Chapter 82 (2)

Classes had already ended for the day, and tomorrow was the fifteenth, a day off. At this time, the Imperial College was almost empty. Although students had dormitories and teachers had the South Garden, most teachers and students were from noble families in the capital. Except for lunch breaks and occasional overnight stays, they generally preferred to spend more time commuting between home and school.

She herself was accustomed to life in the small courtyard. The environment here was quiet and serene, and she was somewhat reluctant to leave. So she continued to live here. Moreover, the small courtyard was not bad to begin with, and after renovation, it was no longer as dilapidated as before, but rather like a home.

Due to the account book matter, Elder Sister Ranzhi had been promoted by Her Majesty to the position of Jijiu at the Imperial College. She had just taken up the new post recently, and with the busy affairs of the Imperial College, it couldn’t be her.

And judging from the knocking sound, it seemed more like someone who understood etiquette, clearly not Elder Sister Lan’s style. If it were her, one would hear her voice before seeing her.

Who could be looking for her at this time?!

As soon as she stepped out of the room, Lu Yuner instinctively looked up at the sky. It had been clear just a moment ago, but now it had suddenly darkened considerably. Was it about to rain?

It seemed she should pack up and return home soon.

With a creak, Lu Yuner opened the door and saw the visitor. Her bright eyes flashed with a brief moment of surprise, then returned to her usual welcoming smile. She politely said, “Doctor Liu, what brings you here?”

Liu Bing was known for her serious demeanor, always wearing an expression that kept others at a distance. Previously, when she taught in the men’s college, although they often met in the Doctors’ Hall, they didn’t interact much.

After she was transferred to teach at the women’s college, Lu Yuner learned that the female students both respected and feared her.

It turned out that Liu Bing was a doctor in the advanced class at Xuxing Hall. Her lectures were particularly strict, and she was extremely serious and responsible towards the students. Thinking back, whenever she arrived at the Doctors’ Hall, Liu Bing was always the first person she saw.

Diligent and hardworking, she was indeed a dedicated teacher.

Liu Bing’s face remained cold, like distant snow-capped mountains, her expression seemingly indifferent and lacking warmth. However, her chilly tone carried a hint of gentleness, “May we talk inside?”

“Please come in.” Lu Yuner was slightly taken aback. Although she didn’t know why Liu Bing had come, she invited her in. She had been curious about Liu Bing for various reasons before, but they rarely spoke in daily life. Her visit today was clearly out of the ordinary.

Lu Yuner led Liu Bing into the newly renovated small reception room, where they happened to encounter Su Qingwan waiting there. His posture was dignified as he stood quietly, seeming somewhat docile yet exuding the quality of a virtuous male host.

Liu Bing’s expression remained calm, as if not surprised, and she respectfully bowed, “Greetings, Young Master Su.”

Meanwhile, Lu Yuner smiled openly at Su Qingwan. Since she had let Liu Bing in, she no longer intended to hide anything. Everyone knew that she and Young Master Su were engaged; their relationship was no longer a secret.

“You two talk first, I’ll go brew some tea,” Su Qingwan said with a shy smile as he walked to Lu Yuner’s side, setting aside his noble status as Young Master Su and acting like an obedient young husband.

Hearing about brewing tea, Lu Yuner suddenly thought of something and called out to stop him, “Ah Wan, wait.”

It was the first time Su Qingwan had heard Elder Sister Yuner use their pet name in front of others. His heart leaped with joy, his face slightly flushed as he turned back and asked, “Elder Sister Yuner, what is it?”

Lu Yuner smiled at him. Brewing tea for guests was proper etiquette, and remembering what he had said before, she didn’t want to discourage Young Master Su’s enthusiasm to act as a host. She turned to Liu Bing and said, “Doctor Liu, are you accustomed to drinking cold-brewed tea?”

Cold-brewed tea? Liu Bing was slightly stunned, her pupils constricting. A moment later, her expression returned to normal, but her voice became somewhat low, “I can drink it.”

After receiving the response, Lu Yuner noticed the subtle change in Liu Bing. With a puzzled thought, she turned to Su Qingwan and said gently, “I already brewed this cold tea during my afternoon break. It’s in the kitchen, you can just bring it out.”

“Mm.”

Su Qingwan walked briskly to the kitchen, his beautiful eyes curved in a smile that reached deep into their depths. Why was he so happy? Naturally, it was because he felt Elder Sister Yuner’s consideration for him.

Although he and Elder Sister Yuner were engaged, which was common knowledge, she had always maintained a distance from him in front of others. He had actually overheard their conversation earlier and thought Elder Sister Yuner would refuse Liu Bing’s request or go out to talk.

He didn’t expect her to let Liu Bing in, clearly no longer avoiding his presence. She even used his pet name in front of others and considered that he wasn’t very good at lighting fires, specifically switching to cold-brewed tea. It showed how thoughtful Elder Sister Yuner was.

It is said that women fear entering the wrong profession, while men fear marrying the wrong person. For a man in this world to marry a good woman is a blessing from a previous life, and he would certainly cherish it.

Thinking of this, the smile on Su Qingwan’s face gradually faded, and his expression became somewhat solemn. Having finally obtained something precious, one fears not thieves stealing, but thieves coveting.

Previously, when Elder Sister Yuner was teaching in the men’s college, he knew there were many male students who secretly admired her. He often overheard them talking about her.

