All the members are good people, only the host is a pervert

That day, Lü Zhao was lying on the table, sighing. Lin Ruan asked in confusion, "Didn't the teacher tell us that we all got into the upper dormitory? Why are you sighing?" Lü Zhao's eyes flashed with helplessness and worry when she heard this, but she didn't answer immediately.

After a while, Lü Zhao suddenly seemed to have thought of something. She grabbed Lin Ruan's hand and seemed to want to say something. However, when her eyes met Lin Ruan's, her lips trembled slightly, and she hesitated to speak. In the end, she only said one sentence: "I will ride with you back today."

Lin Ruan's heart trembled, realizing that Lü Zhao might have something to say to her privately. She nodded gently in agreement, and the two of them boarded the carriage home together. Lü Zhao remained silent throughout the journey, quietly leaning closer to Lin Ruan and resting his head gently on her shoulder.

Lin Ruan was curious, so she didn't ask Lu Zhao and called the system directly in her mind: "Seventeen, Seventeen, what happened to Lu Zhao?"

The system took a look and said, "Brother Lu Zhao's fiancé is dead."

Of the three, Lin Ruan was the oldest, now in her twenties, while Lü Zhao was the youngest, barely eighteen. Eighteen-year-old girls were considered ready for marriage, but boys could marry at fourteen. Lü Zhao's younger brother, Lü Erlang, and Lü Zhao's twins, were eighteen this year. Although engaged at fourteen, the young lady had a miscarriage at the end of the year, and for some reason her condition never fully healed, delaying the wedding until now, when she had finally passed away.

When the carriage stopped smoothly in front of the house, Lin Ruan asked softly, "A Zhao, if you're willing, can you tell me what happened?"

Lu Zhao raised his head, his eyes slightly red, but he forced a smile and shook his head: "It's nothing, just a little thing at home. I'm sorry to have worried you, Ruanruan, thank you for accompanying me all the way."

"If you feel uncomfortable, remember to tell me. Maybe I can help you, maybe not, but I am a good listener. I am here no matter what," she said sincerely.

This world is really too beautiful for her, so beautiful that she even makes friends with sincerity.

"I know, Ruanjie, A'ruan, Ruanruan." She hugged Lin Ruan affectionately, regardless of how many wrinkles were on the cotton school gown.

"Do you want to stay at my house today?" Lin Ruan asked when she saw that Lu Zhao was reluctant to let her go and didn't look like he wanted to go home.

Hearing this, Lu Zhao loosened his arms around Lin Ruan, forced himself to cheer up, and said, "No, my maid has already gone to the mansion to get a car to pick me up."

Lin Ruan said softly, "Okay, then I'll stay with you for a while until you get on the carriage."

Lin Ruan entered the room only after Lu Zhao left. Human joys and sorrows were not mutually exclusive. Lin Ruan said to Lin Dong beside her, "Go tell the kitchen to make a few more dishes tonight. I, the young lady, have passed the entrance exam to the upper dormitory. I'd like to celebrate with the mistress and the old lady."

After returning to the house, Chi Wen Ning helped her change her outer robe, while A Qiao carefully wiped Lin Ruan's hands with a wet handkerchief. Lin Ruan stood lazily between the two of them, still thinking about Lu Zhao.

"Seventeen, what happened to Lu Zhao's brother?" she asked.

The system said: "When she was nineteen, she was married off to a retainer of the scholarly degree by Magistrate Lu."

Being a retainer was a low status, but it was better than being sent to a breeding ground. Lin Ruan felt that she was confused by the situation. Who among the powerful families would send their children to a breeding ground just because they didn't get married at the age of 20? As long as they wanted, they could always marry their sons off.

After figuring it out, Lin Ruan naturally stopped worrying about it.

The counterattack mission she received was to make the heroine successful and gain both power and wealth.

By this time, she had no shortage of money. She had already finished writing "The Legend of the Deer," and not counting the over three thousand taels of silver she had earned from profit sharing in the previous two years, after it was completely finished, the bookshop was bought out for another twenty thousand taels of silver. Lin Ruan used all of this money to buy the farm. Adding the original one hundred acres, she now owned seven hundred acres of land. Not counting the grain delivered in spring and autumn, and the daily vegetables, the rent alone brought in over two thousand taels of silver annually, making her a small landlord. If she expanded further, and attracted covetous attention, even a mere scholar like her would not be able to hold on.

So the most urgent thing is to continue taking the imperial examination.

The Fengwu Kingdom's imperial examination system is peculiar. After passing the Juren or Xiucai exams, students are barred from taking the next examination for at least two years. This is said to prevent students from focusing solely on academics and lacking experience. The system of inner and outer dormitories in the prefectural academy also stems from this reason. Lin Ruan is now in her second year at the prefectural academy. If she can pass the major exam next March, the teachers at the prefectural academy will jointly guarantee her entry into the provincial examination.

Lin Ruan calculated the time and decided to put everything else aside to focus on preparing for the exam. She immersed herself in books every day, interacted with classmates, and constantly improved her knowledge.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day of the big exam. Lin Ruan walked into the examination room with confidence. With her solid knowledge and calm test-taking ability, she successfully completed all the exams.

The moment she walked out of the exam room, she felt incredibly relieved. She had definitely passed, it was just that her ranking depended on the examiner's preferences. Regardless, she had tried her best.

The system had once asked Lin Ruan if it wanted to intervene with the examiner to place her at the top, but she refused. After the system's actions reached a certain threshold, she would noticeably feel her vitality draining away. This world was too beautiful; she wanted to stay longer, ideally to die a natural death.

After the results came out, Lin Ruan ranked first, Jiang Wenhui ranked fifth, and Lu Zhao ranked eighteenth. All three of them passed the exam, which meant that in five months, the three of them would have to take part in the provincial examination.

Upon learning that she had won first place, Lu Zhao was even happier than Lin Ruan. He patted Lin Ruan on the shoulder and repeatedly told her to study hard and try to pass the provincial examination in one try.

"Seventeen, what's wrong with Lu Zhao?" Lin Ruan asked.

The system checked, paused speechlessly for a second, and then said, "Prefect Lu and Lu Zhao have decided that if you pass the provincial examination this time, they will grant Lu Erlang to you as your maid."

"Huh?" Lin Ruan's first reaction was: "What does her brother look like? Let me see."

system:(?_? )

The system showed Lin Ruan a group of photos of Lu Erlang. How should I put it? Apart from having a pair of amorous peach blossom eyes, Lu Er and Lu Zhao did not look very similar.

Lu Er's face is angular, with thick eyebrows like ink. Under his sword-like eyebrows, his nose is straight. He has a sharp appearance, but his pair of peach blossom eyes are sparkling. When his eyes move, they reveal a natural charm and temptation.

If Lin Ruan were to describe him, he would look very much like Jia Lian in "Dream of Red Mansions", a very romantic and handsome young man.

Yes, if he hadn't grown up in a world where boys could get married at the age of fourteen, nineteen would be the best age for a boy.

Lin Ruan: "Ahem, since Lu Zhao is my good friend, I'll work hard and pass the provincial exam in one go~(=^▽^=)"

system:(?_?)

Lin Ruan solemnly held Lu Zhao's hand and said sincerely from the bottom of her heart: "A Zhao, you are really my good sister."

Lu Zhao didn't understand what was going on. He thought that Lin Ruan had been moved by his endless encouragement and even felt a little guilty.

System: Haha ^_^, today is also a day to keep smiling~.