The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 604: Unexpected Proposals

Chapter 604: Unexpected Proposals

He hadn’t ridden with Bai Mo to the testing site for the Juren exams, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t wait for him at the end of it.

It wasn’t that he didn’t feel bad about how things were playing out with Sun Ming Hua. He could acknowledge that the young mistress had a difficult life. But at the end of the day, Bai Mo was his person in this world. His best friend in this "new" and "uncharted" life.

Even back when Xu Feng had no idea who he really was, when his bloodline, lineage, and past lives were nothing more than question marks, Bai Mo had been there. He had followed Xu Feng into the back mountains, willing to face giant boars and whatever madness came with Xu Feng’s impossible willfulness.

And that was the kind of loyalty Xu Feng couldn’t take for granted.

So if he had failed to be there for his friend at the beginning of this major milestone, then he would damn well make it up to him twice as hard by being there at the end.

Not just twice, no, three times as hard.

Because first, he had been stuffing down his feelings as well as Bai Mo’s. Then, he had been avoiding Bai Mo in public at a critical time.

While Xu Feng stewed over his failings as a best friend, the Juren exam continued without pause.

The Juren exam was a provincial level exam, a far greater test than the Shengyuan exam before it. In most provinces across Donghua, the Juren exam was taken in the provincial capital, but Yilin Town operated differently. Unlike other provinces where a single city would be overrun with hopeful examinees of all ages, their province was large—so large that three separate locations had been designated as official testing points.

While it wasn’t the largest city or town in their province, Yilin Town’s proximity to the capital made it a convenient choice. With three separate testing locations, the city of Donghua—the heart of the empire—was spared from being completely overrun by the influx of scholars.

For the examinees, it didn’t matter which location they chose; the standard was the same across all three. There was no advantage to taking the exam in one city over another. The true benefit was for the local scholars.

For the learned men and gers of Yilin Town, it meant they didn’t have to travel long distances, wasting silver on lodging and food in an unfamiliar city. They could take the exam close to home, cutting down on the financial strain.

But for those who passed?

That was where things changed.

Passing the Juren exam granted examinees the opportunity to travel to the imperial capital to take the highest exam of them all—the Palace Examination, held under the emperor’s watchful eye.

To most, that was the greatest honor in life.

But for Xu Feng?

...Not so much.

He didn’t regret not taking the Juren exam.

Really.

The hygiene issue was definitely not the reason he no longer cared about the scholar’s path.

It had nothing to do with the fact that the Juren exam was far more grueling than its predecessor. The Shengyuan exam had been lax in comparison—especially when it came to gers. While male examinees had to endure harsh conditions from the start, gers had been allowed a level of leniency.

But now?

There was no such thing.

Gers had their own testing hall, yes, but the three-day long Juren exam wasn’t a simple in-and-out affair. They weren’t allowed to return home at the end of each day.

Instead, they were confined.

For the full three days.

Each examinee was assigned their own tiny testing room—barely large enough to turn around in. There, they would write, sleep, eat, and... take care of other bodily functions.

In the same. Small. Space.

Xu Feng stared blankly at the sky.

That was surely not the reason he decided against taking the exam.

He just decided it wasn’t something he was passionate about, but the hygiene thing was a bonus reason.

...

The days had gone by in what felt like a flash.

Between the ongoing renovations, the non-stop testing of new recipes, and the surprisingly successful introduction of flatbreads to pair with the jams at The Silver Scale, Xu Feng barely had time to dwell on his personal musings.

It hadn’t been everything he originally planned, but it was an effective way to show customers how jam was meant to be eaten. It also kept business flowing and further solidified the store’s presence in Yilin Town. Once the oven was done, they’d introduce even more new items!

With more tasks delegated to a handful of capable villagers from Nanshan Village, the strain on the estate’s residents had noticeably eased. From the newcomers to his trusted right hands, there was finally breathing room again.

Even though the estate remained full of construction and unfamiliar faces, Xu Feng felt a new lightness. Working through his feelings—both the ones he had tried to suppress and those he had let run wild in the name of shielding others from gossip—had left him in a better place.

