Zhao Rong is in a good mood today.

It's not because the exam results are about to be announced, but because the rewards from Qing Jun and Qian'er are coming.

"What kind of big reward could it be..."

As someone stepped onto the podium and started teaching calligraphy, they got a bit distracted.

But it didn't really matter, as no one was listening anyway, Zhao Rong smiled.

The morning calligraphy class didn't last long before some Attendant Students from Jingchen Hall arrived, peering in and greeting at the door. Yu Huaijin gestured towards Zhao Rong, who paused appropriately as Yu Huaijin got up and went out. After hearing the visitor's purpose from outside, she turned back to look inside Shuaixing Hall.

"Hongyu, Xueyou, go assist Teacher Meng in organizing the exam results."

Xiao Hongyu and Li Xueyou complied and left with the Attendant Students.

Zhao Rong watched their familiar manner and also noticed the students' unsurprised reactions, realizing it was a post-exam routine.

Xiao Hongyu and Li Xueyou were the only two female students in Shuaixing Hall besides Yu Huaijin, and many duties at the Academy fell to them, which indeed wouldn't raise any objections. Besides, women were relatively more meticulous.

After the two girls left, Zhao Rong continued to ponder the reward no...continued teaching.

…

Xiao Hongyu and Li Xueyou walked along the corridor towards Jingchen Hall.

"Xueyou, we can see the results earlier this time and also check out the other classes' standings."

"Oh."

Xiao Hongyu didn't turn her head: "Xueyou, are you deep in thought?"

"No..."

"Tell me about it."

Li Xueyou turned her head to look at the lake as still as a mirror, thought for a moment, and asked, "Do you think, everyone's not a bad person, Brother Ziyu isn't, Brother Peiliang isn't, the other classmates who heckled aren't either, why do they want to isolate Brother Ziyu?"

Xiao Hongyu smiled.

"Xueyou, before I came to the Academy to study, my mother once told me something. She said that as a girl grows into a woman, an important sign is whether she understands men."

"She said men are very contradictory existences. They can be as simple as feeling slighted when ignored and bearing a grudge for a lifetime; they can be furious and fight because the woman they like glanced at another man; they can let go of grudges with a smile over a drink and a few snacks; they can even entrust their lives to a stranger just because they share a sense of honor."

Xiao Hongyu laughed: "Sometimes they're childish, sometimes they're mature... Mother said if a girl understands these, she will understand many things in the world, whether as a daughter, a wife, or a mother..."

Li Xueyou listened in bewilderment.

She tried hard to think about it, but eventually gave up and asked, "So which kind are they this time?"

Xiao Hongyu glanced at her, "All of them. Do you know the wolf pack down the mountain?"

Li Xueyou nodded.

"When a lone wolf comes to a new pack, it has to find its place, whether it ends up just a regular wolf or the alpha, in the process, someone will have to bow."

Li Xueyou was even more confused, "Everyone is classmates, all equal under Huaijin, why is there any competition?"

Xiao Hongyu shook her head, "You still don't get it, but... Huaijin actually isn't much better than you, she doesn't understand either, but she doesn't need to."

She pouted, "Honestly, if you're really compassionate and want to help him, then don't pay attention to him, have less contact with him, that's the biggest help. Who helps someone by covering them with a blanket when they sleep in class, or frequently seeking calligraphy advice, why not ask during class, but after class?"

Li Xueyou averted her eyes.

"And it's the same with Huaijin, sigh, the bet this time was a good one, it could have solved the problem once and for all, but she insisted on suppressing it, not allowing a single spark to show. But it's better to channel it than suppress it. It would be better to leave the bet but reduce the stakes, letting it be just a matter of pride. For men, sometimes a little competition is good, the real fear is when they don't fight for anything, becoming like my Imperial relatives who just waste their lives away."

Xiao Hongyu shook her head.

Li Xueyou was quiet for a moment, then stubbornly said softly, "I think Huaijin acted timely this time, otherwise Brother Ziyu..."

"Oh, you're still siding with him."

"No, I... I'm just supporting the weak."

"If you and Huaijin keep supporting the weak, the next time conflicts arise, he'll fall harder."

With that, Xiao Hongyu tapped her head, "So I just taught so much and you didn't take it in?"

"I did... but I need to ponder it over."

Xiao Hongyu suddenly smiled, pinching her friend's forehead with her index finger, "It's fine, when Mother talked to me back then, I didn't take it in either. Now, studying alone far from home, I slowly appreciate it. You have your father around, when will you grow up..."

Li Xueyou immediately protested, and the two girls laughed and playfully tussled together. After a brief rest, they reached the end of the corridor, arriving at Jingchen Hall by Mochi Lake. By the time they arrived, most of the students from the other five Academies, who had also come to help, were already there, and most of them were female students familiar with each other.

A large group of female students rarely gathered together, inevitably chattering and debating which of their respective classes would top the exam. However, a certain serious-looking woman appearing at the door soon quieted them down.

"Come in."

Meng Zhengjun glanced at the dozen or so female students outside who had come to assist with grading, turned, and led the way into the main hall.

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