Chapter 57 Isn't it cold from the tug-of-war?
For the remaining days, Yu Man mostly stayed in the inn and did not go out much. He only sent a letter to his family in Dongqing County to let them know he was safe, so as not to worry his parents. In his spare time, he would read books or think about some new dishes. Occasionally, he would think about what he had seen and heard at Wenle Tower that day, as well as the possibility of cooperation proposed by Gu Chengling, and weigh the options in his mind.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it was the ninth and final day of the imperial examinations. Although he knew that the examination hall would not release people until around 3 PM, Yu Man still ate breakfast early, got ready, and prepared to wait at the gate of the examination hall.
When she arrived, the imposing vermilion gates of the examination hall were already packed with people. All sorts of carriages and sedan chairs filled the nearby streets and alleys, and even more people, like her, were family members and servants who had come on foot. Everyone was craning their necks to wait, and the air was filled with an atmosphere of anxiety, anticipation and unease.
Her gaze swept across the crowd, and Yu Man noticed a seemingly simple blue-draped carriage parked not far away. It had few decorations, yet in such a crowded place, a small circle of space naturally remained around it, and no one dared to approach easily. A wooden plaque with the character "Zhang" hung in one corner. She recognized it as the Zhang family's mark and understood. Even if the carriage and horses of such a distinguished family were unassuming, their status and power were enough to make others fear and avoid them.
Turning her gaze away, Yu Man was pondering where she could find a place to settle down when she heard a commotion coming from the side gate of the examination hall. Many people crowded over at the sound.
"Another one brought out?" A neatly dressed woman in her forties muttered to herself. She had somehow produced a small handful of sunflower seeds in her hand and was cracking them open. Looking at the commotion, she clicked her tongue and shook her head.
Seeing that she looked calm and experienced, Yu Man took two small stools from the carriage, handed one over, and sat down next to her on the other, humbly asking, "Auntie, what do you mean by that? Has something happened inside?"
The auntie didn't stand on ceremony, took the stool and sat down, sharing some melon seeds with Yu Man before explaining, "Is this your first time taking the imperial examination, young lady? According to the rules of the spring examination, it usually ends at 3 PM, after which the courtyard is locked and the thorns are removed. But enduring nine days of this isn't easy. Some people's bodies can't take it, or their minds are exhausted, and they can't hold on until the very end, so the officials have to carry them out early." She gestured towards the noisy area, "Look, I guess it's another gentleman who couldn't take it anymore."
Upon hearing this, Yu Man thought to himself that it was indeed not something that could be sustained by ordinary physical and mental strength to eat, drink, and relieve oneself in that small cell for nine consecutive days of examinations, with day and night reversed.
She couldn't help but glance in that direction, and sure enough, she saw several officials in their uniforms carrying a pale-faced, closed-eyed middle-aged man, struggling to squeeze through the crowd and take him to a waiting medical carriage.
Fortunately, the weather was kind to them today; the sun wasn't too harsh, and the spring breeze was gentle and warm, so it wasn't cold. Yu Man sat there contentedly, cracking sunflower seeds and chatting with the talkative aunt, and time passed quickly.
"Young lady, are you also here to wait for your husband?" The aunt looked Yu Man up and down. Seeing that although she was young, she was beautiful and composed, unlike the timid girls from ordinary families. So she asked curiously.
Without batting an eye, Yu replied naturally, "Yes, we'll wait for him to come out."
The aunt nodded knowingly and continued chatting: "Judging from your age, your husband must be quite young too, right? Is this your first time taking the imperial examination?"
Yu Man nodded in agreement.
The auntie's face showed an expression of "I knew it," and she comforted her, "It's your first time, just think of it as getting familiar with the situation and the process. It's good that you can finish the exam." Her tone was quite open-minded.
Judging from her tone, Yu Man asked cautiously, "From what you're saying, Auntie, you... also come to accompany me during the exams?"
The aunt paused in her sunflower seed-eating, then laughed heartily, a mix of helplessness and nonchalant acceptance: "That's right! My good-for-nothing son of mine is taking the exam for the sixth time this year! When he was young, he was ambitious, always dreaming of achieving fame and bringing honor to the family. I told him that if he fails again this time, he should give up on that idea and come back to our county to open a private school and teach children, which would be a respectable profession."
