The person inside smiled gently—it was the young gentleman in white whom she had first met upon arriving in Shenjing.
Lu Jinlan was utterly surprised. “What a coincidence! How did you end up here? Why didn’t you say anything that day before leaving?”
“I was running from an arranged marriage at the time, so my family caught me. But I ran away again. I knew you would pass the exam, so congratulations.”
“I’m glad you’re safe. I was worried something might happen to you… or that you were trying to trick me. By the way, you…”
Lu Jinlan had a thousand things to say, but the classmates behind her were getting impatient. “Are you going to get your food or not?”
“Okay, okay, give me a spoonful more,” she said.
The young man laughed and scooped another spoonful of rice, speaking softly: “I’ve already had that book returned through someone else. I also copied it for you. Do you want it?”
“Sure! When’s convenient? I’ll come get it.”
Their conversation dragged on, drawing complaints from classmates and even from Yan Wuxin, who came back to urge her.
“You just said I hadn’t seen a man before, and now you’re chatting with one? Are you eating or not?” Yan Wuxin instinctively leaned in to peek. “Hmm? Isn’t this the guy who played a trick on me that day? Come out here!”
Lu Jinlan quickly held her back. “Don’t overreact! There’s a misunderstanding.”
The young man inside frowned. “Why are you friends with this frivolous person?”
Lu Jinlan was utterly flustered. “It’s a misunderstanding. I’ll explain to you later.”
She dragged Yan Wuxin back to the table. Yan Wuxin immediately scolded her. “Lu Jinlan, that’s not fair! You can’t just steal my guy. Ru Zhen, tell her!”
Xiang Ruzhen, chewing on a steamed bun, calmly asked Lu Jinlan: “Are you coveting Wuxin’s man again?”
“What… what do you mean again? I admit I glanced at her fellow briefly last time, but I had no other intentions. And this one isn’t even Wuxin’s man. He just chatted with her on the street and rejected her—he’s not interested.”
Yan Wuxin raised an eyebrow. “Not interested in me, but interested in you?”
“Of course. I helped him borrow a book, and we chatted the whole way—from poetry and literature to philosophy. We were chased by dogs and scolded by people; we have stories. You two just have a misunderstanding.”
“What misunderstanding? I think he’s just a bad person. He led me on for no reason, making me run around the street looking for him.”
Lu Jinlan hurried to explain: “I asked him. He was afraid you would persist, so he didn’t dare refuse directly. He just found a way to escape.”
Yan Wuxin spread her hands. “Do I look like the kind of delinquent who would pester a decent man?”
Lu Jinlan stuffed another bite of rice in her mouth, saying nothing.
Xiang Ruzhen decisively said, “This guy has repeatedly caused trouble for both of you. Flirting around is not a good sign. Don’t let one man ruin your friendship.”
Yan Wuxin: “Agreed.”
Lu Jinlan: “I disagree.”
She looked at Xiang Ruzhen with a complex expression. “You’re the most reasonable person I know, fearless in sticking to principles. But when it comes to gender issues, you’re a bit biased. It wasn’t Wuxin or me trying to provoke him. How is it suddenly ‘flirting around’? In this society where men are generally protected, a man’s reputation is crucial. Don’t casually tarnish it.”
Xiang Ruzhen was momentarily stunned. “You’re right. But anyway, you two shouldn’t let this harm your sisterhood.”
Lu Jinlan: “I won’t. Let’s leave it to fair competition; I have no objections.”
Yan Wuxin rolled her eyes. “Competition my foot. He insulted me for being frivolous; I have zero chance.”
Lu Jinlan chuckled. “I’ll explain it to him later. He misunderstood you too.”
Yan Wuxin sighed. “Forget it. Friends are like family; men are like clothes. I’m not competing with you.”
Lu Jinlan beamed. “Thanks! If I end up with him, you all must come to the wedding.”
Xiang Ruzhen said calmly, “Don’t you still have an engagement? Your mother would never allow you to marry a cook.”
Lu Jinlan: “…”
Yan Wuxin: “I’m not trying to discourage you out of jealousy. We’re loyal friends, so I’m just warning you. Someone as kind and honest as you is easiest to be tricked. Don’t be fooled by his looks. He’s clearly a clever man; don’t think he’s as simple as you imagine. Look, he’s obviously from a wealthy family—why would he become a cook at the cafeteria? Maybe he has some other purpose, so watch out.”
Lu Jinlan listened, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Oh no! I’ve officially become the kind of naive girl who goes to brothels but gets tricked by a cunning man.
She thought carefully—she had done so many things in this world she’d never done before: stealing money, drinking to vomiting before exams, causing the school monitor’s head to bleed, brawling, visiting brothels… and yet no one criticized her. Everyone praised her courage and daughterly virtue.
Even her friends were protective, afraid she’d be deceived.
And he… he just looks good and hasn’t done anything, yet he draws all this suspicion.
Oh my heavens! Male protagonists get such nice treatment, but in this gender-swapped world, it’s bittersweet.
She opened her mouth several times, unsure what to say, finally muttering, “Let’s eat.”
