Chapter 5: Lu Huaijing

Chapter 5: Lu Huaijing

After copying six documents, Ji Yanbai stopped Yu Jianli, "That's enough. Given my temperament, I couldn't possibly write more than six in a day. The rest can be done three days later."

Yu Jianli didn't insist further. Six copies, amounting to 120 taels of silver, was already a substantial sum for him.

It wasn't as much as 400 taels at once, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.

He knew that Ji Yanbai wouldn't bother with the calligraphy. Despite his family being rough around the edges, the brush and inkstone were of high quality.

He carefully packed away the writing tools and pensively warned, "The ink is still wet; don't stack them together."

Ji Yanbai softly acknowledged with an "Mm."

As Yu Jianli blew out the candle, darkness enveloped his vision.

The sudden darkness was disorienting, more so than when he had grown accustomed to it. He fumbled towards the window, surprised when Ji Yanbai supported him, realizing that Ji Yanbai had somehow moved right next to him.

For someone of his size to move without a sound, swiftly and accurately in the dark, truly lived up to his martial prowess.

Ji Yanbai helped him over the window and whispered, "I'll give you the silver tomorrow."

"It's not urgent," Yu Jianli understood. Who would carry nearly ten catties of silver on them?

"Thanks."

"Mm... also, thank you for the silver."

Ji Yanbai chuckled lightly at his response, not saying anything else.

The laugh was soft, almost like a slightly heavier breath, but it left a line of words lingering in Yu Jianli's mind: That man, cold and arrogant to the world, a devil-like figure, had smiled indulgently at him.

Instantly, goosebumps covered Yu Jianli's body.

Reading too many novels really could be harmful...

Yu Jianli returned to his dormitory and lay down on his bed.

He kept an ear out for any movement from Ji Yanbai's side. After some simple tidying, Ji Yanbai also settled onto his bed.

Silence fell upon both sides.

Yu Jianli closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

*

What was bound to happen, did.

The evil second male lead from the book, who was outstanding himself yet always fixated on the impoverished protagonist, disliking him for no apparent reason as if he had no life of his own, constantly making things difficult for the protagonist, had finally arrived at Yu Jianli's doorstep.

Lu Huaijing, the youngest son of the Minister of Revenue.

It seemed that the Lu family genetics were extreme. His older brothers inherited their father's scholarly abilities, while his brother closest in age to him attended the Hall of Literary Glory and had conversed amicably with Ming Zhiyan.

Unfortunately, Lu Huaijing was uneducated, always ranking last in monthly or annual exams. In the Imperial Academy, he reigned supreme, his personality arrogant, a typical spoiled brat with no regard for others.

Due to the stark contrast with his brother, he was often scolded by his father because of his brother, leading to a particular hatred for this sibling.

His brother admired Ming Zhiyan, so he despised Ming Zhiyan.

Later, Lu Huaijing fell head over heels for the protagonist, but the protagonist only held Ming Zhiyan in special regard, causing this young master's hatred for Ming Zhiyan to intensify, targeting him even more severely.

When he sought trouble with Ming Zhiyan, unable to verbally spar or gain any advantage, he always plotted again, but each time, he merely played a supporting role.

Why mention the extreme genetics of the Lu family?

Lu Huaijing was the only one among all the children of the Minister of Revenue to inherit his mother's beauty.

The other children could only be described as average-looking, so ordinary that the novel didn't waste a single word describing their appearances.

After the death of Yu Jianli's character, Lu Huaijing became the most beautiful man in the book, unmatched by anyone else.

Upon seeing him in person, Yu Jianli realized that his eyes were incredibly lively, his eyelashes long, paired with a narrow and straight nose, and pale peach-colored lips. Even as he stood before others, cursing, he resembled a beautiful painting, incapable of evoking any disgust.

Yu Jianli even felt that Lu Huaijing's appearance had an exotic flair, reminiscent of the strong features of certain ethnic minorities.

Lu Huaijing's appearance in the Four Gates Academy's branch hall was clearly aimed at Yu Jianli.

"Hmph, they say another great beauty has come to the Imperial Academy, but I find him rather ordinary..." Lu Huaijing said, his gaze landing on Yu Jianli.

His expression was too easy to read, completely unmasked, with all emotions laid bare in his eyes.

His face visibly changed. He stared blankly at Yu Jianli for a moment, then looked incredulously at his attendant by his side, kicking the servant.

Lu Huaijing seemed furious, verging on embarrassment, but he still lowered his voice to question, "Didn't you say he's far inferior to me?"

The attendant, having been kicked, dared not complain, instead whining pitifully, "To me, he doesn't compare to you, my lord! How could he have your noble aura!"

Clearly, Lu Huaijing had sent his attendant to observe Yu Jianli beforehand. Upon returning, how could the attendant dare say that Yu Jianli was indeed handsome? He could only say that Yu Jianli didn't measure up to his master.

