Chapter 44 - Encounter
Song Xiao glanced at the emperor, then took his exam papers for a look. The emperor got full marks for English, and geography as well! Song Xiao had expected him to do poorly in the science subjects, but who would have thought that his marks for maths, physics, and chemistry were roughly on par with Dugu An’s, all of them were top scores! Just by looking at these few subjects, Yu Tang could be ranked first in their grade.
But who would have ever thought that Yu Tang would fail politics and history? His mark for politics was especially low at only seven points, even after the teacher gave him two extra points because his handwriting was too beautiful.
Song Xiao frowned. He could never have imagined that Yu Tang would be bad in these two subjects. It was fine if he was too lazy to do the test paper, but he had completely filled it in. Song Xiao picked up the history test paper; it was full of large red Xs. From the pen strokes that nearly slashed through the test paper, he could distinctly feel the anger of the teacher grading the test paper.
Q: Why was the construction of the Silk Road significant?
A: To make it convenient for the emperor to conquer the Persians, to demonstrate his national prestige, and to await tribute from all directions. When the road was being constructed, the small countries along the way were subdued in pa.s.sing. However, the emperor at the time was a chicken and didn’t annex those countries, allowing some small countries to develop. Indulging the enemy is asking for trouble.
Q: The historical background behind Meng Jiangnu crying at the Great Wall causes one to weep. State your opinion on the emperor advocating the construction of the Great Wall.
A: At that time, there weren’t a lot of convenient vehicles or horses. For Meng Jiangnu to run that far to find her husband, the family fortune must have run out. Her husband was also dead, so both life and property were lost – of course she would cry bitterly. What does this have to do with the emperor? Since ancient times, no manpower or resources have ever been spared in large-scale constructions. However, it has to be said that this emperor was far-sighted.
Looking at these few history questions, Song Xiao quirked his lips. He no longer had to look at the politics paper – he could imagine what Yu Tang would have written.
History was thirteen marks, and politics was seven marks. The scores for these two subjects alone were lower than other people by 200. Plus, Dugu An’s English was really c.r.a.ppy. When these three subjects were added up, the poor secret guard was last in their grade.
“It isn’t hard to memorize politics and history…” Song Xiao looked at the emperor’s science paper with the rows of ticks and felt that it was very miraculous. This guy didn’t listen in cla.s.s and didn’t do homework; how did he master it?
“These are intended for commoners to learn civilian obedience; what I’m learning is how to govern a country. They don’t understand.” Yu Tang snorted.
“If you want to express your views, then just do it confidently – why did you end up switching papers with Anyi?” Song Xiao lifted his eyes to look at Yu Tang. As the country’s ruler, how could he cheat on the exams?!
Yu Tang choked, and felt a little guilty when faced with the questioning eyes of his family’s empress, so he turned his head to fiercely ask Dugu An, “Dugu An, you explain why the test papers were switched.”
The devoted secret guard was helping the emperor do his politics homework. When he heard this, he raised his head and was at a loss, before replying honestly, “It’s embarra.s.sing if my grades are so much lower than my wife’s.” This was His Majesty the emperor’s own words.
Yu Tang: “…”
Song Xiao: “…”
After Song Xiao realized that Yu Tang truly was skilled in the science subjects, he no longer wasted time by going to the teachers with his questions and just asked Yu Tang instead. Yu Tang understood the way Song Xiao grasped knowledge as a person from ancient times, so his explanations were more focused than the teacher’s, and Song Xiao’s performance in the science subjects improved rapidly.
“Why does going upstairs count as applying force, but walking on level ground doesn’t?” Song Xiao lay on his stomach on the bed with his physics exercise book as he questioned Yu Tang.
Yu Tang turned to glance at him, his gaze roving over the dimples in that back and the b.u.t.t sticking out, and solemnly said, “It’s just like how you serve in bed. You need to move up and down when you go in; just entering and then carrying you for a kilometer is useless.”
“Oh…” Song Xiao replied and lowered his head to read his book, but his ears had become completely red.
Teacher Yu was reliable most of the time, but sometimes he would also abuse his authority for personal matters and talk nonsense.
