Chapter 15
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Lin Qingyang became anxious and quickly said, “I think it’s not appropriate. Let me move instead. How can I trouble you like this? You’re not involved in this matter at all.”
My mission, my mission! My points, my points! Come on, Brother Xu, don’t complicate things.
However, Xu Wenze continued with his kindness, “It’s just a small effort for me. You don’t need to…”
Just as he was speaking, they heard a sound from behind.
“No need for everyone to go through such trouble.”
Turning around, they saw Chu Lishu. His expression was calm; such trivial matters naturally couldn’t evoke any emotions from the male lead.
“Cousin, you…”
Chu Lishu smiled politely and said, “I heard it. Cousin, no need to worry. It’s true that I caused trouble, so moving out is the right thing to do. I remember Young Master Pei applied for a sole courtyard. I can try applying to the head master.”
This reasonable solution made Lin Qingyang break out in a cold sweat. How could he refuse this?
Xu Wenze shook his head, “That might not work. Not to mention that Young Master Pei had the support of Concubine Pei to plead on his behalf, even if the head master agrees, the courtyards in the academy are already full. So, other than exchanging courtyards, there is no other way. Let me move instead; I believe Young Master Li would prefer that.”
Young master Li immediately nodded in agreement.
Lin Qingyang was exasperated. Where were the supposedly simple mission? The biggest challenge turned out to be with Xu Wenze.
However… the male lead probably wouldn’t agree, right? After all, the male lead had eavesdropped on his ‘secret admirer’ scenario. A normal straight guy would likely be uneasy about sharing a room every night with someone who supposedly had a crush on him, always worrying about his innocence.
Lin Qingyang, full of confidence, thought, but he didn’t hear the male lead refuse.
What’s going on? Lin Qingyang was so desperate that he felt like spitting blood. If the mission failed, last time they deducted three points. What about this time? Would they just send him straight to meet God?
“No, Brother Xu, listen to me, listen to me…” Lin Qingyang stuttered, his face inexplicably turning red.
“Brother Lin? Is there something wrong?” Xu Wenze looked at Lin Qingyang in confusion.
Chu Lishu also slowly raised his head and looked over. Seeing Lin Qingyang blushing and appearing flustered, his small eyes kept glancing toward him. After a moment of contemplation, he instantly figured out what was going on. He didn’t show it on his face, but his Adam’s apple moved up and down a few times, feeling a bit itchy.
Indeed, sharing a room might not be very appropriate.
“Well, first of all, it’s not right to trouble you. Cousin and I are family, so there’s no need to talk about trouble. Moreover, the environment in that courtyard is much better than here. How could I let you suffer? Secondly… you are both outstanding students. Sharing a courtyard can facilitate mutual learning and communication, benefiting your studies. With a strong alliance, there are many advantages. How could I hinder that?”
Lin Qingyang, in a moment of inspiration, recalled why this mission existed. In the original plot, the original body of the room became paralyzed, stopped studying, and the room became vacant. The male lead then smoothly moved in here. Later, he would meet people from the palace through Xu Wenze’s introduction.
Although the competition was based on abilities, family background still had some reference value. After Marquis An Nan’s residence fully supported Lin Qingxu, they naturally wouldn’t care about Chu Lishu. Given Chu Lishu’s background, he might eventually be excluded. So, the male lead was making two preparations.
After all, if he used Mr. Cao’s recommendation, it would attract attention. Mr. Cao could only help him secretly. In public, Chu Lishu used Xu Wenze’s friendship to attract the attention of people in the palace.
While Xu Wenze appeared to be indifferent to worldly matters, he also had the underlying motive of helping his family recruit talented individuals. He genuinely admired Chu Lishu, who was talented but had no support.
With this reminder, both of them seemed to have thought of something, and their expressions quickly changed.
Seeing their reactions, Lin Qingyang asserted dominantly, “I’ve made up my mind; we’ll do it this way. Listen to me.”
Both of them, with their own thoughts, immediately nodded in agreement.
Lin Qingyang, fearing any delay, had Shuncai pack up Chu Lishu’s luggage and take it back directly.
As for the good things that Lin Qingyang could leave behind, he directly gave them to Chu Lishu to use.
“Young Master, this… it was rushed over from Jiangnan this morning. I will put it here first. Take a look…” Shuncai brought out an exquisite box from the Treasure Pavilion, his eyes hinting at something, but unfortunately, Lin Qingyang didn’t pick up on the signal.
