Jun Huailang lowered his eyes and said nothing for a long moment.
Fuyi was puzzled. “Young Master?”
Jun Huailang turned his gaze away and said lightly, “Isn’t it time to go to the academy today?”
Go to the academy?
Fuyi was confused. Young Master had not gone to the academy for quite some time.
Besides… Young Master had only returned to Jinling last night. Instead of resting at home today, was he really in such a hurry to go study?
Young Master was not even taking the imperial examination this year…
Fuyi was confused, but he did not dare ask.
He vaguely sensed that something might have happened between Young Master and His Highness the Prince, and that there was probably some unpleasantness between them.
He said no more and efficiently helped Jun Huailang get up, then had breakfast brought to him.
The classes at the academy were not particularly busy. On ordinary days, Young Master would leisurely finish breakfast, then go to the government office or walk around the embankment before heading to the academy.
But today, Young Master barely ate anything. After having only half a bowl of porridge, he hurriedly left.
The Young Master who normally traveled on foot had even ordered a carriage to be prepared.
It was far too unusual.
Although Fuyi knew that his young master’s temperament was gentle, he also knew that once he made up his mind, he would not change it. The more unusual he behaved, the less Fuyi dared to persuade him. He could only follow his master’s orders and have someone harness the horses.
Jun Huailang rode in the carriage all the way out of the Governor’s Residence.
Only after the carriage had rattled far away did Jun Huailang, sitting alone inside, slowly let out a long breath and close his eyes.
He felt that what he had just thought was too absurd.
How could that book possibly be fake? He had personally seen it after his death, and had even taken away a corner of the book.
Jun Huailang raised a hand and rubbed his forehead.
Just then, his movement stopped.
He remembered that the book referred to its characters as “he.”
The book seemed to be written like a biography, telling the story of his younger sister and Xue Yan, yet at the same time, it did not resemble a biography. Rather, it seemed more like… a storybook.
Jun Huailang could not make sense of it.
He did not know how immortals recorded the destinies of mortals, so naturally, he had no idea what exactly he was holding. But if it was a storybook… how could an immortal possess a storybook about an ordinary mortal like Xue Yan?
Jun Huailang knew that his doubts about the book had no basis whatsoever, yet he could never quite shake the thought from his mind.
He always felt that something was wrong and strange. He always felt that the person described in the book… could not be Xue Yan.
Jun Huailang could only assume that he had lost his senses, to the point of beginning to question the immortals in heaven because of Xue Yan.
He felt that he needed to calm down.
Thus, when he arrived at the academy that morning, Jun Huailang entered the classroom and began reading with the scholars who had risen early.
Normally, he used this method to clear his mind and calm his emotions.
But today, it did not seem to work very well. Listening to the surrounding chorus of scholars reciting their texts, he inexplicably found it noisy, and the Confucian classics in his hands could not enter his mind.
Jun Huailang’s fingers tightened restlessly.
Just then, someone slapped him hard on the shoulder.
“Huailang!”
He turned his head and saw Shen Liufeng standing behind him, grinning at him.
“…Liufeng.”
Jun Huailang put down his book and gave him a strained smile.
“Why are you here so early today?” Shen Liufeng had not noticed anything at all and continued grinning. “Someone from my household brought me some morning tea. I was planning to eat before coming to study, but I happened to pass by the classroom and saw you! Come, come, come. Come have some with me!”
Jun Huailang was already feeling restless sitting in the classroom, so he did not refuse.
Shen Liufeng was cheerful and talkative as always. Perhaps he could take Jun Huailang’s mind off things a little…
Thus, the two of them went together to the pavilion behind the academy.
The pavilion was built over a lotus pond, and students often came here to compose poetry and exchange verses. But at this time, all the scholars were staying in their classrooms studying. Shen Liufeng had never been very patient with such things, so he would take advantage of this time to sneak away and eat snacks in the pavilion.
“I really didn’t expect you to come out with me!” Shen Liufeng busied himself having two young servants lay out the tea and pastries. With a flourish, he opened his folding fan and smiled at Jun Huailang.
Jun Huailang said nothing and nodded.
Shen Liufeng chattered on by himself for a long while, pouring out all sorts of random things that had happened over the past two days for Jun Huailang to hear.
Jun Huailang responded to each one.
After a while, even someone as thick-skinned as Shen Liufeng noticed that something was wrong.
“Huailang?” he asked. “Did something happen last night?”
Jun Huailang was startled. “Hmm?”
Shen Liufeng said, “I just feel like you’re not very happy.”
Jun Huailang fell silent.
This confirmed Shen Liufeng’s suspicion.
From the time he had known Jun Huailang until now, he had never seen him like this. He had a good temper and a broad heart, and he had never allowed anything to make him visibly depressed for so long.
Shen Liufeng hurriedly leaned closer and asked, “What happened? Is there anything I can help with?”
Jun Huailang pressed his lips together.
He was accustomed to solving other people’s problems, but when it came to problems concerning himself, he always preferred to resolve them alone and did not particularly like talking about them.
But now… he did not know what to do.
He looked at Shen Liufeng. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked,
“If someone else told you that a certain person had done something… rather excessive, what would you do?”
Shen Liufeng was dumbfounded.
What kind of question was that? Wasn’t this simply someone saying bad things about someone else in front of Huailang?
He answered matter-of-factly, “Is he trustworthy? If that person isn’t very trustworthy, then just treat it as something that went in one ear and out the other. Don’t pay attention to him.”
Jun Huailang lowered his eyes.
