The nobleman Zhao, whose wife Mei Lan brought over, held the rank of second-grade official and came from a prestigious family background, renowned in the court for his cunning nature.

This time, Lord Zhao brought his wife purely out of the residual camaraderie he once shared with Li Wuwei.

Following Mei Lan, Lady Zhao entered a slightly secluded room, elegantly decorated with a theme centered around bamboo.

“Isn’t this Lady Zhao?”

“Ah, it’s been quite some time.”

“We were just saying we were short one player, and now someone has arrived.”

The room had only one table, not very large, where one could easily reach across to the others. Three sides of the table were occupied by women dressed differently, not young in age but of high status, appearing relaxed and leisurely.

“Am I supposed to sit here?” Madam Zhao stared at the table, noticing there was only one seat left, and found it somewhat difficult to accept.

Wherever she went, she was accustomed to being seated at the head, even in the palace before the Empress herself. While the ambiance of Jinjiang Pavilion might not necessarily promise her special treatment, she at least didn’t expect to be squeezed in around a table with three other people in such a plain manner.

No matter how beautifully and elegantly the room was decorated, it couldn’t make up for the mediocre seating arrangement.

“Madam, please don’t worry,” Mei Lan assisted Madam Zhao to sit down. “Your servant is waiting outside. If you have any instructions, just let us know. At Jinjiang Pavilion, we will promptly deliver anything you need. Four ladies sitting around a small table is ideal for playing our newly introduced mahjong tiles. A larger table would only make things more cumbersome.”

Madam Zhao sat down, still somewhat skeptical.

She recognized the other three ladies. Their prestigious backgrounds indicated that Jinjiang Pavilion must indeed have its merits. It wouldn’t hurt to observe quietly for now.

Mei Lan clapped her hands, and soon a servant brought over an exquisite box.

“Ladies, please have a look,” Mei Lan opened the box, pointing to neatly stacked tiles inside. “These are mahjong tiles, totaling one hundred and thirty-six pieces: thirty-six bamboo tiles, thirty-six dot tiles, thirty-six character tiles, plus four each of East, South, West, North, and Red Dragon tiles…”

The Introduction to the game didn’t take much time.

Mei Lan’s way of explaining was different from Chen Huanzhi’s. She didn’t rush into explaining the rules all at once but took her time, gradually explaining and then inviting three others to join her in playing, explaining as they played.

For example, why a certain tile should be played, how to deduce what others have, and so on.

Mei Lan was quite adept at this, making her explanations lively and interesting, quickly piquing the curiosity of the four ladies.

“This seems rather intriguing. I’ll give it a try.”

“I’ll join in as well.”

The charm of Mahjong lies in its easy entry and once you start playing, you can’t stop. Even the simple acts of shuffling and dealing tiles seemed to interest them.

Seated together were women of similar status. While they may not have been very familiar with each other before, sitting at the same table allowed them to clearly see each other’s faces, as if bridging a quiet distance in their minds.

Snacks and tea were within their reach, just a hand’s stretch away. Assorted fruits and dried sweets were already neatly prepared nearby.

“Oh, I think I’ve won!” Madame Zhao picked up a tile and placed it with her others, suddenly realizing she might have won.

She pushed the tiles forward, “Look, have I won?”

“Oh, it seems like it!”

“So quick to win.”

“I’m almost ready to win too, how did you win first?”

“Haha, sorry about that.” Madame Zhao laughed until her eyes crinkled. “I’ll graciously accept that bracelet you’re wearing.”

“Come on, are you really going to take my bracelet?” Despite the words, the loser laughed while taking off her bracelet and handing it over.

They didn’t lack such things; they couldn’t even remember all their jewelry. Unless they particularly liked a piece, they rarely wore it more than once. But a gift was a gift, and it had to be reciprocated. Winning, on the other hand, required no effort or sacrifice.

This feeling was entirely different from anything they’d experienced before.

Perhaps the human genome inherently contains a gambling gene.

Madame Zhao had lived more than half her life, always receiving the typical education of an aristocratic woman, learning all the refined arts, and speaking as politely as possible.

She had always lived this way and never thought there was anything wrong with it.

But in just half a day, she realized she might not like this kind of life.

At the mahjong table, it seemed easier to express the thoughts she’d kept buried inside.

For instance, she didn’t like her eldest daughter-in-law because she was too reserved and lacked vitality; although they got along well, she felt no sense of liveliness from her. She preferred her husband to find a few more young and beautiful concubines rather than sleeping with the old man herself. She also loved pink, but because everyone said the main wife should wear bright red, she secretly had a pink dress made to wear in private.

After speaking, and before she could regret it, her fellow players also began to share their thoughts.

“Yes, yes, I’m the same. At our age, I don’t like sleeping with the old man. I’d rather sleep with my little grandson, who smells so sweet.”

“Ah, when I was choosing a daughter-in-law, I wanted someone sensible. Now I wish for someone lively who can keep me company.”

“Alright, alright, what are your worries compared to mine? I’m really troubled. To be honest, my youngest son has recently become infatuated with courtesans. I’ve tried beating and scolding him, but it’s no use.”

