CHAPTER 009
Lu Yun'er noticed the subtle movement and assumed that Su Qingwan might be feeling resistant, so she waited for a moment and directed her gaze toward the lotus pond.
At this time, the lotus pond was filled with a lush green of swaying lotus leaves, which, under the spring sunlight, shimmered like emeralds—vivid and clear, captivatingly beautiful.
In summer, when the lotuses are in full bloom, the scene must be mesmerizing.
Fixing her gaze on the pond, Lu Yun'er finally spoke softly, guiding him gently, "I am now the Confucian classics instructor for the boys' academy at Lexiong Hall. According to protocol, Young Heir should address me as Dr. Lu. Today, by missing my class without a valid reason, you have violated school rules. According to the regulations, there must be consequences, and Young Heir should be punished by copying..."
"What? Does Dr. Lu intend to punish me?" Su Qingwan glanced at her coldly, his icy gaze tinged with disdain.
Lu Yun'er had anticipated this reaction. Weighing her options, she met his displeased gaze and replied truthfully, "Yes, according to the rules of the National Academy, you should indeed be punished."
When it comes to rules, once you allow one exception, countless others will follow.
It wouldn't be fair to the other students, and if they all start to imitate this behavior, Lexiong Hall would fall into chaos. Therefore, the rules must be upheld no matter what.
However, convincing this proud young heir with such a high status would indeed be a tricky problem.
"You dare!"
Su Qingwan's long lashes quivered slightly, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected that she would actually consider punishing him. No one had ever dared to confront him like this before.
Suddenly, a stern and commanding female voice rang out, "Su Qingwan, do not be disrespectful!"
Lu Yun'er looked up and saw the person who had spoken. Her eyes flickered slightly, and she immediately knelt on one knee, respectfully greeting, "This humble one is Lu Yun'er, greetings to Princess Yun."
Princess Yun had always kept away from court affairs, living a reclusive life.
However, Lu Yun'er had encountered her once before, during a competition with General Liu. It was also during that event that General Liu became a follower of Princess Yun.
If General Liu knew that Princess Yun was visiting the National Academy, he would be overjoyed.
"Dr. Lu, please rise."
A rare smile appeared on Su Bai's usually stern face. The memory of the three arrows shot simultaneously was still fresh in her mind, and she hadn't expected Lu Yun'er to now hold the position of instructor at the National Academy.
She then narrowed her eyes, her gaze as sharp as a blade as she coldly stared at Hu Lanzhen. "Grandmaster, this situation is quite different from what you reported to me."
Hu Lanzhen, panicking, glanced at the young heir Su and immediately knelt down, trembling as she said, "I realize my mistake."
Su Bai cast a deep look at Su Qingwan, then turned to Lu Yun'er and said, "My son was out of line today and caused you trouble, Dr. Lu. The National Academy has always respected the authority of its teachers and upheld strict rules. If this happens again in the future, please handle it impartially and without hesitation."
Although Su Qingwan's face remained expressionless, his fingers inside his sleeves were tightly clenched, white-knuckled.
Lu Yun'er noticed a subtle tension in the relationship between mother and son. The young heir's unnervingly calm stare at her made it clear—he resented her now. But since Princess Yun had spoken, this matter would be easier to resolve.
"Understood."
Su Bai's expression turned cold again. "Grandmaster, let’s go to your Jingyi Pavilion for a proper discussion."
A chill ran down Hu Lanzhen's spine, and she broke out in goosebumps as she stammered, "Y-yes."
After respectfully seeing off Princess Yun, Lu Yun'er turned around only to catch Su Qingwan glaring at her with undisguised disdain.
It was as if a parent-teacher meeting had just ended, but this time the teacher and the parent were on the same side. Lu Yun'er was completely unfazed, giving a faint smile, "Young Master, shall we go back now?"
Su Qingwan curled his lips into a slight smile, "And if I refuse to go back?" With that, he began walking toward the center of the lotus pond.
Lu Yun'er shook her head helplessly. Such an arrogant and willful young master. Skipping class might be excusable, but there must still be consequences. She followed him closely.
The two of them unknowingly reached the center of the lotus pond, but Su Qingwan wasn't in the mood to enjoy the scenery. Instead, he was lost in thought.
The person behind him, no longer urging him to return, simply followed him quietly, making it all the more difficult to fathom.
Unable to resist, Su Qingwan turned to look at her, only to find that she was leisurely enjoying the view.
From time to time, she would lean forward and gently caress the tender green lotus leaves with her fair, slender hand. Her breathtakingly beautiful profile, bathed in sunlight, shimmered with a golden glow.
Noticing his gaze, Lu Yun'er paused and smiled softly, "What's the matter?"
In that instant, her long, narrow, almond-shaped eyes sparkled with a light that silently and gently touched his heart.
Su Qingwan couldn't understand what was happening to him. Clearly, this person was so annoying, yet his heart was inexplicably stirred, unable to calm down. He suppressed the strange emotions inside him, quickly averted his gaze, and lowered his eyes, revealing no expression.
Lu Yun'er walked up to Su Qingwan and teased, "Have you had enough fun now?" Seeing that he didn't respond, she continued, "Since you're done playing, why don't you write an 800-character reflection on what you saw and felt while walking through the lotus pond? This will be your punishment for skipping class today. Submit it to me within three days at the latest, and remember it must be heartfelt, with neat and clean handwriting. Otherwise, I might make you rewrite it. And don't be late for the next class."
After finishing her words in one breath, she turned and left, not caring about his reaction. He was probably furious with her.
After taking a few steps, she turned back and smiled, "Oh, by the way, if you don't want to write it, I might just pay a visit to Prince Yun's residence!"
Su Qingwan gritted his teeth in frustration, frowning as he looked at Lu Yun'er. As expected, this person was still annoying.
Lu Yun'er returned to Lexin Hall and, seeing that there wasn't much time left, decided not to start a new lesson, opting instead to begin in the afternoon so that everyone could progress at the same pace.
After class, Lu Yun'er returned to the scholars' hall and encountered Sheng Qingzi there alone. Curiously, she asked, "Sheng Boshi, why are you alone? Where is everyone else?"
"Oh, they went straight to the dining hall after finishing their lessons." Sheng Qingzi seemed a bit embarrassed. The others had planned to wait for him, but he had chased them off.
"I see," Lu Yun'er said, setting down her books and preparing to pick up a lunch box. She then asked, "So why didn't you go to lunch?"
Sheng Qingzi replied shyly, "I was waiting for you."
"Waiting for me?" Lu Yun'er was slightly taken aback, raising her eyes to look at him.
Trying to conceal his thoughts, Sheng Qingzi quickly said, "I was worried you weren't familiar with the dining hall, so I wanted to take you there and ask how your first class went today."
Thinking of everything that had happened that morning, Lu Yun'er smiled and said, "Let's talk as we walk."
"Alright," Sheng Qingzi replied shyly, still not understanding why she had suddenly smiled.
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