My Wife Is The Female Lead In A Scum Alpha Novel - Chapter 32

32

Ruan Zhi pinched Gu Qingci’s face, her expression unchanged, as if nothing had happened.

“I understand, go back to sleep.” Ruan Zhi said.

Gu Qingci’s wide, startled eyes instinctively closed.

Her face flushed slightly—it felt like Ruan Zhi was teasing her like a little pet.

But why did it feel like she was the one being flirted with?!

This is too much!

Calm down, calm down!

Gu Qingci closed her eyes, her face the picture of serenity as she pretended to sleep, but inside, her emotions were in turmoil.

The surroundings grew quiet. Ruan Zhi watched Gu Qingci for a while before turning her attention to her own tasks.

Gu Qingci’s agitation gradually subsided under the sedative effects of the medicine, and she eventually drifted off to sleep.

The rain continued to fall. With the county magistrate gone at such a critical time, Minshan County could only rely on its highest-ranking official, General Zhao of the garrison, to take charge.

General Zhao was unfamiliar with disaster management and unprepared, so after the initial rescue efforts, chaos ensued.

Following Ruan Zhi’s instructions, Ruan Maolin sought out General Zhao and donated a portion of their supplies, offering manpower to help organize shelter and food for the displaced citizens—a timely act of kindness.

That night, Gu Qingci broke into a feverish sweat. After bathing and being coaxed by Ruan Zhi into drinking bitter medicine, she went back to sleep.

Ruan Zhi slept beside Gu Qingci, feeling much more at ease.

The next day, Gu Qingci’s fever had subsided, and she was much more energetic, her appetite returning as well.

Outside, people were busy with relief efforts. Gu Qingci hadn’t planned on making an appearance.

At this time, Linglan Temple was crowded with people, many of whom were seizing the opportunity to win public favor—members of the Jucheng Chamber of Commerce, officials in mourning leave, and scholars preparing for the imperial examinations, among others.

Gu Qingci had no such ambitions. If she could lie down, she wouldn’t sit up.

But staying in the room with Ruan Zhi made her feel like she was being “flirted with” at every moment.

Ruan Zhi was clearly focused on reviewing account books, her eyes lowered in thought, occasionally tapping the abacus or jotting notes with a brush—completely absorbed in her work without so much as a glance at Gu Qingci. Yet, the natural charm she exuded while working was utterly lethal.

Not daring to look too much, Gu Qingci spent the morning lying idly in the room before finally going out in the afternoon to help Ruan Maolin.

The merchants Gu Qingci had rescued made up more than half of Minshan County’s businesses. After this incident, most had joined the Jucheng Chamber of Commerce.

When Gu Qingci had gone up the mountain, they had followed, and now they were all contributing to the relief efforts.

When they saw Gu Qingci, they greeted her warmly.

Previously, these people hadn’t believed Gu Qingci could pass the provincial examination. But after witnessing her bravery, their estimation of her had risen significantly—her chances of becoming a provincial scholar now seemed much higher, and their attitudes toward her grew even more respectful.

Gu Qingci didn’t want to overthink things. She simply followed Ruan Maolin’s lead, doing whatever he asked.

Two days later, the heavy rain finally stopped, the skies cleared, and the floodwaters gradually receded.

General Zhao escorted Guo Tongyi and others to Guide Prefecture for trial. Until a new county magistrate arrived, General Zhao would continue overseeing Minshan County.

The people at Linglan Temple gradually descended the mountain.

As the weather grew hotter, the biggest post-flood fear was an epidemic.

Once the Gu residence had been cleaned up, Ruan Maolin no longer let Gu Qingci follow him around. Instead, he urged her to return to the martial school.

The provincial examinations were in August, less than two months away—she needed to focus on preparation.

Gu Qingci had initially been indifferent about the martial exams, but after the incident with Guo Tongyi, she realized that passing the county-level exam and gaining minor tax exemptions weren’t enough.

If the next county magistrate turned out to be corrupt, she’d have to pay “protection fees” again.

If she could pass the provincial exam, not only would she be exempt from all taxes and forced labor, but her social status would also rise significantly.

Even if the new magistrate was corrupt, he wouldn’t dare demand “protection fees” from the Ruan family.

So, Gu Qingci began taking her provincial exam preparation seriously.

Before Ruan Zhi encountered the Crown Princess, Gu Qingci needed to stay sharp—she couldn’t just hand over silver to others. The thought of it was unbearable.

Once she passed the provincial exam and Ruan Zhi met the Crown Princess, she could finally relax completely.

With the Crown Princess’s status, who would dare provoke them?

Gu Qingci looked into the provincial exam’s content and found it similar to the county-level exam, just more demanding—archery required greater strength, longer distances, and higher accuracy. The written exam now included policy essays, though the requirements weren’t too strict—just a thousand-word response to a given topic.

The increased difficulty of the martial exam didn’t faze Gu Qingci, but the written exam’s “essay” stumped her.

Writing an essay was hard enough, but writing one in classical Chinese? That was next-level torture.

So, when Gu Qingci returned to the martial school, she focused on the written exam—specifically, policy essay classes. As for the daily overexertion of training, sparring under the scorching sun? She had no interest.

On her first day back, Gu Qingci discussed this with Sun Pengdun.

“You think your weakness is policy essays, so you want to focus solely on that? Skip the daily training? Fine—if you can beat me, you can do whatever you want here!” Sun Pengdun, who had been eager to test Gu Qingci’s skills, was both amused and exasperated by her audacity.