Upon hearing this, Yu Man couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the path of the imperial examinations. Ten years, even decades, of hard study were required, and only a select few ultimately succeeded. For this aunt's husband to persevere six times was already quite remarkable.
As the two talked, it was nearly noon before they realized it. After the small commotion at the entrance of the examination hall in the morning, the long wait returned, and no one came out early again.
Yu Man greeted her aunt, got up and returned to the inn not far away, where she had lunch with Xiao Tao. She specifically instructed Xiao Tao to stay at the inn and watch over the chicken soup that she had started simmering over a low flame that morning. She rested for a while, then returned to the entrance of the examination hall to continue guarding it.
The afternoon wait seemed even longer. As the sun gradually slanted westward, the crowd began to stir, all eyes fixed on the tightly closed vermilion gate. At the beginning of the late afternoon, faint chimes and shouts seemed to emanate from inside the examination hall, and the crowd instantly erupted into a frenzy, like boiling water.
About fifteen minutes later, the heavy door finally opened a crack amidst expectant gazes.
Immediately afterwards, the candidates began to emerge one after another.
These students, who had endured nine days of physical and mental torment, mostly looked haggard and walked with difficulty. Some had sunken eyes, some were unshaven, and their clothes were wrinkled, a stark contrast to their neat and refined appearance when they entered nine days ago. Some broke down in tears with their families after coming out, some looked around blankly, and some forced themselves to bow and say goodbye to their familiar classmates, their faces revealing their unconcealed exhaustion.
Yu Man stood on the periphery of the crowd, tiptoeing, her eyes searching for that familiar figure in the ever-flowing crowd.
Finally, as another group of candidates walked out, she saw Pei Ji.
He walked through the crowd, his posture still upright, but his steps were noticeably heavier and slower than usual. His face wasn't as pale as some others, but a lingering weariness hung over his brows, and there were faint dark circles under his eyes. His thin lips were tightly pressed together, clearly indicating that the past nine days had taken a heavy toll.
However, when he looked up and his gaze pierced through the crowd to pinpoint Yu Man, his eyes instantly lit up with a smile.
Yu Man immediately pushed through the crowd and ran to him. Without thinking twice, she carefully looked him up and down to make sure that he was fine except for being tired. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and grab his sleeve: "Let's go, get in the car and go back to the inn."
Pei Ji let her pull him along, looking at her slightly flushed cheeks, his smile deepened, his voice low and hoarse with fatigue: "Isn't it not far from the inn? It won't hurt to walk."
Yu Man shook her head. This person still hadn't slacked off, and said confidently, "I'm so tired, I can take as few steps as possible! I've hired a car and am waiting over there." She pointed to a small blue cloth cart that had been hired not far away.
At this moment, the aunt also saw Pei Ji. She was still waiting for her husband. She smiled and leaned closer to Yu Man, covering her mouth with her hand and teasingly said in a low voice, "Young lady, your husband is quite handsome!"
She paused, then added with a touch of pride mixed with regret, "To be honest, my husband was also a young prodigy back in the day, a well-known talent in our county. It's just that his looks... aren't as handsome and eye-catching as yours."
Yu Man felt a little embarrassed by what she said, and generously smiled and agreed a few times.
Once the two boarded the hired carriage, Pei Ji leaned against the wall in the cramped compartment, closed his eyes slightly, and let out a long sigh. The carriage slowly started moving, shutting out the noise from outside. Suddenly remembering something, he opened his eyes, looked at Yu Man sitting opposite him, and asked softly, "What did that auntie whisper to you just now?"
Yu Man rolled her eyes and said without changing her expression, "Oh, she said you look too thin, like you could be blown over by the wind, and you probably couldn't even move two bundles of firewood. She told you to eat more in the future."
Upon hearing this, Pei Ji raised an eyebrow, looked at her with a lazy smile in his eyes, and slowly said, "Whether I can move firewood or not... don't you know?" He was referring to the time when they were in Dongqing County, when he often helped her family with physical labor and she never questioned his strength.
