"Little Yu, you must eat the gourd chicken while it's hot," Qi Heng said, tearing off a chicken leg. He hesitated for a moment before awkwardly offering it to Zhan Feiyu.
"Little Yu, it's even tastier dipped in this sauce. It's not spicy."
"Little Yu, this flatbread is also delicious. Tear up some chicken and stuff it inside. It's so good."
After speaking, Qi Heng secretly glanced at Yin Wuyan, whose eyes were as cold as ice. Although a little scared, he still stood his ground, his plump body held straight, unyielding!
Seeing this, Chong Guang laughed until his stomach hurt. He hadn't expected this chubby boy to have such courage, daring to curry favor with the "fat girl" in front of Seventh Master. Was this what scholars called integrity? Or was it the fearlessness of a newborn calf?
Glaring at the chattering Qi Heng, Yin Wuyan's voice rang out, "Do not speak while eating, do not speak while sleeping."
"I..." Utterly defeated, Qi Heng's face turned red. He had been so engrossed in talking to Little Yu that he had forgotten the most basic dining etiquette.
Zhan Feiyu's confused gaze shifted from Qi Heng to Yin Wuyan. Both of them were strange.
Losing face in front of his junior fellow student was nothing, but he absolutely could not lose to Little Yu, this older sworn brother! Qi Heng, the little chubby, cast aside his earlier enthusiasm and adopted the demeanor of a scholar. From picking up his chopsticks to swallowing, he was refined and elegant, desperately suppressing the urge to devour the chicken leg.
Looking down at the pretentious little fatty, Yin Wuyan tore off a chicken leg, dipped it in some sauce, and then placed it in Zhan Feiyu's bowl. He also picked out some vegetables for her with his chopsticks, and then served her soup, taking care of her with meticulous attention.
Zhan Feiyu lowered her head and began to eat. The tender chicken, coated in sauce, was so savory that she felt like she could swallow her own tongue. "Big brother, you eat too."
Qi Heng, who was eating his chicken leg in small bites, looked at Yin Wuyan with jealousy. This person, despite his ordinary appearance, exuded an aura from his very bones that told Qi Heng he must come from an extraordinary background.
But his father had said that offering favors without reason was either deceitful or thieving! He had to protect Little Yu.
With his back to the window seat, the man's hand gripping the chopsticks tightened with force. The excessive pressure turned his knuckles white.
Zhan Feiyu! Hearing that crisp and cheerful voice, the man's bloodshot eyes erupted with terrifying hatred. It was all that damned girl's fault for ruining him. If it weren't for her, he would still be Young Master Chen, living a life of silk and finery, with servants at his beck and call.
The more Chen Fatty thought about it, the more hatred festered. His emaciated face contorted grotesquely. Perhaps because he had lost so much weight, the shop assistants at Li Ji didn't recognize him, and neither did the other patrons in the hall.
Yin Wuyan calmly picked up a piece of food and glanced behind him.
Chong Guang silently inquired of Yin Wuyan. Although the man was sitting with his back to them, his clumsy movements told Chong Guang that he had been secretly observing their table. He was either after the chubby boy or Little Yu.
Yin Wuyan subtly made a gesture. Chong Guang, understanding, stood up. "I heard the dumplings at the shop next door are quite good. I'll go buy a couple of bowls."
One person gone! Chen Fatty suppressed his excitement.
But thinking of Yin Wuyan, who was sitting next to Zhan Feiyu, his momentary joy vanished. Chen Fatty knew Zhan Feiyu's martial skills from their previous fight. Now, with an adult male beside her, his attempt was bound to fail.
Even though they were eating in silence, Qi Heng could sense the intimate bond between Zhan Feiyu and Yin Wuyan, a bond that outsiders couldn't penetrate. Thinking of this, Qi Heng felt that the gourd chicken wasn't as delicious anymore.
Seeing Yin Wuyan stand up, Zhan Feiyu asked curiously, "Big brother?"
