Chapter 403: Chapter 391 Provocation
Fengyu’s words pleased Xie Xun.
He had never doubted Fengyu’s deep affection for him, but he was angered by the fact that a boy she hadn’t seen in ten years occupied such an important place in her heart. Fengyu, unwilling to quarrel with Xie Xun over Xiaoqi, pulled him to sit on the bed. Her hands encircled his neck, and she tilted her head up to plant a kiss on his chin. Her fingers gently rubbed his ear—Xie Xun’s favorite intimate gesture.
Xie Xun, tempted, lowered his head and kissed her. Ever since that New Year’s Eve, their embraces often ended up stirring deeper passion. Xie Xun’s heated kisses wandered from her cheek to the edge of her ear, where he gently bit it. Fengyu winced in pain and raised her hand to hit him. Reluctantly, Xie Xun let go of her—he loved this tenderness, like animals marking their territory.
Fengyu’s lips, kissed until they were red, swollen, and moist, made Xie Xun’s heart burn while simultaneously softening. He embraced her and planted another kiss, and Fengyu’s heart melted into a pool of tenderness.
"Are you done being angry?"
"Still angry!"
"Then what should we do? Will you keep being mad?" Fengyu teasingly asked. Xie Xun, knowing she was feigning it, pinched her waist playfully out of irritation. Fengyu, both tickled and pained, laughed and tried to escape by rolling into the brocade quilt, hiding inside and refusing to come out. Xie Xun kicked off his shoes and socks, climbed onto the bed, and dragged her out of the quilt. Fengyu angrily tried to kick him. "Second Young Master hired a whole group of staff to teach you to study, so why aren’t you going to the academy?"
She deliberately mocked him by emphasizing the word "academy." Xie Xun scoffed. "When I was at the Imperial College, I wasn’t as good as Second Brother in writing or debating policies and poetry. But if it’s about taking the imperial exam, passing it to become a jinshi wouldn’t be a problem for me."
"Oh..." Fengyu put on an expression of doubt, clearly unconvinced that he could achieve the title of jinshi.
Becoming a jinshi wasn’t so simple!
In Yanyang, the imperial exam occurred once every three years, with millions of candidates and only forty jinshi being selected. The examination was extremely challenging, covering policy analysis, literature, and various other subjects. That year, Lin Helin achieving top scores in all three stages was an accomplishment akin to ascending the heavens—such a feat had only occurred a handful of times in Yanyang’s history.
Although Xie Xun’s academic performance at the Imperial College hadn’t been bad, he hadn’t stood out either, as he valued martial skills over literary pursuits, pouring his focus into combat rather than scholarship. Now, to make up for lost time, he was hastily gaining knowledge. However, the Jiaozhou staff teaching him had limited expertise, and even if they accompanied him to the imperial exam, they might not necessarily outperform Xie Xun. Perhaps they could teach him practical governance skills.
"You don’t believe me?"
"I believe you. It’s just that I know I couldn’t pass."
Xie Xun didn’t want to continue discussing Xiaoqi and ruin the mood, but looking at Fengyu’s smiling eyes, he couldn’t help but worry. "Do you truly trust Xiaoqi that much?"
"Mm!" Fengyu nodded.
"Ayu, after the first month is over, I’ll be returning to Ningzhou. I won’t be able to stay by your side all the time. You and he share a bond formed in times of hardship, and you have the affection of siblings. But ten years have passed—the boy who survived through years of war and chaos is certainly not the same younger brother you remember. If you keep him close, and something happens in West Continent, I won’t be able to help. Do you understand?" Not only was Xie Xun jealous, but he also had legitimate concerns. Everyone around Fengyu—Qiuxiang, Chunlu, Zhang Da—was her trusted confidant.
Aside from this circle, there were Nuanyang and the elite Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, each individual vetted and carefully selected by Xie Xun himself. To suddenly bring an unknown boy close to her—he couldn’t rest easy.
Fengyu understood Xie Xun’s concerns, but she was unwilling to act ungrateful or betray the loyalty owed. She said, "Zhixu, the principle of ’innocent until proven guilty’ must be upheld. You can’t convict Xiaoqi just because you suspect he might harm me—or harm you. I promise you, I’ll have Chunlu keep an eye on Xiaoqi. If we discover he has any ulterior motives, I’ll arrange a residence for him and give him a sum of money to repay his kindness during my childhood. Right now, Xiaoqi is just an orphan with nowhere else to go. How could I send him away like that?"
Their conversation had reached another impasse. Xie Xun compromised, but not entirely. "Fine. But during the time I’m back in Ningzhou, whatever I do to him, you mustn’t interfere."
"What do you intend to do?"
"Have him come to me," Xie Xun said plainly. "No matter who he is, if he wants to stay by your side, he must pass my test. To you, he may be a younger brother. But to me, he’s a stranger, and I don’t trust him."
"Zhixu..."
"This is my bottom line!" Xie Xun said firmly. "No negotiations!"
Fengyu thought for a moment and relented slightly. "Fine!"
Xiaoqi stepped in, braving the wind and snow. His nose was red from the cold. He wore the winter clothes Qiuxiang had just prepared for him, his delicate features making him quite appealing. Seeing Fengyu, he gave a sweet and obedient smile. But when his gaze fell on Xie Xun, he seemed startled, his smile instantly vanishing, leaving behind traces of nervousness and unease.