Zhao Cheng answered the Master's inquiries with great earnestness, and the Master, observing that Zhao Cheng's replies were well-ordered, delivered without arrogance or undue deference, immediately took notice of him.

The Master saw that Zhao Cheng possessed an air of simple shyness that made it difficult for anyone to feel guarded against him; coupled with his insightful answers, this immediately stirred a feeling of valuing his talent, prompting the Master to test him further by posing many controversial questions from the texts.

When Zhao Cheng realized the Master was testing him, he felt quite pleased—did this mean the Master's opinion of him had changed? Although Zhao Cheng couldn't pinpoint the exact reason, he nevertheless responded with sincere diligence.

Zhao Cheng's foundational knowledge was quite solid, so when faced with the Master's questions, while he might not have answered with effortless fluency, he certainly held his own far better than most. Thus, after hearing Zhao Cheng's perspectives, the Master became quite animated, and the two immediately engaged in a spirited discussion.

Wang Qingchen, seated nearby, watched the shifting dynamics with a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. Their Master had seemed rather aloof just moments ago, but now he was so full of enthusiasm. Well, he supposed, Zhao Cheng’s charm was simply irresistible!

When Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng finally prepared to depart, the Master repeatedly urged them to stay for a meal, but they had to decline as they were expected at another gathering.

On the way back, Wang Qingchen teased him, "You certainly managed that well. The Master barely wanted to acknowledge us before, and now he’s reluctant to see us go. That shows the extent of your charm!"

Zhao Cheng shook his head shyly. "How could I be so capable? It is the Master who is willing to guide us juniors. Besides, it was only because you were being quiet earlier; otherwise, the Master would have been roaring with laughter long ago. You have far more insight than I do."

Wang Qingchen laughed upon hearing this. "Don't be so modest. Anyone can see who has the real insight between us. Stop trying to pass it off on me. Oh, and I have a secret I’ve never told you two. I simply cannot resist praise. If you keep flattering me like this, I’ll become arrogant, you know!"

With that, Wang Qingchen chuckled smugly, leaving Zhao Cheng looking utterly dumbfounded—that was hardly reserved behavior!

After Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng returned, chatting and laughing the whole way, Madam Huang had already prepared the meal and was waiting for their return!

Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng washed their hands and took their seats at the table, immediately hearing Liu Hao and the others inquire about their visit with the Master.

Wang Qingchen recounted the entire visit in detail, focusing heavily on how someone’s boundless charm had completely flipped the Master's attitude toward them. Upon hearing this, Liu Hao and the others looked at Zhao Cheng with immense respect.

Zhao Cheng’s face flushed under their gazes, and he said uncomfortably, "Don't listen to his nonsense. I'm not nearly that formidable!"

"Oh, but you are! You truly are that formidable! To tell you the truth, when I was sitting there earlier, I felt quite anxious seeing the Master’s perfunctory attitude, wondering if we had somehow offended him. Who knew that after the Master's Q&A with you, and then delving into those questionable points, his attitude toward us would change so instantly? He became incredibly warm! When we took our leave, the Master even invited us to stay for dinner! Anyone else who visited would be terribly envious! Of course, I only benefited from your presence; if I had gone alone today, the Master would have been eager to usher me out the door. Ah, different people, different levels of appeal!" Wang Qingchen concluded with a sigh.

Hearing Wang Qingchen’s mock-wistful tone, Liu Hao and the others burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Oh my, look at you, daring to make fun of yourself in front of us! If you were truly as you claim, what hope would the rest of us, who haven't even passed the provincial exam, have?"

Wang Qingchen, seeing their amusement, was relieved. He had been worried that they might feel slighted about him and Zhao Cheng visiting the Master alone, so he had tried to play the clown a bit. It seemed the effect was successful.

Once Wang Qingchen and the others finished eating, Madam Huang instructed them to pack their belongings; since they were leaving soon, there was quite a bit to organize.

Wang Qingchen also began packing. They had already decided to leave the next day. Tonight was reserved for one last gathering with Zhao Cheng, as the other successful candidates would also be returning to their home prefectures soon—they couldn't remain in the provincial capital indefinitely.

That evening, Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng set out for a pre-arranged location at a restaurant in the provincial capital.

