Chapter 44: The Top Scholar

Back in their respective rooms to catch up on sleep, Qin Zhao was being led by Cao Xi, his eyes slightly unfocused and his mind unclear.

Cao Xi gently asked how his exam had gone and if his body felt unwell.

Qin Zhao, who liked being cared for, replied with a soft and somewhat pitiful tone, “I’m just tired, I want to sleep.”

Cao Xi immediately felt concerned, as he hadn’t realized how exhausted Qin Zhao was. With his understanding of the exam, he sensed Qin Zhao had endured a lot of stress.

He pushed Qin Zhao onto the bed and began to wipe his face with a warm towel. Qin Zhao enjoyed the care, feeling relaxed, almost moaning in comfort.

After everything was tidied up, Cao Xi went to the kitchen to make food for him, but Qin Zhao, still exhausted, didn’t want to be alone. He tugged at Cao Xi, unwilling to let him go, pulling him back to bed.

“Don’t leave, I can’t sleep without you by my side,” Qin Zhao murmured, his eyes rimmed with red. Cao Xi, feeling a deep tenderness for him, agreed and lay beside him. Qin Zhao, satisfied, hugged him and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Cao Xi gently caressed his face, noticing he had lost some weight. His fingers traced the contours of Qin Zhao’s face, moving up to his eyes, and he sighed softly, wrapping his arms around his waist.

When Qin Zhao woke up, it was already dark, the room quiet. Cao Xi was asleep beside him, his face slightly flushed. Qin Zhao could clearly hear his breathing.

He poked at Cao Xi’s slightly red face, feeling its softness, and continued to poke it.

Cao Xi, disturbed, swatted at Qin Zhao’s hand with a soft “thwack,” still half-asleep and confused about where they were.

He groggily asked, “Are you hungry? I’ll call the kitchen to send something over.”

“I’m fine, just sleep. I’ll go to the kitchen,” Qin Zhao replied, pushing Cao Xi back into bed as he got up to put on his shoes.

Moments later, Qin Zhao returned with a tray of food.

“The food is still warm. Let’s eat now,” Qin Zhao said as he returned to the bed.

Cao Xi, now awake, wiped his face with a towel and sat down beside Qin Zhao to eat dinner.

“Finally, the exams are over,” Cao Xi said, relieved, as if a heavy weight had been lifted.

Qin Zhao nodded. “Yes, but if I hadn’t finished, there would still be more tests.”

“You poor thing,” Cao Xi said, picking up a piece of braised pork and placing it in Qin Zhao’s bowl. “You’ve worked so hard.”

Qin Zhao smiled faintly, but then sighed. Cao Xi had struggled with the exams, wishing he hadn’t had to participate. But in reality, they were all important for his future.

Later that night, the room was quiet and dim, with only the sound of breathing filling the air. If it weren’t for the soft sounds of Cao Xi’s breath, it would have felt like the quietest of nights.

Qi Qige had been busy organizing accounts and supervising work around the house, working late into the night. He’d been exhausted, but Qin Zhao still accompanied him, despite how difficult it was.

The next morning, Qi Qige was revived, full of energy, and dragged Qin Zhao out to explore the town, claiming it was to learn about local customs, but in reality, it was to visit various shops.

In the city, Qi Qige had several shops, involved in various industries such as food, clothing, and living. After visiting three or four shops, there were still accounts to be checked, which Qin Zhao helped with. As Qi Qige liked to say, everything should be put to good use.

Meanwhile, Cao Xi had been waiting anxiously for Qin Zhao’s exam results. He had been waiting for nearly half a month, and when Qin Zhao came home, it was as if he had fought a battle and was completely exhausted, falling into bed to sleep.

As time passed, the results of the exam were about to be released, and the old steward had already been waiting eagerly by the notice board.

Today, however, Qin Zhao and Cao Xi couldn’t wait at the venue to see the results. They had to save their energy.

Qi Qige, who had been walking around the courtyard, had been drinking several pots of tea but appeared calm. Cao Xi, on the other hand, was standing by the door, nervously peering outside.

At noon, the steward came running back, drenched in sweat, and before he could speak, Cao Xi asked, “Did the results come out?”

The steward shouted excitedly, “Yes, yes! Young master, you’ve passed!”

Upon hearing that he had passed, Qi Qige jumped up instantly, grabbing the servant’s hand with excitement in his eyes. “Really? I made it?”

