Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Like him? !
Time goes back to a stick of incense——
Zhang Jingxuan had gone to the dormitory for a nap and had not returned yet. Su Mian and Guan Bai had nothing to do after lunch, so they were whispering gossip behind his back in the classroom.
Su Mian: "After my observations over this period of time, what you said is indeed possible. It's too subtle, and I wouldn't be able to detect it if I weren't very observant."
Guan Bai: "Your keen observation?"
Su Mian: "Yes. First, she went to give him medicine on purpose, then she got mad at him because he wasn't there for the exam, and finally, she always liked to compare herself with him, even frequently targeting him..."
"What does this mean?"
This question wasn't from Guan Bai, but Su Mian didn't recognize it, immersed in his own great calculations:
"This shows one thing. Xue Ling is targeting Zhang Jingxuan so much that he even looks for guest officials who look like him. I'm afraid he likes him!"
After he finished speaking, he realized that the air was a little quiet. Su Mian suddenly came back to his senses and found that Zhang Zimo was standing behind him, frowning and listening. It was obvious that the question just now came from him.
Su Mian: “…”
He quickly stood up and said, "Don't tell Zhang Jingxuan!"
"Stop gossiping like a gossipmonger in school. Have you learned your lessons well?" Zhang Zimo said disapprovingly. Then he looked at the figure slowly approaching from behind and whispered, "I'm afraid my cousin has heard everything you said. He was almost outside the door just now."
Su Mian and Guan Bai: "..."
The two of them exchanged glances, then looked towards the door along with Zhang Zimo and the other two. Zhang Jingxuan just happened to walk in. He met their gazes, paused, and asked, "What's going on?"
Su Mian hesitated to speak: "Nothing."
Guan Bo continued: "That's it..."
Zhang Zimo finally said, "That's right, we want to ask if you heard our conversation just now?"
Zhang Jingxuan looked at the three of them and said after a moment, "No."
After a slight pause, he looked at Zhang Zimo and asked gently, "What are you talking about with them?"
Zhang Zimo heard his cousin's gentle and clear voice and suddenly understood what he meant:
What can you talk about with the two of them? Of course there is nothing to talk about.
"Nothing, just that His Majesty wants to come to our school before leaving for the palace. I wonder who he will choose to accompany him."
Zhang Zimo walked towards Zhang Jingxuan and followed him into the school, saying, "I wonder if my cousin has prepared enough?"
Zhang Jingxuan nodded slowly, put down the bookcase and walked out again. Zhang Zimo hurriedly asked him what he was going to do. Zhang Jingxuan paused and told the truth:
"My eyelids have been twitching since this morning. I have a premonition of something happening. I want to go look for the dean and take this afternoon off."
As a result, he ran into Xue Yuanyin who had just returned from vacation.
…
Faced with Zhang Jingxuan's question, Xue Yuanyin naturally didn't want to pay attention to it, and dismissed him with a sentence "You overslept".
Zhang Jingxuan's gaze paused on her cheek, where there was a red mark that had not yet faded.
How soundly did she sleep in the mansion this morning?
Watching Xue Yuanyin leave, Zhang Jingxuan stared at her back for a moment, hiding the thoughts in his eyes.
…
In the end, Zhang Jingxuan's leave was not granted because the elusive Dean came in and told everyone: His Majesty will visit the Imperial College in three days and hold an examination to examine their academic performance. Those who perform outstandingly will be selected by the Emperor to accompany him in the palace. Please be prepared.
Now no one could ask for leave. The Dean issued an order that no student was allowed to slack off and that they had to dress properly to welcome the imperial throne in three days.
After he left, Dr. Jiang came in with the regular performance roster and said:
"Have you all heard? I'm responsible for your performance assessments. Your performance over the past three days will also be used as a reference for our recommendation to His Majesty. His Majesty is most averse to quarrels between fellow students. You are all comrades, so remember to be kind and respectful, support each other, and don't leave a bad impression on His Majesty... Okay, everyone, get your books out, and let's begin."
Xue Yuanyin listened to Dr. Jiang's words and felt inexplicably that he was referring to her and Zhang Jingxuan.
Because the emperor was about to arrive, the atmosphere in Suixing Hall became inexplicably friendly and harmonious. Young people who usually couldn't get together for three days now gathered around the tables to chat and talk. No matter whether they were from a wealthy family or a small family, whether they were real or fake, they were now as close as brothers.
Su Mian, Guan Bai, and Gao Songlin were all members of Prince Yu's faction. Normally, they had no dealings with princelings like Zhang Zimo, yet now they were standing arm in arm, like some dandy lads. It was unclear what they were talking about, but they were getting too close.
Xue Yuanyin couldn't make peace with Zhang Jingxuan. She thought she couldn't swallow a piece of shit, but if it was for her own future and family interests, then she would swallow it even if it was a piece of shit.
She showed a temporarily friendly attitude towards Zhang Jingxuan, and even greeted him when they met. Her black lychee eyes were curved with a hint of insincere compliment and smile.
She wondered absentmindedly what Princess Ning Yan would do after school was over. Thinking of Zhang Jingxuan's expression when he found out Princess Ning Yan had sneaked into the Imperial College, Xue Yuanyin's smile grew even more intense.
Zhang Jingxuan's upbringing taught him to never lose face. Although he didn't talk much, he always had a faint smile on his face, even if the other person was his mortal enemy. Therefore, the two of them appeared to be very harmonious on the surface.
To outsiders, it seemed that the two had really improved their relationship, it was like the sun rising from the west.
In a corner of the school where the two of them could not see, Su Mian, Guan Bai and Zhang Zimo watched the scene with their hands behind their backs.