Yu Man was taken aback by his words, but she forced herself to remain calm, raised her chin, and retorted without any guilt: "I don't know! Who knows if you've lost even more weight these past few days?"
Pei Ji glanced at her, saw her stubborn expression, and simply smiled without saying anything more.
Seeing how exhausted he was, Yu Man's desire to argue with him faded, and she felt a pang of heartache instead. She moved closer, wanting to examine his complexion more closely.
Pei Ji reached out a finger, pressed it against her forehead, and gently pushed her back.
"What?" Yu Man muttered in dissatisfaction, then stubbornly moved closer.
Pei Ji reached out again and gently pushed her away with his fingertips.
Yu Man leaned in for the third time, pointed to her smooth forehead, and scolded, "Stop pushing! You've poked my forehead all red!"
Pei Ji looked at her fair forehead and finally smiled without getting angry. He reached out and gently rubbed her forehead with his fingertips, explaining apologetically, "I've been cooped up in the cell for nine days, and I don't smell good. I was afraid it would bother you."
Upon hearing this, Yu Man subconsciously sniffed and took a closer look. The carriage was filled with the faint smell of wood and leather from the carriage itself, but more so with the cool, tired scent emanating from him, as well as the familiar faint fragrance of ink and books. She didn't smell anything unpleasant.
But she knew this person was a germaphobe and had extremely high standards for himself. So she stopped moving forward and went back to her seat.
After Pei Ji returned to his room at the inn to bathe and change, Yu Man went to the kitchen. The small clay pot on the stove was still warm, with wisps of white steam rising from the edge of the lid, and the rich aroma of chicken soup filled the entire kitchen.
Xiao Tao was standing guard nearby. When she saw Yu Man come in, she hurriedly said, "Madam, as you instructed, we haven't dared to turn off the fire. We've been simmering it with the smallest flame, and the broth has reduced just right."
A waiter who was serving dishes to other guest rooms passed by and couldn't help but sniff the air. He smiled and said, "This lady has excellent skills! The aroma of the chicken soup is so enticing that many guests have been asking if we've added any new signature dishes. We're almost overwhelmed with questions!"
Yu Man smiled but didn't say much. Seeing that Pei Ji would need some time to bathe, she borrowed the inn's stove and quickly stir-fried two light and refreshing dishes with the available ingredients. Then, she took out a clean bowl and began to serve Pei Ji rice.
Xiao Tao watched from the side, seeing her wife spooning rice higher and higher in the bowl, until it gradually bulged out of the bowl.
By the fifth spoonful, Xiao Tao finally couldn't help but whisper a reminder: "Wife... isn't this a bit too much?" She thought to herself, her own father had been working hard in the fields for three days and three nights straight, and he still couldn't eat such a big bowl of rice when he came back.
Upon hearing this, Yu Man stopped what she was doing, looked at the bowl of rice piled up like a small mountain, blinked, and said with a hint of uncertainty, "Is...is he alright? He's been taking exams for nine days, he must be starving." Even so, she didn't add any more rice.
After placing the stir-fried vegetables and chicken soup along with the bowl of rice on a tray, Yu Man told Xiao Tao to go and rest, and then personally carried the tray upstairs.
As Xiao Tao watched her wife carry the generous portion of food upstairs, she silently calculated the substantial amount of food in that bowl, feeling that Pei Langjun might find it difficult to enjoy.
Yu Man carried the tray to Pei Ji's door. With her hands full, she had to raise her voice slightly to ask, "Pei Ji, are you ready?"
It was quiet inside; there was no response.
Yu Man waited a while and then called out again, "Pei Ji?"
Silence remained. She pressed her ear close to the door, and could faintly hear the sound of water coming from inside.
Is he still taking a bath?
Yu Man was immediately caught in a dilemma. Should she go and check with the waiter? She subconsciously glanced down into the hall, but at this hour, the waiter seemed to be busy elsewhere and not in the hall.
After hesitating for a moment, Yu Man had no choice but to speak again, "Um... I came in to bring you some food." Her voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
She gently pushed open the door, which was not bolted, and walked in with her head down and eyes straight ahead. Relying on her senses, she steadily placed the tray on the round table in the center of the room and set out the bowls and chopsticks.