“That’s easy to deal with,” Madame Zhao said, brimming with experience in this area. “Listen to me: your son is only infatuated because he’s inexperienced. Here’s what you do: find several different courtesans to accompany him. Don’t interfere directly; just tell them that you’ll only accept one of them as a concubine. You won’t have to lift a finger. Within two months, your son will be so fed up with their jealousy and fighting that he’ll come running back home.”

“Exactly, that’s a good plan. If you’re still worried, secretly buy the contract of one courtesan and promise her freedom if she stirs up some trouble. Young men always fall into the same traps, over and over!”

“Haha, you just keep talking. I’m about to go for a winning hand.”

“Hey, hey, hey, you’re too fast!

“I’m also close to a winning hand. You all better watch out!”

……

“There are 15 minutes remaining until the end of this exam session. Please be mindful of the time, students…”

The announcement was already being broadcast in the examination hall.The afternoon exam session was about to end.

Dong Changyang checked her answer sheet once more. Her name and exam number were correct, and she had successfully answered the last question. After checking twice, she was confident that there were no mistakes and she could score full marks.

She always handed in her paper fifteen minutes early.

If she left later, it would be crowded, and she would see those parents waiting and hugging their children as they came out.

No matter how indifferent she tried to be, seeing so many parents and children being close would still make her feel lonely.

Loneliness is a depressing word.

After going back, she planned to eat first, then light some incense and see how Brother Chen was doing.

As she handed in her paper and hadn’t yet left the school, someone called out to her.

“Dong Changyang.”

“Who are you?” Dong Changyang turned around and saw a girl with a ponytail and a small, round face that made you want to pinch her cheeks.

“I’m Jiang Ze,” the girl replied.

“Sorry, have we met somewhere?”

Dong Changyang was silent for a moment, unable to place this girl.

Strange, her memory was usually quite good. If Jiang Ze was from Thirteen Middle School or the art class, she would remember. But there was no recollection of her.

Yet Jiang Ze seemed to know her.

Jiang Ze gritted her teeth a bit.

She knew that Dong Changyang probably had no idea who she was.

Of course, why would the top student remember the ones ranked lower?

“Was the answer to the last question 42?”

“Yes.”

“I can score full marks in math.”

“Oh.”

“I can also score nearly full marks in English.”

“Ah.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me anything?”Jiang Ze finally succumbed to Dong Changyang’s terse responses.

Dong Changyang silently looked at her, unsure of what to say.

Oh my, her cheeks look even puffier when she’s angry. I really want to pinch them, she thought. There was once a similar-looking girl in her class who had cutely chubby cheeks but lost them after dieting, and Dong Changyang had regretted it for a while.

“Um, we still have exams tomorrow. Let’s do our best together,” Dong Changyang said, despite wanting to pinch Jiang Ze’s cheeks, sensing no real animosity.

“I had a stomachache on the day of the mock exam, so I didn’t do well,” Jiang Ze said. “Later, I retook the test and scored much higher.”

But even after retaking it, her score was still two points lower than Dong Changyang’s because there was a question she couldn’t solve that Dong Changyang could.

“Make sure to take good care of yourself before exams. Avoid cold, spicy foods,” Dong Changyang advised, having a lot of experience with this.

“My mom says that all the time,” Jiang Ze replied, a bit impatient. “Anyway, what I wanted to tell you is that in this regular exam, my score will definitely be higher than yours. Even if it’s not this time, I’ll surpass you in high school. I’ve already started studying high school courses.”

But I’m not going to No. 1 High School.

Dong Changyang scratched her head, feeling a bit troubled.

Why do two girls suddenly say they’ll wait for me at No. 1 High School?

She felt like a scumbag, even though she hadn’t done anything.

Dong Changyang sighed inwardly, suddenly feeling that attending a new school wasn’t such a bad idea. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about these interpersonal relationships.

A new life, a fresh start.

It meant she no longer had to live that inspirational life of a tragic heroine.

She also wanted a more relaxed life, to paint what she loved, play the mahjong she enjoyed, and chat casually with Brother Chen, telling him jokes.

It was that simple.

Her demands weren’t high.

Unfortunately, the world didn’t have those star-embedded beads that would allow her to summon a dragon to fulfill her wishes.

“I’m probably going to a private art high school in the provincial capital,” Dong Changyang said after some thought. “I’m an art student.”

Jiang Ze was stunned. “You’re going to a private high school?”

“Yes, they’re giving me a full scholarship, waiving tuition, and they’ll probably give me a single dorm room for three years.”

“But the university admission rate at No. 1 High School…”

“I want to go to a school that helps me with my painting,” Dong Changyang said earnestly. “I’ve never worried about not getting into college.”

Jiang Ze didn’t know what to say.

She hadn’t even decided what university she wanted to attend or what major she wanted to pursue.

For 90% of students, their goal is often just a vague concept of “going to college,” with only a few having a preferred university in mind, and even fewer knowing what they want to do in the future.

“Let’s work hard together,” Dong Changyang patted her shoulder. “Everyone will be out soon. I’ll go first. Goodbye. Oh, nice to meet you.”

Jiang Ze remained somewhat lost until Dong Changyang ran out of the school.

For some reason, she felt that the gap between herself and Dong Changyang might not just be about scores.

Could it be something else that she lacks?