Chapter 7 The Visit

Chapter 7 The Visit

Yu Jianli's reactions are always beyond Lu Huaijing's expectations.

Upon hearing Yu Jianli's praise, he subconsciously raised his hand, using his index finger to rub the tip of his nose, and laughed awkwardly, "What's this? It's nothing much!"

"Anything more impressive?" Yu Jianli pressed on, his eyes sparkling with evident yearning.

"Indeed!" Lu Huaijing couldn't help feeling somewhat regretful as he said this, "I didn't manage to get that dish today. I thought these few dishes would be enough to broaden your horizons, but if I had known earlier, I would have..."

Yu Jianli consoled him in return, "It's already delicious."

"What's this compared to? There's also the Lotus Flower Cake, which is truly a delicacy of the human world. It's not meant to be kept for long and tastes best when eaten at the restaurant! It really does melt in your mouth." At this point, Lu Huaijing began to curse his lack of eloquence, unable to adequately describe the dish's exquisite taste. In the end, he could only say, "Next time, I'll take you there to try it!"

Yu Jianli declined hastily, "No need, I'm already very satisfied with this meal."

This response upset Lu Huaijing, "What nonsense are you talking about! How will you know if what I said is true unless you try it? Once you do, you'll be blown away."

"Sounds delicious..." Yu Jianli sighed wistfully, then proceeded to savor several more bites with relish.

"Heh heh." Lu Huaijing's face lit up with a grin at the compliment. "I guess you do have some taste."

"We certainly acknowledge that about you."

Confused, Huaijing pressed, "What do you mean?"

"Though your academics might be lacking, you surely have discerning tastes when it comes to food, drink, and leisure, always opting for the best."

Lu Huaijing actually took a moment to ponder this. While the jab at his poor grades irked him slightly, he couldn't refute it; his academic performance was indeed abysmal.

Especially when it came from someone like Yu Jianli, a eunuch scholar, he was even more convinced.

But in terms of receiving such sincere praise in other aspects, Yu Jianli was the first.

"What's the use of having insights? I'm always scolded for being unlearned on ordinary days." Lu Huaijing said, letting out a long sigh.

However, Yu Jianli refuted, "That's narrow-minded. Everyone has their own shining points. If one day foreign envoys come and want to appraise the most prosperous shops in our capital, the best restaurants, or the most fun places, you can blurt them out without hesitation, and you'd be the best guide.

"If that person suddenly wants to see something out of the blue, others would have to do some homework, but you can instantly think of the most suitable option."

Lu Huaijing also felt suddenly enlightened: "Indeed! Last time when folks from my hometown came over, I took my cousins out to play, and they all praised it without end! Anything that catches my fancy is top-notch!"

"So the dishes you say are delicious, certainly are."

"That's right!" Lu Huaijing lifted his chin even higher with praise, his handsome face filled with pride, almost forgetting the original reason for his nitpicking.

Ming Zhiyan was always proper in his words and deeds, even during meals he was meticulous, eating slowly and being very particular about etiquette.

He didn't like talking while eating, so he just watched the other two chat.

In just a few words, Lu Huaijing was tamed like a little beast, his ego inflated by the praise.

Ever since returning to the capital, Yu Jianli has been this way, able to spot the strengths in different people. Unless provoked, he treats everyone with an even temper.

Like a spring breeze, like morning light, treating everyone equally.

It seems that after the drastic changes at home, following a period of self-adjustment, Yu Jianli's personality underwent some transformation. The once sensitive and fragile individual became less attuned to malice after a serious illness.

Ming Zhiyan had once suspected that Yu Jianli was merely putting on an act. Lately, however, he's gradually put his worries aside, finding it for the better. Otherwise, his constant melancholy would have been a source of concern.

Especially upon returning to the Imperial Academy, living amidst incessant gossip and slander, if he still had that heart-wrenching disposition from before, he wouldn't be able to endure it for even one more day.

Among the descendants of the Yu family, the most talented was Yu Jianli; whether the Yu family could rise again all depended on Yu Jianli.

