Wang Youliang had been enduring a period of intense anguish. On one hand, he constantly worried that if Zhao Cheng successfully passed the Xiucai examination, his wife, Madam Huang, would surely leave him. On the other hand, Zhang Wenbing clearly intended to make his life miserable, undoubtedly aiming to ruin his reputation completely. Although he had luckily escaped trouble this time, it was not a long-term solution; who knew when his affair with Madam Huang might finally be exposed? Adding to this, Madam Tian had played a significant role in the entire affair, leaving Wang Youliang feeling increasingly guilty toward her. All these pressures left Wang Youliang utterly bewildered as to what course of action to take.

No one could truly alleviate Wang Youliang’s torment, and he himself could not devise a suitable plan. Moreover, this matter was truly too delicate to confide in others; discussing the problem of managing both his legal wife and his mistress was simply too shameful to utter aloud.

As Wang Youliang struggled in his turmoil, Wang Qingchen’s Prefectural Examination was drawing to a close.

Stepping out of the examination hall, Wang Qingchen felt relatively positive. Although he experienced a degree of mental exhaustion, overall, things felt much better than during the County Examination, perhaps due to his growing familiarity with the ancient examination system.

Wang Qingchen spotted Li Yuntai emerging from the same hall, and the two exchanged a knowing smile. Seeing Li Yuntai seemed to be in decent spirits, Wang Qingchen thought that Li Yuntai’s previous efforts had likely not been in vain.

However, once they were back at the inn, Li Yuntai seemed to completely deflate. Perhaps because the intense focus required for the examination was gone, or for some other reason, he completely let down his guard. Upon returning, Li Yuntai slept soundly for a long time, thoroughly alarming Wang Qingchen and Liu Hao. By the time Li Yuntai finally woke, the others had severely scolded him, though Li Yuntai cooperated with them very meekly.

Many students relaxed significantly after the Prefectural Examination, considering the interval before the Metropolitan Examination was quite long. Wang Qingchen and his companions were no exception; they took advantage of the waiting period for the results to unwind.

While watching other scholars pair up and venture out for recreation, Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai remained within the inn. Though they weren't studying either, they simply didn't go out.

The inn's common hall was also occupied daily by numerous scholars, all discussing topics related to the Prefectural Examination. Occasionally, Liu Hao would come to find Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai, inviting them down for a chat, which made Wang Qingchen feel that these recent days had been quite leisurely.

Finally, Liu Hao could stand it no longer and dragged the other two out. “I say, if you don’t come out for a walk soon, you’re going to grow mildew!”

Indeed, since the Prefectural Examination, Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai hadn't ventured out at all. Now that Liu Hao was pulling them along, they allowed themselves to be led into the streets.

The county town was vastly superior to Qingshan Town, not just in the flow of people and the variety of shops, but also in the distinct difference in architecture. Wang Qingchen walked along, observing the quaint, time-worn streets and the structures lining them.

Liu Hao glanced at Wang Qingchen’s contented expression and said smugly, “See? I told you we needed to go out and look around. You guys enjoy it just as much!”

Wang Qingchen nodded. “You’re right; getting out for a walk is certainly nice. Staying cooped up in the inn, we really were about to start growing mold.”

This comment only made Liu Hao feel more smug. Just as Liu Hao was about to say something else, he suddenly spotted an acquaintance ahead and let out an "Yi" sound.

Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai looked curiously in the direction he indicated, and saw Zhao Cheng, whom they hadn't seen in ages, entering a nearby bookshop.

Liu Hao remarked, “Isn't that Zhao Cheng? He’s out strolling too! It’s rare to see him out; let’s go check it out!” With that, Liu Hao pulled the two of them along toward the bookshop Zhao Cheng had entered.

The trio entered the bookshop where Zhao Cheng had gone. They had assumed Zhao Cheng was there to purchase books, but they were surprised to find that Zhao Cheng was actually returning books—it turned out he had taken on work copying manuscripts for the establishment.

Upon seeing them enter, Zhao Cheng was first surprised by their presence, and then slightly embarrassed. Wang Qingchen was quite taken aback when he learned Zhao Cheng had taken on the manuscript copying work. He had already felt a measure of respect for Zhao Cheng when he heard that Zhao Cheng had chosen a cheaper inn rather than staying with them. Now, while the rest of them were unwinding after the Prefectural Examination, Zhao Cheng was already working to earn money.

Compared to Zhao Cheng, Wang Qingchen realized that what he usually considered a satisfactory effort on his own part was merely a joke; measured against Zhao Cheng, it truly amounted to nothing.

Liu Hao naturally noticed Zhao Cheng’s embarrassment and greeted him cheerfully, “What a coincidence, Zhao Cheng. We rarely see you around usually; I didn't expect to run into you here today.”

“I’ve been inside the inn studying previously. After the Prefectural Examination, I started copying manuscripts, so I haven't been out,” Zhao Cheng explained.

Hearing this, Liu Hao sighed, “Ah, no wonder your scholarship is always better than ours. You clearly apply yourself much harder than we do.”

