Chapter 36

Chapter 36

That night,

When the Young Marquis got up for a nighttime trip, his legs trembled, nearly making him stumble, and he could barely stand steady.

He not only had the salve reapplied, but also caught a glimpse of the pouch at the man's waist, embroidered with a crane. Ever since he had discovered that pouch under the other man's pillow last time, Luo Shifu had worn it at his waist, never parting with it.

Luo Qianyu knew the pouch originally belonged to him, but without evidence, he could only watch helplessly as the man left.

At that time, the Young Marquis's sick leave was nearly up. The punishment and illness had already delayed him for a long time, and the day to return to school was fast approaching.

As he was about to depart, Lady Sun stood at the mansion gate, wiping her tears with a handkerchief, instructing the servants to load the few pieces of luggage onto the carriage one by one. His third sister, her eyes reddening, clung tightly to the Young Marquis's arm and sighed, "Elder Brother has only been home for a few days, and now he must leave again."

"I've been on leave for so long. If I continue neglecting my studies, won't I end up squandering everything and even losing my sister's dowry?" Luo Qianyu teased.

Luo Zhiheng's cheeks puffed out, knowing he was teasing her again, and she chided, "If Elder Brother teases me again, I won't help you find Jade Ball!"

Luo Qianyu didn't understand. "Jade Ball?"

"That's the little snow-white rabbit. I gave it that name." Luo Zhiheng tucked her hands into her sleeves, frowning. "Jade Ball has been missing for two days. If you leave the mansion, no one will care to look for it anymore. I'll have to rely entirely on myself."

The Young Marquis: "..."

He had given that rabbit to Wen Yu and hadn't told his third sister yet. Given the current situation, it was better not to mention it.

He secretly told Wen Yu to bring Jade Ball along. The Imperial College didn't allow pets, but a palm-sized baby rabbit would be fine as long as no outsiders saw it—after all, in ancient times, there were no dormitory inspections.

Besides, without Jade Ball, that little chubby bird wouldn't leave Wen Yu's shoulder either... Wen Yu was so attractive to small animals, how was he any different from a princess?

Truly worthy of being the protagonist shou.

Speaking of which, the Young Marquis had already passed the provincial examination three years ago. Who would have thought that a sudden palace coup would not only cut short his path to the imperial examinations but also keep him from setting foot in the Imperial College again, wasting three whole years in vain.

It wasn't until half a year ago that he was able to return to school.

Since he was resuming his studies, and had accidentally caused such a big mess—burning the beard of the newly appointed Director Li, offending Quan Songcheng, and even involving Chancellor Lin—he was originally ordered to return home to reflect on his mistakes. But then he fell seriously ill himself. After all the twists and turns, the day to return to school had finally arrived.

As the carriage began to move, the crying behind him grew louder. The Young Marquis was taken aback, then helplessly stretched his arm out the window, waving toward the mansion gate.

This time, he brought two people with him.

Besides Wen Yu, the other was his personal attendant tutor, Zhao Nian, who had accompanied him to school before his leave.

Zhao Nian was organizing the Young Marquis's books and calligraphy copies, a hint of joy appearing at the corners of his eyes and brows, impossible to hide. "Young Master is finally returning to school. I've copied down all the lessons you missed recently. If you focus on memorizing the key points, you won't have to worry about the Director of Studies giving pop quizzes."

"As for the new calligraphy copy you practiced last time, although the technique still needs refinement, the elegance and spirit in the brushstrokes remain undiminished. Compared to when the Late Crown Prince taught you..." Zhao Nian's voice trailed off, as if he had glanced at the Young Marquis's expression out of the corner of his eye. He then seamlessly changed the topic, handing the calligraphy copy to the person beside him. "Guard Wen, now that you're accompanying the Young Marquis to the Imperial College as a study companion, you're practically half a tutor. Here, why not take a look and appreciate it together?"

Luo Qianyu: "..."

Brother, you can praise blindly, but why spread it around?

Wen Yu took the calligraphy copy with both hands. Amidst the lingering scent of ink, his gaze fell upon the plain paper.

Luo Qianyu didn't notice anything unusual; his attention was solely on Wen Yu as he looked at the calligraphy copy.

To be honest, the original host's handwriting was passable. But now that the person inside had changed, even with the original host's memories, he lacked the habit of writing with a brush. His unfamiliarity with holding the brush couldn't be hidden—each character looked like a crooked, wriggling ink snake.

It was truly the epitome of terrible handwriting.

Wen Yu was the top scholar of his year, after all... Luo Qianyu rarely wore such a complicated expression, hesitating to speak, his back stiffening with tension.

Wen Yu took one look and, sure enough, even his usually icy face showed a moment of stunned disbelief. Clearly, he hadn't expected the handwriting to be so... abstract.

Luo Qianyu felt utterly embarrassed. For some reason, he particularly didn't want to lose face in front of Wen Yu. He quickly snatched the calligraphy copy back and tucked it into his sleeve, flustered and annoyed. "Even in running script, not everyone in the Upper Division practices it well. Since we're preparing for the spring imperial examinations, overly flamboyant writing might not impress the examiners. Isn't it enough if regular script looks decent?"

Actually, the regular script wasn't all that decent either, Wen Yu thought to himself.

But when he looked up, his eyes met the Young Marquis's. The other's gaze was light, the corners of his eyes slightly upturned, lively and shimmering like golden candlelight when he spoke.

The corners of Wen Yu's lips twitched slightly, and he merely uttered a faint "Mm," adding, "Decent."

