The Horse-Taming Shepherd!

They're not here with good intentions!

It wasn't that Li Mu Yang had the ability to see into people's hearts, but rather that deep down, he felt there was no reason for such a handsome, suave, and distinguished young gentleman to approach and strike up a conversation with a nobody like himself.

He must have an ulterior motive.

See, Li Mu Yang was such a humble and endearingly insecure young man.

Li Mu Yang widened his eyes and sized up the other person. He was wearing a black silk gown, fanning himself with a folding fan, and a friendly smile graced his face.

Li Mu Yang instantly took a liking to him and said, "I don't think so."

Yan Xiangma's expression flickered for a moment, then he 'poofed' his paper fan shut, resting it in his palm and lightly tapping it. He looked at Li Mu Yang with interest and said, "When one reads more, their horizons broaden, their hearts grow larger, and they want more and more. Does that not make their hearts increasingly greedy—if that's the case, isn't it a dangerous thing?"

"Reading can also be for understanding principles and laws, for cultivating virtue and goodness, and for nurturing a righteous spirit," Li Mu Yang argued logically. "Why is there constant slaughter in the wild lands? Why are the border deserts filled with endless battles? It's precisely because those barbarians and herders read too little, and cannot understand principles, know laws, cultivate virtue, or do good. If everyone read, where would they have the time to fight and kill?"

Yan Xiangma shook his head, looking thoughtfully at Li Mu Yang, and said, "That's not right."

"What's not right?"

"I had someone inquire about you, and everyone said you were an idiot," Yan Xiangma said, shaking his head. "But I don't think you're an idiot. On the contrary, you're smarter than many people I've met."

"I am an idiot," Li Mu Yang said. "I always come in last place in every exam at school."

"No, no, no, there must be some other reason for this," Yan Xiangma dismissed Li Mu Yang's foolish assertion that he was a simpleton. "However, it's good to be smart; I like to converse with smart people. Smart people are sensible and understand what you're saying, don't you think?"

Li Mu Yang knew they were finally getting to the point. He casually flipped through a copy of "On Strengthening the Army" in his hand and said, "That depends on what is being said and what is being done."

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself—" Yan Xiangma 'pa'-ed his folding fan open and said to Li Mu Yang, "Yan Xiangma, Cui Xiaoxin's cousin."

Li Mu Yang suddenly became enthusiastic, closed the book in his hand, and respectfully exclaimed, "Cousin, it's you? Come, come, come, let's go to my place for some tea. My home is just at the entrance of the alley ahead, only a few steps away—"

Saying this, he grabbed Yan Xiangma's sleeve, ready to take him home.

"Wait, wait, wait—" Yan Xiangma shook off Li Mu Yang's grasping hand and said angrily, "What are you doing? Who do you think you are, getting so familiar with me?"

"Cousin, you don't know, but Cui Xiaoxin and I are classmates and very good friends. Cui Xiaoxin's cousin is naturally my cousin too. Since Cousin has already arrived at our doorstep, if I don't invite you in for a cup of tea, Xiaoxin will be angry when she finds out, and my parents will also blame me for not being polite—Cousin, please come back with me. It's hot here, and my family has watermelon chilled with well water to quench your thirst."

As he spoke, Li Mu Yang reached out again to grab Yan Xiangma's wrist.

"Presumptuous!" Yan Xiangma became agitated and said, "I'm telling you, don't get handsy with me. I hate it when people grab my clothes the most—Let go of me, damn it, I said let go of me—"

At the Li family home, Li Mu Yang and Yan Xiangma were sitting under the grapevines in the courtyard, eating watermelon.

The watermelon had been soaked in cold water from the deep well for several hours, emanating a coolness from the inside out. On this sweltering summer day, eating it made every single hair on one's body stand on end.

Yan Xiangma ate three large slices of watermelon in one go. When Li Mu Yang offered him a fourth slice, he finally waved his hand, took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his mouth, and said, "I'm not eating anymore. If I eat any more, my stomach will burst."

Li Mu Yang had also eaten three slices of watermelon, but he didn't have the habit of carrying a handkerchief, so he had to run and get a bucket of well water to wash his hands.

Li Mu Yang didn't make tea; drinking hot tea immediately after eating frozen watermelon was not good for the body.

He sat on a stone stool opposite Yan Xiangma and smiled, saying, "Cousin, how did you end up in Hubu Alley? Is there something you need to handle?"

"No, I came specifically for you," Yan Xiangma said, looking very satisfied. Li Mu Yang's watermelon had pleased him greatly; he hadn't eaten such sweet watermelon at home.

"What do you need me for, Cousin?" Li Mu Yang asked.

Yan Xiangma took a box out of his embrace and handed it over. Li Mu Yang didn't take it and asked, "What is this?"

Yan Xiangma placed the box on the stone table and gently pushed it in Li Mu Yang's direction, saying, "Open it and see."

