Chapter 65: Hearing Your Voice, I’m Not Afraid

“Yes, many people here live like that. There are even girls who work away from home and share rented houses,” Su Jinshi explained. “In my world, women face far fewer restrictions. They can work outside just like men, and are not necessarily confined to domestic duties. They can go out freely, travel without covering their faces, and even work alongside men.”

“This aligns perfectly with the ideals promoted by Empress Yuan Zhen. I didn’t expect your world to have realized them,” Shen Shilang said, pleasantly surprised.

“Are you still afraid now?”

Su Jinshi paused, realizing that while chatting with Shen Shilang, she had unknowingly forgotten her fear.

“As long as I hear your voice, I’m not afraid,” Su Jinshi wrote.

“Then let’s keep talking,” Shen Shilang suggested after a moment. “How about I read you a story?”

Su Jinshi glanced out the window at the darkening sky. “Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m wide awake now,” Shen Shilang replied. Although he had noticed Xu Liangchuan’s frequent trips to the outhouse, he had fallen asleep after watching for a while, and quite early at that.

Xu Liangchuan’s scream had startled him awake, and the cool night air had quickly cleared his mind.

“Do you have any storybooks?” Su Jinshi asked curiously. She had never seen Shen Shilang read one before.

“Actually, I don’t,” Shen Shilang admitted. “Do you have any?”

He had always thought of Su Jinshi as a treasure trove of knowledge, seemingly having everything at her disposal.

But Su Jinshi shook her head—she didn’t have any either.

“No matter. How about I read you ‘The Analects’?” Shen Shilang offered. “Once we reach the capital, we can visit a bookstore. You can pick out whatever stories you like, and I’ll buy them to read to you.”

“That sounds good.” Listening to Shen Shilang read ‘The Analects’ would be like a soothing lullaby.

Su Jinshi lay down, found a comfortable position, and closed her eyes to listen to him read.

Shen Shilang’s gentle, low voice filled the space near her ear, making even the typically dry ‘Analects’ sound pleasant and comforting.

His voice completely replaced the terrifying nursery rhyme that had been haunting her mind.

Su Jinshi didn’t even realize when she drifted off to sleep.

As Shen Shilang continued reading, he noticed Su Jinshi was no longer responding. He called out softly, “Jinshi?”

After several attempts without a reply, he realized she had fallen asleep.

Shen Shilang smiled gently and closed his eyes for a brief rest.

Later, he got up and started packing his belongings.

When he went downstairs for breakfast, just as the meal was being served, he felt a light tap on the back of his hand.

Surprised, he asked, “Jinshi?”

Su Jinshi tapped his hand twice more.

This had become their silent method of communication.

When Su Jinshi couldn’t speak, two taps meant “yes.”

Shen Shilang whispered, “Why are you up so early?”

Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, Su Jinshi wrote on the table: “I’m used to having breakfast with you.”

Such a simple sentence unexpectedly warmed Shen Shilang’s heart.

At that moment, they overheard a conversation from the neighboring table.

“Have you heard? Xu Liangchuan has fallen ill.”

“Yes, he suddenly developed a high fever. The innkeeper had to call for a doctor.”

“I heard he had stomach troubles last night and made several trips to the outhouse.”

“Poor fellow. After that ordeal, his body was completely weakened. He became convinced he’d seen a ghost and had a mental breakdown! Then he caught a chill, and now he’s running a high fever. Talk about being unlucky—everything’s hitting him all at once.”

“I wonder what’s going on in Jinzhou. I heard that their top scholar, Shi Minglei, was expected to win first place in the provincial exams. His knowledge far surpassed Xu Liangchuan’s. But oddly, just a day before the exam, Shi Minglei suddenly suffered from stomach issues, just like Xu Liangchuan. He was so weakened that it affected his performance, allowing Xu Liangchuan to take first place.”

Upon hearing this, Su Jinshi speculated, “Could it be that Xu Liangchuan drugged Shi Minglei too? Otherwise, it’s too much of a coincidence.”

“It’s certainly possible,” Shen Shilang nodded. “Having succeeded once, he likely tried the same trick again.”

But this time, it backfired on him.

Given Xu Liangchuan’s current state, even if he recovers physically before the imperial exams, his mental state might take much longer to heal.

After all, he’s now convinced he’s seen a ghost.

He might be plagued by fear and sleepless nights for some time.

However, Shen Shilang couldn’t bring himself to feel any sympathy. A person who schemes against others, ruthlessly sabotaging their futures, doesn’t deserve pity.

[System: Successfully thwarted Xu Liangchuan’s scheme against Shen Shilang. Gained XP+ ]

Despite earning a considerable amount of experience, Su Jinshi was disappointed to find that her level remained stubbornly at LV15.

She still needed 19,000 more XP points to reach LV16.

Reaching LV20 to upgrade the system shop and purchase the mid-tier communication box device seemed like a distant goal.

After checking out of the inn, Shen Shilang continued their journey towards the capital by donkey cart.

They finally passed through the city gates just before sunset.

It was Su Jinshi’s first time witnessing the bustling grandeur of an ancient capital city in person.

The famous painting “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” had not exaggerated its splendor.

Finding accommodations in the capital proved challenging, as most inns were fully booked.

After inquiring at several places, Shen Shilang decided to visit a yaren—the equivalent of a housing agent in this era—to rent a small house directly.

Since it was just for him, he didn’t need a large place, just something sufficient for his needs.

In the future, if he secured a position in the capital without being dispatched elsewhere, he’d at least have a permanent residence.

However, until a suitable house was found, Shen Shilang still needed to stay at an inn for a few days.

Fortunately, most scholars coming to the capital for exams planned to stay in inns, with few having the same idea as Shen Shilang. This made finding a house relatively easy.

Due to his limited funds, the yaren found him a small residence tucked away in an alley.

The house was small, with neighbors close enough that speaking loudly might be overheard through the thin walls. The courtyard was compact but functional, with a practical layout including an outhouse, kitchen, and one bedroom.

The outhouse was separate, while the bedroom was connected to a small sitting room.

The location was quite far from the imperial palace, about a half-hour walk away.

But the price was right.

Shen Shilang’s savings were just enough to cover the rent for this house.

After signing the lease and paying the rent, he moved in.

He spent the rest of the day alternating between studying and taking breaks to clean the place thoroughly.

Now, Shen Shilang could settle in and focus on preparing for the upcoming exams.

In the time leading up to the metropolitan examination, a popular gathering spot in the capital was the Guixuan Pavilion, where literati, poets, and renowned scholars frequently met.

They would engage in discussions about classics, debate current affairs, and freely express their thoughts. Most hoped to gain recognition and improve their chances in the upcoming examinations or catch the eye of influential patrons.

Becoming well-known in the capital could attract attention from the court or lead to opportunities for mentorship and sponsorship from nobles.

Word had spread that the top scholar from the provincial exams had arrived in the capital. The local scholars had already sent an invitation to Shen Shilang, asking him to attend a poetry gathering at the Guixuan Pavilion in a few days’ time.

…