The cypress leaves under the corridor were still swirling in the wind.
Pei Cijing's outstretched hand remained steady, holding the open packet of five-spice melon seeds.
The silk pouch had been prepared for him by Shen Ninghuan. It was made of plain green satin, with a small bamboo leaf embroidered in one corner. It was quite elegant, yet at this moment, it was filled with worldly snacks that were completely out of place with its refinement.
Li Chengyu's gaze lingered on the packet of melon seeds a bit longer than Pei Cijing had anticipated.
In those eyes, as calm as a deep pool, something incredibly subtle seemed to be shifting, like calculation, or guardedness, or perhaps a sense of absurdity.
Finally, his slender fingers moved. He unhurriedly pinched a small cluster from the plump melon seeds in Pei Cijing's palm.
The movement was very light.
Like a gentle breeze brushing past, it barely gave Pei Cijing any sensation. It was truly a pity that such a technique was not used for picking pockets on the streets.
Crack.
A very faint, crisp sound rang out from Li Chengyu's mouth. His action of cracking the melon seeds carried an indescribable gentleness and orderliness, as if he were not eating a snack, but performing some elegant ritual.
Only the slight raise of his eyebrow betrayed a hint of surprise that the taste was actually not bad.
Pei Cijing was instantly amused.
Look!
He knew it!
Melon-seed-eating spectators all over the world are one family!
No matter how aloof a person is, they cannot resist the joy of cracking melon seeds while watching a good show!
The battle in the academy was raging on.
Third Young Master Wang had just been hit on the neck by Second Young Master Zhao's wild swing, crying out in anger and reaching back to yank at the other's hair bun.
Second Young Master Zhao cried out in pain and lost his footing. The two rolled into a ball again, knocking over another desk. An inkstone crashed to the ground, splashing dark ink onto the robe of a bystander, drawing a low curse.
Tsk, what aim. Pei Cijing shook his head, cracking a seed himself and mumbling a critique. If you are going to grab, grab tight. When he shrinks his neck from the pain, bring your knee up, yes, right there, the stomach! Guarantee he will not be able to catch his breath for half a day.
He spoke with great animation, entirely engrossed in the drama, completely forgetting the newly acquainted melon-seed buddy beside him.
Li Chengyu did not reply. He merely watched the clumsy brawl in the center of the room quietly, cracking another melon seed.
The salty, fragrant, and crispy taste melted on his tongue, mixing with the absurd farce before him and the person beside him. Mixing with the commentary accompanied by the sound of cracking seeds, it strangely dispelled the gloom that had been weighing on his heart.
Interesting.
Before he knew it, the small handful of seeds in his palm was gone.
Seeing this, Pei Cijing naturally offered the pouch toward him again, giving off a do not be polite, there is plenty vibe.
Taking the opportunity, he brushed the crumbs off his hands, clasped his hands in greeting, and smiled as brightly as a friendly neighbor. I am Pei Cijing. May I know how to address you, brother?
Li Chengyu withdrew his gaze from the fight and let it rest on Pei Cijing's face.
It was an extremely handsome face, with open features and clear eyes. His smile carried an unpretentious, easygoing nature untouched by the hardships of the world. His bowing posture was not strictly standard, but it was natural and unforced.
Pei Cijing. Information quickly flashed through his mind, the concubine-born second branch of the Marquis Weiyuan's estate, relatively unknown.
Normally, someone of this status would not catch his eye. However, recently, due to a marriage-swapping incident, he had been briefly mentioned in capital gossip, which left a slight impression of the man in his mind.
Seeing him today, however, sparked a bit of curiosity in Li Chengyu's heart.
Huang Yu.
He uttered the two words in a flat voice, devoid of emotion.
So it is Brother Huang! My apologies for any disrespect! Pei Cijing replied smoothly with an enthusiastic tone, though his heart gave a slight jolt.
Brother Huang?
As soon as the address left his mouth, he felt a strange, awkward sensation.
Earlier, all his attention had been on the spectacle.
He had not noticed much.
Looking closely now, the posture and bearing of the man before him were definitely not those of an ordinary academy student.
The plain green student uniform on him did not look shabby at all; instead, it exuded an understated, natural nobility.
Most importantly.
The way he looked at people, it was not a deliberately assumed arrogance, but an ingrained, habitual top-down gaze.
It was the gaze of a superior.
It was not the authority brought by an official position, but something closer to an innate sense of overlooking the world.
Pei Cijing had seen this superior aura in his uncle, the Marquis of Weiyuan, and in his father-in-law, Shen Zhongcheng, but compared to the man before him, they seemed to lack something indescribable.
If he had to describe it specifically, it was an indifference and certainty cultivated by being at the absolute center of power for a long time, viewing all things as mere straw dogs.
Surnamed Huang?
It was as if an antelope were frantically kicking a little drum in Pei Cijing's heart, making it pound loudly. Could this be one of those incognito inspection dramas?
Was not that how all the novels wrote it? When princes and royals traveled incognito, their aliases were always either Huang or Wang.
The smile on his face remained unchanged, even growing a bit brighter, but a level-one alarm was already blaring in his mind: they could eat seeds together, they could watch the show together, but they must not become close friends!
