Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

After returning to the Tradition Academy, Chen Chang Sheng was drunk. He narrowed his eyes and could barely walk stably. As for the Ivy Festival, he had already put it into the back of his mind and no longer cared about it.

The library was dark. He wasn’t there so obviously, the Tradition Academy would be cold as usual. He walked to the side of lake. The surrounding was very quiet, only stars were floating on the clean water and the reflections of trees on the opposing shore were not so clear in the darkness. There was a clean spring wind blowing on his face.

He stood on a stone next to the lake, and looked up at the stars for a really long time. He then looked towards the stars in the lake for a really long time. He closed his eyes, silently stood there for a very long time and suddenly shouted out some curse words to the lake.

He always gave others a calm and silent impression and was precocious. Such venting behavior was very rare for him but he vented out his feelings tonight. He realized that he was actually a little tired so he decided to sit on the lawn next to the lake, lie down and doze off.

The library was completely dark. He did not go there to read, to absorb starlights, or to purify. He completely fell into a daze. He did not think. Over the years of his life, he never indulged himself and this was the first time he wasted time.

After some time had elapsed, he opened his eyes and saw that he was still lying on the lawn. The grass his hands were touching had moderately cold raindrops. His cheeks were also somewhat wet and the distant sky faintly had morning light coming out. It should be around five o’clock – even after self-indulging when he was drunk, he still woke up promptly. The strict or even traditional daily routine and behaviors were already penetrating into his bones and became some kind of instinct which made him feel helpless.

Habit was very strong; even purification could not change it. Chen Chang Sheng returned to his little building and used a wet towel to carefully clean his face while he was thinking. He glimpsed at the tightly closed door on the old wall and felt somewhat hopeful.

Heaven would not respond to every wish, but today, it responded. The door was opened up and the little girl jumped over the doorsill like stepping on stones to pass a brook. She hopped to him, her black ponytails swung back and forth. She looked very cute.

Luo Luo looked at him and said happily. “Loh, master, don’t you feel convenient?”

The little girl smiled very happily, but inside she was very nervous. She was afraid that Chen Chang Sheng would run away like he had done yesterday.

Chen Chang Sheng did not run today. Maybe it was because he wasn’t naked today, maybe it was because he was not fully awake from ebriety last night, maybe it was because he already gave up resisting the little girl’s entanglement or maybe he actually wanted to see her.

Walking out of the Tradition Academy, he bought two bowls of dumplings and gave the one of that was not spicy to the little girl. He then walked to the library. The little girl held the bowl, followed him and was extremely surprised but happy.

After breakfast, Chen Chang Sheng began to read. He found what he wanted to read easily off the shelf as he was very familiar with where he had placed it. He then sat on the floor and read attentively and silently, comparing the original documentations to the three thousand Scrolls of Way he read in the old temple in Xi Ning. He called this method comparison study.

Reading was a very boring activity and watching others read was even worse. Chen Chang Sheng was quietly reading. In the beginning, Luo Luo was very interested and she attempted to read with him, but after reading a while, she realized that she could not understand a lot of the books so she felt very bored. Thinking that waking up early was truly not a good thing, sleepiness, like the ants under the tree, came over constantly and endlessly. As time went by, it made her feel like her head became heavier and heavier…..

After a long time, Chen Chang Sheng woke up from his deep reading. He felt that his right arm was somewhat heavy, somewhat limp and numb. Suddenly, he recalled the scene he saw when he woke from meditation and purification last night. He turned around and the little girl was hanging on his arm and sleeping again, as expected.

Her hand actually did not hang around to his right arm, but simply grabbed onto his sleeve lightly. She also did not actually lean on his shoulder — because she was too small, she was only able to lean on his upper arm. Though this position was not really comfortable for her, she was still having a good nap…

Chen Chang Sheng looked at the little girl’s entirely unfolded eyebrows, looked at the innocence revealed from her relaxed eyebrows and eyes and smiled.

She had a good nap because she was very relaxed. The reason why she was so relaxed, was because she trusted him so much. Being trusted by someone completely was a very good feeling for Chen Chang Sheng especially since he was silently marching forward by himself in the capital.

Suddenly, a shadow fell on the little girl’s face.

When normal people slept, they did not like light. But the little girl was obviously distinct. When shadow fell on her, her eyebrows frowned, her nose lightly wrinkled, and she mumbled unhappily. She would probably wake up in a moment.

Chen Chang Sheng liked to watch the little girl sleep. Of course, he wouldn’t feel so happy after being disrupted by others. Looking to the entrance of the library, he subconsciously stirred up his eyebrows.

The person who appeared on the entrance was Shuang Er, for no reason, her look was extremely cold.