"They're selling peaches outside. I'll go buy some to help with the greasiness," Yin Wuyan explained.
Zhan Feiyu and Qi Heng simultaneously straightened up and glanced out the window. Indeed, a farmer was carrying two baskets of peaches, calling out his wares. They were probably freshly picked. Against the backdrop of lush green leaves, the fist-sized peaches were bright red, making one involuntarily salivate.
Heaven helps those who help themselves! Seeing Yin Wuyan also get up and leave, Chen Fatty's hands trembled with excitement. He reached into his怀 and pulled out a dagger. Shielded by his sleeve, Chen Fatty stood up.
"Little Yu, are they also going back to Shangsi County with you?" Qi Heng, who had been holding back for a long time, finally had a chance to speak. Looking at the delicate and beautiful Zhan Feiyu, and then thinking of Yin Wuyan returning with her, Qi Heng felt a pang of sourness in his heart. He wondered if his father and tutor would agree to him going to Shangsi County.
"Mm," Zhan Feiyu nodded. Sensing someone approaching from behind, she didn't pay it much mind.
Li Ji shop had been closed for several days before reopening, and business was booming, with the hall full of customers. As soon as one table left, the waiting customers immediately took their seats.
"Die!" The sharp voice was chilling and terrifying. Chen Fatty suddenly raised his dagger and lunged at Zhan Feiyu, who had her back to him.
Just as Qi Heng was about to speak, he saw this scene and his face turned ashen with fright. "Little Yu..."
In the blink of an eye, Zhan Feiyu turned her head and saw him. Although startled, her quick reflexes kicked in. Zhan Feiyu hurled the bowl in her hand directly at Chen Fatty's face. As she stood up, she also kicked the stool over.
He dodged the flying bowl but was hit in the knee by the wooden stool. Chen Fatty hissed in pain, and his attack faltered for a moment.
Zhan Feiyu quickly retreated to a safe area. Glancing at the dagger in Chen Fatty's hand, she frowned and immediately picked up a plate from the table and hurled it at him again. As long as she could delay him, big brother would return.
Besides, there were people protecting her in secret, so Zhan Feiyu wasn't overly afraid.
The other patrons in the hall were terrified and scrambled towards the exit. A few wanted to step forward and help, but upon seeing Chen Fatty's ferocious and crazed expression, coupled with the dagger he was wildly waving, they were too afraid to approach.
"Zhan Feiyu, your death day has come!" Chen Fatty's voice was hoarse as he laughed menacingly, repeatedly dodging the flying bowls and plates, and closing in on Zhan Feiyu.
"Chen Jin?" Seeing the noticeably thinner Chen Fatty, Zhan Feiyu was a little surprised. To lose fifty to sixty jin in such a short time? Did he have some secret weight-loss formula?
"It's me!" Chen Fatty blocked the flying plate with his left hand and lunged again. Compared to being hit by a few bowls and plates, he was more eager to personally kill Zhan Feiyu, his enemy.
As Chong Guang had said, even when fat, Zhan Feiyu was a nimble fatty. Especially with all the patrons having fled the hall, Zhan Feiyu used the tables and chairs as obstacles to engage Chen Fatty in a standoff.
Watching Zhan Feiyu nimbly dart around the tables and chairs, Chen Fatty couldn't even get close to her, let alone harm her.
Chen Fatty also realized that he couldn't catch Zhan Feiyu at all. Furthermore, after all the commotion, the drastically thinner Chen Fatty was panting heavily. Another run and he would likely collapse from exhaustion.
His gaze swept sideways, and suddenly, Chen Fatty changed direction.
Before Zhan Feiyu could react, Chen Fatty grabbed Qi Heng by the collar and swiftly swept the dagger across his neck.
Frowning, Zhan Feiyu felt a pang of annoyance. She had been so focused on dodging that she had forgotten to tell Qi Heng to run.
"Run, keep running!" Chen Fatty laughed triumphantly.
