Just as the situation reached a stalemate, a young woman stormed in, her face flushed with anger.
"Mother! I forbid you from bringing that slut into this household!"
Chen Liangyu, disheartened by her failure in the examinations, returned home to find her father bedridden with anger. She then learned that her mother intended to formally welcome Mei Lan Gongzi from the Nuancao Pavilion into their home that very day.
However, upon entering, she discovered that all her classmates present wore expressions that shifted from outrage to utter bewilderment.
The sight of Nian Jiaojiao, seated amongst them, instantly made her feel so mortified she wished the ground would swallow her whole.
With a blush, she then said to Mother Chen:
"Mother, please come home with me. Father has fallen ill."
To her surprise, Mother Chen flatly refused:
"I'm not leaving. You don't need to worry about me."
Then, as if a thought had struck her, Mother Chen suddenly pointed at Nian Jiaojiao and asked Chen Liangyu:
"By the way, today's results were posted, and they say she's the top scorer? Liangyu, tell me, is that true?"
Chen Liangyu nodded with a grim expression.
But she hadn't forgotten her reason for barging in. She scanned her surroundings and quickly identified the "slut" she had mentioned.
She then pointed at Mei Lan and said:
"Is it him? Mother, don't you know that a whore is without loyalty and an actor is without feeling?"
Mother Chen immediately defended him:
"Liangyu, I won't allow you to speak about Mei Lan like that. He will be your father from now on."
Upon hearing this, Chen Liangyu felt her blood pressure begin to rise.
Although Nian Jiaojiao and Chen Liangyu were not on good terms, she now disagreed with Mother Chen's actions.
For allowing a scholar to acknowledge a man from a pleasure house as his father publicly not only trampled on Chen Liangyu's dignity but also damaged her reputation.
However, seeing Mother Chen's oblivious state, Nian Jiaojiao inwardly shook her head.
No matter who they were, having troublesome parents was truly pitiable.
Yet, Mei Lan did not accept Mother Chen's proposition and immediately stated his stance:
"Who wants to be a dad out of the blue?"
After speaking, he turned to Nian Jiaojiao and said coquettishly:
"Nian, the top scorer, you can't misunderstand him. His heart is entirely with you~~~~"
The drawn-out vibrato sent goosebumps all over Nian Jiaojiao. When she looked up, she saw Chen Liangyu pointing at her with trembling lips, saying:
"You, you, you... You're fighting my mother for a man!?"
Nian Jiaojiao did not answer Chen Liangyu's question, feeling a headache from the farce before her.
Unexpectedly, Chen Liangyu's words gave Mei Lan the illusion of "two women fighting over one man."
He feigned shyness, covering his mouth with a fan and saying:
"Oh dear, please don't fight... Mei Lan, Mei Lan can't handle it~"
Chen Liangyu's eyes widened as she pointed at Mei Lan:
"You came to the pleasure house just to fight over this? What right does he have!?"
Before the two women could speak, Mei Lan answered first.
Mei Lan puffed out his chest, twirling a lock of his hair with his right index finger, and said righteously:
"Because I'm seductive!"
...
When Nian Jiaojiao emerged from Nuancao Pavilion, the sky had already darkened. A crescent moon was obscured by thin clouds, and the uneven layers of clouds drifted uncertainly. The ground alternated between light and shadow, with the clouds casting deep silhouettes.
So many things had happened today, especially at Nuancao Pavilion, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted.
As Mei Lan Gongzi refused to leave with Mother Chen, Mother Chen had no choice but to reluctantly return home with Chen Liangyu.
Later, when Mei Lan Gongzi asked to accompany Nian Jiaojiao home, even offering to pay for his own emancipation, Nian Jiaojiao still refused him without hesitation.
After another struggle, Nian Jiaojiao finally managed to break free from Nuancao Pavilion.
Nian Residence.
The Courtyard.
By the pond in the courtyard, the drooping willow branches and gardenia flowers were bathed in the moonlit water. A gentle breeze blew, causing the flowers to sway lightly and the willow branches to brush softly. The faint fragrance was refreshing.
Four men sat neatly around the pond in the courtyard.
Nian Jiaojiao pushed open the door and entered. Four heads and four pairs of eyes simultaneously turned towards the newcomer.
Uh...
Seeing this scene, Nian Jiaojiao felt an inexplicable pressure and instinctively took two steps back.
"Wife, you got the top spot!"
Xingyun was the first to rush to Nian Jiaojiao's side.
Before leaving the academy, Nian Jiaojiao had sent someone home to inform them of the examination results and also sent word that she would not be dining at home that evening, so they wouldn't wait for her.
After chatting with Xingyun for a while, Nian Jiaojiao became curious.
Why had no one inquired about where she had gone to eat after she returned?
Nian Jiaojiao, with the nonchalance of a drowned rat fearing no boiling water, asked:
"Aren't you curious where I went for dinner?"
The four men were engrossed in their own discussions, paying her no mind.
Xingyun: "Wife is the top scorer, so we shall be the top scorer's husbands!"
Yuchuan: "We should get some new clothes for wife."
Xuan Yi: "Then I'll go out with you tomorrow. I'll buy some good wine and food."
Nan Qing: "I'll go too."
...
Nian Jiaojiao felt her spirit drain. She lowered her head and walked heavily towards her room.
After Nian Jiaojiao left, Nan Qing looked in the direction she had gone, his lips, as delicate as roses, curving upward slightly.
*Heh, if we can't even handle things at home, how can we worry about you looking for someone outside?*
...
Inside the room.
After washing up, Nian Jiaojiao collapsed onto the bed like a salted fish.
Xuan Yi pushed the door open and saw a scene of her sprawled across the entire bed, devoid of any semblance of a sleeping posture.
"Wife? Wife?"
Unable to find a spot, Xuan Yi gently nudged Nian Jiaojiao, but she remained unresponsive.
With no other option, the six-foot-tall, muscular man could only crouch reluctantly at the foot of the bed.
Nian Jiaojiao, who was pretending to be asleep, quietly opened a sliver of her eye. Upon seeing Xuan Yi's predicament, she couldn't help but let out a stifled giggle.
Hearing Nian Jiaojiao's laughter, Xuan Yi realized his position was somewhat inappropriate and his face immediately flushed red.
Just as he was about to step forward to pull Nian Jiaojiao closer, he was unexpectedly pulled into her embrace before he could do anything.
By the time Xuan Yi regained his senses, he was already tightly held in Nian Jiaojiao's arms.
Nestled against Nian Jiaojiao's heaving chest, he appeared exceptionally "like a bird leaning on a person."
Due to Nian Jiaojiao's abrupt movement, Xuan Yi's loosely fitted robe completely fell open.
Then, with a flip, the man was lying beneath her.
Nian Jiaojiao's gaze drifted downwards, to the honey-colored, firm pectoral muscles that extended lower. She placed her hand upon them, her fingers beginning to dance across his eight-pack abs, and then further down...
"Wife..."
Xuan Yi's breathing quickened.
But before he could utter the rest of his words, a hot, passionate kiss descended upon him.
And at the same time.
Xingyun came to find Nan Qing to sleep with again tonight.
The two of them lay awake in the room next to Nian Jiaojiao's.
Nan Qing thought to himself, grinding his teeth:
*As expected of someone who cultivates. After a tiring day, they can still be so energetic upon returning...*