Shang Qingzheng fled the Rain Listening Pavilion as though making her escape, flying all the way back to Dawn Rain Main Peak.
She rushed into the hall in one breath and sat down at her desk. Before she could even catch her breath, she hurriedly drew the cloth letter from her robes and began to read.
She did not want to lie, and Jiang Yang's letter had been weighing on her mind, so she had simply run off.
As for leaving Li Zhouying hanging, Shang Qingzheng decided she would give her a proper apology the next time they met.
Awakened by the commotion of Shang Qingzheng's arrival, Little Sixteen leaped onto the desk. Bracing her two soft, round paws against its surface, she stretched, then sidled up to Shang Qingzheng and rubbed against her sleeve.
Shang Qingzheng had no time for her, however. She swept her sleeve to push her away, then lowered her head to read the letter on the cloth again.
Naturally, the civet was furious at being neglected. Pretending not to care, she walked over to the brush rack, then suddenly extended a furry paw and gave it a gentle shove.
Clack!
With a soft clatter, the bamboo brush rack fell to the floor.
Shang Qingzheng paid it no heed. Instead, a faint smile appeared at the corners of her lips, while the lamplight outlined her graceful figure.
The cloth had curled, its surface covered in flowing lines of ink. Shang Qingzheng carefully smoothed it flat and read every word.
"A year has passed since we parted, and the fish and geese bearing our letters have been slow to return. By good fortune, I placed first in the Court Examination, yet fate is difficult to fathom. In the end, I did not enter True Person Dawn Rain's