Su Mian was somewhat pleased with himself. "See, Xue Ling's attitude towards Zhang Jingxuan has become increasingly friendly. I was right, wasn't I? Their confrontational exterior hides such a truth!"
Guan Bo was a little confused: "Really? Is there something wrong?"
Zhang Zimo's handsome face fell, and he felt like the sky had fallen. "No way, Xue Ling really likes my cousin? How is this possible? How can this be possible!"
After Xue Yuanyin left, Zhang Jingxuan stopped where he was and looked at her back.
In fact, no movement within a few miles can escape his ears, unless it is deliberately concealed by someone.
like?
This speculation is too far-fetched.
Zhang Jingxuan pulled the corners of his lips, and a sneer rolled out of his throat that was inconsistent with his gentle and humble appearance.
I thought to myself, this is ridiculous.
-
When the sun sets, the sky is bright and the wind is clear. In April, the shade of the locust trees is deep and thick.
Xue Yuanyin waited expectantly for school to end, slowly packing up her bookcase and writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone. After Zhang Jingxuan got up and left, she deliberately walked behind him.
Sure enough, just after a cup of tea, before they had even passed the round pavilion, they heard the noise of many students coming from the gate of the Imperial College in front, and even the students who had not yet reached there leaned over to look.
After seeing what happened, many eyes turned back to look at Zhang Jingxuan, their gazes mixed with various emotions, most of them just looking to watch the fun.
Zhang Jingxuan walked through the pavilion with a calm expression, heading towards the Imperial College. However, Zhang Zimo, who was following behind him, received many stares, feeling uneasy.
Zhang Zimo quickly caught up with Zhang Jingxuan and asked in a low voice, "Cousin, what happened up ahead? Why is everyone looking at you?"
Zhang Jingxuan ignored the people around him and continued walking for a while.
He thought that these onlookers would gradually disappear, but unexpectedly, more and more students gathered, blocking the open space in front of the Imperial College gate, exclaiming in surprise and looking back at him and pointing at him from time to time.
Judging from the situation, something troublesome definitely happened that he had not expected.
Zhang Jingxuan paused, then suddenly thought of something, and his expression became a little uglier.
Zhang Zimo quickly grabbed a tall and thin young man who had escaped from the crowd. Upon closer inspection, he found that it was someone he knew, a very hardworking boy from a poor family who was usually taciturn.
It's not a good person to ask questions, but now he can't care so much. Zhang Zimo took out a silver ingot from his sleeve and put it into his purse. He handed it over quietly and asked, "Brother Shen, what happened at the Imperial Academy in front? Why do so many people seem to be waiting to see my cousin's excitement?"
Chen Suo pushed the silver purse away with a calm expression, and said succinctly and concisely:
"Princess Ning Yan unfurled a large banner in front of the Imperial College gate. There was a line of poetry on it. I didn't look closely, but I heard it said it read, 'Just because you glanced back, I miss you day and night.' It was said she had some private words she wanted to tell Young Master Zhang in person."*
This is not an ordinary poem, it is clearly a love poem that expresses the poet's feelings.
Princess Ning Yan couldn't stop Zhang Jingxuan in the capital, so she came to the Imperial College to stop him. She made the shy and reserved confession of a girl into a grand event, and all the students knew about it.
Zhang Zimo thanked Chen Lu, and as soon as Chen Lu left, he went to see Zhang Jingxuan, and saw that his face was extremely ugly.
"Cousin, you..." Before Zhang Zimo could finish his words, Zhang Jingxuan turned and walked towards the path next to him.
"Go tell Princess Ning Yan that I'm leaving first. If she has anything to say, she can send a visiting card to the Zhang Mansion."
Zhang Jingxuan looked up at the crowd of people in front of him and the people in the middle with their hair full of bright pearls and emeralds, and he suddenly felt a headache.
"I'll go ahead."
Zhang Zimo had just agreed when Zhang Jingxuan stopped at the beginning of the path and looked at the person in front of him with a frown.
The girl with a round oval face and lychee eyes stood in front, blocking the road, her arms folded across her chest, a hint of cunning and pride on her smart and delicate face:
"This road is blocked, please go through the main gate."
Zhang Jingxuan was in a bad mood and spoke in a bad tone. He didn't want to waste his breath here and said, "Xue Yuanyin, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business."
The words were harsh and jarring, but Xue Yuanyin was in a very good mood, and her tone was somewhat gloating: "I can't help it. I accepted the money and have to do things for others. Please, Master Zhang——"
She raised her hand and pointed at the huge crowd of people waiting for him to come, and said in a deliberately sarcastic and disgusting way:
"There's a beautiful lady waiting for you at the Imperial Academy."
During this time of arguing, everyone noticed Zhang Jingxuan's figure and started shouting his name. Some even started to make a fuss:
"Master Zhang, the princess is here to see you, why don't you come and see her?"
"A talented man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match, what a perfect match!"
"Your Highness, the Princess is very courageous. Master Zhang, please do not disappoint her."
“…”
Zhang Jingxuan turned a deaf ear and stared at Xue Yuanyin with his light brown eyes. Even after those people discovered him, she still had no intention of giving way. He didn't know whether to be angry or laugh for a moment.
It seems that she had known about this matter for a long time and was waiting for him here in advance.
After this incident, who knows how many rumors will be thrown at him, and how much effort he will have to spend behind the scenes to calm them down.
Xue Yuanyin looked at Zhang Jingxuan's back as he left without saying a word, recalling his gloomy face of defeat. Suddenly, she smiled, all her depression disappeared, and she felt refreshed all over.
She walked forward briskly. She must not miss the rare bustle of Zhang Jingxuan.
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*Source: Ancient Love Song.
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