Chapter 19: Stop Crying, People Might Think I’m Bullying You

As soon as Qiao Bailian entered, he saw this scene.

The morning sun’s light poured in through the wide-open window, just barely creeping up to the corner of the desk. It landed perfectly on Xiao Jin’s white clothes, where the gold-threaded patterns on the fabric glimmered in the light. The jade pendant hanging from his waist had long black tassels, and the jade carvings he was playing with on the desk cast long shadows. Even the smallest details, like a single button on his collar, were a sign of luxury.

In contrast, Lu Shujin wore a deep gray cloth robe, with her long hair tied up with a black ribbon into a bun, some stray strands hanging down to partially cover her red, flushed ears and cheeks. Her belt was apricot-colored, the only bright spot in her outfit, and she wore clean black cloth shoes with white soles. Other than that, there were no decorative accessories. With the sunlight almost completely blocked by Xiao Jin, she still sat in the shadows.

The morning light seemed to divide the two of them, one in fine clothes and jade ornaments, the other in simple clothes and cloth shoes, creating a sharp contrast, almost like the difference between clouds and mud, yet both were in the same classroom, sitting at the same desk.

At that moment, Xiao Jin was leaning sideways, his head tilted, smiling gently as he looked at Lu Shujin, who was dressed in deep gray cloth, so close.

Lu Shujin, however, had her head lowered, her face flushed, and her body slightly tilted away, clearly showing she felt bullied.

“Xiao Jin!” Qiao Bailian immediately spoke up, “Sit properly! What’s with this slouching and those mischievous eyes?”

Xiao Jin had no choice but to stop teasing, sitting upright and casually placing his book aside, though the smile at the corner of his lips remained.

Lu Shujin, feeling relieved by Qiao Bailian’s intervention, pressed her hand to her hot cheeks and silently shouted in her heart, “This Xiao Jin is so difficult to deal with! I’ve never met someone like him!”

The class bell rang, and Qiao Bailian began his lesson. For the entire morning, Lu Shujin never turned her head, focusing solely on either watching the teacher or reading the book.

After class, Lu Shujin eagerly followed Qiao Bailian out, using the excuse of seeking his guidance to avoid Xiao Jin asking if she liked reading those messy books.

Qiao Bailian was as gentle as ever with Lu Shujin, patiently answering her questions before finally bringing up something else.

“Recently, I’ve noticed you’ve been sitting with Xiao Jin. Has he been bullying you?”

Lu Shujin shook her head, replying, “Young Master Xiao isn’t as unruly as the rumors say. He is charitable, studious, generous, and easy to get along with.”

Qiao Bailian was surprised, “Is this really Xiao Jin you’re talking about? How come I didn’t know he had these virtues?”

Lu Shujin replied, “Of course.”

Charitable—he went to the Yuhua Pavilion and wasted a thousand taels of silver, coming up with the ridiculous idea of giving a girl a silver coin for a drink, treating money as if it were worthless.

Studious—besides attending your lessons, he spent the rest of the time during other teachers’ classes reading that book The Widow’ Affairs without even lifting his head. After class, he complained of neck pain.

Generous—when he found out his erotic book had been looked through and assumed it was me, he generously offered to bring me seventeen or eighteen copies.

Forget it, she won’t count the last point, he’s just acting crazy.

Qiao Bailian patted her shoulder approvingly, smiling, “I’ve heard from the other teachers that Xiao Jin has indeed been behaving well recently. It’s likely due to you, you’ve worked hard.”

“I wouldn’t say I’ve worked hard,” Lu Shujin replied. “I’ve only done what I should.”

“Make sure to take the afternoon test seriously. Let me see how much progress you’ve made after half a month at the academy.”

Lu Shujin responded, “I will give it my all.”

Qiao Bailian left with satisfaction, even feeling cheerful enough to hum a little tune.

As usual, Lu Shujin went to a food stall, bought a flatbread, and returned to her dormitory, eating while reading.

The flatbread was truly tasteless and somewhat hard, requiring a lot of chewing before it could be swallowed. Lu Shujin felt rather frustrated, thinking that once she saved Yang Peier, she would treat herself to something delicious.

As for ways to make money, she would think about that later.

