After the previous drinking incident, Wang Qingchen had indeed returned to his studies with renewed focus, and so had the others, though whether they could truly absorb the material remained uncertain. After all, with the results announcement drawing near, very few could genuinely settle down to read.

Although Wang Qingchen was studying, his mind frequently wandered. After all, the importance of this County Examination to him was self-evident. In truth, since arriving in this world, apart from selling flowers for money, all his mental energy had been poured into his studies. If he failed to achieve his desires in academics, the resulting blow would be immense.

Finally, Wang Qingchen set his book aside, called for Li Yuntai, and the two decided to take a walk together.

This time, Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai didn't wander the streets; instead, they asked the innkeeper if there were any interesting places to visit in the county town.

The innkeeper mentioned a few spots, but only Lingjue Temple was outside the city walls. Wang Qingchen had no desire to remain confined to the town, so he persuaded Li Yuntai to accompany him to the temple outside the walls. Li Yuntai reasoned that Wang Qingchen must be stifled after so many days, so he didn't refuse, deciding to go along. He, too, couldn't focus on his books and welcomed a change of scenery.

After getting clear directions from the innkeeper, the two set off. Lingjue Temple enjoyed a thriving patronage, and given the substantial population of the county town and its surroundings, there were ox carts dedicated to this route. This delighted Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai; having an ox cart made things much more convenient and was significantly cheaper than hiring a private carriage.

Thus, the pair spent four wen and boarded an ox cart heading to Lingjue Temple. The cart's speed was relatively slow, allowing the passengers to comfortably admire the scenery along the way. Wang Qingchen, taking advantage of the ease, lay down on the cart, using his hand as a pillow, and squinted, savoring this rare moment of ease. Li Yuntai, seeing Wang Qingchen's posture, felt a touch of embarrassment. In his view, as scholars, they shouldn't be so casual, especially since they were not the only ones on the ox cart.

There was also a middle-aged couple aboard. The middle-aged woman noticed Wang Qingchen’s relaxed state and smiled kindly, finding the young man quite endearing; even the middle-aged man’s face held a faint smile.

Seeing their expressions, Li Yuntai finally relaxed, relieved that they weren't being judged.

Upon reaching Lingjue Temple, after disembarking, Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai gazed upon the architecture before them and offered praise for the temple's grandeur, noting that its appearance certainly lived up to its famous reputation.

There were numerous small stalls lining the path, but the two bypassed them all, ascending one flight of steps after another until they reached the main hall, breathless.

Wang Qingchen gasped for air, wondering if his body was simply too weak or if the stairs were simply too numerous. By the time he reached the top, he felt drained, panting heavily. Naturally, Li Yuntai was no better off.

The main hall was filled with many devout worshippers, and since they had come, Wang Qingchen and his companion followed the crowd in offering their respects. After bowing, Wang Qingchen turned his attention to the Buddha statues and the hall's decorations, elements rarely seen in his previous life, making sure to examine them thoroughly during this opportunity.

Li Yuntai naturally accompanied him as they looked around. Stopping where people were drawing lots for divination sticks, Li Yuntai asked Wang Qingchen if he wanted to draw one too. Wang Qingchen considered it for a moment, then shook his head, "Forget it, I won't join in the fun."

Wang Qingchen had expected Li Yuntai to be eager to draw a stick, but to his surprise, after Wang Qingchen declined, Li Yuntai didn't go to draw one either, instead leading Wang Qingchen elsewhere in the temple complex.

Just as Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai departed that area, a veiled young woman, accompanied by her maid, arrived to draw a fortune stick. The young woman appeared quite young, perhaps eleven or twelve, while her maid seemed a bit older, around thirteen or fourteen. After the young woman drew her lot, she and her maid sought out the senior monk for an interpretation.

After the master interpreted the drawing, the young woman looked rather dejected, as the fortune stick she received was not favorable. However, her maid was indignant, believing the master was deceiving them. After all, her young mistress’s betrothal was considered a sure thing; how could it fall through? The master must have misinterpreted it.

The young lady, meanwhile, was filled with regret. She wished she hadn't come to draw a stick at all, having only manufactured anxiety for herself. If not for this visit, she would likely still be immersed in the joy of her engagement to Brother Fu. But now, according to the master’s interpretation, the marriage arrangement faced a change. Would she and Brother Fu ultimately fail to end up together? Thinking of this, the young woman grew increasingly disheartened.

