Chapter Fifteen: The First Snow

  "Miss, you don't know how hateful Pan Yuduo is, and yet he talks about being a song girl. I've never seen anyone so shameless after cheating." Qing Luan said with a huff.

  Cai Feng sighed and said: "Don't say any more, Luan'er. Mr. Pan is right, I'm just a song girl after all."

  "But Hongxiu Auntie said," Qing Luan argued, although she was still young and not yet fully grown, she was already a rare beauty. Every day, the people she saw were all respectful to her mistress, and even polite to her. It wasn't until she heard Yun Hongxiu say some things about gender equality that she made this move today.

  "What she said, you also believe? That's just her nonsense. If the world were really like what she said, she wouldn't have been forced to marry a dying man. Now it's still that only with someone backing you can come and go freely."

  "Then what should we do?"

  "First, earn some money, can't even support yourself, everything is fake. Then find a good person to entrust your life to and get married. I think that Pan Gongzi is not a bad choice, his literary talent and demeanor are among the best in the world, and his family background is also extraordinary, considered a rare golden son-in-law."

  "I'd rather not, I wouldn't marry a cat or dog, let alone that hypocrite Xu Xian." The young lady is getting married, and she's also going to be a companion. "Miss, you have money now, why don't you find someone you like? Like those stories you told me about, the poor scholar and the young lady?"

  "It's just a story, and let's not mention that there are many talented scholars who have fallen on hard times. If I really married him, who knows what kind of disaster might befall us? What's the point of talking about future wealth and glory?" Among her patrons were many wealthy and noble people, and she was able to maintain her chastity thanks to Yin Hongxiu and her own balancing tactics. If she had married an ordinary person, this balance would have been immediately disrupted, and if the man who married her was of a lowly status, it would be a calamity from which there would be no return.

  Moreover, she doesn't believe in romantic promises. Once they become rich and wealthy, her identity as a song girl will forever be a thorn in his heart, even if she becomes his legitimate wife, people will still point fingers at her.

  Xu Xian, who had just escaped from the clutches of evil, would have understood that the glory of the Red Sleeve Academy that night belonged to her. From the magistrate's daughter to the West Lake singing girl, what face hadn't she seen, what words hadn't she heard? Indeed, one who understands the ways of the world is also proficient in writing.

  Qing Luan didn't quite understand these principles, but she felt a sour and astringent feeling in her heart. She hugged Cai Feng and wept, saying: "Miss, why is your life so bitter?" In her eyes, such a wise, generous, and beautiful young lady should be cherished by others, not allowed to suffer the slightest humiliation. Pan Yu's words today had truly enraged her, "I'll expose their cheating tomorrow and see where they can put their faces."

  Cai Feng stroked Qing Luan's head: "Silly girl, don't clash with him hard. Wait for me to win over him and teach him that I'm not an ordinary songstress." She had been hesitant about whether to leave some leeway, but now she made up her mind. She still remembered the origin of her current name, "Since you're called Qing Luan, I'll be Cai Feng!"

  "Really? It's snowing." Pan Yu stretched out her hand and caught a snowflake that was floating down from the sky.

  The sky has completely turned black, with no white snowflakes falling silently. Falling into West Lake, falling into the forest, falling into their palms, and then melting.

  The whole place is quiet, it's time for people to go home. But they come to the west lake shore and stroll around, between them, very quiet.

  "I told you Sister Shifu wasn't wrong!" Xuxian said with a hint of pride.

  Pan Yu glared at Xu Xian, then suddenly grabbed his hand, which felt very warm. Xu Xian was embarrassed but couldn't help sneaking a peek at Pan Yu's calm expression, and in the end, he couldn't shake off his hand. He had been "taken care of" again, thoroughly.

  In front of a small stone bridge, a sobbing sound suddenly came, Xu Xian took the opportunity to let go and rushed forward a few steps. Pan Yu's face had a playful smile, teasing this Hanwen brother felt pretty good.

  A little girl crouched on a small stone bridge, rubbing her eyes with both hands and crying nonstop.

  "Little sister, what's wrong?" Xuxian asked, squatting down.

  The little girl raised her head and looked at Xu Xian with a glance, her big black eyes, around 12 or 13 years old, her small face was tear-stained, but she seemed even more adorable, yet she ignored him and lowered her head to cry again.

  Xu Xian looked at her wearing a white dress with an unusual style, looking not like a homeless person, and said warmly: "Can't find your way home? Brother will take you home!"

  The little girl shouted loudly "Go away, who wants you to care."

  "Let's have something to eat," said Xu Xian, taking out a handkerchief from his bosom, in which were some pastries that the White Snake had given him early that morning and he had forgotten to take out during the examination. Although they had lost their shape, they still gave off a fragrant smell.

  The little girl took one look and was attracted to it, suddenly reached out and snatched all the pastries, stuffed them into her mouth, and tears rolled down as she ate. Her mouth was full, and she cried with a stuffy nose.