Li Mu Yang didn't reach out to touch the exquisite and classical box, shaking his head with a smile. "One should not accept gifts without merit. This is the first time I'm meeting Cousin, and I don't understand why Cousin would give me such a grand gift?"

"My mother entrusted me with this to thank you for risking your life to save my cousin." Yan Xiangma said with a smile. Li Mu Yang's indifference to the jewelry he had gifted, not even opening it to look, greatly astonished him. He had surveyed the Li family's surroundings; although it didn't appear impoverished, it certainly couldn't be called wealthy. Their family ran a small pastry shop, which could only cover their basic living expenses. A child raised in such a family, wouldn't they have an unimaginable craving for money and valuables?

"At that time, my cousin was attacked at the Beast-Faced Pavilion, and it was thanks to classmate Mu Yang's intervention that she was saved. If you hadn't held back the assassin for that moment, I'm afraid the servants wouldn't have arrived in time to rescue her—Our family doesn't have the habit of owing anyone anything. Therefore, please accept this small token of our gratitude."

Li Mu Yang shook his head and said, "If Cousin says it like that, then I cannot accept this gift even more."

Yan Xiangma gently waved his folding fan and said, "Oh? What's the reason? Tell me about it."

"Classmate Xiaoxin is your cousin, that's true, but she is also my classmate and friend. The reason we were at the Beast-Faced Pavilion at that time was because classmate Xiaoxin spoke up for me righteously when I was being bullied, and in her anger, she left the school with me."

"Moreover, the matter we were discussing at the Beast-Faced Pavilion was about my tutoring. With the written exams approaching, at such a critical juncture, the fact that Xiaoxin was willing to put aside her own revision to help me with my studies—this kindness is something I will remember for a lifetime—"

"At that time, the assassin attacked, and it happened so suddenly that I had no time to prepare. However, whether as Xiaoxin's classmate and friend, or as the only male companion by her side, I had the responsibility and obligation to rush forward and protect her. Therefore, I cannot accept this gift; I merely did what I should have done."

Yan Xiangma maintained a calm and gentle smile, his eyes fixed on Li Mu Yang's gaze without blinking.

When he spoke these words, his eyes did not waver, nor was there the slightest hint of timidity or guilt. If this person were not a cunning villain adept at hiding his true nature, then it would prove that his words were indeed his genuine thoughts.

"Hearing you say that, I actually feel that the act of giving gifts is too vulgar, unbearably vulgar," Yan Xiangma sighed and shook his head.

"Cousin, you can't say that," Li Mu Yang quickly interjected. "Cousin, you clearly come from a prominent family, and prominent families have their own rules and pride. You are sending a generous gift to express your gratitude, which is your way of repaying kindness. However, from my perspective, I absolutely cannot accept this gift."

"Hmm. If you don't accept it, then you don't accept it," Yan Xiangma retracted the box and tucked it into his pocket. "Then, let's continue with the next matter."

"Please, Cousin, go ahead."

"I saw you in the library earlier, how is your revision going lately?" Yan Xiangma asked with a smile. He was always smiling, and his smile was very pleasant. It was truly easy to develop a good impression of him.

"I am working hard," Li Mu Yang replied earnestly. "The more I master, the more hope I have."

"You haven't answered my question," Yan Xiangma said. "Then let me ask in a more direct way—do you think you have a chance of getting into a prestigious university?"

"I am giving it my all. As for whether I can get into a prestigious university, that is up to fate."

"It's too uncertain. It's really too uncertain. From your tone, it seems you don't have much confidence in getting in. I've looked at your grades, and a first-tier prestigious university is indeed quite a stretch for you," Yan Xiangma said, looking at Li Mu Yang with sincere eyes. "How about this? I can offer you an admission notice to a prestigious university, are you willing to accept it?"

Li Mu Yang's long eyelashes fluttered as he asked, "Is that true?"

"Of course. Go ask around, when has Yan Xiangma ever lied?"

"What do I need to pay?"

"Nothing at all."

"Then I'll thank you first, cousin," Li Mu Yang said happily. "Can you guarantee me a spot at Xifeng University?"

Yan Xiangma's expression finally darkened, and for the first time in front of Li Mu Yang, he revealed such a stern and sharp demeanor.

"No," Yan Xiangma said coldly. "Firstly, it's impossible for you to go to Xifeng University. For your own safety, I also advise you not to go to Tiandu. Tiandu is expensive, and I'm afraid you won't be able to support yourself there. Secondly, I can help you get an acceptance letter to Jiangnan University, and you can choose any major you like there—Jiangnan University is also a top-tier institution in the Empire, and I myself graduated from Jiangnan. I doubt you'll look down on that, will you?"

"However—" Yan Xiangma stared intently at Li Mu Yang and said, "Since you can already get a recommendation to Jiangnan University, then there's no need for your cousin to waste her time and effort tutoring you anymore, right?"