After Transmigrating as a Disabled Villain - Chapter 17

The atmosphere in Class C instantly went quiet.

They were scholars. They came to the county school to study, of course, not to enthusiastically listen to gossip. But they couldn’t help it—this was gossip about Beauty Qiu and the great good-for-nothing Qin.

Besides, it wasn’t as if they had taken the initiative to listen. Hadn’t they only just finished the exam and still hadn’t recovered yet? Weren’t they planning to review the questions?

Don’t bring up how they used to rush out of the classroom right after exams. Times were different now. At a time like this, whoever left was an idiot. With ready-made gossip to hear and such perfect conditions, of course they had to stay.

One of these two was Qiu Jinning, Beauty Qiu, the county magistrate’s daughter whose talent and looks were famous throughout Jiuqu County. The other was the notorious good-for-nothing Eldest Miss Qin. Just listen—wasn’t this pairing exciting?

A suitable look of confusion appeared on Qin Chu’s face, but faint joy stirred in her heart. “Father went on a long trip. I’ve been busy with the shops recently. Why is Miss Qiu asking me this?”

Was the female lead concerned about her? She even knew Qin Chu hadn’t come recently…

At a time like this, Qin Chu had clearly forgotten her original plan to stay away from the female lead. The aged strong liquor had not been found yet, and for a while, it would be difficult for them to cut off their involvement. Besides, some emotions were hard to control.

For example, the heartbeat quietly losing its rhythm in her chest right now. It was quietly flustered, so subtle that even its owner could barely notice.

Qiu Jinning looked at her faintly. “Business may be important, but you must not neglect your studies.”

Qin Chu nodded. She understood this principle. It was just that she had already been about to graduate from university in the modern world, and now that she had come to ancient times, she had no intention of taking the imperial examination. So some courses made no difference whether she studied them or not.

For example, poetry and fu. She didn’t know how to compose poetry or fu anyway. Besides, there was no need for that in the business world, right?

But meeting Qiu Jinning’s gaze, she could not help nodding. “Miss Qiu is right. I’ll come to the county school often in the future.”

“Come every day. I will come check.” Qiu Jinning’s gaze lightly moved away. Leaving behind that sentence, she departed.

Qin Chu froze. What did that mean?

“Cousin Qin, what did Qiu Jinning mean by coming to check every day? Is she watching you or checking attendance?” The moment Qiu Jinning left, Chen Xia hurried over to Qin Chu.

Qin Chu: “…”

How would she know? She was confused too.

“She probably wants to supervise my studies?” What watching? What checking attendance? This cousin really didn’t know how to choose words.

However, Qiu Jinning’s words shouldn’t mean what they were thinking, right…

Was the female lead really that free?

Everyone had the same question in their hearts. What was going on with those two? Would Beauty Qiu come to Class C every day to check on Qin Chu?

With such thoughts in mind, the next day, everyone arrived at the classroom early.

Thus, for the first time in Class C, a grand sight appeared: the teacher hadn’t arrived yet, but all the students were already present, each of them looking outside the door. Teacher Li was so moved he thought this group of merchant-born students had finally turned back from the wrong path and realized the importance of studying.

Even the number of students passing outside the Class C classroom increased. Among them were those who had heard rumors and came to watch the excitement, those who did not believe the rumors and came to confirm them…

And Qin Chu, who did not understand what Qiu Jinning meant, yet faintly hoped it meant that.

That’s right. Qin Chu had also come.

A person could not go back on their word. Since she had promised Qiu Jinning, of course she had to come.

As a result, the whole morning passed, and she did not see even half of Qiu Jinning’s shadow. Only when school ended did someone outside the door cry out in surprise, “Miss Qiu is here.”

The Class C students, who had originally planned to go out for lunch, rushed back to their seats with a whoosh, each of them sitting upright.

Qiu Jinning did not come in. She only looked inside from outside the door, glanced at Qin Chu, then turned and left.

Qin Chu immediately stood and chased after her.

The Class C students howled wildly in their hearts: Chase her! Grab her! Hug her! Eh, they seemed to be thinking too far—

Outside the classroom, Qin Chu caught Qiu Jinning’s sleeve. “Miss Qiu, I don’t understand.”

She did not understand why Qiu Jinning wanted to supervise her attendance. It was too strange.

Qiu Jinning turned back, her calm gaze falling behind Qin Chu. At the door and windows of Class C, heads were crowded everywhere…

The moment everyone saw her look over, they all lowered their heads to hide. Cough, cough, cough. Too awkward. You two talk about your own matters. Why look at them? They only wanted to understand clearly. The teacher had said that when one did not understand, one should clarify it. That was scholarship.

That was right. They were doing scholarship.

Qin Chu also knew this was not a place to talk, so she let go.

Qiu Jinning turned and continued walking. This time, someone followed behind her, neither too close nor too far, keeping half a meter of distance.

The two arrived at a teahouse outside the county school and entered a private room, sitting across from each other.

Only then did Qiu Jinning speak. “The day before yesterday, I was unwell, so I went to Taohua’an Town.”

Qin Chu looked blank. And then? What did that have to do with whether she went to the county school?

Qiu Jinning pondered for a moment before slowly saying, “There is a divine physician surnamed Han in Taohua’an Town. He is a retired imperial physician who returned from the palace. He said that before this gu is removed, I need to meet the person who can resolve the gu more often in order to better suppress its vicious nature. The person who can resolve the gu is you.”

