That night, Moyi Courtyard echoed with the sound of water being called for until dawn.
It was not until noon the next day that Gan Cai’er could barely manage to move a few times in bed.
When Xiao Hong helped her get up and saw the mottled marks all over her body, she was so startled she nearly burst into tears.
“Miss, how could Gu Ye be so rough? Look, your skin is almost broken.”
Gan Cai’er glanced at herself and was speechless. Those in the know would say she had experienced passion, but those unaware would think she had been tortured in court.
Fortunately, while the marks looked frightening, they didn’t actually hurt. It was just the soreness and exhaustion that left her weak and drained.
Why was it that without the medicine, he was even more intense than when he had taken it? Or was it simply that the young Lan Tingzhou couldn’t withstand being teased?
Was it like this in her past life as well?
Gan Cai’er closed her eyes, recalling her previous life. Then, scenes of unrestrained indulgence leaped out from the depths of her sealed memories.
Gan Cai’er covered her face.
Alright, indeed, the young were not to be provoked. Not only was the young Lan Tingzhou not to be provoked, but her younger self was even more so.
Back then, Gan Cai’er was truly bold, fearless, and utterly unrestrained. Though foolish, her heart was sincere.
It was just that Lan Tingzhou didn’t care for that heart.
As for Gan Cai’er’s sudden change of heart, wanting him to attend Luming Academy, Lan Tingzhou didn’t pay it much mind.
Because how to choose an academy was something he would consider on his own. His path, his future, and where he would go—all of it would remain firmly in his own hands. He would not let anyone sway him, not a single person.
In February of the following year, when the ice and snow had melted, Zhushan County held the County Examination for the fourth year of Jinghe in the county seat.
Lan Tingzhou passed the County Examination without any surprise. Not only did he pass, but he also achieved the top score.
Gan Cai’er hosted a grand banquet in Qingshui Town to celebrate. Moreover, she gave out generous red envelopes to anyone who came to offer congratulations or seek blessings. For a time, Lan Residence was bustling with visitors, coming and going in an endless stream.
“A’Cai, you have such good judgment, marrying the top scorer right away. Ah, why didn’t I make a move first back then?” Zhu Xiaoxiao sighed while cracking melon seeds.
“Because you’re blind!” Gan Cai’er shot her a glare.
Zhu Xiaoxiao was the granddaughter of Squire Zhu and was a year younger than Gan Cai’er. She and Gan Cai’er became friends through rivalry, fighting their way from childhood to adulthood, eventually becoming iron sisters. The kind of sisters who could share a dress but also pull each other’s hair and tear each other’s clothes.
“Tsk, tsk, A’Cai, look at your vulgar talk. I really don’t know what Lan Tingzhou sees in you!”
“Of course, he sees how beautiful I am. It’s what they say—a talented scholar matches a beautiful lady.”
“A’Cai, can you have some shame?”
“Hah, who is the number one beauty of Qingshui Town? Go out and ask around.”
“Gan Cai’er, do you want to fight?!” Zhu Xiaoxiao flared up.
The feud between Zhu Xiaoxiao and Gan Cai’er began over the title of “Number One Beauty.” Zhu Xiaoxiao was also very beautiful.
Squire Zhu was a Juren. In his youth, he served as a county magistrate in several places. When he grew older, he retired and returned to Qingshui Town.
Zhu Xiaoxiao had delicate features, her brows and eyes like a painting. Her beauty carried an air of refinement, as well as the gentle elegance of a young lady from a prominent family—a rare beauty of the Jiangnan water towns. It was entirely different from Gan Cai’er’s bold and dazzling beauty, making it difficult to determine who was superior.
As for why Gan Cai’er earned the title of “Number One Beauty”? Oh, that was something she fought for with her own strength.
When Gan Cai’er was five years old, during the Guanyin Festival in Qingshui Town, there was a flower cart parade, and they needed to select one boy and one girl to dress up as the celestial children beneath Guanyin. Gan Cai’er wanted to go, and so did Zhu Xiaoxiao. Because Zhu Xiaoxiao was more gentle and delicate, the town decided to let her take the role.
Gan Cai’er immediately threw a fit. Since childhood, she had been spoiled and pampered—how could something she wanted be taken by someone else? Without another word, she charged at Zhu Xiaoxiao like a little cannonball and started pulling her hair…
Zhu Xiaoxiao wailed from the pain, and amid a series of angry shouts from Zhu’s mother about “impropriety” and “lack of upbringing,” Gan Cai’er got her wish and became the little celestial child.
From then on, Zhu Xiaoxiao and Gan Cai’er became sworn enemies.
Whenever the two met afterward, they would inevitably fight. At first, Zhu Xiaoxiao only knew how to cry and didn’t fight back, letting Gan Cai’er bully her. After a few fights, Zhu Xiaoxiao began using both her hands and mouth—pulling hair and scratching.
Later, as they fought and fought, they became best friends. When did the change begin? Was it when Gan Cai’er helped Zhu Xiaoxiao chase away some bullies, or when Zhu Xiaoxiao sprained her ankle while chasing Gan Cai’er and Gan Cai’er carried her home? Gan Cai’er couldn’t remember anymore.
In her previous life, Zhu Xiaoxiao didn’t live a very happy life. She married a scholar who had a handsome appearance but a poor character—he was a gambler. He gambled away Zhu Xiaoxiao’s dowry and even beat her. It was said that Zhu Xiaoxiao later divorced and returned to her family.
Gan Cai’er always said Zhu Xiaoxiao had poor judgment. In this life, she absolutely wouldn’t let that scholar succeed again.
“By the way, why did you ask me to help you ask my grandfather about Jinshi?” Zhu Xiaoxiao asked.
“I want my husband to study at Luming Academy, but he needs a recommendation, and the recommender must at least be a Jinshi,” Gan Cai’er explained.
“Oh, my grandfather said that Qingshui Town has never produced a Jinshi. Not only Qingshui Town, but even Zhushan County hasn’t. If you want to find one, you’ll have to inquire in the prefecture.”
“I heard from my grandfather that someone from the Hanlin Academy in Jingdu is coming to Danzhou soon. All the prominent families in the entire prefecture want to invite him for a gathering. I think there will definitely be many Jinshi at these gatherings.”
Gan Cai’er’s eyes lit up, and she slapped Zhu Xiaoxiao on the shoulder happily. “Xiao Xiao, I knew you were the smartest!”
Zhu Xiaoxiao stumbled from the slap, rubbed her shoulder, and after a moment of silence, said, “A Cai, is your Lan Tingzhou very tough?”
Whether Lan Tingzhou was tough or not, Gan Cai’er didn’t know, but she knew he could withstand biting.
Lan Tingzhou was tall and slender, appearing somewhat thin and frail, but that wasn’t the case. As the eldest son of the Lan family, he had to take care of the whole family, doing heavy and laborious tasks like chopping wood and carrying water. As a result, his arms were full of taut, bulging muscles.
Gan Cai’er often bit down on them, only to find her mouth full of hard, rock-like muscles that didn’t even leave a tooth mark. Thinking of this, her face flushed for a moment.
Zhu Xiaoxiao noticed Gan Cai’er’s sudden blush and leaned in closer, gossiping, “Did you really fight him? Who won in the end?”
Gan Cai’er pushed Zhu Xiaoxiao’s face away and said expressionlessly, “If you want to know who won, why don’t we fight right now?”
“Hahaha, I’m not going to join you in your madness.”
Zhu Xiaoxiao ate and drank her fill at Moyi Courtyard before leisurely returning home in her carriage with her maidservant.