Chapter 1

His house is quite spacious, with a neatly arranged courtyard. Upon entering, one is greeted by a yard. Although it is autumn, the flowers and plants are trimmed in a well-kept manner, suggesting that they are tended to by a dedicated caretaker. The first thing that catches the eye is several pots of chrysanthemums, swaying gracefully in the breeze.

For countless ages, to await the poets, to sing wildly and drink deeply, at the place where the wild geese visit.

Chu Tianlei smiled and said, "Please have a seat! I will go get the book!" He then turned and said, "Wang Ma, please bring a cup of tea!" Wang Ma stepped back, and after a short while, she returned with a tray, placing a pot of tea and several small snacks on the table. The snacks were not large, and although they were different from what was usually served at the military governor's residence, they were still quite exquisite

Anyang University Library. The library, designed in a Western Gothic architectural style, boasts excellent lighting. Even on an autumn afternoon, the interior remains exceptionally bright, with light filtering in through large frosted glass panels. Students are deeply engrossed in searching for information. The atmosphere inside is extremely quiet; one could probably hear a pin drop clearly.

Upon entering the hall, an elderly maid rushed over: "Young Master Chu, you have returned?" Upon seeing Jingqi, she showed a hint of surprise, but quickly concealed it.

He finally released her, having held her tightly, but then suddenly let go, causing her to stagger and retreat several steps. He quickly caught her again in his arms. The soft, cotton-like curves pressed against him seemed to carry a kind of allure, provoking a certain reaction in his body. He took a few deep breaths before letting her go, his face stern and silent. He bent down to pick up a few books and turned to leave. She stood there, dazed, watching his figure grow more distant, turning the corner, and disappearing from sight.

His house is right next to the school, not far at all, so she walked over quite quickly. Throughout her life, apart from shopping, she had never walked this much. Yet for some reason, she did not feel tired at all; as she walked, she actually hoped the end would be further away, even further.

You should have words, amidst the vast layers of clouds, with a thousand mountains cloaked in evening snow, to whom does your solitary figure go

As it was evening, she also felt a bit hungry. Without hesitation, she picked up one and started eating; the taste was better than she had imagined. Hearing the sound of footsteps, she turned her head. He took out a book, his steps seemingly hurried. Upon seeing her gaze, he smiled, and in the autumn light of dusk, he appeared particularly gentle and refined

If a messenger were sent to retrieve it, it would not be secure. The very reason for my numerous precautions is to avoid revealing my identity. Anyone outside would immediately recognize the messenger's attire as coming from the governor's residence. After pondering for a moment, I finally said: "Very well, I will go and get it"

She has always lived a life of privilege, never troubled by any major or minor matters. However, since she became acquainted with him, she has inexplicably felt a sense of turmoil. After class, she held her books and prepared to go home

Lost in her own thoughts, she did not pay attention to her feet and stumbled on the steps, nearly falling. A person beside her quickly reached out and caught her: "Why do you always have some trouble every time?" Looking up, she saw him with a half-smile, looking at her as if inquiring.

She found a book and flipped through it to pass the time. Gao Yiqing was still searching through the bookshelf. After waiting for a long time, she still had not found it. She glanced at the sky outside; it was already sunset, with the afterglow gently illuminating the surroundings. She did not have any curfew, but recently her sister-in-law was pregnant, which brought her joy. Every day after school, she made sure to visit her sister-in-law and have a meal together.

She and Gao Yiqing slowly and gently found two empty seats. There were many people, and the connected seats were pitifully few. In fact, she had nothing in particular to do, but Gao Yiqing needed to find a book, so she accompanied her to take a look at the library. Having been in university for over a year, she had never been here before. There was no need, as the collection in the military governor's residence was certainly not less than that here. However, she had never mentioned her distinguished background to Gao Yiqing, partly because she did not want to show off, and partly because she wanted to experience the life of an ordinary person. Therefore, in the entire Anyang University, there were no more than five people who knew about her identity and background.

