Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Dressed Up for the Challenge The cold wind blew mournfully, stirring up the withered, yellow leaves scattered across the ground beneath the steps. Shen Shuyue stood sullenly in front of the mountain gate, watching the Pei family's blue-curtained carriage gradually drive away. The wind seemed to still carry the echo of Pei Guangji's indifferent "I don't want to" before he turned and left. Now that she was giving him a chance, he "didn't want to"—yet who was it that came thousands of miles to eagerly seek her out eight years later? Seeing the carriage about to vanish at the end of the road, Shen Shuyue finally snapped back to her senses and shouted in that direction, "If you're so capable, don't you ever want to!" Of course, Pei Guangji could no longer hear this resentful grievance. Shen Shuyue stood in place and wrinkled her nose. How could she get rejected all over again the moment she came back... "My lord? My lord?" A soft call interrupted her gloomy thoughts. Shen Shuyue looked down to see a young page boy in an apricot-colored shirt with round, innocent eyes standing below the steps, looking up at her. It was her younger brother's page, Yansheng. Back then, to keep up appearances and avoid suspicion during her year and more in Linkang, this page had remained constantly by her side. Yansheng asked, "Why are you standing here in a daze, my lord?" "Oh, it's nothing, I was just lost in thought." Shen Shuyue glanced past Yansheng toward the plain-oil carriage behind him. "Did you come to pick me up all by yourself?" Yansheng nodded obediently. "Sister Qinglan and Granny Zou are bustling about preparing dinner at home. They said it's cold today, so they're boiling mutton soup for you, my lord." Shen Shuyue's eyes lit up, instantly pushing Pei Guangji to the back of her mind. "Then let's hurry home!" Guanchuan Academy was nestled in a quiet, secluded region on the outskirts of Linkang City, surrounded by rolling hills and picturesque streams. Most students lived in the academy's dormitories throughout the week, but to prevent his daughter from taking excessive risks, Shen Fuhai had purchased a private residence for her in the neighborhood closest to the academy—this was the home Shen Shuyue often spoke of. After the time it took for three sticks of incense to burn, the carriage rumbled into the bluestone-paved alley of Anpingfang. Lifting the carriage curtain, Shen Shuyue gazed at the white walls and dark-tiled roofs lining both sides of the alley, row upon row. Though not extravagantly luxurious, the houses were brimming with the warm, vibrant hustle and bustle of ordinary life, giving her an even stronger sense of having truly returned to those bygone years. As soon as they entered Zhuangyuan Lane, the familiar, rich aroma of mutton soup drifted over to greet them. The moment the carriage came to a steady stop in front of the residence gates, she impatiently leaped down. In front of the gray-tiled spirit screen, Qinglan and Granny Zou were also holding lanterns, peering out anxiously into the distance. Upon seeing the two of them, Shen Shuyue slowed her pace for a fraction of a second before sprinting forward to wrap her arms tightly around them. "Qinglan, Granny Zou, I've missed you both so much!" Both women were completely dazed by the sudden embrace, exchanging bewildered glances. "Didn't you just see us this morning, my lady?" Shen Shuyue wanted to tell them no, that they hadn't seen each other in over six years. Back when she accompanied her grandmother to move to Liuxia, Granny Zou had stayed behind at the main residence in Yijiang due to her advanced age and frail legs, while Qinglan had stepped down and asked to leave upon getting married. The two companions who had stayed by her side since childhood had thus seen their ties with her severed. What she had been yearning for wasn't just the mutton soup, but the person who made it. Shen Shuyue blinked back the tears welling up in her eyes. "It's all the fault of that wretched academy, making every day feel like a year!" Granny Zou hurriedly stepped forward to check her hands. "Did my lady suffer grievances at the academy again?" Having only received a single ruler-strike that left no mark, Shen Shuyue shook her head. "No, no!" She then peered eagerly toward the direction where kitchen smoke was rising. "Granny, is the mutton soup ready yet? I'm starving!" Granny Zou laughed. "Yes, yes, it's ready. I'll go ladle out a bowl right now." Qinglan smiled as well. "Then I'll take my lady to wash up." Every brick and tile, every blade of grass and tree in the courtyard gave one a sense of being in another lifetime, yet also felt deeply familiar and comforting. Shen Shuyue followed Qinglan through the courtyard and covered