Gu Yucheng's thick eyebrows shot up, and he immediately flew into a rage. "I knew you were up to no good by getting close to the young master. You were planning all along to steal him from my sister. How could you be so shameless? Aren't you ashamed to say such things?"
Amidst his curses, the young master turned pale and stared straight at Mr. Mu, unable to utter a single word.
Finally, tears couldn't bear the weight and streamed down his face. Mr. Mu knelt before his wheelchair, looking up at his face, and choked out, "Can't you? Tell me, can't you?"
"Why..." the young master finally spoke, his voice filled with utter confusion, "Why? I thought you..."
The hall door suddenly opened from the outside, and Shi Huai rushed in. He paused for a moment when he saw the scene in the hall, but then said, "Young Master, Miss has woken up and insists on seeing you!"
Gu Mingyan is awake?!
It was truly a case of one problem leading to another, leaving everyone in awe once again.
As the young master hesitated, a sharp pain shot through his hand. It turned out that Mr. Mu was gripping his hand tightly, his fingernails almost digging into his flesh.
"No..." she pleaded, "Don't go..."
Gu Yucheng walked over and shoved her hand away. Mr. Mu didn't know martial arts, and he immediately fell to the ground, his hair disheveled, looking utterly pathetic.
"Mingyan wants to see you." Gu Yucheng stared at the young master, reminding him who he should care about.
Mr. Mu's gaze turned cold, and her expression instantly turned icy. She bit her lower lip and said coldly, "If you walk out of this door now, you will never see me again."
Gu Yucheng scoffed, "You dare to threaten me? Who do you think you are?"
"Who am I?" Mr. Mu stared at the young master and said slowly, word by word, "What do you think? Who am I?"
Shi Huai said anxiously, "Young Master, Miss is still waiting there. She looks very unwell and could faint again at any moment!"
Upon hearing this, the young master turned around without hesitation, wheeled himself out, and his mind was in turmoil. An unprecedented panic swept over him, making it impossible for him to consider whether his actions were right or wrong.
Why is it that all his composure and self-control crumble the moment he meets this woman?
As Mr. Mu watched his retreating figure, something deep within his eyes shattered completely.
Gu Yucheng retorted sarcastically without any mercy, "Now you should give up, right? Take a look at yourself in the mirror; you're neither human nor ghost, yet you dare to try and compete with my sister? Humph, you're overestimating yourself!"
Neither human nor ghost? Upon hearing this, Mr. Mu actually laughed, standing up as he laughed, looking quite terrifying.
Gu Yucheng couldn't help but take a step back. "Hey, stop pretending to be crazy..."
Just then, Ye Mufeng, who had been lost in thought, suddenly exclaimed, "I remember! You're her! You're her!"
Gu Yucheng quickly turned his head, "Who is she?"
Mr. Mu stopped laughing and stared at him expressionlessly. Ye Mufeng's gaze turned filled with regret and confusion. He said in a deep voice, "Seven years have passed since we parted. Every time I recall your former elegance, I am filled with longing. There are three people in the world whom I admire most: the old man Xuanyuan of Qingyantai, the wandering traveler Jialuo from Guandong, and you, young lady. But how could you have become so haggard and thin?"
A slight daze appeared in Mr. Mu's eyes.
Seeing that the eldest son of Wu Liucheng spoke so highly of this woman, Gu Yucheng couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Is she really a prodigy?"
"Seven days in the Red Chamber, testing all the talented men in the land, she alone stood out; a single song of the Phoenix, depicting all aspects of human life, she reigned supreme in the capital." Ye Mufeng said slowly, "You still haven't remembered who she is?"
Gu Yucheng's eyes widened in shock, "Qian...Cui...Yu?!"
He never expected that the skinny, eccentric imposter Mr. Mu standing in front of him was actually Qian Cuiyu, who was once known as the most talented woman in the world!
Chapter Three
Qian Cuiyu, the first character is Qian (钱).
She was the second daughter of Baorui Money House, the richest family in the world. Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she was high above others and knew nothing of the hardships of life.
The second character is 萃 (cuì).