Though the martial school was short on students, it maintained strict discipline when necessary.

In the provincial exams, only five or six out of a hundred county-level scholars typically passed.

The martial exam’s difficulty had increased, and many had to train relentlessly for even a slim chance of success.

The policy essay evaluation was more lenient—as long as the martial exam was passed, a coherent essay would suffice.

Gu Qingci’s attitude struck Sun Pengdun as overconfident, so he decided to humble her.

“Deal.” Gu Qingci said. She had never planned on staying low-key anyway, so she followed Sun Pengdun to the equestrian field for a match.

Many at the martial school knew Gu Qingci was the top county scholar, and curiosity drew a crowd.

“For the provincial exam, we use moving straw targets. Let’s test mounted archery—ten arrows each.” Sun Pengdun explained.

Gu Qingci had no objections. Moving targets were tricky, requiring careful calculation.

Gu Qingci went first, hitting the straw dummy’s head with every arrow.

Sun Pengdun was stunned. He conceded without even taking his turn.

“To think Minshan County produced a genius like you! If policy essays are your weakness, I’ll have a tutor give you half-day lessons daily, focusing solely on military strategy and policy essays.” Sun Pengdun said, surprisingly pleased despite his defeat.

“…” Gu Qingci had achieved her goal, but her mood was mixed.

Daily essay writing? What kind of self-torture was this?

But for the sake of passing the provincial exam, she’d endure two more months.

Two months of hard work for a lifetime of leisure?

Worth it.

From then on, Gu Qingci’s days were packed—training, calligraphy, memorizing military texts, and learning to write policy essays.

Meanwhile, Guo Tongyi’s trial concluded. Due to the dike breach and innocent deaths, Guo Tongyi, as the primary offender, was sentenced to execution in autumn, with his family exiled and demoted to the “mean” class.

General Zhao was promoted from a seventh-rank county garrison commander to a sixth-rank position in the prefecture.

By late June, Minshan County had a new magistrate.

Freshly appointed and with his predecessor executed for corruption, the new magistrate was cautious at first.

For a time, Minshan County was peaceful—especially for merchants.

Free from distractions, Gu Qingci focused solely on exam preparation, busy from dawn till dusk.

At night, she collapsed onto her cot and fell asleep instantly.

She rose early, usually before Ruan Zhi, so their only interaction was during dinner.

After wolfing down her meal, Gu Qingci would rush off to practice calligraphy or study military texts, leaving little time for conversation.

Ruan Zhi found Gu Qingci’s behavior odd after they descended the mountain.

She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was off.

Gu Qingci seemed less affectionate, sometimes even avoiding her gaze.

What was going on in that head of hers?

If Gu Qingci had blinked those puppy-dog eyes and asked to share the bed, Ruan Zhi might have agreed.

Yet she stubbornly clung to the night-duty cot.

Did she expect Ruan Zhi to invite her over herself?

Ruan Zhi was mildly annoyed.

But seeing how exhausted Gu Qingci was from exam prep, she didn’t press the issue. Instead, she made sure Gu Qingci was well-fed—whatever delicacies could be procured were added to her meals.

Though Gu Qingci’s monthly food allowance was five taels, Ruan Zhi’s additions sometimes cost over one tael per meal.

Ruan Zhi didn’t bother accounting for the difference.

After the relentless storms, Minshan County seemed to have exhausted its rainfall. Over the next two months, only one light shower came, with a few thunderclaps before clearing.

Whenever Gu Qingci sensed a storm, she’d rush home on horseback, only for the skies to clear before she arrived. Disappointed, she’d return to the martial school.

Her busy schedule kept her mind occupied, and with little interaction with Ruan Zhi, her lovesickness seemed to fade.

By August, it was time for the provincial exams. Ruan Zhi and Gu Qingci set out early for the provincial capital, Youzhou.

The journey to Youzhou took over a day, requiring an overnight stay at an inn.

During the day, sharing a carriage with Ruan Zhi was agonizing for Gu Qingci. Her lovesickness hadn’t disappeared—it had just been suppressed. Being near Ruan Zhi made it flare up uncontrollably.

Claiming she needed air, Gu Qingci spent most of the trip riding alongside the carriage.

At the inn, seeing vacant rooms available, Gu Qingci booked a separate one, putting distance between herself and Ruan Zhi.

Ruan Zhi said nothing about this behavior, but her confusion grew.

Was Gu Qingci drawing a line between them?

Gu Qingci had rejected Lian Rong and Xue Linhuan, declaring Ruan Zhi was all she needed. She’d shown respect to Ruan Zhi’s parents, patiently taught her brother, and even risked her life to save her father during the flood…

Ruan Zhi had thought Gu Qingci’s devotion was unwavering.

So what did this mean now?

Was it the exam pressure? Fear of distraction?

Ruan Zhi tentatively attributed it to that.

She’d question Gu Qingci properly after the exams.

In Youzhou, the Ruan family only owned one shop—no inns or taverns. But the shopkeeper had reserved rooms in advance, so despite the exam rush, they had lodging.

After two days at the inn, Gu Qingci faced the martial exams.

That morning, Ruan Zhi escorted her to the examination hall.

The format resembled the county-level exam—candidates lined up, grouped, and tested in batches.

When Gu Qingci’s turn came, one of the proctors, a woman, stepped behind a screen to a canopied dais.

“Your Highness, the ‘crooked-neck scholar’ I mentioned is about to take her exam. Would you care to observe?” the woman whispered to a noble-looking figure reclining under the canopy, dressed in embroidered golden robes.