Both the Yu and Ming families no longer had any patrons to rely on, so returning to the Imperial Academy was their best option at present.

As long as Yu Jianli was happy and healthy, Ming Zhiyan wouldn't do anything rash; he was too lazy to bother with Lu Huaijing.

Lu Huaijing was rather detestable, but his thoughts were simple and his character shallow. He didn't have much wit when trying to do harm, and his methods were quite crude, making him easy to deal with.

At this moment, Lu Huaijing and Yu Jianli were engaged in a delightful conversation, so Ming Zhiyan refrained from further interference.

There were other students in the dining hall, some of whom had finished their meals but deliberately lingered to keep an eye on their group.

They expected that Lu Huaijing would again ignite an argument with Ming Zhiyan, escalating into a larger dispute.

But to their surprise, Lu Huaijing was enjoying a pleasant chat with Yu Jianli, while Ming Zhiyan remained silent throughout, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

Wasn't every encounter between these two always marked by volcanic eruptions and earth-shattering scenes? How could they possibly be getting along peacefully today?

With Yu Jianli around, would these two cease their conflict?

It used to seem that Ming Zhiyan would temper his sharp edges significantly when near Yu Jianli, but now even Lu Huaijing has become more cheerful.

What on earth is going on?

*

When Yu Jianli returned to his cell in the evening, he found that Tan Hui had passed the silver through the small window separating their cells into his own.

Tan Hui seemed reluctant to casually enter another's room, leaving the silver on the floor inside the window without stepping further in.

After entering, he carefully stowed away the silver, feeling somewhat uneasy despite the rarity of receiving such a large amount.

But he soon found peace in the thought that the Duke's Mansion would have arranged for numerous secret guards to protect Ji Yanbai; no one would dare to come here to steal.

Having secured the silver, he sat under the candlelight to read, only to hear a knock on the door shortly after.

Yu Jianli opened the door to find Tan Hui holding a food box, which he handed over, saying, "This is from our young master for you."

"Oh, thank you, but why send me a food box?"

"The young master said he was afraid you might starve to death in the middle of the night."

"Oh..."

Seeing Yu Jianli take it, Tan Hui looked around before leaning in again and saying, "Our young master's tastes in food, drink, and entertainment are indeed average, and he hasn't been in the capital for long, but he thinks this shop's food is delicious. That's why he specially asked me to buy some."

"Huh? He... knows about my conversation with Lu Huaijing?" Otherwise, why would he have said such things?

"Hehe, any stir or whisper in the Imperial Academy, I keep an eye on! To divert the young master's attention, I kept telling him about what's happening in the Imperial Academy, and that's how he found out."

Yu Jianli had assumed Tan Hui was a chatterbox, only to realize today that even a chatterbox could be so diligent, able to relay such trivial matters to Ji Yanbai.

It seemed that Tan Hui was deliberately arranged by the Duke's manor, always keeping an eye on Ji Yanbai's condition, indeed a sharp one.

"He knew, and just let you buy me things?" Yu Jianli found it hard to believe; he wasn't particularly close with Ji Yanbai, was he?

Tan Hui replied with a grin, "Not quite, our young master is a simple soul. After I mentioned these matters, he casually commented that the pastries from this shop were delicious.

"What a quick-witted fellow I am! I promptly bought two portions from the shop. The young master then had me deliver one portion to you for a taste, saying it's to prevent you from starving to death at night. Once you've tasted it, give me a signal, and within fifteen minutes, our young master will know whether you approve of his taste or not."

Yu Jianli suddenly felt a surge of panic but still cautiously accepted the item.

Recalling something, he lowered his voice to ask Tan Hui, "Your young master at the archery grounds...?"

"Oh, those people at the archery grounds today? They got what they deserved! Don't be afraid!" Tan Hui seemed ready to launch into a lengthy explanation, urging him to wait as he would tell the story in due time.