She was exceptionally talented, renowned as the foremost female scholar, possessed vast knowledge, had a photographic memory, and was the envy of all literary figures in the world.
The third character is jade.
"Better to be a broken piece of jade than a whole piece of tile." His strong-willed and extreme views have garnered much praise while also sparking considerable controversy.
These three words together represent the most dazzling star among the young ladies of the capital. She became famous throughout the world at the age of fifteen and reached her peak at the age of seventeen, radiating brilliance that no one could match.
Memories drew back the curtain of the past, and the faint sound of bustling crowds outside drifted in on the wind. A red brocade curtain separated a quiet space upstairs. She sat at the table and could clearly see her own face reflected in the water ripples of the Ru kiln brush washer, her features clear and her skin as smooth as jade.
"Second Miss—" With a sweet cry, two maids entered, lifting the curtain. One of them, carrying a large scroll of poems, placed it on the table and panted, saying, "These talented men are really good at writing! Each one writes fluently, thousands of words at a time, as if they can't show off their talent otherwise. It's so hard on us little maids collecting these scrolls, carrying them is exhausting!"
She picked up the poems, glanced at them indifferently, and then put them back with little interest.
"What? Second Miss isn't even looking?"
Another maid covered her mouth and laughed, "In seven days, at least a thousand poems have been submitted. No matter how well they are written, we're getting tired of reading them."
"It's all just empty talk." She rested her chin on her hand, gazing lazily at the sky outside the window, and murmured, "Is it really that difficult to find a truly talented man?"
"I wonder what the Second Miss means by 'talented scholar'?"
"It's very simple. Anyone who writes better than me is a true genius."
The two maids secretly stuck out their tongues. This request was both simple and difficult!
Just then, a burst of laughter came from outside the red curtain. Two maids curiously peered out from behind the curtain and immediately burst into laughter, "Second Miss, look!"
Outside the curtain, the space was divided into two sections, upstairs and downstairs. Downstairs was a large hall, over ten feet wide, furnished with twenty-two long tables, each complete with writing implements. The scholars who had come to take the exams and attend the gathering sat cross-legged, whispering softly, creating a very pleasant atmosphere. Therefore, the laughter that rang out seemed particularly abrupt, and everyone turned to see who was so fearless as to dare to make such a racket in Miss Qian's Red Mansion literary gathering.
A young man in a blue robe, with delicate features and a captivating air of intelligence, strode in, a folding fan in his hand adorned with vibrant and beautiful crabapple blossoms. He chuckled as he entered, "Tsk tsk tsk, truly, seeing is believing. Everyone says all the talented men of the land have gathered at this Red Mansion these past few days, but I haven't seen a single one. What a pity..."
These words offended all the scholars present. Several of them immediately stood up and shouted, "Where did this arrogant brat come from, daring to spout such nonsense!"
The young man in the blue robe chuckled and beckoned to the red curtain upstairs, "Lin Yuan, Xian Yu, bring me these manuscripts from the adults so I can take a look."
Hearing his call, the two maids couldn't help but chuckle and mutter, "Third Miss has such sharp eyes; she saw right through us even when we were hiding behind the curtain. I wonder what trick she's up to this time." They immediately took the manuscript they had just brought up back downstairs.
Qian Cuiyu watched lazily, making no attempt to stop her. Eight days had passed since then, and despite her thirst for talent, after being tormented by a plethora of so-called masterpieces—some incomprehensible, some empty, some melodramatic, and some utterly tasteless—she was beginning to yearn for something else to alleviate her boredom. And the young man in the blue robe downstairs was none other than her mischievous younger sister, Qian Bao'er, who loved to dress as a boy.
Qian Bao'er took the manuscript handed to her by the maid and tapped it a few times. Seeing that the maid of the Qian family was so respectful to this arrogant young man, everyone was unsure of her background and wisely chose to wait and see.
"Silently I climb the western tower alone, to test my skills as a thief. In the darkness, I stumble upon a hook, which I cannot tear open. I pull it but it breaks. It's terrible. I sigh and think that my life is doomed..." She read the words from the first page. Before she finished, everyone below burst into laughter.
