Finally, the day of the exam arrived.
Lin Tingwan didn't get up to see him off.
She just rolled over and went back to sleep.
Zheng Xuanling stood by the bed, watching her lazy demeanor with a mixture of helplessness and amusement.
"Tingwan."
"Mmm..."
"I'm leaving."
"Mhm."
Zheng Xuanling leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.
"Wait for me to come back."
Lin Tingwan murmured a response in her daze, though it was unclear whether she actually heard him.
Zheng Xuanling chuckled softly, then turned and left the room.
Outside the courtyard, Provincial Graduate Zhang and the others were already waiting. When they saw him emerge, they greeted him one after another.
"Brother Zheng, your lady wife isn't seeing you off?"
Zheng Xuanling shook his head. "She's still sleeping."
Provincial Graduate Zhang clicked his tongue in amazement. "Your lady wife certainly has a broad heart. Traveling thousands of miles to follow you here, and on exam day she won't even see you off? If my wife were here, she'd definitely see me all the way to the gate and cry her heart out before stopping."
Brother Li chuckled. "Brother Zheng's wife is different from others, as you well know."
Chatting and laughing, the group boarded the carriage.
The sound of horse hooves gradually faded into the distance.
At the Wang residence, Lin Tingwan slept until the sun was high in the sky before finally getting up.
She pushed open the door, and the sunlight was perfect, warm as it bathed her. The courtyard was quiet; the servants, knowing the young masters had gone to take their exams, moved about with extra care, afraid to make the slightest noise.
Uncle Chen brought over hot tea and asked with a smile, "Lady Lin, is there anything special you'd like to eat today? This old servant will have the kitchen prepare it."
Lin Tingwan thought for a moment, then said, "Whatever is fine."
She sat under the eaves, basking in the sun and sipping tea, gazing at the few pomegranate flowers blooming so vibrantly in the courtyard.
Days like this were truly wonderful.
No need to worry about daily necessities, no need to hustle for a living, just sitting, drinking, watching.
She suddenly felt she understood those who pursued wealth and status. Not for power, not for showing off, but simply for this kind of carefree comfort.
The luxuries of the mortal world were indeed alluring.
The sun climbed higher, and Lin Tingwan leaned against the courtyard pillar, dozing off in a half-awake haze.
After the exam ended, the scholars returned to the Wang residence, chattering incessantly.
"The exam questions this year were really strange!" Zhang Wenyuan exclaimed the moment he entered. "I thought it would be the usual routine of classics and policy essays, but instead they were all practical questions!"
Brother Li also frowned. "Right, that question about 'the pros and cons of the grain transport system and reform strategies'—I wrote it so haltingly, ugh~"
Wang Boyan, however, appeared calm. "I heard the chief examiner this year is Vice Minister Chen of the Revenue Ministry. This man is known for his practical approach, so it's only natural his questions lean toward real-world affairs."
"No wonder!" Zhang Wenyuan slapped his thigh. "No wonder the style was so different from previous years! We're in trouble now—those of us who only know how to memorize books are probably doomed."
Brother Zhao looked worried. "That question about the gains and losses of the salt and iron monopoly—I answered it without even knowing what I was saying..."
The group sighed and groaned, their faces full of worry.
Zheng Xuanling was the last to enter, his expression unchanged.
Scholar Zhang approached him. "Brother Zheng, how did you answer?"
Zheng Xuanling thought for a moment, then said, "Adequately."
"Adequately?" Zhang Wenyuan's eyes went wide. "What does this 'adequately' of yours mean? Does it mean you passed or not?"
Zheng Xuanling shook his head. "I don't know."
The others could only sigh in exasperation.
Lin Tingwan came out from the back courtyard. Seeing their expressions, she couldn't help but find it amusing.
"What, didn't do well?"
Zhang Wenyuan sighed deeply. "Lady Sister-in-law, don't even mention it. This year's questions were too strange—I'm afraid we'll all fail the exam."
She didn't press further, only smiled and said, "Since the exam is over, there's no use worrying. Rest well these few days, and wait for the results."
The group thought that made sense and dispersed.
During the days waiting for the results, the atmosphere at the Wang residence was tense.