corridors into the inner courtyard. After washing her hands and changing into clean clothes in her bedroom, she headed to the back hall for dinner. Picking up chopsticks again after nearly seven years, she took a bite of every single dish, her cheeks bulging as she ate happily. Qinglan and Granny Zou, dining at the same table with her, watched in sheer amazement, wondering how the academy could have possibly starved her. They took turns trying to serve her food, but she waved them off, saying that the food she served herself tasted the best. Back in Liuxia, although the kitchen would go out of its way to prepare dishes that only required a spoon, and Xiao Shao would help her with chopsticks if she truly needed them, such inconvenience always made her feel like the food lacked flavor. She had eaten cheerfully in front of others back then simply because she didn't want to let down everyone's hard work. Although this Shen residence in Anpingfang had been arranged in a rush and simplified in every way, today it made her feel an unprecedented warmth and comfort. After enjoying a hearty and satisfying dinner, Shen Shuyue felt she still had endless energy to spare. She had Qinglan prepare the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and stayed up late painting in the study by lamplight. Just like taking a bite of every dish at the dinner table, everything—flowers, birds, insects, fish, mountains, rivers, and lakes—felt fresh and novel to her, and she painted a bit of everything. It wasn't until late at night that Qinglan tiptoed in. "Miss, it's time to bathe and rest. We have to wake up early tomorrow." Shen Shuyue looked up and gave an acknowledgement, but her hand holding the brush didn't stop. Qinglan stepped forward and gently advised, "Miss, your school robe was covered in mud when you came back today. You must have been locked in solitary confinement by the teacher again. If you're late again tomorrow, the teacher will likely punish you even more severely." These words were like a basin of cold water poured right over Shen Shuyue's head. Right, shouldn't she save some energy in her hands after all? Living in Anpingfang meant she had to wake up three quarters of an hour earlier than the other students every day. It was indeed her fault for being late because she couldn't drag herself out of bed in the cold, but if it were anyone else, the teacher wouldn't have handed down such harsh punishments. The reason she was treated so strictly was still because earlier this month, she had offended the old man by trying to protect the hibiscus flowers that Pei Guangji loved. If she remembered correctly, she was destined to be sent to the Hall of Reflection several more times this month. Even if she wasn't late, the teacher would still find bones in an egg to pick on her. If she had only returned a few days earlier, she wouldn't have stubbornly stuck her neck out that day, gaining no favor from Pei Guangji while needlessly bringing a mountain of trouble upon herself. Thinking of Pei Guangji, Shen Shuyue felt that familiar cat-scratch itch in her heart once again. She was simply too curious: how on earth did a person who was currently so indifferent to her end up falling in love with her? After much pondering, if Pei Guangji really hadn't found out she was a woman until the night before his departure, could his affection for her possibly stem solely from that single night she spent drunk? Did he just have a weak spot for someone acting wildly while drunk? If so, the person throwing a drunken tantrum must have been gorgeous enough to completely capture his heart, right? Although a bit superficial, it was still human nature. Since that was the case, it seemed she would have to personally make an appearance dressed as a woman... Shen Shuyue put down her brush, beckoned to Qinglan, and a sly glint flashed in her eyes: "Qinglan, I need you to do something for me tomorrow." Early the next morning, Shen Shuyue forced herself up early and arrived at the academy. Just as she stepped into the carved-flower corridor leading to the lecture hall, a group of her classmates swarmed toward her. "Ziyue, was what you said yesterday true? Does Yizhi really like your older sister?" Shen Shuyue glanced toward the lecture hall. Pei Guangji's desk already had books neatly laid out upon it, but he was nowhere to be seen—he had probably been summoned by the teacher to be quizzed on his studies. She asked tentatively, "Didn't he say anything to you guys yesterday?" "Yizhi has always been a man of few words. He just said it was a misunderstanding, and that was the end of it." Shen Shuyue let out an "oh": "Since he says it's a misunderstanding, then a misunderstanding it is." With that, she walked on toward the lecture hall. The group immediately trailed after