In their eyes, their master was indeed superior, partly due to favoritism and partly to curry favor.

Lu Huaijing's thoughts were simple. Hearing that Yu Jianli wasn't as good-looking as him, he immediately gained confidence, planning to come and ridicule him.

However, upon meeting, seeing Yu Jianli sitting there quietly, Lu Huaijing's heart skipped a beat.

What was wrong with Yu Jianli's looks?

Wasn't this a celestial being descending to earth? How could someone be born with such a face!

He had heard that some people had eyes full of affection, but Yu Jianli's eyes were like poetry! Those watery eyes were filled with poetic imagery, birdsong, and floral fragrance!

The mocking words he had prepared earlier seemed inappropriate now. Lu Huaijing was momentarily speechless, standing awkwardly for a moment before deciding to approach Yu Jianli.

The students of the Four Gates Academy feared this young master. Seeing him coming, they quickly made way, allowing Lu Huaijing to sit smoothly at Yu Jianli's desk.

Lu Huaijing stared intently at Yu Jianli, trying to find something wrong.

Before Yu Jianli returned to the Imperial Academy, he was the "most beautiful" in the Imperial Academy. He didn't see anything wrong with a man being praised for his beauty, after all, he was indeed good-looking, his greatest asset.

After Yu Jianli's arrival, he soon heard the rumors that another great beauty had come to the Imperial Academy, even surpassing Lu Huaijing in beauty.

Of course, when mentioning Lu Huaijing, people would also bring up his arrogance and tyranny. When talking about Yu Jianli, they would mention his past scandal, labeling him as a man of poor character.

Followed by the phrase: So what if he's beautiful?

These weren't concerns for Lu Huaijing. He didn't care about a person's character; he only cared that someone was more beautiful than him.

He scrutinized Yu Jianli for a moment, not only failing to find fault but also acknowledging the fact that Yu Jianli was indeed more beautiful than him.

Being stared at for so long, Yu Jianli felt somewhat uncomfortable. To ease the tension, he could only smile at Lu Huaijing, like the rising sun melting countless snows, leaving only warmth behind.

This smile unexpectedly flushed Lu Huaijing's face red. Pointing at Yu Jianli, he nervously told his attendant, "H-he-he smiled at me!"

The attendant, accustomed to doing evil deeds and bullying others under Lu Huaijing's protection, didn't know how to respond to this statement. Thus, he reflexively sneered at Yu Jianli, "Impudent!"

"..." Yu Jianli could only withdraw his smile.

Lu Huaijing panicked instead, yelling at the attendant, "Why are you shouting so loudly?!"

"Eh?" The attendant was at a loss, unsure of what to do. This was how he usually acted, and his master would reward him for it.

He had been with Lu Huaijing for quite some time. Why couldn't he read his master's intentions today?

At this moment, another group entered the branch hall.

Seeing the situation here, the leader assumed that Lu Huaijing had already started to make things difficult for Yu Jianli, so he joined in the mockery, "Indeed, someone like Yu Jianli, with such improper conduct, shouldn't be in the Imperial Academy!"

Yu Jianli looked over and found these people somewhat familiar. He quickly remembered that they were the ones who had ambushed him on the path when he first arrived.

That day, they were stunned by Yu Jianli's appearance, losing their composure for a moment, making it inconvenient to immediately confront him.

After all, the minor characters in the novel were like this. They would be stunned by beauty, mock the protagonist's misfortune, and fawn over the villain's power, their emotions shallow and exaggerated.

But such a thing wouldn't happen twice. No matter how beautiful a character was, they couldn't rely solely on their face to withstand all attacks.

It would be ridiculous, akin to the climax of a novel where the protagonist uses the "smile and turn back" skill during a major battle, instantly wiping out the entire enemy team.

That would be too absurd.

Having regained their senses, these few heard that Lu Huaijing was going to confront Yu Jianli today, so they followed along.

In the Imperial Academy, Lu Huaijing's dislike for Ming Zhiyan ranked second, with no one taking the first spot.

Next came these few.

The enemy of an enemy is a friend. Lu Huaijing and they had met a few times, and they had received praise from Lu Huaijing, feeling that they were now on Lu Huaijing's side.

Lu Huaijing turned around and recognized the speaker as Song Yunwang.

Seeing Lu Huaijing looking at him, Song Yunwang became even more enthusiastic.

He sneered and continued, "After his family's decline, he should have known better than to resort to despicable means, capable of doing anything. Truly despicable..."

Lu Huaijing crossed his legs and raised his chin slightly, asking, "What did he do?"

"A lot of people who are still in the Imperial Academy know about the incident two years ago. He degraded himself and implicated others, truly detestable."

"Turns out you've been in the Imperial Academy for two years. It's my fault for being introverted and unwilling to socialize, preventing me from meeting you earlier. I suppose you experienced the events back then."

