Shi Huai carried a cup of tea over to Shi Lingyi, a sincere smile on his face.
Shi Lingyi sat before the dressing table, already dressed in a bright red bridal gown and phoenix coronet with bridal robes. Draped in pearls and jade, she was so beautiful that she looked like a painting.
She turned her head to look at Shi Huai. A flicker of complicated emotion passed through her usually placid eyes.
“Thank you, little brother.” Shi Lingyi accepted the tea, took a sip, and set the cup on the table. “You look so handsome today, little brother. Even more handsome than the bride.”
The maids and matrons throughout the room all laughed, and the atmosphere lightened considerably.
Praised so openly, Shi Huai rubbed his nose bashfully. The gesture was so natural and endearing that several young maids secretly blushed.
“Elder Sister, don’t tease me. You’re the star of the day.”
Shi Huai’s voice was clear and mellow, as though washed by spring water. Every word was soothing to the ear.
Shi Lingyi smiled and reached out to straighten Shi Huai’s collar. Her gesture was as intimate as that of a true older sister tending to her younger brother.
“Little brother, after I’m married, you must take good care of Father and apply yourself to your studies. Don’t give your sister cause to worry.”
Shi Huai nodded obediently, his eyes faintly reddening. Anyone who saw him in that state would have felt their heart soften.
But he knew perfectly well that Shi Lingyi had not said those words for his sake. She had said them for everyone else in the room to hear.
Before leaving the Marquis’s residence, she wanted to establish herself as a virtuous, respectable woman who cared deeply for her younger brother. That way, if anything happened in the future, everyone’s first reaction would be, “A girl as kind as Eldest Miss—how could she possibly harm anyone?”
Shi Huai played along, putting on an expression of reluctance to part. A single tear rolled down his cheek at precisely the right moment, glimmering in the candlelight against his fair skin.
Qinghe watched from the side, her heart aching for him. She hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away his tear.
After Shi Lingyi married, the Marquis’s residence grew noticeably quieter.
With her gone, Madam Liu had lost a capable adviser. She became even more impulsive and even less methodical in her actions.
As for Shi Youlan, the little girl who had once been full of hostility toward Shi Huai—she had completely changed.
Every day, she went to Shou’an Hall. Sometimes she brought a plate of pastries, sometimes a single flower, and sometimes nothing at all. She would simply sit in the study and watch Shi Huai practice his calligraphy, staying there for an entire afternoon.
“Second Sister, don’t you have lessons to attend?”
Shi Huai lowered his brush and looked up at Shi Youlan, who was resting her chin in her hands and staring blankly into space.
Shi Youlan was eleven that year, the age when girls began to shoot up in height. She had grown considerably taller, and her features had opened up as well, giving her a touch of youthful charm.
She wore a goose-yellow jacket, with two velvet flowers adorning her hair. She looked fresh and tender, like willow shoots in spring.
“Teacher took the day off. There are no lessons today.”
Shi Youlan propped up her chin and stared unblinkingly at Shi Huai’s face.
Her gaze was so blatant that even Qinghe could no longer bear it. She gave a light cough.
“Second Miss, if you keep looking at Young Master like that, he won’t be able to concentrate on his writing.”
Shi Youlan’s face instantly flushed crimson. She quickly looked away and picked up the teacup on the table, pretending to drink. Unfortunately, the tea was scalding. She hissed in pain, and tears sprang to her eyes.
Shi Huai sighed, took the teacup from her hands, blew on it until it cooled, and handed it back.
“Second Sister, be careful. It’s hot.”
Shi Youlan accepted the cup with her head lowered, the tips of her ears glowing red. “Thank you, little brother.”
Shi Huai picked up his brush and resumed practicing his calligraphy.
The study fell quiet. The only sounds were the soft scratching of the brush across the paper and the rustling of bamboo leaves outside the window.
Sunlight streamed through the carved latticework, falling across Shi Huai’s face. His skin was so fair it seemed almost translucent, while his lashes cast a delicate fan-shaped shadow beneath his eyes. He looked like an exquisite painting in the fine-gongbi style.
Shi Youlan stole another glance at him. Her heart raced as though a rabbit were trapped inside her chest.
Ding! The passive effect of [Intermediate Charisma] has been triggered. The target’s favorability has increased significantly. Current favorability: 78/100.
The brush in Shi Huai’s hand paused, and the ink spread across the paper, blooming into a small black spot.
He sighed inwardly, helpless. There was plenty that was good about the system, but it was far too fond of announcing these embarrassing statistics.
As the end of the year approached, Shi Yuanping returned from the estate.
He wore a dark blue cotton robe with a matching sash around his waist. His face carried the same gentle smile as always, making him look like an ordinary wealthy landowner.
But Shi Huai knew that the ambition buried deep in this man’s bones had never truly gone away. It had merely been hidden more carefully.
“Second Uncle, you’re finally back! I missed you so much!”
Shi Huai rushed forward and hugged Shi Yuanping around the waist. He tilted his head back to look at him, his eyes shining brightly.
His smile was so sincere that it warmed the heart, and his sweet, soft voice was enough to melt anyone’s resolve. Anyone who saw him would have taken him for a good child who dearly missed his elder.
Shi Yuanping reached out and stroked his head, his gesture as gentle as that of a devoted father.
“You’ve grown taller, and even better-looking.”
Shi Huai stepped out of his embrace, backed up two paces, and spun around to show off his newly made clothes.
“Second Uncle, do I look good?”
“Very good.” Shi Yuanping smiled, a peculiar sense of satisfaction hidden in that smile. “My Huai’er is the most handsome of all.”
Shi Yuanping had returned this time for an important reason.
He had brought news.
The Emperor was going to hold a special imperial examination before the new year, specifically to select child prodigies. Children under the age of twelve were eligible to participate, and those who passed would be sent directly to the Imperial Academy to study.
“This is an opportunity.”
Shi Yuanping sat in the study at Shou’an Hall, a cup of tea in his hand. His gaze rested on Shi Huai’s face, and his tone was as serious as if he were discussing a major business deal.
“Not just anyone can enter the Imperial Academy. If you can achieve a good result in the special examination, you’ll be admitted directly. The road ahead will be much easier for you.”
Shi Huai sat across from him, holding a cup of tea as well, though he did not drink it. He merely cupped it in his hands to warm them.
He was already more than eight years old, and stood a head taller than other children his age. Sitting in the chair, he no longer needed a cushion.
“When will the examination be held, Second Uncle?”
“On the eighth day of the twelfth month.”
Shi Yuanping set down his teacup and drew a sheet of paper from his sleeve. He unfolded it and placed it on the table.
“These are questions from previous special examinations. Take a look at the difficulty first.”
Shi Huai accepted the paper and skimmed it, his brows drawing together slightly.
The questions were more difficult than he had imagined. They tested not only memorization and dictation, but also policy essays and poetic composition. There was even a mathematics problem.
“How do you feel? Are you confident?”
Shi Yuanping leaned forward slightly, a trace of nervousness in his voice.
Shi Huai did not answer at once. He folded the paper neatly, slipped it into his sleeve, and raised his eyes to meet Shi Yuanping’s.
“Second Uncle, I want to give it a try.”
Shi Yuanping smiled. For an instant, his smile held an almost feverish excitement, but he quickly reined it in and returned to his usual refined and gentle manner.
“Good. Second Uncle will find you the best teacher. One month will be enough.”
Shi Yuanping kept his word. The very next day, he hired a teacher—a man in his fifties named Gu, a retired Hanlin scholar.
