Chapter 189: Childhood Sweethearts, the Heartless Are Mostly Scholars

The classroom was noisy.

The first class seemed to have just ended, and Wang Dafu was sitting on a desk bragging.

Su Bie sat to one side, occasionally tearing down his act.

The others watched as if it were a joke, and their exclamations of praise made Wang Dafu brag with increasing excitement and smugness.

Xu Xian sat alone, dozing off.

When Luo Zijun walked into the classroom, the students in front seemed not to recognize him at first.

After they reacted, one person exclaimed, "Luo Zijun!"

As soon as this name was spoken, the noisy sounds in the classroom suddenly went quiet.

Wang Dafu's bragging also came to an abrupt halt.

Xu Xian woke up immediately.

"Holy crap! Brother Luo! It really is you!"

Wang Dafu jumped off the desk in one motion, looking somewhat incredulous, then spread his arms and rushed toward him with an excited face, his mouth crooked and eyes squinting with joy: "Brother Luo! I've missed you to death! Come here for a hug!"

Luo Zijun lifted his foot, making a gesture to kick him.

Wang Dafu braked immediately, grinning cheekily: "Brother Luo, what wind blew you here today?"

Luo Zijun said: "There were things to attend to at home, so I haven't come for a while."

He greeted the others, went over to greet Su Bie as well, looked left and right, and said: "Why does it feel like someone is missing?"

Su Bie sighed and said: "Is Brother Luo talking about that guy Zhang Yitian? That fellow poisoned his own wife and was arrested by the yamen."

Luo Zijun was stunned: "Poisoned his own wife?"

Wang Dafu followed over, saying with a look of disdain: "I never expected that guy to be a beast in human clothing, worse than a pig or a dog! We were truly blind to have hung out with him back then."

Su Bie explained: "He already had a wife at home, a childhood sweetheart who had shared his hardships. I heard from neighbors that his wife was very virtuous and kind. His family was dirt poor, the house belonged to the woman, and the money spent on the wedding was all provided by her. Even their daily expenses and the money for him to study at the Academy were earned by his wife, who spent day and night sewing and mending clothes for others. Who would have thought that during the period of national mourning, that guy took a fancy to a wealthy Young Lady, deceived her with sweet talk, and she said she was willing to marry him..."

"Sigh, then he bought rat poison and went back, put it in their food, and made his wife eat it..."

Xu Xian suddenly spoke up with teary eyes: "I heard that after his wife ate it, she was in immense pain, yet she still crawled into the room and took out the little money they had left, telling him to remember to pay next month's tuition..."

Su Bie sighed: "I heard that when the coroner examined the body, his wife was already pregnant..."

"Beast! Truly a beast!"

"He's not even as good as a beast!"

Although the other students had already known about this, hearing it now, they still couldn't help but curse in anger.

In Luo Zijun's mind, he couldn't help but recall the time a group of them were preparing to go on an outing outside the city, and when they passed by the West Lake, that figure of a thin, gentle woman in coarse cloth clothes suddenly appeared.

"Once he climbed the social ladder, he started despising his wife of humble beginnings; he is truly detestable!"

"Poor his childhood sweetheart wife, who never saw through that guy's beastly nature from childhood to adulthood."

Not long after.

Yuan Mang walked into the classroom with books. Seeing Luo Zijun, a look of surprise appeared on his face. He greeted him and began the lesson.

For the entire class, Luo Zijun was somewhat absent-minded.

After class, Yuan Mang called him out.

The two walked to a corner of the corridor, and Yuan Mang patted his shoulder: "Zijun, your brother-in-law came to the Academy last time and told me about your situation. It hasn't been peaceful in the city lately, and your brother-in-law has made many enemies over the years. It is right for you to go to the Inner City to avoid trouble. I have already told the Academy that you can study at home from now on. You can come by for the year-end exams; there is no need to come over frequently. Safety is most important."

Luo Zijun thanked him quickly.

Yuan Mang chatted with him for a while longer, asking about his current situation and if he needed any help, before leaving.

Luo Zijun walked down the corridor.

At this time, Su Bie, Wang Dafu, and Xu Xian all walked over.

"Brother Luo, are you still attending class this afternoon?"

Wang Dafu asked.

Luo Zijun said: "No, I have things to attend to lately."

Wang Dafu patted his shoulder and sighed: "Brother Luo, we all know about your family situation. I heard from Sun Yan'er that your brother-in-law used to be a Head Constable at the yamen and offended many people. There was a sudden amnesty a while ago, and many criminals your brother-in-law had caught were released. I heard that one thug even found your home... that's why you moved into the Inner City to avoid trouble."

Su Bie said: "Studying at home is quite good; it's quiet and peaceful. You don't have to be like us, coming to the Academy through wind and rain, noisy and chaotic, and it's not necessarily better than being at home."

"Let's go, shall we head down the mountain together?"

