In truth, Fu Changxi really did stand out from the crowd.
The moment he entered the academy, many people quietly lifted their eyes to look at him.
After all, it was Qixi. Those coming and going through the academy were mostly young men and women, dressed in magnificent robes, jade belts, and golden crowns. Some walked arm in arm with friends, others strolled intimately beside their companions. Laughter and conversation filled the air. Only Fu Changxi stood alone. His hair was bound beneath a jade crown. He wore a flowing black robe with wide sleeves and loose sash. Standing amidst the crowd, he resembled a lone wild crane among a flock of chickens.
Around the academy entrance hung and stood countless beautiful lanterns. Their brilliant flames shone brightly upon him. They illuminated not only his robes, but also his face.
His figure was tall and powerfully built, completely different from the still-slender youths who had not yet fully matured. He resembled some great beast moving through a crowd, his body concealing frightening explosive strength. His brows and eyes were cold and severe. His expression was solemn. His nearly flawless face possessed a beauty as sharp and intimidating as the edge of a blade, making others instinctively fear approaching him.
He was like the bright moon compared to candlelight. Though the moonlight was distant, cold, and beyond reach, and nowhere near as warm or intimate as the candle beside one’s hand, even the faintest ray of moonlight breaking through the clouds possessed a beauty far more enduring, far brighter, and far more unfathomable than any candle flame.
A beauty capable of making one’s heart race.
Several female students walking together couldn’t help raising their heads. They wanted to look, yet didn’t dare. They stole only a few quick glances before hurriedly lowering their heads again, nudging and tugging at one another as they whispered among themselves.
Fu Changxi paid none of this any attention. His brows remained tightly furrowed as he thought only about his own concerns. Or rather the moment he entered the academy, he had already begun regretting coming.
Ahead and behind him stretched nothing but bustling crowds. He had no idea where to find Zhen Tingyun and the others. He could only drift along with the flow of people. Meanwhile, another question continued repeating itself in his mind.
What is the point of this? What good will it accomplish?
Even if he had come inside, so what? The Capital Women’s Academy was enormous. There were so many people here. Simply wandering aimlessly with the crowd, could he really expect to find Zhen Tingyun?
More importantly, even if he did find her, what exactly was he supposed to do?
As her teacher, what right did he have to stop his own student from celebrating Qixi?
…
Fu Changxi continued walking, lost in thought. Halfway along, the corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of a young couple beside a nearby artificial rock garden. They stood hand in hand, whispering quietly to one another. They were standing so close, as though unable to help themselves, almost pressed against each other.
Without warning, countless memories of his own time with Zhen Tingyun surfaced.
They, too, had once been that close.
Many times.
Even during the carriage ride back to the capital, Zhen Tingyun would often sit close beside him, chirping away like a little sparrow. Now and then, strands of her hair would brush lightly against his skin. The faint fragrance lingering in her dark hair came and went, unknowingly stirring a strange restlessness within him. Sometimes the carriage jolted. She would accidentally fall into his arms. Her real, tangible weight would press against his chest, like a heavy hammer striking directly at his heart.
Even now, whenever Fu Changxi closed his eyes, he could still clearly picture the way she had fallen into his embrace.
Her dark hair had loosened. A rosy flush spread across her snow-white cheeks. Her large almond-shaped eyes were opened wide, like black gemstones washed clean by water, brightly sparkling.
She was even more lovable than the finest silver fox he had ever raised.
There was also that trip to West Mountain. The two of them had ridden the same horse. He had sat directly behind her, holding her hands as he slowly drew back the bowstring, carefully aiming the arrow. The two of them had been pressed so closely together that whenever they turned to speak, they could smell the faint fragrance lingering in her hair and clothing. It was almost like their temples and ears brushing against one another.
The bow reached its full draw. The iron arrow suddenly flew forth, striking the wild deer beside the bushes.
Overjoyed, Zhen Tingyun turned back to look at him. Her lips, red as rose petals, parted as she began to speak.
Up until now, Fu Changxi still remembered the feeling of his heart racing as if he had been struck by a deer.
……
It was as though he had been burned by fire. Fu Changxi snapped back to reality from his memories and abruptly moved his gaze away from the intimately close young man and woman. Then, quickly and decisively, he found himself a reason that was not really a reason at all: Rong Ziming only knew how to chase pretty women all day long, and he was always good at sweet-talking and coaxing people. Zhen Tingyun was young and inexperienced; if she happened to run into him and was deceived by his honeyed words, what then?
Could he possibly just watch his own female student be tricked by someone like Rong Ziming, a frivolous and debauched young man? Surely, as her teacher, he still had to help keep an eye on things for his student?
This was also part of his responsibility as a teacher!
