My Wife Is A Sword Immortal
Chapter 353 - 261 Don’t You Like Eating Cucumbers?

Chapter 353: Chapter 261 Don’t You Like Eating Cucumbers?

Zhao Rong asked his fellow scholars along the way before he found the Yilan Pavilion.

This refined courtyard was situated in the quiet southeast corner of the spacious Linlu Academy, surrounded by scattered buildings like the Zunjing Pavilion, which he had been eager to visit and read books in.

Although it was Zhu Yourong who had actively sought him out this time, since Zhao Rong had a favor to ask, he wasn’t the thick-skinned type and felt embarrassed to arrive empty-handed. So, he casually picked a few tender, juicy cucumbers from brother Teng Ying’s field. They say gifts need not be lavish but should convey heartfelt sentiment, besides, the cucumbers from East Fence Small House were a unique feature of the Linlu Academy. Women probably liked them... for beauty, perhaps?

Even Ye Huaijin, that stubborn and old-fashion fellow, enjoyed eating them—although Zhao Rong thought that if she kept frowning while eating cucumbers, it would be useless. Later, he would see if a joke could rescue this lost girl. Therefore, Zhao Rong guessed Zhu Yourong probably wouldn’t be an exception and should also like cucumbers.

Zhao Rong pondered this to himself.

Fueled by this simple deduction, he arrived at Yilan Pavilion with the cucumbers that carried heavy sentiment. As for Jia Tengying waking up, dumbfounded, to find five fewer cucumbers in his once thief-ransacked empty cucumber field, Zhao Rong didn’t think it was a big deal. After all, Yu Huaijin was also here. Delivering a cucumber to her on behalf of brother Teng Ying would probably make that taciturn man blush and stammer out a thank you to him.

Zhao Rong stood inside Yilan Pavilion’s gate, took a bite of cucumber, raised his eyebrows, and locked eyes with the six people inside the Guest Pavilion.

His "good morning" greeting was met with silence, and for a moment, not a single person at the door of Yilan Pavilion broke the stalemate.

Han Wenfu and Gu Yiwu, among several men, stared blankly at the unexpected visitor at the door, still processing the peculiar fact that a blue-clothed girl had run away like a sheep spotting a wolf.

Ye Huaijin regained her composure and her gaze lingered briefly on the cucumber in Zhao Rong’s hand before she quietly turned away.

Zhao Rong thought for a moment, freed one hand to rub his face, and found nothing there.

He shook his head, turned to close the courtyard door, but his gaze lingered on the couplet carved in the wooden doorframe before it shut.

Zhao Rong headed towards the Guest Pavilion.

"Senior Ye, good morning."

He entered the pavilion, took a good look at everyone there, and first turned to greet Ye Huaijin.

"Brother Han." Besides Ye Huaijin, Han Wenfu was the only other person in the pavilion Zhao Rong had met a few times, so he called out to him.

The frown that Han Wenfu had tightly locked loosened in the face of everyone’s attention, revealing no particular thoughts. He nodded and, after watching Zhao Rong and thinking for a bit, said, "Sorry, you are... oh, Brother Zhao."

The others looked on curiously.

Yu Huaijin turned to introduce him, "This is a new student from our Shuaixing Hall, Zhao Ziyu, Brother Zhao. The teacher called him for something today, so he came over with us."

Zhao Rong greeted the senior scholars from the other four halls with a smile, getting acquainted with their names.

Han Wenfu stopped looking at Zhao Rong as his mind was heavy with thoughts, still reeling from his preparations being turned down in the end.

Glancing at the tray in his hand, Han Wenfu saw the two lone Ink Heart Red Fruits sitting on it, feeling they were already of no use.

He noticed Ye Huaijin glancing toward the flower garden, preparing to leave as usual. He took a deep breath to himself.

The pavilion fell silent for a moment.

"May I ask, what is this?"

Suddenly, a question pierced the somewhat frozen air.

Han Wenfu took out a brocade box from the dragon-head jade hook on his waistband, planning to put away the now unnecessary items. His movements briefly stilled as he replied offhandedly, "Ink Heart Red Fruit, for everyone to quench their thirst and have a taste."

After a pause, he added, "You can only eat one at a time, not more. Would you like to try one, Brother Zhao?"

As he spoke, he continued his actions, placing the tray into the brocade box carved with landscape paintings, without the intention of waiting for Zhao Rong’s response. However... a ’thin-skinned person’ was even quicker to speak up.

"Uh, may I?"

He was a bit embarrassed.

Han Wenfu paused his movements, looking down at Zhao Rong with an almost imperceptible flicker at the corner of his mouth. His mood wasn’t great, but he looked down at the Vermilion Fruits he thought he wouldn’t need and nodded in assent.

Zhao Rong came forward, picked up one fruit, and inspected it with a curious expression.

"Tastes quite good, it’s just that Brother Han mentioned not to eat too many."

