Jiang Wu leaned on his shoulder, gradually feeling at ease: “Did your parents scold you?”
“No.”
“Then why did they call you in?”
“They comforted me, worried that I might have gone to extremes because of a few marks. They really underestimate me.”
Jiang Wu lowered his eyelashes and said, “Yin Wuzhi, did you deliberately score badly because you wanted to go to a regular high school with me?”
“Of course not.”
Jiang Wu then asked, “So why did you fail?”
“Because during that time, I was always lacking energy, sleeping at my desk, and missed a few classes.”
“You were sleeping at your desk, not because the teacher made us sit on opposite sides of the classroom, and you needed to lie down to see me, right?”
“Nonsense.” Yin Wuzhi denied it, “I’m so tall, I can see you no matter where I sit.”
Jiang Wu said, “I miss the empress.”
The topic changed too quickly, and Yin Wuzhi immediately placed him on the bed, frowning and lecturing: “Didn’t I tell you? If your empress really cared about you, they’d definitely go to a regular high school for you. Look, even I, a good friend, could do it. What makes them think they can’t?”
“You admit you deliberately failed for me.”
Yin Wuzhi silently went to the water dispenser, filled a cup of water, then sat on the balcony and drank the ice water, calming down before replying, “Not entirely.”
Mainly, he hadn’t studied much that half semester. During the exams, he thought, “Jiang Wu can’t possibly pass,” and took a careless, relaxed attitude, which led to this result.
He said, “I thought you definitely wouldn’t pass.”
“You didn’t believe in me.”
“You didn’t say you were going to a top school.”
Jiang Wu, of course, didn’t mention it. People like him would only be mocked for saying it.
Besides, he wasn’t sure of himself.
The most important thing was, he wanted to surprise his parents and Yin Wuzhi. Who would have thought that Yin Wuzhi would give him a shock instead?
Yin Wuzhi drank another cup of ice water.
He sat on the balcony couch with his back to Jiang Wu. The sea breeze blew in from the front, and the curtains swayed in the wind.
Jiang Wu heard a faint sound of sniffling.
He didn’t need to think to know how frustrated Yin Wuzhi must be at this moment.
Jiang Wu propped himself up from the bed, walked over, and sat down next to him on the couch. Yin Wuzhi immediately turned away and said, “My parents have already said what needed to be said. You don’t have to repeat it.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything to you.” Jiang Wu said, “I just don’t understand why.”
Yin Wuzhi didn’t know what he was really thinking.
He just wanted to be with Jiang Wu. If he had gone to a top school, his parents would definitely have objections, so he took a “whatever happens, happens” attitude. If he could pass, he would, and if not, it was fine.
But he didn’t expect Jiang Wu to do so well.
It was hard to describe what he felt in the moment he saw Jiang Wu’s score—shock, astonishment, frustration, regret, and even a hint of anger.
He had always looked down on Jiang Wu for being lazy. He always thought Jiang Wu couldn’t do anything well. Even Jiang Wu’s parents said he would have to rely on Yin Wuzhi to pull him up in the future. But now he realized that Jiang Wu didn’t do badly because he couldn’t; he just didn’t want to.
He felt like he had been played, but he also knew that it was his own fault.
Because he had played with his life and underestimated Jiang Wu’s abilities, he had received his due retribution.
“Yin Wuzhi.”
“Mm?”
“Is there a lot of pressure at a top school?”
“Pressure comes from lacking ability. If you put a 60-point person in a 100-point environment, it’s normal to feel pressure.” Yin Wuzhi said, “But you got in by your own abilities, so you’ll thrive there.”
“I’m scared.”
Yin Wuzhi’s heart skipped a beat at his sudden vulnerability. “What are you scared of?”
“Top schools should have hardworking, diligent students, right?”
“Not necessarily.” Yin Wuzhi said, “There are some who don’t study hard but still score high, like me.”
Jiang Wu was stung and shot back, “You’re not in a top school anymore.”
Yin Wuzhi: “.”
He glared at Jiang Wu, his eyes red, then stood up and said, “I’m going to take a shower.”
Jiang Wu: “.”
He curled his legs up on the couch, gazing at the stars, patiently listening for any movement behind him. Not long after, Yin Wuzhi called, “Can you get me a towel and pajamas?”