.
Amidst the laughter, one man stood up, his face flushed, and stammered, "Laugh, laugh, what's so funny? I wrote this, is that so bad? At least the rhyme is right!"
Qian Bao'er nodded and said, "Not bad, not bad, the rhyme is quite good. I just didn't know that you were a petty thief."
"What do you mean by petty theft? I was just stealing fragrance and jade..."
The laughter intensified. For the past eight days, scholars had been submitting their manuscripts to Miss Qian, but none knew what the others had written; all they knew was that Miss Qian's expression had grown increasingly grim. Now, the young man in the blue robe was reading the contents of his manuscript aloud, which greatly satisfied everyone's curiosity. However, to dare to take the exam with such a low level of skill was truly baffling—should one praise his courage or lament the decline of morality? No wonder Miss Qian was unhappy.
Qian Bao'er began reading the second page: "Second Miss, my dream goddess, when the dawn of hope begins to bloom before the flowers, when the lonely wind and rain begin to erode the time of youth, the swallows will also return from the north to the south, but you, still in the middle of the Si River, possess the most sublime longing in my heart and eyes..."
Lin Yuan and Xian Yu, the two maids, secretly exchanged glances—such cheesy words, no wonder the young lady's face turned green when she saw them.
The person who wrote this was clearly much smarter than the first person, because he didn't stand up and reveal his identity, leaving everyone to guess who wrote such a tacky love letter.
Qian Bao'er turned to the third page with a mocking expression. "Does the young lady possess the spirit of heaven and earth? Otherwise, how is she different from ordinary people? Some say that she is inherently lonely and has a romantic nature, hence her writing is lofty and profound, as if she were above the mortal world, riding on clouds and cranes, one can imagine her ethereal state, comparing her to the dusty grains of rice, the swarming insects, and the entangled and trampled fungi."
Only after reading this far did the group stop laughing and nod in approval: "Excellent article, elegant in word choice and graceful in style. I wonder which master penned it."
Qian Bao'er was slightly taken aback, not expecting to actually read such a good article. At this moment, a clear, melodious, elegant, and cool voice came from upstairs in the tent: "Sir, have you received the essence of heaven and earth? Otherwise, how are you different from ordinary people? Some say that you are the descending spirit of Taibai, hence the name Taibai, and He Jian is called the banished immortal. Is that not true? Therefore, your poems are of high style and far-reaching meaning, as if you are in heaven and beyond the mundane world, where immortals gather, and you ride on clouds and cranes. You can imagine your ethereal state, and compare it to the dust, the grains of rice, the insects, the fungus, the entanglements, and the trampling of the world."
Upon hearing the voice, everyone looked up. They recognized the voice; it belonged to Qian Cuiyu, the female protagonist of this written examination. After reciting the passage, she paused and said, "The words are from 'The Tombstone of Hanlin Academician Li Gong,' written by Pei Jing."
The crowd erupted in uproar. It turned out to be plagiarism! How dare that person plagiarize? Everyone knows Qian Cuiyu is incredibly learned and has an amazing memory. Trying to fool her is absolutely impossible.
Qian Bao'er held the thick stack of manuscripts in her hands, sighing deeply. This gathering, ostensibly a literary exchange at the Red Chamber, was actually her second sister's way of choosing a husband for her, but all those who came were utterly incompetent—truly infuriating. She handed the manuscripts back to her maid, shaking her head and lamenting, "Have all the talented men in the world died? They're all just vulgar, fame-seeking, and incompetent fools. It's laughable that so many men are so vulgar, while women are left to be all flirtatious!"
"You think you're so great? Why don't you write one yourself? It's easy for you to talk when you're not doing it!"
"Brother, you are mistaken. How can the works of just three people represent all the scholars in the world? Take a look at my poems..."
"Not bad, not bad. Since you dare to speak so arrogantly, your knowledge and insights must be far beyond that of ordinary people. Then show us what you've got, so we can learn from you..."
