"We agreed the night before that the wet nurse would wake me up," Wushuang said, looking up. "Shuangshuang is very obedient and gets up as soon as she is called, but she took another nap in the carriage and almost drooled on her third cousin's clothes."
Actually, she was very excited on the way and didn't feel sleepy at all, but since Chu Yao asked, it wouldn't hurt to make up a story for him, since he wouldn't bother to find out if it was true or not.
Wushuang was fearless and confident, a description that came to life vividly.
Chu Yao smiled and reached out to pat the top of her head.
Seeing that he was no longer holding her down, Wushuang hugged Chu Yao's leg again, climbed into his arms, found the most comfortable position to lean against, and loosely wrapped her little arms around his waist before closing her eyes to prepare to fall asleep.
This time, Chu Yao didn't put Wushuang down, but he still helped her sit up straight, like a stiff little wooden puppet without joints.
"To be honest, I didn't expect you to still recognize Lin Ruqing."
Wushuang felt uncomfortable in this position and was rubbing her eyes in a wronged manner, twisting and turning to express her protest. Upon hearing this, she paused slightly.
“When I saw him, I recognized him immediately.” She tried to appear unaware of the extent to which her actions had affected Lin Ruqing. “Chu Yao, why won’t he admit that he’s Lin Ruqing? Why did it take so many people to come before he would acknowledge her?”
Chu Yao ignored Wushuang's next question and simply said, "Then you don't recognize Qi Lan?"
Some members of the Lingguang Guard disguised themselves as ordinary citizens and mingled in the Gongyuan Square. The commotion caused by Wushuang, Lin Ruqing, and Qi Lan was so great that their entire conversation was overheard by someone with ulterior motives, who reported it to Chu Yao without missing a single word.
Wushuang was somewhat troubled. Qi Lan was just a casual acquaintance, so she certainly wouldn't remember her forever. But Lin Ruqing was an enemy, and she couldn't forget her after just one meeting.
However, this reason could not be told to Chu Yao.
With her eyelids drooping, she pretended to be extremely sleepy and mumbled, "Qi Lan isn't pretty."
"Oh, Shuangshuang thinks Lin Ruqing is very good-looking?" Chu Yao asked, following her words.
Lin Ruqing was handsome with delicate features and was indeed quite good-looking.
Wushuang replied perfunctorily, "Well, my smart, capable, and handsome scholar brother, my third cousin really likes that calligraphy and painting!"
Chu Yao narrowed his eyes and said, "So, Shuangshuang has a very good impression of Lin Ruqing. Then I'm relieved."
What's there to worry about?
The seemingly random sentence piqued Wushuang's curiosity, and she looked up at Chu Yao in confusion, waiting for him to continue.
Chu Yao continued, "Among the cheaters found today, Lin Ruqing's crime is the least serious. He was tempted by a large sum of money because of his poverty, and in a moment of confusion, he decided to take the exam for someone else. If we were to strip him of his academic honors and never employ him again, thus ruining his career, it would be too cruel. Therefore, we intend to let him go."
His words were all nonsense. Those who cheat always have their reasons. If they are not investigated because of this, the purpose of selecting talents through the imperial examination will be lost, and it is impossible for it to become a reality.
But Wushuang never expected that Chu Yao would dare to speak so recklessly about such a big matter. She stared in astonishment, her eyes wide with dissatisfaction.
On what grounds?
In her past life, Lin Ruqing falsely accused her of being innocent, yet she received no punishment whatsoever; instead, she was implicated and nearly died once.
Throughout his life, he was greedy for money, took exams for others, and even when caught red-handed, he was let off the hook and not prosecuted.
Was Lin Ruqing really that lucky?
Is she really that unlucky?
Wushuang still remembered that just a few words ago, she was pretending to be completely unaware of what Lin Ruqing had done, so naturally she couldn't justify expressing her opposition now.
She was unwilling to willingly agree with Chu Yao's words.
In his previous life, Chu Yao had spent more than ten years dealing with cunning and treacherous officials, and his ability to read people's expressions had long been honed to perfection. Wu Shuang was just a sixteen-year-old girl, and no matter how hard she tried to hide her thoughts, her expression could not be concealed.
He was almost certain he had guessed right. He took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and was about to ask again when he suddenly heard a commotion outside the window, and the lights suddenly blazed on.
Chu Yao listened intently, and heard hurried footsteps running through the corridor, followed by a knock on the door of a corner room.
"Aunt Zhang, Aunt Zhang, the lady is about to give birth, get up quickly..." a woman's voice called repeatedly.
Wushuang recognized the voice as Bailu, Yang's head maid. Before she could express her surprise, she heard someone say, "Quickly take the Third Miss to another courtyard, don't frighten the child."
Then, hurried footsteps approached her room.
Chapter Index 50 | 49.2
Chapter 50:
Wu Shuang panicked, ceasing her yawning and drowsiness. She nimbly scrambled off Chu Yao's lap, tugging at his clothes with her small hands, urging, "Quick, quick, hide!" [The website www.qiushu.cc has almost every book you want to read; it's much more stable and updates faster than other novel websites, and it's all text with no ads.]
When people are anxious, it is difficult for them to think things through thoroughly.
Wu Shuang had long forgotten that she was now just a little girl, and even if a young man were discovered in her room, it wouldn't be a big deal. She naturally applied the rules she was used to when she was sixteen, only thinking that she must not let anyone see Chu Yao here.
But Chu Yao remained calm and composed, refusing to budge.
He raised an eyebrow at her. What was wrong with a little girl who was only thigh-high sharing a room with him? On the way from Shangjing to Mocheng, the Marquis of Runan's family knew who she slept with every night and who dressed and washed her every day, but no one thought that she had to marry him because of that.
So what's she in such a hurry for?
Even if he were discovered, at most it would be considered that his behavior of breaking into the governor's mansion at night was inappropriate, and no one would blame her.
Besides, she's just a little kid who doesn't pretend, how could she possibly know so much?
Chu Yao recalled that when he invited Wushuang to the Prince of Ying's residence last year, she had whine and complained about sleeping with him, emphasizing the rules of propriety between men and women and the prohibition against boys and girls sitting together after the age of seven. In contrast, his younger sister Chu Wan never seemed to care about gender when anyone wanted to hold her, readily allowing herself to be held and even actively seeking affection. There were many children younger than Chu Yao in the imperial clan; he had watched them grow up and naturally knew that Chu Wan's behavior was typical of a three- or four-year-old child.
And back in Mo City, Lin Han abandoned her on a lone boat. How could a four-year-old girl possibly row herself to shore? Leaving aside her mental and physical capabilities, she couldn't even discern direction. If she didn't know which way the Mo City coast was and was skilled in stargazing, relying solely on luck… humph, who would believe that?
He was suspicious of everything. He had initially thought that Wushuang was precocious and different from other children, but now all of this became evidence that Wushuang was also reborn.
Seeing Chu Yao sitting on the chair like a weight, showing no intention of getting up to hide, Wu Shuang was both anxious and angry. She immediately offered him a suggestion: "Go to the wardrobe—no, the trunk. Lie down, I'll cover you with clothes, then they won't see you. Once everyone quiets down, you can sneak away." [txt full collection download ]