her inside: "Even if it's a misunderstanding, there has to be a reason, right? How did this misunderstanding even start in the first place?" "Yeah, tell us already! What's the whole story between Yizhi and your older sister?" "I heard you and your older sister are twins. Do you two look completely identical?" They were all at an age brimming with curiosity, and the group chattered on endlessly with their questions. As Shen Shuyue was pondering how to brush them off, a tall, slender figure suddenly appeared in her peripheral vision. Beyond the lattice window, in the long corridor, Pei Guangji wore a plain bamboo-green scholarly robe with a blue-and-white jade pendant at his waist, walking toward the lecture hall while holding a scroll of ancient bamboo slips. Students at the academy were required to wear the same academic robes on the first and fifteenth of each day, while wearing their own everyday attire on other days. Yet in the entire academy, only this single person possessed a posture as upright as a pine and bamboo, paired with a pristine, snow-white jade demeanor of a true gentleman, making him look refined and otherworldly no matter what he wore. Shen Shuyue couldn't help but sigh inwardly that her taste back then had indeed been quite good. After a single glance, she calmly withdrew her gaze: "Ah, there's no real story behind it, so stop blindly gossiping. But what was someone asking just now? Oh, asking whether my elder sister is talented in both appearance and arts—what kind of talent does she have?" Really? Did anyone ask? Before anyone could react, Shen Shuyue glanced at Pei Guangji, who was seated at his desk diagonally behind her, and raised her voice: "My elder sister has studied calligraphy and painting since childhood. In calligraphy, she follows the style of Zhong Yao and Wang Xizhi, and she possesses a master's touch in painting, excelling in both meticulous and freehand styles. It's just that she is humble and unassuming; otherwise, her reputation for talent would have spread far and wide long ago." "Really? Then how come your handwriting..." "I am lacking in talent and shallow in learning; my elder sister certainly wouldn't lower herself to my level." Shen Shuyue glanced sideways at the group. "What else were you asking just now? Oh, does my elder sister look just like me?" Someone nodded curiously: "Aren't you two twins?" Shen Shuyue sighed: "To be ashamed, although my facial features are similar to my sister's, my grace and charm don't even reach three-tenths of hers. My elder sister's beauty is difficult to describe with mortal words..." As she spoke, she brought two fingers together, turned them halfway, and pointed mysteriously toward the window: "She is like a fairy from the highest heavens, a bright and clear moon, something that belongs only in the heavens." Influenced by her, the group all turned their heads involuntarily to look toward the horizon. Only the person diagonally behind remained unmoved as a mountain, continuing to quietly read his scroll at his desk. Shen Shuyue tilted her head slightly backward and slowed her pace to say word by word: "As it happens, my elder sister recently came to Linkang to visit me, and she is currently staying right here in Anpingfang..." "Then might we have the honor of catching a glimpse of your elder sister's exquisite beauty?" someone immediately chimed in. "..." Shen Shuyue turned around, her face sinking. "Keep dreaming." Irrelevant people just love to stir up trouble; the one who actually needed to listen didn't take in a single word—truly casting sidelong glances at a blind man. Never mind, hearsay is inherently false after all; there would always be a day when he saw it with his own eyes. Barring any accidents, that day would be today. Shen Shuyue stopped wasting her breath, announcing that she needed to study. Just then, the teacher arrived at the lecture hall to give a lesson, and the group dispersed in disappointed chatter, each returning to their own seat. Eight years later, the classes at the academy were still just as soporific as she remembered, and the food remained just as unpalatable. Enduring a whole day of it, the moment school was dismissed, Shen Shuyue was the first to pack her book box, rush out of the lecture hall, and hurry without a moment's pause to board the plain oil-paper carriage waiting at the mountain gate. The carriage departed from the gate, turned several corners, and drove into a deserted alley. Two incense-sticks' time later, the rumbling sound of wheels emerged from the alley, but the carriage that came out had been replaced by an exquisite and ornate curtained women's carriage. The bronze bells on the eaves of the carriage tinkled and swayed, and after making a full circle, it returned right back to Guanchuan