The courtyard was deep and winding, making it easy to lose oneself in this vast garden.
Cui Xiaoxin's courtyard lay deep within the gardens of the Cui residence. She liked peace and quiet. Back when her father and her uncles had been locked in fierce contention, her youngest aunt had taken her away to Jiangnan. Several years had passed. When she returned, the little courtyard remained the same, but the scenery before her had grown strange.
The morning glories that had been so tender when she planted them had already covered the courtyard walls, while the Tiandu Cherry she had planted with her own hands had grown taller than a person. Its purple blossoms bloomed in dazzling profusion, making her, a flower lover, long to reach out and caress every petal.
When she had planted it, her thoughts had been pure. She had never imagined it would bring her the feelings she now experienced.
"Xiao Xin—Xiao Xin—" A familiar voice rang out, followed by a flurry of hurried footsteps.
Cui Xiaoxin turned to look at her cousin, Yan Xiangma, running toward her with great strides. "Cousin, why are you in such a hurry? Has something happened?"
"This is bad. Li Mu Yang came in first." Yan Xiangma ran up beside Cui Xiaoxin and shouted.
"What?" Cui Xiaoxin asked, her face full of confusion. "First in what?"
"Li Mu Yang! That brat actually came first in the Literary Examination—the top scholar in the entire Xifeng Empire. How is that possible?"
Cui Xiaoxin looked stunned, then gradually relaxed. A smile slowly blossomed across her face. "I should have guessed."
"Guessed what?"
"If he could answer a question, then his answer was certain to be correct. This year's major examination was very difficult, and many of the questions happened to be ones I