Gu Nanjiao casually tossed the picture book into a corner.
She thought it was some gold or silver jewelry, or at the very least some banknotes. She never expected that this was Lu Siniang's most treasured possession.
However, the two little figures above are truly wonderful; the painting is so lifelike, I really want to see them again.
Gu Nanjiao picked up the picture book again.
Gu Nanjiao was so engrossed in watching that she didn't even notice Lu Yanzhao coming in.
"What are you looking at?" A clear male voice, with a lazy huskiness, came from beside me, making me feel a little dazed.
Ah! We've been spotted!
It was actually Lu Yanzhao?
Gu Nanjiao was startled. Without thinking, she quickly hid the picture book behind her back. Her face was burning hot. She took two steps back in a panic, then turned around and prepared to run away.
Perhaps he was moving too fast, his steps became unsteady, and he seemed to trip over a stool while trying to escape. Lu Yanzhao, watching from behind, frowned deeply.
Gu Nanjiao stiffly got up, not forgetting to hide the booklet behind her back.
Gu Nanjiao glanced guiltily at Lu Yanzhao, then feigned composure and asked, "Why are you back?"
Lu Yanzhao wondered why Gu Nanjiao had such an expression. What was wrong? Was she unhappy that he was back?
Lu Yanzhao said coldly, "The unrest in the town is making a big fuss, and several people have been chopped up. I heard it happened near Toad Village, so I was worried and came back."
Lu Yanzhao squinted and looked Gu Nanjiao up and down, then chuckled, "What are you looking at? Why are you hiding? And why do you seem so guilty?"
Gu Nanjiao blushed slightly, but pretended to be nonchalant: "It's just a storybook. Why are you asking so many questions? You haven't had dinner yet, have you? I'll go to the kitchen and make you something."
"How about some hot and sour noodles? They're appetizing!"
Lu Yanzhao did not answer, but looked at Gu Nanjiao with a half-smile.
Gu Nanjiao swore she was an absolutely decent person and genuinely didn't mean to look at the picture book. She really thought it was a silver note, the treasured item that Lü Siniang had given her. She never expected that once she opened it, she couldn't help but glance at it a few more times.
Lu Yanzhao slowly approached Gu Nanjiao and stretched out his hand: "Let me see!"
Gu Nanjiao felt a sudden pang of guilt and quickly backed away, her palms damp with the picture book: "Wh...what?"
"Are you hungry? I'll go cook." He turned and left after saying that.
Lu Yanzhao wasn't usually one to pry, but seeing Gu Nanjiao's cheeks flushed so brightly and looked so adorable, he felt a surge of curiosity and became even more eager to know what she was looking at.
Lu Yanzhao grabbed Gu Nanjiao and snatched the picture book from her hand.
Gu Nanjiao was extremely embarrassed and jumped up and down to snatch the picture book from Lu Yanzhao's hand.
Lu Yanzhao held the album high, and no matter how much Gu Nanjiao jumped around, she couldn't reach it.
Gu Nanjiao angrily found a stool and sat down.
In ancient times, when a woman of marriageable age got married, her dowry included items prepared by her family for her wedding night, such as these comic books, also known as "daughter's books." Lü Siniang gave them to her; it wasn't illegal for her to glance at them.
What is there for a modern person like her to be afraid of? It's just a few erotic pictures, what's there to be embarrassed about?
Lu Yanzhao can watch it if he wants.
Let's see who's embarrassed then!
Lu Yanzhao glanced at it a few times, and his ears couldn't help but feel hot.
However, he was quite good at pretending. Even if the actions in the comic book were indescribable, he would close the book without blushing or skipping a beat.
Lu Yanzhao waved the comic book in his hand and chuckled, "I didn't expect you to read this kind of book."
Gu Nanjiao feigned composure: "So what? This is called a daughter's book, I think it's perfectly normal."
