"Not being good enough for her"

"I've enjoyed chatting with you. You're welcome to visit anytime."

After signing the rental contract, the wealthy merchant's wife, Liu Hui, personally escorted Qin Yuan out of the residence and said with an elegant smile.

If I ever come back, I'll be asking for it!

Qin Yuan climbed into the carriage and left without looking back.

If this hadn't been the only place with an empty house, Qin Yuan wouldn't have come here.

Although he could stay in the Imperial Palace, he wanted to experience life as part of a group, studying alongside his fellow senior and junior brothers and sisters at the Calligraphy Saint Pavilion.

If his true identity were discovered, what kind of experience would that be? They'd all be sucking up and flattering him. It'd drive him crazy.

Besides, using Teleportation to get home every day was exhausting. He might as well live near the Calligraphy Saint Pavilion.

After renting the house, Qin Yuan didn't move in right away. Instead, he went to the Calligraphy Saint Pavilion to register as a disciple.

For now, he'd have White Butterfly and Red Moon, his two beautiful personal maids, clean the courtyard. Once he returned, he could move right in.

Becoming a disciple of the Calligraphy Saint Pavilion was simple. All you had to do was pay.

Ten Gold Soul Coins for an outer disciple, a hundred for an inner disciple, and a thousand for a core disciple.

To be honest, Qin Yuan was a little disappointed.

The dignified Calligraphy Saint was actually the sort to jump at the sight of money. Where was his pride?!

So vulgar! So damn vulgar!

So, in a fit of anger, Qin Yuan—

bought himself a position as a personal disciple for ten thousand Gold Soul Coins.

"Hahaha, splendid, splendid! You have good taste! From now on, you're my thirty-sixth personal disciple!"

The Calligraphy Saint, with white hair and beard and an air of otherworldly grace, laughed as he patted his wealthy new disciple on the shoulder.

"However, I have to go away tomorrow. I may not be back for a month."

The Calligraphy Saint continued:

"I'll have your Ninth Senior Sister teach you for a month. Her calligraphy has already reached the fifth stage, so teaching a newcomer like you will be a piece of cake."

After saying this, the Calligraphy Saint, once again looking like a carefree immortal, waggled his eyebrows at Qin Yuan with a lecherous grin.

"Heh heh, your Ninth Senior Sister is a great beauty, and the daughter of a noble Viscount, too. You're the best-looking young man I've ever seen. I have high hopes for you!"

Qin Yuan: "..."

"Teacher, you called for me?"

Just then, a gentle, melodious voice came from outside.

Qin Yuan turned around.

A beautiful young woman in a green dress walked in, her figure graceful and her skin as white as snow.

She gave the Calligraphy Saint a slight bow, then glanced at Qin Yuan.

With just one look, the young woman felt the whole room brighten. A flash of amazement passed through her eyes.

What a handsome young man.

"Qin Yuan, this is your Ninth Senior Sister, Mu Yao."

The Calligraphy Saint, having resumed his dignified, otherworldly bearing, introduced them. "Mu Yao, this is your thirty-sixth junior brother, Qin Yuan."

Then the Calligraphy Saint told Mu Yao to teach Qin Yuan.

Mu Yao agreed.

So Qin Yuan followed Mu Yao out.

They had barely made it halfway when a teasing voice suddenly came from the left. It was lilting and melodious, its bewitching tone making the listener's heart flutter.

"Hehehe, now this is a rare sight. Our beauty Mu Yao is walking so close to a man."

Footsteps approached. The owner of the bewitching voice came smiling up to them, eager to see which man it was.

Her alluring eyes swiveled.

She froze on the spot.

Her eyes seemed to see nothing but that young man.

He's exactly my type!

With just one glance, Wang Zuimo was certain.

In the brief three seconds she stood there dazed, she'd even decided what to name their children.

If it was a girl, First Meeting. If it was a boy, Encounter.

