Chapter 274 – The Ji Shan Hot Springs (Nine)
“Tsk tsk, I thought it was someone important, but it’s just the famous Feng Erlang Jun. Your presence is surprisingly easy to trace.”
Jiang Pengji approached the edge of the corridor, speaking across a lively pond to where Feng Jin stood.
Feng Jin felt wronged—how was he to know Jiang Pengji would be in the capital at this time?
Had he known earlier, he definitely wouldn’t have come to the hot springs with his classmates.
Just moments ago, while leaning on the railing, he spotted a familiar figure and thought he was imagining things, only to realize it was truly a friend.
“It’s been a few months, Lan Ting’s sharp tongue hasn’t dulled one bit, and you’ve accused me so decisively of unfounded crimes.” Feng Jin chuckled. Just then, one of his classmates called out to him, prompting him to sheepishly say to Jiang Pengji, “Please don’t mind it, Lan Ting. We’ll catch up later.”
After the greeting, Jiang Pengji noticed Wei Ci staring coldly at Feng Jin’s retreating back.
“I just ran into an acquaintance; Wei Lang Jun, please continue leading the way.”
Wei Ci retracted his gaze without a word.
Walking in a line, they quickly arrived at Room Number One of the Rosy Courtyard.
“Lan Ting, come here, this is Mr. Yuanjing. You will study under him from now on, and remember, no mischief!”
Liu Zhi’s chess skills weren’t bad, but compared to Yuanjing, he still fell short, leading to a quick and decisive defeat, yet he didn’t feel frustrated or embarrassed.
When Wei Ci brought them in, the game was already lost for Liu Zhi, so he shifted his focus.
Mr. Yuanjing greeted Jiang Pengji, saying, “Little friend, we meet again.”
“Hello, Mr. Yuanjing.” She politely replied, assuring Liu Zhi, “Father doesn’t need to worry, I understand.”
Meanwhile, Wei Ci, who was whispering with his classmate, caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye before nonchalantly shifting his gaze away.
With a chess obsession kicking in, it wasn’t enough for Mr. Yuanjing to just defeat Liu Zhi!
“I’ll call you Lan Ting from now on.” He shifted his gaze to Jiang Pengji, asking, “Care to play a match with me?”
“Respectfully, I accept.”
While Jiang Pengji didn’t know how to play chess, Liu Xi had learned before; though not very skilled, the fundamentals were solid.
Inheriting Liu Xi’s memories, she naturally “knew” how to play.
The opening was rather bleak, to the point where Feng Ren and Liu Zhi felt unable to watch and nearly rolled up their sleeves to play themselves.
Liu Zhi grew suspicious, thinking: shouldn’t my daughter be better at chess than this?
How did Wei Yuan teach her?
Unexpectedly, Mr. Yuanjing seemed to play like a beginner, making random moves that left everyone puzzled about his intentions.
However, Jiang Pengji understood he was deliberately guiding her.
Consequently, she began to take the game more seriously, mentally skimming through Liu Xi’s memories. Once familiarized, she calculated in her own way, making her moves slower and slower, often taking half a tea’s worth of time before placing a piece.
At that moment, Mr. Yuanjing suddenly laughed; this match had truly begun.
Glancing at the board, he smiled, “It appears I have won this round.”
Jiang Pengji pressed her lips tightly together, nearly forming a straight line, her eyes burning with determination.
“Let’s have another game!”
“No more, no more.” Mr. Yuanjing shook his head, showing a hint of fatigue. “I’m an old man; I can’t compete with the energy of the young. If Lan Ting still wants to play chess, among those present, Zixiao has the highest skills. You should have a few rounds with him.”
Jiang Pengji furrowed her brows, casting her gaze towards Wei Ci.
She noticed him lower his eyelashes, responding coldly, “I am feeling slightly unwell and can’t play a match with the young master.”
Jiang Pengji: “…”
Did I inadvertently provoke him? Why’s he so angry?
Not only was Jiang Pengji surprised, but also her classmates who usually got along well with Wei Ci felt puzzled.
“What’s wrong with Zixiao today? He seems like a completely different person?”
“Do you feel that too? Did that Liu Young Master unintentionally mock his looks?”
Though the beauty standard for men in this era leans towards gentleness—usually described as softer features—some people despise such trends. Wei Ci was among them; he hated being mistaken for a woman and loathed others making remarks about his appearance… If Liu Xi had inadvertently crossed this line, it would explain Wei Ci’s cool demeanor, right?
With her keen hearing, Jiang Pengji caught their discussion and donned a confused expression.
She merely remarked that someone looked nice; did it deserve such fury?
However, she was neither a gold credit point nor a golden nugget, unable to expect everyone to like her. If Wei Ci didn’t like her, so be it—she wasn’t losing a piece of her flesh. Soon enough, Jiang Pengji shrugged off this detail and quietly sat at the side, watching others enjoy themselves.
Liu Zhi and Feng Ren, understanding the dynamics, recognized their presence was making the younger generation uncomfortable, and quickly found an excuse to leave.
However, before Liu Zhi departed, he gave his daughter a knowing glance.
“Do not expose yourself, dear daughter!”
“Do you know how to play drinking games?”
Jiang Pengji, still young, found herself surrounded by others who were mostly on the cusp of adulthood. She, a half-grown child sitting silently in the corner, observing others frolicking and chatting, felt rather pitiable, prompting someone to approach her.
After a moment’s pause, she said, “I can drink.”
“Haha, at your age, taking a couple of sips hardly counts as drinking.” The person chuckled, patting her shoulder like an old friend. “From now on, we’re classmates. If anyone troubles you at the academy, just mention my name…”
She shyly nodded in agreement, her big round eyes sparkling.
If captured in a snapshot, it could probably be titled — “Jiang Pengji’s Cutely Obedient JPG.”
Drinking games are meant to liven up the atmosphere, and Jiang Pengji understood some rules too.
All the youths present were top scholars, and while some might not be exceptionally gifted, they certainly made up for it with diligence.
Their drinking games were filled with complex challenges—poetry, prose, and tricky discussions on obscure geography or historical anecdotes… In short, while she couldn’t follow everything, it all sounded impressively grand.
Half an hour in, Jiang Pengji felt overwhelmed with esoteric jargon.
With her chin resting in her hand, she wore an indifferent expression.
Noticing someone approaching her, she turned to see Wei Ci, who seemed rather temperamental, pushing a tray towards her.
It was filled with assorted nuts and candies.
He lowered his gaze, avoiding her eyes.
Jiang Pengji was baffled and asked, “Did I offend you in some way?”
Wei Ci nonchalantly replied, “I heard Wen Bin mention you a few days ago.”
Jiang Pengji blinked, suddenly recalling her earlier playful banter with Han Yu.
She had teased Han Yu, claiming she dreamt of seeing Cheng Jing and Wei Ci, describing Wei Ci as “looking like a beautiful woman.”
Uh… Was it because of that?
Feeling awkward, she coughed lightly and defended herself, “That was just a misunderstanding; I said it to brush him off…”
Sure enough, one lie needed several others to cover it up.
Wei Ci replied flatly, “No worries. If it wasn’t intentional, I won’t hold it against you.”
Jiang Pengji narrowed her eyes slightly, spotting a glimmer of mischief.
We Ci’s lack of explanation was fine, but the more he explained, the more it felt like he was trying to hide something.
With that thought in mind, she maintained her obedient demeanor and simply hummed in acknowledgment.
