Chapter 80
On the evening of the fourth day, the exam was over.
Feng Lin had been waiting outside the examination compound since earlier, keeping watch the whole day. Other examinees came out one after another, but he didn’t see Xiao Liulang appear. He couldn"t help worrying.
Just as he was hesitating whether to inquire from the people inside, he saw Xiao Liulang come out with a cold expression on his face.
Feng Lin greeted him quickly and found that he didn"t look well, so he asked, "What"s the matter? Do you feel unwell somewhere? Or did you not do well in the exam?"
"It’s nothing." Xiao Liulang replied simply.
Feng Lin heard that his voice was fine, so it should not be a physical problem. He said with relief, "I just heard other examinees say that the exam this time was particularly difficult, so don"t be discouraged. Maybe they did not do as well as you!"
"Let’s head back to the inn." Xiao Liulang said, and then turned to the direction of the inn.
Feng Lin held back the words which sprang to his lips.
As far as he could remember, he had never seen Xiao Liulang like this once. Even though he had always been a cold sort of guy, he had never been this cold that it made one afraid to approach him. Right now, his whole body was covered with a chilling hostility, as if he was going to do something terrible in the next second.
"Liulang, wait for me!"
Feng Lin was scared a little, but he still gritted his teeth and chased after him.
Now, he no longer called him Brother Xiao. Originally, he was older than Xiao Liulang. He called him Brother Xiao because Xiao Liulang saved him in the past. It was just a term of respect, nothing more.
But the two of them had even spent New Year"s Eve together, so their friendship could be said to be excellent. If he still called him Brother Xiao, that would make them seem like ordinary acquaintances!
Xiao Liulang, who walked on a crutch, was as fast as Feng Lin, and Feng Lin soon caught up with him.
The two people made their way back to the inn together.
When they pa.s.sed by a tea shop, two middle-aged men dressed in exquisite attire came out of the tea shop, and one of them glanced at Xiao Liulang inadvertently. At first, he didn"t pay attention, but for a moment he suddenly recalled something and turned his head to look at Xiao Liulang again.
At this time, Xiao Liulang had already crossed the street with Feng Lin and went to the inn opposite.
The man’s gaze followed Xiao Liulang"s back until he completely disappeared around the corner.
"Lord Zhuang, what"s wrong? Did you see any acquaintances? Do you want this lower official to go and say h.e.l.lo?"
The one who asked was the Prefect of Pingcheng, surnamed Luo.
Zhuang Xianzhi shook his head and replied, "No need, it"s not someone this official knew, just someone a bit similar."
The Little Marquis was dead. He dug out the corpse of the Little Marquis from the ruins of the Imperial Academy with his own hands. His entire body was burnt by the fire, such a horrible sight that couldn’t be forgotten no matter how long pa.s.sed.
Perhaps, it wasn’t even someone similar at all, rather it was just his eyes playing tricks on him.
With the Little Marquis" looks and talents, it was impossible to find another one like him in the six states.
"Do you need this lower official to confirm it?" Prefect Luo saw that Lord Zhuang seemed to be very concerned about that person he had mistaken for someone and couldn’t help but put forward to go check for him.
Zhuang Xianzhi shook his head again, "No, that old friend has already pa.s.sed away."
"Ah..." The person was dead so there was really no need to confirm it.
Xiao Liulang and Feng Lin returned to the inn. As soon as they entered the door, they heard a man shouting, "Fattie Feng!"
Feng Lin blew his top!
The shadow that dominated his childhood instantly sprang to his mind!
He was not the same guy anymore!
He had lost so... so much weight!
Feng Lin looked up and saw a scholar-like young man excitedly going downstairs. He came up to him and said with a smile, "It"s really you, Fattie Feng! You’ve changed so much that I almost didn"t recognize you! Hm? Who is he?"
The young man’s eyes landed on Xiao Liulang.
Xiao Liulang was so good-looking that he was even prettier than a woman, and people couldn"t help looking at him more than once. In fact, the young man was actually first attracted to Xiao Liulang, and he only noticed Feng Lin, who was by Xiao Liulang’s side, because he was afraid to get beaten up by him if he approached Xiao Liulang.
Feng Lin recognized the other party, and said in surprise, "Du Ruohan?"
The young man patted Feng Lin on the shoulder with a smile, "It"s me!"
"It"s really you!" Feng Lin also smiled and said to Xiao Liulang, "Liulang, do you remember him? He’s Little Belly! We went to private school together when we were kids!"
The young man looked at Xiao Liulang in disbelief, and after a while he said to Feng Lin, "Aren’t you mistaken? He’s not Xiao Liulang!"
Feng Lin said firmly, "I’m not mistaken! This is Liulang!"
The young man looked at Xiao Liulang suspiciously and said, "He’s... Little Liuzi who moved away after a year?"