Finally gaining the upper hand, Chen Fatty roared at Zhan Feiyu with arrogance, "You damned girl, come here immediately, or I'll kill this fatty! This fatty is going to die in your place. Zhan Feiyu, you'll have a life on your conscience, how will you take the imperial examinations then?"
Qi Heng came from a wealthy family, with loving elders and a harmonious sibling relationship. After studying at Qingya Academy, Tutor Ming valued him, and his classmates in Class A all looked up to him. Qi Heng had never encountered such a perilous situation in his life. He had been stunned just now, which was why he had forgotten to escape.
"Little Yu, you..." Qi Heng's voice trembled. The sharp dagger pressed against his neck, and the piercing pain made his face pale. He wanted to tell Zhan Feiyu not to come, that he was a man, and Little Yu was a girl, she shouldn't risk herself for him.
But in his extreme fear, Qi Heng opened his mouth, but no words came out. He could only watch helplessly as Zhan Feiyu walked closer step by step.
Compared to Qi Heng's panic and fear, Zhan Feiyu glanced out the window and stopped about ten paces away from Chen Fatty. "The wronged have their heads, the debtors have their masters. I am here. Do you still dare to kill me?"
"Haha, I won't kill you! I want you to have nothing, just like me!" Chen Fatty's laughter was sinister, his contorted face filled with madness. Wielding the dagger, he shouted, "I will ruin your face! One cut after another! Zhan Feiyu, once you become an ugly monster, how will you take the imperial examinations? How will you get married in the future!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Fatty unleashed an unprecedented burst of strength. He suddenly grabbed Qi Heng and hurled him towards Zhan Feiyu, then lunged forward, dagger clenched.
Unfortunately, as Chen Fatty planned, before he could reach Zhan Feiyu, Yin Wuyan, who had flown in through the window, kicked him away.
Chong Guang also caught Qi Heng, who was thrown through the air, at the same time.
"Big brother, I feel like he's a bit off," Zhan Feiyu said, walking up to Yin Wuyan as if nothing had happened. Looking at Chen Fatty, who had smashed into a table and fallen to the ground, she noted that he had seemed like a madman just now, his eyes too ferocious and twisted.
Yin Wuyan stroked Zhan Feiyu's head, his icy gaze fixed on the writhing Chen Fatty. "Chong Guang, send this person to the yamen."
"Yes," Chong Guang said, putting down Qi Heng, who was still too scared to recover. His own Seventh Master was quite ruthless, deliberately scaring the chubby boy. After this incident, what face would the chubby boy have to get close to Little Yu?
Qi Heng, who had landed safely, leaned against the table behind him to steady himself. Seeing Chen Fatty being grabbed by Chong Guang, and recalling the scene just now, the fear subsided, replaced by shame and self-reproach.
Zhan Feiyu looked at the dazed Qi Heng with concern. "Qi Heng, are you alright? Are you injured?"
"I..." Meeting Zhan Feiyu's concerned gaze, Qi Heng shook his head, overcome with shame. He had almost harmed Little Yu!
At this moment, Yin Wuyan also glanced at Qi Heng. His expression was indifferent, neither mocking nor sympathetic, which instead brought tears to Qi Heng's eyes. "Useless scholars!"
A moment later.
As soon as Constable Geng received the news, he rushed to Li Ji with his constables. To his surprise, the assailant, Chen Fatty, had already been apprehended.
"Miss Zhan, are you alright?" Constable Geng glanced at Chen Fatty, who was lying on the ground, thrown there by Chong Guang.
"A scare, but no harm done," Zhan Feiyu replied with a smile. Fortunately, she had eaten most of her meal, otherwise, she would have to wait until her next visit to Nanxuan Prefecture to enjoy Li Ji's gourd chicken.
Held down by two constables, Chen Fatty finally realized that he was about to face imprisonment. In his fear, he struggled frantically, roaring hoarsely, "Let me go! The First Prince is my cousin! You lowly peasants dare to arrest me, do you fear being beheaded and having your entire clan exterminated..."