Joy in fun, sorrow in parting, yet amidst it all, there are infatuated young lovers

This was also something she pleaded for from her elder brother Helian Jingfeng. Her brother had always been opposed, but fortunately, with the help of her sister-in-law, he reluctantly nodded in agreement. Her elder brother is as tough as iron, yet only in the hands of her sister-in-law does he become as gentle as a soft thread

She naturally knows this word. Her mother came from a scholarly family, and from a young age, the education she and her elder brother received was indeed very strict. At that time, when she read it, she would recite it back and forth, nodding her head. Today, for some reason, hearing the professor recite it in this manner evokes a sense of inexplicable sorrow, as if this autumn has passed, and when it returns next year, it will be different.

Even if the elder brother returns, their father will immediately send him to the military for training, occasionally leading troops into battle, which cannot compare to the daily life at home. However, since the sister-in-law entered the family, things have changed. Every day, she sends magpies to find her. From clothing and jewelry to food and daily necessities, the sister-in-law always inquires about everything. Whenever she has free time, she goes out shopping. Although these are just small matters, it feels as if an older sister has been added to the family, which is truly wonderful

He laughed and said, "I want to as well. But our department has activities the day after tomorrow, so there are no classes! If you don't need it urgently, I can bring it to you next week!" Naturally, that wouldn't work, as it is needed tomorrow. The foreign language class is also a core subject, taught by a foreign professor, and it is lively and interesting, which all the students love.

Hengfen Road, in the solitude of those years, the sound of flutes and drums, the desolate smoke still lingers over the plains of Chu

He was just staring at her, somewhat transfixed, directly and a bit audaciously. She should have pushed him away, but for some reason, she only felt her heart racing, beating faster and faster, as if it were about to leap out at any moment. Even without a mirror, she knew that her face must be extremely red, likely surpassing any rouge she could apply.

Thinking of this, I simply picked up a book and walked over to Gao Yiqing's side: "Let me help you look for it!" Arriving at the bookshelf in the far north corner, I began to search through the books one by one. The north side is a dead corner, so the light is very dim. She stood on her tiptoes to see the titles of the books on the top shelf clearly. While she was diligently searching, she suddenly felt a force coming towards her; it wasn't heavy, but it seemed that someone was walking a bit hurriedly and accidentally bumped into her.

The professor is elaborating on Yao Haowen's "Mo Yu Er · Yan Qiu Ci", eloquently and fluently, creating a harmonious atmosphere together

She expressed her gratitude and struggled to pull her hand away. He smiled and said, "I have been following you for a long time!" She was taken aback, and he laughed, pointing to the classroom

Yet deep down, there is a vague sense of joy, as if a connection might arise from this. However, he did not appear all day, and it is unclear whether he has not noticed this issue

Heaven is envious, not believing that both the oriole and the swallow have turned to yellow earth

She could only sense the faint scent of musk surrounding her. Her face flushed; it must be a male classmate. Slowly raising her head, she was taken aback and awkwardly said: "It's you!" It turned out to be him.

Travelers from all corners of the world, how many times have old wings experienced the cold and heat

Moreover, now that the elder brother is in power and the elder sister-in-law is in charge, the entire household enjoys the best in terms of food and clothing. During her leisure time, the elder sister-in-law often teases her, saying, "With such a sharp tongue, your future husband will surely suffer!" She has also reached the age where marriage discussions are appropriate. According to the magpie, many ladies in the military have been inquiring, either intentionally or unintentionally, through the elder sister-in-law, mostly hoping to propose or act as matchmakers. Each time, she feels embarrassed and runs away after hearing half of it. According to the magpie, many ladies in the military have been inquiring, either intentionally or unintentionally, through the elder sister-in-law, mostly hoping to propose or act as matchmakers. Each time, she feels embarrassed and runs away after hearing half of it

She sighed, looking at a book that did not belong to her, which bore a signature: Chu Tianlei! She gazed out the window; it was autumn, and the flowers and grass had already withered halfway, the leaves hanging down. When the wind blew, they swayed all around. Yesterday, when they collided, even the books were disordered. He took her book, while she took his.

