kvmb Chapter 120: What shouldn't be kept, shouldn't be kept.
Chapter 120: What shouldn't be kept, shouldn't be kept.
"Eat after the exam?"
Lu Yangyang was a little confused: "Why do we have to eat after the exam? There's still an hour before the exam officially starts."
There was only one subject to be tested in the morning. Lu Yangyang had already familiarized herself with the test process. After entering, she had to go to the test room and wait in line. The test would officially start after an hour. The test would last for an hour, and it would be noon by the time she finished.
"This servant...this servant is afraid that you'll be nervous, Miss. Eating too much isn't good," Yuanxing explained cautiously.
Sheng Yunjiao nodded in agreement: "That makes sense. I've seen many students who need to relieve themselves during exams because they ate too much before the exam. Otherwise, Yangyang, you'd better not eat."
Yuanxing secretly breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Sheng Yunjiao say that.
"But I'm not nervous. I got up too early this morning, and the food has already been digested. You can give it to me."
It takes half an hour to walk from the Duke of Sheng's mansion to Taiming Academy. She got up early to pack her things and spent the whole morning fussing. The little food Lu Yangyang ate was long gone.
Moreover, the first subject she signed up for was mathematics, which was one of her strengths, so she wasn't nervous.
"But, but..." Yuanxing bit her lip, wanting to say something, but she couldn't say anything. She could only grit her teeth and open the food box, slowly helping Lu Yangyang pack the snacks.
Lu Yangyang urged her, "Why are you acting so strangely today? You're even more nervous than me. Don't worry, I'll definitely pass the exam!"
Although Lu Yangyang was cramming at the last minute, she still had some confidence. Moreover, His Highness the Crown Prince had checked her studies and said that she definitely had no problem with mathematics.
Her method was a bit opportunistic, but if it were really a test on the Four Books and Five Classics, she wouldn't be able to remember them anyway.
Lu Yangyang was urging Yuanxing along when she suddenly heard someone calling her.
"Yangyang!"
Lu Yangyang looked up and saw that it was Sheng Junyao walking over quickly.
He was holding a rather large oil paper package, which he handed to Lu Yangyang: "Luckily I made it in time. This is osmanthus cake from Xingcunlou. I heard that you must eat this during the exam to pass smoothly. I went there early this morning, but I didn't expect it to be so crowded, which delayed me a bit. There's also a meat pie shop next door that smells delicious, so I bought some. You can try it."
Lu Yangyang was already attracted by the aroma from the oil paper package handed to her. Her eyes sparkled as she took it, and she couldn't wait to pinch off a piece of the still-warm osmanthus cake and put it in her mouth. "Thank you, big brother!"
Sheng Junyao smiled and said, "Go in quickly, don't be nervous!"
"Big brother, you're being unfair! I want to eat too!" Sheng Yunjiao exclaimed from the side.
"I'll take you shopping later, and then we can come back to pick up Yangyang," Sheng Junyao replied.
"Okay, okay, then Yangyang, hurry up and go in, don't delay the queue." Sheng Yunjiao urged her.
Lu Yangyang waved to them while stuffing food into her mouth, then turned and followed the person in charge of welcoming her into the academy.
As she walked in, she couldn't help but look back once more.
The osmanthus cake in my mouth tasted exceptionally sweet.
Once Lu Yangyang went inside, Yuan Xing's distracted gaze finally returned to its place, her palms already sweating from nervousness.
Granny Shen glanced at her and said softly, "Put it away. The young lady won't finish the exam anytime soon, so let's go back first."
He then said to Sheng Junyao, "I would like to trouble you, young master, to come and pick up the young lady later."
Sheng Junyao naturally had no objection: "Okay."
"Brother, let's hurry up and buy some food. I know a place that makes really delicious sugar cakes. We'll eat them and bring some back for Yangyang." Sheng Yunjiao, who rarely gets to go out today, urged Sheng Junyao.
"Okay, buy more."
Sheng Junyao said with a smile.
……
Outside the crowd, a parked carriage slowly lowered its curtain.
Xue Wanning glanced at her half-sister, who was sitting meekly in the carriage: "I promised to send you to Taiming Academy, but if you want to live, you'd better hide your face well, otherwise no one can protect you."
Xue Wanyue lowered her head and softly replied, "I understand, eldest sister."
"Go ahead," Xue Wanning said calmly.
Xue Wanyue raised her hand to touch the veil on her face, then lowered her head and obediently climbed out of the carriage.
After she got off the carriage, a maidservant crawled in from outside and said to Xue Wanning, "Miss, I just saw the young master. He seemed to be there to see my sister off to the exam. The one who left with him looked like the fourth young lady of the Duke of Sheng's mansion. The one who went in was wearing a very beautiful mask. I've never heard of her before. Does the Duke of Sheng's mansion have such an old concubine's daughter?"
“She’s not an illegitimate daughter, but a relative of Madam Lan, and she’s highly regarded by Madam Lan,” Xue Wanning replied casually, thinking about the scene she had just witnessed. It seemed that the young master Sheng treated this relative’s sister very well.
"That must be my cousin. The young master is really something, how can he be so good to a cousin? That..." The maid muttered, then suddenly realized she had misspoke and quickly slapped her mouth: "Miss, I'm sorry, I was just talking nonsense."
"Let's go back." Xue Wanning leaned against the carriage and closed her eyes.
With the divorce date fast approaching, if there's still no news from the Third Prince, it might not be so easy for her to go out like this after she marries Sheng Junyao.
She could no longer sit idly by and wait for her fate.
"Go and send a message to the Third Prince, saying that I brought my half-sister to Taiming Academy for the exam today," Xue Wanning suddenly said.
“Miss, really, why don’t we go and ask the young master? I heard that the young master used to be the Crown Prince’s study companion and was very close to the Crown Prince. If the young master is willing to help, wouldn’t that be…” The maid hesitated as she looked at Xue Wanning.
“If His Highness the Crown Prince is found, my uncle will only have one way out: death.” Xue Wanning glanced at her and said calmly, “You don’t need to say these words anymore, and never mention His Highness the Crown Prince again, never, especially not in front of Prince Sheng, understand?”
The maidservant was somewhat confused, but still nodded: "This servant understands."
"Remember this: only by getting Prince Sheng on our side can we truly have a backer. From now on, don't say anything wrong again," Xue Wanning whispered, her voice barely audible.
"I understand, Miss. Don't worry, I understand," the maidservant hurriedly replied.
"Let's go."
Xue Wanning looked out through the gap in the curtains again, but Sheng Junyao was no longer in the crowd. She couldn't help but think of Sheng Junyao's words that day, and her heart tightened slightly.
The Crown Prince has no hope left; ever since his legs were crippled, he was destined to be ineligible for the throne. Therefore, Sheng Junyao's past role as the Crown Prince's study companion is a taboo subject; if he chooses the wrong side, the Sheng family will be finished.
Whether for her uncle's sake or for the rest of her life, she absolutely could not give up at this time.
She won't let anyone stand in her way.
Is it Lu Yangyang?
My distant cousin, if you shouldn't keep her, then don't.