In an instant, Qian Bao'er became the target of public criticism. Scholars surrounded her, talking incessantly, some cursing, some mocking, some advising, and some speaking out. She, on the other hand, stood there and let them talk, her eyes darting around the hall.
Suddenly, her eyes widened.
In the western corner, while everyone was indignantly demanding justice for the talented scholars of the world, one person was fast asleep on a low table.
It's unbelievable that someone would sleep in this kind of place at this time... Bao'er beckoned with her finger, and Lin Yuan immediately stepped forward.
"Who is that guy?"
Lin Yuan glanced at her in the direction of her gaze, then pouted and said, "Him? He's been here for six days, just eating and drinking for free. He doesn't talk to anyone, but he does submit manuscripts every day. However, the Second Miss hasn't reacted much. I suppose he's just a mediocre person."
Free food and drinks? How interesting… Qian Bao'er narrowed her eyes, turned around and asked, “Xianyu, what time is it now?”
"It's almost 7 PM."
"Then what are you all waiting for? Miss Qian is going back to her residence. Gentlemen, you may return tomorrow." With that, amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, he went upstairs, lifted the red curtain, and chuckled, "Miss Qian, my goddess, I've come to take you home—"
Qian Cuiyu frowned slightly upon hearing the gossip coming from downstairs.
Qian Bao'er, observing the situation, said, "Sister, there's no need to be upset. If these idiots can't even tell whether I'm a man or a woman, how can they be expected to be any more intelligent?"
Qian Cuiyu was utterly perplexed. "Are all the talented men in the world so arrogant and unwilling to stoop to this frivolous competition, or am I really asking for too much?"
Qian Bao'er raised her eyebrows and asked, "Sister, what do you think of me?"
"you?"
"I'd say I'm one in a hundred, no, one in ten thousand smart people, right?" Qian Bao'er never blushed when praising herself, shaking her folding fan as she said, "But if you asked me to write this kind of flowery stuff, I might not be able to do it well. So, judging a person solely by their writing is a very unwise approach."
Qian Cuiyu bit her lip slightly, then suddenly stood up and swept all the books on the table to the ground before turning and going downstairs. Qian Bao'er was already used to her second sister's eccentric behavior, so she stuck out her tongue and followed her downstairs.
But the people downstairs had mostly dispersed. The scholar in the corner stretched and, just as he was about to get up and leave, Qian Bao'er leaped down the stairs and landed in front of him. With a "snap," she unfolded her folding fan and slapped it down in front of his face.
This move was unexpected and extremely swift, and there was no way to avoid it. However, the scholar casually took a step to the right, seemingly unintentionally, but he avoided it perfectly.
Qian Bao'er's eyes lit up, and she laughed, "So you're quite the expert! Let's go again!" She changed her folding fan technique from striking to tapping, her acupoints identification quick and accurate. But while she was fast, the man was even faster. He didn't seem to dodge, yet every move he made missed. Finally, he flicked her wrist lightly with two fingers. Qian Bao'er screamed and jumped back several steps. When she stood up again, the smiling expression on her face was gone, replaced by shock and surprise.
Qian Cuiyu watched this scene quietly from the stairwell, the color of her pupils gradually darkening.
The scholar turned to leave expressionlessly, and Qian Bao'er raised her eyebrows slightly, about to stop him, when Qian Cuiyu spoke up: "Bao'er."
That call stopped the two people.
The scholar stopped and suddenly turned his head. His eyes shone like shooting stars, startling everyone present. How come they hadn't noticed before that this person was so imposing!
Qian Cuiyu descended the stairs, holding onto the handrail, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone to hear: "This is a place for making friends through literature, not martial arts. Don't get the place wrong."
"Yes, whatever Second Miss says goes!" Qian Bao'er blinked nonchalantly at the scholar.
"However, sir, are you sure you've come to the right place? I've always heard of people who show off their skills while hiding their weaknesses, but you're doing the opposite, playing to your weaknesses and avoiding your strengths. You have such excellent martial arts skills, why are you here to compete in literature?"
The scholar raised his eyebrows and said, "Who said I came here to compete in literature?"