Zhu Yourong didn't look at the person, she glanced at the audience and casually said, "No tasks tonight. Carry on, pretend I'm not here."

After she spoke, she sat on the lectern, supporting her chin absentmindedly.

But Senior Yu didn't speak, and the hall remained very quiet.

Everyone was eagerly watching Mr. Zhu on stage.

The two sides stared at each other for a while.

Zhu Yourong was a little helpless, "What are you all looking at me for?"

The students shifted their gaze to the straight-backed silhouette of a girl in the front row.

Zhu Yourong turned her head and said softly to Yu Huaijin, "Xuanji, go to Jingchen Hall, inform the attendant student on duty there, and have them send over the calligraphy exam papers. I'll grade them here; no need to jostle with the other teachers."

Yu Huaijin stood up, looked back at everyone, and said, "Keep it down and study by yourselves." Then he turned and left Shuaixing Hall.

Immediately, the students in Shuaixing Hall cheered softly, and the atmosphere became lively again. Many continued discussing the unusual occurrence of poetry composition in the afternoon examination.

Bored while waiting, Zhu Yourong paced the stage with her hands behind her back. After listening for a while, she suddenly asked, "So happy, is there some good news? How did you all do on the calligraphy exam? Was the question too easy?"

The noise below immediately quieted down.

A student named Li Guangxiu bravely spoke up, smiling wryly, "It wasn't easy at all, Sir Zhu, the questions were really hard this time..."

Zhu Yourong was relieved, as she had intended.

In her mind, she recalled an old man from the fishing dock chuckling, "At least win the first place in the Academy once..."

On the lectern, the female teacher lightly said "Oh," and then asked, "So what are you all discussing?"

Below, Xiao Hongyu explained with a smile:

"Sir Zhu, you may not know, during the poetry and prose exam this afternoon, two students from our school had their poems rated! Although not as impressive as the Falling Flower Grade like the student from the Cultivation Hall next door, among the six Mochi academy branches, only eight poems got rated."

Zhu Yourong's lips curled with interest, "Oh, that's not bad, worth some praise. So which two students… hmm, Huaijin should be one of them, right? Who's the other?"

Xiao Hongyu and his classmates exchanged looks, the former lamented, "For some reason, Huaijin didn't perform well this time; he didn't write a Falling Flower Grade like the last month's exam, not even an Ascending grade..."

Having familiarity with a certain student, Zhu Yourong smiled, "Don't worry about her, she has her own ideas. Hurry and tell us who are the two talents from our school that wrote rated poems on the spot."

Xiao Hongyu chuckled while pointing to a certain powdered student not far away who became modest and calm again, "One is Brother Peiliang."

Wu Peiliang cupped his hands to Zhu Yourong, then turned to glance at Zhao Rong's direction, snorting arrogantly.

Everyone laughed softly in understanding, aware of the rivalry forcibly suppressed between the two sides. However, this time, apart from a few students like Li Xueyou and Jia Tengying, most didn't turn to look at Zhao Rong but focused on the prominent Wu Peiliang.

Zhu Yourong merely nodded and immediately pursued, "And the other one?" She resisted the urge to look at someone in the last row.

The female teacher remembered someone with excellent literary talent, always able to respond to whatever she discussed, often saying shocking things, and speaking eloquently.

Even if they didn't write a Falling Flower Grade, a single Ascending grade should earn a high score in poetry and prose... she felt some anticipation.

Unfortunately, Xiao Hongyu then pointed towards a silent student on the right side of the second row:

"The other one is Brother Jiuyue, also an Ascending grade."

Being female, Xiao Hongyu vaguely caught the anticipation in Mr. Zhu's tone earlier, and proactively asked, "Um, Sir Zhu, would you like to see their poems? Haha, just now when you weren't here, we were all sharing copies, it's indeed well-written."

Zhu Yourong's interest abruptly waned, and she couldn't help but feel a little disgruntled.

She still didn't look towards Zhao Rong's side, and her expression and tone remained unchanged, "No need, just getting an idea. Seems like you all did well... hmm, carry on with your conversation."

Xiao Hongyu and other students felt Mr. Zhu's attitude seemed slightly strange before and after, but just then, Yu Huaijin returned from his errand, quieting the hall once more.

Yu Huaijin came back with five green-clad attendant students, each holding a large stack of exam papers, two per person, totaling ten, corresponding to ten exam rooms. Under Zhu Yourong's indication, they were all placed on the lectern desk.