He smiled and said, "Then let's go over now!" It was just dusk, and along the roadside stood rows of French sycamores. The afterglow of the sun filtered through the mottled leaves, casting a warm light upon her. The section of leaves that was shaded was a dark golden color, while the petals let through a bright, tender pink. She walked in the shadow of that tender pink, flickering in and out of light, her entire being reminiscent of a small wick burning in her mother's clay incense burner that he had seen in his childhood, soft and swaying in the breeze. It seemed that with just a slight misstep, it would extinguish completely! She walked in the shadow of that tender pink, flickering in and out of light, her entire being reminiscent of a small wick burning in her mother's clay incense burner that he had seen in his childhood, soft and swaying in the breeze. It seemed that with just a slight misstep, it would extinguish completely!

Summoning the spirits, what lament can be heard, as the mountain ghost weeps in the dark amidst the wind and rain

As she was standing on her tiptoes, her balance was unstable, and with a sudden pull, she fell hard towards the ground. Just as she was about to hit the concrete floor, she felt someone wrap their arms around her waist and pull her back with force, thus allowing her to escape a disaster and avoiding the scene of her hands and feet hitting the ground

Now the elder brother's wife is pregnant, and the elder brother holds her in his palms, afraid she might melt, and keeps her in his mouth, afraid she might dissolve. Every day, he does not allow her to go out, so she feels stifled and does not know what to do. Only when she goes out or when the concubines visit can she pass the time a little.

What is this thing called love in the world, that it compels one to pledge life and death to each other

The sun is nearly setting, and as it is late autumn, it no longer possesses any warmth, merely hanging faintly in the sky, resembling an ink wash painting hanging in a study, dim and pale, almost superfluous.

As it was a corner, during the evening, the students had gradually left, and no one paid attention. He surprisingly did not let go. She came back to her senses, and he still held her like this, with not a single gap between them, his breath filling her entire space. She pushed him away, avoiding his unabashed gaze, and somewhat irritably said: "Let go!"

That day, in her haste, she collided with him on the road, scattering books all over the ground. When she looked up, she was met by his gaze, reminiscent of the blooming flowers in April, with the wind stirring the clouds and the air subtly infused with the fragrance of apricot blossoms. Her face involuntarily flushed, and she found herself too shy to look at him for long

He still did not let go, and slowly leaned down, staring at her alluring red lips, softly saying: "This is the second time you've bumped into me!" His breath gently brushed against her face, causing a mix of sweetness, numbness, and confusion. His handsome face was so close. What is this? Clearly, it was he who bumped into her this time! He chuckled, his chest slightly trembling, and as he was so close, his nose touched hers, creating an indescribable intimacy: "Alright, let's consider this one forgiven!"

Now, unexpectedly, there is a sense of anticipation towards school, constantly wondering if I will see him tomorrow. Even the usual indifference towards dressing has become deliberate. The residence has tailors coming every quarter to make clothes, and during free time, the elder sister-in-law occasionally takes her to the foreign goods store to look at imported Western items. She has always been indifferent, but now she has started to pay attention, planning the clothes to wear the next day before going to bed, having Julan iron them, preparing to wear them the following day

Jingqi pushed the door open and entered the room, which was quite cool due to several small windows being open. She placed the book on the desk, her hand gently gliding over the cover, and a faint smile appeared on her face

Only then did she remember that his book was still with her, and she hurriedly took it out to give it to him: "Your book!" He took it and said, "Fortunately, we don't have this subject today!" After flipping through it, he looked at her and said, "I didn't bring your book; it's at my house. Let's go get it together later!" She shook her head and said, "No need! Just bring it to me tomorrow!"

In recent days, while casually passing by their classroom with a few classmates, she has felt an unusual sensation, as if a pair of eyes were silently watching her. Occasionally, when she turns her head, in the blink of an eye, the gaze inadvertently sweeps past her and looks into the distance. Her heart races uncontrollably. Initially, she was indifferent about going to school. With her talents and beauty, along with the Helian surname, there are few in the northern region who could be deemed worthy of her.

Even Sister-in-law noticed it, playfully teasing her with a smile these past few days. Her smile deepened even more; if only her future husband could treat her like her elder brother did—what appeared before her eyes was unexpectedly his face.

In my childhood, due to my mother's early passing, although my father had many concubines, they all kept to their own affairs and did not trouble her much. It was already quite good that they would occasionally be sharp-tongued. Who would truly care for her? My elder brother had also left home early, and apart from Julan, there was essentially no one in the family who was close to her