Chapter Twenty-One: Making Trouble Out of Nothing

Although he used spiritual energy to sober up, the wine in his stomach remained. The Ice-Fire Chinese spirit gradually took effect, and Liu Ping slowly closed his eyes, drifting into a hazy sleep.

He had no idea how much time had passed when he finally awoke, his mouth parched and dry. The scent of tea drifted to him, and as he opened his eyes, he saw Zhu Yingtai sitting nearby, sipping tea and quietly reading a book. Outside, dusk had begun to settle, and several candles had been lit inside the room.

“Reading by candlelight, Zhu, you truly have refined taste—or perhaps you’re just diligent?” Liu Ping rubbed his temples and sat up on the bed.

Zhu Yingtai seemed to anticipate Liu Ping’s thirst and poured him a cup of tea, handing it over with a smile. “A fine blade is forged through hardship, the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold.”

Taking the tea and hearing these words, Liu Ping couldn’t help but smile wryly. “Why do you tease me so, Zhu? What time is it now?”

“If you keep calling me that, I really won’t speak to you anymore,” Zhu Yingtai replied.

Liu Ping drank the tea in one gulp, feeling puzzled. “What do you mean…” Suddenly, he realized and shook his head. “Ah, I see. I really am muddled. I was the one who suggested we use courtesy names from now on, yet I still keep calling you Zhu. It’s hard to change the habit of addressing someone by their given name.”

“The habit of addressing—what a fitting term.” Hearing Liu Ping coin yet another phrase, Zhu Yingtai clapped his hands in admiration. “Just now, while chatting with Wang Hong, he praised your new words and expressions, saying they capture the meaning perfectly and are refreshing. It’s truly so.”

“Oh, it’s nothing…” Liu Ping felt a bit embarrassed; being praised for this was awkward indeed.

The longer he lived in this world, the less he used the new terms from his past life, though sometimes they still slipped out unconsciously. After all, he’d spent more than twenty years in his previous life, and that subconscious memory couldn’t be discarded in just a few months.

“By the way, did Wang Hong come by earlier?”

“Yes,” Zhu Yingtai replied. “He came to see you, but seeing you sound asleep, he didn’t disturb you. He even wanted to switch rooms with me!”

Liu Ping was taken aback. “Did you agree?”

“How could I agree?” Zhu Yingtai laughed. “He’s dreaming!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Liu Ping was surprised—her words were quite…

Realizing her slip, Zhu Yingtai felt a pang of regret but kept her composure. “It’s rare to become roommates with a talent like Fenchang; how could I let someone else take that place?”

Liu Ping smiled bitterly. “Jie, don’t mock me. How am I any kind of talent?”

“If you’re not, then there are none in the world.”

Suddenly, Zhu Yingtai remembered something. “At the midday banquet, Fenchang, you said you wouldn’t come in first place. Who do you think will win? Would you tell me?”

Liu Ping was stunned, then looked directly at Zhu Yingtai.

His gaze made Zhu Yingtai uneasy, but she forced herself to meet his eyes.

“Do you truly want to know?”

“Is it something serious?” Seeing Liu Ping’s solemn expression, Zhu Yingtai swallowed anxiously. “If it’s inappropriate, there’s no need to ask.”

“It’s not serious.” Liu Ping shook his head, no longer keeping her in suspense. “I believe, the one who will take first place—can only be you.”

“Me?” Zhu Yingtai was startled and quickly protested. “How could I possibly win first? With your literary talent, if you don’t come in first, I’d be even less likely!”

“Are you truly humble or just pretending?” Liu Ping said, somewhat helpless.

Zhu Yingtai had been praised by the magistrate, possessing the bearing of a future scholar, while Liu Ping and the other low-level players were in a different league altogether.

Now, among the new students, over a hundred in total, if one could pass the provincial exam and become a middle-level player, it would already be remarkable, let alone attaining the rank of scholar and becoming a high-level player! Although they were all considered promising, potential is still just potential—unrealized and unrefined, and the gap between them and Zhu Yingtai was obvious.

Liu Ping could never forget the articles Zhu Yingtai had written—he simply couldn’t compare.

Zhu Yingtai, however, didn’t believe it. She thought she had only a bit of cleverness; how could she compare to Liu Ping, who could write such lines as “A fine blade is forged through hardship, the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold,” and the poem “Mountain Journey”? Surely, he was just joking with her!

※※※※※※

Room One, Section B.

“Ah!” Like someone waking from a nightmare, Lu Liang suddenly sat up with a shout.

His head felt as if it would split apart; he clutched it tightly, eyes squeezed shut, rubbing his temples. The agony of a hangover was unbearable.

“Water, I need water,” he muttered instinctively.

