“You, you, you…” Yan Ruyu trembled with anger but could do nothing.

“How was it? Did Su Mu fall for it?” As soon as they got in the carriage, Liu Cui asked with concern.

Right now, the father and daughter were most afraid of Su Mu and Yan Jiyue getting back together. With Yan Ting plus Su Mu who had become a scholar, they would have even less share of the family property in the future.

“She saw through it long ago, but she said she won’t reconcile with Yan Jiyue,” Yan Ruyu said glumly. “What’s there to be arrogant about, it’s just a scholar title. If she has the ability, she should pass the provincial examination, that would be really climbing up in one step! No matter how much she reads, she’s still living in a poor alley now, and the money to buy the house was given by me!”

Liu Cui poked Yan Ruyu’s head: “Alright, stop dwelling on that matter. But let me tell you, be more frugal with money in the future, there’s not much left that can be taken from the Yan family.”

On the other side, to thank Shen Yuxue for helping her out of the situation, Su Mu invited Shen Yuxue to her home as a guest.

“My humble abode is simple, I hope Miss Shen doesn’t mind.”

Shen Yuxue shook her head: “How could I dare?”

Although this small house was far inferior to her mansion, it was still someone’s home. Shen Yuxue, having received a good education, would never look down on it.

However, looking at Su Mu’s delicate features and her smooth, fine skin that didn’t seem to belong to a woman of this matriarchal world, she felt a bit regretful seeing her living in such a simple small house.

Perhaps because they were both transmigrators, even though neither had revealed their identity, they always got along particularly well.

Su Mu finally asked: “Why did Miss Shen submit a blank exam paper?”

At the mention of this, Shen Yuxue’s face turned bitter: “Who knew the exam would be so difficult? If I had known, I wouldn’t have tried to show off.”

Ancient times had no punctuation marks, and she had trouble even understanding the title. Her brain couldn’t squeeze out a drop of ink, and she didn’t even know the basic rules for composing poetry, so she could only submit a blank paper.

“Show… show off?” Su Mu pretended to be confused.

Shen Yuxue smiled: “Oh, it’s just a local expression.”

“Then what Yan Ruyu said about you not being able to take the exam again before forty is true?”

Shen Yuxue nodded: “Yes.”

Seeing Su Mu’s regretful expression, Shen Yuxue said: “But I don’t care, I wasn’t planning to take the imperial exams anyway. I’m planning to go into business.”

“Business?” Su Mu recalled the headaches from her previous life when she was chased by local gentry and officials for money while doing business: “Although business is free, in the current environment, it’s inevitable that you’ll face difficulties from all sides in the future.”

“I know, but after all, I’m an adult now, and the only daughter in my family. It’s time for me to stand on my own,” Shen Yuxue said.

Since Shen Yuxue was so determined, Su Mu didn’t try to persuade her further. Perhaps with Shen Yuxue’s family background, her business path would be smoother than Su Mu’s.

Instead, it was Shen Yuxue who advised her: “As for that Yan gentleman, it’s better not to eat old grass.”

Su Mu nodded: “Of course, a broken mirror can’t be mended.”

Shen Yuxue suddenly sighed: “Su Mu, you’re not only beautiful, but also have a good temperament, and now you’ve passed the scholar exam. That Yan Jiyue must be crazy not to appreciate you.”

Su Mu smiled slightly, her light smoke-like eyebrows silently alluring.

“But that mixed-blood young man by your side seems quite nice,” Shen Yuxue winked at her.

Su Mu turned back, looking at Xie Yi who had just walked out of the backyard carrying a pile of freshly dried clothes. His ponytail was tied high, his figure slender but not weak. The gentle breeze brushed over his hair tips, as elegant as scattered snow.

Noticing both of them looking at him, Xie Yi suddenly blushed and quickly ran back into the room.

The curtain hung low, casting his faint shadow.

Su Mu lowered her eyes and smiled lightly: “He is quite nice.”

She felt very comfortable being with Xie Yi.

In the room, Xie Yi, who was folding clothes, paused. Through the lattice of the curtain, he looked at Su Mu’s indistinct shadow, his lips curling into a sweet smile.

“By the way, will you participate in the provincial exam two months later?” Shen Yuxue asked.

Generally, the provincial exam would be held three years after the prefectural exam, but the rules in this matriarchal world were different. The prefectural exam, provincial exam, and even the final palace exam were all arranged within one year.

If you missed this year, you would have to wait for three years.

“Of course I will,” Su Mu said.

Once she passed the provincial exam and became a Juren, for a common person like her, it would be like ascending to heaven in one step.

Since ancient times, there has been a saying that poor scholars become rich Juren. Once you become a Juren, not only can you be exempted from corvée labor and taxes, but you can also meet officials without kneeling.

Most importantly, once you become a Juren, even if you don’t pass the metropolitan examination later and can’t become a Jinshi, you still have the qualification to become an official. If you fail the metropolitan examination three times, you can participate in the ‘Da Tiao’.

Participating in the Da Tiao, you only need to stand there and accept the examiner’s comments, then you can be assigned to various government offices. Whether as a county magistrate or an education official, as long as you become a Juren, entering the official circle is a sure thing. Therefore, both county magistrates and local gentry would come to build good relationships.

“That’s good, let’s go together then,” Shen Yuxue said.

“You?”

Shen Yuxue smiled: “Although I can’t participate in the imperial exams anymore, I’m planning to go to Cloud City to buy some goods to sell. Anyway, it’s a long journey for you to go to Cloud City alone, why not keep me company? Are you willing?”

