After Yan Jin returned to the room, Yu Shu was lying on the bed, sulking.

Hearing the sound, Yu Shu even lifted his head to glance at the door.

But seeing it was Yan Jin, Yu Shu “hmph”ed, turned his head away, and pretended not to see her.

Yan Jin sighed, knowing she was being blamed by association.

“Yuanyuan, I’m back.” Yan Jin walked to the bedside and hugged Yu Shu, coaxing in a soft voice, “I bought the osmanthus cake you like.”

“Osmanthus cake.” Yu Shu said sarcastically, “Am I still worthy of eating osmanthus cake now?”

Yan Jin found it amusing. “If you’re not worthy, who is?”

“Those two newcomers, of course.” Yu Shu tugged at the pillow towel. “They have delicate skin, long legs, slender waists, and know how to be submissive and modest. They’re clearly the type you’d like.”

Although not as good-looking as him, they had the advantage of being younger, looking like they had just come of age.

This fake prude Smiles most liked this.

“Really?” Yan Jin’s tone was calm. “I didn’t look carefully, so I’m not sure about their appearance.”

Yu Shu almost couldn’t hold back his laughter. “I don’t believe you didn’t see them.”

“I did see them,” Yan Jin said, “but I sent them to do a thorough cleaning.”

Yu Shu glanced at her. “Yan Wu Yuan, so merciless?”

Yan Jin retorted, “They’re not my husband, so why should I be gentle with them?”

Having taken the reassurance pill from Yan Jin, Yu Shu immediately asked, “So when do you plan to send them away?”

Yan Jin: “Tomorrow, I suppose.”

“You still want to let them stay the night?!” Yu Shu glared at her and even pushed Yan Jin. “Then you go out! Go sleep with them, don’t come to my room!”

“Yuanyuan, at least hear me out.”

Yan Jin hurriedly hugged the tantrum-throwing Yu Shu. “I was thinking even if they work through the night, they’ll be busy until tomorrow morning and can still clean our house inside and out.”

“Anyway, we’ve already fleeced Mu Chu Yao once, so it’s no big deal doing it again.” Yan Jin said earnestly, “Besides, Yuanyuan, you said earlier that there will be many places to spend money after Rousong is born.”

“For this kind of free and dedicated cleaning staff, we should take advantage of them when we can.”

[Yan Jin is trying to make me laugh. In her eyes, those two tender youths are just two free cleaners.] [And Yan Jin is quite right. In order to leave a good impression on her, those two will definitely clean very diligently.]

What Yan Jin just said was to coax Yu Shu. Although expenses would increase with Rousong, they still had a lot of savings.

Knowing Yu Shu was unhappy, Yan Jin tried to console him. “In the future, if we encounter this kind of situation again, don’t be angry.”

“Before I come back, send them to clean. When I return, we can directly tell them to leave, earning free labor.”

“They kindly sent you beauties, but you didn’t accept and even sent them back. Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?” Yu Shu’s lips curled up high, but he stubbornly said, “If word gets out, people will mock you for being henpecked.”

“If the one with me now wasn’t you, Yuanyuan, I might have gone with the flow and accepted.”

Yan Jin stroked Yu Shu’s head and said softly, “But after being with Yuanyuan, I only want to see your smiling face, not your tears.”

How could she bear to see the light dim in the eyes of such an adorable Yuanyuan?

Yu Shu was overjoyed by Yan Jin’s coaxing. “You’re feeding me a love potion.”

Yan Jin laughed. “Then is Yuanyuan willing to drink the love potion I’m feeding you?”

Yu Shu didn’t answer, only poking Yan Jin. “Give me the osmanthus cake.”

“Yuanyuan?” Yan Jin looked at Yu Shu with a smile.

“Every penny counts. Expenses will increase after Rousong is born.”

Yu Shu snorted and took the osmanthus cake, reluctantly tasting a bite. “I don’t like it at all. It’s just that since you bought it, I don’t want to waste it.”

With that, Yu Shu took another bite, and another…

The osmanthus cake Smiles bought was really very sweet.

After the examination scandal passed, the palace examination on the first day of the third month quickly arrived.

Even though Yan Jin knew full well that she would likely secure the top scholar position, she still didn’t slack off.

Even when the emperor came to inspect and Yan Jin caught a glimpse of the imperial yellow robe out of the corner of her eye, her hand didn’t tremble at all as she continued answering the questions.

After the exam, a certain exam reader held up a paper and said, “This examinee’s policy essay is extremely well-written, with the talent of a top scholar. Unfortunately, the sharp edges are too exposed, probably someone young. Young people are arrogant and need to be suppressed.”

The emperor took the paper, slightly curling his lips. “No need. Whatever rank it should be, let it be that rank.”

With that, the emperor designated this paper as the top scholar.

When the name was revealed, they saw “Yan Jin” written on it. The exam readers were relieved, especially that person.

Fortunately, they didn’t stubbornly insist on suppressing this examinee, otherwise the nation’s first six-discipline talent would have been ruined by her hands.

The next day in the imperial palace, Yan Jin and the other new scholars stood solemnly, listening to the announcement of the palace examination rankings.

It was dead silent all around. In this extremely quiet atmosphere, even if someone moved slightly, they would feel disrespectful.

[So nervous, so nervous. Even though I’m not the one taking the exam, I’m getting nervous too.] [Who wouldn’t be nervous? If Yan Jin doesn’t place first, they can’t go home. If she does, they can go home.]

In this silence, Yan Jin suddenly heard her name.

“…First place in the first rank, Yan Jin!”

Yan Jin thought she was calm enough, but when she actually heard her name, she realized she had never been calm, only thinking she was.

[Congratulations to Host Yan Jin for achieving the “Six Disciplines” achievement. The system will open the portal back to the modern world for you two in three days.]

Yan Jin blinked, her eyes rarely welling up with moisture.

Yu Shu, who was waiting for news in the restaurant, took a deep breath upon hearing the system’s words, but tears streamed down his face.

Xiao Liu beside him asked worriedly, “Master, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Yu Shu shook his head, showing a brilliant smile. “I’m just crying tears of joy.”

Xiao Liu looked at Yu Shu’s fists unconsciously clenched on the table and became even more worried.

Yu Shu didn’t know what Xiao Liu was thinking, because the little person in his heart was wildly screaming.

Ah ah ah! Smiles won first place!

Amazing! He knew Smiles could do it!

[Ah ah ah! Congratulations! The two darlings can go home!] [Well done, Yan Jin! You did it!]

There will be two more chapters today, at 15:00 and 18:00.