Beauties in Simulation Cross over into Reality

Chapter 116: Chapter 101: Xiang Si in Two Places, Drenched in the Same Snow, This Life Also Counts as Growing Old Together

The roar of an ink dragon echoed from within the courtyard.

…

In the afternoon, the gates of the Imperial Examination Hall opened, and a young man in a green scholar’s robe walked out.

“Xiao Mo~”

Outside the hall, a young woman in a white dress waved her fair arms.

Seeing the woman not far away, Xiao Mo smiled faintly and descended the steps. The woman hurried to catch up.

Under the gazes of the other two scholars who had also passed, Xiao Mo followed the woman, stepping on the white snow in the street as they walked away.

“Xiao Mo, how was the exam? Did you pass?” Bai Ruxue asked.

“Yes, I passed,” Xiao Mo nodded.

“I knew you could do it.” Bai Ruxue stood on her tiptoes, trying to pat his head, but he was too tall for her to reach.

Unable to reach, Bai Ruxue grabbed the corner of Xiao Mo’s sleeve and swayed his arm. “What do they test you on at Bailu Academy?”

“There are three tests. The first is a written exam,” Xiao Mo patiently explained to Bai Ruxue. “The second is a test of character. I was placed under an Illusion Technique—surrounded by beauties, mountains of gold and seas of silver, with power over the entire court. But I think I broke out of it in less than four breaths.”

“That fast? Aren’t you men usually very interested in those things?” Bai Ruxue asked.

Xiao Mo chuckled. “Power over the court? I have no desire to be an official. Mountains of gold and seas of silver? You’ve already shown me more than enough. As for beautiful women…”

Xiao Mo looked at the woman beside him. “None of them are as beautiful as you.”

“W-Well, of course…”

Bai Ruxue turned her head away, a blush spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. But her small hand only gripped Xiao Mo’s sleeve tighter.

After a long moment, once Bai Ruxue had calmed her bashful heart, she finally remembered she hadn’t finished her questions. “So, Xiao Mo, what was the third test?”

“The third test was to write a poem with ’white snow’ as the theme. It was actually quite simple,” Xiao Mo said.

“A poem? What did you write?” Bai Ruxue asked curiously.

“Want to know?” Xiao Mo stopped walking and looked at Bai Ruxue.

“Mhm,” Bai Ruxue nodded earnestly.

“It’s a four-line poem. The first two lines I wrote are…”

Xiao Mo gathered his sleeves and recited.

“A friend’s shadow startles, a boat beyond the clouds,

A river’s chill turns all at once to autumn.”

“Mhm, not bad. What about the last two lines?” Bai Ruxue blinked.

“The last two lines…” Just as Xiao Mo was about to recite them, the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile.

“Never mind. I won’t tell you just yet.” With that, Xiao Mo started walking forward again.

“Hey! How can you be like that…”

Bai Ruxue froze for a second, then quickly ran up and hugged Xiao Mo’s arm tightly, shaking it coaxingly.

“You meanie, Xiao Mo… Tell me, please tell me…”

…

「In the Imperial Examination Hall.」

Shang Jiuli gazed at the brush pen resting on the desk, then at the neat and orderly lines of the poem.

The more she looked, the more she grew to like it. “Teacher, this poem is truly wonderful. Could you give it to me?”

“You silly girl, don’t be ridiculous. The exam papers of all three successful candidates must be reviewed by the headmaster…”

“It’s fine, Teacher! My grandpa won’t mind. I’ll just make a copy for him later. Teacher, please just give it to me, please…” Shang Jiuli shook her teacher’s arm.

“Alright, alright, you can have it.” Qi Daoming was helpless. He knew this girl loved to collect poems, especially the author’s original manuscript.

If he didn’t agree, he feared she wouldn’t give him a moment’s peace.

“Thank you, Teacher!” Shang Jiuli happily picked up a brush and ink, preparing to make a copy for her grandfather.

Luo Yang also felt a surge of admiration as he looked at the scholar’s examination piece, but he couldn’t bring himself to take something his junior sister wanted.

The two men watched as the young woman lifted a brush pen infused with Literary Qi. Stroke by stroke, word by word, she copied it onto a new sheet of paper—

“A friend’s shadow startles, a boat beyond the clouds,

A river’s chill turns all at once to autumn.

We long for each other from afar, bathed in the same falling snow,

And so in this life, our hair has turned white together.”