In fact, Lu Jinlan was curious why the young man in white ended up here. Even if he ran away from an arranged marriage, it didn’t explain why he would take such a tough job.
Cooks had to prepare three meals a day, laboring from dawn to dusk, enduring smoke and poor living conditions. Their dorm was a large communal room near the woods behind the school. In this season, mosquitoes, snakes, and insects were everywhere. Washing required fetching water from the stream.
Lu Jinlan followed the path to the stream. She saw him drag someone into the small woods.
“Don’t tug like that. If someone sees, they’ll think we’re doing something improper.”
Lu Jinlan laughed, letting him go, concern in her voice. “Are you too tired? You don’t look happy.”
The young man’s face remained cold. Lu Jinlan quickly said, “I brought some beef jerky. The cafeteria food is terrible; let’s sit and talk while eating.”
She found a flat stone, spread out the meat, and began introducing herself. “I’m Lu Jinlan. I—”
“I know,” the man interrupted. “I just found out.”
A bad feeling rose in her chest. “Did someone tell you bad things about me?”
He shook his head. “I’ve heard a lot about you these past few days. Your reputation as a prodigious talent precedes you, Lu Jinlan. I only just realized you were the one. You’re from Yunzhou, your mother is the wealthy Lu Jinchao, right?”
Lu Jinlan: “Yes. You’ve heard of my family too?”
“Do you have any siblings?”
“Yes, a younger sister and two younger brothers.”
“How old is your sister?”
“Three.”
“Oh.” His eyes lowered. He didn’t ask further. His face softened, though he still looked glum.
Lu Jinlan chewed her jerky, smiling teasingly. “So concerned about me? Ask whatever you want; I’ll tell you.”
The moment she said this, she regretted it.
What am I saying? Why am I being so flirty? I hope he doesn’t think I’m frivolous like he thought of Wuxin, or I’m doomed.
She hastily changed the topic. “So… what about you? I still don’t know your name.”
“I’m… Lin Cheng.”
Lin Cheng used a stick to write his name in the dirt and explained: “I’m from Lingzhou. Last time I ran away, my mother had people looking everywhere for me. When I waited for you on the street, I got caught. They wanted to force me to apologize to my future wife’s family. I tried many ways on the road and finally escaped again.”
“So then you came to Shenjing?”
Lin Cheng smiled wryly. “Yes, but I wasted a lot of time on the way and missed seeing your martial exam. I knew your name must be on the list, but I didn’t know it then. I wanted to return that book, but didn’t know where to find you. Every day I came near the school, hoping to get lucky. I saw the recruitment notice for cooks, so I applied.”
Lu Jinlan’s heart skipped a beat. “You… you became a worker just to see me?”
She said it so directly that Lin Cheng’s long lashes trembled. He stammered, denying: “N-no… not entirely. The Royal Academy was always a place I wanted to come.”
Lu Jinlan pressed his arm excitedly. “Not entirely? Then part of the reason is me?”
She had somehow leaned close. His breath brushed hers, and he panicked. “Don’t misunderstand—”
“Huh?” Lu Jinlan was curious. “Misunderstand what?”
She was about to say more when Xiang Ruzhen called from outside the woods: “Jinlan, emergency assembly for new students, hurry!”
“Coming!” Lu Jinlan replied. Turning to Lin Cheng: “I’ll go first. If anything urgent, find me at Room 106. I’ll see you here tomorrow too.”
“I’m not coming tomorrow!” Lin Cheng shouted.
“I won’t believe it!”
“…”
Xiang Ruzhen watched Lu Jinlan bound out of the woods, full of energy, and couldn’t help but ask, “What’s got you so happy?”
Lu Jinlan grinned. “Lin Cheng became a cook here because of me.”
She was so proud that the moment she saw Yan Wuxin, she immediately flaunted it. “I know why Lin Cheng became a cook.”
Yan Wuxin: “Why?”
Lu Jinlan: “Because of me.”
Xiang Ruzhen cleared her throat twice. “Enough chatter for now. The student council wants all new students in the auditorium. Let’s not be late, or we’ll cause another conflict. Especially you, Jinlan—exercise some patience for now.”
Lu Jinlan smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m in a good mood today. I can tolerate anything.”
When the three of them entered the auditorium, most of the new students were already there. They stood in the last row. Soon, their dormmates, including Yan Yu and Ling Zhaoren, hurried in to join them. Standing together, some students began whispering.
Chu Yishu muttered, “It’s those student council people again. They act high and mighty just because they started school before us. I really want to fight them.”
Ling Zhaoren cursed, “I’ve been tormented all day and can’t even rest at night. What kind of nonsense is this?”
Yan Yu warned, “Don’t talk. The people on stage are watching you.”
Before her words even ended, there was a sharp slap! Jin Yihuai slammed the pointer on the desk and suddenly pointed at the last row. “Step forward and be punished!”
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Author’s Note:
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The word 忮忌, pronounced zhìjì, means jealousy. I like using 忮忌 instead of 嫉妒 because it doesn’t have the “female” radical. Type it a few times and your input method will remember it.