Terrified of Xiao Jin, Lu Shujin stayed hidden in her dormitory until the last moment before class and only then headed to the academy.

The afternoon was reserved for an exam, lasting two full hours, supervised by Qiao Bailian.

Once inside the classroom, Lu Shujin put everything else into her bookcase, hanging it beside her desk, leaving only pen, ink, paper, and an inkstone on the tabletop. It was neat and clean, in stark contrast to Xiao Jin’s cluttered desk.

No one knew where Qiao Bailian had caught Xiao Jin, but he brought him along to the classroom. Although Qiao Bailian often seemed stern when speaking to Xiao Jin, it was still a level of attention most students could only dream of. In Qiao Bailian’s eyes, the other students were just students, but Xiao Jin was like his own child.

After exchanging a few words with Qiao Bailian with a smile, Xiao Jin walked over to his seat, swept everything on his desk into his bookcase in one motion, and sat down, saying casually, “Write faster during the test. If I fail because of a lack of time, I won’t be able to help you.”

Lu Shujin knew he was referring to cheating and couldn’t help but feel nervous, biting her lip and giving a slight nod.

Though she was willing to sacrifice a bit of integrity to save Yang Peier, actually going through with it was a huge test for her conscience—especially since she had never done anything like this before.

Noticing her tension, Xiao Jin kindly offered some comfort, “Just do as I said. If we get caught, you can take the blame yourself.”

Xiao Jin’s reputation was already in tatters—one more scandal wouldn’t make a difference. Of course, he wasn’t truly trying to shift the blame onto Lu Shujin. He just found teasing this bookworm amusing.

Lu Shujin’s almond-shaped eyes widened in shock. “Get caught?”

Xiao Jin thought for a moment. “If you’re clever enough, we shouldn’t.”

Of course, I’m clever enough, Lu Shujin thought. If there had to be a fool at this desk, it would definitely be Xiao Jin.

But she didn’t say that aloud. She just quietly agreed.

Soon, the bell rang, and Qiao Bailian stood at the front, announcing the exam topic: a policy essay on flood control.

Flood disasters were natural calamities, a problem that had plagued rulers for centuries. Many wise monarchs had been powerless against them. Fortunately, Lu Shujin had read many related books before. After a brief moment of thought, she began writing.

The classroom soon fell into silence. All the students were focused on their work, even Xiao Jin, who pretended to be busy with his pen.

Since she needed to write two essays, Lu Shujin’s pace was noticeably faster. Halfway through the test, she finished her own essay, set down her pen with a sigh of relief, massaged her sore wrist, and glanced at Xiao Jin.

He immediately noticed her gaze, subtly turned his head, and pulled out a blank sheet of paper from beneath his scribbled notes, whispering, “We’ll switch.”

Instinctively, Lu Shujin looked at Qiao Bailian, her heart pounding like a drum. After three deep breaths, she quickly exchanged papers with Xiao Jin, their cooperation perfectly smooth. Afterward, she didn’t dare look up at Qiao Bailian again, nor did she dare to move. Only after a moment of silence did she pick up her pen and begin writing Xiao Jin’s essay.

While she was a bundle of nerves, Xiao Jin seemed completely at ease. Glancing down at Lu Shujin’s policy essay, he couldn’t help but snicker, whispering, “Your level of flood control is about the same as that of the charming widow.”

Already anxious and struggling to write his essay, Lu Shujin was infuriated by his comment. She turned her head and glared at him.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Jin met her gaze directly, slightly stunned.

It was strange. He had been glared at by men before, but their angry glares were always filled with hatred or rage—a sharp, piercing emotion. But Lu Shujin’s glare had an inexplicable hint of bashful charm, like a girl’s playful scolding.

Retracting his gaze and pondering it, Xiao Jin figured it was because Lu Shujin was so pale and delicate, almost like a little girl. Even when angry, she lacked any real intimidation.

Then another thought crossed his mind: this little bookworm was getting bolder, actually daring to glare at him now.

Lu Shujin, unaware of his thoughts, was fully focused on finishing Xiao Jin’s test paper as soon as possible. After all, the amount of knowledge in his head was limited, so she could just write some nonsense to get by.

