They would reach the capital tomorrow. Meng Ruyi stared at the bed curtain, finding it hard to fall asleep. The summer breeze was slightly warm, carrying the lingering heat of the day and stirring up a sense of restlessness in her heart.
She tossed and turned but still couldn't sleep.
She let out a long sigh and simply pretended to be in a daze while actually looking at the comments on the live - stream.
[Wow, we're going to the capital tomorrow! Yu Yu is so nervous that she can't sleep.]
[It feels like sending a grown - up daughter to the battlefield. I'm so sad. I wonder when Yu Yu and Young Master Song will finish their business.]
[The capital is really bustling now. Are Shangguan Xue and the others going to the academy?]
[What a coincidence. They'll run into Yu Yu and the others. It's so strange. Why are they going to the academy?]
[Shangguan Xue might be trying to avoid the Crown Prince. There's another male protagonist in the academy.]
[Oh, it seems the Crown Prince's forced love isn't very successful. Laugh out loud. It seems gentle men are more popular these days. Look how smoothly things are going for Young Master Song, unlike the Crown Prince who resorts to coercion. His wife is about to run away.]
Meng Ruyi: "..." It's really amazing. The capital must be quite lively.
The social atmosphere of this dynasty was more open than that of the previous one. So in the White Deer Academy, there were male students, and there was also a special area for the daughters of noble families to study.
Most of these girls came from prominent families and were quite learned. Therefore, noble families often sent their daughters there to make connections and earn a good reputation for their future marriages.
Shangguan Xue was the daughter of the Shangguan family, which was renowned for its literary heritage. So there was no shortage of good teachers at home, and Shangguan Xue never went to the academy.
It seemed that the Crown Prince, one of the male protagonists, had really pushed her and the Shangguan family too far this time, which led to this decision.
She just didn't know why the Shangguan family, which had been on good terms with the Crown Prince not long ago, now seemed to be on bad terms with him.
Meng Ruyi fell into deep thought.
As she thought, a wave of drowsiness came over her. Without further struggle, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
...
In the distance, there was a long queue at the city gate. One could feel the excitement even from afar.
Meng Ruyi and the others were going to the academy first, so they bypassed the gate and continued on their way.
The academy was located at the foot of a small mountain on the outskirts of the capital, not far from the city. It would take about two hours to get there by carriage.
Meng Ruyi covered her pounding heart and lifted the curtain of the carriage with anticipation, looking out of the window.
Soon, she saw several people standing under the trees beside the official road. When they saw Meng Ruyi's carriage, a middle - aged man in cyan clothes stepped forward and asked, "Are you Miss Meng and Young Master Song?"
"Stop."
Song Huaizhi said to the coachman, then dismounted and said, "I'm Song Huaizhi. Miss Meng is in the carriage. May I ask if you were sent by Mr. Lin?"
"Ah!" The man was overjoyed and quickly bowed with clasped hands. "Young Master Song and Miss Meng have finally arrived. Mr. Lin has been looking forward to your arrival for a long time. Since he received the letter, he has sent people to wait here on the roadside for fear that you might not be able to find the place."
"Come on, I'll lead the way." The man said with a hearty smile. "I'm Lin Fu, Mr. Lin's reading attendant. You can just call me by my name."
"Mr. Lin Fu." Meng Ruyi said, lifting the curtain and smiling. "You're too kind. I'm so sorry that you've been waiting for us for so long."
Hearing Meng Ruyi's politeness, Lin Fu's smile grew wider. "You're too kind, Miss. Come on! I have to take you to Mr. Lin quickly. Otherwise, Mr. Lin has been talking about you every day. If he doesn't see you soon, he'll be anxious."
After saying that, he mounted his horse and rode beside Song Huaizhi.
Lin Fu was talkative but very cautious in his words. He had served Mr. Lin for many years and knew a lot, so he treated Song Huaizhi and Meng Ruyi with extra caution.
However, the young attendants following him were a bit more curious. Their eyes couldn't hide their curiosity as they sized up the two.
One of the young attendants met Meng Ruyi's eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then his face flushed red. He dodged his eyes and nodded at Meng Ruyi as a greeting.
Meng Ruyi smiled, and the young attendant almost fell off his horse.
Forget it. She'd better stop looking out.
Seeing the young attendant so shy, another attendant leaned over and joked, "I've never seen you so shy. You've served Mr. Lin for so many years."
"That... that's different." The young attendant's ears were red, and his voice trembled. "She's Miss Meng, Mr. Lin's disciple. Moreover... moreover..."
He couldn't finish his sentence, and his face became even redder.
The other attendant laughed so hard that he almost fell off his horse. "Miss Meng is really extraordinary. Her talent and beauty are rare in the world."
Sitting in the carriage, Meng Ruyi didn't show much emotion, but there was a thoughtful look on her face.
It seemed that these people respected and admired Mr. Lin more than she had expected. Without seeing her show any talent, they assumed that she was learned just because they knew she was Mr. Lin's disciple.
They didn't question her but directly recognized her. It was really rare.
After a while, Meng Ruyi heard Song Huaizhi say, "Yu Yu, we're here."
The carriage slowly stopped. Meng Ruyi dismounted and saw a simple wooden gate in front of her.
There was a plaque on the gate with four big characters engraved on it - White Deer Academy.
It was more low - key than she had imagined. The lush green branches beside it were almost covering the four characters, showing a rare sense of naturalness.
Seeing that Meng Ruyi and the others remained calm, Lin Fu couldn't help showing a bit of appreciation. He said to them, "Your attendants can follow them later."
He pointed at the younger ones and continued, "You two come with me."
"As for Young Master Tang."
His eyes fell on Tang Xiyi. Although his face still carried a smile, his eyes were as deep as ink, which made Tang Xiyi feel a bit pressured for no reason. "You can go to the guest - reception area of the academy to rest first."
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Lin Fu."
Tang Xiyi also addressed him like Meng Ruyi did. There was a look of relief on his face.
Finally, he could enter the academy. He had been rejected many times before. It seemed that Song Huaizhi and Meng Ruyi were really extraordinary.
At this time, Meng Ruyi had walked up to them. Lin Fu bowed to her and then smiled. "You two follow me."
With that, he pushed open the wooden gate.
Inside the gate was a hidden wonderland. There were many small courtyards built along the mountain, and there were students passing by in a hurry. When they saw Lin Fu, they bowed to him. When they saw Meng Ruyi and Song Huaizhi, they all showed curiosity and couldn't help whispering to each other.
Meng Ruyi felt a bit nervous for the first time. She subconsciously reached out and rubbed the brocade bag on her waist, then turned to look at Song Huaizhi.
Sure enough, Brother Song was as calm as ever.
Seeing Song Huaizhi's calm face, Meng Ruyi couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.