Suddenly, he heard some commotion and glanced back, then added, "Someone's coming. I'll take my leave. Knowing that you're friends with our young master from the Imperial Academy, I've heard some unfavorable comments about you. I'll keep my distance."

With that, he darted off like a streak of lightning.

Yu Jianli had just set down the food box when he saw Lu Huaijing arriving with his attendant.

As Lu Huaijing walked, he complained about the surroundings: "What a lousy path, it's uncomfortable to walk on!"

It was precisely because of his incessant grumbling that he failed to notice Tan Hui's departure.

Yu Jianli reached the courtyard gate and asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"

"Hmph, I changed restaurants and brought you some meals. This time, I won't give any to that annoying Ming Zhiyan."

"But I had dinner at the dining hall this evening."

Upon hearing this, Lu Huaijing was instantly displeased, yelling at Yu Jianli, "Who told you to eat?! You can spout nonsense, but you can't eat without reason, don't you know that?"

"But no one told me not to have dinner."

"You're not proactive when you should be, and overly so when you shouldn't!" Lu Huaijing, in a fit of anger, started kicking pebbles, only to hurt his foot, causing him to hop around in frustration. "What kind of lousy path is this? Have it paved with marble by tomorrow!"

"Are you planning to come here often?"

"Why not? Am I forbidden to come?"

Regardless of whether Yu Jianli welcomed him or not, Lu Huaijing arrived at Yu Jianli's dormitory room with his attendants.

Upon entering, Lu Huaijing waved his hand in front of his nose in disgust. "What kind of dump is this? Don't you use any incense here? How can one live with such a smell?"

"Spices and incense are quite expensive, so..." Where could Yu Jianli find the money to buy fragrant incense?

"The bedding provided by the Imperial Academy is usable?!" Lu Huaijing exclaimed in shock, pointing at the bedding.

"Zhiyan brought me a set of bedding, which made the bed much softer after I laid it out."

"How can anyone live here?!" After Lu Huaijing spoke, he seemed to recall something and pointed at the neighboring room, asking Yu Jianli, "Is that person around?"

"Seems like he is."

Lu Huaijing lowered his voice, sitting down on the chair reluctantly. He said, "Try to avoid him in the future; he's not quite right in the head."

"He doesn't start trouble on his own initiative."

"In daily life, yes, but few can restrain him when he's in one of his fits. For us, spoiled young masters, we have to rack our brains to find an excuse for any conflict with others, but not him. He acts purely on his mood. In the Imperial Academy, I'd steer clear of him. He sat at the back, so I'd sit at the front."

It was only natural that Lu Huaijing and Ji Yanbai, both from exceptional backgrounds and with poor grades, would be grouped together.

Even Lu Huaijing kept his distance, which spoke volumes about how no one dared to provoke Ji Yanbai.

Seeing Yu Jianli's expression grow grave, Lu Huaijing added, "I'm not afraid of him, I just don't want any trouble."

He then instructed his attendant to bring over the food boxes, opened them on the table, and gestured with clasped hands, "Try each dish while they're still good. They won't taste as nice after a while."

"Oh..." Yu Jianli forced himself to taste the dishes again, then exclaimed, "Mmm, delicious!"

Lu Huaijing seemed particularly easy to please; those two words lifted his spirits considerably. He didn't leave until he saw Yu Jianli take a bite of each dish, then he pinched his nose and departed.

As he left, he grumbled, "The stairs should be fixed too, they're frightening to step on, and look at this railing, it's broken..."

Unexpectedly, Ji Yanbai's voice echoed, "It was my long spear carelessly placed there that broke the banister."

Lu Huaijing turned to glance at Ji Yanbai, his expression one of disgust. "How can you be so dark when your name includes the character for white? Don't speak to me, it's bad luck!"

"A whole night of your incessant chatter, do come less often."

"As if I love being in this lousy place?!"

"Hmm, then don't come, it's too noisy."

Yu Jianli listened to their conversation with trepidation, it seemed that Lu Huaijing truly had no fear of Ji Yanbai, and Ji Yanbai was genuinely annoyed by Lu Huaijing.