Lin Qingyang recalled vaguely, memories blurred. Jiangnan… Oh, the original body wanted something luxurious that wasn’t easy to buy, so he impulsively sent a letter to Jiangnan. At that time, his current mother County Princess’s family, now demoted to a commoner, resided in Jiangnan. Since they had become merchants, they had some connections. The original body, filled with resentment after the incident, had basically cut off contact with them. However, this time, in pursuit of the desired item, he took the initiative to contact them. The people there were delighted, eager to help search. They probably didn’t realize that the original body was just using them and had no intention of renewing family ties.
Lin Qingyang casually opened the box and found an inkstone inside.
Lin Qingyang hadn’t reacted yet, but Xu Wenze took a deep breath and exclaimed, “Crimson Cloud Precious Inkstone!”
Lin Qingyang turned to look and found that Xu Wenze, usually calm, was practically glowing with excitement. It seemed like this was indeed a valuable item. Glancing around, even Chu Lishu couldn’t hide his admiration. An item appreciated by the former Crown Prince must be excellent. Since he didn’t understand it, he might as well…
“Cousin, let’s leave this to you too. Consider it a housewarming gift for you,” Lin Qingyang said with a smile.
Chu Lishu looked at Lin Qingyang in surprise, and even Xu Wenze was stunned. Leaving behind some small items was one thing, but this inkstone was a precious item. Even if anyone in the Imperial Academy got it, they probably wouldn’t easily give it away.
“This Crimson Cloud Precious Inkstone is very valuable. Second Cousin, you should…”
“With my limited skills in calligraphy and painting, using this would be a waste. This was brought by my maternal uncle’s family. If Cousin likes it, then obtaining this item is well worth it. Don’t refuse.”
Chu Lishu was momentarily speechless.
Extending an olive branch, trying to please the future tyrant, could be considered helping his maternal uncle’s family in Jiangnan gain a favor.
Lin Qingyang took the box from Shuncai and tried to hand it to Chu Lishu. However, he noticed Shuncai looking at him with a constipated expression, probably thinking he was being too good to Chu Lishu.
It wasn’t just Shuncai who felt that way; even Xu Wenze was struggling to digest the situation.
Not long ago, he had witnessed Lin Qingyang bullying Chu Lishu, but now Lin Qingyang was acting so kindly, making it difficult for him to understand. Especially the gift of the precious inkstone, it left Xu Wenze feeling strangely puzzled.
Chu Lishu took the box, and their fingertips accidentally touched. Lin Qingyang didn’t react, but Chu Lishu felt like he had been scalded for a moment, uncomfortably curling his fingers.
This person’s actions repeatedly caught him off guard. Standing up for him, exchanging courtyards, and now gifting him a precious item—the kindness was too evident. Compared to the superficial admiration of others, Lin Qingyang’s actions seemed somewhat sincere.
However, Chu Lishu couldn’t easily trust someone. If this person won’t betray him in the future and could be of use to him, he might consider repaying a few favors. For now, Lin Qingyang was just an admirer of little consequence. Maintaining a good relationship would at least make his ‘Chu Lishu’ identity more convenient.
That’s it.
After Lin Qingyang finished packing, he quickly left. Just as he stepped out, he heard a ding.
【 Ding! Main Mission 1, Mission 2: Help arrange for the male lead to share a courtyard with the character Xu Wenze completed. Character upgraded to ‘cannon fodder,’ reward 10 points, total 12 points, storyline progress: 2%.】
“Brother Lin’s attitudes towards you seemed to have suddenly changed,” Xu Wenze said, watching Lin Qingyang’s retreating figure with a seemingly cheerful expression.
Chu Lishu put away the inkstone and looked at Xu Wenze. “What does Brother Wenze want to say?”
Xu Wenze hesitated for a moment. He usually didn’t like to meddle in others’ affairs, especially gossiping about others, which seemed to sow discord between brothers. It was indeed inappropriate to bring it up.
However, Xu Wenze had his own judgment on Lin Qingyang’s recent changes.
Lin Qingyang was a homosexual man, and maybe he was interested in Chu Lishu. This might not be a good thing for Chu Lishu. The disparity in status could lead to Chu Lishu’s submission not being entirely voluntary. That was something Xu Wenze didn’t want to see. “I’m afraid Brother Lishu may not be accustomed to such a change. If… you encounter any difficulties, you can discuss it with me.”
Chu Lishu understood what Xu Wenze wanted to say just by looking at his expression. “This change is at least better than before, so I’m not troubled by it.”
