Chapter 191: Chapter 167: The Person Before Me is the Person in My Heart
Chapter 191: Chapter 167: The Person Before Me is the Person in My Heart
The female residence student curiously watched as Zhao Lingfei walked away.
She was lost in thought.
Was she going to attend a Confucianism class at Fu Yao Mansion?
Oh, it seemed she had recently hit a bottleneck in the Vast Realm.
Regarding Zhao Lingfei, since her arrival at the mansion, they had seldom seen her, only catching a glimpse of her from afar at major competitions or ceremonies. However, she was easy to recognize owing to the beauty spot under her left eye—probably the only woman in the entire mansion with such a mark.
Upon closer look, she seemed even prettier than imagined…
The female residence student was slightly surprised.
lately, there had been quite a few rumors about Sister Zhao.
In addition to the well-known bottleneck issue within the residence, the most widely discussed rumor was that a few weeks ago, Jiang Chebai, a well-known senior from the previous sessions under You Mountain in East City, had confessed his feelings for her.
It was indeed significant gossip, but it was said that Zhao Lingfei decisively rejected him.
Many people were asking about the specific details at the time, but those from Tranquility Mansion who returned with Zhao Lingfei did not go into detail, somewhat deliberately avoiding the subject.
This was within expectations.
After all, Brother Jiang was once a celebrity of Tranquility Mansion, not gone for many years, and now a disciple of some bigwig from Tianya Sword Pavilion—he had to consider his associate’s dignity and it was best not to gossip.
But this also allowed for a reasonable guess that the scene must have been quite awkward, one party probably very embarrassed.
Thus, many of the residence students couldn’t help but remark that Sister Zhao was truly worthy of being Sister Zhao.
At the same time, another piece of news accompanied the rumors, spreading within a small circle in the mansion, not very widely because most people who heard it didn’t quite believe it.
On the day returning from a grand ceremony at You Mountain, one or two brothers and sisters hinted that Zhao Lingfei being married was true, she had said so herself, and… her husband had already arrived, precisely a Confucian Scholar.
However, passed from one to another, most residence students at Taiching Prefecture, especially the males, still didn’t believe that Zhao Lingfei was married.
They still remained skeptical.
How could such a lady have gotten married so quietly?
Not to imply that she should have a grand ceremony like the couples’ events held at You Mountain, but at least the man who married her would want to make a scene, right?
Moreover, Zhao Lingfei’s husband a Confucian Scholar? Oh, that would be a Reading Seed from the Academy. According to past traditions, if an Academy scholar managed to dig into the corner of Taiching Prefecture, wouldn’t that be the talk of everyone?
What? The brothers and sisters who had loosened their tongues also mentioned, that ordinary-looking Confucian Scholar is Zhao Lingfei’s childhood sweetheart?
Oh, then is he also someone with no background, penniless, plus a naturally deficient constitution, but with hidden moves and full of serendipities?
You ask how we know? Just go to any bookstore and buy a bestselling romance novel.
If these thoughts were the initial skeptical reactions of most people, then Zhao Lingfei’s recent behaviors further confirmed their views.
Still the same as before, mostly keeping to herself within the mansion, spending most of her time shut away in Qinglian Pavilion, not welcoming any strangers apart from a few familiar sisters.
You might find it more believable to say she’s widowed than saying her husband has arrived.
As for Zhao Lingfei’s simply dressed hairdo, indeed suspicious; it was one of the origins of the early marriage rumors. However, there were many reasons for her doing so, such as hitting a cultivation bottleneck and choosing to cleanse her mind by practicing in isolation or pretending to be someone’s wife to ward off harassers, and so on.
In Taiching Prefecture, all kinds of strange things and people exist. Walking on the road, seeing a few wearing straw sandals and walking barefoot, one just knows they are dressed like children of destiny…
Thus, to most residence students, Zhao Lingfei remained a Qinglian blooming under the moon within Taiching Prefecture, unblemished and unhindered by the mud-like rumors swirling around.
The female residence student watched Zhao Lingfei’s retreating figure, and after she had disappeared, she turned and left.
Zhao Lingfei stepped into a shaded grove, and at one moment, she heard the rustling sound of pages turning.
Looking through the fragmented leaf gaps.
A wall-less, open lecture hall was hidden among the trees.
By the time she arrived, the lecture hall was already more than half full.
The exit of the shaded path Zhao Lingfei took was behind Four Seasons Hall.
At that moment, she looked up.
It was the Academy Teacher, seated high on the Xing Platform, facing her.
Beneath were rows of residence students kneeling at their desks, with some Confucian Scholars in Academy attire seated near the platform, their backs to Zhao Lingfei.
The old Mr. Yan with black hair continued to lecture loudly without lifting his eyes to notice her, and most of the students below were attentively listening.
The Four Seasons Hall capable of accommodating a hundred people was very quiet, filled only with the clear voice of the old man and the occasional neat rustling of pages being turned.
A typical and commonplace scene of a lecture.
Zhao Lingfei glanced around, her steps light as she entered the Four Seasons Hall, finding a corner seat in the back rows that were unoccupied and sat down.
In front of the Four Seasons Hall, Li Jinsu, who was serving beside Mr. Yan, caught this scene. Seeing another residence student attending the lecture, he signaled with his eyes to several younger brothers sitting at the edge listening to the lecture; they were neatly seated on the side, while those from Fu Yao Mansion occupied the middle of the great hall.