The Grand Secretary's Pampered Wife

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After the last person in the barracks had fallen asleep, Gu Chengfeng got out of bed and quietly approached the door.

The door was locked from the outside, and he couldn't pry it open without tools. He had to rely on his internal force to shake it open.

But he couldn't afford to alert the patrolling guards. He had to wait for the next clap of thunder.

A blinding flash of lightning illuminated the ground, making even the ants visible.

Now was the time!

In the loud thunderclap, Gu Chengfeng shattered the brass lock.

He opened the door and stepped out, then used hair strands to wrap the broken lock and made it look like it was still intact.

As the thunder quieted down, heavy rain poured.

Gu Chengfeng dashed into the pouring rain without hesitation. The downpour would conceal his tracks but also mask the presence of the guards. He needed to be extra cautious tonight to avoid accidentally running into someone who was unaware and getting caught on the spot.

"Aiya, why does it have to rain so heavily all of a sudden? My clothes are soaked!"

"I wonder if we can even work tomorrow."

"Who cares, it's not like we are the ones digging the shafts."

Gu Chengfeng hid behind a large tree, letting two patrolling guards hastily pass by not far away.

Once they were far enough, he continued running towards the checkpoint.

There were guards stationed at the checkpoint as well. He had observed carefully; this was the only entrance and exit, with poisonous plants and traps elsewhere.

He waited in the rain for a while. The guards seemed to be getting drowsy, standing and nodding off.

Gu Chengfeng stealthily darted past them!

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous, his heart was practically pounding in his throat. Fortunately, he wasn't discovered and successfully left the mining camp.

Afterwards, he ran in the direction he had come from.

The heavy rain poured down, soaking his clothes.

He didn’t dare stop for a moment, fearing that the guards would catch up.

He ran for an unknown amount of time until his legs almost felt like they weren’t his own anymore. He arrived at a secluded official road and leaned against a tree, gasping for breath heavily.

Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves approached from afar.

"There’s only one official road here; he must have gone this way!"

It was the supervising officers from the mine!

They had found out about his escape so quickly!

Gu Chengfeng gritted his teeth and glanced up at the branches above. With a slight push of his toes, he leaped onto the branches.

Luckily, there was no thunder at this moment. Otherwise, if he hadn't been caught and beaten to death by them, he would have been struck dead by lightning.

“Hyah!”

A group of people galloped past beneath the tree.

Listening to the sound of hoofbeats fade into the distance, Gu Chengfeng leaned against the tree trunk, breathing slightly.

It was only when he sat down that he felt the pain in his legs.

The place where the slave mark had been branded had never fully healed, and now, drenched in rain, it hurt like a stabbing pain in his heart.

……

As school was about to end at Tianqiong Academy, the weather took a turn for the worse. The classroom felt stifling and oppressive, and everyone struggled to catch their breath.

Despite the doors and windows being wide open, there was still only a little cool breeze coming in.

Those studying here were not from extremely poor families; everyone was relatively well-off, and there were no unpleasant smells to endure.

Gu Jiao sat in the last row, with Mu Qingchen on her left and the rear door on her right.

Her seat allowed her to breathe in relatively fresh air.

In the front row, Zhou Tong was dozing off.

This was partly due to the stuffy weather and partly because he had stayed up late painting.

During the lecture, Teacher Gao was explaining the Shang-gao theorem, which was the Pythagorean theorem Gu Jiao had learned in her previous life.

"Zhou Tong!"

Teacher Gao suddenly called out.

Zhou Tong jolted awake, looking bewildered as he stood up.

Teacher Gao calmly said, "It's your turn to answer this question. What is the answer?"

Zhou Tong swallowed nervously.

What question? What answer?

"Eighty." Gu Jiao whispered expressionlessly.

Mu Qingchen gave Gu Jiao a strange look.

Straightening his posture, Zhou Tong loudly declared, "Eighty!"

Teacher Gao looked suspiciously at Zhou Tong and then at the students behind him.

There were only two people behind Zhou Tong, namely Mu Qingchen and Xiao Liulang. Mu Qingchen wouldn't give him the answer, and Xiao Liulang never paid attention in class and relied on copying for homework.

"Alright." Teacher Gao acknowledged and let Zhou Tong sit down.

Zhou Tong breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

After class, Mu Qingchen picked up the recent questions left by the teacher and pointed to one, asking Gu Jiao, "What's the answer to this?"

"I don't know." Gu Jiao replied without hesitation.

"What about this one?" Mu Qingchen switched to another problem.

"I don't know either." Gu Jiao answered.

Mu Qingchen frowned at her, "How come you knew when Zhou Tong was asked?"

Zhou Tong couldn’t solve it, but can’t you?

Gu Jiao casually remarked, "I just guessed."

Not long after, Gu Xiaoshun came looking for Gu Jiao, "Liulang, let’s go home!"

"Okay." Gu Jiao started packing her book bag, looking indifferent as if she was naturally uninterested in studying.

Mu Qingchen gave her a deep look and asked, "Have you ever thought about taking the imperial examination?"

"I'm not a citizen of the State of Yan." Gu Jiao said.

Mu Qingchen replied, "As long as you're a student of the academy, you can participate in the imperial examinations."

The State of Yan highly valued talent, as seen from their establishment of underground martial arts arenas to scout martial arts prodigies from various countries.

Although the imperial examinations usually prioritize candidates from the State of Yan, exceptional talents from other countries could also be admitted out of the norm.

There had been many such precedents over the years.

If one were to pass, mere inner city tallies weren't much; even a permanent household registration in the State of Yan wasn't impossible.

"Don't you want to stay in the State of Yan?" Mu Qingchen asked.

"Out of a thousand candidates, how many can actually stay?" Gu Jiao retorted.

…It was difficult.

The imperial examinations of the State of Yan were the most difficult among the six states, not only because of the wide scope and numerous subjects, but also due to the sheer number of examinees.

Eighty percent of the candidates were from the State of Yan itself, while the remaining twenty percent were outstanding students from the other five states. Local candidates receive bonus points, and there were also slight bonuses for candidates from the State of Liang and the State of Jin. On the other hand, the selection mechanism for candidates from the lower states was the most brutal.

Therefore, for Gu Jiao to stand out among such a large pool of candidates, the difficulty could be imagined.

"I think you should give it a try." Mu Qingchen still said.

Gu Jiao waved her hand dismissively, saying, "Forget it."

Just writing the eight-legged essay required for the imperial exam would be her downfall; Xiao Heng would be a much better candidate!

Raz P.'s Thoughts

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Description:

In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.

When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.

The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.

From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.

***

Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.

After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"

Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"

Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”

Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

He hasn't finished his lines yet though…