"Honestly, Zuimo, he's a new junior disciple. The teacher asked me to teach him for a month. Don't say things like that."

Mu Yao shook her head helplessly.

Wang Zuimo ignored her completely and went straight to Qin Yuan, grinning.

"Junior Brother, I'm Wang Zuimo, your senior sister. What's your name?"

"Hello, Senior Sister. I'm Qin Yuan," he replied.

Hmm... So the father of my children's surname is Qin.

"As your senior sister, it's my duty to teach my junior brother. I'll teach you together with Mu Yao!"

Wang Zuimo declared righteously, her charming face full of fanciful dreams, as if she'd sunk into some wonderful reverie.

"Uh, I don't mind," Qin Yuan said after a moment's hesitation.

Ah, this cursed good looks of mine.

Being too handsome was such a hassle.

Mu Yao eyed her close friend suspiciously from head to toe.

Something was off!

Nineteen out of twenty things about this were off!

Still, she didn't object. It was nice to have someone share the task.

And so the group grew to three: two great beauties and one handsome young man.

Along the way, Wang Zuimo kept finding things to talk about with Qin Yuan.

You could never know just how forward a woman could be.

Qin Yuan only responded politely, though. He had no intention of taking things further.

As if! Qian Renxue, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong—every one of them was a peerless beauty capable of toppling kingdoms. Why would he flirt with other women?

Besides, they weren't even as pretty as White Butterfly and Red Moon back at his courtyard.

Seeing that Qin Yuan wasn't interested in her, Wang Zuimo felt utterly defeated and dejected.

This made no sense. I'm so beautiful. Why isn't he reacting at all?

Suddenly, she whipped her head around to look at Mu Yao, who was pure and beautiful.

She suddenly understood.

No, no, no! It had taken her ages to finally meet someone she liked. Even her close friend was off-limits!

So she gave Qin Yuan a meaningful look and said:

"Junior Brother, you're not a noble, are you?"

"...No." Qin Yuan really wasn't a noble. He had no title.

Wang Zuimo breathed a sigh of relief and warned him:

"We commoners can't aspire to nobles. Don't go down the wrong path while you're still so young."

Qin Yuan stumbled, nearly falling over.

"W-what are you talking about?" Qin Yuan stared at Wang Zuimo, dumbfounded.

"You might not know yet, but Mu Yao is the daughter of a noble Viscount."

Wang Zuimo looked completely serious.

"She's beyond your reach. So, as your senior sister, I'm telling you to give up any ideas you shouldn't have."

You should think about me instead... Wang Zuimo silently added.

"Zuimo, what does being a noble matter? Here, we're all fellow disciples. There are no nobles."

Mu Yao glared at Wang Zuimo reproachfully, then turned to Qin Yuan.

"Junior Brother, don't listen to her nonsense. You don't have to worry about my noble status."

Then, after a moment's thought, she added, "However, it's best not to get involved with the other noble disciples here. They look down on commoners, so be careful they don't insult you for no reason.

Not every noble is as easy to get along with as I am."

Qin Yuan nodded without showing what he thought.

Mu Yao suddenly sighed. A trace of loneliness flashed in her eyes as she murmured self-mockingly:

"What does it matter if I'm a Viscount's daughter? I still can't choose the life I want, not even the person I'll spend my life with..."

Her voice cut off abruptly, and she didn't finish.

"Anyway, remember this: stay away from those noble disciples. They're people you can't afford to offend."

Mu Yao finished with a serious warning.

When she turned around, she saw Wang Zuimo gazing at her with an utterly resentful look.

It left her completely bewildered.

Wang Zuimo huffed and looked at Qin Yuan.

"Junior Brother, remember this: Mu Yao's a noble, and you're not good enough for her. Absolutely, positively, under no circumstances should you go down the wrong path."

"Oh?" Qin Yuan looked at Wang Zuimo with an amused smile.

"Then what's the right path?"