Chapter 197: Chapter 169: Love Letter (Two in One)_3
Chapter 197: Chapter 169: Love Letter (Two in One)_3
Zhao Rong and Fan Yushu once again set out together to breathe in the fresh air.
Fan Yushu yawned, casting a glance at the calm-faced Zhao Rong.
Not long ago, after learning that Zhao Rong was truly the husband of Lingfei Zhao, he had thought they wouldn’t be delivering love letters together anymore, but unexpectedly Zhao Rong had turned out just like him—their paramours had quarreled with them and left them out in the cold…
A feeling of sympathy spontaneously arose in Fan Yushu’s heart.
However, the thought that Zhao Rong’s lady was Lingfei Zhao still left him somewhat dazed.
He had heard of that name back in his family, but he had never imagined that soon upon arriving at the academy, a casual schoolmate would turn out to be the husband of Lingfei Zhao; were the students of this session at Linlu Academy all so remarkable?
Fan Yushu turned his head and sized up his companion again.
Dressed simply, with a fine appearance and bright, spirited eyes. However, overall he was rather plain and not someone one would remember at first glance.
He appeared to be a person of cultivation, though it seemed his cultivation had not yet reached the Fu Yao Realm.
Normally seen, his Qi Cultivation Technique was good, he was mostly calm in situations, and being able to enter the academy naturally meant he did not lack eloquence, but among the many disciples under Teacher Yan, he did not stand out, adhering to norms without attracting much attention, neither brilliant nor crass.
Yet… he was the husband of Lingfei Zhao from Taiching Prefecture…
Zhao Rong asked softly.
That was when Fan Yushu realized he might have stared a bit too long. He coughed lightly, averted his gaze, and then, changing the subject, he said,
“Well, Ziyu, I see you deliver three love letters every day, um, isn’t that a bit too many?”
Zhao Rong slightly raised his eyebrows.
Fan Yushu turned his head, adopting the demeanor of someone experienced, and spoke earnestly.
“Ziyu, the thing with love letters is, what’s most important is to carve and craft them, to create sentences of utmost beauty and literary talent; girls like that, not some crude, shallow phrases like ‘I miss you so much, I fancy you’—things that are unbearably common. We should aim for quality over quantity, please keep that in mind, Ziyu.”
Zhao Rong turned his head to look at Fan Yushu and nodded, then after a moment of thought, quite tactfully played along, “Brother Yushu, but do you have any brilliant tips?”
Fan Yushu cleared his throat, finally waiting for this moment. He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, then like revealing a treasure, he pulled out a book with a blank cover, gesturing to Zhao Rong.
“Ziyu, I feel we are kindred spirits, that’s why I am telling you this. Just don’t spread it around or let others steal the learning,” he said.
Zhao Rong’s lips curved into a smile which he then relaxed. He nodded seriously again.
He had seen this book numerous times; Fan Yushu always referred to it when writing love letters.
Upon seeing Zhao Rong’s reaction, Fan Yushu nodded satisfactorily. The student can indeed be taught, he thought.
He coughed, and with utmost care, passed the book with both hands.
Zhao Rong took it and opened the first page to see.
“One Hundred Love Letters That Ensnare a Fairy.”
He gradually raised his eyebrows as he began to turn the pages.
It wasn’t what Zhao Rong had imagined.
The book was full of ornate and intricate sentences—it was supposed to be about love letters…wait, indeed, these seemed to be declarations of affection, but all this roundabout talk, who could understand it?
The literary flair was indeed impressive, but are you sure this is meant to be a love letter for a fairy, and not for an old scholar?
Say, what is this word, so obscure, I’ll have to look it up later…
Zhao Rong observed for a while, somewhat dizzy from the convolutions, but he could generally comprehend it—though it seemed tailored for highly educated Confucian scholars. You’ve got the style, yes, but…
Zhao Rong nodded sincerely, full of admiration, “Brother Yushu, impressive, truly.”
“Where, where, this is the kind of love letter we Confucian scholars should write. Ziyu, would you like to take it and study it for a few days, perhaps copy a few sentences?”
“I never expected it’s still a scholar’s book… no, no, I wouldn’t want to intrude on your specialty, Brother Yushu, please keep it.”
Filled with pride, Fan Yushu put the book away and tucked today’s prepared love letters into his sleeve, walking away with a spring in his step.
The night before, he had spent the whole night writing and had even come upon sudden inspiration, embedding various puns, brilliant references, and even acrostics within the text—Lanzhi would surely be amused…
Zhao Rong struggled to contain his amusement, suddenly a bit worried for Miss Ye, whom he had never met.
Say, could she really understand it…
Before long, Zhao Rong and his companion were again at Nan Ci Mansion.