At this moment, Yu Jianli sighed as if reminiscing, "Many of the familiar students have already left the Imperial Academy. It's rare to encounter those who remain here."

It sounded like nostalgia, but in reality, it was poking at their sore spots.

Most hateful was that Yu Jianli said it with a smile, genuine and pure.

Those who knew about these matters at the time were mostly from the Imperial Academy and were part of the same batch of students as Yu Jianli and Ming Zhiyan entering the Imperial Academy.

By the time Yu Jianli's family encountered trouble, this batch of students was already eligible to "graduate" and participate in the imperial examinations.

Some students had already passed the imperial examinations, while those with higher scores were sent to the Ministry of Appointments for official appointments. Some who were truly incompetent left the Imperial Academy after acquiring some knowledge, leaving behind a group of mediocre students to continue their studies.

Song Yunwang and the others were of this type.

Ming Zhiyan, due to his family's misfortune, hadn't participated in the previous imperial examinations, but he had already gained the favor of the Crown Prince, and his scholarship was widely praised. His future prospects were boundless.

If Song Yunwang failed the next imperial examination, he could only shamelessly continue staying in the Imperial Academy until his age no longer permitted it, becoming extremely bitter. It was understandable that he would envy and resent Ming Zhiyan.

Rare!

The use of these two words was too dirty!

Yet, Yu Jianli said it so sincerely, as if genuinely catching up with old friends.

Song Yunwang's voice trembled in response, a forced calm before madness, "Who wants to associate with you?!"

"As a former student, you should know that the headmaster once vouched for me, proving that he also believed in my character. I just didn't want to involve others, so I chose to leave on my own." Yu Jianli declared aloud at this moment.

He knew that once such matters spread, dispelling rumors would require tireless effort.

People were eager to see someone godlike tainted with a bad name and relished discussing it.

If it could indeed be easily explained, the original owner wouldn't have died in melancholy.

Yu Jianli wasn't in a hurry either, for he knew that Ming Zhiyan would eventually clear his name.

However, since they had already come to humiliate him face-to-face, he couldn't let them continue their slander.

Yu Jianli spoke neither too high nor too low, neither too fast nor too slow, as if no emotional fluctuation occurred within him. The scene Song Yunwang wanted to see did not unfold.

"Spare me the act!" Song Yunwang wasn't intimidated by such a sentence, "If you were truly wronged, why would you really leave the Imperial Academy? Isn't it because you lack evidence? The headmaster is upright and kind, defending the students of the Imperial Academy is normal. You merely took advantage of his kindness."

At this moment, Lu Huaijing, who had been observing all along, suddenly asked, "You speak so confidently. Were you hiding in a rat hole, witnessing his vile deeds with your own eyes?"

Song Yunwang didn't expect Lu Huaijing to question him, taken aback, his tone slightly weakened, lacking the confidence from before: "Not exactly, but everyone says..."

"Oh, so you don't have any evidence either, just believing what others say and taking it as truth? Preferring to believe others over the headmaster?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Jianli couldn't help but be momentarily surprised. Lu Huaijing said what he wanted to say, only he said it first.

Moreover, he found that Lu Huaijing's logical thinking was quite good, not as described in the book.

Could it be that away from the protagonist, the foolishly beautiful second male lead's intelligence has reclaimed its peak?

Song Yunwang thought of something and turned to ask Lu Huaijing, "Have you heard about the incident back then? I can tell you now."

"Tsk." Lu Huaijing was displeased, "I came here to meet Yu Jianli, and you choose this time to make a ruckus, spoiling the mood. Without evidence, old and stale matters are uninteresting; I'd rather listen to music and watch a dance."

"This..." Song Yunwang dared not provoke Lu Huaijing, quickly changing his tune, "It was my oversight, disturbing you. I'll leave right away."

After Song Yunwang left, Lu Huaijing looked back at Yu Jianli, intending to scold him, but saw Yu Jianli looking at him sincerely, saying, "You're actually a decent person, speaking fair words."

"Huh?" Lu Huaijing was caught off guard by the unexpected compliment.

"Thank you."

"You! Who needs your thanks?!" Lu Huaijing stood up, leaving the hall in a huff, walking at an extremely fast pace.

*

As Lu Huaijing was about to return to the Imperial Academy, he suddenly stopped at the door, recalling what happened, then cursed at his attendant, "Is he mentally ill or something?!"

He, Lu Huaijing, had been through countless verbal spats over the years, rarely losing any.

Even when he suffered at the hands of Ming Zhiyan's twisted logic, he managed to anger Ming Zhiyan several times.

When had he ever approached someone aggressively, only to be thanked and praised as a good person in return?

"Yes! I've heard he's frail and often sick! Not only is he ill, but he has many illnesses!" the attendant hurriedly replied.

Little did he know, this further infuriated his master, who gave him a withering look, "You're also sick!"

Who was concerned about his health?!