Trouble was coming!
It wasn't that Li Mu Yang possessed the ability to see straight through the goodness or wickedness in people's hearts. Deep down, he simply felt that there was no reason for such a handsome, suave, and elegant young gentleman to take the initiative to strike up a conversation with a nobody like him, right?
He must have ulterior motives.
See? What an adorably modest and self-abasing little boy Li Mu Yang was.
Li Mu Yang widened his eyes and sized up the other man. He was dressed in a black silk changshan, waving a folding fan in his hand, with an extremely amiable smile on his face.
Li Mu Yang took to him at once and said, "I don't think so."
Yan Xiangma's expression froze for a moment. Then, with a pop, he closed the paper fan and placed it in his palm, lightly tapping it against his hand as he studied Li Mu Yang with great interest. "The more books you read, the broader your horizons become, and the bigger your heart grows. You want more and more, and people's hearts become increasingly greedy—if that's the case, isn't it a very dangerous thing?"
"Reading can also be for understanding reason and law, revering virtue and pursuing goodness, and nurturing a spirit of righteousness." Li Mu Yang argued his case. "Why are the barbarian lands constantly drenched in blood? Why do battles rage without end across the frontier deserts? It's because those barbarians and herdsmen read too little. They have no way to understand reason and law, revere virtue, and pursue goodness. If every one of them read books, where would they find the time to fight and kill?"
Yan Xiangma shook his head. With a thoughtful look, he studied Li Mu Yang and said, "That's not right."
"What's not right?"
"I sent someone to ask around. Everyone said you were an idiot." Yan Xiangma shook his head. "But I don't think you're stupid. On the contrary, you're smarter than many people I've met."
"I am an idiot." Li Mu Yang said. "I come in dead last in the whole school every time I take an exam."
"No, no, no. There must be some other reason behind that." Yan Xiangma rejected Li Mu Yang's foolish assertion that he was a fool. "But it's good to be smart. I like speaking with smart people. Smart people understand both matters and words. Don't you agree?"
Li Mu Yang knew they had finally reached the main subject. Casually flipping through the copy of On Strengthening the Army in his hand, he said, "That depends on what words and what matters we're talking about."
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself—" With a snap, Yan Xiangma opened his folding fan and said to Li Mu Yang, "I'm Yan Xiangma, Cui Xiaoxin's cousin."
Li Mu Yang immediately became enthusiastic. He closed the book in his hands and respectfully called out, "Cousin, so it's you? Come, come, come—follow me home for tea. My house is right at the entrance to the lane ahead. It's only a few steps away—"
As he spoke, he grabbed Yan Xiangma by the sleeve and prepared to head home.
"Wait, wait, wait—" Yan Xiangma shook off Li Mu Yang's black hand as it tugged at him and said angrily, "What are you doing? Who said we were that familiar?"
"Cousin, you don't know this, but Cui Xiaoxin and I are classmates, and we're also very good friends. Cui Xiaoxin's cousin is naturally my cousin too. Since you've already come to our doorstep, if I don't invite you back for a cup of tea, Xiaoxin will be angry when she finds out, and my parents will blame me for lacking manners. Cousin, come home with me. It's hot out here, and my family has watermelon chilled in well water to quench your thirst."
As he spoke, Li Mu Yang reached out again to grab Yan Xiangma by the wrist.
"How dare you!" Yan Xiangma grew frantic. "I'm warning you, don't get handsy! I hate it when people grab and tug at my clothes—let go of me! I said let go of me, damn it!"
At the Li residence, Li Mu Yang and Yan Xiangma sat beneath the grapevine in the courtyard, eating watermelon.
The watermelon had been soaked for several hours in cold water from a deep well, and every inch of it radiated a refreshing chill. In the sweltering summer heat, eating it made every hair on one's body feel as though it had stood straight up.
Yan Xiangma ate three large slices of watermelon in one breath. When Li Mu Yang brought over a fourth, he finally waved his hand and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his mouth. "I'm done. If I eat any more, my stomach's going to burst."
Li Mu Yang had also eaten three slices, but he had no habit of carrying a handkerchief with him, so he could only run off to draw a bucket of well water and wash his hands.
Li Mu Yang did not brew tea. Drinking hot tea immediately after eating chilled watermelon was bad for the body.
He sat on the stone stool opposite Yan Xiangma and said with a smile, "Cousin, what brought you to Hubu Lane? Is there something you need to take care of?"
"No. I came specifically for you." Yan Xiangma looked thoroughly satisfied. Li Mu Yang's watermelon had pleased him greatly; even at home, he had never eaten watermelon this sweet.
"What business does Cousin have with me?" Li Mu Yang asked.
Yan Xiangma took a box from his robes and handed it over. Li Mu Yang did not accept it and asked, "What is this?"
