This chapter is brought to you by zhopiabee, thanks for the ko-fi! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･
A month passed quickly, the winter chill dissipated, and the spring breeze gradually rose. The accumulated snow in the capital city was finally melting away. Early in the morning, Shen Qingyao even saw the crabapple tree in the courtyard budding tiny flowers. It was already the fifteenth day of the second month, the night before the Spring Imperial Examination.
Shen Qingyao lay on the table, unable to sleep. Tomorrow was the beginning of the Spring Imperial Examination, and somehow, she felt as if she had returned to the night before her own college entrance examination, even though she wasn’t the one taking the test…
[Host, are you nervous?] the system asked her, then expressed its incomprehension, [Why would you be nervous? You know White Moonlight will definitely pass the exam.]
Shen Qingyao shifted, revealing her face buried in her arms. “You don’t understand. My anxiety has nothing to do with whether he can pass or not. I just feel anxious.”
[…Human thoughts are really complicated. It seems I have a lot to learn.] The AI found it difficult to understand her inexplicable emotions.
Shen Qingyao sighed, still unable to sleep.
Suddenly, there was a faint noise from the window. Shen Qingyao’s ears twitched, and with a slight thought, she walked over.
Opening the window, she saw Lu Zhao standing under the crabapple tree outside. The noise just now came from him. Tonight, he unusually wasn’t wearing white clothes. His light purple robe made him look even more noble and handsome. With the swaying shadows of the trees, Lu Zhao smiled lightly. Shen Qingyao was stunned, her heart pounding. It had been more than a month since they last met, and her resistance to Lu Zhao’s beauty seemed to have returned to its initial state.
It wasn’t until Lu Zhao saw her standing still for a long time and waved at her that Shen Qingyao suddenly came to her senses, hurriedly closed the window, and then pushed the door open.
She ran to Lu Zhao’s side, her eyes wide with surprise. “Why are you sneaking into my house again? Young Master Lu, you really have… such audacity…” Shen Qingyao originally intended to confront him with a strong attitude, but under Lu Zhao’s gaze, she grew weaker and weaker. What seemed like a question of accusation turned into a somewhat playful tone.
Lu Zhao softened his expression a bit and pretended to be frivolous. “Tomorrow is the Spring Imperial Examination, and I couldn’t sleep. Can’t I come to see my fiancée?”
Who sneaks into a girl’s chamber at night and still acts so brazenly! Shen Qingyao blushed, wishing those who compared Lu Zhao to a fairy could see him in this state.
Not daring to respond to his words about his fiancée, Shen Qingyao retorted with less confidence, “You… are you really nervous? Do you need to be nervous? Don’t lie!”
—Anyone would be nervous, but Lu Zhao wouldn’t be. What was there for him to be nervous about!
Indeed, he didn’t need to be. Everyone knew Lu Zhao’s fame from a young age, his expertise in both literary and martial arts was praised by the current Emperor himself. It was not an exaggeration to say that as long as he wished, he could easily take the top spot in any Spring Imperial Examination prior to this one.
“Why shouldn’t I be nervous? There are many variables in the examination hall. Who can guarantee nothing will go wrong?” Lu Zhao smiled.
“Anyway, you will definitely be the top scorer!” Shen Qingyao’s voice was firm and confident.
“Oh? Does Yaoyao have so much faith in me?” The smile on Lu Zhao’s face disappeared, replaced by a warm feeling surging into his heart. Although he was confident, he wasn’t arrogant enough to proclaim himself the best in the world. There were always people better than others, and he couldn’t be certain that there wouldn’t be any stronger contenders this year. But this girl in front of him believed in him.
The number above his head appeared for a second, fluctuating slightly as if it wanted to rise, but ultimately remained the same.
“Of course!” Shen Qingyao’s nervousness lasted for a moment, and seeing the situation, she relaxed and nodded.