…………………………………………………………………..

Today Shuang Er was feeling very chaotic because the white crane had come back from the distant south and had brought the Miss’s letter again.

Miss was not an idiot who followed the rules for women taught in stupid books, the Zhou Dynasty also had no such strange requirements that the South had. Because she knew this clearly, she did not really understand why Miss would be concerned about the shameless youngster.

Even though there was an engagement, the engagement would be cancelled one day anyways so why would Miss care about the youngster? Fine, Miss only mentioned in the letter that she wanted to know the recent things that happened with the youngster, it’s not really a concern….but, why would she want to know about it?

Shuang Er actually knew clearly, Miss simply did not want the youngster because of the engagement, became a dust in the river, therefore she wanted her to inquire about him.

She inquired about him as Miss requested. She knew that Chen Chang Sheng was the only student in the Tradition Academy. Moreover, based on the madam’s attitude, although the youngster wouldn’t have a bright future, at least he would not have any problem with security. According to Miss’s instruction, she came specifically to the Tradition Academy to ask if he needed any help, such as money but she never expected that she would see such an image!

Who was that little girl? Why would she hang on to this kid? Was he actually reading? Although the Tradition Academy had fallen, it continued to be a place used to educate people! This kid was actually hugging with a little girl in the library! How awful!

Seeing this image, Shuang Er was strangely furious – you had an engagement with Miss! Although this engagement definitely did not mean anything, for now, it had not been cancelled yet. Your identity is the fiance of Miss! Otherwise, why would Miss care about your security ten thousand miles away and ask high class people from the palace to save your little life! Although Miss does not like you, she still helped you a lot, but now you were hugging another girl! What a pair of whores!

Shuang Er was originally going to say it out loud, but upon she looking at the little girl’s innocent but pretty face, she felt bad. So she stared at Chen Chang Sheng and yelled angrily, “Lewd thief!”

After saying these two words, how would she still have patience to be concerned about Chen Chang Sheng’s safety? She simply gave a flick of her sleeves, turned around and angrily walked away.

The Tradition Academy was quiet, the lawn next to the lake was green and beautiful, yet Shuang Er felt gloomy. She felt more and more unhappy as she walked.

After returning to the Dong Yu General’s Mansion, she began writing letter to Miss, describing in detail what she heard….and especially the image she saw today. Although she did not add trimmings, she simply wrote exactly what she heard and saw. The negativity of the words was very obvious.

The white crane left the capital and flew towards the Mountain Virgin in the distant South.

At evening, when the falling sun shined on the rare flowers and grasses on the cliff, the white crane flew down the cliff. The girl took the letter, skimmed through it and remained silent for a long time.

The white crane took the pen brush again, dipped with right amount of ink and delivered it into her hand at the right time.

The girl held the pen brush, looked at the white paper, remained silent for so long and sighed. She used the top of the pen to rub her head. She looked at the white crane and said, “I actually don’t know what to write. According to your previous descriptions…that little Taoist priest shouldn’t be this kind of person.”

The white crane could not speak, so it could not answer for her. Instead, it used her neck to touch her wrist which indicating to her to quickly start writing.

—————————————————————–

Lewd thief? Chen Chang Sheng heard the words Shuang Er said before she turned around. He knew she misunderstood something but he didn’t mind and didn’t bother to run out of the library to explain. Although his marriage vow with the General’s Mansion wasn’t terminated yet, after doing so many things in the General’s Mansion, he believed that she was in no position to misunderstand him, much less be in the position to be angry at him. But…..for some reason, he himself got angry.

Luo Luo woke up and rubbed her eyes. She sensed the fragrance leftover in the air and asked curiously, “Master, who came before?”

Chen Chang Sheng said, “A maid from the Dong Yu General’s Mansion.”

After hearing him mention Dong Yu General’s Mansion, Luo Luo’s expression changed. She was about to say something but suddenly stopped and glanced out of the library.

Two men have walked to the library.

One of them had his hands on his back and had entered the library without an invitation. He was arrogant.

That person wore the teacher’s uniform of the Heavenly Academy.

Chen Chang Sheng noticed that this person’s expression was cold and harsh. His eyes were merciless when looking at Chen Chang Sheng.

“Such a joke!”

That Heavenly Academy’s teacher looked at Chen Chang Sheng for a second and turned around. It seemed like looking at him for an extra second would dirty his eyes.

The teacher looked at the person beside him and rebuked, “The Tradition Academy was in ruins, how could it be listed as one of the Six Ivies? And this person…… a trash who hasn’t even reach Purification, how was he permitted to enter the Ivy Festival!?”