Daily life in the academy

Bai Zhi's eyes widened as she waved her hands repeatedly, "It's not really a favor. If anyone wants to express gratitude, it should be to Prince Yan, Mu Bailian, and Wenzhe." She glanced around, seeing students staring at her inquiringly. She lowered her voice and said, "At most, I accompanied Miss Chu through a difficult time. After all, I was a victim too."

"Prince Yan and Master Mu will naturally be treated well by the Chu family. You don't need to worry about that." Chu Youyou looked disappointed. "I've come to invite you in person in front of so many people. Do you know what this means?"

"What does it mean?" Bai Zhi realized it belatedly and took a step back, "Miss Chu, you... don't mean that, do you?"

Having experienced what happened with An Ziqian, Chu Youyou naturally understood what Bai Zhi meant. She glared at her and cursed in a low voice, "Superficial! You are a student of Yunlu Academy and will retire in the future. If you can establish good relations with the Shangshu Mansion, your future will definitely be much smoother."

So that's how it is. Bai Zhi heaved a sigh of relief and then pointed at Yan Qingchen and the other two and said, "But you see, I've already hooked up with the prince..."

Chu Youyou: "..."

She endured it, too lazy to pretend to be a lady: "Anyway, I came here today to inform you that I will wait for you at the Chu Mansion at twilight hour tomorrow."

"Okay, okay."

After the Chu Mansion's carriage left, Bai Zhi ran back to the team with a smile on her face, but this scene irritated some people.

"It's different when there's a beautiful girl looking for you. Your smile is as bright as the flowers on the roadside." It was really strange. It was the first time that Mu Bailian said such high-level words, but the sour taste could be smelled from a long distance away.

Bai Zhi rolled her eyes: "You are clearly jealous."

"Who cares?"

Mu Bai lowered his head, tilted his mouth and glanced, showing his stubborn attitude, as if they were originally loser brothers who shared the same bunk bed, so why on earth could he have a beautiful, rich woman and enjoy a wonderful life?

Of course, he could just be a bit of a jerk.

Wenzhe coughed lightly and said, "Azhi, what does Miss Chu want to see you about?"

"She said she wanted to invite me to the Chu Mansion to thank me." Bai Zhi spread her hands with an innocent look on her face. "I don't understand what the young lady is thinking. It was clearly Brother Yan and Bai Lian who saved her, and you as well. Of course, I told her about it, but she said you guys have your own way to thank me at the Chu Mansion. Anyway, the young lady has a bad temper. She just said, 'Wait for me at the Chu Mansion tomorrow at twilight hour,' and left."

Wenzhe: "Are you going to the banquet?"

Bai Zhi: "Looks like I have no choice but to go."

Yan Qingchen chuckled: "The daughter of the Minister of Rites invited you, why are you still so reluctant? There are so many men in Sheng'an City who can't ask for her."

Bai Zhi looked at him pitifully: "Brother Yan, please stop teasing me. I just felt like there were countless inquiring eyes around me. This kind of blessing...is not suitable for me."

Yan Qingchen didn't comment and didn't say anything else: "It's getting late, where are you going?"

"Of course I'll follow Brother Yan." Bai Zhi's attitude changed very quickly, and she looked like a complete bootlicker.

Before parting, Wenzhe deliberately comforted him, "Azhi, you don't have to worry. Since I said it's a thank you, I will definitely not make things difficult for you."

"Thank you, Azhe. I know."

After following Yan Qingchen into the carriage, he kept his eyes closed to rest. Bai Zhi thought he was tired today, so she leaned against the wall of the carriage and stared blankly until they entered the city. When she was swaying and about to fall asleep, the person next to her spoke.

"You two will stay in the same room for a few days and nights. Tomorrow you will go to the Chu residence for a banquet. Minister Chu may be interested in recruiting you as a son-in-law. Since you were born in a poor family, marrying a third-rank official is also a good choice."

Bai Zhi's confused mind instantly cleared up, and she hugged herself with her arms, her face full of fear: "Brother Yan, what are you talking about? I'm still young. Besides... Miss Chu was madly in love with An Ziqian before, but after what happened, she probably won't think about love for a while."

Yan Qingchen raised his eyebrows: "What if she really means that?"

Bai Zhi shook her head repeatedly: "Then I will never obey you even if I die."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Yan Qingchen cautiously, waiting for his response. As a result, the latter really closed his eyes and rested, and said nothing more.

Bai Zhi: “…”

So...were the words I just said a warning to her?

Second day

Because Bai Zhi was going to attend a banquet, she chatted with the princess at the palace during the day, and also made her presence felt next to Yan Qingchen for a long time. It was not until after 3:00 PM that she borrowed a carriage from the palace and rushed to the Chu Mansion.

When they arrived at the Chu Mansion, there was still a quarter of an hour before the hour of You. Perhaps the owner of the mansion had already investigated Bai Zhi, so he was not surprised to see the carriage from the palace. He went forward enthusiastically to ask, "Who is Young Master Bai Zhi?"

Bai Zhi nodded in response, and the attendant's smile became even more pronounced. He led her inside and introduced the structure of the Chu Mansion to her.

When they reached the Pear Garden, the attendant led her inside and introduced: "Our young lady has loved pear blossoms and eating pears since she was a child. The master built this Pear Garden specifically for her, and it has been used to entertain guests ever since."

Bai Zhi politely responded, "Miss Chu has very... unique hobbies."

There are indeed many pear trees planted in the pear garden. Sheng'an City is located in the north of Yan State, and the pear blossoms bloom between April and May. Now it is mid-May, and you can still see the unfaded white, pink, light yellow and other colorful pear blossoms on the branches. There is also a faint fragrance at the tip of your nose, which makes you feel relaxed and happy.

"Suddenly, as if overnight, the spring breeze came, and thousands of pear trees blossomed." Bai Zhi couldn't help but mutter it. The result of nine years of compulsory education was this familiar line of poetry, and she couldn't recite it anymore.

"What a great poem! The students at Yunlu Academy are truly extraordinary. They eloquently write poetry."

Chu Youyou had arrived without anyone noticing. Bai Zhi felt a little uncomfortable with her undisguised admiration for her. She quickly denied it, "Ms. Chu, don't get me wrong. This wasn't written by me. It was written by a great poet from my hometown. I was just reciting it from the book."

"To be able to write such a poem, one must be very talented. He must be very famous now. May I ask which famous poet he is?"

"I just happened to hear it, and I don't know what his situation is now." Bai Zhi evaded the question and quickly changed the subject: "I deliberately arrived before the evening hour today, so I shouldn't have neglected Minister Chu, right?"

Chu Youyou covered her mouth and chuckled: "My dad doesn't care, he's not at home today."

Bai Zhi froze in place, countless thoughts racing through her mind, even Yan Qingchen's words from the carriage yesterday echoing in her mind. After a few breaths, she finally found her voice: "What you said yesterday... then why did you ask me to come here today?"

Chu Youyou didn't rush to answer her question, but turned and walked forward. After taking a few steps, she realized that the person behind her hadn't caught up. She frowned slightly and urged: "What are you still standing there for? Why don't you catch up?"