Chapter 100

 You’re burning up; topping the imperial list

"I don't fall for reverse psychology. Don't you know by now whether I'm capable or not?" Jiang Baiye rested his hands behind his head, glancing up at the man sitting astride him.

"Be good; you're carrying a baby—don't do anything rash."

Lu Lizhi looked down at his handsome face, defined by sharp, clean lines—especially those pitch-black eyes that could flash with dazzling spirit one moment and hold a deep, unfathomable intensity the next.

For the better part of a month, Lu Lizhi had been physically uncomfortable every night, and Jiang Baiye had worked even harder than him, tending to his every need with meticulous care.

A thought crossed his mind—

"Are you bored of me?"

Jiang Baiye instantly flipped over, pinning him beneath his body; this wasn't the first time he’d heard those words from him.

"Lu Lizhi, is it your own lack of confidence, or do you think I'm a scumbag? You keep asking if I'm bored—bored of this, bored of that."

"Then why aren't you doing it? Do it while my body hasn't lost its shape yet." Lu Lizhi didn't waste another word; he simply tugged open Jiang Baiye's belt, which was hanging loosely at his waist.

The lapels of his robe fell open, revealing a physique vastly different from his own—muscles defined and sculpted, extending downwards. Even though he had seen it countless times, Lu Lizhi still felt a flush of heat rise to his cheeks.

"You're burning up."

He reached out his arms—his sleeves sliding down to reveal skin as cool and smooth as snow—and wrapped them around the man's lean, powerful, and scorching waist, murmuring the words softly. Jiang Baiye drew a soft breath, feeling the hands—normally meant for wielding a brush—roam across his back as the other man leaned down to kiss the side of his neck, which had gone slightly taut.

The bed curtains fell; outside, moonlight and bamboo stalks intertwined, casting swaying shadows upon the ground. A sudden breeze rustled the leaves, scattering the silvery moonlight like flowing water.

Amidst the quiet whispers of the night came the soft sounds of gentle friction and lingering caresses, filling the heart with a sweet, aching sense of fulfillment.

"You’ve grown so thin; how could your figure possibly lose its shape?" Jiang Baiye remarked casually.

Lu Lizhi exhaled a warm breath, his long eyelashes lifting slightly. "The little one has grown a bit."

"Let me see!" Jiang Baiye’s interest was instantly piqued, but Lu Lizhi pressed the thin quilt—which was already draped over his belly—more firmly in place.

Jiang Baiye had initially assumed Lu Lizhi didn't want their child to witness their intimate moments, but now he understood the true reason.

Lu Lizhi, who usually appeared so unconcerned with such things, actually cared deeply about his appearance; perhaps this was the self-discipline and perfectionism of an exceptional person.

After much gentle coaxing—and with his ears tickled by Jiang Baiye’s persistence while he was still heavy with sleep—Lu Lizhi finally relented and guided one of Jiang Baiye's hands beneath the covers. Jiang Baiye felt as though he were opening a mystery box; yet, as he gingerly spread his hand and felt that distinct, protruding curve...

It was as if a drop of hot oil had splashed onto his hand!

His gaze softened instantly, melting with tenderness.

"Has the little one really grown this fast?" It had been flat just over half a month ago, yet now a small, rounded bump had formed.

Lu Lizhi paid no heed to anything else; a slow smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Growing every day—I can feel it..."

A sense of novelty and joy, coupled with awe and anticipation at the miracle of nurturing life, made him feel that come what may, there was nothing left to fear.

In the end, Jiang Baiye used his smooth-talking ways to coax Lu Lizhi into pulling back the covers, allowing him to see the little one that had grown a bit larger.

"It’s clearly not ugly at all!" Jiang Baiye had only wanted to put him at ease, but even if the baby *were* truly ugly—well, his possessive instincts as a man took over. The mere thought of his beloved carrying his child, watching that belly grow little by little, made him feel so heated he could practically explode.

He almost wished he could plant a few more right then and there.

With that thought in mind, Jiang Baiye—who had been exercising great restraint earlier—began to lose control.

Lu Lizhi could feel the intensity of his passion; exposed as he was with his belly bared, a wave of shyness rushed up to flush his refined, coolly handsome face.

It turned a deep, rosy red. The next day, both of them deliberately avoided Dr. Pang—who would have easily seen through their ruse—unaware that on such an important day, the doctor had gone out before dawn to join in the festivities.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Xuanhe Prefecture, a bearded middle-aged man knocked on the back door of the Yongyuan shop. Shopkeeper Ning walked out, stifling a yawn, only to be met with a face full of keen interest—

"So, can I meet this Lord Qingyuan now?"

"Shh, keep your voice down." Shopkeeper Ning hurriedly pulled him aside, glancing around cautiously. "You are Lord Qingyuan now; you’re clear on what needs to be done, right?"

The middle-aged man hummed thoughtfully. "So, what exactly is the real Lord Qingyuan plotting? Luring them in like this... isn't that a bit risky?"