Yan Xiangma placed the box on the stone table and gently pushed it toward Li Mu Yang. "Open it and have a look."
Li Mu Yang made no move to touch the exquisite, antique-looking box. He shook his head with a smile. "One should not accept a reward without earning it. This is the first time I've met Cousin, so I don't understand why you would give me such a generous gift."
"At my mother's request, I've come to thank you for risking your life to save my cousin." Yan Xiangma wore a face full of smiles. He was astonished that Li Mu Yang had remained unmoved by the jewelry he had presented, not even opening the box to take a glance. He had looked around the Li residence. Although it did not appear impoverished, it could certainly not be called wealthy. The family ran a small pastry shop, which could only cover their basic living expenses. Surely a child raised in such a household would have an unimaginable longing for money and valuables, wouldn't he?
"My cousin was ambushed at the Beast-Faced Pavilion. It was thanks to you, Mu Yang, that she was saved. If you hadn't held off the assassin for that brief moment, our servants might not have arrived in time to rescue her. Our family has never had the habit of owing others anything. So please, you must accept this modest gift."
Li Mu Yang shook his head. "Cousin, now that you've put it that way, I certainly can't accept it."
Yan Xiangma gently waved his folding fan. "Oh? What's the reason? Let me hear it."
"It's true that Xiao Xin is your cousin, but she's also my classmate and friend. The reason we appeared at the Beast-Faced Pavilion was that Xiao Xin spoke up for me when I was being bullied. In her anger, she left school with me."
"Besides, what we were discussing at the Beast-Faced Pavilion was also for the sake of my tutoring. The Literary Examination was approaching, yet at such a crucial time, Xiao Xin was willing to set aside her own revision to tutor me. I'll remember that kindness for the rest of my life—"
"When the assassin attacked, it happened suddenly, and I had no time to prepare. But whether as Xiao Xin's classmate and friend, or as the only male companion at her side, I had the responsibility and duty to rush forward and protect her. So I can't accept this gift. I only did what I should have done."
Yan Xiangma wore the same carefree smile throughout, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Li Mu Yang's gaze.
While speaking, Li Mu Yang's eyes had not wavered, nor had there been the slightest trace of fear or guilt in them. If he was not some great villain adept at hiding his nature, then it proved that these words truly reflected what he thought in his heart.
"Now that you put it that way, I feel this gift-giving really is too vulgar—vulgar beyond words." Yan Xiangma shook his head and sighed.
"Cousin, you can't put it that way." Li Mu Yang hurriedly stopped him. "Anyone can see that you come from a wealthy family. Wealthy families have their own rules and pride. You sent a generous gift to thank me because your family knows how to repay kindness. But from my position, I absolutely cannot accept it."
"Mm. If you won't accept it, then so be it." Yan Xiangma took the box back and tucked it into his robes. "Then let's continue discussing the matter at hand."
"Please, Cousin."
"I just saw you reading in the library. How has your revision been going lately?" Yan Xiangma asked with a smile. He was always smiling, and his smile was exceptionally attractive. It truly made it easy for people to take a liking to him.
"I'm working hard." Li Mu Yang answered seriously. "The more I master, the greater my hope."
"That didn't answer my question." Yan Xiangma said. "Let me ask in a more direct way—do you think you have any hope of getting into a prestigious university?"
"I'm giving it everything I've got. As for whether I can get into a prestigious university, that will be up to fate."
"That's far too uncertain. Far too uncertain indeed. Judging by your tone, I'm afraid you don't have much confidence in getting in either. I looked into your grades. A top-tier prestigious university is truly rather distant from you." Yan Xiangma looked at Li Mu Yang with complete sincerity. "How about this? I'll promise you an admission letter from a prestigious university. Are you willing to accept it?"
Li Mu Yang's long eyelashes fluttered. "Are you serious?"
"Of course. Go out and ask around—when have I, Yan Xiangma, ever told a lie?"
"What do I need to give in return?"
"Nothing."
"Then I'll thank you in advance, Cousin." Li Mu Yang said happily, "Can you guarantee my admission to Xifeng University?"
Yan Xiangma's expression finally darkened. For the first time, he revealed such a cold and sharp look before Li Mu Yang.
"No." Yan Xiangma said coldly. "First, you can't possibly go to Xifeng University. For your own safety, I advise you not to go to Tiandu either. Rice is expensive in Tiandu, and I'm afraid you won't be able to support yourself there. Second, I can help you obtain an admission letter from Jiangnan University, and you may freely choose whichever major there best suits you. Jiangnan University is also one of the Empire's foremost institutions. I myself graduated from Jiangnan. Surely you won't look down on it?"
"But—" Yan Xiangma stared intently at Li Mu Yang. "Since you can already secure admission to Jiangnan University, there's no need for my cousin to spend any more time and effort tutoring you, is there?"
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