Unintentional Surprise (GL) - Chapter 16

“You want to meet that person?” Dong Qing exclaimed, “You’re ignoring the chaos in the front hall just to meet someone of unknown origin?”

Had Wen Dinglan lost her mind?

But the strange part came after that. After dismissing the dancer who had brought the message, Wen Dinglan fixed her gaze on Dong Qing—deep, unwavering, mysterious.

“What, you want to dismiss me too?” Dong Qing tried to test whether Wen Dinglan was simply panicked and thinking irrationally.

Wen Dinglan dodged the hand reaching to check her forehead and revealed the truth: “Relax. I’ve thought of a way to deal with Che Kuiyuan.”

Dong Qing took the bait, “Really? This is important—you can’t fool me again.”

Wen Dinglan patted the back of her hand reassuringly. “Truer than the gold Che Kuiyuan brought… Go to the front hall and tell him, ‘His gift, I refuse.’”

“That direct?”

“Exactly that direct.”

Dong Qing grew uneasy. “And if he asks why, what do I say?”

“Tell him, ‘Wen Dinglan has accepted a better gift.’”

She hesitated. “You think he’ll just let it go? Not a chance!”

Wen Dinglan showed no fear. “With all those people watching? His pride won’t let it slide…”

“And then what?”

“Let Che Kuiyuan into the backyard. Let him come find me. When he barges in, make a show of half-heartedly trying to stop him—just enough so he still sees me.”

Dong Qing left, and once again, the courtyard was quiet with only Wen Dinglan remaining.

But not for long.

Because the person coming from the back entrance of Fuxian Listening Pavilion was almost there.

She would wind through the winding corridors; she would step across the shallow pond’s stone stairs—

And she would see Wen Dinglan, who had been waiting many days, her beauty and charm still breathtaking.

That person was the newly appointed top-ranked scholar of this year’s imperial exams.

Today, Jiang Shunyiao was traveling in disguise, deliberately choosing this auspicious hour for a private visit.

She wasn’t sure if Wen Dinglan would agree to see her. Ten carriages of gifts had gone rejected—she couldn’t read the mind of this enigmatic music master’s daughter.

It was odd. After all, she herself was a woman too.

The green porcelain flask in her hand carried wine. Jiang Shunyiao timed her steps just right, calculating that by the time she reached Wen Dinglan’s courtyard, the wine would be at the perfect temperature to drink.

To say she wasn’t hoping—would be a lie.

Jiang Shunyiao often recalled the moment Wen Dinglan had saved her at the banquet—her every expression and smile etched into memory. She couldn’t forget the flirtatious grace with which Wen Dinglan had asked her for wine.

It was during a sleepless night, tossing and turning, when the memory struck her—she, the proud top scholar of the empire, hadn’t even spared a cup of wine for Wen Dinglan.

That cup—the one that had corroded the zither strings—laced with poison, certainly didn’t count.

And so, Jiang Shunyiao came to make amends!

To offer a gift. To offer the wine Wen Dinglan had asked for.

This was a bond that only mattered to the two of them.

A give-and-take that belonged solely between her and her.

Thank heavens, Jiang Shunyiao hadn’t missed her chance.

The first thing she saw was the pale pink peach blossoms, growing askew from the neatly trimmed lawn—impossible to ignore.

Then, she saw Wen Dinglan’s deep red dress, swaying gently with the breeze, reminding her—this was not a dream.

Jiang Shunyiao held her breath, raising her eyes to gaze at the beauty ahead. Her throat was dry; she swallowed a gulp of saliva that quenched no thirst.

“I’ve been waiting for you a long time, my lord,”

The voice was serene—lacking the deliberate flirtation from the banquet that night, more sincere, more direct.

Jiang Shunyiao was captivated, wine in hand, pausing mid-step. “How long have you waited for me?”

It was improper in any tryst to keep the other waiting too long.

Wen Dinglan feigned thoughtfulness, pondering her answer: “Hmm… feels like a lifetime.”

A lifetime, almost lost to becoming strangers.

Thank goodness—Wen Dinglan hadn’t missed her chance.