“…He is extremely trustworthy. Whatever he says has always been as certain as fact,” he said. “But I don’t believe it, even though I keep telling myself that it’s true.”
Shen Liufeng’s movements as he waved his fan slowed.
“Then… is the thing he said important?”
Jun Huailang silently nodded.
It was very important.
If he knew for certain what had happened between Xue Yan and Ling Huan in their previous life, and yet he could still develop feelings for him in this life, he would despise himself for the rest of his life.
When he was reborn in this life, he had already hated Xue Yan to the bone because of what Xue Yan had done to his younger sister in his previous life. He had wished nothing more than to eliminate him as quickly as possible. Yet now he had somehow fallen in love with him…
What would that make him?
Jun Huailang’s gaze gradually darkened.
Just then, he heard Shen Liufeng snap his fan shut.
“I think seeing is believing,” he said, pressing one hand against the stone table. “No matter how accurate that person’s words are, who can guarantee that he never tells lies? You still have to trust your own judgment of people.”
Jun Huailang’s heart jolted.
Yes.
The reason he felt that something was wrong was precisely because he always felt that Xue Yan was not that kind of person.
In his previous life, he had never interacted with Xue Yan, so naturally he had believed whatever the book said. But after spending so much time with Xue Yan in this life, even if he had not developed any other feelings toward him, he trusted Xue Yan’s character very much.
How could Xue Yan in his previous life possibly have done something like that to such a defenseless little girl…
Shen Liufeng suddenly chuckled.
“Or I can teach you another method,” he said.
“Go on,” Jun Huailang said.
Shen Liufeng continued, “What you want to know is whether that person really did the same thing, right? Why don’t you find a way to recreate the situation and see with your own eyes whether he really is the kind of person you’ve been told he is?”
Jun Huailang smiled faintly at this, finding the idea somewhat absurd.
Recreate the situation?
How could he dare put Ling Huan at risk like that again?
Besides, in this life, the beginnings of their relationship had been cut off by him from the very start. Ling Huan had never shown Xue Yan the pity she had in her previous life, and later turned against him…
Jun Huailang suddenly froze.
He suddenly realized that in this life, the person who had given Xue Yan sympathy and kindness had become himself.
Then if he also turned against Xue Yan in this life, would Xue Yan become like he had been in his previous life…
Jun Huailang’s gaze suddenly darkened.
How could that be? He was a man. How could Xue Yan possibly do such a thing to him?
His chest suddenly tightened, and it hurt even more than before.
Yes. Why was he wasting his effort thinking about whether those things from his previous life had happened or not?
In the end, it was he himself who had developed feelings for Xue Yan that he should not have had. Regardless of whether those things had ever happened, there would be no result for his delusions in this life.
Jun Huailang smiled faintly and told Shen Liufeng that it was unnecessary, then ended the subject and changed the conversation to something else.
This time, he actually had a pleasant conversation with Shen Liufeng and no longer showed the gloomy expression from earlier.
Shen Liufeng still felt that something was not quite right, but he could not put his finger on what it was.
If he really had to say…
Earlier, although Jun Huailang had been in a bad mood, there had still been life in him.
Now…
It was as though the light in his eyes had gone out.
—
Jun Huailang stayed at the academy for the entire day, until classes ended in the afternoon.
He was running away, but Shen Liufeng could not see it. He had forgotten about the morning’s events almost as soon as they happened and was wholeheartedly happy simply to have someone accompany him.
When classes ended, he hooked an arm around Jun Huailang’s shoulder and was about to find somewhere to drink with him.
Jun Huailang did not refuse.
Unexpectedly, when the two reached the entrance, they saw a carriage parked ostentatiously outside the academy from a distance.
It bore the regulations of an official carriage. At a glance, it was clearly someone of considerable rank. The scholars coming and going carefully walked around it, afraid of offending some noble person.
“Did my uncle come?” Shen Liufeng was startled.
He was feeling somewhat guilty now. When he had returned home yesterday, his uncle had scolded him again and told him that the Heir and the Prince of Guangling were close. The two of them might travel together at any time, so he should stop constantly dragging the Heir around to fool around and provoking the Prince of Guangling’s displeasure.
Who would have thought that today, just as he was about to go fool around again, he had not even left the academy before he was going to get caught?
But Shen Liufeng’s guilty conscience lasted only for an instant.
Immediately afterward, he thought righteously that the Prince of Guangling was not here. If he called Huailang out with him now, surely he could not provoke the Prince’s displeasure from such a distance?
But just then, he heard Jun Huailang’s voice.
“Eunuch Jinbao?”
Shen Liufeng looked over.
Oh no.
That sycophant of the Prince of Guangling who followed him everywhere was standing at the academy entrance right now, grinning from ear to ear.
Sensing his gaze, the sycophant even briefly met his eyes.
Although Shen Liufeng was somewhat slow on the uptake, he somehow felt that beneath that seemingly casual glance was an abundance of malice.
He cleared his throat and said nothing.
Over there, when Jun Huailang saw Jinbao standing there, he understood everything.
The person sitting in the carriage behind him had to be Xue Yan.
Jun Huailang pressed his lips together.
Jinbao came forward with a beaming smile.
“Heir! Isn’t this a coincidence? His Highness just returned from the government office. He happened to pass by the academy and said he’d come around to take a look and see whether you were here. Who would’ve thought that the moment the carriage stopped, your classes ended! Since it’s so convenient, why don’t you ride back in His Highness’s carriage with him?”
He spouted this nonsense without even blinking, never mentioning that his master had been unhappy all day, had gone to the government office for a turn, and then parked the carriage here specifically to intercept the Heir.