The scholars all said on the surface, "The exam's over, thinking about it is useless," but Lin Tingwan clearly saw Zhang Wenyuan pacing in the courtyard late at night, Brother Li staring blankly at his books, and even the most steady Wang Boyan often lost in thought during meals.
Only Zheng Xuanling continued to eat and sleep as usual, completely unaffected.
On the third day, the results were posted.
Before dawn, the scholars got up, packed up, and rushed hurriedly to the examination hall. Zheng Xuanling didn't want to go, but Zhang Wenyuan grabbed him firmly.
"Brother Zheng! This is the results announcement! How can you not go!"
Zheng Xuanling had no choice but to follow.
Lin Tingwan still didn't go.
She sat under the eaves, basking in the sun, drinking the tea Uncle Chen had brewed, waiting for news.
About an hour later, a commotion arose outside the courtyard.
"I passed! I passed!" Zhang Wenyuan's voice came through first, excited to the point of cracking.
Then came Brother Li's laughter, Wang Boyan's restrained congratulations, and Scholar Zhao's ecstatic shouts.
Lin Tingwan stood up and looked toward the courtyard gate.
The scholars rushed in, joy written all over their faces. Zhang Wenyuan clutched a piece of red paper, waving it as he ran toward her.
"Lady Sister-in-law! I passed! Thirty-ninth place!"
Brother Li also cupped his hands with a smile. "I was fortunate, sixty-third place."
Wang Boyan nodded slightly. "Sixty-first place."
Scholar Zhao scratched his head. "I'm the lowest, one hundred and twenty-ninth, but at least I passed."
The group chattered endlessly, their joy overflowing.
Lin Tingwan listened, happy for them too. Her eyes swept over the crowd but didn't find the familiar figure she was looking for.
"And my husband?" she asked.
The scholars fell silent.
Lin Tingwan already had an answer forming in her heart.
"He didn't pass?" she asked.
Zhang Wenyuan nodded with difficulty.
"Lady Sister-in-law, Brother Zheng... failed the exam."
Lin Tingwan was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Where is he?"
"He's still at the examination hall gate. He said he wanted to be alone for a while."
Lin Tingwan turned and walked out.
Uncle Chen called after her from behind, "Lady Lin, shall I send a carriage for you?"
Lin Tingwan waved her hand and walked away without looking back.
At the examination hall gate, the crowd was enormous.
Around the results board, people were packed in layers, some joyful, some disappointed, some beating their chests in anguish, some weeping bitterly. Lin Tingwan sensed slightly, and in the distance, under a cypress tree, she spotted Zheng Xuanling.
He was leaning against the tree trunk, arms crossed, looking at everything before him with a detached expression. Sunlight filtered through the branches, sprinkling over him, making him appear even more refined and otherworldly.
Lin Tingwan walked over and stood beside him.
"Failed?" she asked.
Zheng Xuanling nodded.
"How do you feel?"
Zheng Xuanling thought for a moment, then said, "I'm quite surprised. And it's a novel experience." Noveltranslations service
Lin Tingwan chuckled.
Zheng Xuanling smiled too, reaching out to put his arm around her shoulder. "I was nurtured by the sect from a young age, blessed with outstanding talent, and I thought studying as a mortal would be nothing special. I never expected..."
He looked at the mortals before him, some joyful, some sorrowful, and spoke softly. "Look at them—how much effort and hope they've poured into this single notice board."
"Every single one of them has spent ten years burning the midnight oil studying, but sometimes fate really loves to toy with people. Pass, and you bring glory to your ancestors. Fail, and three years of effort go down the drain."
Lin Tingwan followed his gaze.
A middle-aged scholar was squatting on the ground, sobbing into his hands, while people beside him tried in vain to console him. Another young man jumped up in ecstatic joy, high-fiving his companions in celebration.
The joys and sorrows of mortals were so real in this moment.
"Tingwan," Zheng Xuanling said softly.
"Hmm?"
"Thank you."
Lin Tingwan looked at him. "For what?"
Zheng Xuanling leaned his head on her shoulder, gazing at that notice board in the distance.
"Thank you for coming on this journey with me."