Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Chapter 41

The wooden chest, a good third taller than a grown man, felt as light as paper in Sui Yan’s naturally powerful hands, lifted steadily and effortlessly.

Hoisting the chest casually onto his shoulder, he instructed, "Walk faster; don't make me wait for you again."

Li Ci nodded obediently, trailing closely behind him like a chick following its mother hen, and asked curiously, "How much farther is it to the Headmaster's courtyard?"

A gentle breeze carried the scent from Zhou Li, reminiscent of orange blossoms in a summer orchard. Though many noble young men in the academy powdered and perfumed themselves, Sui Yan had never encountered such a fresh and natural fragrance before.

"It's still quite a way," Sui Yan replied, unconsciously quickening his pace and grumbling, "Are you new here? How can you not even know this?"

"Um..." Li Ci vaguely drew out the sound, finally concocting a plausible excuse, "And I've never been to the Headmaster's courtyard either."

Sui Yan reluctantly explained, "It's still far. The Headmaster's courtyard is in the rear, where it's quiet."

But why was this person already thinking about delivering gifts so soon after arriving?

He glanced at the chest on his shoulder, frowned, and said harshly, "Since you've come to the academy, you must follow its rules. From now on, don't give people that kind of look!"

Li Ci looked at him sideways, his clear eyes filled with confusion, "What kind of look?"

Originally slender willow-leaf eyebrows, deliberately darkened and straightened by Xiuchun with a kohl pencil, appeared bold and spirited on a woman, but on a man, they merely conveyed an impression of innocence and harmlessness.

Sui Yan was momentarily stunned, unconsciously stepping over the threshold of the front courtyard before quickly turning his head away, "Exactly that kind of look!"

"Oh, alright," Li Ci replied obediently, then glanced at the courtyard ahead and reminded him, "Haven't we passed the front courtyard? Thank you, Young Master Sui, for carrying it this far. If you have urgent matters, I can take it from here."

"...Forget it," Sui Yan tapped his head with his free hand and reluctantly conceded, "I just remembered that matter isn't so urgent after all. Since you're new here and we're schoolmates, I'll help you carry it to the Headmaster's place."

Li Ci couldn't help but smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He was about to say, "That's wonderful," but then remembered his current identity, cleared his throat, and changed his words, "Then thank you, brother. But this chest is heavy. If you feel tired, we can switch."

Sui Yan, as if showing off, tossed the chest into the air and easily caught it with his other hand, "It's clearly light. You're just not strong enough."

Li Ci blinked and praised sincerely, "Brother, you're amazing!"

"Of course," Sui Yan's expression softened slightly at the compliment, but upon seeing his look, he turned his face away again and said, "Enough talk, let's go."

Unconsciously, the two had passed through the tablet corridor, entered a side gate, and arrived outside the lecture hall.

Hearing the clear sound of reading aloud, Li Ci humbly asked, "If it's convenient, could you tell me more about the academy's rules, Young Master Sui, so I don't unintentionally offend anyone?"

...Headmaster Zhou believed in teaching students according to their abilities and was very lenient with people—even someone as rough as him had been accepted into the academy. What rules were there to speak of?

But Sui Yan still said with a stern face, "And don't laugh like you did just now, either."

"The academy has so many rules?" Li Ci widened his eyes in surprise and said softly, "The Headmaster must be very strict, right?"

"Of course, studying requires following rules," Sui Yan felt the weather growing hotter and fanned his face with his free hand. "Also, you'd better talk less."

Li Ci closed his mouth, took out the folding fan he had prepared earlier from his waist, and handed it to Sui Yan.

"...No need!"

Sui Yan's face turned even redder, but fortunately, his dark skin hid it well.

As the two reached the corner of the zither courtyard, a student rushing to class hurriedly ran past with a zither in his arms, colliding squarely with the wooden chest. The zither fell to the ground with a sharp crack.

The student quickly crouched down to pick up the zither, only to find the strings broken and a small crack on the body.

The student said angrily, "How are you walking?"

Sui Yan retorted just as fiercely, "Clearly, you're the one not watching where you're going!"

"I wasn't watching? Weren't you watching either?" The student said arrogantly, "This zither was made by Master Qi Ya. Can a rustic like you afford to pay for damaging it?"

"Who cares about some Qi Ya or whatever?" Sui Yan's voice was just as loud. "You damaged my chest, and I haven't even held you accountable yet!"

He gently set the chest down and turned to Li Ci, "What's in this chest? Can it withstand a collision?"

Actually, Li Ci didn't know what was inside either, but hearing Sui Yan's words, he grew concerned. He nodded and decided to open it and check.

Sui Yan carefully set the wooden chest down. Fortunately, it wasn't locked and opened easily. Inside was a chest full of ancient books, with the first volume being a handscroll copy of the "Lin Huangting Jing" calligraphed by a famous master.

