Chapter 27: The Doting Brother, the Sixth Young Master, Is Returning to the Capital

Soon, she would be able to enter the Imperial Academy, where she could ship her eldest brother and sister-in-law, feast on their romance, and watch them "sprinkle sugar" for her!

Hehehe.

Chu Ying’s silly, happy expression did not escape the notice of Liu Shuang’er, who was watching her closely.

*My silly little daughter really seems to have an extraordinary love for learning. Now that she is in the Imperial Academy, she will surely be able to fulfill her wish and be happily accompanied by her studies every single day.*

"When your eldest brother returns, give this documentation to him. When you go to the Imperial Academy with him tomorrow, once he hands the documents to the dean, daughter, you will officially be a student of the Imperial Academy." Liu Shuang’er stroked Chu Ying’s hair, feeling genuinely happy for her.

"Okay!" Chu Ying said excitedly, huffing warm air through her nose.

She was going to the Imperial Academy to ship her eldest brother and sister-in-law to her heart's content!

"Mother, I’ll head back down now." Pleased by the prospect of entering the academy to witness their romance, yet worried about hearing Liu Shuang’er’s inner thoughts misinterpreting her love for meat again, Chu Ying hurried away as if fleeing.

Watching her daughter’s cheerful, skipping back, Liu Shuang’er could only offer a look of doting affection. Her youngest daughter was truly a little fool whom one could not help but spoil.

"Madam," Li Xiu stepped forward, voicing her concerns about Chu Ying. "There are many students in the academy; I fear there may be ill-intentioned individuals who might approach the young miss with improper motives."

Liu Shuang’er’s expression turned cold.

The Chu family was too prominent. Ever since her youngest daughter was born, there had been a constant stream of people coming to the door, seeking to arrange a marriage with the Chu family. She and her husband had rejected one proposal after another, yet the number of suitors had not diminished; if anything, it had grown.

In the past two years, as her daughter had grown older, the number of suitors had increased even more. After her daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony last month, a long line of suitors had formed the very next day. She had ordered those with ulterior motives to be dismissed. Her daughter was the apple of her eye; no one was allowed to take her away. Her husband felt exactly the same. Her eight sons valued their only sister even more than their own lives.

Though there might be those who would target her daughter because of the Chu family, she could not disrupt her daughter’s desire to learn. With Hengyang at the academy, she could rest much easier.

Besides...

"Xiao’er will be returning to the capital soon." A cold, sharp light gathered in the eyes of the noble matriarch. "With him in the capital, those officials and the students at the academy who harbor crooked thoughts will need to weigh their options carefully."

"The Sixth Young Master?" Li Xiu felt reassured. "With the Sixth Young Master there, the Ninth Young Miss will surely spend her time at the Imperial Academy happily."

The Sixth Young Master had achieved fame at a young age. At seventeen, he served as a county magistrate in the capital, and every case he handled involved high-ranking officials and powerful nobles. No one in the capital dared to speak above a whisper in his presence. More importantly, the Sixth Young Master doted on the Ninth Young Miss to a degree that was known to everyone in the capital. He had been away from the capital for half a year on a secret mission, and his return to the manor just as the Ninth Young Miss entered the academy was truly a blessing.

Liu Shuang’er said, "This matter must be kept from everyone else in the manor. Especially—Lin Xiaoyue."

"Understood," Li Xiu replied.

In Chu Ying’s bedchamber, Chu Ying was still unaware of the news of Chu Xiao’s impending return. She was still happily speculating about what state Chu Hengyang would be in when he returned home that evening. Her eldest brother had always valued their family above all else, even with his teaching at the academy. He could have resided at the academy permanently, but for the sake of his family, he insisted on making the two daily trips home. He did it just to be their support at all times.

She was determined to help her brothers and sisters-in-law express their true feelings for one another, not only to change the original story’s ending where her entire family was wiped out because of the male and female leads, but also because she wanted her brothers and sisters-in-law to find happiness and joy.

Chu Ying’s head bobbed as she drifted into a deep sleep, lost in daydreams of her brothers' and sisters-in-law's happiness.

At the Imperial Academy, Chu Hengyang walked through the entire poetry competition with a warm, gentle smile. Throughout the process, he did not share a single glance with Xiao Yixi, who was sitting in the chief judge’s seat on the platform. He showed her nothing but indifference.

At first, Xiao Yixi found his behavior novel and her gaze kept drifting toward his face, thinking that even this side of him was something she couldn't help but like. But gradually, as Chu Hengyang became increasingly aloof, even displaying a coldness that bordered on ignoring her, she could no longer bear it.

Why?

Xiao Yixi bit her lip inadvertently, her beautiful eyes filled with undisguised sadness. Even if he was afraid of exposing his feelings for her in front of others, he shouldn't have deliberately ignored her in front of such a crowd.

Why... was this happening?

Xiao Yixi felt a dull ache in her heart. The obvious cold treatment from the person she liked made her start to wonder if her assumption throughout the day—that "he likes me"—was wrong. Every breath she took felt as painful as being sliced by a thousand knives. Her fingertips trembled from the agony in her heart.

Maintaining a calm expression, she kept her usual noble and icy demeanor as she stood to announce the final winner of the poetry competition.

"Today, the winner is—Qu Zhouyuan, who composed 'The Rhyme of the Green Mountains.'"

As her voice fell, the crowd below erupted into thunderous applause, which came as no surprise to anyone.

"Ah! I guessed long ago that Brother Qu would be the winner!"

"That’s right! Brother Qu is the officially recognized top scholar on the academy’s list of gentlemen; no one can compare to his talent and knowledge."

"Indeed! He is also the son of the academy’s dean. To think that I, a mere mortal, can be a student in the same class as someone with such a noble background and great talent, I am truly fortunate."

The applause died down, but Qu Zhouyuan did not appear on stage.

Xiao Yixi finally had something to distract her from the pain in her heart and hurriedly asked, "Student Qu? Student Qu?"

The scene fell silent, and the crowd looked at one another in confusion. No one knew where Qu Zhouyuan had gone.

"Your Highness."

A familiar voice sounded from nearby. Xiao Yixi’s back stiffened slightly as she looked at Chu Hengyang, who was bowing his head to her.

"Master Chu," Xiao Yixi said, struggling to keep her voice from trembling with tears, "do you know where Student Qu is?"

"In reply to Your Highness," Chu Hengyang said, his eyes lowered, "Qu Zhouyuan is a student under my guidance. He has always disliked crowded places. He likely only attended today’s competition at his father’s request. I fear he is currently reading in some quiet corner of the academy."

Chu Hengyang paused, then continued, "Your Highness may give the prize to me. I will see that he receives it."

Xiao Yixi tightened her grip on the imperial decree in her hand, which read "to study under the venerable Master Kong Qiuzhang for one month." With a pained breath, she said, "Very well."

Chu Hengyang...