Hidden Jealousy

"Your Highness will get used to it."

Rong An pressed his lips together, the corners of his mouth curving faintly upward.

"If Your Highness doesn't go to the dining hall soon, I'm afraid you'll miss lunch."

"Huh?"

Zhao Huiluan hurried to the dining hall. Fortunately, Zhang Yunchi and Shen Zhiyun had already collected her meal for her.

"If I can't eat or sleep well here, I certainly won't last three days."

"That's why the vice director told us to come early and get everything ready for you."

As Zhao Huiluan and Shen Zhiyun passed through a corridor together, they heard Wen Nihe's arrogant voice again.

"Shen Zhiyao, I advise you to stay away from my brother! Don't think that just because you have a pretty face, you can dream of becoming my sister-in-law!"

"You should weigh yourself on the scales first. You're nothing but a miss from some insignificant branch of the Shen family. If it were Shen Zhiyun, a true-born miss of the Shen household, there might be some possibility."

A cold sneer rose to Shen Zhiyun's lips.

She was the granddaughter of the great scholar Shen Linfu. Shen Linfu had only two daughters. The elder had entered the palace as Consort Jing, while the younger was Shen Zhiyun's mother, who had taken a husband into the family. Thus, Shen Zhiyun was the only direct blood descendant of the Shen family.

Zhao Huiluan pulled her forward, just in time to see Wen Yan rush up with a dark look on his face.

"Wen Nihe, hold your tongue!"

He looked anxiously at Shen Zhiyao.

Shen Zhiyao ignored the apology in his eyes and said to Wen Nihe, "Miss Wen, you may insult me alone, and it would be of no consequence. But even your grandfather, the grand secretary of the Grand Secretariat, would not dare lightly disgrace the name of the Shen household."

"As for your brother..."

She lifted her brows slightly, her gaze sweeping over Wen Yan's face, her tone cool.

"I have never entertained the slightest desire for him. I hope you will keep your brother in hand, Miss Wen, and not let him disturb my peace."

"You!"

Wen Nihe flushed with anger and humiliation and was about to say more, but her brother shot her a fierce glare.

Wen Yan cupped his fists in apology to Shen Zhiyao. "I have failed to teach my sister properly. Please don't be angry, Miss Shen."

Shen Zhiyao couldn't be bothered to spare him a glance and walked straight away.

"Brother, I'm doing this for your own good."

Wen Nihe hurried after her brother.

"If Grandfather hadn't wanted me to keep an eye on your studies, I wouldn't have come to the Imperial College! And look at you: instead of studying, you've got women on your mind!"

"Before the New Year, Grandfather asked you to meet young ladies, and you looked down on all of them, no matter how fine their families were. Now you've taken a fancy to someone from a fallen family! How are you going to explain this to Grandfather?"

Chapter 23: Hidden Jealousy

Wen Yan stopped abruptly.

"Little sister, you needn't meddle in my affairs. If you don't want to stay at the Imperial College, I'll write home this very moment and have someone come take you back."

Wen Nihe had never seen her brother speak or look at her like this. She stood rooted to the spot, stunned and frightened.

Shen Zhiyun gave a cold snort and pulled Zhao Huiluan back toward the school quarters.

On the way, she told Zhao Huiluan about Shen Zhiyao and Wen Yan.

"On the day of the Lantern Festival, Sister Yao went to the temple to light ever-burning lamps for her late parents. Who would have thought Wen Yan would take one look at her and think he'd seen a heavenly immortal?"

"That shameless man followed her all the way to our Shen household and asked about her. The servants stopped him at the gate, and when he saw me come out to handle the matter, he had no choice but to entrust a jade pendant he'd found to me, asking me to return it to Sister Yao."

Zhao Huiluan raised a brow and asked with a smile, "Just to return a jade pendant? I don't believe it. Anyone with eyes can see what he feels for your Sister Yao."

"True enough. I'm not blind either."

"Later, I gave the jade pendant to Sister Yao, and she heard that the lecher was Grand Secretary Wen's grandson... Huh? The Hall of Exalted Literature?"

Shen Zhiyun's eyes lit up at the sight of the library. She hurried into the hall, covering three steps in two.

A major reason she had come to the Imperial College was the Hall of Exalted Literature, which held the greatest collection of books under heaven.

"Wanwan, you can't leave the story halfway through. You..."

Zhao Huiluan followed slowly behind her and stepped into the Hall of Exalted Literature. Before she had gone any farther, Shen Zhiyun suddenly turned back.

She covered Zhao Huiluan's eyes with one hand and gripped her arm with the other, leading her outside.

"There's nothing to see. Come on, let's go."

Zhao Huiluan caught a whiff of guilt in her behavior and chided her with a smile, "Why all the mystery? What is there that I can't see?"

She pulled Shen Zhiyun's hand down, and her smile froze on her face.

Between two rows of tall bookshelves, Rong An had one hand braced against a shelf and the other holding up a book that was about to fall from above, keeping it from hitting Shen Zhiyao, who stood before him.

Shen Zhiyao was looking up at Rong An with startled eyes, meeting his gaze.

Hearing the movement at the entrance, the two looked over together. When they saw Zhao Huiluan and Shen Zhiyun, they looked away again without a change of expression.

"Which one do you want?"

Rong An took down the stack of books that had nearly fallen. Shen Zhiyao gave him the title, and he glanced through the stack, pulled out a book, and handed it to her.

After receiving the book, Shen Zhiyao bowed to Rong An and took her leave. As she passed Zhao Huiluan, she bowed to her as well.

Rong An selected a few more books from the shelf, then turned to Zhao Huiluan.

"Your Highness."

"For me?"

Zhao Huiluan accepted them rather awkwardly, then heard him say, "If there is anything Your Highness doesn't understand..."

"I'll come to you for answers, Teacher."

Rong An was taken aback.

He had meant to say, "Your Highness can ask a professor or an assistant instructor, or Miss Shen will do as well." But seeing the young lady before him with her brows raised and a triumphant smile on her face, he nodded involuntarily.

"That will do too."

Shen Zhiyun quietly noticed the touch of indulgence in Rong An's nod and couldn't help wanting to laugh.

"Vice director, don't you have any books for me?"

Rong An lowered his head to sort the books.

"I have had the good fortune to read your poems and essays, Miss Shen, and admire them greatly. If there are any books in the Hall of Exalted Literature you wish to read, please help yourself."

Shen Zhiyun held back a laugh and returned to the school quarters with Zhao Huiluan.

The Imperial College held archery lessons on the first and fifteenth days of every month.

Zhang Yunchi hit the target with three arrows in a row. Assistant Instructor Ma, who was in charge of archery practice, was delighted and praised him repeatedly as a remarkable young man. He even asked him to help teach the other students.