Upon entering and reaching their reserved private room, they found that some people had already arrived. However, what struck them as strange was that one person among the group was entirely unfamiliar; they hadn't seen this person at any previous gatherings.

Seeing Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng enter, Qin Zhong quickly stepped forward to introduce them. "Come, come, you two are finally here. Let me introduce you. This is Brother Xia, a successful candidate from the Capital, named Wentao. He is in the same cohort as us, having passed the exam this year as well. Brother Xia is actually the Jieyuan from the Capital!" Qin Zhong then turned to the unfamiliar man and smiled. "Brother Xia, these are the two I mentioned earlier. They are the youngest among those who passed the provincial exam this year. This is Zhao Cheng, and this is Wang Qingchen."

Hearing Qin Zhong’s introduction, Xia Wentao bowed slightly towards Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng. "A pleasure, a pleasure!"

Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng naturally returned the ceremonial gesture.

Among the others present, those who had already heard of Xia Wentao’s achievements were merely nodding, but those who had not immediately widened their eyes—this man was truly remarkable, the Jieyuan from the Capital!

Xia Wentao felt a slight discomfort under the intense scrutiny of the crowd. He and his sister had only arrived the previous day. Upon arrival, they had gone straight to his mother’s dowry estate to settle their luggage, and without much rest, had immediately taken provisions prepared by his mother to visit his maternal uncle. To his surprise, his uncle was delighted to see them and insisted they not stay at the estate, instead ordering their luggage moved to his own residence.

Afterward, since his uncle knew he had passed the exam this year and hadn't managed to socialize much with other candidates in the Capital, he immediately arranged a guide for him—this guide was Qin Zhong, the son of his uncle's close friend, who had also passed the exam this cycle. The uncle hoped his nephew could utilize Qin Zhong to meet more successful candidates and expand his network, which would smooth his path in officialdom later on.

Though Xia Wentao was new, tired, and initially disinclined to socialize much, he reflected that his uncle was acting in his best interest, and he couldn't very well refuse. Moreover, this was beneficial to him. Thus, Xia Wentao had come along with Qin Zhong.

Initially, Xia Wentao had been uneasy. Being new, he wasn't sure which individuals were worth befriending and which to avoid. Fortunately, Qin Zhong was good-natured and thoughtful, introducing him only to those with outstanding academic records, upright character, and straightforward demeanor. This brought a measure of relief to Xia Wentao.

Xia Wentao observed Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng; they were indeed very young, but he had heard their rankings were quite high, meaning they were not to be underestimated. Furthermore, based on his initial observations, he had formed a preliminary assessment of their character—these two seemed worth connecting with. There were others who were also promising, but because Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng were the youngest, most people naturally directed a bit more attention toward them.

After internally assessing who among the group warranted engagement and who did not, Xia Wentao began conversing with those he had deemed worthy.

Having grown up in the Capital with an official for a father, Xia Wentao’s exposure and knowledge naturally surpassed that of those from the provincial capital, let alone the countryside. He easily found common ground for discussion, and being neither rigid nor inflexible—even somewhat witty—he quickly began mingling well with several people.

Wang Qingchen watched this newcomer manage to gain acceptance from so many people so quickly, feeling not only astonishment but also a measure of admiration and respect. Such a person was adept at navigating social currents and would likely thrive in the bureaucracy. Moreover, his family being in the Capital meant his political awareness surely surpassed theirs. Thinking this, Wang Qingchen suddenly felt that if Zhao Cheng could forge a good relationship with this Xia Wentao, it would offer Zhao Cheng significant support in his future career. Thus, Wang Qingchen resolved to approach Xia Wentao with Zhao Cheng to start getting acquainted.

Zhao Cheng naturally harbored the same intention. In his view, this Jieyuan from the Capital possessed not only superior scholarship but also broader experience than they did. Befriending such a person would be excellent, even if only for friendship rather than future political gains.

Since both Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng intended to connect with Xia Wentao, they naturally took action; after all, this was their only opportunity, as they were leaving the next day!

Xia Wentao, for his part, was curious about these two youngest successful candidates present. Seeing them approach him proactively, he was naturally pleased. Consequently, the three quickly found themselves talking quite congenially.