After being reborn, her aloof ex-husband and her crazy deceased husband got into a fight.

Zhu Xiaoxiao was being pulled away by Gan Cai'er, and couldn't help but ask...

"Ah Cai, where are you taking me?"

Gan Cai'er gestured towards Huang Tinghai with her lips and whispered.

"Could you help me get closer to this person?"

"what?!"

Zhu Xiaoxiao was shocked, her eyes wide open.

"No, A-Cai, you're already married! How can you still be thinking about these kinds of things?!"

"Tsk, what are you thinking about here!"

Gan Cai'er glared at Zhu Xiaoxiao with annoyance, then mysteriously leaned close to Zhu Xiaoxiao's ear and whispered something in a very low voice.

"It is said that this person is at odds with Lan Tingzhou, and I want to find out more about him."

Upon hearing Gan Cai'er's words, Zhu Xiaoxiao immediately rolled her eyes: "What business is it of yours, a woman, to meddle in men's affairs?"

"Crack~~"

Gan Cai'er slapped Zhu Xiaoxiao on the shoulder and glared at her: "Have you even read 'Women's Virtues' to the point of forgetting everything?"

"Be a good wife and mother, be a good wife and mother. As long as it's your husband's business, as his wife, you should naturally do your best to help him!"

"Just one question: are you going or not?!"

"Heh, are you trying to provoke me?" Zhu Xiaoxiao raised her almond-shaped eyes and showed disdain.

Then, she clapped her hands on the hem of her skirt.

"Go, of course!"

"Let me see who this devil is who wants to harm your husband."

A moment later, the two stood happily in front of Huang Tinghai.

"Young Master Huang, I've heard you're an expert in music?" Zhu Xiaoxiao asked with a charming smile.

Upon seeing two young women standing in front of him, Huang Tinghai couldn't help but feel a little nervous, and he turned slightly to the side.

"I only have a slight understanding; I dare not claim to be an expert."

"Young Master Huang, there's no need for such modesty. Just now, Young Master Huang's drumming was quite powerful and the beat was rapid. How could you say you only have a slight understanding?"

Zhu Xiaoxiao's praise was spot on.

Although she often followed Gan Cai'er to catch fish in the river and climb trees to fight, her childhood training in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting was not in vain.

Sure enough, Gan Cai'er noticed a fleeting hint of arrogance in Huang Tinghai's eyes. It seemed he was extremely confident in his musical abilities.

Gan Cai'er tugged at Zhu Xiaoxiao's belt.

Zhu Xiaoxiao paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I also enjoy playing the zither at home in my spare time. Today, I am fortunate to meet you, young master. I wonder if I could ask you for some pointers?"

Huang Tinghai glanced at Gan Cai'er and said, "Brother Lan is also proficient in music, and Miss Xie is his cousin. Why would you go to such lengths to find someone so close by?"

Wow, I never expected this person to be so meticulous.

Zhu Xiaoxiao's eyes darted around: "Young Master Lan is indeed a good man, but he is already married. I'm afraid of causing gossip, so it's inconvenient for me to go up and ask him for advice."

"I'll go borrow a piano for you."

Without saying a word, Gan Cai'er turned around and went to borrow a zither. Soon, she returned with the zither.

At this time, the separation between men and women on the Jingtai Temple had long since disappeared. Everyone gathered in twos and threes, chatting and laughing, or reciting poems and painting. It was quite like the free and easy atmosphere that was only seen during the Shangsi Festival.

Zhu Xiaoxiao carried her zither to a quieter place with fewer people, sat down on the ground, and began to play the zither.

She played "Seven-String Tune," a very common introductory piece for the guqin.

Zhu Xiaoxiao's piano skills came from her mother, and she might be considered one of the best in Qingshui Town, but when she was in front of Huang Tinghai, her level was like that of a child.

Huang Tinghai couldn't hide the smile in his eyes. He pointed out a few points about Zhu Xiaoxiao's technique, then took the zither and played the original piece again.

It must be said that the same piece of music, interpreted by different people, can produce worlds apart.

Huang Tinghai's reputation as a child prodigy is well-deserved.

"Young Master Huang, you played so well! I can't even tell it's the same piece anymore," Gan Cai'er praised sincerely.

A hint of joy flashed across Huang Tinghai's brow, as if he was very pleased with Gan Cai'er's praise.

"Miss Xie flatters me; it's just a trivial skill."

"This is hardly a trivial skill; even if it is carving, it is a great skill of carving a statue!"

Gan Cai'er has never been literate, but when it comes to flattery, she's a natural, able to spout it off effortlessly. Coupled with her sweet smile, it's always a winning formula.

Sure enough, Huang Tinghai couldn't help but laugh.

"Young Master Huang, have you ever been to Qingshui Town?" Gan Cai'er asked, seizing the opportunity.

"Never."

Never? Gan Cai'er's heart tightened.

"What about Zhushan County?" Gan Cai'er persisted.

"Never."

None of them!

The provincial examination is next August, which means there's less than a year left since Huang Tinghai reported the Lanting Boat incident. But he's never been to Qingshui Town, so how did he become acquainted with the people at Qizhi Academy?

Gan Cai'er was stunned.

Seeing that Gan Cai'er was somewhat lost in thought, Huang Tinghai said kindly, "Miss Xie's hometown must be a place of beautiful mountains and rivers, and outstanding people. I will definitely go and visit it after the autumn examination next year."

“No need to wait until next year, it can be done this year. Qingshui Town has the freshest sea bass, the most delicious flavor, you can’t get it anywhere else. I’ll have my cousin treat you to some.” Gan Cai’er smiled again.