That "Mm" might as well have not been said. The Young Marquis's neck flushed with heat. Annoyed, he pointed at Zhao Nian again. "He's not the Director of Studies, nor is he a page. I already have you as my tutor. Why are you showing it to my guard?"

This was the childish side of him. Zhao Nian couldn't help but smile, barely holding back. "It was my oversight. I'll take care of the rest."

Although Zhao Nian didn't like Wen Yu, he had long harbored a suspicion: the Young Marquis... might have kept Wen Yu by his side precisely because he resembled the Late Crown Prince... But Zhao Nian didn't want to expose this, nor did he want to disturb those deeply buried feelings, so he kept his doubts to himself.

After getting off the carriage, he caught up to the Young Marquis and earnestly advised, "You shouldn't say that. Guard Wen comes from an extraordinary background, well-versed in literature, and was personally selected by the late emperor as the top scholar. His literary talent is unmatched in the capital. Didn't you also read his examination papers?... How could the master not know you have a new guard? Since he tacitly allowed Wen Yu to accompany you, he likely hopes you'll be subtly influenced and occasionally receive some guidance from him..."

"Who needs his guidance?" the Young Marquis said with a dark expression. "You're the one who loves studying. Even the Crown Prince praised you. If you want his guidance, go ask him yourself. I certainly don't need it."

Zhao Nian was taken aback and hurriedly said, "Young Master, that's not what I meant..."

The Young Marquis humphed. "Not listening, not listening."

Upon arriving at the Imperial College, besides registering, the Young Marquis also needed to go to the Hall of Enlightenment to pay respects to the newly appointed Director.

Luo Qianyu recalled that audience with the emperor. Although the emperor had made him suffer, he hadn't gone back on his word.

With one edict, not only was Director Li immediately dismissed from his post, but the Office of Discipline and the Assistant Director were also ordered to thoroughly investigate the matter. During this period, the affairs of the Imperial College were temporarily managed by the Vice Director.

The Young Marquis performed the ritual bow. When he looked up, he noticed the Vice Director seemed to have shaved his beard.

"..." Clearly, he had already heard about his exploits.

Luo Qianyu was speechless. After completing the re-enrollment procedures, he first returned to the dormitory to settle in.

The Imperial College of this era still followed the Three Halls system, divided into the Upper, Inner, and Outer Halls. Currently, there were over two hundred students, with the Outer Hall having the most.

Management was strict. Newly enrolled students were generally assigned to the Outer Hall.

Even those of noble birth and high status had to go through layers of examinations and selection, relying on genuine talent and learning to compete fiercely for the qualifications to advance to the Inner and Upper Halls.

Those who made it to the Upper Hall were all considered pillars of the state, favored by the court. Even without taking the imperial examinations, they could later be directly appointed to official positions or exempted from further tests, ensuring a smooth career path.

Such was the shortcut to rapid advancement.

But this had little to do with the Young Marquis.

The original host had once been a prodigy, even studying in the Upper Hall alongside the Crown Prince. But that didn't mean the current him—a dissipated playboy who had neglected his studies—would still perform well in exams... According to the book's plot, he not only failed to enter the Upper Hall but also repeatedly failed the imperial examinations, eventually relying on his family's influence to secure an official position.

Being so unambitious naturally disqualified him from competing with the other love rivals.

The Young Marquis's main residence was located along the central axis, with his classmates living in the houses on either side. Since transmigrating, he had never met them.

When night fell, Zhao Nian prepared his bedding. The Young Marquis had been busy all day and was in a new environment, yet, for once, he didn't suffer from insomnia.

Instead, he was already exhausted. After changing his clothes and extinguishing the candle, he obediently went to sleep.

It was Wen Yu who first heard the strange noise, some indeterminate time later.

The sound seemed to come from nowhere—muffled, intermittent, tinged with a stifled sorrow, eerie in the dead of night.

Luo Qianyu roused groggily, his voice nasal with sleep. “What’s that noise?”

Zhao Nian had also woken. He picked up a lamp and approached in a few steps. “Young Master, it seems to be coming from next door.”

“Zhao Nian, go and check.”

“Yes.”

Luo Qianyu pressed his lips together, his mind still foggy. Then he saw a figure in jade-colored robes standing beside the bed, the candlelight softening the edges of the person’s silhouette.

His lashes fluttered, thoughts still muddled. He instinctively tried to push himself up from the edge of the bed, but his palm found empty air, and his whole body tilted forward, about to fall.

Before he could lose his balance, someone caught him, pulling him into an embrace filled with a familiar scent. Luo Qianyu frowned slightly, his nose twitching lightly. His voice, still hoarse and dazed, murmured softly, “You’re wearing inner clothes, so why’s the scent even stronger?”

“…Scent?” It was Wen Yu’s voice.

“Mm, don’t you know? You smell very nice.” The Young Marquis lowered his lashes, not fully awake, his words muddled and soft. “After you held me once, even washing couldn’t get rid of it… Even that hair ribbon I returned—it was still imbued with your scent… How could I ever use it again?”

Wen Yu’s throat moved slightly. “What hair ribbon?”

Just then, Zhao Nian returned.

Holding the lamp, he approached the bedside and saw the Young Marquis half‑leaning against the edge of the bed. He said quietly, “Young Master, it’s Young Master Su next door—the second son of Lord Su from the Ministry of Rites’ Ceremonial Department.”

Rubbing his eyes, the Young Marquis grumbled irritably, “What’s he doing in the middle of the night? Making such a racket that no one can sleep.”

Zhao Nian looked somewhat awkward. Crouched by the bedside, he chose his words carefully:

“They say he heard you’ve returned to study… and he’s hiding under the covers crying.”