Feng Lin replied, "That’s right! That"s him! Two years after he moved away, so did your family! We haven"t seen each other for ten years."
The young man still felt that the other person wasn’t Xiao Liulang.
He said to Feng Lin, "I can recognize you, why can"t I recognize him?"
Actually, Feng Lin didn"t recognize Xiao Liulang at first either. He only learned he was his childhood neighbor after seeing Xiao Liulang"s travel permit. In addition, Xiao Liulang saved his life, so he had no doubt whatsoever about Xiao Liulang"s ident.i.ty.
As for Xiao Liulang, he didn’t remember the past, but Feng Lin thought that was also normal! It had been ten years, and Xiao Liulang was less than seven years old when he moved away. What could a six- or seven-year-old small child remember?
"That boy was very timid when he was a child and always hid behind his mother."
Xiao Liulang walked upstairs first, and the young man and Feng Lin talked in whispers behind him. It was the young man who just spoke.
"Liulang is different now! He has a lot of courage! He even saved me!" Feng Lin said.
"Different..." The young man looked at Xiao Liulang"s back and always felt that there was an aura of a capital-born young master surrounding him, which was hard to detect for people who had never seen young masters from the capital.
"What happened to his leg?" It wasn’t easy for the young man to ask this question in Xiao Liulang’s presence just now.
"He was injured from saving me more than half a year ago; he’s undergoing treatment now." Feng Lin said with guilt and then asked, "By the way, where did you go after you moved away?"
"I went to the capital." Said the young man.
Feng Lin widened his eyes, "You actually went to the capital?"
That was where Feng Lin dreamt of going, but it was a pity that the capital was heavily guarded, and civilians like him would never get a travel permit to the capital unless they had to take the imperial examination.
The young man said, "My aunt, who is a concubine in the capital, brought over our whole family. Envious now, aren’t you?"
Feng Lin fell silent.
The young man laughed and said, "That’s just a lie, let"s go!"
The three people had dinner together. From the young man’s mouth, Feng Lin learned that he was currently studying in a famous academy in the capital. He became a Xiucai two years ago, and at the moment, he was preparing for the provincial exam in the eighth month of this year. This time, he was traveling with his uncle to increase his knowledge.
The whole time, it was just a conversation between the young man and Feng Lin. Xiao Liulang, who didn’t like to talk to people, didn’t talk much.
"This boy wasn’t like this before..." After Xiao Liulang returned to his room, the young man grabbed Feng Lin and muttered.
Feng Lin whispered, "His mother and eldest brother have both pa.s.sed away, and all these years haven’t been easy for him."
"Oh." The young man didn"t say anything more about it. After a while, he said, "You’re also going to take the imperial exam this year, aren’t you? I will wait for you in the capital then!"
Feng Lin thought for a moment and said, "I"m going together with Liulang."
The corner of the young man’s mouth twitched, "How do you know he can pa.s.s and become a Xiucai? That boy is not very bright. Have you forgotten that the teacher always scolded him back then?"
Even if he couldn’t remember Xiao Liulang"s appearance as a child, the young man still hadn’t forgotten Xiao Liulang"s awkwards incidents. He wasn’t really stupid, but his reaction was slower than others. Such people might be able to work, but they would struggle to study.
Feng Lin said seriously, "Liulang is different now. He became the top scorer in the county exam. This time... Although the exam is very difficult, I believe he can pa.s.s and become a Xiucai!"
The young man said with a bad smile, "Let’s make a bet then. I bet he won"t pa.s.s the exam."
Feng Lin decisively issued an eviction order!
No one was allowed to despise Xiao Liulang, not even his childhood friend!
The young man, who was kicked out of the inn by Feng Lin, felt bored and lost the mood to wander around, so he simply went back to the Prefect Residence.
The guards of the Prefect Residence saw him and opened the gate for him with great respect.
As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he was frozen in place by a loud shout, "Where have you been? Why are you back so late?!"
The young man turned around and smiled, saying, "h.e.l.lo, uncle. Didn"t you go to grade the exam papers? You’re done this quick?"
Provincial Governor Zhuang said severely, "Don"t change the subject! I asked you, where have you been?"
The young man smilingly replied, "I met two of my neighbors back in Songxian County, so I talked with them for a while, and I ate dinner with them too."
Provincial Governor Zhuang said coldly, "Do you think I will believe your words? Did you do something improper again? I promised your aunt to bring you out, not so you can idle about! Somebody! Put him in his room! He’s not allowed to go out even half a step without my permission!"
The young man shouted unjustly, "I didn"t do anything! Uncle! I really went to meet my friends! They are staying in Yuelai Inn! One named Feng Lin! One named Xiao Liulang! Xiao Liulang is currently an examinee! He just finished your outrageously abnormal exam today! That exam that made people green in the face! If you don’t believe me, send someone to check!"