"Hmph! They were the ones in the wrong to begin with. Besides, we gave them plenty of chances—didn't we have you drop hints time and again? If the Lu family had just let it go, we wouldn't have pursued the matter. But they’re clearly insatiable; now they have to pay the price!"

"But if they were exposed now, their 'evil' wouldn't escalate further; they might even have a chance to turn over a new leaf."

Shopkeeper Ning looked him up and down. "You might as well go move the Leshan Giant Buddha and sit in its place yourself. Here I am, acting like a petty man, and you want me to downplay a major issue?"

The middle-aged man rubbed his nose. "So, it seems your plan is to turn a big issue into a massive one?"

Shopkeeper Ning’s mouth twitched. "We’re just exposing their true colors. Besides, for a mere impersonator, you’ve got some nerve. You’re supposed to be a man of letters, yet you have no integrity—relying entirely on imitation!"

The middle-aged man remained silent, a hint of a smile playing in his eyes. Shopkeeper Ning finally regained some of his composure; it was baffling—despite being a down-and-out scholar, the young man could often leave him utterly speechless with his sharp retorts.

Yet, all of this had been planned when Lu Lizhi last visited the shop to confer with him and Old Master Yi.

Recalling the way the young man—seemingly calm and unruffled—would step-by-step drive others into an abyss, Shopkeeper Ning couldn't help but shudder, even though he had dealt with Lu Lizhi many times before.

He was truly a match for that cunning fellow Jiang Baiye; Lu Lizhi possessed a ruthless streak of his own.

"Just wait and see; you’ll be hearing his name soon enough." Facing the middle-aged man's persistent questioning, Shopkeeper Ning chuckled. "I’ve done the calculations—the results of the provincial civil service examination are being announced today!"

A gleam flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes. So, that "Qingyuan Jun" had sat for the provincial exam this year? And stood a chance of achieving a high ranking?

After he stepped out of the Yongyuan Shop and shook off the person the Lu family had sent to tail him—fearing he might play some trick—a man dressed as a servant respectfully approached him.

"Sir, the patriarch of the Jiangyi Lu family is asking to see you; he has been waiting for quite some time."

"Can't you see I'm busy?"

The servant wasn't surprised in the least; he figured he could just send the man away later. "There is a letter from the palace; they likely want you to return and take charge of matters again."

The middle-aged man didn't even lift his eyelids. He boarded his carriage, casually pulled out a storybook, and began reading it with great relish. The young attendant opened the letter for him as a matter of routine. "It’s from His Majesty and the Cabinet; they want to invite you back to preside over next year’s Metropolitan Examination."

Upon hearing the words "Metropolitan Examination," the middle-aged man paused as he turned the page, reminded of something else. "Keep an eye out for the top three candidates in this province's Provincial Examination—find out who they are and where they come from..."

The attendant was puzzled; his master couldn't be bothered to pay heed to even the old foxes in the Cabinet or the Emperor himself, so what was he up to now?

Meanwhile, back at the Jiang household, Madam He and Granny Li had become visibly anxious over the past couple of days.

"If he passes, will the ceremonial procession from the provincial capital come all the way here to deliver the news?"

"It’ll probably take a few days for them to arrive; it’s quite a long way," Jiang Dazhu estimated. He had once traveled to the provincial capital for business—it was an even longer journey than going to Chongzhou.

"We should have gone to the provincial capital to check; that way, we would have heard the news the moment it came out." Granny Li had lost her usual composure; she was primarily worried that Li Zhi’s health might affect his performance in the imperial examinations.

Yet, the two people beside her hadn't even considered that angle. She had even asked Madam He to help sew some baby clothes, but He hadn't taken it seriously at all—thinking it was just a joke! "Wait a moment—if he doesn't place in the top three, the honor guard won't come specifically to announce the news, right?"

"Bite your tongue!" Madam He and Granny Li exclaimed in unison. "How could he possibly fail to place in the top three?"

Jiang Dazhu realized his slip of the tongue. "My fault—I’m just too nervous! Old Master Yi and the others say Lizhi is sure to take first place. Let’s put on our best clothes and get the celebratory money ready to welcome him home!"

Before long, someone from the He family arrived, chuckling, "Why are you all still here? If he passes with high honors, the authorities will send someone to announce it to his hometown! And if he takes first place—the *Jieyuan*—they might even notify the Prefecture Academy. That would be a huge honor!"

Due to an epidemic, the prefectural exam had been delayed by a month. He Min took it in May; although he didn't place first like Lu Lizhi, thanks to Lu Lizhi’s tutoring, he impressively secured second place—a feat that brought great face to the He family, who were often looked down upon for reeking of money and commerce.

Naturally, they were eager for Lu Lizhi to soar ahead, hoping his success would inspire He Min to follow his example.

Yet, there were also those who hoped Lu Lizhi wouldn't succeed—who even wished for him to stumble badly—feeling that only such a failure could justify their own years of grueling, lonely study.

Not everyone admires a genius.

