Gu Yiwu and Han Wenfu gasped in surprise, their faces filled with astonishment as they looked at the daring figure who called the blue-clothed girl ’little’.
Jing Zhi puffed out her chest and placed her hands on her hips, but soon she reined in her protruding chest. She squinted her eyes and took a deep breath...
The blue-clothed girl had severely disciplined the men inside the pavilion who were "peeking through the cracks at her". Not one escaped, not even those who were just watching.
After finishing, Jing Zhi turned her back, standing at the pavilion entrance. She patted her hands, casting a sidelong glance at the Mochi Academy’s senior students behind her, who were complaining incessantly.
The latter hastily averted their gazes, not daring to look at the small figure blocking the entrance, who was half a head shorter than them.
Jing Zhi then turned her head away, facing the flowerbeds. At some moment, her large eyes, clear and distinct, swiftly moved, and she raised her eyebrows.
Actually, just a moment ago, aside from venting her irritability from waking up, giving those guys behind her a hard time was somewhat intentional.
Because in a certain way, they were all rivals of Sister Yu.
As she understood the Confucian Academy’s system, as school prefects among the new students, they weren’t entirely selflessly devoted to the students but had some hidden points that were discreetly noted on a register within a certain academy.
If a certain school could win first place in the mid-month examination, or even after many times, became the first of Six Halls for the whole school year, then in addition to that school’s students getting extra points in the teachers’ assessments during the mentoring ceremony after one year and gaining more favor from the academy’s teachers, that school’s prefect would also progress further on that register, gaining more points and moving closer to the highest honor in the eyes of the academy’s scholars.
Sister Yu was certainly outstanding enough, but just being outstanding was not enough. The title of "Reading Seed" was very complex to achieve. It required more points and contributions to the academy. The additional points given to the first-ranked school prefect were very important...
Therefore, Jing Zhi had long noticed these seniors’ hidden ambitions behind her. Hmm, a certain "Han" with the surname had some different ambitions; his were bigger. He wanted to "eat the swan", Jing Zhi curled her lips.
Of course, these thoughts of theirs weren’t really so bad, and it would be fine to talk about them openly. It’s just that some things lose their fun when spoken aloud...
Suddenly, a faint knocking sound came from the academy’s gate again.
Jing Zhi’s stoic face suddenly brightened with a smile as she ran to open the door.
Hearing this familiar rhythm of knocking, Han Wenfu’s eyes also sparkled as he turned his head.
Seeing Jing Zhi rushing to the gate and flinging it open with a clang, the senior students inside the pavilion turned to look.
She called out crisply, and then immediately bowed in greeting.
After a moment of silence outside the door, a small hand as white as mutton fat delicately reached in, adjusting Jing Zhi’s Attendant Student hat, which was sliding toward her forehead.
Then, before the eyes of everyone, Yu Huaijin stepped into the pavilion.
"Is Teacher writing again?"
Yu Huaijin asked in a soft voice.
"Mhm mhm," Jing Zhi nodded with a smile, glanced behind her, and then closed the door. "Sister Bi Fang hasn’t come back yet... Sister Yu, Teacher is in the front garden. If you have something to discuss, you can go straight to her."
Yu Huaijin nodded, then scanned the room, barely glancing over the few people in the Guest Pavilion without lingering. She instead carefully observed the surroundings in the courtyard and the distant flower garden, but there was no sign of a certain person.
Jing Zhi asked curiously, "Sister Yu, what are you looking for?"
Yu Huaijin shook her head, her eyes calm, without saying much further. She then turned and walked directly towards the Guest Pavilion next to the gate...