"Impossible, absolutely impossible."
Lu Weishen lowered his gaze, muttering to himself as he retreated.
"Master, be careful!"
Seeing Lu Weishen backing towards the edge of the competition stage, his disciple rushed to support him, only to be forcefully shoved away the moment they touched.
"Impossible! I cannot lose. It must be you, you and Li Chonglou colluded!"
Lu Weishen abruptly turned and pointed at the central judge. The latter's brow furrowed, and he shouted, "Lu Weishen! Do you know what you are saying!"
"Hahaha, you can't fool me. It must be you colluding. How could I possibly lose? How could I possibly lose!"
Lu Weishen screamed hysterically, yelling at the central judge one moment and at Li Chonglou the next. His disciple couldn't even stop him.
The crowd below was stunned by Lu Weishen's frenzied state. No way, had he gone mad already?
Lin Zhendong sneered, "He's overwhelmed by anger. Extreme pride leads to a downfall. Of course, he's gone mad."
Yes, Lu Weishen had gone mad.
This was because the central judge had proven his innocence on the spot, publicly revealing the answer in his hand, which indeed differed from Lu Weishen's. Furthermore, it had been opened under everyone's watchful eyes, and everyone knew it couldn't be faked.
As for the stone tablet, other authoritative figures were invited to confirm it on the spot and were given time to consult data. In the end, they all agreed that the central judge's answer was correct.
This meant that Li Chonglou had won his victory with complete integrity.
And Lu Weishen, unable to accept defeat, had gone mad.
A competition of epic proportions concluded with a somewhat dramatic outcome.
Amidst murmurs and praise for Li Chonglou, the matter finally came to an end.
With his wish fulfilled, and bolstered by the New Year's festive atmosphere, Li Chonglou was in high spirits. He went to a restaurant to celebrate with his master, senior sisters, and others.
"You can finally rest easy now."
Jiang Yuxin held Li Chonglou's hand, genuinely happy for him. Although they had been together during this period, Jiang Yuxin occasionally noticed Li Chonglou's mind dwelling on the competition.
While not exactly worry, it was like a matter that had been lingering. Now that it had concluded perfectly, Jiang Yuxin was naturally happy for Li Chonglou.
Li Chonglou understood Jiang Yuxin's meaning, but with so many people present, he felt embarrassed to act on it. He could only blink his eyes repeatedly.
Jiang Yuxin shyly lowered her head. With so many people around, she truly feared Li Chonglou might do something reckless.
Soon, everyone spent the day in cheerful laughter.
The next morning, Li Chonglou's mother asked him to take Jiang Yuxin to visit some distant relatives living in Qin Zhou. Li Chonglou was initially worried that Jiang Yuxin's pregnancy might make long journeys inconvenient and wanted to decline, but surprisingly, Jiang Yuxin insisted on going herself.
"We are family now. Your relatives are my relatives. We absolutely must visit them, otherwise, who would know me?"
Clearly, the last part was the most important. When Jiang Yuxin said this, everyone burst into laughter.
Jiang Yuxin's mother added, "Our daughter is right. It should be like this. You must tell them that from now on, you will be the one in charge in the Li family."
Jiang Yuxin's mother deliberately raised her eyebrows as she spoke. Li Chonglou's mother laughed even harder and said, "It is Yuxin who is in charge. Son, isn't that right?"
Li Chonglou dared not say otherwise and quickly nodded in agreement, making Jiang Yuxin cover her mouth and giggle incessantly.
Happy days always pass quickly, and soon it was the Lantern Festival.
On this day, Li Chonglou specifically bought two sets of clothes as gifts for Jiang Yuxin. After having lunch with his family, Li Chonglou pulled Jiang Yuxin into the car.
"Where are you taking me?"
Li Chonglou smiled mysteriously, offering no explanation, and drove Jiang Yuxin towards the suburbs.
An hour later, they arrived at the foot of a mountain called Yue Lao Mountain.
"You're taking me hiking here?"
Li Chonglou shook his head and chuckled, "You don't need to climb. I'll carry you up. We'll watch the sunset together. I searched online for a long time; today is the day the sunset is most beautiful at Yue Lao Mountain."
Jiang Yuxin was taken aback and then moved, hugging Li Chonglou tightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and playfully jumped.
Li Chonglou quickly caught her.
"Let's go, I'm ready," Jiang Yuxin said slyly.
Li Chonglou grinned and carried Jiang Yuxin in a princess embrace all the way to the best spot for watching the sunset.
Upon reaching the location, Jiang Yuxin discovered there was another surprise.
There, not only were ninety-nine roses arranged in a heart shape, but there were also snacks and drinks, all her favorites that she could currently eat.
Jiang Yuxin, who had just gotten down, immediately turned to Li Chonglou and said sternly, "Quick, confess. Have you been fooling around somewhere?"
Li Chonglou looked bewildered and asked, "What?"
"Otherwise, where did you learn all this?"
Although Jiang Yuxin said this, her expression betrayed her. Li Chonglou rolled his eyes slightly, pulled her into his arms, and said gently.
"Before, it was because I didn't have the opportunity. From now on, I will only give you more and better."
Jiang Yuxin leaned into Li Chonglou's embrace and whispered, "I don't need more or better. I just want things to stay the same."
Li Chonglou said no more and kissed her.
Before long, the sun began to set. Its afterglow, falling upon the clouds, shimmered and surged in the sky like a golden ocean.
A few lines of birds flying in formation added a touch of vibrancy to the beautiful scenery.
The setting sun and lonely wild geese fly together; the autumn water merges with the vast sky into one color.
In this scene, both Jiang Yuxin and Li Chonglou felt as if they were melting into it. A sense of freedom from the depths of their beings filled their hearts.
"If only every day could be like this."
...
As night fell, although Li Chonglou had equipped Jiang Yuxin with thick clothes, the wind in the mountains was still exceptionally strong. So, Li Chonglou took Jiang Yuxin back.
As soon as they returned home, they smelled a fragrance.
"You're back! Come quickly and eat the tangyuan; they're just out of the pot."
Jiang Yuxin immediately responded cheerfully and ran to the table to sit down. Li Chonglou, after putting down what he was holding, went to the kitchen to help.
"Mom, I'll do it. You both go sit down."
Li Chonglou took the washed bowls and was about to serve the tangyuan when his mother asked, "Have you washed your hands?"
Li Chonglou froze and couldn't help but cough lightly, "Yes, I just washed them."
However, Jiang Yuxin mercilessly exposed him, "Mom, he's lying. He didn't wash his hands at all just now. I saw it."
Seeing his mother's face darken, Li Chonglou quickly put down the bowls and walked to the sink, saying, "I'll wash them now."
Jiang Yuxin, who was secretly giggling, received a tap on the head from her mother.
Then, the two women exchanged glances and both burst into laughter.