He had even taken the time to meet up with Chef Tang, who, to Xu Feng’s absolute delight, had plenty to say about his jams. Apparently, he had developed an appreciation for it after figuring out how to incorporate it into his meals. But what had truly impressed him, to the point of newfound awe, was the pudding.

Xu Feng had barely stopped himself from grinning like a fool at the memory.

Now, he sat inside their newly modified carriage, admiring the improvements while waiting for Bai Mo to emerge from his testing enclosure. The changes weren’t overly dramatic, but they made all the difference.

The additional seats, positioned against the doors, weren’t exactly traditional, but they were customized to fit Da Long and Xiao Long’s carriers securely. It wasn’t quite like a modern car seat base, but it served its purpose. Most importantly, it allowed the babies to stare out the windows without needing to be held the entire ride.

The addition of mica windows was another upgrade Xu Feng hadn’t anticipated, but now that they had them, he could only marvel at Xuan Yang’s foresight. Coming into town during winter would be far easier with proper insulation from the elements. And considering they planned to sell jam all throughout the season, it was a big improvement.

Still, as much as Xu Feng admired the carriage, his excitement remained centered on one thing—welcoming Bai Mo out of his testing enclosure... prison...

Xu Hu Zhe, who had led the horses on the way into town, now sat inside the carriage with him and Xu Zeng. Xu Feng had refused to let him stay outside to face the elements, especially with winter fast approaching. The first snowfall was expected any day now, and the estate was working against time to finish major renovations before then.

At the very least, the greenhouse was already complete, which meant Xu Feng could begin replanting as soon as the workers finished their tasks in the Blooming Courtyard. He was looking forward to it. Watching things grow and not worrying about the paper insulation was another small thing that brought him peace.

Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait too long.

As the sun hung low in the sky, the examinees were finally released. The moment the final portion of the exam ended, those who were finished could leave, and Bai Mo wasted no time getting out.

"Ah! There he is!" Xu Feng grinned as he quickly stepped down from the carriage, waving down his fox-eared friend.

Bai Mo’s own carriage was nowhere in sight. They had stopped by Bai Mansion earlier to coordinate his pick-up, promising the steward that they’d bring the children for a visit soon. It had seemed like a reasonable plan at the time.

Until Bai Mo got closer.

The moment he reached them, Xu Feng’s brows furrowed slightly.

There was a... scent.

A distinctly pungent scent.

Xu Feng should have expected it, really. Three days locked in a tiny room, unable to leave, combined with the fact that dozens of gers had been confined in a single hall with limited accommodations for bodily functions—

Yeah. He was now glad they didn’t bring the children...

Bai Mo’s ears twitched as he caught Xu Feng’s expression. "Ugh, my carriage isn’t here," he barely mumbled.

Xu Feng smirked but had enough grace not to question the odor. Instead, he clapped a hand on Bai Mo’s shoulder. "Congratulations."

Bai Mo sighed, rubbing his face as he stole glances at the two men behind Xu Feng. "I don’t know if I passed."

"Of course, you passed," Xu Feng said, waving off his doubts and getting confirmation from the two behind him.

Bai Mo made a face but still flushed at the encouragement. He seemed as though ready to continue the negative talk even as his blush grew.

Xu Feng smiled. Momo was so modest! "We’re celebrating. You stink, but we’re celebrating."

Bai Mo groaned. "Let me bathe first, at least."

"I’ll consider it," Xu Feng said teasingly before turning to his younger brother. "So, Xu Zeng, after all this, do you still want to be a scholar?"

Xu Zeng, who had been mostly silent up until now, barely hesitated before replying. "Yes."

Xu Zeng nodded. "Our Momo needs to have at least one scholar as a mate. And since Hu Zhe doesn’t want to be a scholar, that leaves me."

There was a beat of silence.

Then, Bai Mo turned bright red. Well, redder. "Wha—"

Xu Hu Zhe, despite his mask, was clearly blushing beneath it. His ears were burning as his eyes refused to meet Xu Feng’s.

Xu Feng blinked, processing the statement. Then he smiled.

Then he tilted his head.

And finally—

"Huh?"