Gu Yiwu said with a smile to Zhao Rong.

Zhao Rong smiled back and nodded at him, placing the small Vermilion Fruit to his lips and taking a bite.

The taste was refreshing, on par with the cucumber in his other hand, but with a completely different flavor.

As Zhao Rong savored it, he nodded in approval. He noticed the outside of the Vermilion Fruit was a pale red luster, whereas the inside flesh and juice was pitch black like ink. However, the taste was as refreshing as water and not the least bit thick.

How very peculiar.

"Han brother, this fruit is called the Ink Heart Red Fruit? It truly lives up to its name, but where did it come from?"

Recently, the weather made Zhao Rong feel a bit overheated, as if his body were a furnace, struggling to adapt. These few days, he often ate some cooling fruits, which was why the cucumbers in Jia Tengying’s fields were nearly obliterated...

Han Wenfu glanced at Zhao Rong’s eyes shining brightly but did not respond, as if he had not heard.

Zhao Rong finished the seedless Vermilion Fruit in one bite. Seeing this, he wasn’t annoyed but looked a bit embarrassed.

Zhao Rong thought for a moment, then extended his hand and offered a cucumber to Han Wenfu.

The latter slightly curled his lips and did not accept it.

Zhao Rong blinked, not feeling awkward, and with a swinging motion of his hand holding the cucumber, he offered it to another person, "Would brother like to try it? It’s a specialty of our East Fence Small House."

That brother smiled and waved his hand in decline.

Passing it to another, this time to Gu Yiwu, who looked at Zhao Rong’s smiling face and reached out to take it.

Zhao Rong glanced at him and then cheerfully took another cucumber to offer the other seniors.

But no more accepted, waving their hands apologetically and declining with a smile.

At last, the cucumber made its way to Yu Huaijin.

"Here you go."

Zhao Rong extended his hand, nudging his lips forward.

Yu Huaijin kept a straight face and shook her head while holding out her hand.

Zhao Rong furrowed his brows, giving her a look.

Yu Huaijin kept a stern face, ignoring him.

Zhao Rong raised an eyebrow and sincerely said, "What’s there to be shy about? Don’t you like cucumbers? Last time you snuck so many from our East Fence Small House, don’t think I didn’t notice. I counted them... and then I didn’t have enough for myself. Now, take this one quickly! We don’t have many left in our field."

"......" Yu Huaijin.

As soon as he said this, a dead silence fell over the room.

Han Wenfu, Gu Yiwu, and others couldn’t help but cast sidelong glances at the stern woman.

Their gazes were strange.

Yu Huaijin’s eyes were slightly widened as she glared at Zhao Rong, who didn’t speak with propriety. If her gaze could turn into a real sword, then Zhao Rong would definitely be living well and fine. His pair of eyes calmly faced her, and his expression that said ’I’m not spreading rumors, it’s all the truth,’ was backed by a face as thick as a city wall, unafraid of this stern woman who wasn’t even proficient in intimidating glances and had no lethal power.

In a place unseen by the other men, Yu Huaijin’s two small white jade hands hidden in her sleeves were tightly clenched together palm to palm.

She scrutinized Zhao Rong carefully from top to bottom. He blinked, and his hand with the cucumber moved forward again, giving a little indication.

On the edge of not fearing death, he was testing the waters like mad.

He was definitely doing it on purpose.

Yu Huaijin nodded seriously, her hand pulling out from her sleeve and seizing the cucumber that wouldn’t go away, snatching it away.

Immediately, she took a deep breath, her expression calming down, and looked at the strangely-faced crowd, especially Han Wenfu, who was staring at her with wide eyes.

Yu Huaijin sighed softly in her heart, but soon after, she felt somewhat irritated with someone who had no shame, and suddenly, she walked towards Han Wenfu. Taking the Ink Heart Red Fruit from the still-unfastened brocade box with both hands, she nodded earnestly, "Thank you, Brother Han."

After speaking, the stern woman didn’t thank anyone for the cucumber but instead left the Guest Pavilion with a stiff face, passing by a certain ’Zhao-surnamed student’ as if he didn’t exist.

Watching her slim figure recede, the men inside the pavilion glanced at each other, their gazes eventually converging on Zhao Rong, who seemed to be the primary culprit.

Zhao Rong put a finger to his nose and scratched it, then coughed, "Well, Teacher Zhu is looking for me, so I’ll head off first."

He spoke rapidly and without waiting for anyone to react, quickly left the Guest Pavilion.

He left Gu Yiwu and a few other seniors behind, speechless in amazement.

As for Han Wenfu, ever since Yu Huaijin had unexpectedly accepted the meticulously prepared Ink Heart Red Fruit, he was frozen in his expression. Now, Han Wenfu clenched his teeth, his eyes fixedly staring at the retreating figure of Zhao Rong, who had eaten another Vermilion Fruit...