Chapter 66 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

He Yunxiao can't stand to see a girl cry, especially if the girl is someone he likes and someone who likes him back. Right now, He had given up on lecturing Du Yinyin and instead tried to coax her, saying, "How could it be! I like Yinyin the most." Du Yinyin wiped her tears and said, "If Young Master doesn't like Yinyin, then Yinyin would rather be dead." He kissed her tear-streaked cheek and comforted her, "Don't say things like that. I will always like Du Meimei." "How much do you like me?" "Like so much that I don't want to breathe without you." "Uh..." He spent a lot of effort explaining, finally getting Du Meimei to stop obsessing over the concept of "liking." He asked, "Yinyin, does Fan Ziruo have any hobbies?" Du Yinyin said, "Poetry, literature, articles, novels... basically anything related to words, she likes. Her favorite should be novels." He nodded and made a mental note. He then asked, "What about in daily life, does she have any preferences?" "She likes it quiet the most." "What about food?" "Lighter dishes." "And possessions?" "Lotus flowers. But it's the end of October now, and there are no lotus flowers." "What does she usually do?" "Generally, she teaches a class at the academy in the morning or afternoon. Then she reads, practices needlework, and such. Occasionally, she also writes something, like a novel." "Young Master..." Du Yinyin asked hesitantly, "Do you like Ziruo Sister?" He patted Du Yinyin's head and said, "Can I?" For a moment, Du Yinyin didn't understand what He meant and asked, "Can what?" He smiled and said, "Do you agree that I like her?" Du Yinyin was not foolish; she was quite clever. She knew she couldn't control who He likes or dislikes. But when her Young Master asked for her opinion on this matter, she keenly felt the respect He gave her. It was like a husband carefully discussing the matter of taking a concubine with his wife. If the wife didn't agree, it wouldn't happen. With the status of the man in the Qi State, such a thing was almost impossible to happen unless he was marrying into the family. But He Yunxiao, the noble son of the Marquis's mansion, said this to her. [Du Yinyin's favorability increased from 95 to 98.] "Um, um." "Don't agree?" "Agree, I agree," Du Yinyin said quickly. He kissed Du Meimei's soft cheek and said, "Thank you, Yinyin." After some thought, Du Meimei earnestly said, "Young Master, sister is particularly meticulous. If you plan to deceive her, you won't be able to for long." He said, "Don't worry. I just won't lie to her." Seeing He about to leave, Du Yinyin hastily grabbed him and then, blushing, took out a clean handkerchief from her bosom. "You-Y-Young Master, here, for you." He took the handkerchief, habitually sniffing it at the tip of his nose. Fragrant. Du Yinyin hurriedly said, "Young Master, no, it's too dirty." He solemnly tucked the handkerchief into his bosom, next to the handkerchief used by the remedy girl. Then, he lightly tapped Du Meimei's forehead and said, "Dirty? My little orchid, it is cleaner than pure snow." Before leaving, He instructed, "In the morning when you go to the academy, I heard Ziruo mention that you will also teach in a couple of days, are you going to teach music theory?" Still immersed in the sweet talk from earlier, Du Yinyin nodded. "You have stayed at the Chunfeng Pavilion before. I'm afraid some people might cause trouble. If anything doesn't feel right, come and tell me immediately." Du Meimei nodded again. At that moment, she only felt that she liked her Young Master, and not only did he like her, but he also cherished, cared for, and respected her. There was nothing that made her happier than that in the world. ... In the afternoon, He Yunxiao arrived early at the Lu Jiao Academy. Du Meimei had mentioned that Fan Ziruo had to teach a class every day. Since she didn't teach in the morning, she would definitely do so in the afternoon. After inquiring about the classroom where Fan Ziruo would teach, He immediately went there. How could he not sit in the front row if he claimed to "love studying"? Good students sit in the front. It was called a classroom, but it was just a pavilion with open sides. Two sides were covered with white gauze, and the remaining two sides were completely open, offering a view of the outside scenery. Built by the pond, this kind of classroom was pleasant in all seasons. In summer, one could see the blooming lotus flowers in the pond, and in winter, it offered a snowy scene with snow-covered tree branches. Of course, in the winter, a stove was used for warmth. After all, no young master wanted to freeze. Upon entering the classroom, He was surprised to find that the first three rows were all occupied! What was more, the front three rows were filled with idlers like him, who had no interest in studying at all! This was outrageous! Did even idlers have started to study now? Upon entering, He was immediately greeted with exclamations of "Brother He?" Then someone joked, "Brother He, how did you end up here with us? Haha!" "Brother He, how is he the same as us? Brother He genuinely loves studying!" "Does He Yunxiao love to study? Nobody believes it!" "Come on, who's got Brother He's masterpiece to read aloud!" "I got it!" The person then recited jokingly, "Ah, the Ming Lake! Ahem, ahem. The Ming Lake! The lake is big. In the big Ming Lake, there are lotus flowers..." "Hahaha!" A burst of laughter erupted. Looking at this scene, He not only didn't get angry but also felt nostalgic. He remembered how his classmates used to be just as mischievous during his school days. At that time, the mischief was just for fun, rather than having a specific purpose, unlike in adulthood. The idlers in the Lu Jiao Academy were all from families with officials below the fifth rank, so they felt too embarrassed to say anything. The people bold enough to mock He Yunxiao, a marquis's son with the rank of second grade official, must have come from families with officials ranked fourth or higher. Or they were from prominent backgrounds like princes and marquis. In dealing with these people, good mood was a must-otherwise, they wouldn't even understand what you were saying. He waved his hand and said, "Today, I, He, also came to study! Who's going to offer me a seat! I don't want the back row, I only want the front row." There were only four seats in the front row. Those who could sit in these four seats were all nobles. The eldest son of Prince Qi, Meng Yan, the eldest son of the Minister of Works, Yang Xingguang's son, Yang Dong. Unlike his brother Yang Zhe, Yang Dong, in He's impression, was a pure idler. The renowned literary genius Li Jin. No further introduction was needed. The last one, an old acquaintance, was Huang Buren, the son of the Minister of Punishments, Huang Qinghe. Huang Buren still had some swelling on his face; it seemed he hadn't used the Soul Devouring Pill to repair his body yet. The arrogant attitude He showed in demanding a seat immediately irritated the idlers. He had never had a good rapport with the idlers, mainly because he was too good-looking, and no one wanted to play with him. Whoever used to be considered handsome beside him had dropped to average, and those who were average had just plummeted below the pass line. Who could put up with that? Somebody complained, "Brother He, first come first served! Who do you think you are to demand a seat?" Someone else said, "Brother He, anyway, we are all idlers; let's hang out in the back!" He had no intention to retort to these few flunkies, but when he saw Fan Ziruo walking over with books, he immediately called out, "Who says I'm an idler! I, He Yunxiao, love studying the most!"