As he thought this over, Fu Changxi had already convinced himself completely. Thus, he continued walking through the crowd with a clear conscience. Along the way, he raised his hand and called over Xie Qiuyan, who was following a few steps behind him, and said indifferently, “Where are they?”
Xie Qiuyan was momentarily stunned. He simply stood there respectfully, looking at Fu Changxi in confusion, not understanding what he meant.
Fu Changxi was somewhat impatient, but he still coldly added, “I remember that I previously sent a hidden guard to follow Tingyun. Find a way to ask him where exactly they are right now.”
It had to be said that once Fu Changxi regained his determination, all distracting thoughts were immediately swept away. His mind became clear again, and he was much calmer when thinking things through.
This was something Xie Qiuyan had already prepared for, if the two sides never ran into each other, then how could he make his own prince feel jealous?
Therefore, Xie Qiuyan had been paying close attention to Zhen Tingyun and the others’ whereabouts and location all along. Hearing Fu Changxi ask, he immediately lowered his head respectfully and answered without hesitation, “The people over there already sent me word. They should be… in that direction.”
As he spoke, Xie Qiuyan gave a very clear and vivid gesture toward the western side.
Perhaps because Xie Qiuyan had answered too quickly, Fu Changxi instead gave him a deep look.
That gaze was cold and heavy, like a handful of snow in the twelfth lunar month being thrown onto someone’s face, cold and dry, making one shiver without warning.
Xie Qiuyan could not help lowering his head. He only felt that the clothes on his back were about to be soaked through by cold sweat, and he deeply felt that his life was simply unbearable, d*mn it, Tang He was the one digging holes and courting disaster, so why did he have to drag him into it? He truly knew nothing at all!
Fortunately, Fu Changxi did not want to trouble him, or rather, he did not want to waste time troubling him. After all, Fu Changxi was still concerned about Zhen Tingyun’s situation. Although he guessed that Tang He and Xie Qiuyan had probably secretly arranged something behind his back, he could not be bothered to question it. He merely nodded absentmindedly, withdrew his gaze, and walked toward the west where Xie Qiuyan had pointed.
Although Xie Qiuyan had been frightened, thinking about Tang He’s so-called arrangements, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and carefully follow.
Sure enough, the direction was correct. Fu Changxi was intentionally searching for someone, and before long he saw Zhen Tingyun leaning beside a willow tree near the lake.
And beside Zhen Tingyun stood Fu Niangjia, protecting her.
Fu Changxi felt that Rong Ziming was not worthy of Zhen Tingyun because Rong Ziming was a womanizer, lazy, and idle, in short, he was one of the capital’s notorious young wastrels. His shortcomings were countless, so naturally he could not be considered a good match. As for why he felt Fu Niangjia was not worthy of Zhen Tingyun, the main reason was that Fu Niangjia had Yan Wang as his unfortunate father……………
But in reality, Yan Wang now practiced Daoism and mostly lived on the mountains, spending his days refining pills and taking medicine. No one even knew how many years he had left to live.
Moreover, aside from that unfortunate father, with Fu Niangjia’s status as Yan Wang Shizi, his appearance, talent, character, self-discipline, and with a sensible Yan Wangfei as his mother, there were probably countless unmarried young women in the capital who wished to marry him.
At this moment, even Fu Changxi could not help remembering the conditions Zhen Tingyun had once told him at the western mountain estate.
“First, I need to look at his appearance and character. He doesn’t have to be some exceptionally talented young man; as long as he looks proper and pleasing to the eye, that’s enough. The important thing is that his character must be good. Second, his family must have upright values. If the household is simple and there are no concubines or secondary wives, that would be even better. As for the rest, Teacher, you can decide…”
Regardless of Fu Changxi’s personal feelings as her teacher, Fu Niangjia actually matched every single one of those requirements perfectly.
Fu Changxi took a deep breath, yet his chest still felt as though it was burning like fire, even more intensely than before.
Before he realized it, he had stopped walking. Standing behind them, he watched as Fu Niangjia used one hand to protect Zhen Tingyun from both sides, preventing her from being pushed by the crowd behind them, while his other hand supported Zhen Tingyun.
Fu Niangjia had always been cold and distant, but at this moment he slightly frowned and lowered his head to look at her, worry seemingly appearing on his handsome face.
There were many lanterns and candle flames by the lakeside. Zhen Tingyun wore a red robe, and her snow-white cheeks reflected the evening firelight and the bright red of her clothing, carrying a faint rosy glow. Against her black hair, she appeared almost astonishingly radiant.
A beauty like a painting. Two beautiful people standing together, leaning against each other beside the willows by the lake, surrounded by scattered lantern lights, it naturally looked even more like a beautiful scroll painting.
Fu Changxi stood silently, staring at the two people not far away. Slowly, his brows knitted together, and his thin lips pressed tightly, like two sharp blades.
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