Chapter 82: Head of the Law Academy

May 21st.

Ministry of Justice Prison, Heaven Block, A-2.

“Three-eight, three-nine, bring out a three-four! That’s called a flying chicken with wings, right? Hehehe~”

“Bomb!”

“Old Six, how do you have another bomb!”

“What’s wrong? Do you want it or not?”

“No.”

“What about Fourth Brother?”

“Can’t afford it.”

“Three, four, five, six, seven, gone!”

Ding Suian threw down the poker cards he had improvised from mulberry paper and stretched out both hands. “Bomb turned over, ten taels, thank you very much. Fourth Brother owes a total of three hundred and twenty-five taels, Fifth Brother owes one hundred and seventy taels. We’ll settle the accounts when we get out.”

Li Meimei sat cross-legged on the straw mat, carefully checked Ding Suian’s hand to ensure there was no cheating, and then said, “If we wait until the first day of the sixth month to get out, I’m afraid I’ll owe you a mountain of debt.”

No sooner had he spoken than he saw the prison warden walk quickly to the iron grate, saying joyfully, “Congratulations, Young Master! You can all leave now!”

“…”

All three were stunned. Li Meimei frowned and said, “My father is only letting me out?”

“No!”

“Did Your Majesty grant an early amnesty?” Ding Suian also asked.

“No, the other party dropped the lawsuit!”

Dropped the lawsuit?

That meant withdrawing the charges.

Great Wu followed the principle that if the people do not sue, the officials do not investigate. As long as it wasn’t one of the ten unpardonable crimes, private settlements were allowed.

Gao Gan and Li Meimei looked at each other in disbelief—we don’t have to wait for amnesty!

Only Ding Suian thought to himself: The Literature Institute actually managed to force Qin Shou to drop the lawsuit?

5:00 PM.

After finishing all the procedures, the three walked out of the Ministry of Justice Prison.

Because the release was so sudden, Lin Dafu probably hadn’t even received the news yet, so naturally, no one came to pick them up.

Li Meimei stood on the steps, took a deep breath, looked at a spot a few dozen steps away, and sighed, “Although the prison is fine, the outside world is even better!”

Where his gaze landed, a carriage was parked, with five or six young ladies standing neatly in front of it.

They were all around seventeen or eighteen years old, and while their appearances were all above average, their temperaments were all excellent.

“Let’s go, time to go home and take a bath first.”

Ding Suian glanced at them casually and said.

He was smelly all over right now; it wasn’t the time to flirt with girls. Going home quickly to report that he was safe was the priority.

“Alright, farewell.”

“See you tomorrow!”

Just as the three were arching their hands to bid farewell, they saw a young lady walking gracefully towards them. “Greetings, Brother Ding. The past is like dew dispersing, and tomorrow is like the rising sun.”

Ding Suian looked back and said in surprise, “Miss Jiang, why are you here?”

Jiang Yuan slightly lowered her head and said in a soft voice, “A few days ago, this younger sister played the piece taught by Brother Ding. When my teacher learned that it was composed by Brother Ding, she specifically went to the Three Sages Palace to find the Grandmaster and offered some assistance.”

Oh~

So that’s how it was!

“The song wasn’t composed by me; it was by Daoist Old Hu.”

Ding Suian corrected her. Jiang Yuan raised her head slightly, her phoenix eyes blinking in a lively manner. The implication was that she didn’t believe Ding Suian’s evasive words, but she obediently replied, “Mm, if Brother Ding says it was Daoist Hu, then it was Daoist Hu.”

Through Jiang Yuan, he learned that it was the Headmaster of the Law Academy surnamed Xu who had exerted influence behind the scenes. Regardless of whether he needed it, given his polite and refined character, he had to thank her in person.

Following Jiang Yuan to the carriage, Ding Suian arched his hands and said, “Thank you, Headmaster, for your help.”

The carriage in front shook slightly, and the curtain was lifted.

From inside the curtain, a pair of red silk soft shoes with hanging pearls appeared first, followed by a crimson thin gauze skirt with gold trim. Because of the posture of bending over to exit the carriage, her chest looked like a mountain peak leaning forward, swaying and about to fall.

A glimpse of the cleavage, snow-white and deep.

Bigger than the “ceiling” sister.

Above the ceiling, it turned out there was another ceiling.

One peak higher than another—it was concretized in this moment.

“Xu Jiuxi of the Law Academy, greetings, Young Master Ding.”

“Thank you, Headmaster Xu, for your help. I will surely repay this in the future.”

Taking advantage of the time to answer, Ding Suian took a quick glance.

She looked a year or two older than his sister, with a melon-seed face, thin lips, a pretty nose, and peach-blossom eyes.

The Head of the Law Academy, so young?

“Young Master Ding, it is nearly dusk, and dinner is approaching. Why not find a restaurant up ahead, sit down, and chat more?”

Xu Jiuxi was naturally interested in the song, but bringing it up as soon as they met would inevitably imply asking for a favor in return for help, so she thought about having a meal first and waiting until the atmosphere was suitable to talk about it.

“Uh, it’s a bit inconvenient today. I’ll host another day to thank you properly, Headmaster!”

“…” Xu Jiuxi’s eyes flashed with a trace of surprise, and then she smiled, “Then we shall follow Young Master Ding’s wishes.”

“Farewell for now.”

Ding Suian arched his hands and turned to leave.

A bunch of people at home didn’t know he was out yet. Going to eat with someone now, leaving his family to continue worrying, would make him look like a fool.