After calling, he probably thought Jiang Wu wouldn’t get it, so he opened the bathroom door himself and said, “Don’t turn…”
Just as Jiang Wu was holding the pajamas, they met each other’s gaze.
Yin Wuzhi reached out. “Give it here.”
Jiang Wu obediently handed it to him, and his clear eyes scanned him from head to toe.
Yin Wuzhi immediately backed away and slammed the door shut. After a while, he came out dressed, drying his hair and climbing into bed. Just as he laid down, Jiang Wu said, “Yin Wuzhi.”
“What now?”
“Don’t be upset.”
“.”He wasn’t upset anymore. Yin Wuzhi frowned and glared at him, while Jiang Wu laid on the bed, looking at him. “Otherwise, I’ll go to a regular high school with you.”
“No need.” Yin Wuzhi said, “I can get into a good university even if I go to a regular high school. What about you? Are you going to keep living like this?”
That’s why he had been so relaxed about everything. For him, it didn’t matter where he went to high school. But now he realized that no matter what exams came his way, he needed to take them seriously from now on. Otherwise, if he encountered another surprise like Jiang Wu, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to handle it.
“Then if I go to a top school and sleep there, will everyone hit me?”
“…You’re going to study, why sleep?”
“I’m going to chase the empress.”
Yin Wuzhi’s brows furrowed, and his expression became serious. “High school students aren’t allowed to date early. You have to wait until you’re eighteen.”
Jiang Wu: “.”
“If you date early, I’ll definitely tell your mom.”
“We’re not at the same school, you won’t even know.”
Yin Wuzhi was so irritated by Jiang Wu that it felt like his insides were on fire. He turned over to face away, but after a while, he flipped back, grabbed Jiang Wu into his arms, and began kneading him like dough. Jiang Wu, limp and pliant, let him do as he pleased. Yin Wuzhi stared at him for a moment and asked, “Are you sure your empress got into the prestigious school?”
Jiang Wu: “.”
Yin Wuzhi narrowed his eyes. “You’re using me as a scapegoat, aren’t you? What if they didn’t get in, just like I didn’t by some twist of fate?”
Jiang Wu’s lips curled into a rare smile, corners rising symmetrically. “Yes.”
Yin Wuzhi: “….”
In response, he hugged Jiang Wu tightly and gave him a vigorous rubdown. Jiang Wu, pliable as dough, was squished and molded repeatedly.
While Yin Wuzhi remained skeptical about Jiang Wu’s empress, his current focus was on Jiang Wu’s upcoming entrance exam results. What Jiang Wu didn’t expect was Yin Wuzhi’s ability to command the attention of not only their homeroom teacher but also prospective teachers from the prestigious high school who came to personally discuss his placement.
Jiang Wu wasn’t particularly interested in most things. Even though he knew Yin Wuzhi had won numerous academic competitions, he hadn’t paid much attention. In Jiang Wu’s eyes, Yin Wuzhi was already exceptional, and those accolades were just the icing on the cake.
According to Yin Wuzhi’s father, the initial plan was to enroll Yin Wuzhi in a regular high school while allowing him to audit classes at the prestigious one. However, after hearing about his stellar grades, the school decided to reassess him. They not only approved his request to audit classes but also promised to transfer his student registration to the prestigious school if he performed exceptionally well in his first year.
At that time, Jiang Wu was sprawled on his own couch, listening to Yin Wuzhi’s father relay the news.
He couldn’t help but feel relieved that he had worked hard during that period. He should’ve realized long ago that in today’s competitive environment, no school would willingly let go of a talent like Yin Wuzhi.
If it were him, though, he wouldn’t have even been given the chance for a reassessment.
His ex-boyfriend managed to outshine him in every possible way.
But this was no surprise—it was Yin Wuzhi, after all. No matter how things changed, he remained Yin Wuzhi, the one who had waited through lifetimes of emptiness for him.
Yin Wuzhi’s decision to attend a regular school for Jiang Wu reminded Jiang Wu that, at his core, he hadn’t changed. Even without his memories, he was still by Jiang Wu’s side.
As Yin Wuzhi once said, no matter how many times he lost his memories, he would always fall for Jiang Wu again.