Academy. Before the mountain gate, the carriage parked with absolute stability, showing no hint of how frantic the person inside had been just moments before— Inside the carriage, Shen Shuyue, clad in a pearl-white jacquard dress shimmering with gold and vibrant embroidery, was busy applying lipstick with one hand and drawing her eyebrows with the other, flustered to the point of being overwhelmed. Beside her, Qinglan's fingers moved in a blur, helping her arrange her hair bun and insert hairpins, wishing she could grow a couple of extra hands. Having hurriedly finished her makeup, Shen Shuyue finally pasted a set of delicate pearl ornaments between her brows, smoothed out the strand of dark hair cascading past her right ear over her shoulder before the mirror, let out a long sigh of relief, and cautiously lifted a corner of the carriage curtain to peer outside. Pei Guangji usually stayed behind for a while after school, only leaving the academy just as the sunset faded away—reckoning by the time, it should be about right now. Everything was quiet all around; there shouldn't be anyone else about. Shen Shuyue put on her gauze veil, lifted the carriage curtain, and bent down to step out of the carriage, leaning on Qinglan's wrist for support. The moment she stepped off the footstool, several sharp intakes of breath rang out in unison. Raising her eyes, she unexpectedly saw twelve or more pairs of eyes poking out from inside the wide-open, black-lacquered gates! Startled, Shen Shuyue stepped back, and Qinglan hurriedly moved to shield her in front. The person who came out first from inside the doorway bowed to her with cupped hands: "Apologies, apologies, we had no intention of causing offense." Several others followed closely behind: "Indeed, we are all Ziyue's classmates. We simply heard that the Shen family's female carriage had arrived and were momentarily curious..." "You must be Ziyue's elder sister, correct? Did you come to pick Ziyue up after school? Ziyue left right as classes ended, so you likely missed each other." ...The ones who should have come haven't come, and why are all the ones who shouldn't have come showing up instead! With each of them shining-eyed, colorful, and chattering all at once, Shen Shuyue felt dizzy as she pressed a hand to her temple. Qinglan said, "My lady, with so many people here, shouldn't we head back first?" Shen Shuyue glanced through the crowd, confirming she didn't see Pei Guangji anywhere—though even if she had, nothing could be done in this situation anyway, so she had no choice but to nod. She must have forgotten to check the almanac before going out today. Changing carriages and cross-dressing into women's attire, only to spend all that effort just showing off for a bunch of idle onlookers... Resentfully, Shen Shuyue turned around. Qinglan offered a "thank you for letting us know" to the group and turned to help Shen Shuyue back into the carriage. With the crowd chiming in with "No thanks, no thanks," everyone craned their necks as they stood on the stone steps, watching Shen Shuyue leave. The twilight glow of the setting sun fell upon the maiden's waist-length veil, swaying with every step. The cicada-wing-thin veil fluttered in the breeze, filled with a shimmering, multicolored radiance and gorgeous sunset hues—truly resembling the trail of an immortal. Standing in place, the onlookers all looked on with yearning toward the true appearance of the goddess hidden behind that gauze veil. "Who would have thought Shen Ziyue was telling the truth? His elder sister really is breathtakingly, peerlessly beautiful..." "Is that the only clichéd, old-fashioned vocabulary you've got? You're exaggerating way too much. At the very least, I'd say she probably couldn't charm Yizhi." "How do you know?" "When Shen Ziyue was chattering endlessly today, look at how unmoved Yizhi was—his heart and eyes were completely fixed only on the book in his hand." At that exact same moment, three zhang beyond the inner gates. Pei Guangji walked along the corridor accompanied by the academy's headmaster. Hearing the commotion, he looked toward the outside of the mountain gate, his gaze passing over the overlapping layers of the crowd to land upon that wisp of thin gauze drifting into the carriage, causing him to gently blink his eyes. "Therefore, the difficulty of an official career lies not only in imperial examination essays, but also in human relations, social interactions, and socializing. This is also an area you need to overcome right now. Do you understand?" After the headmaster finished his earnest guidance and instruction on the side, seeing that he still hadn't responded after a long while, he asked once more, "Yizhi?" Recovering his wits, Pei Guangji nodded with respectful modesty: "This student understands."