Chapter 320: Chapter 129: Making Trouble (3)

Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing were thus ushered out the door. This time, even De’an didn’t grumble and complain.

Night had already fallen. The families along the alley had closed the doors to their homes and were eating dinner in their courtyards.

If you listened closely, you could hear the sounds of laughter and conversation, as well as the drone of someone reciting classical texts.

Chen Wanqing asked Zhao Jing, "You have to enter the examination hall tomorrow. You really should be studying today. Why don’t we head back..."

"There’s no need. A little time won’t make a difference. Wanqing, let’s head to the main street. The lanterns there are quite nice. I’ll show you around." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

He added in a low voice, "The first night we arrived, I saw the dazzling lights on the street and immediately thought of you."

"And why did you think of me?"

"I thought that you would love all this, and that if I brought you to see it, you would be overjoyed."

Of course Chen Wanqing was happy. ’It’s because Jing is so thoughtful, always keeping me in mind. He’s willing to spend his time and energy on me, and he truly cherishes my happiness. That makes me happier than anything else.’

Zhao Jing even made a point of taking Chen Wanqing to Moxiang Pavilion.

The tall lantern rack was still there, and the familiar shop assistant was still shouting enthusiastically, "Come and guess the lantern riddles! Guess one right and win a lantern! And if any of you gentlemen would be so kind as to share your calligraphy and leave a sample of your work in our humble shop, we would be honored to gift you a full set of calligraphy supplies."

Aside from the assistant’s attention-grabbing shouts, what was also particularly noticeable was the stream of customers entering the shop, one after another, to buy Moonlight Fragrance.

These scholars ranged from men over fifty to fresh-faced youths who hadn’t even started growing stubble.

They anxiously asked the assistant, "Do you have any Moonlight Fragrance left? When are you getting more? We have to enter the examination hall tomorrow! This is a huge problem!"

Hearing this, Zhao Jing smiled at Chen Wanqing. "Wanqing, you have a good eye. You chose an excellent business partner."

"Right back at you. You were dealing with Moxiang Pavilion long before I was."

"True. We both have sharp eyes and clear minds. Otherwise, how could we have fallen for each other?"

Chen Wanqing gave Zhao Jing a light swat, warning him with her eyes: ’Don’t you dare tease me out here in public!’

Zhao Jing, as expected, said no more. But the smile on his face was so intense it seemed about to liquefy and spill from his eyes.

"Wanqing, do you want to try guessing a riddle?"

"Did you try?"

"Of course I did. I specifically picked out a Lotus Lantern to give you when we get home." He then recounted the amusing story of that day, stressing that he had gone to great trouble to preserve this lantern, so Wanqing had better treasure it.

Chen Wanqing caught his drift and couldn’t help but smile, though she was focused on something else. "A child asked you for it and you refused? Aren’t you worried people will talk behind your back?"

"In this life, who doesn’t talk about others, and who isn’t talked about in turn? I won that lantern, and I was saving it specifically for you. I wouldn’t have given it to him, I couldn’t. It would have been useless even if he’d thrown a tantrum right in front of me. Luckily, the kid cared about his pride and didn’t start bawling in public..."

"Hey, watch where you’re going! Why’d you run into her?"

Someone had shoved Chen Wanqing hard, sending her stumbling forward. Fortunately, Zhao Jing’s reflexes were quick; he grabbed her arm and pulled her back just in time. Otherwise, she would have crashed into the display rack.

The assistant at the entrance of Moxiang Pavilion saw what happened and hurried over. "Are you alright, valued guest? Are you hurt anywhere? If you’re feeling unwell, please come inside the shop to rest for a moment."

"You?" Zhao Jing glared coldly at the drunken Cui Junrong, the smile wiped clean from his face. His gaze was as sharp as a newly drawn blade, as if it could bore holes right through the other man.

"Was that intentional?"

Cui Junrong swayed on his feet, feigning drunkenness, and leaned lazily against his attendant, all while letting his insolent gaze wander up and down Chen Wanqing.

The examination results had been posted today, and Cui Junrong had been utterly humiliated, becoming a laughingstock to all.

Furious and frustrated, yet unable to vent his anger on the crowd, he had taken a couple of his lackeys to go drink his sorrows away.

He had been drinking ever since the results were announced, and now he reeked of alcohol and his stomach was starting to rebel.

Cui Junrong had originally planned to leave the tavern to find a girl from a Red House for some "entertainment." But right at the entrance, he saw Zhao Jing walking by with a woman. He couldn’t see her face clearly, but she had a slender, graceful figure.

Observing their intimate behavior, and connecting it to the rumors he’d heard earlier that day about Zhao Jing’s wife and father-in-law arriving in the Prefecture, the woman’s identity became self-evident.

The drunkenness, combined with his failure in the exams, made Cui Junrong forget his brother-in-law’s warning. He shrugged off his attendant’s attempt to restrain him and deliberately charged forward.

He had intended to slam into Zhao Jing, hoping to break the man’s arm or leg—anything that would keep him out of the examination hall tomorrow.

But in the end, he was too drunk, and his legs were hopelessly weak. He stumbled forward in his rush and ended up crashing into Chen Wanqing instead.