The second half of the semester went by more smoothly, and the two of them stayed in school and avoided all the turmoil outside. Song Xiao was already unconcerned about the entertainment company, and Yu Tang would only pay attention to it once in a while.
In the end, Zhuo Jingjing still left Xinghai Entertainment. Dari Media only paid an average portion of the penalty fee, while Zhuo Jingjing had to pay for half herself, basically using up all of her savings. When she arrived at Dari Media, they used her terrible public reputation at the moment as an excuse for her to take a break for half a year. Any further discussion was put off until after the storm pa.s.sed; in the meantime, they would give her a basic wage every month.
This matter blew up just like that. Because of this large-scale promotion, Xinghai Entertainment’s low budget movie unexpectedly made quite a tidy profit. However, this was just a bonus; the most important was still ‘Profound Theory’, which would be released at the end of the year.
Earth-shattering promotions for this blockbuster movie had started two months ago, and claimed that the movie surpa.s.sed Hollywood blockbusters; a combination of history, culture, fantasy, and love, it was a rare masterpiece.
Films from China had started to align with international standards just recently, and everyone looked highly upon these sorts of blockbuster movies. What was more, this movie was a gathering of numerous stars, from film emperors and empresses to lesser-known actors who were popular at the moment and well-known bigshots; their fans alone would make significant contributions to the box office. Therefore, Song Zicheng had immense faith in this project.
The final exams ended just as ‘Profound Theory’ began showing. As sweethearts pa.s.sionately in love, the emperor and empress also followed the latest trend and went to watch the blockbuster.
Because of the dividends from Dari Media, Yu Tang had received a lot of pocket money, so he generously raised his secret guard’s wages. The secret guard, who had also become rich, bought a medium bucket of popcorn for the emperor and empress and a large bucket for himself. He sat behind the two of them, crunching away as he ate and guarded them.
It was the winter vacation, and the movie had just been released, so the cinema was full of people.
“Sorry.” A couple came late and needed to cross in front of everyone. The boy walked in the front and pulled his girlfriend along, while the girl bowed her head and apologized the whole way. Their seats were just beside Song Xiao, and when the boy sat down abruptly, the girlfriend was jerked to the side. Flailing, she fell towards Song Xiao.
“Careful.” Song Xiao reached out to support her.
“Thank you!” The girl turned her head and thanked him. When she saw Song Xiao’s face, she was immediately startled, and her face promptly turned red. The film hadn’t started yet, so the lights in the cinema were still brightly lit. A cultured and refined voice, coupled with a clear, bright, and youthful face – truly, she was unable to tear her gaze away.
After her boyfriend ushered her into the seat beside him, the girl excitedly sat down next to Song Xiao. “You look a bit familiar; have we met before?”
Song Xiao looked at the girl and shook his head.
Right after she spoke, the lights around them dimmed, followed by the familiar sounds of the opening logo appearing on the big screen.
Song Xiao turned his head to take a sip of his cola, but Yu Tang grabbed his hand. With one strong pull, Song Xiao was dragged over, and before he could react, they had already swapped seats. Yu Tang expressionlessly stuck his straw into Song Xiao’s cup of cola, then took a sip.
Song Xiao blinked and looked at the person next to him, who had been replaced with an auntie in her forties, and he couldn’t help quirking his lips.
The movie opened with a grand scene: a group of people was holding a mysterious and ancient ceremony on a steep cliff above a flowing waterfall
The male lead, who was originally an offering, was then somehow sent to the imperial palace, which was currently facing an armed rebellion.
The scenes were grand and lavish, and the background music was magnificent; however, the storyline was incredibly baffling. It was just the male lead displaying his exceptional talent, the female lead displaying her exceptional beauty, and the villain doing evil deeds for no reason at all. Overall, it was just fighting and killing, and what little plot there was wasn’t suitable for the eyes of children.
Song Xiao frowned as he watched the movie and persisted in trying to find the logic in it. As for Yu Tang, who was waiting for his family’s wife to become sleepy and fall into his arms, he fell asleep first.