Although they were engaged and Elder Sister Yuner had been transferred to the women’s college, there were still some male students who, under the pretext of former teacher-student relationships, deliberately appeared in front of her, taking the opportunity to secretly look at her. He had seen this several times, and those blatantly covetous gazes made him want to gouge their eyes out.

Everyone knew that the men’s college of the Imperial Academy was full of unmarried young men from good families. Studying at the Imperial Academy was merely to improve their cultivation and reputation, all for the purpose of marrying a good wife-master in the future.

Elder Sister Yuner was, after all, a talented youth from a military family. Although she was only a doctor now, she had once served as the Minister of Revenue, with outstanding political achievements during her tenure, and was quite favored by Her Majesty. She would certainly not be underestimated in the future.

Moreover, she was naturally beautiful and talented, gentle and polite to others, inevitably attracting some amorous attention.

Since ancient times, it has been normal for a woman to have three husbands and four servants. But he didn’t want to share Elder Sister Yuner with other men at all. The thought of Elder Sister Yuner’s love being given to others felt like a knife stabbing his heart.

He would definitely be jealous, he would go crazy, but he didn’t want Elder Sister Yuner to think he was a narrow-minded jealous husband, so he tried to find ways to stay by her side.

Elder Sister Yuner was a rare good woman, and he would certainly hold onto her tightly, not giving any other men any opportunity to take advantage.

Lu Yuner invited Liu Bing to sit down and spoke first, “Doctor Liu, what brings you here today?”

Liu Bing’s eyes remained cold as she looked at her. After observing for a moment, she spoke softly, “Doctor Lu, do you remember the incident when you almost entered Zhaoyucc years ago?”

Hearing this, Lu Yuner’s expression changed slightly, suddenly becoming solemn. How could she not remember that incident? One scene from it would be impossible for her to forget in this lifetime.

A moment later, Su Qingwan came in carrying the tea, only to see a somewhat lonely figure, while Liu Bing was no longer there. In such a short time, what had they talked about?

The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was amiss. A sense of confusion arose in his heart. Su Qingwan frowned as he set down the tea and came to Lu Yuner’s side, asking softly with concern, “Elder Sister Yuner, what’s…”

The voice of the newcomer brought Lu Yuner back to her senses. Her cold eyes moved, a fleeting look of pain flashing in their depths. As she turned around, her face instantly regained its usual smile. “Doctor Liu and I just had a brief chat about student academic matters. She had other business and left.”

Su Qingwan’s gaze, half-believing and half-doubting, lingered on her face as he began to speak.

“You brought the tea,” Lu Yuner said, pretending nothing was wrong as she glanced at the tea on the table and walked over to pick up a cup. “I’m a bit thirsty.”

After taking a small sip, Lu Yuner gently set down the cup and smiled, “Let’s go back to the room to get our things and return home.”

Su Qingwan naturally followed her arrangements, nodding at her.

Just as they returned to the room, lightning flashed and thunder roared. It seemed as if the sky had split open, and within moments, torrential rain began to fall. The sound of rain merged into a continuous roar, and a gust of wind carrying countless raindrops swept in through the window, filling the room with a chill.

Lu Yuner quickly closed the door and windows. The rain was quite heavy; it seemed they couldn’t leave for now. She quietly listened to the constant sound of rain outside the courtyard. Liu Bing’s words kept echoing in her mind, occasionally reminding her of scenes she didn’t want to remember.

That was the first time she had personally experienced what it felt like to kill someone. Her hands were covered in countless warm liquids, which then cooled and congealed, becoming increasingly sticky. The thick smell of blood made her nauseous and vomit repeatedly.

Although she hated that feeling, she had no choice but to do it. The incident years ago when she almost entered Zhaoyucc was not as simple as it seemed. She never expected Liu Bing to mention this matter.

She must certainly go to the appointment tomorrow, but why did Liu Bing come to find her?

Su Qingwan glanced out the window, then walked to Lu Yuner’s side, affectionately linking arms with her and resting his head on her side. The corners of his mouth curved up as he said, “Elder Sister Yuner, look, it’s raining again. Let’s wait until the rain stops before we leave!”

In fact, he was quite pleased. It was rare to have time to be alone with her again. He hoped this rain would continue, after all, tomorrow was a day off, and there was plenty of time.

The pitter-patter of rain outside the courtyard reminded Su Qingwan of a previous heavy rainfall when he and Elder Sister Yuner had stayed here together, chatting for a long time. Today was the first time again, and for some reason, he now rather liked rainy days.

“Indeed! The rain is quite heavy, we can’t leave for now. Let’s wait a bit!” Lu Yuner’s eyelashes fluttered as she pulled back her wandering thoughts. Suddenly remembering that Young Master Su hadn’t eaten anything since school ended, she asked with concern, “Are you hungry now? If you are, although we can’t go out at the moment, there’s still some rice in the kitchen. Would you like me to cook some porridge for you?”

“I’m not hungry at all.” Su Qingwan didn’t want to waste any extra time. A hint of mischief flashed in his eyes as he playfully changed his position, becoming like a koala clinging tightly to her. His picturesque brows carried a hint of a smile, his eyes brimming with innocent charm as he looked at her and said coquettishly, “But I’m a bit sleepy now.”