Luo Zijun knew that both of them had to go home for lunch.

"Let's go."

The three were about to leave when they looked at Xu Xian beside them.

Luo Zijun said: "Xiao Xian, are you going home too?" Xu Xian hurriedly followed with his head down and said: "Yes."

He seemed to have something to say, but didn't dare.

The four walked toward the main gate.

Wang Dafu excitedly talked about the things that had happened at the Academy and in the Outer City during this time, and then asked Luo Zijun to talk about things in the Inner City.

Luo Zijun said: "I study at home all day, and my ears hear nothing of the world outside."

Wang Dafu said with a face full of anticipation: "I heard from Sun Yan'er and Huang Zhaodi that Brother Luo is staying at the Bai Mansion. That is the Duke's mansion! The people living inside are all high and mighty nobles. Don't any interesting things happen there usually?"

Then he blinked suggestively and whispered: "Brother Luo is so handsome and talented, haven't you had any romantic encounters in that Duke's mansion?"

Su Bie also said with envy: "Even the Young Maids there are probably better looking than the Young Ladies of many households."

Luo Zijun brushed them off with a few perfunctory words.

After going down the mountain, he finally spoke to the three about the real matter: "The seventh of this month is my wedding day, and the location is the Anguo Mansion in the Inner City. If you have time then, you are welcome to come and have a cup of wedding wine."

!

As soon as these words were spoken, all three were stunned.

Wang Dafu widened his eyes and said: "Is this for real? Brother Luo, are you really getting married?"

Su Bie suddenly felt some confusion: "Why at the Anguo Mansion?"

According to the rules, shouldn't a wedding be held at one's own home? Even if staying at the Anguo Mansion temporarily, it is impossible to hold a wedding banquet at someone else's Duke mansion.

Luo Zijun said: "I am marrying into the family."

"Ah???"

Once these words were spoken, the three of them all looked at each other in dismay.

"Marrying into the family? Brother Luo, you aren't joking with us, are you? You? Marrying into the family?"

Wang Dafu was full of astonishment, unable to believe it.

Su Bie suddenly laughed: "Brother Luo, stop joking. With your appearance and ability, how could you possibly choose to marry into a family?"

Xu Xian was also full of disbelief.

Luo Zijun did not offer much explanation and said: "In any case, the date is the seventh. If you have time, go; if you don't, it doesn't matter."

Su Bie frowned, and seeing that he did not seem to be joking, asked: "Who is the other party? Which Young Lady of the Bai Family?"

Luo Zijun said: "I won't reveal that for now. You will know when you go."

Wang Dafu still did not believe it: "How is it possible? How could Brother Luo possibly marry into a family?"

The four of them parted ways at the intersection beside West Lake.

After Su Bie and Wang Dafu had both left, Xu Xian suddenly caught up to Luo Zijun and said weakly: "Brother Luo, do you not want my younger sister anymore?"

Luo Zijun asked strangely: "When did I ever say I wanted her?"

Xu Xian said gloomily: "Brother Luo said it before. Brother Luo is talented in both literature and martial arts; she will definitely like you."

Luo Zijun patted his shoulder and said: "Don't always think about marrying your sister off. Actually, your sister is quite good to you. She works hard outside all day to earn money, all to help you pay off your debts."

Xu Xian asked in confusion: "How does Brother Luo know?"

Just as Luo Zijun was about to speak, he suddenly saw a familiar red figure appear at the intersection nearby. Turning his head to look, he saw Xu Ziyin wearing a red dress, her figure slender, walking over prettily. With a cold face, she said: "Where are you going to play with your rowdy friends again? The Brothel, or some woman's room?"

Xu Xian was startled and said hurriedly: "No... it's not..."

Luo Zijun explained: "We were just talking, preparing to go back to our respective homes. Miss Xu has misunderstood."

"Shut up!"

Xu Ziyin kept her pretty face cold, glaring at him fiercely: "Did I talk to you? You stinking scholar, not one of you is any good! Wasn't that Zhang Yitian originally one of your rowdy friends? Only people of the same foul smell would gather together. That man killed his wife to climb the social ladder; I'm afraid you all have the same character!"

Immediately, she warned with a cold face: "You, Wang Dafu, and Su Bie, stay away from my brother from now on! If I see you with him again, hmph, I will smash your heads to pieces with one punch!"

Xu Xian stood to the side with his head hanging low, not daring to make a sound.

"Very well, Eldest Miss Xu."

Luo Zijun did not get angry with her; he waved his hand, said goodbye, and left.

Let you be fierce now. Next time I meet you when leaving the city, I will definitely rip off your bodice to see just how fierce you really are!

Too lazy to walk, Luo Zijun took a carriage directly and returned to the Inner City.

He could not help but think of the matter of Zhang Yitian killing his wife again.

He got off the carriage.

He did not go back, but went straight to Bao'an Hall.

(End of this chapter)