Voices of jealousy were also festering in the dark, ugly corners of people's hearts. From the Xuanhe Prefecture Academy and Qingshui Village to the group of students in Chongzhou who had heard Lu Lizhi’s "outrageous pronouncements"—and even those from Qingsong Academy and Mingli School who had previously mocked or targeted him—more and more people were anxiously awaiting news of his exam results.

But for those actually in the provincial capital, witnessing the posting of the *Gui Bang* (the provincial exam results list) firsthand delivered a truly staggering shock!

This was especially true for those who had recently burned bridges with Lu Lizhi, publicly declaring they would never associate with a "sleeve-cutter" (homosexual) again. They nearly thought their eyes were playing tricks on them, only to eventually lament with a bitter grimace, "Is it too late for me to take it all back?"

They didn't dare hope to be friends with him again; they just wanted, at the very least, to avoid offending someone so terrifyingly formidable!

If memory served, the man hadn't been in good shape during the exam. Someone sitting diagonally across from him had noted that he went a day or two without eating, suffered from dry heaves, and was constantly drowsy—hardly the state of someone actually taking an exam.

Let alone placing in the top three, it had seemed unlikely he would even make the list at all.

Yet, what was this?

First. Place.

The undisputed champion of the provincial exam.

An uproar swept through the crowd; many even forgot to check their own rankings. By the time they snapped back to reality, the area beneath the posted list was already a sea of ​​people. Lu Lizhi was pregnant, so naturally, he dared not go to check the posted results list in person. The reason he had made such a fuss the night before was that his pregnancy symptoms had largely subsided, and Dr. Pang had confirmed the baby was stable; barring any major complications, the rest of the pregnancy should proceed smoothly.

However, messengers kept arriving one after another. Jiang Baiye’s breakfast was repeatedly interrupted, yet he remained in high spirits—even handing out celebratory tips to his romantic rivals.

"Congratulations to us all!"

Song Haocheng and Yi Muyun: "..."

"How did you two do?" Lu Lizhi asked after taking a spoonful of porridge.

Their voices cracked slightly as they replied, "Aren't you excited? You could at least stand up from your chair! Honestly, one would think *you* were the one who placed first in the provincial exam, not me!"

"I barely scraped by—I placed last, but at least I’m a *juren* now," Song Haocheng said; though he felt a tinge of regret, there was a hint of satisfaction, too.

Jiang Baiye knew that Song had originally been on track to place in the top three, but had insisted on taking the exam alongside Lizhi. *Hmph*, he was just putting on a brave face.

Yi Muyun had placed third, earning the title of *Jingkui*—a distinguished honor for the provincial examination.

"So, Tu Huanwen took second place?" Lu Lizhi asked, taking another unhurried spoonful of porridge.

Watching him eat made the other two feel hungry; heaven knows they had been out waiting for the results since the middle of the night—and even then, a crowd had already gathered. "The runner-up was Tu Huanwen; Kaiyuan might have underperformed slightly—he placed right after me—but he still made the top tier of successful candidates. Chen Jian and Wu Yong were also in the top ten, and there was..."

All the friends he had recently made had passed the exam. While both men felt the pressure, they were in high spirits; yet for Lu Lizhi, unlike the excitement he felt during the prefectural exam, this time he mostly felt a sense of relief.

He had fulfilled his father's wish and lived up to Prefect Yan's guidance and trust. In particular, managing to surpass Tu Huanwen would likely bring his father some joy.

Passing the provincial exam also meant he had more confidence and standing regarding his relationship with Jiang Baiye—which was the most important thing. He had taken a small step forward and kept his word.

At the same time, however, this was merely the beginning.

The higher he climbed and the further he went, the more he realized there were always others more capable than himself—countless individuals who surpassed him.

It was still too early to celebrate.

"Have some egg." Jiang Baiye broke an egg in half and held it to Lu Lizhi's lips, interrupting his train of thought.

Lu Lizhi had been eating so many boiled eggs lately that he was practically sick of them, but for the sake of the baby, he took a bite anyway. Before the food could even stick in his throat, Jiang Baiye handed him half a bowl of hot water with brown sugar to wash down the egg; the sweet, fragrant liquid effectively soothed the discomfort, and he finished it in one go.

Jiang Baiye couldn't help but shake his head at these two fellows, who were becoming increasingly unceremonious. "But there's only porridge and side dishes."

"That’s exactly what I like."

"This porridge is different from everyone else's, too—is there actually shredded meat in it?"

After the meal, Yi Ziyun brought up a specific matter: "Are you planning to attend the Luming Banquet hosted by the Provincial Governor, Lizhi?"

He asked because the rumors surrounding Jiang Baiye had been swirling wildly of late.

Jiang Baiye hadn't expected that single kiss from the other night to stir up such a massive storm; he even began to wonder if the other person had done it on purpose.

Sure enough, the very next sentence was spoken in a calm, casual tone—

"I’ll attend. Not only will I attend, but I also want to bring Baiye along. Could you please ask the Governor? If that isn't allowed, then there’s no point in me going either."