The examination ended three days later. On this day, Shen Qingyao woke up early again, and prepared to arrive outside the exam hall ahead of time to give warmth to Examinee Lu.
Shen Qingyao held a basket of her favorite pastries, thinking to herself, “I’m really considerate, aren’t I? I heard that the examination lasts for three days, and the environment in the exam hall is very harsh. Lu Zhao has been trapped there for three days, it must be very uncomfortable. What can heal the heart better than delicious food?”
As she was about to leave, she met Shen Yushu, who was about to go to court, and once again received a helpless look full of envy and jealousy from her Eldest Brother. Shen Qingyao felt her scalp tingle as she was looked at by him, but she had to quickly pretend she hadn’t noticed and hurriedly boarded the carriage.
By the time she arrived, the area outside the exam hall was already bustling with activity. People from various families were gathering to greet the examinees, and there was a crowd of people. Shen Qingyao looked around and noticed that Grand Princess Duanhua, who had always loved her son, had not yet appeared, which made her somewhat puzzled.
“Isn’t it strange? Parents wouldn’t miss such an important occasion, would they?” Shen Qingyao tilted her head and asked the system. Then she realized her words might sound a bit off and added, “Ah, I didn’t mean to imply that Lu Zhao is a mama’s boy.”
[…] The system was somewhat speechless, [Host, if you don’t know how to explain, you don’t have to explain, really.]
…Alright. Shen Qingyao pursed her lips. She didn’t need the set of prepared phrases to deal with parents anymore. With a few exchanges between herself and the system, the surrounding crowd suddenly became noisy. Shen Qingyao immediately dropped the small heater in her hand and peeked out to see what was happening.
She saw that some people were already coming out one after another, and Shen Qingyao’s eyes lit up! They’re coming out! However, upon closer inspection, those examinees who came out first seemed a bit disheveled. Shen Qingyao had met a few examinees on the day they went to the examination, and they didn’t look like this…
This… Shen Qingyao frowned, seriously contemplating the adjectives to describe them. They didn’t look as miserable and unkempt as they do now! She made a disdainful noise, feeling that the state of these people was too real, and couldn’t help but imagine, would Lu Zhao also end up like this?
She imagined how Lu Zhao would look with such a disheveled appearance. It was strange that while she felt disdainful looking at these people, once she imagined Lu Zhao’s face among them, she actually found it quite cool? Shen Qingyao shook her head to shake off these messy thoughts, even feeling like washing her eyes as someone who appreciates beauty.
Just as she was thinking, the voices of several girls around her suddenly grew louder, chirping and carrying a hint of inexplicable sighs, just like the scene of female fans chasing their idols in her previous life. Shen Qingyao looked up again and saw Lu Zhao, dressed in white and dust-free, coming out gracefully.
Shen Qingyao stood still, looking him up and down again. There were no messy hair, no stubble, and Lu Zhao was still like the White Moonlight who could ascend to immortality at any moment, appearing stunningly beautiful compared to the people around him. She opened her mouth, this was too different from the disheveled uncle that she had imagined.
At this moment, Lu Zhao also saw her little head poking out from the carriage window. His expressionless face softened instantly, a hint of smile in his eyes, and the aloof immortal momentarily returned to the earthly realm. Shen Qingyao breathed a sigh of relief. Against the hazy mist and the excessively hurried extras around, Lu Zhao once again made Shen Qingyao unable to look away.
While Shen Qingyao was lost in thought, Lu Zhao walked slowly towards her carriage. Before she could react, the little head quickly retreated, and Lu Zhao stood still, smiling without moving. Sure enough, in a moment, the little girl opened the curtain and jumped out, looking at him with a smile and said, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, you finally came out!”
Just as she finished speaking, Shen Qingyao lifted her head and saw the bright number above Lu Zhao’s head appear again.
【20】
…Twenty??? Shen Qingyao was startled, her face turned pale. What’s going on? Did she miss something in the plot? Wasn’t the last time she looked it started with a 1? How did the blackening value increase during the exam? Shen Qingyao couldn’t understand…
“Yaoyao? What’s wrong?” Lu Zhao saw her sudden change in complexion, a hint of nervousness appeared in his eyes, and he asked with concern.
Shen Qingyao closed her eyes for a moment, thinking to herself, “Just don’t say anything, everything will be fine if you don’t say anything.”