But just as she was about to finish, Qiao Bailian, who was seated at the front, suddenly stood up, stretched his arms and legs, and this sudden movement scared Lu Shujin half to death. Her pen froze in her hand, and she didn’t dare to move, watching Qiao Bailian from the corner of her eye.

At this moment, Xiao Jin’s low voice reached her ears, “Uh-oh.”

Lu Shujin’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately saw Qiao Bailian stepping down from the platform, starting to check the students’ test papers one by one.

“He’s definitely going to pay extra attention to yours. We’ll swap back when he turns around,” Xiao Jin whispered.

The test paper in her hand was written in a style imitating Xiao Jin’s handwriting. If Qiao Bailian looked at it for even a second, he would immediately notice the difference. Their only chance was to switch back when his back was turned.

Whenever Lu Shujin got nervous, she had a small subconscious habit—biting her lower lip. She bit down hard now, not even feeling the pain, her head lowered, watching Qiao Bailian from the corner of her eye.

Finally, when Qiao Bailian reached the last row and turned his back to check the other side, Xiao Jin moved swiftly, pulling the test paper from under her hand and tossing her own back in an instant.

Lu Shujin quickly straightened her own test paper, but her heart was still pounding from the tension and fear, unable to calm down.

Then a sharp voice came from a diagonal angle behind them, “Xiao Jin! Lu Shujin! What are you two doing?!”

Already feeling guilty, Lu Shujin was on the verge of a breakdown. The moment she heard the voice, her whole body jolted in shock, her pen slipping from her hand and landing on the test paper, leaving a large ink stain.

All the other students looked up at once, and even Qiao Bailian was drawn by the noise, asking toward the window, “Master Tang, what happened?”

It turned out that Lu Shujin and Xiao Jin were just that unlucky—caught by Tang Xueli, who was doing a routine inspection, witnessing the two of them swapping test papers.

Tang Xueli frowned angrily, “Both of you, stand up and tell Master Qiao yourselves what you did!”

Lu Shujin immediately stood up, her face completely flushed. Xiao Jin’s expression remained calm, and his posture was upright as he stood too, though neither of them spoke.

Tang Xueli left the window and entered through the front door, saying, “I saw them exchanging test papers.”

Hearing this, Qiao Bailian immediately walked over and stood in front of Lu Shujin. His usual warmth was gone, and his voice was stern, “Is this true?”

Ever since she entered the academy, every time Lu Shujin saw Qiao Bailian, he had always worn a gentle smile, like a kind elder, speaking softly, never scolding her like he did Xiao Jin. It was precisely because of this that his harsh tone now left her speechless, filled with fear and shame, unable to face his disappointed gaze.

“Lu Shujin, you tell me,” Qiao Bailian demanded.

Of course, he didn’t doubt Tang Xueli’s words. He was just giving Lu Shujin the chance to admit it herself.

Lu Shujin finally looked up, instinctively casting a helpless glance at Xiao Jin. Her dark eyes were bright and moist, a layer of shimmering tears filling them.

Xiao Jin’s expression darkened, and just as he was about to speak, he heard her say in a low voice, “I have failed to live up to your expectations, Master. It was all my doing. Young Master Xiao has nothing to do with it.”

Just as he had requested earlier—if they were caught, she would take full responsibility.

The moment her words fell, Xiao Jin immediately spoke up, “It has nothing to do with Lu Shujin. I’m the one who—”

“You be quiet,” Qiao Bailian interrupted, “You are both equally guilty. This test is nullified and will be retaken another day. For now, go stand at the entrance as punishment!”

There was nothing more to say after that. The test had to continue, and with so many students present, Qiao Bailian wouldn’t show favoritism. He simply sent Xiao Jin and Lu Shujin to stand outside as punishment.

With her head hanging low, Lu Shujin followed Xiao Jin out of the classroom. Tang Xueli took over proctoring, while Qiao Bailian stepped out to reprimand the two.

“Your courage is growing day by day! Would writing a single policy essay exhaust you to death?” The moment he stepped out, Qiao Bailian immediately turned to scold Xiao Jin. “Here at Haizhou Academy, you might get away with such tricks. But when you take the imperial exams and stand in the hall, do you think you can do the same? Utterly incorrigible!”