In the original book, Lu Zhao incidentally discovered the Fifth Prince’s ambition to seize the throne after her Elder Sister’s marriage. At this point, Lu Zhao had understood his own feelings but couldn’t stay with her Elder Sister anymore. He could only step back and enter the officialdom, devoting himself to strategizing for the Fifth Prince and thus protecting her Elder Eister. If not for the inexplicable estrangement later on, Lu Zhao would have undoubtedly been the greatest minister after Xiao Mu ascended the throne.
Although the opportunity to participate in the exam seems inappropriate at the moment, she has no doubt about Lu Zhao’s ability. He is indeed an outstanding talent!
Moreover! Isn’t there still her Elder Brother! She heard that her brother had arranged a very powerful teacher for Lu Zhao! It should be helpful!
The young girl blushed, her eyes filled with complete trust in him. Lu Zhao couldn’t help but feel touched, reaching out to gently rub her hair. Shen Qingyao’s hair was soft to the touch, and Lu Zhao couldn’t help but rub it again, successfully making the girl quiet.
“Well, since Yaoyao is so expectant, I will naturally do my best and not let down your trust.”
Shen Qingyao instinctively felt that he wasn’t just talking about the exam, it sounded as if she was eagerly waiting to marry him, especially since their wedding date was set right after the Imperial Examination.
Shen Qingyao blushed even more. She shook her head, pushing away Lu Zhao’s hand. “What am I expecting? I’m just encouraging you. Don’t get too cocky! If you do well in the exam, you won’t embarrass me!”
Lu Zhao didn’t seem to mind being pushed away, nodding with a good temper. “Alright, alright, I understand.”
Understand what! Shen Qingyao muttered softly.
At that moment, a gust of wind blew. Shen Qingyao, who was already prepared to sleep, wasn’t dressed warmly enough and immediately shivered.
To be honest, this body was really fragile. But Shen Qingyao didn’t say anything, still standing in place.
Lu Zhao noticed her discomfort and gently moved to block the wind for her. He asked softly, “Will Yaoyao come to see me off tomorrow when I enter the examination room?”
Shen Qingyao looked up at him, feeling a strange sensation for a moment. Lu Zhao now seemed like a big dog eager to be petted by its owner. She felt her heart soften, but still pursed her lips, pretending to be tough. “Um… you guys go in so early, I don’t even know if I’ll be awake by then. We’ll see.”
Lu Zhao didn’t argue with her, just nodded in agreement.
For some reason, Lu Zhao tonight was unusually easy to talk to. Shen Qingyao subtly leaned to the side, covering her mouth to hide her smile. She generously decided that she would reluctantly get up early tomorrow to see him off.
The system had been watching for a while, and after hearing Shen Qingyao’s thoughts, it sighed silently. [Clearly, she also wanted to go.]
But as a qualified system, it had learned not to disturb when the atmosphere between Host and the target was romantic, or it would risk being complained about.
Just as Shen Qingyao was about to stifle a second yawn, Lu Zhao gently patted her. His expression was gentle, and the moonlight cast a silver halo around him, mesmerizing Shen Qingyao, who was half-awake. She just heard him say, “Go to sleep.”
[Host!!! If you don’t get up now! Lu Zhao will have finished his exam!!!!]
Although Shen Qingyao was tired last night, she couldn’t sleep after lying down. Her mind was filled with the original book’s plot and Lu Zhao’s face. She tossed and turned, only managing to close her eyes as dawn approached.
She felt like she had only slept for five minutes when the system’s roar woke her up.
The exam is over? Who finished the exam?
Shen Qingyao sat up abruptly, her brain buffering for a moment. “Oh no! The Imperial Examination!”
She had promised Lu Zhao last night!
“Cui Qiao! Cui Qiao! What time is it?” Shen Qingyao hurriedly lifted the blanket and jumped out of bed. As she walked, she called for Cui Qiao. She quickly went to the window and pushed it open to check. Fortunately, it was still not fully bright outside. Although she was late waking up, if she moved quickly, she should be able to catch up.
Cui Qiao quickly came in, bustling around to help her freshen up while asking in surprise, “Miss, why are you up so early today?”
“No time to explain! Hurry up! Otherwise, we’ll miss Lu Zhao’s entrance!” Shen Qingyao was anxious. It was Lu Zhao’s college entrance examination! How important it was! If she was late and affected the child’s exam mentality, what would she do!