Liu Hao’s comment diffused the awkwardness, and Zhao Cheng managed a shy smile.

Finally, Liu Hao suggested they find a teahouse to sit in. Zhao Cheng initially wanted to decline, mentioning he still had manuscripts to copy, but Liu Hao insisted. He argued that since arriving in the county town, they hadn't run into Zhao Cheng properly, and now that they had this rare chance, they absolutely had to sit down and chat. They couldn’t let Zhao Cheng leave so easily, or who knew when they’d meet again!

Given his naturally reserved nature, Zhao Cheng couldn't argue effectively against Liu Hao and was ultimately persuaded, reluctantly agreeing to join them at a teahouse. Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai naturally followed suit.

Once they were seated at the teahouse, Liu Hao ordered a pot of tea, and the conversation began. The primary topic, unsurprisingly, was the matter they cared about most: the Prefectural Examination.

In truth, the three of them—Wang Qingchen, Liu Hao, and Li Yuntai—had already discussed the examination multiple times, so Liu Hao’s questioning this time was mainly aimed at hearing Zhao Cheng’s perspective.

When asked, Zhao Cheng casually shared some of his insights. A few of his views differed from those Wang Qingchen and the others held, which pleased Liu Hao immensely; dragging Zhao Cheng along today had indeed been the right move.

Wang Qingchen listened, nodding repeatedly, still deeply impressed by Zhao Cheng. What had he been doing when he was Zhao Cheng’s age? He had to remember that while they were the same age in this life, he had already lived through his twenties in his previous life; adding those years meant he was significantly older than Zhao Cheng.

After Zhao Cheng finished speaking, Liu Hao and the others felt obligated to reciprocate. They then shared some of the conclusions they had drawn from their studies over the past few days. The four talked for nearly the entire afternoon, all feeling they had gained something. They agreed to meet again soon before parting ways.

Watching Zhao Cheng’s receding figure, Wang Qingchen sighed, “I truly fall far short when compared to him.”

Liu Hao and Li Yuntai had also privately felt that Zhao Cheng was superior to them, but they hesitated to voice it, knowing that Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng were generally considered equals in their studies. They feared hurting Wang Qingchen’s pride by speaking the truth. Now that Wang Qingchen had admitted it himself, they quickly moved to comfort him.

“Don’t say that,” Liu Hao laughed. “You two are neck and neck, both absolutely outstanding.”

Wang Qingchen shook his head upon hearing this. “You don’t need to console me; I genuinely believe it. Never mind, let’s stop talking about him. Let’s hurry back to the inn; we haven’t eaten dinner yet, and I’m starving.”

Thinking that Wang Qingchen had managed to adjust his own attitude, Liu Hao and Li Yuntai said no more, following Wang Qingchen back to the inn.

Although Wang Qingchen had settled his mood internally, he refused to let his diligence slacken afterward. In retrospect, Zhao Cheng’s actions were entirely correct: the Prefectural Examination was not their ultimate goal, and they needed to continue striving instead of simply relaxing because they had finished one exam.

Seeing Wang Qingchen spurred into renewed vigor by being "stimulated," Liu Hao and Li Yuntai also picked up their books. After all, Wang Qingchen's academic prowess was already superior to theirs; if even the person better than them was returning to study, how could they justify only relaxing?

Zhao Cheng, of course, remained unaware that following yesterday’s encounter, the trio had become even more diligent because of him. He continued reading when he could, and when his eyes grew tired, he started copying manuscripts. He had managed to earn a small sum from copying over these past few days—not much, but enough to alleviate some of the burden on his mother. With this thought in mind, Zhao Cheng maintained his strict routine.

As the date for the Prefectural Examination results approached, the students grew increasingly restless. Even Wang Qingchen, who had been inspired by Zhao Cheng to study harder, found it difficult to settle down. He wondered what the outcome of this examination would be.

On the day the Prefectural Examination results were posted, Wang Qingchen, having learned his lesson from the previous County Examination announcement, firmly held onto Li Yuntai, who was eager to rush over.

“Let’s wait until there are fewer people,” Wang Qingchen advised. “Have you forgotten how crowded it was when the last results were posted?”

“But waiting here, we can’t focus on reading anyway. We might as well go over there and wait. Besides, it’s still early; if we go now, the roster probably won't be posted yet, and we can secure a good vantage point,” Li Yuntai argued his case. He truly couldn't concentrate if he was forced to wait in place.

Considering Li Yuntai’s suggestion, Wang Qingchen thought that everyone else would be thinking the same thing—trying to claim a good spot before the lists went up. But it wouldn't be that easy; even if they went now, the crowd would surely be substantial, and their efforts might prove futile. It was better to wait at the inn.

However, since Li Yuntai was set on waiting at the posting location, Wang Qingchen didn't press the issue. He nodded and headed to the place where the results would be posted alongside Li Yuntai.

As expected, even though the roster hadn't been posted yet, the area was already packed with people. Li Yuntai looked at the scene with surprise. “No way, this many people already, and it’s this early?”