Heaven knows what Jiang Wu had that was worth liking.
After resolving the school issues, Yin Wuzhi persistently probed Jiang Wu about his “empress.” Jiang Wu gave him what he knew: the empress had long hair, which Jiang Wu loved to play with while sleeping. They were stunningly beautiful, to the point of being otherworldly, skilled in martial arts, and remarkably intelligent.
Yin Wuzhi found it hard to believe someone so perfect could exist.
One night, in the dark, Yin Wuzhi suddenly sat up in bed. He walked over to his computer, his slender fingers tapping on the keyboard.
“What was the name of Emperor Jiang Wu’s wife?”
The search results mostly pointed to one name: Qiu Wuchen.
But the history was too ancient for anyone to know what she actually looked like. Yin Wuzhi continued searching, hoping to find any bone reconstructions or portraits.
Suddenly, he stumbled upon a post in a historical forum.
[Image][Image] Does anyone know what’s going on here? Is this folklore or actual history? Why does this record show Yin Wuzhi as Emperor Jiang Wu’s empress? And why does Jiang Wu have such a good reputation?
Replies flooded in:
“Apparently, two separate sets of historical records were unearthed. One claims Jiang Wu was a tyrant killed by Yin Wuzhi, who later unified the realm. The other paints Jiang Wu as a wise ruler, with Yin Wuzhi as his empress, helping him conquer the Zhao Kingdom and unite the land. While our textbooks always portrayed Jiang Wu as a tyrant, recent discoveries seem to vindicate him, making Yin Wuzhi look like a supporting character.”
“I’ve heard about this too! My history teacher even attended a lecture about it. It’s fascinating but controversial, especially about whether Jiang Wu really betrayed the Xia dynasty and killed his brothers.”
“Someone said both records mention Yin Wuzhi insisting on Zhao’s downfall, possibly because Jiang Wu was framed. But there are contradictions, so it’s hard to conclude.”
“Whoa! Who’d have thought history could spark shipping wars? Jiang Wu and Yin Wuzhi—seriously? Two emperors?”
“Actually, in the newer texts, Yin Wuzhi isn’t an emperor but Jiang Wu’s empress~.”
“Descriptions of Yin Wuzhi are fascinating—he’s said to be extraordinarily good-looking. This pair has become my guilty pleasure. Studying Xia history just to ship them!”
“Hahaha, my dad happens to work on document restoration, so let me add a bit. I recently came across some super funny records from the Attendant’s Log documenting daily life in the palace. It’s said that Jiang Wu was especially, ridiculously lazy during his time in the palace. Even during court sessions, he would sprawl out on the dragon throne.
So, Empress Yin came up with a solution—they placed a silver hook behind the throne and hung him up like a piece of cured meat. The ministers had long grown accustomed to their emperor’s slouched demeanor, so when they saw this, they were shocked and praised, ‘Your Majesty is truly wise and mighty!’ I’d give anything to time-travel back and see the ministers’ dumbfounded expressions when Jiang Wu was taken down.”
“I feel like this newly unearthed record is more like historical dramatization, but the preservation method of the documents doesn’t really seem like it. It’s just so strange…”
…
The mouse scrolled down, and suddenly an article popped up: Historical CP Wu-Zhi [Warm Pool].
Yin Wuzhi clicked on it, scrolled all the way to the bottom, and found another article: Historical CP Zhi-Mi-Bu-Wu [Multiple Scene DOI].
That night, Yin Wuzhi had a ridiculously flamboyant dream.
The next morning, he grabbed the trash bag stuffed with tissues and carried it downstairs.
By chance, he ran into Jiang Wu, who was riding a hoverboard out.
Their eyes met, and Yin Wuzhi, flustered, quickly opened the trash can and threw the bag in.
Feeling guilty, Yin Wuzhi asked, “Why are you out so early?”
“School’s about to start, so Mom’s taking me to get a haircut.”
Yin Wuzhi instinctively touched his own hair and said, “How about we go together? You’re old enough now; don’t make your parents come with you.”
Jiang Wu looked deeply sorrowful.
In this lifetime, I’d really like to see the Empress grow their hair out long enough to reach their waist.
