Wang Linlang woke up early on the day of the Cuju match. Without the help of her maids, she applied her own makeup.
With a rosy, peach blossom makeup and a peach blossom adornment drawn on her forehead, she looked nothing like she had when she met him that day. She was sure he wouldn't recognize her.
However, she had to admit, the person reflected in the bronze mirror was quite clear.
As soon as she stepped out, she saw her cousins, who were all stunned.
"How is it? Do I look good?" Wang Linlang walked up to them and did a twirl, showing off her attire for the day.
"You look exceptionally beautiful, how could my sister not look good!" Such a beautiful sister deserved to be shown off.
"Second Brother is right, Linlang looks especially beautiful today."
When they went to pay their respects to her aunt, her aunt held Wang Linlang's hand affectionately for a long time before letting them leave.
As they were leaving, noticing Wang Linlang's bare wrist, she took off a bracelet from her own wrist and offered it to Wang Linlang.
"Aunt, it's inconvenient to wear a bracelet when going out and bumping into things." She didn't accept the bracelet. One reason was that it was indeed inconvenient for her to wear it, and the other was that she had seen her aunt wear this bracelet many times, so it must be very precious to her.
After bidding farewell to her aunt, she left with her cousins.
Lin Yan was also dragged to watch the Cuju match that day by Cui Ziyu. Having always maintained her introverted persona, she had become even more low-key after Lin Bo left the capital.
In the entire capital, she was only familiar with people in the Hanlin Academy, and Cui Ziyu was her closest acquaintance.
"Brother Lin, you shouldn't spend all your days at home compiling books. Too many books don't seem to be worth much." Cui Ziyu had been collaborating with Lin Yan; the books compiled by Lin Yan were printed and sold at his bookshop.
He had also read a considerable amount of the reference materials compiled by Lin Yan. He had to admit that Brother Lin had truly mastered the imperial examinations. Even if she didn't become an official in the future, she could become a highly sought-after teacher.
"Brother Cui speaks the truth. I shall take a break then. However, Brother Cui also knows that my pockets are shallow, and I've been renting. That's why I want to earn more money to buy a place to stay in the capital."
As she said this, a slight blush appeared on Lin Yan's face.
"Do you need me to advance you some funds?"
"No, thank you. I have enough for my expenses. As for the rest, I'll just wait."
"Alright, let me know if you need anything."
"Thank you, Brother Cui."
Lin Yan felt quite fortunate to have met such a loyal friend who would readily help her in times of need.
There were many people at the training ground, all cheering for the two Cuju teams.
Lin Yan's seats had been reserved in advance by the Cui family, and many Cui family members were present. The adjacent seats belonged to another family.
However, seeing the teasing glances from the Cui family, Lin Yan knew that it must be the family to which Cui Ziyu was engaged.
Lin Yan looked at the beautiful young lady and felt that she and Cui Ziyu made a very good match. No wonder Cui Ziyu had rejected the princess for her.
Their wedding preparations were already underway, and Cui Ziyu had personally hunted a pair of geese for her.
Lin Yan subtly shifted her position, making more space for the couple.
Then she noticed that everyone else seemed to be doing the same. Feeling more at ease, she turned her attention back to the match in the field.
"Host, the location of the female lead has been detected."
Following the system's reminder, Lin Yan looked towards where the female lead was.
The female lead was wearing a pink dress today, but her face was obscured by a veil, so her features were unclear. However, based on her figure, she must be a beauty.
Lin Yan didn't want any contact with the female lead at this time. After all, she couldn't compete with the male lead yet, so it was best to keep her distance.
She only glanced in that direction once before returning her gaze to the match in progress.
Although Lin Yan didn't look that way again, Wang Linlang did notice Lin Yan from her side.
"Isn't that the second-place scholar? I remember he's a young man named Lin Yan, and he should be the youngest among this year's successful candidates. But he's so tall; it's hard to believe he's only fourteen or fifteen."
The male lead was also present at this Cuju match. Wang Linlang felt quite anxious when she saw him.
However, he didn't seem to notice her, and gradually, Wang Linlang's courage grew. She kept looking over there. The male lead also sensed someone watching him and glanced back. But he couldn't recognize the veiled girl as the one who had offended him a few days ago.
Realizing that the person didn't recognize her at all, Wang Linlang felt that her days spent cooped up indoors had been in vain. If she had known, she would have come out directly.
With that thought, her behavior became even more unrestrained.
Under the system's prompt, Lin Yan also saw the interaction between the male and female leads. This was during their initial acquaintance, which was quite sweet. Lin Yan felt there was no need for her to intervene. Wasn't it more enjoyable to simply enjoy the romance?
If the male lead truly did something wrong, it wouldn't be too late for her to step in.
After this match, Lin Yan began counting the days until An'an arrived in the capital.
Fu'an County Princess arrived in the capital on a crisp autumn afternoon. Dozens of luxurious carriages entered the gate in succession.
Lin Yan knew the exact time of his arrival, so she had secured a private room on the second floor of a teahouse near the city gate, along An'an's expected route.
From the window, she could see the carriages passing below.
These carriages were made larger for greater comfort, and the one An'an was in required four horses to pull.
There were many people accompanying the carriage. Such a retinue was grander than that of some princes with remote fiefdoms.
Of course, this was the carriage of the Prince of Yingchuan, and it bore his insignia. Although the Prince of Yingchuan could not openly declare An'an as his heir, An'an enjoyed the privileges of an heir.
As the luxurious carriage passed the teahouse, the window was opened. Lin Yan met the gaze of the person inside.
In that brief glance, Lin Yan saw the unspoken accusation in his eyes. Lin Yan could only respond with a smile.
But in the next moment, the carriage window was closed.
It seemed he was angry. After all, they hadn't seen each other for a year, and their communication had been sparse.
Lin Yan put down her teacup and pondered when she could visit him, lest he continue to sulk.
Furthermore, his health needed to be re-examined. Although her medicine was certainly targeted, she still needed to check his pulse and revise the prescription.
Of course, besides these matters, she also missed him...