Meeting Chu Lishu’s gaze, Xu Wenze felt as if those clear eyes had seen through everything. Some awkward matters were better left unsaid. Perhaps, over time, they would resolve themselves. Xu Wenze didn’t want to be a killjoy, so he said, “Yes, better than before.”
Chu Lishu noticed that Xu Wenze seemed to be sighing. “It seems like he caused you trouble before. I apologize on his behalf.”
Xu Wenze was taken aback. The way Chu Lishu phrased it sounded a bit strange. “Well… not really. We weren’t very familiar with each other.” Xu Wenze stopped, as if he had realized something, and his expression became somewhat awkward.
However, Chu Lishu happened to see something Lin Qingyang had left behind, a painting album. He didn’t notice Xu Wenze’s discomfort but instead thought about giving it to Lin Qingyang. Both master and servant seemed a bit careless, unable to properly organize their belongings.
At that moment, Lin Qingyang was happily adjusting to his new courtyard.
With twelve points in hand, he finally mustered the courage to test the bottom line of daily check-in. If just a glimpse was enough to perfect the check-in, then he wouldn’t have to worry so much. However, given his cannon fodder status, it indicated that he still had the potential to meet an untimely demise.
It seemed that the male lead was still cautious about him, which was normal. Despite the male lead’s humble appearance, he was actually quite ruthless on the inside, not easy to win over. If a man who had experienced such a significant life change could easily accept someone else, that would be strange. Patience is the key.
“What’s going on? I thought I misheard. Are you really willing to move out of that courtyard?” Suddenly, a voice came from the door. It was Qi Yan joining the fun.
“Why are you everywhere?”
As Qi Yan entered, the previously restless Young Master Li hastily fled in fear.
“I came to see how you went crazy. Speak up! What’s your purpose?”
“What purpose could I have? I can’t just let Chu Lishu have nowhere to stay, right?”
“Am I talking about Chu Lishu now? I’m talking about Xu Wenze!” Qi Yan’s expression twisted. “One Xu Wenze, one Chu Lishu. What’s going on in your mind? Don’t tell me you want both of them now?”
Lin Qingyang: …Why does he sound like he heard something extraordinary?
“What? My ear-sight isn’t great, didn’t hear clearly. What did you just say?”
“Young Master, I’ve been wanting to say this.” Finally, Shuncai, who had been tidying up on the side, couldn’t hold back anymore. His face, which was often in a tangled expression, finally found release. “Wasn’t the Crimson Cloud Precious Inkstone something that Young Master wanted because Young Master Xu couldn’t find it? Didn’t you go to great lengths to get it from Jiangnan just to make Young Master Xu happy? Did you really just give it to Young Master Chu like that?”
“What? You gave the Crimson Cloud Precious Inkstone to Chu Lishu too?” Qi Yan grabbed Lin Qingyang, feeling his forehead. “Could it be that you’re really running a fever?”
Seeing Lin Qingyang looking somewhat dumbfounded, Qi Yan continued, “Back then, you were the one who dragged me into all that trouble just to switch to the same courtyard as Xu Wenze. You spent quite a bit of money, and the scenery in that courtyard was carefully arranged based on your knowledge of Xu Wenze’s preferences, wasn’t it? Otherwise, our courtyards aren’t that elegant. You went to great lengths to please Xu Wenze, always being cautious and not daring to reveal your true feelings, completely different from how you act with others. Wasn’t it sincere? Why would you easily give up the courtyard?”
“There’s more. At first, you targeted Chu Lishu just because he was close to Xu Wenze, right? Didn’t Xu Wenze praise him in front of you? You even accused him of seducing Xu Wenze, so you wanted to sleep with him, teach him a lesson, and make him lose face at the Imperial Academy. You even lost a hundred taels because your plan failed against us.”
“You’ve painted many portraits of Xu Wenze, there’s a whole album dedicated to him. A guy like you, who doesn’t seem interested in anything, practicing painting for one person? It’s hard to believe it’s not genuine love.”
Qi Yan rattled on, but Lin Qingyang felt like the world around him was being blocked out.
Is he talking about the original body and Xu Wenze?
Lin Qingyang was struggling to search his memory when suddenly there was a loud bang from outside the door, as if something had hit the wall.
Everyone was startled, and they turned to look. Outside the wide-open door and windows, there was no one. However, not long after, cursing voices could be heard from the neighboring courtyard.
“Who the heck stuffed a book into my stove? It’s all ashes now!”
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