Xiao Jin responded just like he always did, “Sir, I understand my mistake.”

“You always say you understand, yet you keep making the same mistake! At this point, even an iron blade can’t scrape the shamelessness off your face. I can’t discipline you, so you can wait for your father to deal with you when he gets back!” Qiao Bailian fumed.

“Please, my father is busy with official duties; he doesn’t have the time to bother with me.”

“If he keeps ignoring you, you, the only legitimate son of the Xiao family, will be completely ruined!” Qiao Bailian snapped. “I will write to him today and have him straighten you out properly.”

Xiao Jin smacked his lips, just about to retort, when he suddenly heard a faint sobbing sound beside him. Surprised, he turned to see Lu Shujin wiping her tears with her sleeve.

Her cheeks and the corners of her eyes were flushed red, and the tears that just fell from her eyes were quickly brushed away by her sleeve. She was sniffing softly, trying hard to suppress her sobs.

Lu Shujin wasn’t crying out of fear of punishment.

It was just that, from childhood until now, no one had ever looked at her with any sense of expectation. Her aunt was harsh, her cousins were cold, and the only thing they ever expected from her was to grow up pretty enough to fetch a good bride price. Her aunt might have provided her with food and clothing, but any form of affection was completely absent.

Qiao Bailian, from the very first time he met her, was like a kind elder. His gaze toward Lu Shujin was always filled with appreciation and encouragement.

Having grown used to cold stares and being ignored, this rare look of warmth and expectation had been her driving force. That was why she listened attentively to every lecture, studied by lamp light at night, and even when writing essays for Liu Quan and the others, she did so earnestly, hoping to live up to the expectations of her teachers.

But now, after what she had done, she feared that those looks of hope would turn to disappointment, to disgust. And she feared that Xiao Jin might break his promise and refuse to help her rescue Yang Peier.

She was terrified that she had ruined everything.

Seeing her in this pitiful state, Qiao Bailian couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. He sighed and said, “Shujin, don’t be afraid.”

Lu Shujin looked up with teary eyes, her voice thick with sobs. “Teacher… I was wrong.”

“I know it wasn’t your fault. I know what a scoundrel this boy is. He must have forced you to do it. I don’t blame you,” Qiao Bailian comforted her. “But you helped Xiao Jin cheat during the test and were caught in front of everyone. If I don’t punish you, the others won’t accept it. So you will be punished together with Xiao Jin.”

“I… I am willing to accept punishment,” Lu Shujin muttered.

“Both of you will stand here until classes end, and after the break, you will receive your formal punishment,” Qiao Bailian declared. Then, he glared fiercely at Xiao Jin, pointing to another spot, and his tone changed sharply. “You, stand over there! Away from Shujin.”

Xiao Jin obediently moved to the other side, standing about ten steps away.

After Qiao Bailian left, the two of them stood outside. Occasionally, they could hear the clear and loud sound of students reading from other classrooms.

Not long after, the bell rang, echoing through the courtyard.

The moment the bell struck, Xiao Jin, who had been silent the entire time, turned and left. Seeing this, Lu Shujin hurriedly followed. Her legs were shorter, and her steps smaller, so she had to break into a quick jog. In her rush, she reached out and grabbed Xiao Jin’s hand.

Xiao Jin’s fingers were long and slender, his palm dry and warm—not soft. The moment Lu Shujin grabbed his hand, he stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.

When Lu Shujin raised her head, her long, thick eyelashes were still glistening with tiny tears. Bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, those tears shimmered faintly. The light fell into her eyes, making her ink-black pupils appear less dark than usual, and the tears washed them even brighter.

“I’m sorry.” Lu Shujin tightened her grip on his hand, fearing he might shake her off. Her gaze was locked on his, and her voice trembled with anxiety. “Does what you promised me before still count?”

Xiao Jin looked at her, fully aware that it should have been him apologizing instead.

“It counts.” His voice, without him realizing it, was uncharacteristically gentle. “Go to Yuhua Pavilion at the hour of Xu. I’ll meet you there.”

He pulled his hand away and continued walking. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped again, turned around, and snapped at her, “Stop crying! If anyone sees you, they’ll think I bullied you.”

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