Chapter 95

 Don't Touch Me—My Man's Right There

The moment Jiang Yuye returned to Xuanhe Prefecture, Lu Lizhi headed straight to the prefectural academy, arriving just in time for a crucial exam before the provincial civil service examinations. This exam would determine whether they could ultimately participate in the provincial exams, and it also served as the final assessment by the many instructors and academic officials at the academy.

If one performed only mediocrely on this exam, even those with excellent prior results—like Lu Lizhi—would be barred from the provincial exams. Conversely, if one did well—like Song Haocheng, who had been waiting for this exam to qualify—they would earn the right to participate. Before this, no matter how he performed, Master Yi had never given his approval, though he had at least allowed him to take this exam, which was a recognition of his half-year of relentless, painstaking effort.

Arriving just as the bell rang, Lu Lizhi made it in time for the exam. The academy crowd had grown used to his absences. However, those planning to take the provincial exams this year—who had seen him skip classes for half a year—had shifted from admiration and respect to outright confusion about where he got his confidence.

"Lizhi, Lizhi, how did it go?"

The exam, which lasted only three days, was enough to exhaust anyone, and it made Lu Lizhi realize that the upcoming provincial exams would be a tough battle.

"Should be... okay," Lu Lizhi replied. Though his few friends knew he could speak now, hearing his elegant, pleasant voice still left them momentarily dazed and impressed.

"Wah, Lizhi, your voice is so nice! Just say my name once more—wouldn't Master Jiang be dying of happiness?" Ding Lihui's eyes sparkled.

At some point, Ding Lihui not only no longer rejected but actually enjoyed talking about him and Jiang Yuye—which made Lu Lizhi give him an extra look.

On closer inspection, he realized that Lihui actually seemed more like the "bottom" than he was—his round face carried a hint of baby fat, and his bright, plum-black eyes were sparkling with anticipation as he looked at him.

Lu Lizhi's heart stirred.

He really was quite cute.

With that thought, he reached out and pinched his cheek.

Ding Lihui: "?"

Song Haocheng: "?"

Just-arrived Yi Shuyun: "?"

The most startled was Fei Hongyu, whose eyes went wide in disbelief. "Lizhi, why are you pinching him?"

"Couldn't help it." He brushed it off casually, as if that abrupt action hadn't been his doing.

Later, after Lu Lizhi left, Fei Hongyu was still bewildered. "If I remember correctly, Lizhi likes men, doesn't he?"

"Did he have a falling-out with that Jiang Yuye and now has his eyes on Xiao Hui?"

"Impossible!" Ding Lihui denied it reflexively, his face reddening. But if it were Lizhi... it... it didn't seem entirely impossible?

But Lizhi should be... the same role as him, right?

Fei Hongyu watched his flustered expression. "Is it really that fun to pinch?" he asked, and casually pinched him too.

His heart skipped a beat.

Ding Lihui's face went from red to pale. He rubbed his cheek, a little upset. "Don't touch me."

"Why can't I pinch you? Weren't you almost infected during the epidemic? Wasn't I the one bringing you tea and water and taking care of you? You're so ungrateful!"

"You have a fiancée."

"So what if I have a fiancée? That doesn't stop me from pinching you. She's not as cute as you—though she is really beautiful, the most stunning beauty I've ever seen..." His tone grew dreamy and delighted.

Later, Ding Lihui ran off.

Song Haocheng, who had witnessed all this, just shook his head.

Not long after, the exam results came out, and Lu Lizhi unsurprisingly took first place again, leaving Master Yi no grounds to stop him. After all, he and the other instructors—even bringing in several experts—had deliberately made the questions tricky and convoluted.

Yet it still hadn't stumped Lu Lizhi.

It had, however, stumped several of the dormitory students preparing for this year's provincial exams. Now, before the instructors could even speak, they had already admitted defeat—however unwillingly—because lacking sufficient skill, forcing participation would only be more demoralizing if they failed.

Song Haocheng breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing his name on the list—it meant he could take the provincial exams alongside Lizhi this year. Even if he was just making up the numbers, he was willing—it would live up to that vague, inexplicable feeling that he and Lizhi were meant to strive together.

In this exam, Yi Shuyun also placed second as usual, but this time he was only a hair's breadth behind, rather than a full step.

This set off alarm bells for Lu Lizhi—if even within just this one prefectural academy there was someone who could nearly tie with him, then with so many outstanding scholars across the province, how could he stand out and claim the top spot?

At this time, Jiang Yuye had no idea Lu Lizhi was determined to spend the next ten-odd days holed up at the academy. He had arrived in the provincial capital a few days earlier, found the examination compound, and wanted to book a hostel for Lu Lizhi during the exam period.

But even though he'd come a month and a half early, all the nearby inns were already booked solid—even some rundown courtyards had been snapped up, with people setting up makeshift shelters for temporary lodging.

Just as he was at a loss, preparing to ask local acquaintances for help in finding a spare room, a voice called out—

"Master Jiang?"

Master Jiang? That form of address likely meant...

Jiang Yuye turned around. A tall man approached. "It really is you!"

This ancient world rarely had anyone as tall as him, and especially not someone who was also rather good-looking. Jiang Yuye's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Young Master Tu."