“Here’s water… Honestly, big brother, you’re old enough, but you still throw tantrums with Liu Ping. If you’d just admitted defeat, it would have been over.” His roommate, the scholar who had taken him away from the banquet, replied.

Gulping down water, Lu Liang felt the pain ease slightly and sighed. “Admit defeat? Lu Da, that’s easy for you to say. How could I have admitted defeat then? It was unpleasant enough. I never thought Liu Ping could drink so well—almost superhuman. Was he cheating?”

Lu Da replied, “After you left, the other scholars flattered Liu Ping, saying he’d surely come in first in this exam.”

Lu Liang frowned in annoyance. “Why tell me that?”

Lu Da continued, “Then guess how Liu Ping responded?”

“I can’t guess.”

“Just try.”

Lu Liang replied impatiently, “He said, ‘Ha ha ha, above and below, I alone reign! If I’m not first, who is?’”

“Haha!” Lu Da burst out laughing at Lu Liang’s sarcasm. “Big brother, you do know how to joke!”

“Enough, enough, stop keeping me in suspense. What did he actually say? Wait… Didn’t I leave with you? How do you know?”

“Someone else told me,” Lu Da replied, smiling. “Liu Ping said, ‘First place? Even second or third would be a luxury; first is out of reach. I know myself well.’”

“He really said that?”

“He did.”

“And then?”

“Then everyone asked him, who would get first place—could it be Lu Liang? He replied, ‘Perhaps. When the results are announced in three days, you’ll all know. Don’t think I’m some youthful prodigy; I know I’m still far behind.’”

“Hmph!” Lu Liang snorted. “What a pretentious fellow! If he ends up first, I bet he’ll say something else then!”

Lu Da shook his head. “Perhaps he’s somewhat pretentious, but his character isn’t bad.”

“How is he not bad? He made my head ache like this—he’s a troublemaker.”

“That’s a biased opinion, big brother… At first, I didn’t like him either, but now I think he’s not so bad.”

“Hmph!” Lu Liang expressed his displeasure with a nasal grunt.

Seeing his brother stubbornly unwilling to change, Lu Da couldn’t help but tease, “Big brother, you couldn’t beat him at drinking, and your literary talent is no match either. I think aside from your boldness, you have nothing to rival him!”

“How do you know my writing isn’t as good as his? We haven’t competed—how can you be so sure?”

“Then do you think you could write: ‘Up the cold mountain, the stone path slants; in the depths of white clouds, there are family homes. I pause my carriage, loving the maple forest at dusk; frosted leaves are redder than February flowers’?”

“… ”

“See? You still don’t believe me. Why bother?”

“Hmph!”

“Sigh…” Watching his brother act like a child, determined to compete with Liu Ping to the end, Lu Da shook his head. “We’ll all be classmates from now on, there’s no need to keep such hostility… Since you can’t best him, it’s better to make peace. The wise adapt to circumstances…”

“Who says I can’t best him?” Lu Liang’s eyes suddenly lit up as he jumped to his feet.

Seeing Lu Liang suddenly energized, Lu Da stared in surprise, then said, “Big brother… Are you planning to fight him? The academy has rules—you could be expelled. Don’t do anything rash.”

“Fight him? Didn’t you say I’m just bold? Heh, didn’t someone mention ghost stories when we came to the academy two days ago? Let’s gather a few people tonight, find Liu Ping, and go exploring together. We’ll see if his courage matches mine!” Lu Liang grew more excited, even joking about his own “fat courage,” leaving Lu Da speechless.

“That’s not a good idea…”

“There’s nothing wrong with it—listen to me. I’m your big brother, or are you mine?”

※※※※※※

Room Twelve, Section A.

Zhu Yingtai shook her head. “I may be clever, but how can I compare to Fenchang, let alone surpass him?”

Liu Ping was at a loss for words.

Just then, the door was knocked.

Liu Ping frowned slightly, sensing Lu Liang’s presence. “Who is it?”

“Liu, Zhu, open the door and we’ll talk!”

Zhu Yingtai hurried over and opened the door.

Four people entered, Lu Liang among them.

Zhu Yingtai asked curiously, “What brings you all here?”

Lu Liang explained their purpose.

“Confucius said not to speak of the supernatural—revere ghosts and spirits, but keep your distance. You’re just looking for trouble…” Hearing they wanted to test their courage, Liu Ping was speechless and refused. “Jie and I will definitely not go.”

But to his surprise, Zhu Yingtai was somewhat excited. “So there’s something like this? That old woman often wanders around the old dorms… How interesting.” She thought to herself, I’ve studied magic, but never seen ghosts or spirits. If it’s real, I must see for myself.

Hearing Liu Ping’s refusal, she quickly turned to plead, “Fenchang, let’s go together.”