Dongfang Yukun plopped heavily onto the cushioned round stool.
"Don't call me that. You didn't even take the triennial metropolitan examination seriously. How could you catch a cold right at the last minute? Couldn't you have come to the capital earlier?"
Mo Chen, who was waiting to the side, gestured for Song Qiming and Song Gaoli to take a seat, then picked up the teapot from the table to pour water for the three of them.
"This is aged white tea brought all the way from Jiangnan. Please, have a taste, young masters."
Cui Zhengyang said, "My grandfather is getting older by the day. I had to stay and help him celebrate his birthday before I could leave."
Dongfang Yukun crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "I think the scholars in Jiangnan just flattered you too much. You knew you couldn't beat me in the exam, so you made yourself sick on purpose just so my victory would feel unearned."
The corners of Cui Zhengyang's mouth curled up like melting snow in spring.
"Brother Yukun, last March, Miss Huang gave birth to a son. What happened back then wasn't my fault. Why must you be so stubborn for so long? It's time to let it go."
Like a startled ragdoll cat, Dongfang Yukun instantly sprang up from his seat, his hair and the fine hairs on his body practically standing on end.
"What do you mean it wasn't your fault? If you hadn't suddenly shown up and seduced her, why would she have rejected me!"
Song Gaoli, who was sipping his tea, choked instantly, spitting out a mouthful of water and coughing non-stop.
Song Qiming, whose sleeve had been splashed by the tea, feigned composure as he placed his cup back down and reached out to pat Song Gaoli's back.
It all happened so suddenly. They had thought Dongfang Yukun and Cui Zhengyang were rivals in talent and looks, but they never expected them to be rivals in love.
Dongfang Yukun had just turned seventeen after the New Year. When he went to Jiangnan for his study tour, he must have been only twelve or thirteen. He already had a girl he liked back then?
Cui Zhengyang's tolerant gaze looked as though he were watching an unreasonable younger brother.
"You were eleven at the time, and Miss Huang was even a year older than me. It wasn't that she looked down on you, nor did I seduce her. She simply thought you were too young and inappropriate."
Dongfang Yukun retorted angrily, "So what if I was young? It was only a four-year difference."
"She was already about to be moved by me, but then you suddenly appeared and drew her attention. Tell me, did she or did she not develop feelings for you after that?"
Cui Zhengyang replied, "It's not my fault she liked me. I only met her once. With looks like yours and mine, it would be strange if no one liked us. Anyway, I never liked her."
Dongfang Yukun let out three cold chuckles.
"I spent days trying to win her over, but she fell for you after just one meeting, and in the end, you even turned your nose up at her. How do you expect me to feel about that?"
Cui Zhengyang said patiently, "If you had been the same age as me back then, Miss Huang definitely would have chosen you. She is married now and has a child, so why are you still brooding over this? There are so many women in the world; sooner or later, you will meet someone you like even more."
In Cui Zhengyang's eyes, Dongfang Yukun was only eleven at the time and didn't understand romantic love at all; it was merely a boy's innocent crush.
Dongfang Yukun stubbornly replied, "I stopped caring about that a long time ago. What bothers me is that my talent and looks are clearly far superior to yours, yet people still compare the two of us."
"I will definitely be the top scorer in this imperial examination. You had better recover from your illness quickly, lest you fail to even pass as a Jinshi. If that happens, three years of hard work will go down the drain, and you'll have to return to Jiangnan in disgrace to teach."
Song Qiming and Song Gaoli watched the two of them, enjoying the gossip.
One was proudly throwing out harsh words, while the other sat on the couch with a constant smile. There was an indescribable sense of harmonious intimacy between them, and even Cui Zhengyang's complexion looked much better than when they had first walked in.
They stayed at the Cui residence for nearly two hours, and Cui Zhengyang even invited them to stay for a meal.
Dongfang Yukun insisted on leaving, though he did tell Cui Zhengyang to rest and recover well before departing.
After stepping outside, Song Qiming couldn't help but ask curiously, "Brother Dongfang, what is this about Miss Huang that you two were discussing?"
