Chapter 28: Good News
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The sun was sinking in the west.
The streets were still crowded and lively.
Luo Zijun walked ahead, while Su Qingling followed behind him, her face full of vigilance.
“Senior Sister, I refuse to believe you can stay ahead of me forever. I’ll definitely avenge you pinching my bottom!”
Luo Zijun stopped and deliberately frightened her.
Su Qingling stopped at once as well. With a cold expression on her pretty face, she said, “If you dare pinch me, I’ll scream that you’re molesting me.”
Luo Zijun rolled his eyes and continued walking.
They had only gone a short distance when Su Bie’s voice suddenly came from a nearby alley.
“Brother Luo! Brother Luo!”
Luo Zijun turned around, somewhat surprised.
Su Bie ran over with delight. “What a coincidence! I was just about to look for you at the pharmacy.”
“Do you need something, Brother Su?” Luo Zijun asked.
Su Bie hurriedly pulled him over to the roadside, excitement written all over his face. “You don’t need to wait until next month to take the academy examination. It looks like you can report directly to the academy tomorrow.”
Luo Zijun stared at him. “Why?”
Su Bie chuckled and patted his chest. “Naturally, because your brother here helped you.”
He immediately explained, “Today I went to the academy and told Teacher Yuan those two lines you recited at the pharmacy, as well as the poem you wrote for Miss Chujian. Teacher Yuan was extremely astonished. He then went to Teacher Shangguan, who oversees admissions. After hearing about it, Teacher Shangguan immediately took Teacher Yuan to the prefectural government office. They found Prefect Xu and obtained the examination paper from your scholar’s test.”
“After reading it, several teachers at the academy discussed the matter and unanimously decided to make an exception and admit you without waiting for the academy examination. Teacher Yuan said the admission notice has already been issued. It will probably arrive at your home tonight or tomorrow morning…”
Luo Zijun was stunned after hearing this.
Then he suddenly came to his senses. “Brother Su, how did you know I wrote a poem for Miss Chujian?”
Su Bie suddenly seized his arm, his face alight with excitement.
“So it really was you! That poem beginning with ‘If life were always as beautiful as our first meeting’ was written by you! Brother Luo, you kept your brother in the dark so miserably!”
Luo Zijun: “...?”
Su Bie regarded him with deep reproach. “I only suspected it was you. When I mentioned it to Teacher Yuan, I wasn’t certain either—I merely said it might have been you. The reason those teachers admitted you ahead of time was mainly because of those two lines you recited at the pharmacy and the answers on your scholar’s examination paper. Brother Luo, you just gave yourself away!”
Luo Zijun was speechless.
Su Bie patted him on the shoulder several more times, looking rather pleased with himself. “I suspected you back when we were on the flower boat. Then, when we reached the pleasure house and saw Miss Chujian ask to meet you of her own accord, my suspicions naturally grew stronger. Brother Luo, this is rather unfair of you. Hiding it from everyone else is one thing, but how could you hide it from your own brother?”
Luo Zijun could only explain, “I wrote that poem by accident. More importantly, I wanted to keep a low profile.”
“Tsk!”
Su Bie snorted. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to keep a low profile from now on. After Miss Chujian asked to see you yesterday, everyone in the hall was asking about your name. Many even guessed that you were some noble young master from the inner city who had casually produced ten thousand taels of silver just to meet her once…”
“What ten thousand taels?”
As the two men stood with their arms around each other’s shoulders, a chilly voice suddenly came from beside them.
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Su Bie was startled.
Only then did he notice that the cold and beautiful young woman from the pharmacy was also there.
“N-Nothing… I was only joking…”
He gave an awkward laugh, then cast a strange glance at the two of them.
“Brother Luo, you two…”
“Senior Sister is coming to my house for dinner tonight. My elder sister invited her,” Luo Zijun said.
“Oh,” Su Bie replied. He gave them another meaningful look, then did not dare linger. Cupping his hands, he said, “Then I won’t keep you two any longer. Brother Luo, if you receive the admission notice, remember to report to the academy as soon as possible. Once you do, we brothers can see each other every day.”
Luo Zijun returned the gesture and thanked him, then lowered his voice. “Brother Su, about the poem I wrote for Miss Chujian…”
“I know, I know. You want to keep it low-key. I won’t tell anyone.”
Su Bie smiled, waved, and walked away.
After going a few steps, he could not resist sneaking another glance at the cold young woman. He sighed inwardly.
Ah, the one living closest to the water really does get the moon first.
“What ten thousand taels?”
“What Miss Chujian? What poem did you write for her?”
After Su Bie left, Su Qingling asked coldly.
Luo Zijun glanced at her. “Let me pinch your bottom once, and I’ll tell you.”
Su Qingling narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists.
Luo Zijun ignored her and continued walking.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll ask your elder sister when we get to your house.”
Luo Zijun looked completely unconcerned. “The thing I fear least in this life is being threatened. Go ahead and ask her.”
Su Qingling suddenly said, “Then I’ll tell your elder sister that you licked my foot today.”
Luo Zijun stopped.
“You pinched my waist too. There are marks from your fingers. She’ll certainly believe me.”
A cold smile appeared at the corners of Su Qingling’s lips.
Luo Zijun turned and looked at her.
Their gazes met for a moment.
Su Qingling said coldly, “Tell me, and tomorrow I’ll let you look at my feet again. You may even touch them.”
Luo Zijun immediately snorted. “I already told you, I don’t have that kind of fetish!”
The two continued on, one before the other.
Luo Zijun did not conceal anything. He recounted in detail everything that had happened that day on the flower boat and at the pleasure house.
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“I only went there to make friends.”
“As for going to the pleasure house to look for some woman or meet Miss Chujian, I had absolutely no interest in that.”
After listening, Su Qingling remained silent for a while. She looked at his profile, illuminated by the setting sun, and asked, “If life were always as beautiful as our first meeting… and that woman’s name is Chujian—how did you come up with that poem?”
“I just thought of it,” Luo Zijun replied.
“Then think of one for me as well.”
Luo Zijun shook his head. “Writing poetry requires inspiration. How could I come up with one just like that?”
“Didn’t you just say you thought of that one just like that?”
“Did I say that?”
“You didn’t?”
“Did I say that?”
“Molestation!”
“…”
Willow-Leaf Alley.
The three members of the Sun family stopped before a residence at the corner.
Today, they had brought not only gifts, but also maidservants and servants.
“Master, is this the place?” Madam Chen looked around with disdain and muttered under her breath, “What a shabby place. Fortunately, Yan’er won’t have to marry into a place like this and suffer.”
“Be quiet!”
Sun Jintang glared at her and said sternly, “Once we go inside, speak less.”
Madam Chen curled her lips but did not dare say anything more.
Sun Yan’er also glanced around, then looked at the peeling front gate before her and raised her chin slightly.
Bi’er whispered from the side, “Miss, do you think he might…”
She naturally knew that when her mistress had first met that man, she had not even had time to refuse before he had spoken first.
Would he humiliate them again today?
Sun Yan’er’s expression grew colder, but she said nothing.
At that moment, Sun Jintang straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and personally raised his hand to knock on the door.
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