The servant’s face was flushed from running, and he replied in a hoarse voice, “It’s true! Second place, Ya Yuan. I saw it clearly—there’s no mistake.”

Cao Xi pushed Qi Qige aside and asked the servant, “Did you see Qin Zhao’s name?”

The servant was momentarily confused, needing time to remember who Qin Zhao was. Then his face lit up like a blossoming flower.

“He made it! First place, Jie Yuan!” His voice boomed with excitement, as if he himself had achieved the honor, echoing throughout the courtyard.

Hearing that Qin Zhao had ranked first, Cao Xi threw his arms around him, bouncing with joy. Qin Zhao loosened his tight grip at this moment, steadying Cao Xi to prevent him from falling.

“No, I must see it with my own eyes,” Cao Xi declared, attempting to dash outside.

Qin Zhao caught him and pulled him back. “There’s no need to check. If it’s true, someone will come to deliver the good news.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of drums and gongs could be heard from a distance, growing closer. The messenger arrived, shouting out jubilantly.

“May I ask, where is the talented scholar Qin Zhao?”

Qin Zhao stepped forward. “I am Qin Zhao.”

“Congratulations, Jie Yuan! You’ve topped the provincial exam!”

This further confirmed the news, finally putting Cao Xi’s heart at ease.

Without hesitation, Cao Xi took out a tael of silver as a reward.

But the messenger, after receiving the silver, didn’t leave. Instead, he continued, “May I also ask, where is the talented scholar Qi Qige?”

Qi Qige excitedly approached, his eyes shining as he looked at the messenger. “That would be me.”

“Congratulations, Qi Qige! You’ve secured second place, Ya Yuan!”

Though he already knew the results, Qi Qige wanted to hear the announcement again. Overjoyed, he instructed the steward to offer a reward. The steward, equally generous, gave another tael of silver.

The messenger left joyfully with the two taels and headed to the next household.

No sooner had one messenger departed than another arrived, repeating similar congratulations. With each announcement, the joy in the courtyard grew, and Qin Zhao and Qi Qige basked in the moment of their shared triumph.

As the number of messengers increased, they eventually arrived in groups.

Though passing the provincial exam was cause for celebration, Qi Qige wasn’t one to waste money, and Qin Zhao was famously frugal. The two quickly decided to shut the main gate, instructing the steward to post a notice saying the masters were not home, finally bringing some peace.

That evening, to celebrate the pair’s success, the steward ordered the kitchen to prepare a feast of fine dishes, even bringing out a well-aged osmanthus wine from years past.

The masters’ dining table was set in the main hall, while the servants’ table was placed in the courtyard. The household wasn’t large, so everyone, masters and servants alike, dined together for once.

As the meal progressed, the servants tidied up early and retired, leaving only the masters in the hall. Qi Qige, especially jubilant that night, drank more than usual.

He raised his cup toward Qin Zhao. “How are you always number one? I worked so hard, yet I still couldn’t surpass you!”

Qin Zhao pushed Qi Qige’s hand off his shoulder. “You’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk!” Qi Qige frowned and drained the wine in his cup.

Qin Zhao consoled him earnestly. “You’re already exceptional. If I were in your position, I might not have done as well.”

Seeing Qi Qige’s increasingly dazed expression, Cao Xi instructed the steward to prepare a sobering soup and have him escorted to his room before he made a spectacle of himself or caught a cold.

The steward eagerly agreed, saying he’d been planning to put the young master to bed anyway.

Qi Qige looked at Qin Zhao, chuckling foolishly. As he laughed, his eyes reddened, and he suddenly leaned in to hug Qin Zhao.

Cao Xi was stunned. How dare someone hug his man right in front of him? It was like dancing on the edge of a blade.

Cao Xi moved to intervene, but before he could, Qi Qige began to sob, the sound pitiful and heart-wrenching.

Cao Xi froze in place. Qin Zhao helped support the limp Qi Qige, who was on the verge of collapsing to the floor.

Cao Xi exclaimed in disbelief, “How can he fall asleep so quickly?”

“Indeed, he’s out like a light,” Qin Zhao agreed.

“Exactly, he fell asleep too fast,” Qin Zhao replied.

The sobbing from moments earlier seemed like a fleeting illusion—fragile and helpless, as if it had never occurred.

That brief moment wasn’t mentioned again, as though it had never existed.

Years later, when they gathered once more, the only thing anyone would say about that evening was that Qi Qige had gotten drunk beyond recognition, nothing more.