin looked around suspiciously, but couldn't find it. Perhaps it was hidden by the grass? Well, she'd look for it later... As she thought about it, she spotted her landing spot, jumped down lightly, and landed on the ground below with the help of a tree branch.
This location was ideal, with bushes blocking the way ahead and soft ground beneath. Others thought so, too… Xue Yuanyin turned her head and saw a woman with pearls and jade next to her. Looking down, she saw a frightened, delicate oval face, its owner holding a bookcase that had fallen from the sky.
A young maidservant in green clothes beside her was about to cry: "Princess, we've been discovered! Come with me quickly, Princess..."
Princess? What princess…wait, princess?!
Xue Yuanyin remained silent between her greeting and departure, but Princess Ning Yan reacted quickly, covering her mouth with her hand and putting her other hand to her lips, making a "hush" sound, and speaking in a low voice:
"Just pretend you didn't see me, and I'll pretend I didn't notice you were late. Let's just pretend today never happened. How about that?"
Is this the Princess Ning Yan whose mind is full of love?
"I'm not late." Xue Yuanyin wanted to take her bookcase back, but Princess Ning Yan dodged and refused to let her take it. She cursed her bad luck. She ran into Princess Ning Yan. The princess's secret visit must have something to do with Zhang Jingxuan. She didn't want to be involved in anything related to Zhang Jingxuan at all.
Even so, seeing Princess Ning Yan's nervousness revealing a bit of arrogance, and her arrogance revealing a bit of embarrassment, she couldn't help but ask worriedly, "What is your highness doing?"
Princess Ning Yan raised her chin slightly and used a haughty look to hide her nervousness: "I have some private matters to do with Master Zhang." There is more than one Master Zhang in the Zhang family, but when people in the capital mention the name "Master Zhang", they all assume it means Zhang Jingxuan.
She looked at Xue Yuanyin for a few times, thought for a moment, and then continued, "Look at your attire. You're a woman wearing a long gown. You're from the Xue family, right? I heard that you and Zhang Jingxuan are sworn enemies. What I'm going to do on this trip has nothing to do with you. You can just stand by and pretend you don't know I'm hiding in the Imperial College. If you keep it a secret for me, I'll give you money from my private treasury as a reward. I won't let you suffer any loss."
Xue Yuanyin knew that she should tell the Si Ye immediately, but if the Si Ye really knew about it, it would mean that the princess would be in big trouble. In this short period of contact, she no longer disliked the princess and felt a little reluctant to see her in trouble.
But doing bad things against one's conscience will bring punishment from heaven. Xue Yuanyin hesitated and refused to agree: "I'm not the kind of person who is greedy for money..."
Princess Ning Yan spread out five fingers: "These."
Xue Yuanyin tried to gently persuade her to change her ways: "Princess, have you been hiding for most of the day just to see Zhang Jingxuan? Or do you have to do something? His true character is completely different from what you know. It's really not worth the risk... Not to mention, he wants to get rid of him with just five taels of silver..."
Princess Ning Yan: "Five hundred taels of silver."
"..." Xue Yuanyin thought to herself. She wasn't someone who was greedy for money, but what the princess offered was simply too much. "Five hundred taels of silver, deal."
The trembling little maidservant beside her covered her heart and almost fainted.
"I'll leave it at Tongyuan Bank someday, and my people will give you the silver receipt." Princess Ning Yan was very satisfied with Xue Yuanyin's tact and easygoing nature, and she guaranteed the deal, extending a hand. "I won't betray you. I just have something important to do. You and I are destined to be together. You're welcome to visit the Imperial Academy after school is over today."
School's over today? What are you looking for? Xue Yuanyin didn't know what the princess wanted to do, nor did she care much, but she knew Zhang Jingxuan was going to be in trouble, and just thinking about it made her happy.
Xue Yuanyin shook her hand and said, "I'll go when I have time. I wish your highness a safe day. Remember not to get caught by the Dean. I'm going to the academy now."
Only then did Princess Ning Yan agree to return the book box to her.
Xue Yuanyin waved goodbye to Princess Ning Yan, walked out of the bushes, loosened his sleeves and trouser legs, dusted off his body, and returned to the school carrying his book box.
The afternoon lecture hadn't started yet, and everyone was chatting. Just as she was about to step in, a figure emerged from the classroom, and she was about to bump into her.
Xue Yuanyin and the person in front of her both stopped. She was in a good mood and stepped aside to make way for the other person. Her attitude was surprisingly friendly: "Zhang Xueyou, you go first."
The voice was so friendly that it didn't sound like someone's usual voice. Zhang Jingxuan's mind flashed through what Su Mian and Guan Bai had accidentally said just now. He stopped walking and turned his head to look at her, his gaze lingering for a few seconds longer than usual.
Xue Yuanyin didn't like his gaze and frowned: "What's wrong?"
Zhang Jingxuan suddenly said calmly, "Why did Xue Xueyou come to the academy just now?"
She didn't know if it was Xue Yuanyin's illusion, but she always felt that his eyes were a little deep, as if they contained some profound meaning.
Xue Yuanyin frowned slightly.
Is he testing me? What is he testing me for?
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