  Xu Xian was taken aback and smiled wryly, indeed a strange little kid!

  "Hey, now I can send you back home, your parents must be worried."

  "Let you go! You're so annoying!" The little girl didn't seem grateful at all.

  Xu Xian smiled bitterly again, could it be that I look so much like a bad person?

  Pan Yu looked on for a while, frowned and said: "What an ill-mannered child, let's go." She had been a well-behaved child since she was young, but she couldn't stand this kind of behavior.

  "You're the one who's ill-mannered!" The little girl suddenly got angry, baring her teeth and claws, ready to pounce, but Xu Xian quickly stopped her "Mingyu, you're being unreasonable too, she's just a small child."

  In just a moment, the little girl glared at Pan Yu with a fierce stare from across the way and ran off like flying. Xu Xian wanted to chase after her, but it was already too late.

  After searching around for a while, and still not seeing any sign of her, Pan Yu comforted him by saying: "She should have gone home already, don't worry about it."

  "Let's hope so!" Xuxian sighed and lifted his head. The snow had stopped falling at some point without him noticing.

  In the following days, the first snow tried to penetrate deeper and deeper, sometimes there would be strange questions like on the first day, but it was not difficult for Pan Yu. Nor was it difficult for her important follower, Xu Xian.

  But in the end, even Xu Xian felt a bit embarrassed. Every time he saw that little girl called Qing Luan, she would glare at him with her eyes, while his own Miss Cai Feng would always smile and curtsy. In the end, Xu Xian finally put down his brush and refused to write anymore. With this, the achievements he had obtained were enough to astonish others, and it was said that he could even be ranked as one of the "Four Small Talents of Jiangnan".

  Wang Xuezheng specially called him to the government office, comforted and encouraged him, and also advised him. In short, it meant "I didn't misjudge you". It made Xu Xian scratch his head, and at over 40 years old, he dared to call himself "old man", but if this "old man" really knew how he achieved this result, he would probably be ashamed of himself.

  It was just the first snow, but the subsequent development far exceeded everyone's imagination. While Bai Lu Book Academy was in a state of turmoil, Hong Xiu Book Academy rose against the tide. That woman named Cai Feng had sharp wit and insight that was in no way inferior to Pan Yu. At first, it was thought that she had simply figured out the test questions, after all, the gentlemen were still willing to give a young woman some face. In tea houses and taverns, people would say, "She's been eliminated early on, there won't be any more excitement to watch, let her stay for two days."

  It later became "What a mess" "Only women and small men are difficult to raise".

  In order to avoid suspicion, the Jin Tian Academy and the Hong Xiu Academy no longer set questions, but even so, they cannot stop the momentum of the Hong Xiu Academy. Today's last question trial ended, and the whole scene was in an uproar, leaving only Pan Yu and Cai Feng. After a day's rest, the final match will be held, and this year's First Snow Trial has reached its climax. However, he failed to eliminate all his opponents in the question trial, so the title of Jiangnan's number one scholar should have been unattainable. But his only remaining opponent happened to be a woman, and now no one could say anything about it. Nevertheless, all the young masters understood one thing: if they let a woman win the First Snow Trial, their faces would be lost.

  "Dean Yin, Dean Yin, listen to me!" Li Siming said as he was pushed out the door by several maids. He let out a long sigh, Red Sleeve Academy had done its best to get him to participate, and it seemed that women had won after all - he couldn't escape being involved. The intentions of all parties were very clear: they wanted him to go and persuade Dean Yin, either by using his cunning or by losing graciously. Or else, directly admit defeat. Originally, the Taoist way was about eating from a big pot, but unexpectedly it had become a case of smashing the pot.

  Yin Hongxiu had made up her mind, and her eyes were shining with determination. She herself hadn't expected to get this far. Those few teachers thought they could pressure her? That was simply a joke. Who could understand the excitement in her heart at this moment?

  She drove away the maid who was massaging Cai Feng's shoulders and went over to place her own hands on Cai Feng's shoulders, awkwardly massaging them. "Yun Yan, I didn't misjudge you."

  Cai Feng heard her excitedly say even the old lady said, covering her mouth and laughing: "You'd better still call me Cai Feng, it's just that Pan Gongzi is extraordinary, I don't know if I can beat him."

  Yin Hongxiu clapped her hands and said, "Really? Really. If you succeed, I'll allow anything. I'll tell your aunt about this, she'll definitely be delighted." The relationship between the two wasn't originally very good, with some awkwardness remaining. One was a member of the imperial family, while the other's entire family had been killed by members of the imperial family. It was only because one felt guilty and the other wanted to rely on her that they were able to maintain their relationship. Now it seemed like they were getting along like family.

  Yun Yan didn't speak, but Cai Feng gazed at her own reflection in the copper mirror, momentarily speechless.