Lu Yanzhao glanced down at the thing in his hand, swallowed hard, put the comic book in the desk drawer, and said somewhat awkwardly, "You're not allowed to read this anymore. I'm confiscating it."
"But if you like these, we can try them later. Hmm?"
Lu Yanzhao took two steps forward, staring intently at Gu Nanjiao.
Who wants to try it with you? Clearly, all that talk about being a gentleman was just her illusion.
Gu Nanjiao felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, her ears turning slightly red. She quickly got up from the stool and said, "I'll go make you something to eat."
She rushed into the kitchen, then belatedly realized why Lu Yanzhao had confiscated her comic books. These were the most precious things her future stepmother had given her.
But she didn't have the courage to ask Lu Yanzhao for it back, otherwise she would be embarrassed again.
Gu Nanjiao carefully brought a bowl of hot and sour noodles into the house. Lu's mother and Lu Xiaomei were already asleep, and she was afraid of waking them.
The hot and sour noodles are served chilled, with the broth made from chilled boiled water. They are tangy, spicy, refreshing, and have a chewy texture.
Lu Yanzhao was quite satisfied with the meal.
Gu Nanjiao took the opportunity to tell Bai Luochen about selling the saltpeter mine in the back mountain and the ice-making workshop.
Lu Yanzhao paused in his chopsticks, then frowned and asked, "You're cooperating with Bai Luochen again?"
Gu Nanjiao was taken aback, but then said quite frankly, "Yes, I have no connections or background, so I can't do business on such a large scale. It's a win-win situation to cooperate with him!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yanzhao gave a faint "oh" and continued eating the hot and sour noodles in his bowl.
After taking a few bites, he looked up again and asked, "You're so capable, it makes me feel a little ashamed." He then lowered his eyelids, his expression revealing an indescribable sense of loss.
Gu Nanjiao explained patiently, "Then you should study hard and strive to pass the imperial examination with top honors. That way, I won't need to rely on others."
"I know!"
Gu Nanjiao slept soundly that night. Exhausted from a long day, she was both frightened and scared, and fell asleep almost immediately.
Seeing that she seemed to be asleep, Lu Yanzhao turned off the oil lamp, but after lying down, he couldn't fall asleep no matter what.
The moonlight, like water, shone through the window onto that exceptionally handsome face, yet a hint of sorrow appeared in his clear, cool eyes.
Lu Yanzhao felt uneasy. Gu Nanjiao was becoming increasingly outstanding, able to live comfortably without relying on him. And with the wealthy and powerful Bai Luochen by her side day after day, wouldn't she…
He was very confident about the autumn examination in August. Headmaster Zheng was focusing on cultivating him, and he was well aware of Headmaster Zhang's good intentions.
There aren't many people in this world who truly value talent; only self-interest can sustain a relationship. Zheng Shanchang, the former Grand Secretary, has now stepped down and is undoubtedly eager to make a comeback. Cultivating him is likely a way to make him work for them.
Lu Yanzhao knew better than anyone that climbing the ranks wasn't possible by relying solely on the imperial examinations. Even if you achieved the highest rank in all three levels of the examinations, becoming the top scholar, without someone to help you, you could at best enter the Hanlin Academy as a minor official of the sixth rank.
Zheng Shanchang, the former Grand Secretary, had many protégés. Now he is keeping a low profile and focusing on cultivating him, which is actually a way of winning him over.
Why not work for him first and become one of his men?
After weighing the pros and cons, Lu Yanzhao's mood immediately brightened.
He could hear Gu Nanjiao's even breathing. Lu Yanzhao turned over and looked at the drawer where the booklets were.
He naturally knew what it was. When his classmates in the academy were sleeping in their dormitories, they would gather in twos and threes, holding oil lamps, to secretly look at the comic book. He wasn't interested in it, but Lin Ji dragged him to look at it together, constantly discussing with his classmates which positions women liked best.
Thinking of the scene above, Lu Yanzhao felt his mouth go dry and his whole body felt hot, making it even harder for him to fall asleep.
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