Seeing her mistress so distressed, the maid offered comfort, "Miss, we don't know if this master's interpretation is accurate or not. If it isn't reliable, aren't you just suffering for nothing? Why don't we go see Madam first?"

Hearing this, the young woman rallied her spirits with effort and nodded, "Yes, let's return to Mother!"

In the meditation room in the back courtyard, the young woman's mother noticed that her daughter's expression was less cheerful than before after going out for a walk and inquired about it. The daughter remained silent, but her maid could not hold back, pouring out the entire story of what had just transpired.

The mother's heart grew worried upon hearing this. Nine out of ten people claimed Lingjue Temple was accurate. This matter concerning her daughter truly needed to be taken seriously. If the engagement changed—whether their family broke it off or the groom's side did—her daughter’s reputation would be ruined. No, she absolutely needed to discuss this with the Master of the House upon returning home.

Meanwhile, Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai had finished their tour and were preparing to leave. They began walking back down. To Wang Qingchen’s dismay, descending the steps was even more exhausting than climbing them had been.

The pair reached the path lined with small stalls. Wang Qingchen suddenly thought that since they were out, perhaps he should buy some trinkets to take back to his family. So, Wang Qingchen pulled Li Yuntai along to start browsing. Li Yuntai couldn't help but laugh wryly. Who was complaining about being tired just moments ago and insisting on returning to the inn for a good rest? Yet here he was, now browsing the small market with great enthusiasm. However, since Wang Qingchen wanted to shop, Li Yuntai had no choice but to accompany him.

In no time, Wang Qingchen purchased several small items. He excitedly explained who each item was for. This prompted Li Yuntai to buy a few trinkets himself; he couldn't exactly come out empty-handed, could he?

Having finished their shopping, the two prepared to depart. They spotted an ox cart across the road and were about to head over when two palanquins suddenly approached from that direction, causing the pair to stand aside and wait a moment.

Inside those palanquins were the young woman who had drawn the fortune stick earlier and her mother; they were also preparing to return. Watching the two palanquins, Wang Qingchen wondered about the occupants. Unexpectedly, the person in the rear palanquin lifted the corner of the small curtain slightly—perhaps wanting a glimpse of the outside—and her gaze happened to meet Wang Qingchen’s surprised face. Both froze for an instant, but the young woman recovered quickly, immediately lowering the curtain. By then, the palanquin had already passed Wang Qingchen.

Wang Qingchen thought about the girl’s face he had just glimpsed. She was certainly pretty, but she seemed very young. Still, he presumed her beauty would be remarkable when she matured. After this brief observation, Wang Qingchen dismissed the matter, reasoning that he was unlikely to ever cross paths with this girl again. At this moment, Wang Qingchen had no idea how significant his future relationship with that young woman would become.

The young woman inside the palanquin also could not have imagined how intertwined her future would become with Wang Qingchen's. Her face now showed a hint of anger; in her eyes, Wang Qingchen staring at her had been an act of offense. At the same time, she inwardly scolded herself for thinking of lifting the curtain, otherwise she wouldn't have seen that rogue.

Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai took an ox cart back to the inn. Upon returning, Wang Qingchen enjoyed a night of deep sleep. Whether the outing had truly been restorative or not, the next day, when Wang Qingchen returned to his books, he rarely thought of the County Examination results and was genuinely absorbed in his reading. This left Li Yuntai, who had accompanied him but found no effect, extremely envious.

As the day for the County Examination results grew nearer, the atmosphere in the inn became increasingly fraught with anxiety. Only a select few continued to study with composure, while those who couldn't focus silently mocked the others, seeing them as pretentious hypocrites. In their view, who could possibly concentrate on reading at a time like this?

The inn's staff had certainly witnessed a change of scenery—from the inn being filled with quiet students to the lobby becoming noisy daily, and now to the entire establishment being saturated with palpable tension. The staff member, clicking his tongue in disbelief, resolved to boast to his family about his experience; he had truly seen the world now.

When the results were posted, everyone was restless, and Wang Qingchen could no longer concentrate either, knowing that today he would learn if his hopes were realized. Li Yuntai came to call Wang Qingchen to go view the announcement board together. Wang Qingchen hesitated, worried they wouldn't be able to push through the crowd, and suggested, "Why don't we wait until everyone else has seen it? If we go now, we won't be able to squeeze in anyway, right?"

Li Yuntai was also wavering, "Maybe we should go anyway. If we go, we might manage to squeeze in. If we don't go, we definitely won't see it. Going gives us a chance, don't you think?"

Hearing this, Wang Qingchen could only agree to go along.