But she still forced a smile and said softly, “I’m fine… Maybe I ran too fast just now, my chest hurt for a moment, but it’s fine now…”
Lu Zhao’s expression turned even more unpleasant when he heard it was chest pain. Shen Qingyao didn’t understand the reason behind it, but she became more convinced that Lu Zhao must have encountered something unpleasant during the exam.
“Could he have messed up the exam?” Shen Qingyao asked anxiously.
The system, which had never seen that so-called number, responded strangely, [Host, what are you thinking? How could White Moonlight mess up the exam?]
“…Right.” Shen Qingyao realized that she had worried unnecessarily. However, when facing Lu Zhao again, she became more cautious.
She quietly retracted the hand that was about to reach out to pull Lu Zhao’s arm, her face still somewhat pale, showing the lingering fear after the scare. She asked tremblingly, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, how did you do in the exam?”
Lu Zhao raised an eyebrow and asked back, “Yaoyao, are you worried about me?” Then he laughed, his confident and radiant demeanor shining between his brows and eyes. He added, “Yaoyao, just wait for this year’s top scorer to come and propose.”
“…,” Shen Qingyao tightened her hand, feeling that her worries were misplaced after all. He couldn’t have messed up, could someone who messed up look like him? The image of Lu Zhao, the cold and aloof celestial exile, had long gone from her mind. She thought: I never expected White Moonlight to have such a slick tongue.
Realizing that Lu Zhao enjoyed teasing her more and more, Shen Qingyao breathed a sigh of relief. She thought, “Forget about the blackening value, I’ll just care about you and that’s it!”
So she blushed, pretending to be shy, took two steps back, glared at him angrily, and said, “Who told you that!”
Lu Zhao laughed even louder, Shen Qingyao felt frustrated, turned her head away, and muttered, “The exam results haven’t even come out yet! And… there’s still the final exam! Are you so sure you’re going to be the top scorer…”
Lu Zhao bent down and leaned in close to her, whispering, “Didn’t Yaoyao always believe in me?”
Shen Qingyao remembered the first time she met Lu Zhao and accidentally spoiled the plot, and she closed her eyes in despair.
Blame her for giving him too much courage.
Two days later, the exam results were announced.
Shen Qingyao was impatient waiting at home for news from others, so she decided to wait at the announcement site early in the morning. Unexpectedly, she encountered an acquaintance.
“Miss Shen.” Princess Yonghe wore a perfect social smile on her face. If it wasn’t for the last time in the palace when the Princess made a deep impression by being so sarcastic and aggressive, Shen Qingyao would probably have forgotten how this person treated her.
So Shen Qingyao remained indifferent, respectfully bowed, and wanted to walk around the Princess. But she saw the Princess still sticking to her, blocking her way.
“Miss Shen is here to check the results too?” Princess Yonghe asked with a smile.
Shen Qingyao raised an eyebrow and didn’t speak, implying: Of course, why else would I be here?
Princess Yonghe smiled again, saying mysteriously, “I thought Third Miss Shen was worried about Young Master Lu, so she came here to keep an eye.”
“I have nothing to worry about.” Shen Qingyao couldn’t understand, and couldn’t help but mutter in her heart, “Is this person sick?”
The system echoed, and Shen Qingyao heard the Princess saying again, “Since ancient times, there have been stories of catching husbands from the list, which are praised as beautiful tales. Today, those present here are all young ladies from official families who are eager to find a talented husband for themselves. They…” Princess Yonghe paused mysteriously, then continued, “They won’t care whether this year’s top scorer have already engaged.”
Shen Qingyao, who had only been engaged to Lu Zhao, fell silent for a moment, feeling her heart sink. “What does Princess mean?”
“I…”
Before the other party could finish, Shen Qingyao felt a gentle touch on the back of her head. Turning around, she saw Lu Zhao, whom she had arranged to meet. Shen Qingyao felt pleasantly surprised, and her mood involuntarily relaxed. She always felt somewhat uncomfortable when alone with Princess Yonghe.
It was only at this moment that Lu Zhao saw the person in front of him clearly. His smiling face turned cold, retracting his hand and addressing the princess with indifference, “Princess.”