Xu Jiuxi watched Ding Suian’s broad-strided back, the corners of her mouth curling into an ambiguous smile. In all these years, the only man who would refuse her invitation was her Senior Brother.

However, Sun Tiewu, a man who had lost his root, could no longer be called a man.

“Waner, could this Young Master Ding be a eunuch?”

Jiang Yuan, who was embarrassed because Ding Suian had refused her teacher, heard this and opened her small mouth, saying, “Ah?”

Just at this moment, Li Meimei, who had been watching from a distance, dragged the blushing Third Young Master Gao over, revealed a smile he thought was invincible, and said politely, “Headmaster Xu, I happen to know there is a Chunlu House nearby with excellent food and wine. I daringly invite you to taste it.”

Xu Jiuxi withdrew her gaze from the distance, glanced back at Li Meimei, opened her sandalwood lips, and said, “Get lost~”

5:30 PM.

Ding Suian returned to Chilao Alley first.

He had to report that he was safe to his father first.

Walking into the alley, he saw smoke rising from the Ding Family courtyard.

Ding Suian thought his father had finished his shift early and was cooking at home, but when he pushed open the courtyard door…

In front of the open-air stove in the corner, a small figure sat on a wooden stool, arms wrapped around her knees, her chin resting on her knees.

In the twilight, the leaping firelight from the stove cast flickering shadows on her face.

She didn’t know what she was thinking, lost in a daze.

“Ruan Ruan?”

“…”

Ruan Ruan heard the voice, suddenly raised her head, her originally tired and listless eyes widened, and she rubbed her eyes as if in disbelief.

Confirming that it was indeed Ding Suian standing in the courtyard, Ruan Ruan stood up with a start and stood one step in front of him.

“Why is Ruan Ruan here?”

It would have been better not to ask. As soon as he asked, Ruan Ruan’s chubby lips trembled, and two lines of tears rolled out of her big, round eyes, washing two clear channels through the stove ash on her face.

“Brother Ding Suian~ Waa~”

“…Why are you crying?”

“Everyone said you, you hit the General’s son, and you were going to be beheaded.”

“Don’t cry, don’t cry, didn’t I come back?”

Ding Suian stepped forward and pulled Ruan Ruan into his arms. Her body stiffened, and then her crying became even louder.

“So, from the 12th of May, you came to cook for my dad every day?”

“Yes, Uncle is timid. I was worried he would be scared, so I came to cook every day and keep him company.”

In front of the stove, the two sat on two small wooden stools. Because of the hug just now, Ruan Ruan was still leaning on Ding Suian’s shoulder.

“These days, while I wasn’t home, did anything happen?” Ding Suian asked again.

“Yes.”

“Tell me.”

“Last night, before I went to sleep, I drank so, so much water. Then in the night, I dreamed of looking for the latrine, but I couldn’t find it no matter what. Later, I held it until I woke up, and then I went to the latrine to pee. After coming back from the latrine, I went to bed.”

“Wow! Your night last night was so thrilling!”

“Yeah, yeah, if I had woken up any later, I would have wet the bed!”

“Next time I’ll cut a hole in your bed for you, put a chamber pot underneath, and you can pee as soon as you roll over!”

“Hahaha, okay!”

Ding Suian could only switch back to a child’s state to be on the same wavelength as this innocent girl.

When the two were children, it was also like this.

In this state, Ding Suian’s feelings for her, and her feelings for Ding Suian, had more or less a slight difference.

On the side, once Ruan Ruan opened her chatterbox, she couldn’t stop. “…My Master is good at everything, but she doesn’t like men. Last year, my Senior Sister was secretly meeting someone at the foot of the mountain. She was caught by Master while kissing. My Master scolded her for having no ambition and almost kicked her out of the sect. When I saw this, I immediately found an excuse and slipped away. I went to Xuanji Palace to learn skills, not to be a nun for a lifetime. Brother Ding Suian, tell me, what does kissing taste like?”

“I, cough, I don’t know either. I haven’t kissed anyone.”

“…I…” Ruan Ruan looked at the stove fire, her voice lowered, “I haven’t either.”

“…”

“…”

The two were silent for a moment. Ruan Ruan slowly turned her head to look at Ding Suian and murmured, “Brother Ding Suian, what does kissing taste like?”

“…”

The big eyes slowly closed, and her chin lifted slightly unconsciously.

Her chubby lips pouted higher and higher…

‘Creak~’

Just at this moment, the courtyard gate sounded.

Ruan Ruan stood up with a start, saw Old Ding standing at the gate in astonishment, and quickly said, “Uncle, kiss a little longer, and the food will be ready.”

“???”

Old Ding looked at Ruan Ruan in shock, then at his son, and quickly turned around and walked out, “Then I’ll come back later.”

Ruan Ruan realized she had said the wrong thing and quickly shouted at Old Ding’s retreating back, “No, I meant… burn the pot a little longer, and the food will be ready. Uncle, I misspoke, I didn’t mean that.”

“It’s fine, I’m going to visit your Uncle Hu’s place, you two do your thing.”

In the alley, Old Ding’s reply came from afar.

“…”

In the courtyard, the two looked at each other.

Ruan Ruan’s already red goose-egg face looked even more delicate and dripping under the firelight.

Ding Suian sat on the wooden stool, looked up and asked, “Still want to kiss?”

“Who wants to kiss!” Ruan Ruan sat down on the wooden stool in frustration, her crisp voice tinged with a sob, “Will Uncle think I’ve become bad? And my dad runs a brothel…”