His little life was just starting to look up, a wife, a warm bed, and although there were no children yet, a beautiful future was waving at him.
He had not even taken the imperial exams yet.
He absolutely did not want to inexplicably get dragged into some royal vortex.
Just as the alarms in his head were ringing wildly.
Instructor Lin is here!
Some quick-witted fellow yelled out, panic lacing his voice.
Like cold water splashed into boiling oil.
The two men wrestling in the classroom stiffened and almost bounced apart.
Third Young Master Wang hurriedly straightened his torn robes, while Second Young Master Zhao quickly picked up his fallen hair crown from the floor. Anger and bruises still lingered on their faces, but their eyes had shifted to guilt and panic.
An instructor at the Imperial Academy might not have a high official rank, and might not dare to severely punish these aristocratic youths.
But the instructor had the ultimate power that every academy teacher possessed, telling their parents!
For young masters like them who were not yet independent and still had to rely on their families, this was more terrifying than any academy rule or punishment. Just thinking about a furious father, a disappointed mother, docked monthly allowances, and being grounded.
The brawl stopped instantly.
Over a woman.
It really was not worth continuing!
The two glared at each other, completing a final just you wait clash with their eyes, and then dejectedly retreated to their respective seats, trying to pretend nothing had happened amidst the mess.
The crowd of onlookers also quickly scattered like birds and beasts, tidying their appearances and adopting proper expressions, as if they had not just been relishing the spectacle.
A farce.
It came suddenly and left hastily.
Pei Cijing smacked his lips, still wanting more, and brushed the seed shell fragments from his hands. In his mind, a crisp notification sound chimed right on cue:
Ding! Successfully consumed the gossip Imperial Academy Aristocrats Fighting Over Jealousy, Gossip Points plus 66.
Not bad, not bad!
A joyful encounter upon leaving the house, a great start!
Earning 66 points just for watching a fight, this Imperial Academy truly was a treasure trove of a gossip field. He was in a great mood, feeling that attending this academy was well worth it.
The show was over, the drama had been thoroughly enjoyed, and the drama buddy beside him seemed to be a super big shot... It was time to slip away.
Pei Cijing turned around, cupped his hands in another salute to Brother Huang—who was very likely the Imperial Brother, Li Chengyu. His smile was incredibly sincere, but he spoke a bit faster than usual:
"Brother Huang, watching this... spectacle with you today has been highly entertaining. Unfortunately, it's getting late. Being new here, I still need to familiarize myself with the academic schedule. I'll take my leave first!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he didn't even give the other man a chance to react or reply.
It was as if his feet were oiled, or perhaps he had mastered some mystical footwork. With a blur of motion, he nimbly bypassed the corridor pillars and hurried away down the bluestone path they had come from.
That retreating back.
No matter how you looked at it, it exuded a decisive aura of "this is no place to linger."
As for the Book of Documents lecture he had originally planned to attend?
Ah, well!
That could wait until tomorrow!
After all, he was a legacy student admitted through aristocratic privilege. Skipping a class once in a while just to experience the "complete" student life wasn't too much to ask, right?
Li Chengyu stood rooted to the spot, his fingertips still pinching the last uncracked sunflower seed.
He watched Pei Cijing's retreating figure, which could almost be described as fleeing in panic. That speed and agility clearly didn't belong to your average frail scholar.
After a long while.
He lowered his eyes to look at the sunflower seed in his palm, then looked back up in the direction Pei Cijing had disappeared.
The corners of his lips curled up into an almost imperceptible, subtle arc.
"...Pei Cijing?"
He murmured the name softly to himself.
It turned out to be much more interesting.
Than he had anticipated!
He had merely been passing by, drawn in by that crude brawl and this unique spectator, and stopped on a whim. He hadn't expected to stumble upon such a... fascinating person.
Seemingly scatterbrained and careless, yet incredibly observant—his commentary on where the fighters were hitting each other was quite accurate.
Seemingly enthusiastic and overly familiar, yet maintaining clear boundaries, slipping away faster than anyone else.
He seemed to have guessed that his identity wasn't simple, yet he wasn't terrified in the slightest. Instead, he shared his sunflower seeds, enjoyed the show to his heart's content, and reaped... hmm? He seemed to smile with great satisfaction just now—what for?
Li Chengyu slowly placed the sunflower seed into his mouth.
Crack.
The faint, crisp sound was followed by a mouth full of lingering savory fragrance.
He flicked his spotless sleeves, turned around, and walked unhurriedly in the opposite direction of Pei Cijing.
In his deep, pool-like eyes reflected the solemn ancient cypresses and towering pavilions of the Imperial College. Beneath the calm surface, however, it was as if a pebble had been tossed in, sending out a very faint ripple.
It seemed this casual stroll through the Imperial College wasn't entirely boring after all.
In the distance, the faint sounds of a professor restoring order to the classroom and reprimanding students could be heard, mixed with the stammering excuses of the two brawlers.
Li Chengyu acted as if he heard nothing.
His thoughts seemed to linger on that bag of five-spice sunflower seeds under the corridor, and that rapidly retreating back.
Pei Cijing, was it...
He would remember that name!