Seeing him, Princess Yonghe’s expression changed, showing signs of struggle. After a while, she stammered a reply, then turned to Shen Qingyao, completing what she hadn’t finished earlier, “Miss Shen, I came here naturally for the sake of catching a husband from the list.”
Princess Yonghe smiled, her words clearly directed at Shen Qingyao, but her eyes were fixed on Lu Zhao.
Shen Qingyao felt a sudden sense of crisis and nervously grabbed Lu Zhao’s sleeve, refusing to break eye contact with Princess Yonghe. There was a flash of coldness in Lu Zhao’s eyes as he reached out to hold Shen Qingyao’s hand.
As the three of them stood in a stalemate, several figures emerged from the examination hall, with the leader holding a long scroll. The surroundings quieted down immediately; the list of successful candidates was being posted.
The crowd suddenly surged forward, everyone wanting to get closer to hear the news. Shen Qingyao, caught off guard, was pushed by someone beside her, but fortunately, Lu Zhao reacted quickly, pulling her close and separating her from the crowd.
Lu Zhao signaled for his servant to go gather information while he led Shen Qingyao out of the crowd. They say scholars are gentle and refined, but the group waiting for the list now seemed more like hungry wolves. Lu Zhao didn’t want Shen Qingyao to be amidst them.
“He did it! Young Master made it! He’s the 121st!”
“Ah! Our master made it too! 58th! Hahaha!”
…Good news kept pouring out from the crowd. Shen Qingyao had experienced too many situations that didn’t match the scripts she knew, so she couldn’t help feeling nervous. What if Lu Zhao really failed?
Princess Yonghe quietly followed Lu Zhao and Shen Qingyao as they left the crowd. Princess Yonghe watched Shen Qingyao leaning on Lu Zhao, her neck stretched out eagerly, completely focused on the list just posted, oblivious to how dangerous her posture was.
Lu Zhao hugged her, smiling wryly, and gently pushed the young girl back, “Take it easy! What’s the rush?”
Shen Qingyao followed his guidance and stood properly, thinking, Of course, I’m anxious! Your blackening value has risen to 20, how could I not be anxious? What if you fail and completely turned evil?
At that moment, the servant returned, sweating profusely, and announced loudly towards Shen Qingyao and Lu Zhao, “He made it! He made it!”
Shen Qingyao’s eyes lit up, unable to suppress her excitement even though she already knew. She listened to the servant shouting, “First place! Top scorer! Young Master is the top scorer!”
“Top scorer!!! He’s really the top scorer!!!” The heavy stone in her heart finally fell, and Shen Qingyao jumped up in excitement, wrapping her arms around Lu Zhao’s neck and burying herself in his embrace. Lu Zhao, taken aback by her unusual initiative, stiffened for a moment but couldn’t help feeling moved.
He slowly wrapped one arm around her soft waist and gently patted the back of her head with the other, completing the embrace firmly.
Lu Zhao smiled, feeling the genuine happiness of the young girl transmitting from her chest to his heart, warm and comforting. Yet, he teased her, “Isn’t it normal for me to be the top? Why are you so happy, Yaoyao?”
Shen Qingyao’s excitement was diminished by his words. She paused in her action, suddenly realizing they were in the middle of the street, surrounded by people. She had hugged Lu Zhao without any restraint. Belatedly, she began to feel embarrassed. Shen Qingyao gently struggled out of his embrace.
Though Lu Zhao felt a bit regretful, he didn’t stop her.
Shen Qingyao glared at him, avoiding his eyes and deliberately said coldly, “I’m not happy at all…”
“Haha.” Lu Zhao chuckled but didn’t expose her.
Princess Yonghe’s gaze fell on Lu Zhao’s hand that had been around Shen Qingyao’s waist the entire time, and she noticed the unprecedented joy on his face. Her eyes changed. The two of them were so jubilant and intimate that no one paid attention to her. Her pretty face darkened, and she cleared her throat to assert her presence, saying, “Young Master Lu, congratulations…”
rokumi’s note : From this chapter on, I’m changing Shen Qingyao’s address to Shen Yushu from ‘Elder Brother’ to ‘Eldest Brother’. It doesn’t appear in this chapter, but I’m also changing her address to Shen Qingli from ‘Elder Sister’ to ‘Eldest Sister’.
For the previous chapters… well, I’ll change them some time later, sorry.