Su Mu naturally couldn’t ask for more: “Of course I’m willing.”

“Then it’s settled.”

“Alright.” Su Mu thanked Shen Yuxue for her kindness and personally saw her off at the entrance of Lanqing Lane. When she turned back to the house, she found that Xie Yi had already slipped into the kitchen to cook.

Wisps of smoke rose from the chimney, and the familiar smell of cooking surrounded him.

Seeing Su Mu walking towards the kitchen, Xie Yi hurriedly said: “Sister Mu, please wait a moment, the food will be ready soon, very quickly.”

Xie Yi’s nervous appearance made it seem as if the kitchen was filled not with the smell of cooking, but with some kind of bad luck.

Su Mu seemed to see again the scene from her previous life, where Xie Yi cooked special meals for her. A long-lost familiar feeling warmed her heart.

This life’s Xie Yi was becoming more and more like the previous life. He was quite different not long ago, how did he suddenly change? Su Mu seriously thought back on his changes during this period and found that the key point of transformation seemed to be after he carved out the brand.

Especially the way Xie Yi looked at her now, it was exactly the same as the way he looked at her in the previous life, equally sincere and passionate. Even without meeting his eyes, she could feel that sense of being constantly entangled, boiling and enduring.

“Sister Mu, come and eat.”

While she was pondering, Xie Yi had already brought out the dishes.

Besides the braised pork, Xie Yi had also made a cold dish, a stir-fried vegetable dish, and a bowl of loofah and egg soup.

Before Xie Yi came, Su Mu always cooked for herself, as simple as possible, just enough to eat. But after Xie Yi’s arrival, the meals visibly became more sumptuous, and his culinary skills improved rapidly.

As he said, he indeed learned things very quickly.

Otherwise, in her previous life, he wouldn’t have been able to make dishes rivaling those of great chefs without her noticing. He managed to take care of her daily meals and life, deal with Yan Jiyue’s difficult demands, and still find time to learn embroidery, with his needlework becoming famous in Juancheng.

“Is it delicious?” Xie Yi’s eyes were full of expectation.

Su Mu tasted a piece of braised pork and nodded: “Very delicious.”

Xie Yi smiled with satisfaction, looking as if he knew she would definitely like it.

After dinner, Su Mu as usual read books to prepare for the exam.

Although she had memories of two lives, she hadn’t spent much time specifically reading the Four Books and Five Classics used for the exam. Most of the time, her energy was spent on checking account books, seeing which little bastard was taking kickbacks from her accounts today.

After being reborn, Su Mu especially cherished the opportunity to study and read late into the night. Even so, she didn’t dare guarantee that she could pass the provincial exam to become a Juren, she could only do her best.

Every night, Xie Yi’s movements would always be very light, quietly staying by her side, not making a sound, even his breathing was gentle, afraid of disturbing her.

When he saw her tea was finished, he would silently refill it for her, quite like the scene of a beauty adding fragrance to the night.

When the lamp wick was almost burnt out, Xie Yi noticed it and silently added a new wick for her. In the flickering lamplight, Xie Yi lowered his eyes submissively.

Su Mu inadvertently looked up and saw him like this, her breath catching.

This aura was so familiar, exactly like Xie Yi from her previous life, identical.

Xie Yi felt Su Mu’s gaze lingering on him, his hand adding the lamp wick trembling slightly, not daring to make a sound, not even daring to breathe deeply.

But he also subconsciously began to doubt himself. Was this posture good-looking? Were today’s clothes clean? Was there any dirt on his face? Had he shown his best side to Su Mu, or was he afraid that Su Mu would think he was too affected or too sentimental?

His thick eyelashes fluttered lightly, Xie Yi’s heart was both joyful and flustered, his anxious thoughts magnified infinitely at this moment.

Finally, Su Mu withdrew her gaze and continued to lower her head to read.

Xie Yi let out a sigh of relief, but disappointment also crept up. He regretted deeply, hoping that she would look at him carefully again like just now.

“Xiao Yi, I still need to read until very late, you go to sleep first, no need to keep me company,” Su Mu said lightly. In the quiet night, her voice was as light as a temptation.

Xie Yi shook his head: “Sister Mu, I’m not sleepy.”

He wanted to accompany her a little longer.

Just standing to the side, watching over her was enough. As long as he was with her, Xie Yi felt happy from the bottom of his heart, happy without any reason.

Su Mu knew he wanted to keep her company, but Xie Yi’s wounds hadn’t fully healed yet. He got up before 6 o’clock every day to do chores, and now he was staying up so late at night with her.

She wasn’t an unscrupulous boss, she really didn’t want to see him work himself to death.

So she furrowed her brows and said firmly: “Go to bed.”

When her voice became firm, Xie Yi didn’t dare to speak anymore. He nodded disappointedly, his lonely figure slowly returning to his own room.

As soon as he closed the door after returning to his room, he leaned against it powerlessly.

Thinking back to the moment when Su Mu’s gaze lingered on him, he felt useless, unable to even hold her gaze.

Was he not good-looking enough?

Xie Yi, who had grown up being pursued by many, for the first time felt insecure and doubtful about his own appearance.

He was very flustered in his heart, thinking of the various men around Su Mu. He felt he wasn’t as delicately pretty as Lin Xiaoxing, nor as intensely proud as Yan Jiyue. He didn’t seem to be good-looking enough to make Su Mu unable to take her eyes off him.

Xie Yi touched his face, insecurity creeping into his heart. If only he were a little more good-looking.