Chapter 485 - 184: Year’s End (3)
Chapter 485: Chapter 184: Year’s End (3)
Sheng Saya and Zhang Lingxin also stared eagerly at Chen Wanqing.
Neither of them had ever met Chen Wanqing; they had only heard of her renown from Chen De’an.
Ever since De’an had entered the academy, his sister was all he ever talked about. It was as if he was afraid people didn’t know he had a sister.
His classmates were forced to learn many things about Chen Wanqing, such as her skill and ingenuity in making fragrances, and that she and Zhao Jing were childhood sweethearts who were very close.
De’an had said a great many things, but the one thing he’d failed to mention was that his sister possessed the beauty of a goddess.
’Ruby lips, pearly teeth, skin as pure as jade, and an ethereal air about her, not to mention that face as delicate as a hibiscus blossom... Could a girl like this really come from a small, rural place like Qingshui County?’
’No wonder Zhao Jing’s heart belonged completely to her, causing him to turn a blind eye to Zhu Caiwei’s repeated advances.’
’After seeing the splendor of a peony in full bloom, even they could no longer appreciate the charm of a simple rose.’
The two of them warmly greeted Chen Wanqing. "You must be the one who made the Moonlight Fragrance, right, sister? It’s truly wonderful. Even my father praised its creator, calling them a person of exceptional and flawless ingenuity."
"My father used it too! He said we must always keep Moonlight Fragrance stocked at home from now on. In the past, whenever he stayed up late to handle official duties, he would have an unbearable headache the next day. But Moonlight Fragrance has no such side effects. In fact, it’s refreshing, clears the mind, and even seems to rejuvenate his spirit."
The group chatted animatedly and quickly hit it off.
Xiang’er didn’t have many close friends and wasn’t used to interacting with girls her own age, so she was a bit shy at first.
But Wang Zhen was truly cheerful and Sheng Saya was genuinely friendly. The two of them took Xiang’er under their wing, and with Zhang Lingxin being easy to get along with as well, the carriage was soon filled with joyous laughter.
Once they had all gotten to know each other, the conversation turned to matters at the academy.
Zhang Lingxin knew what Chen Wanqing and Xiang’er were truly interested in, but Zhao Jing had already moved to Xiaocheng Hall and was away from the academy half the time. She knew very little about his affairs, so she spoke more about De’an instead.
"Chen De’an has a quick and clever wit, and many of the instructors are fond of him. His academic performance isn’t the best—he’s ranked in the bottom tier on a few exams—but he improves every time. Mr. Sun says he’s a promising student."
Zhang Lingxin wracked her brains but could only think of that much. She gave Sheng Saya a pleading nudge on the arm. Sheng Saya cleared her throat and continued, "Chen De’an is also very bold. He even got into a fight with students from another hall."
"What? What did they fight about?" Xiang’er asked hurriedly.
Chen Wanqing’s brow furrowed as well. "He has a habit of only sharing good news, never the bad. We never heard him mention this."
"Oh, then perhaps I’ve spoken out of turn. I hope Chen De’an won’t be upset with us when he finds out."
"He won’t be. Please continue, Miss Sheng."
"Please, call me Kaiyan, sister. We know each other now, so calling me ’Miss’ feels too distant."
Chen Wanqing thought, ’You’re the Magistrate’s daughter. Wouldn’t it be too informal for me to call you by your name?’ But saying that aloud would also seem overly formal. She had no choice but to go along with Sheng Saya’s suggestion and call her "Kaiyan."
Sheng Saya smiled gently and continued her story. She said that De’an had a strong sense of justice. A student in Yueli Hall named Wu had been mocked by someone from his hometown because his exam scores had dropped significantly.
De’an lived next to this student, who had often helped him by fetching his meals. De’an took this kindness to heart and decided to stand up for him.
When he heard the student named Wu being taunted with "Even a dog studies better than you!" he clenched his fist and punched the mocker.
Many people there were terrified, worried that they would attract the attention of the instructors and deans and end up being expelled from the academy.
And just as they feared, their worst fears came true: they really did attract the dean’s attention.
De’an was all prepared to argue stubbornly, but it turned out the boy from the same hometown knew he was in the wrong and insisted that he hadn’t been hit.
When the dean asked why his face was bruised and swollen, he just said he was still half-asleep and had bumped his head on the door, not daring to reveal the truth.
The incident blew over peacefully, but afterward, De’an’s reputation for being generous and righteous began to spread.
Now, everyone in Yueli Hall respects him. They see him as a chivalrous and righteous person, and have implicitly started to look to him as their leader.