After doing all this, she turned around and wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"Xiaoman?" Just then, Pei Ji's voice, tinged with a hint of doubt, came from behind the screen, as if he had just heard the noise.
Yu Man paused, then quickly explained, "I noticed you hadn't come up for dinner yet, so I brought it to you. It's all on the table; eat it while it's hot. I'll be going now." She then reached for the door.
"Wait." Pei Ji's voice rang out again, stopping her.
At the same time, a scent that blends the steam from a bath, the fresh scent of soap, and the unique fragrance of ink emanating from him gradually intensifies as it approaches.
Out of the corner of her eye, Yu Man caught a glimpse of a figure emerging from behind the screen.
Pei Ji had clearly just come out of the bath; his long, jet-black hair was not completely dry and was still dripping wet, soaking the thin, moon-white undergarment on his shoulders.
The clothes were clearly put on in a hurry and were not properly fastened. The overlapping lapels were slightly open, revealing the collarbone and a small patch of warm, jade-like skin. The flickering candlelight shone through the damp fabric, vaguely outlining the strong contours of the chest.
Yu Man's heart skipped a beat, and a thought inexplicably popped into her mind: This person... didn't he claim to eat little? How come he doesn't look... frail at all?
Although she knew that Pei Ji might not be able to see her full expression from his current angle, she still couldn't help but blink rapidly, forcing herself to look away, and asked in a serious tone, "Is there anything else?"
Pei Ji noticed her deliberately avoiding his gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips, and asked softly, "Aren't you going to eat with us?"
Yu Man immediately shook her head, her tone resolute: "No, these are all yours alone." She specifically emphasized "alone."
Upon hearing this, Pei Ji paused for a moment, then chuckled softly with a hint of helplessness: "...In your heart, am I even considered a person?" Who can eat so much in one sitting?
Yu Man: "...What do you mean!" She immediately understood the sarcasm in his words and turned around sharply to glare at him.
Turning around, she caught a glimpse of Pei Ji's appearance—his hair was slightly damp, his black hair clung to his face, and water droplets seeped into his slightly open robe. His usual aloof demeanor was softened by the misty steam, giving him a breathtakingly beautiful appearance.
Yu Man felt her cheeks getting hot, so she quickly coughed twice to cover them. Her gaze drifted to his open collar as she urged, "Put your clothes on! Aren't you afraid of catching a cold in this weather?"
Pei Ji seemed to only then notice his disheveled appearance, and readily raised his hand to casually gather his collar and tie the belt. He looked at Yu Man with gentle eyes: "I'm not cold. Eat some with me; I can't eat this much by myself."
He reached out to her, trying to grab her wrist.
Yu Man shrank back and waved her hands repeatedly, "I'm not eating, I'm really not hungry!" She felt her heart was pounding so hard that she couldn't eat anything.
Pei Ji frowned slightly when he saw her refuse. He stepped forward, looked down at her slightly flushed cheeks, and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Your complexion seems a little off."
Yu Man quickly laughed it off: "No! Maybe it's just... I've been waiting all day and I'm a little tired. I'll go back and lie down for a while." As she spoke, she tried to slip away again.
This time, Pei Ji wouldn't allow her to escape again; his slender fingers had already gently grasped her wrist. His fingertips were still slightly damp and warm from his bath, gently caressing the delicate skin of her wrist.
“Don’t rush off,” he said very softly, “Let me take a look at you.”
As he spoke, his fingers precisely placed on her pulse. The distance between them closed because of his movement, and Yu Man could even feel the dampness emanating from his body.
Pei Ji concentrated for a moment, then raised his eyes, his expression calm. He looked at her, his tone deliberate, and slowly said:
"Your pulse is rapid and forceful, like a bean rolling around... Xiaoman, why is your heart so anxious?"
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Author's note: Me: This is a honey trap, did you realize that?
Meibao: Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who gets easily charmed. I'm just pretending to be attracted to him; it's just part of my carefully planned scheme. Everything is under my control, everything is going according to plan. Don't say anything more, I have my own plans. Of course I know he's trying to hook me, and me taking the bait is also part of my plan. Don't bother me; I know what I'm doing.
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