Divine Physician Han’s original words were: “Love gu, as the name suggests, bewilders people through affection. The first person the victim joins with after being afflicted by the gu becomes the person who can resolve it. This is because the gu will cause the victim to develop a dependence on that person. If they go too long without contact, it can easily cause symptoms such as emotional restlessness and frequent dreams at night.”

And Qin Chu was that person—the person who had shared Qiu Jinning’s first time and could resolve the gu.

Only after hearing Divine Physician Han’s words did Qiu Jinning understand why she had been restless these past few days, why she kept dreaming of that Lantern Festival night, dreaming back to that absurd night, hearing Qin Chu whisper beside her ear night after night, “Be good. You make me unable to stop…”

That was why she had gone to find Qin Chu and told her to come to the county school every day, to see her once every day.

When she saw Qin Chu, she knew the divine physician was right, because the heart that had been inexplicably restless for several days finally obtained a moment of peace. It even made her unable to stop herself from wanting to get closer to Qin Chu.

Divine Physician Han had also said: “If the person affected by the gu and the person who can resolve it can end up together, then even if the gu is not removed, it does not matter.”

Of course, there was no need to tell Qin Chu those words.

After listening, Qin Chu rubbed her brow. “Is seeing me once a day enough? What kind of discomfort are you having? Is it serious?”

Qiu Jinning instinctively shook her head, then quickly nodded. “One meeting is enough. It is not serious.”

Qin Chu: “…”

Could she be any more obviously saying one thing and meaning another?

“Um, I’m very busy recently. Going to the county school every day may not work.”

Qiu Jinning frowned slightly. “Your studies must not be neglected.”

Qin Chu gave a dry laugh. The way she said that was so righteous. Qin Chu had even thought Qiu Jinning was truly worried about her studies. Now that things had been explained this clearly, she was still using studies as a cover.

Could this person be a little more direct?

After thinking for a moment, Qin Chu suggested, “I’ve been brewing a new kind of wine recently. Every morning, I have to go to Bailu Winery, and I only return in the evening. On the way there and back, I pass by the back gate of the county yamen. We can meet there. That way, I won’t have to detour to the county school.”

This was the reason she had chased after Qiu Jinning. The beer brewing had reached a critical stage, and she had to keep watch every day, as well as personally participate. She truly did not have extra time to report to the county school every day.

Qiu Jinning was silent for a moment, her voice unconsciously lowering. “What time in the evening?”

“The hour of You.”

That was right around the time school ended.

Qiu Jinning lowered her eyes. “All right.”

Leaving the county school a little early every day to meet by the roadside near the back gate of the county yamen was not difficult.

After agreeing on a time, the two left the private room. After all, they had not come here specifically to drink tea.

The two little maids waiting outside were staring at each other, big eyes against small eyes. Guanzi and Luyao had glared at one another for a long while, both holding back from speaking.

Seeing her young lady come downstairs, Guanzi hurriedly went over. “Miss, are we still going to Bailu Winery?”

“Yes.” Qin Chu nodded once toward Qiu Jinning, and only then did they part.

Qiu Jinning watched the backs of the master and servant until their carriage had gone far away. Only then did she look at Luyao. “Return to the county school.”

Luyao had a lively personality. Thinking of the way she and Guanzi had glared at each other just now, she could not help saying, “Miss, that plump maid of Eldest Miss Qin’s is too scary. Her eyes were as wide as copper bells, like she could eat people.”

Really, who was she trying to scare? Luyao knew how to glare too, all right?

After a moment of silence, Qiu Jinning said lightly, “Get used to it. You will meet her often in the future.”

To be precise, they would meet every day.

Luyao: “…”

She did not want to get used to it.

When it was nearly time for school to end, unexpectedly, her young lady came out early this time and even instructed them not to return home first, but to go to the back gate of the county yamen.

The carriage stopped by the roadside near the back gate of the county yamen. Qiu Jinning lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.

Luyao was utterly confused. Her young lady never left early without reason. Today was somewhat abnormal. This eager, expectant appearance looked no matter how she looked at it like a maiden in love waiting for her beloved in a storybook.

Thinking of this, Luyao’s eyes suddenly widened.

Miss had someone she liked!

She wanted to see just what kind of divine being this future son-in-law was.

After Qiu Jinning agreed on the time with Qin Chu, she had not said they would meet again today. But she thought perhaps that person would come, so she came.

Qin Chu had the same thought, so the Qin residence’s carriage passed by on time and stopped briefly at the back gate of the county yamen. The two looked at each other from across the road.

Guanzi did not understand. Why had Miss kept urging them to return home today and even required the coachman to arrive at the back gate of the county yamen exactly at the hour of You? Yet after arriving, she did not get off and only lifted the curtain to look outside.

What exactly had she seen?

Luyao was different. She had been staring at her young lady’s expression and movements the whole time, so she did not miss the carriage that briefly stopped and then passed by, nor the person who lifted the curtain and smiled at her young lady.

It was that great good-for-nothing from the Qin family!

“Return home,” Qiu Jinning instructed.

But Luyao could not come back to her senses for a long while.

The person Miss had left the county school early to wait for was that good-for-nothing Eldest Miss Qin?

Miss’s beloved was Eldest Miss Qin! The future son-in-law was Eldest Miss Qin!

Luyao was dazed for a long time.

No, no. She must have misunderstood. It was a coincidence. It was definitely a coincidence.