Chong Guang picked at his ear. This Chen Fatty was screaming like a slaughtered pig, truly too noisy. "Even the Son of Heaven breaks the law, he is punished the same as a commoner. I believe the First Prince, upon learning that you committed assault in public, will surely uphold justice and eliminate family ties. Originally, you would only be exiled three thousand li, but daring to implicate the First Prince will likely result in immediate execution."
The shouting Chen Fatty suddenly fell silent. Even if he were stupid, he came from the Chen family. He naturally knew that Chong Guang's words were not alarmist. The First Prince's maternal relatives could not have such a scoundrel among them. Therefore, he had only a dead end, because as long as he lived, he would be a stain on the First Prince.
Likely realizing that death was inevitable, Chen Fatty lost all his previous madness and arrogance, slumping to the ground like a puddle of mud.
Seeing Zhan Feiyu suddenly walk over, Chen Fatty looked up blankly, but stubbornly uttered a threat, "I won't let you go even as a ghost!"
The two constables beside him tensed, fearing that Chen Fatty might suddenly attack Zhan Feiyu. She was the top scholar of the prefectural examination and was highly regarded by Prefect Zhang.
Qi Heng also looked at Zhan Feiyu anxiously, wanting to stop her from approaching Chen Fatty.
"Little Yu, what do you want to ask?" Chong Guang asked with a smile. Not to mention that Chen Fatty was now shackled, and with Seventh Master present, did Chen Fatty still think he could harm someone?
Stopping a few steps away, Zhan Feiyu examined Chen Fatty and asked earnestly, "How did you lose weight?"
She herself was quite plump now, and Zhan Feiyu estimated that she might slim down after growing taller, but she worried about gaining weight again in middle age.
Uh... Not only was Chen Fatty stunned by the question, but Chong Guang and Constable Geng also looked at Zhan Feiyu speechlessly. It would have been better for her to kick Chen Fatty a couple of times than to ask this. Did the top scholar of the prefectural examination have a different kind of brain than ordinary people?
A smile flashed in Yin Wuyan's narrow phoenix eyes. It seemed the young lady, besides loving to study, also cared about her appearance. Thinking of this, Yin Wuyan decided to have the jewelry in the treasury made into ornaments and sent over, along with more clothes.
"Head, something's happened!" Suddenly, Wang Shan ran over with a panicked expression. Upon seeing Zhan Feiyu and the others, the words he was about to speak were swallowed back.
Wang Shan was in charge of the prefectural yamen's prison. When he said something had happened, Constable Geng immediately thought it was a problem with the detained prisoners.
Chong Guang glanced at Constable Geng and Wang Shan, who were talking in low voices nearby. With his excellent hearing, Chong Guang's expression turned surprised as he listened.
Zhan Feiyu looked curiously, but in the end, she could only tug at Yin Wuyan's sleeve. "Big brother?"
"Kou Yuanxing committed suicide by dashing his head against the wall in the prison. He left behind a blood-soaked letter," Yin Wuyan said in a low voice. Seeing Zhan Feiyu's suddenly solemn expression, he couldn't help but comfort her by stroking her head. "Don't overthink it. This matter has nothing to do with you."
Kou Yuanxing's death was more related to Prefect Zhang. He had previously accused Prefect Zhang of corruption in the imperial examinations. Now that the man was dead, this smear would fall upon Prefect Zhang. Even if he were innocent, forcing a scholar to his death would also damage Prefect Zhang's reputation.
Zhan Feiyu couldn't help but recall the scene of Tutor Xiao visiting her at Donghu Inn. "When I took my leave before, I mentioned this matter to Lord Zhang. Lord Zhang will not pursue it. Perhaps Kou Yuanxing did not commit suicide."
Qi Heng, standing close by, naturally overheard the conversation between Zhan Feiyu and Yin Wuyan. Qi Heng's face turned ashen. He raised his hand and touched his neck. Kou Yuanxing was dead just like that?