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墨書 Inktalez
Soon, the day of the Imperial Examination arrived. The Great Yu's Imperial Examination was the final screening before the Scientific Examination, and various talented scholars gathered outside the examination hall.
Naturally, Xu Mu was among them, anxiously searching for Su Che's figure. Finally, just before the exam was about to start, he spotted the tardy Su Che.
He hurriedly approached him, just as he was about to speak, he heard the Proctor announcing that it was time to take their seats for the exam. He could only hastily throw out a line.
“A Che, I have something to discuss with you after the Imperial Examination.”
Su Che naturally knew what he was referring to. In his previous life, Xu Mu had used his feelings and knowledge to persuade him to give up on the Imperial Examination and help him with his studies, promising that once he achieved success, he would come back to marry him in glory.
What he received instead was Xu Mu becoming a Top Scholar, marrying a princess, and colluding with officials to have the entire Su Family sentenced to death, while he himself was sold into a brothel.
However, there was one thing he did not understand, and this matter needed to be investigated promptly.
Before long, the Imperial Examination concluded. Su Che walked out of the examination hall with ease, while Xu Mu struggled significantly. It took him a full two hours before he nervously stepped out of the hall.
Fortunately, after exiting, he saw Su Che waiting for him and immediately ran over with a smile.
“I knew you were waiting for me, A Che. Let’s make up. After I went home that day, I thought a lot about it. I really was too much of a jerk. From now on, I will be cautious with my words and actions and be devoted to you. Everything will revolve around you. That evening, I intended to find you but Xiao Tao told me you went to Dan Yao Hall. I didn’t have the courage to see you; I was afraid you would dislike me and didn’t want to disturb you.”
“I was worried about whether you were ill; now that I see you, I can finally relax. I’ve missed you dearly these past few days, A Che…”
“Stop! We are cousins; our relationship was good before, but that was in the past. What you said that day cannot be taken as a joke. It’s better if we don’t say things that might lead to misunderstandings now. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
Su Che interrupted Xu Mu's nauseatingly hypocritical words with some impatience, turning to leave. Just as he was about to get into the car, Xu Mu hurriedly caught his sleeve at the last moment.
Xu Mu's eyes were slightly red, and the regret and deep affection in them seemed genuine, but Su Che knew it was all an act. Even he had to admire Xu Mu's acting skills.
Unfortunately, Xu Mu's temperament was restless, his pride high, and he couldn't stand being criticized. Otherwise, he might have found the situation quite tricky. Fortunately, fate did not favor Xu Mu that much.
With a hint of pleading in his voice, Xu Mu choked out to Su Che, "A Che, I know I've gone too far, but over the years, you're all I've had..."
"You still have your mother."
"I..."
"If you don't speak, I'm leaving."
"Wait... I... I'm begging you, give me a little time. You haven't eaten yet, right? There's a restaurant nearby with good food. Let's go there and talk; it's not convenient here."
Xu Mu tightened his grip on Su Che's hand and lowered his head. He looked handsome, and in this vulnerable state, it was hard not to feel a pang of sympathy for him.
After hesitating for a moment, Su Che nodded. Xiao Tao wanted to persuade him further from the side, but Su Che shook his head and followed Xu Mu to the nearby restaurant.
The restaurant wasn't luxurious but had decent food at reasonable prices. The two of them requested a private room while Xiao Tao and Xiao Nan waited outside.
Once the dishes were served, Su Che didn't touch his chopsticks but instead looked at Xu Mu. "Now that it's just the two of us, speak up. What is it?"
Xu Mu wore an expression of guilt and forced a bitter smile as he spoke. "You know how important this Scientific Examination is for me. I can't ask you for anything more; I just want you to know that my mother is dying. Her greatest wish is for me to pass and return home in glory."
"But you know my abilities well enough. No matter how hard I try with you or anyone else, there's still a significant gap. The Su family has treated me exceptionally well over the years; if I do pass, I will never forget their kindness. I just hope you can guide me once more after the exam results are released."
"Just guidance is enough; how much I can grasp depends on my own abilities. Even if I fail the exam, I won't blame you. I'm only asking for your help this last time... I'm begging you, A Che."
Su Che furrowed his brows, seemingly deep in thought. Xu Mu noticed the change in Su Che and hurriedly stepped forward to bow deeply before him. Reflecting on the past, this was the lowest posture he could adopt. For someone as proud and vain as him to lower himself to this extent showed his sincerity.
Su Che did not rush to respond. Seeing this, Xu Mu's brow tightened. After hesitating for a moment, he was about to kneel before Su Che when Su Che's voice stopped him.
"Wait! A man's knees are worth gold. Cousin, you speak too heavily. Between brothers, there’s no need for such formalities. Even without considering your mother, I can help you. The Su Family has never asked for anything in return from you."
Upon hearing Su Che's agreement, Xu Mu was overjoyed and quickly expressed that he understood the kindness of the Su Family and Su Che, which he would always remember. He vowed to turn over a new leaf and become a better person. Su Che said nothing more and simply took his leave from the pavilion.
The two agreed on a time for Xu Mu to receive tutoring every day for half a day, and Xu Mu readily accepted.
After Su Che left, a smile crept onto Xu Mu's lips, completely contrasting with his earlier submissive demeanor. He called over friends he had already arranged to meet, eager not to waste the feast laid out before them. This group of friends were merely fair-weather companions; they had known about Xu Mu's invitation to Su Che beforehand and had even made bets on it.
"Did he agree?" one of them asked.
Xu Mu proudly munched on peanuts and sipped his drink, feeling pleased with himself. Now that Su Che insisted on keeping some distance, Xu Mu did not push it further, understanding that recent events might have caused Su Che some discomfort.
He figured that clinging too tightly would only irritate Su Che more. He believed that Su Che still held some regard for him; it was merely a case of wanting to draw him in closer by pretending to let go. These days must have been quite difficult for Su Che; otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed to help.
It was important to note that while the exam topics were generally the same, they might not be tested exactly as expected, but they wouldn’t stray too far either. The underlying themes were crucial.
Although he struggled academically, it didn’t mean he lacked adaptability in other areas; he had already devised a plan in his mind.
"If I perform well during study sessions and leverage our past relationship along with some clever tactics, won't I have him right where I want him? If I flatter him a bit more and achieve my goals—getting top marks—what will it matter how the Su Family or Su Che feels? It’ll all be up to me."
His friends didn’t know the specifics of Xu Mu’s plans but sensed his confidence stemmed from his connection with Su Che. They were unaware of the details; even if they did know, they couldn’t replicate Xu Mu’s approach. Despite Xu Mu’s tendency to boast about everything else, he kept tight-lipped about the crucial aspects of his strategy.
"Xu Mu," one friend teased, "if Su Che listens to you so well and you soar high later on, why not let your brothers have a taste?"
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