In his two years at the academy, he had gained some knowledge. Though he couldn't play the zither, he could at least recognize characters.

Sui Yan froze for a moment. Good news: the contents of the chest were far more valuable than that broken zither. Bad news: they were also much more delicate.

Li Ci stepped in to mediate, "Alright, alright. Young Master, how much is your zither worth? I'll compensate you."

The student looked Li Ci up and down, thinking he was just a delicate-looking youth, and boldly said, "It must be worth at least eight hundred taels of silver."

Li Ci couldn't tell the zither's value either, so upon hearing this, he searched his money pouch and handed over a silver note, saying sincerely, "Here's a thousand taels. It has the seal of Liji Bank. You can exchange it at any bank."

How could this person just pull out money so casually?

Sui Yan refused to take the loss. Before the student could take the silver note, he snatched it back and returned it to Li Ci, "Zhou Li, look clearly. We were walking just fine. He was rushing to zither class and crashed into us. What does that have to do with us?"

"Then who do I turn to for my damaged zither?" The student grew anxious as the silver note slipped away. "He's willing to pay. What's it to you?"

"Hmph," Sui Yan closed the wooden chest, too lazy to argue further. "I suggest you know your place. Don't try to extort money in front of this grandpa!"

"Don't you dare leave!" The student blocked their way with his zither. He looked the two over again and blurted out recklessly, "What's his money to you? What's your relationship? I bet you're cut-sleeves!"

"You!" Sui Yan's face turned red with anger. "Say that again, and your grandpa will cover your medical expenses for today!"

As the two argued more fiercely, almost coming to blows, a voice as warm as sunlight, wrapped in a gentle breeze, came from behind: "Gentlemen, what is the cause of such a dispute?"

Li Ci turned around and saw a young man walking slowly toward them. He carried a wooden meal container in his hand, his features elegant and handsome. Dressed in a plain white scholar's robe, he appeared even more refined and gentle, like jade.

He Jiashi glanced at the zither on the ground and then at the two, already understanding the situation. He smiled slightly and said, "A broken zither can be repaired. Why harm harmony over it?"

Though also a student, as the son of the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Nanjing Censorate and at the top of his class, he was highly trusted by the teachers and held considerable prestige in the academy. The two finally stopped, though their eyes still held hostility toward each other.

He Jiashi had seen many such incidents in the academy and handled them with experience. He asked gently, "Is this a zither by Master Qi Ya?"

"Master He, you have a good eye," the student thought he had gained support and immediately said proudly, "Unlike some people who can't tell gold from gilt."

"You!"

Sui Yan was furious and about to speak when He Jiashi crouched down, gently plucked the unbroken strings, and the zither emitted a clear, cold "zheng" sound like the winter's moon.

He examined the crack on the zither's body and stood up, saying, "Fortunately, the crack is on the yueshan and doesn't affect playing. Only the strings are broken. My father is acquainted with Master Qi Ya, and I happen to have extra ice silk strings. I'll fetch them later to restring it. If you're concerned, I can take it to Master Qi Ya for repairs for you. For this zither class, you can use my zither."

"No, no, thank you, Elder He. That won't be necessary." The student immediately grew guilty. His zither was actually made by a direct disciple of Master Qi Ya, though he had always omitted the last five words in front of his classmates. If it were sent to the master, he'd lose face.

He Jiashi didn't expose him and only said, "My ice silk strings are in the zither courtyard. Just inform the teacher and take them yourself."

The entire process flowed smoothly. Before the two naive, unworldly youths could figure out what was happening, the student had already run off like a scared dog, clutching his zither.

He Jiashi then turned to look at Li Ci and Sui Yan, smiling as he asked, "Are the two of you heading to the Headmaster's Jiyang Yuan?"

Somehow, Li Ci seemed to catch a glimpse of her brother Xie Zheng in him and immediately let her guard down, nodding in response.

Sui Yan hadn't figured out how these two had struck up a conversation. After all, Li Ci was someone he had taken under his wing first, and he seemed like the type who could easily be swindled out of money. If he wasn't careful, Sui Yan would have to stay vigilant. "How did you know?" he asked.

He Jiashi didn't answer directly, instead saying, "I happen to be going to Jiyang Yuan as well. Why don't we go together?"

The path was public, so Sui Yan couldn't find a reason to refuse. He simply bent slightly and hoisted the wooden crate back onto his shoulder, walking domineeringly between the two of them.

Sui Yan was clearly irritated. Li Ci remembered Sui Yan's advice to speak as little as possible, and He Jiashi didn't attempt to engage them in conversation either. The three of them walked forward in silence, yet it felt surprisingly harmonious.