They had met at Prefect Tu's dinner table, though Jiang Yuye had certainly known of him long before. This man had been his love rival in the original story, always trying to win Lu Lizhi over. Though Lu Lizhi had ultimately bested him, there was still a sense of mutual admiration between them.

Ah, Jiang Yuye thought—why were there so many such people, an endless stream?

"I'm looking for lodging for my man during the provincial exams."

Tu Huanwen: "?" He could understand every word individually, but put together they made no sense.

"Your... man?"

"Yes, we'll likely be getting married soon." Jiang Yuye smiled, not the least bit forced.

"Uh..." Tu Huanwen felt his usually sharp mind short-circuiting.

Obsessed with showing off his relationship, Jiang Yuye knew Tu Huanwen was a decent sort, so he didn't mind explaining further. "You should have seen him not long ago."

Had he? Not long ago—did he mean at Xianzhuang? At Xianzhuang, he hadn't seemed to interact with any women.

Wait!

He'd said he was taking the provincial exams!

Tu Huanwen immediately put distance between them, deeply uncomfortable. "Well then, you, uh, keep looking."

"Wait!" Jiang Yuye knew Tu Huanwen was married and quite devoted to his wife. "Young Master Tu has already found lodging, yes?"

In the book, he and Lu Lizhi had both missed the provincial exams due to the epidemic, and three years later they had coincidentally rented a house. That house—whether due to its feng shui or its layout—had made Lu Lizhi exceptionally comfortable and in excellent form, with extremely steady performance.

Thinking of that, Jiang Yuye was even less inclined to let him go.

Before long, Tu Huanwen didn't know how he'd agreed to it, but he led Jiang Yuye to the house his uncle had rented for him earlier. Though it was a single-story building, each room was quite spacious. Besides Tu Huanwen, a close classmate was also staying there. Another room had originally been for another classmate, but unfortunately that fellow had suddenly left for a funeral and would have to wait three years for the next exams.

Jiang Yuye found it quite serendipitous. "Could I rent this last room from you?"

Tu Huanwen thought of how his uncle was keen to win this man over, calling him quite cunning—he remained neutral between him and Prefect Yan, leaning toward neither, surely hoping to extract more benefits. But he also knew that remark was just teasing; his uncle's appreciation and desire to recruit this man were genuine.

"Naturally!"

And so Jiang Yuye secured it. The provincial exams consisted of three sessions, each lasting three days and two nights—with the night of the third day requiring a return to rest and repack supplies. A poorly chosen location would severely affect one's subsequent performance.

Things had diverged from the book now—in the book, Lu Lizhi had been delayed by the epidemic and taken the exams three years later; this time, he'd prepared for only a year. The final outcome had become unpredictable.

Next, Jiang Yuye began stocking up on all the daily necessities Lu Lizhi would need inside the exam compound. This time, two egg pancakes wouldn't cut it—Lizhi would need to use a stove to cook meals inside. Just thinking about it made Jiang Yuye wish he could turn invisible and cook for him right there so he could answer the papers in peace.

Beyond that, the exam security checks were extremely strict—candidates had to enter a day early, bathe, change into the examination-supplied clothes, all to prevent cheating.

The examination cells had three walls and an open front with no door, exposed to the elements. Candidates ate in there, slept in there, and even relieved themselves in there!

Jiang Yuye's head swam. To make matters worse, the toilets were also open; candidates had to go in full view of the supervising guards, and each time they went, they had to get a "stamp" on their paper—a literal mark for bowel movements. The graders, seeing those stamps all over the paper, could arbitrarily disqualify a candidate.

And three days and two nights—how could one possibly hold it in?

The more he thought about it, before Lu Lizhi had even gotten worked up, Jiang Yuye was already turning gloomy. Yet he could never have anticipated that all these big and small concerns would pale in comparison to an even bigger issue that was about to arise!

Three days before the provincial exams, Lu Lizhi arrived in the provincial capital with Yi Shuyun, Song Haocheng, and the rest of the academy's examinees. They too had already secured their lodgings.

Seeing that some candidates had only just arrived with nowhere to stay, they felt secretly glad for their own preparations. But when they saw the place Jiang Yuye had chosen for Lu Lizhi, they instantly turned green with envy.

"This place has all the advantages—time, place, and people. You could call it the best possible location—it's right next to the examination compound!"

Hearing the voices from outside, Tu Huanwen, who had been quietly reading inside, felt his scalp tighten at the thought of something. He stepped out, his gaze sweeping over the group—

Among these people, one was Jiang the Estate Master's "beloved"!

A male beloved!

"Tu Huanwen!" Yi Shuyun exclaimed softly. As a famous scholar from Chongzhou Prefecture, many had seen his portrait and heard of him—Yi Shuyun recognized him instantly.

Could it be him? Tu Huanwen looked at Yi Shuyun's upright, righteous face and simply couldn't imagine what it would look like for him to be with Jiang Yuye.

Song Haocheng also offered a greeting, and Tu Huanwen began to suspect him instead.

Until—

After the group exchanged pleasantries and turned to leave, they revealed the slender, reclusive figure at the very back.

Tu Huanwen's pupils contracted involuntarily.