Yu Huaijin glanced at her teacher and reminded, "Teacher, just now, when I returned, Mr. Meng asked me to pass a message to you. She said that if it's not necessary, it's better to grade the papers on-site at Jingchen Hall. The other teachers are there too, and you can exchange ideas."

Zhu Yourong replied unceremoniously, "Exchange about what to have for dinner?"

The students: "...…"

Yu Huaijin shook his head, "No."

Zhu Yourong asked again, "Has Mr. Qi from the chess class arrived? Has Mr. Si from Music Art arrived? And what about the old Mr. Zeng from the adjacent hall teaching the Classics, are they all grading papers at Jingchen Hall?"

Yu Huaijin thought for a moment, and shook his head, "Haven't seen them, Mr. Qi is over at Youlan Prefecture, probably busy with something. Mr. Si hasn't been well these days, not very convenient, so he didn't come. As for old Mr. Zeng..."

Zhu Yourong nodded and interrupted, "Then I have matters too, it's also inconvenient, I'll grade the papers outside. Our teacher Meng keeps talking about unnecessary things, if you want to show authority just say so outright, why beat around the bush saying it's unnecessary."

The students strongly agreed, all stifling laughter.

When it comes to retorting Mr. Meng, it's gotta be Mr. Zhu indeed.

Yu Huaijin returns to his seat, and the five attendant students bow and depart.

All the students' eyes are drawn to the over three hundred calligraphy exam papers on the podium.

Sweeping a glance at the eager students below, Zhu Yourong calmly turns back, "Don't expect me to go easy."

Everyone looks slightly embarrassed.

Yet Zhu Yourong suddenly waves her sleeve and puts away the exam papers; the evening self-study session is now unappealing to her.

The group is puzzled, wasn't she in a good mood just moments ago? She had even instructed Senior Yu to fetch the papers, so why isn't she grading them now?

Suddenly, Zhu Yourong calls towards the back of the hall, "Have those pre-exam assignments been graded yet? Assistant Zhao, please distribute them."

Trying hard to stay invisible, Zhao Rong scratches his nose and stands up.

"Ahem, I forgot."

The tone is very apologetic.

He claimed he was busy with exams these past few days, always feeling like he forgot something. Turns out, it was those assignments Zhu Yourong handed him at their farewell beside the Imperial Mausoleum Waterfall below the mountain.

Zhu Yourong, with a stern face: "Grade them now."

Zhao Rong quickly nods, "Alright."

He then swiftly takes out the assignments from two classes and diligently starts grading them.

Not long after, Zhao Rong finishes grading and distributes the assignments.

Soon, the bell of Linlu Mountain rings, signaling the end of the evening self-study.

Zhu Yourong stands up from the podium.

"Assistant Zhao, come out."

She drops a sentence before leaving the hall.

Feeling awkward, Zhao Rong follows her out. Behind him, some of the students, led by Wu Peiliang, gloat, imagining someone is about to face Zhu's wrath due to negligence...

...

"What's going on with you?"

"I truly forgot. I've been busy with exam-related matters these past few days."

In the long corridor, the female teacher gets even angrier upon hearing this.

Without turning around, she says, "Then why didn't you do well on your Poetry and Prose Skill exam?!"

Zhao Rong is momentarily stunned.

...

"Are you saying I didn't write any exceptional poems? Um, why do you care about that?"

Zhu Yourong pretends not to care, "More or less, I'm just giving an example. You just mentioned being busy with exams, but I didn't see you performing exceptionally either."

Zhao Rong glances at her back but continues to ask, "Why does Teacher Zhu care about my exam results?"

Zhu Yourong turns her head, her face stern, "Who said I care? You're being presumptuous?"

Zhao Rong shakes his head without saying anything.

Zhu Yourong turns back and doesn't look at him.

The two walk along the lakeside corridor, the atmosphere falling silent between them.

After a while, Zhao Rong only hears the female teacher's voice ahead:

"Well, I understand you've just started your family, and much of your energy is spent on your household, but for us Confucian scholars, career is also important. Lingfei and Xiaoxiao are wholeheartedly devoted to you, but that's no excuse for complacency... My words, think them over carefully. Don't let down those who love you."

Zhao Rong is taken aback; why did she suddenly start giving motivational advice?

"Teacher Zhu..."

"Alright, let's put this exam aside; you seem distracted even while walking. Focus on studying well and aim to do better in the next great exam..."

With a quiet sigh, the well-endowed female teacher utters.

By now, the two have walked off the corridor and arrived at the entrance of Mochi Academy. Without a proper farewell, Zhu Yourong turns and leaves.

This leaves Zhao Rong standing in place, glancing at her slightly desolate back.

...

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