"That won't do. Students must concentrate on preparing for the autumn examinations. Starting next month, the academy will take attendance every day and students will no longer be allowed to travel far."

That makes it even more wrong!

At this moment, Gan Cai'er felt that there was something strange about her past life.

"Young Master Huang, I just saw that you and Young Master Lan played together quite well. Do you two often play together?" Zhu Xiaoxiao suddenly asked.

Although she didn't know what Gan Cai'er was trying to find out, the tacit understanding between the two of them since childhood made her understand which direction to steer the conversation.

Then, the two saw the smile on Huang Tinghai's face fade.

"I am not from the same academy as Brother Lan, and we rarely see each other, but his talent is renowned far and wide."

"As for ensemble playing, there are only a few basic musical rules. As long as the rhythm is right, it won't be bad."

Huang Tinghai was verbally modest and humble, but Gan Cai'er did not miss the sinister glint in his eyes.

This Huang Tinghai finally overlapped with the Huang Tinghai in Gan Cai'er's memory. She silently clenched her palms.

"Oh, I see. I thought you two were kindred spirits," Zhu Xiaoxiao said, sounding regretful.

"Hehe, if Miss Zhu is talking about kindred spirits, then I and Young Master Wu can be considered kindred spirits. When Young Master Wu performs sword dances, I usually play the drum or the zither."

"Young Master Wu?" Zhu Xiaoxiao asked, her voice tinged with doubt.

"Young Master Wu is the second son of General Wu. He is both literate and skilled in martial arts at a young age. He can write articles and ride a horse to kill bandits."

Huang Tinghai smiled, revealing a hint of pride and arrogance. It was as if Wu San Gongzi's excellence was his own excellence.

"He had originally planned to go boating with me today, but Miss Wu was going on an autumn outing to Nanshan, and he was worried about her, so he came along instead."

Miss Wu!

Upon hearing the name, Gan Cai'er suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

She had a very strong impression of that name.

In a previous life, the wife of the magistrate of Zhushan County personally went to the Lan family to act as matchmaker and propose marriage. She said that a young lady from a prominent family was very fond of Lan Tingzhou and did not mind that he was already married. She was willing to marry into the family as a secondary wife.

That young lady from a prominent family was none other than the eighth young lady of the Wu family.

When the magistrate's wife arrived, Gan Cai'er and Xiao Hong were eavesdropping outside Lan's mother's window.

Xiao Hong was furious and spat under her breath: "What Miss Wu? I think she's shameless. She should be surnamed Wang and just be called Miss Wang!"

Gan Cai'er then remembered "Miss Wang Ba". Little did she know that she was actually the legitimate daughter of General Wu of Danzhou, no wonder she could get the county magistrate's wife to intervene.

However, the magistrate's wife's marriage proposal ultimately failed. Given Lan's mother's rigid nature, it was impossible for her to agree to Lan Tingzhou taking a concubine, unless Gan Cai'er had been childless for many years, or Lan Tingzhou had risen to the rank of fifth grade or higher.

Miss Wu the Eighth, Young Master Wu the Third, and Huang Tinghai—these three names kept swirling in Gan Cai'er's mind, and a certain connection seemed to be subtly emerging.

Gan Cai'er was fairly familiar with Huang Tinghai. In her previous life, after he falsely accused Lan Tingzhou, she had looked for him many times and even visited his home.

Huang Tinghai's family was not wealthy; they were an ordinary farming family with many siblings, and their income was barely enough to make ends meet.

Fortunately, he was exceptionally talented and became famous at a young age, earning the title of one of the Seven Talented Scholars of Qinchuan Academy. As a result, many people sponsored him, and he did not have a difficult life.

Huang Tinghai's foundation lay in his reputation as a young prodigy.

Therefore, it was only natural that when Lan Tingzhou emerged out of nowhere and stole most of his limelight, he would become jealous and resentful and falsely accuse Lan Tingzhou.

However, the accusation that Lan Tingzhou's identity is fabricated cannot withstand scrutiny. Lan Tingzhou has lived in Qingshui Town for seven or eight years and is a local celebrity; his identity can be easily verified.

Why would he make such an easily verifiable false accusation? Just to prevent Lan Tingzhou from participating in that year's provincial examination? But after his identity was cleared, Lan Tingzhou could easily participate in the next provincial examination.

Moreover, Huang Tinghai was later imprisoned for this, thus ending his path to the imperial examinations and paying a heavy price for it.

As the saying goes, "Kill one hundred enemies, lose a thousand of your own!"

This is something that Gan Cai'er couldn't understand in her past life.

She confronted Huang Tinghai directly, even physically assaulted him, and went to his house to demolish it. In the end, she also slipped him a lot of money, hoping he would withdraw his report.

Huang Tinghai only looked at her coldly and sinisterly, filled with deep hatred.

It was only after a great Confucian scholar stepped in to vouch for Lantingzhou that the boat was able to weather the crisis.

However, once you've been smeared, it will attract endless suspicion, and this suspicion will follow you throughout your life, being brought up from time to time.

This incident caused Lantingzhou great trouble later on.

Looking at Huang Tinghai, Gan Cai'er felt as if she had grasped something, yet it was still like a fog.

If Miss Wu truly loved Lantingzhou, shouldn't she have tried her best to dissuade Huang Tinghai?

Gan Cai'er remembered that in her previous life, when Lan Tingzhou was framed, the Wu family not only did not help, but instead took advantage of her misfortune.