After my luck was stolen, I led my whole family to defy fate and change our destiny.

Chen Xining recognized Gu Liyao and quickly lowered her head, saying, "Since Father has guests, I won't disturb you any longer."

After saying that, he took the books and went into the room. After chatting for a while, Chen Boqing led the two to the study.

"Feel free to look around. If you like anything, feel free to take it as a return gift."

The two did not refuse. Chen Baiqing had carved out a study from the cramped house, so the books inside must be very valuable.

The two were browsing the bookshelves. Gu Yu'an's long, slender fingers traced across the books when he suddenly noticed a yellowed book.

He picked it up and opened it, and there was a hidden compartment inside. He pulled out the paper inside and looked at it. Wasn't this "Ode to a Beauty"?

The paper is somewhat rough and yellowed, and even the edges are stained. Could this be the original manuscript of "Ode to a Beauty"?

But wasn't "Ode to a Beauty" stolen by Jiang He?

Gu Linglong exclaimed excitedly, "[Wow! That's the original manuscript of 'Ode to a Beauty'! Jiang He stole the second version back then, this is the original!]"

With this original manuscript, Chen Boqin has the opportunity to clear his name of plagiarism and completely turn his career around.

Gu Yu'an's hand trembled slightly as he held the original manuscript: "How come you have 'Ode to a Beauty' here, sir?"

Chen Boqing was stunned for a moment, not expecting Gu Yu'an to have found this.

Written in my spare time

Gu Yu'an asked, "Really? But this 'Ode to a Beauty' uses bolder and more innovative language, quite different from Vice Dean Jiang He's."

Chen Boqing hadn't expected Gu Yu'an to be so observant. The "Ode to a Beauty" was over 30,000 words long, and he could spot even the slightest differences.

"How did you find out?"

Gu Linglong covered her mouth and laughed. [Of course, my older brother loves this article to death, but he's the kind of person who can recite "Ode to a Beauty" backwards. Otherwise, he wouldn't idolize Jiang He.]

Gu Yu'an truthfully replied, "I know this article by heart, so I can naturally spot the differences at a glance."

Chen Boqing remained silent for a long time, unsure of what to say. He didn't want to lie to his students, but who in this world, besides his wife and children, would truly believe him?

Gu Yu'an took a step closer to Chen Boqing: "Is it true that the 'Ode to a Beauty' was actually written by you, sir?"

"I have read Vice Dean Jiang He's articles and yours, and apart from this 'Ode to a Beauty,' Vice Dean Jiang has no other articles or poems that can compare to yours."

Chen Boqing did not deny it when he met Gu Yu'an's intense gaze.

"So what if I wrote it? Would you believe me? Would the world believe me?"

Gu Yu'an said firmly: "I believe it."

Gu Liyao nodded solemnly: "I also believe in you, sir."

[Waaaaah, big brother, you finally know the truth! You have to help him! In your past life, he buried your bones; in this life, you must clear his name! Waaaaah...]

Gu Liyao smacked his lips and thought to himself: I'm starting to really want to ship you two as a couple.

A character can be unpopular, but it can't be weird!

Chen Boqing's eyes welled up with tears: "That's right, I wrote it. The reason I made changes is that the original 'Ode to a Beauty' used bold and beautiful language, and was full of praise. I was afraid that people at the time wouldn't accept it, so I made some changes."

Gu Yu'an smiled and said, "Sir, you didn't expect that even erotic songs can be talked about as long as they are well-written, right?"

Chen Boqing coughed and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? It's just that in the past ten years or so, people have been very tolerant of women. You have to wear a straw hat even when you go out. Things are much more open now. I'm afraid that people will gossip about my sweetheart."

Chen Boqing sat down by himself, his gaze fixed ahead, as if looking into his past: "Back then, Jiang He and I came from the same place, but my family was better off than his."

“We were in the same college, and our seats were very close. He often missed meals and would drink the free water in the college when he was hungry. His classmates often made fun of him.”

"I bumped into him a few times and felt sorry for him, so I shared my lunch with him. Over time, our relationship grew closer, and we agreed to go to the exam together."

"Jiang He was afraid of failing the provincial examination, so I stayed with him in the academy every day to study and review, and we discussed things together. Heaven rewards those who work hard, and I got first place in the provincial examination, while Jiang He came in last."

"Fortunately, I passed the exam and was qualified to go to Beijing for the final exam. We traveled to Beijing together, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way. To be honest, I was very happy during that time, being able to embark on a journey to pursue our dreams with my best brother."

Who would have thought that your best brother would betray you? One day I got drunk and collapsed by the lake. When I vaguely woke up, I saw a woman picking lotus pods in front of a small boat on the lake.

"The sunlight shone on her face, making her look like a fairy. At that time, we didn't have enough money, so Jiang He and I copied books at the bookstore. I wrote very quickly, so I came every day hoping to see her."

At this point, Chen Boqing's face was full of smiles.

"So I wrote a poem called 'Ode to a Beauty' and gave it to her as one of the tokens of our love. She thought it was very well written and should be circulated. So I thought I should polish it a bit more. What if the original version was leaked and outsiders noticed something amiss, and the world didn't accept it? After all, it was a poem that was a declaration of love."

"After drinking heavily with Jiang He, I took advantage of my drunkenness to write a second version. When I woke up the next day, both Jiang He and the 'Ode to a Beauty' were gone."

Gu Yu'an pondered for a moment: "Is it your master's wife?"

Chen Boqing nodded: "Yes, that article wasn't explicit; it was all about my love and praise for your teacher's wife. That's how we got engaged. My father-in-law is the local magistrate, and he believes I will one day pass the imperial examination."

"It's a pity. You all know what happened afterward. That's why my wife trusted me so much, because she was the first person to read this article. She's the one I feel most sorry for."

"She's the daughter of a county magistrate. If she hadn't married me, she could definitely have married someone better. The good life we ​​promised her never came, and the articles I wrote for her were even accused of plagiarism. This once well-bred daughter of an official has now become somewhat shrewish and unruly."

Chen Boqing's face was full of doting affection.

Chen Niangzi, who was holding pastries outside the door, wiped away her tears, turned around and left. At least she had a conscience!

Chen Boqing never expected that one day someone would be able to listen quietly to these old stories, nor did he expect that he could speak about them so calmly now.

Gu Yu'an felt a lump in his throat, never expecting such a story to unfold: "Then why didn't you explain it clearly, sir?"

Chen Boqing gave a wry smile: "Who would believe you? Nobody would."

Gu Liyao's eyes turned red with anger. He thought of Lin Xiaoxiao, whose mother had been so good to her, only to be betrayed in the end.

We believe in you.

Chen Boqing shook his head: "What's the use if you all believe me? Everyone has to believe me. Now that my reputation is ruined, no one will believe me anymore."

"I only got into Chengwei Academy because of my father-in-law's connections. Although the academy and students have recognized my talent over the years, some parents still don't trust me. I'm the most relaxed teacher at the academy."

"At first I was really upset, but now I've come to terms with it. It's a leisurely life with money to be made, so why not?"

I don't know if I've really come to terms with it or if I've just gotten used to it, but the thought of my husband being so poor and having to borrow money everywhere to buy a coffin to bury me still bothers me.

Gu Yu'an felt uneasy; he really was... a good teacher!