When his shoulder dropped, Song Xiao, who was currently watching the movie very seriously, turned his head, and his chin brushed against a warm and fluffyhead. He couldn’t help smiling. He shifted the cola cup that was between them over to his side and put up the armrest between them so that the emperor could lean on him more comfortably.
When the movie ended, the girl next to them woke up in her boyfriend’s embrace and saw that the cutie next to her had switched seats. She couldn’t see the person’s face clearly, because it was buried in the neck of that cutie.
The girl’s mouth dropped open, and in the split second that she got up, she swiftly snapped a photo. Because of the angle, she saw Yu Tang’s appearance this time, and she immediately became even more excited.
“Let’s go.” Her boyfriend pulled her to walk out the other way, but the girl still turned to look back with every step.
“My G.o.d, did you see that? Those two are really cute, ao!” The girl clutched her boyfriend’s arm and was extremely excited.
“I didn’t see.” Her boyfriend was a little unhappy. He had come out with his girlfriend on a date, but she was actually focused on looking at other guys.
“Aiya, aiya, that tall one looks more like the gong ah! But he looked so cute and helpless; how unscientific!” The girl’s face was befuddled, and she posted the photo on a small forum in pa.s.sing.
【 Today I Met A Pair Of Hotties In The Cinema, So Blindingly Handsome】
The accompanying photo showed a boy in a white shirt under a black, slim-fitting sweater who was leaning on another boy in a cream-colored woolen vest. Only their side profiles were visible.
Ultra Rotten Panda: Good G.o.ds, this perfect side profile; this is the first time I’ve seen one in over the ten-plus years I’ve been alive!
Spicy Rabbit Head Xiao Qingqing: OP, begging for the front view, begging for a video, beg beg beg!
Huangye Wan’e: Also begging
Ultra Rotten Panda: What’s up with LS’s ID? Don’t tell me it’s the great genuine one?
Huangye Wan’e: Gagaga, look closely then ask again.
This was a fujoshi forum called ‘Xiaotang Moon’, and everyone in it was basically fans of ‘Xiaotang Under The Moon’.
OP: Ao ao ao, I’m OP. I realized after posting this that the woolen vest boy looks very similar to the portrait of the historical empress, ahhhhhhh!
The excited OP created another post: 【 The Empress’s Reincarnation Unexpectedly Appeared, But In This Life The Gong And Shou Are Reversed】.
“Nonsense!” Yu Tang was at home, scrolling through the forum. When he saw this post, he was instantly unhappy and raised his hands to ‘tap tap tap’ and reply.
Xiaoxiao Loves Tangtang: OP, look closely, the black sweater one is the gong!
Spicy Rabbit Head Xiao Qingqing: Agreeing with LS, this is clearly a sticky gong and a pampering shou ma!
At home, His Majesty the emperor threw down his computer mouse. What sticky gong? Zhen is so heavenly and imperious; it’s clearly the empress who’s more sticky to zhen! Panting with rage, Yu Tang picked up his phone and called Song Xiao.
“Are you home? Didn’t you say that you would give zhen a call once you got back?” Yu Tang unhappily said.
“But…” Currently doing two people’s worth of winter vacation homework, Song Xiao was at a loss. “Didn’t you send me to the door in the end?” Yu Tang already saw him enter the house, so why did Song Xiao still have to call and report his safety?
Little Theater
Fish Tang: Empress is very sticky; wouldn’t he ask me if I’m home?
Xiao An: Emperor, you’re using a fixed landline
Fish Tang: …Talking so much, deduct your wages
Xiao An: o(>﹏
Baobao Notes
Hiya all! So, two announcements for those reading when this is updated. Our darling editor Jules has something to do, so she won’t be able to edit for about a week or two! You’ll have to deal with ME, unadulterated.
Second of all, for THIS WEEK, I’ll be switching my main and side project updates. In case you don’t know what that means, I’ll be updating my other novel I’m tling, BOSS, about four times this week, while this project gets put to the side, about one or two updates. I do apologize for those waiting for this novel. Thanks for being understanding!!
EXTRA IMPORTANT
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