Dongfang Yukun glared at him fiercely. "That is all in the past. I have matters to attend to at home, so I'll be taking my leave."
Watching the carriage speed away, Song Gaoli excitedly clenched his fists.
Grinning from ear to ear, he gossiped, "Now I really want to know how they turned into enemies back then."
Song Qiming raised his index finger and wagged it, clicking his tongue. "Enemies? I doubt it."
"I think he just has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Cui Zhengyang didn't take Dongfang Yukun's little temper tantrum to heart at all; instead, it felt like an older brother looking at his younger sibling."
"Just watch. If Young Master Cui's illness doesn't improve soon, Yukun will definitely be the first one to worry."
Song Gaoli noted, "He was pretty anxious today."
As soon as he found out the other was sick, he rushed over. Before seeing them interact, he had assumed Yukun was coming to kick him while he was down.
...
The business of the five shops gradually got on track. All the vegetables for the hotpot restaurant were purchased from the farmstead. By late January, the greenhouse vegetables from both farmsteads had completely sold out.
The tenant farmers wanted to clear the land early to hand it over to Song Jinzhao so they could start working and earning wages sooner. Any remaining small crops that needed a couple more days were picked early, pushing the farmstead's schedule forward by an entire month.
Lanxi, who had spent time at the farmstead in Anyang Prefecture, was directly sent by Song Jinzhao to Shiquan Farmstead to supervise the work. Meanwhile, Song Jinzhao herself took Qingshuang around the capital every day to find reliable florists to pre-order flower seedlings and seeds for spring planting.
Some had to be transported from the south, so they needed to be ordered in advance to avoid delays.
On the third day after leaving the Cui residence, inside the Imperial Academy classroom, Song Qiming looked puzzledly at the empty desk next to him.
With the final sprint for the metropolitan examination approaching, Dongfang Yukun was actually skipping class at such a crucial time.
After classes ended at noon, Dongfang Yukun, who had been absent all morning, rushed into the dining hall and found Song Qiming eating. With a hint of pleading in his expression, he said, "Cui Zhengyang has been taking medicine for three days without any improvement, and the Cui family cannot summon an imperial physician. Could I trouble you to ask County Princess Linghui to go take a look?"
Song Qiming paused his chopsticks. "So you went to the Cui residence this morning?"
Dongfang Yukun nodded. "I just wanted to know if his cold would get better. I don't want an unearned victory or to give people a reason to gossip."
Song Qiming pursed his lips and agreed, "Alright, I'll tell my older sister when I go back tonight."
Dongfang Yukun grabbed Song Qiming's arm. "Don't wait until tonight. We can head over right now during the noon break."
Song Qiming sat firmly without moving. "Are you in that much of a hurry?"
Dongfang Yukun tugged at his arm, trying to pull him up and drag him away. "The metropolitan examination is in just over ten days. The sooner he gets treated, the sooner he recovers."
Song Qiming shook off his hand and picked up his chopsticks again. "Wait for me to finish my food. It'll be quick."
After eating, the two took a carriage straight to the County Princess's estate. It was only when they walked into the courtyard that Song Shixue informed them Song Jinzhao wasn't home.
"News came from the palace that the Empress suffered a headache attack last night and summoned my sister to the palace to treat her. She left less than fifteen minutes ago."
Song Qiming frowned. "Aren't there imperial physicians in the palace?"
Song Shixue guessed, "They probably heard that my sister cured the Duke of Zhenguo, so they wanted her to take a look."
Song Qiming turned to Dongfang Yukun and said, "My younger sister learned medicine from our eldest sister and has treated many patients in Anyang Prefecture. How about we let her go examine Young Master Cui?"
Song Shixue asked, "What illness?"
Song Qiming explained, "Yukun's friend, Young Master Cui Zhengyang, caught a chill on his way to the capital. He has seen several physicians to no avail, so he wanted to ask you, Sister, to go over and take a look, hoping you might be able to cure him before the imperial examination."