It was Lu Zhao’s fault! Not only did he stay up late himself, but he also came to influence her!
At this time, Lu Zhao stood at the entrance of the examination hall. Most of the other candidates had already entered in groups of twos and threes. It was already time to enter, but Lu Zhao remained still. The gatekeeper of the examination hall dared not urge him, waiting for him patiently.
It was Grand Princess Duanhua who came to see him off. Sensing that it was almost time, she asked proactively, “Changfeng, it’s almost time. Why haven’t you gone in yet?”
Changfeng was Lu Zhao’s courtesy name1.
Lu Zhao looked into the distance, his voice calm. “I’ll wait a bit longer. If Mother is tired, she should go back and rest first.”
“How can that be?” Grand Princess Duanhua scolded him with a glare. Although the Duke’s mansion didn’t necessarily need him to achieve great success in the exam, since Lu Zhao wanted to take it, she valued it just like him.
As for who he was waiting for… Grand Princess Duanhua suddenly saw her son smiling. Following his gaze, she saw a carriage rushing over with the plaque of the Shen family. With just one look, she understood.
Sighing, she realized her son’s feelings were already so deep.
“Never mind, you wait by yourself. I’m also tired, I’ll go back to the carriage and rest for a while.” With that, she turned and went back to the carriage.
As she got on the carriage, she looked back and saw a small figure impatiently wanting to jump off before the carriage had even stopped properly. Her usually composed son hurriedly went forward to assist her.
Grand Princess Duanhua shook her head with a smile, “These young people…”
Shen Qingyao rushed all the way, fearing she might not make it. When she saw Lu Zhao still waiting for her, she felt relieved. Wanting to get off the carriage quickly, she was startled as the carriage hadn’t stopped properly, but thankfully she didn’t actually fall.
Lu Zhao stood beside her, looking at her disapprovingly. His gaze was unusually stern. “Why the rush? I’m not going to run away.”
Shen Qingyao blushed, “W-Who… who said I came to find you?”
“Oh? Not me? Then who did Yaoyao come to find?” Lu Zhao looked at the little girl’s stubbornness, then smiled, leaning in closer. “Who else do you want to find?”
His voice was so pleasant, echoing in her ears. Shen Qingyao was successfully enchanted. “N-No one…”
“What did you say?” Lu Zhao pretended not to hear clearly, getting even closer.
“I said I’m here to see you!” Shen Qingyao blushed, noticing that this person was so close that she could bump into him just by raising her head.
Just as she was about to step back, Shen Qingyao suddenly found herself encircled by Lu Zhao.
His arms loosely wrapped around her, not too tight, she could easily break free. He didn’t press too close either, giving Shen Qingyao space and freedom. It was an extremely restrained embrace, making Shen Qingyao hesitate to break away.
“Yaoyao, I’m glad you came.” Lu Zhao’s usual cold voice softened. Shen Qingyao’s heart also softened. She thought, forget it, consider it giving warmth and encouragement to the examinee.
She obediently let him hug her for a long time, even reaching out to pat his back, then finally resting lightly on his waist…
After a moment, Grand Princess Duanhua couldn’t bear to watch any longer and came down from the carriage to urge them. The intense affection between the two young people made her, from the older generation, feel a bit embarrassed. But seeing their good relationship, Grand Princess Duanhua also felt relieved.
Lu Zhao let go of Shen Qingyao, laughing heartily. Seeing her starting to feel shy again, he stopped teasing her, just gently rubbed her head. He said softly, “Yaoyao, after the Imperial Examinations, I’ll come to marry you.”
After Lu Zhao went in, Shen Qingyao’s face was as red as if it had been boiled, she couldn’t even dare to look at Grand Princess Duanhua.
Fortunately, Grand Princess Duanhua just smiled kindly beside her and didn’t say much. Otherwise, Shen Qingyao would have exploded on the spot…
- In Chinese culture, a courtesy name is often used in addition to one’s given name. It’s common for people, especially scholars, to have both a given name and a courtesy name. ↩︎