Fang Yun glanced at the sky and said, "Go back to your room and sleep first. I'll call you after breakfast. I'm going back to the study to keep reading."
Zhang Jing'an froze, then asked in confusion, "It's almost dawn. You've been reading all this time without sleeping?"
"What's so strange about that?" With that, Fang Yun turned and walked toward the study.
Zhang Jing'an stood rooted to the spot and looked up at the sky. The east was pale blue-white, and the sun had yet to rise.
"Even a Hanlin Academician couldn't hear my footsteps in his sleep. I trained with Liang Feishou from South City for several months, after all. Looks like he really was reading the whole time. He didn't become a Hanlin Academician through luck," Zhang Jing'an muttered to himself.
After standing there for a moment, Zhang Jing'an looked back at the tightly shut gate, then sighed and trudged back with his head hanging.
"Liang Feishou said that once you've become a gentleman of the rafters, you have to admit defeat if you're caught. Forget it. I won't run today. Let's see what he can do to me!" Zhang Jing'an opened his mouth in a yawn and returned to his room to sleep.
Morning sunlight fell over the Pearl River Marquis Residence. One by one, people began going about their tasks, bringing life to the sprawling estate.
After breakfast, Fang Yun summoned Zhang Jing'an to the study.
Fang Yun sat in the chair behind the desk, his hands folded on its surface and his back against the chair. He gazed calmly at Zhang Jing'an, who stood before him, without the slightest emotion in his eyes.
Zhang Jing'an lifted his head slightly, putting on quite an imposing air, but his right hand, pinching the corner of his