-

The bluestone path wound its way into Jiyang Yuan. Inside the courtyard walls, banana leaves stretched out broadly, while honeysuckle vines climbed freely over the walls, dotted with yellow and white flowers that shimmered like gold and silver intertwined.

When they knocked, a book boy came running out and said in a childish voice, "The Headmaster is out and hasn't returned yet. Master He, please wait in the hall."

He then turned to Li Ci and Sui Yan without surprise. "You two, please follow me to the study."

Li Ci's eyes curved into a smile, but remembering Sui Yan's words, she quickly widened her eyes and held back her laughter, saying, "We'll have to trouble Brother Sui again."

Sui Yan nodded and proactively carried the book box into the study. The book boy stayed behind to take stock of the books, while the two of them stepped out.

It was the scorching July sun. After walking for a while, Li Ci was starting to feel hot, her face glowing with a peach-blossom flush.

She snapped open his folding fan and generously fanned both of them.

The breeze carried the refreshing scent of orange blossoms. Sui Yan unconsciously took a step back, thinking that this guy was quite considerate—just too frail. Without someone to protect him, he would likely face a lot of bullying in the academy.

He muttered, "Hey, do you know how to play Cuju?"

Li Ci shook her head. "I was frail as a child and only ever watched others play."

"Tsk, not even Cuju?" Sui Yan crossed his arms, glanced at Li Ci's slight frame, and said thoughtfully, "If it weren't for me, I doubt anyone would be willing to play with you. There's a Cuju match at the Round Society this afternoon. Do you want to come watch? If you want to learn, I can teach you later."

Li Ci's eyes sparkled with light. "I can learn Cuju too?"

Sui Yan snorted. "You're just too thin. If you learn Cuju and eat two more bowls of rice every day, you'll grow taller and stronger."

Before Li Ci could respond, He Jiashi emerged from the hall and interrupted their conversation loudly. "Zhou Li, I've brought a meal box from the Headmaster. It was specially prepared for you."

She wasn't too surprised. Given her unique dietary needs, her grandfather had likely arranged for meals to be delivered separately, taking her health into consideration.

He Jiashi glanced sideways at Li Ci's fair earlobe, then at the slightly darker Adam's apple on her slender neck compared to her skin tone, and averted his gaze. "Why not have your meal in the hall first?"

Li Ci hesitated, looking at the meal box in the hall. She didn't know how men usually ate. Sui Yan had just said he could finish two bowls in one meal—how could she possibly eat that much?

He Jiashi seemed to see through her thoughts and said considerately, "Young Master Sui and I have already eaten at the communal kitchen. We won't disturb you."

She nodded immediately and went into the hall to have her lunch.

Sui Yan was about to follow when He Jiashi reached out to stop him. "Young Master Sui, perhaps it's best if you don't go in?"

He kicked away a pebble impatiently. "What, not allowed to eat, not even allowed to watch?"

He Jiashi tactfully reminded him, "Zhou Li's status is different from yours and mine. It’s awkward to eat while being watched."

Sui Yan snorted. "So finicky."

He wasn't wrong about that.

He Jiashi simply smiled without saying anything.

When Li Ci finished her meal, she noticed the two were still standing outside the hall and asked curiously, "Are you two also waiting for the Headmaster here?"

Sui Yan shook his head, but He Jiashi said, "No, I was waiting for you."

Not to be outdone, Sui Yan immediately added, "Me too."

Li Ci looked at them in surprise. Could it be that she had spoken too much earlier and offended them?

Sui Yan cleared his throat lightly. "I came to remind you to come to the Round Society this afternoon, during the Hour of the Goat."

He Jiashi smiled slightly and said, "The Headmaster has already made arrangements. Zhou Li will be attending a lecture at Xiansheng Hall this afternoon."

Sui Yan shot him a resentful look but had to let it go out of respect for the Headmaster's instructions.

"Thank you so much for today, Brother Sui," Li Ci said. Although this Young Master Sui had a stern expression and spoke harshly, he was truly a good person—not only guiding her but also delaying his own urgent matters to carry such a heavy book box this far. She couldn't bring herself to refuse him and added, "Since there's a Cuju match at the academy today, Young Master Sui should go prepare first. After the lecture, I'll come to the Round Society to watch the match."

Although Sui Yan knew this was likely just a polite dismissal, he nodded at her words and walked off.

**Author's Note:**

Quietly recommending my new pre-order: a character disguised as the opposite gender, carefree, appearance-obsessed young marquess × a beautiful, proud, jealous new emperor. The male lead has a period of being disguised as the opposite gender. The author who struggles with titles tentatively names it "The Domineering 'Princess' Falls for Me" [jokingly]. Looking forward to interested readers adding it to their collections and suggesting title ideas~