She simply closed her eyes, trying to ignore the sounds around her. Her breathing was uneven, at times shallow, at times heavy, though she herself was hardly aware.

"Jing, are you done?"

"The ointment isn’t on evenly. I’ll reapply it for you."

"...Then hurry up."

"Alright."

Chen Wanqing couldn’t remember when he finally finished applying the ointment.

She only remembered that once the quilt was pulled back over her, Jing leaned in to kiss her.

His kiss was gentle and lingering, the way he held her tongue filled with a profound tenderness.

Without realizing it, Chen Wanqing became completely lost in the kiss, unable to pull away.

...

When she awoke the next day, it was already broad daylight.

She had to enter the examination hall that afternoon.

This round of examinations would last for three days and two nights, split into two sessions. Once both sessions were over and the results were posted, this long, drawn-out ordeal would finally be over.

All the necessary supplies for entering the examination hall were prepared that morning.

Zhao Jing cooked lunch himself. He wouldn’t let Chen Wanqing lift a finger, only asking her to sit on a small stool and tend the fire.

De’an, Huang Chen, and Chu Xun had the good fortune of lazing about outside.

The three of them cracked melon seeds while watching the "virtuous husband" Zhao Jing bustle around the stove.

Chu Xun sighed in admiration again. "Every time I think I’ve figured Zhao Jing out, he does something to completely change my perception of him."

’It’s not that men from poor families don’t know how to cook. But how many would be willing to do it in front of their classmates and fellow candidates? And to do it just so his woman wouldn’t have to work, willingly shouldering the burden himself?’

’Isn’t he afraid of the gossip?’

’Isn’t he afraid of being looked down upon?’

Chu Xun said, "This Mr. Zhao... I fear I’ll never be able to figure him out in my entire life."

De’an, standing beside him, chimed in with, "Right, right, right," "You’ve got a point," and "That’s what I think, too."

But in truth, Chu Xun’s words went in one ear and out the other; he wasn’t taking any of it to heart.

His mind was currently consumed with a single thought: ’Jing’s cooking is just so-so. There’s nothing to look forward to for lunch today...’

After lunch, the group checked their examination baskets and set out once more for the examination hall.

When they arrived at the entrance of the examination hall, they were surprised to see Chen Song was there too.

They quickly squeezed through the crowd to reach him. "Father, what are you doing here? Aren’t you busy with Wo Laicai’s case?"

"I saw the Lord County Magistrate yesterday," Chen Song explained. "He said the case wasn’t urgent. Right now, the most important thing is the college exam."

It’s true that the college exam is proctored by the provincial education commissioner, but the Lord Prefect also has a supervisory role.

The Lord Prefect has been so busy with this matter lately that he can’t even finish it all. It’s best not to bother him with other things.

Mr. Cheng’s intention is to wait until the college exam is over, then go before the Lord Prefect to plead for his forgiveness.

Because of Mr. Cheng’s arrangement, Chen Song actually found himself with free time, which is why he was able to come to the examination hall to see them off.

As they were speaking with Chen Song, they caught a glimpse from the corner of their eyes of someone staring in their direction with a sinister expression.

They followed the gaze to its source and saw the person in question immediately look away, step over the rope barrier, and get ready for the security search.

But the large, purplish bruise on the man’s forehead was unmistakable. Furthermore, his personal attendant was still standing in the same spot. Both Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing recognized him at a glance—it was Cui Junrong.

Seeing the look on their faces, Chen Song and Chen De’an pressed them for details.

Although Zhao Jing said, "It’s nothing," he quickly recounted the events of the previous night.

Upon hearing the story, De’an was so angry he started cracking his knuckles, furious that he hadn’t gone out with them yesterday.

As for Chen Song, his face darkened, and his gaze grew deep as he began to secretly scheme.

"Don’t you worry about this. I’ll take care of it," Chen Song said. "As it happens, I’m free for the next few days. I’ll do a proper investigation into that punk’s background."

Hearing this, both Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing nodded in agreement.

Seeing that it was time, Zhao Jing and the others lined up to enter.

Only after their group had safely passed the initial search and disappeared inside the examination hall did Chen Wanqing turn to her father. "Let me tell you the details about that man."

"Come on, let’s find a more secluded place to talk."

Everything Chen Wanqing knew, Zhao Jing had told her. This included the fact that the man was Cui Junrong, the top candidate from Guyuan County; that he was the younger brother-in-law of the Guyuan County Magistrate; and that there might be issues with his county exam results.

Chen Song had worked at the government office for several years and had seen his fair share of shady dealings.

The moment he heard his daughter’s words, a plan began to form in his mind. He knew exactly which direction the investigation should take.

The other two constables with him also understood the situation. They each gave Chen Wanqing a reassuring look, then took advantage of the lingering crowds to start nosing around the entrance to the examination hall.

Chen Wanqing didn’t remain idle either. She followed the route from yesterday and headed toward Moxiang Pavilion.

’If her calculations were correct, Mr. Wang should be arriving today as well.’

’Don’t be fooled by the fact that they came by carriage and brought a large quantity of Moonlight Fragrance. The perfume wasn’t packaged into small caskets; it was all loaded into one large wooden crate, which wasn’t much trouble to transport at all.’

’Mr. Wang was also in a hurry to make his delivery, so he would have surely traveled day and night. Therefore, he should arrive this afternoon at the latest.’