"Lady Yin Yu told me to pass this on to you."

Qi Yu handed a ring to Shen Mengzhi.

The ring was exceptionally exquisite, inlaid with a blood-red coral bead that was perfectly round and full—it had to be of the highest quality.

Shen Mengzhi took it, examined it for a moment, and asked, "Did she say anything else?"

"Nope." Qi Yu spread his hands. "What happened after you left? When we parted, she looked rather unsettled."

"Nothing."

Although he didn't know Yin Yu's intentions, his impression of her wasn't that of a villain. And the elusive master of Flower and Willow Lane was also quite mysterious and unfathomable. Perhaps this would be useful in the future.

Shen Mengzhi put the ring away, looked at the group ahead of them, and said, "Should we head back to the academy now?"

Hearing this, Qi Yu looked over in utter disbelief. "Are you kidding? We just got out!"

"..." Shen Mengzhi looked at the setting sun. "It's almost evening."

Qi Yu said, "No rush, we're going boating."

"Boating?"

Shen Mengzhi followed his finger and was slightly taken aback.

The group had left Flower and Willow Lane and had now reached the riverbank. Xufang City was built along the river, with white walls, blue tiles, and winding paths. Every household was just a few steps from the river. The city was crisscrossed with waterways, making boats an important mode of transport. As far as the eye could see, cassia oars and magnolia paddles stirred the glistening water. Both banks were lined with vendors, their stalls fragrant with fruits and melons. Fishermen's songs echoed in the evening as people came and went, trading goods. It was a scene of peace, tranquility, and earthly contentment.

Song Sifan snorted coldly from the side. "He doesn't want to go boating, he wants to flirt with the girls on the banks."

"Nonsense!" Qi Yu said. "Am I that kind of person? Brother Chu, you be the judge!"

Chu Jin was the farthest from them. His voice drifted over, feigning ignorance at the perfect moment. "What? Can't hear you—"

Qi Yu abruptly turned to the others. "You guys tell him!"

Their gazes shifted, and they all started talking at once. "What did Brother Qi say? Did you hear him clearly?"

"No, no."

Seeing Qi Yu's expression darken, Shen Mengzhi finally spoke up, "Let's go. Get on the boat."

Qi Yu was pleasantly surprised. "Jiang Zhen, you..."

"I never said I wasn't going." Shen Mengzhi chuckled lightly. "I promised you. I'll follow your arrangements today."

No one could dislike a beauty who was so obedient, especially one who was making a rare exception just for them.

Hearing this, Qi Yu's eyes lit up. Forgetting himself for a moment, he excitedly reached out to put an arm around his shoulder, but before his hand was halfway there, someone forcefully inserted themselves between them, ruthlessly separating them.

Chu Jin had sidled over at some point. He stood between them with a smile, his eyes fixed on Qi Yu, but his words were for Shen Mengzhi. "Senior Brother, being so compliant, aren't you afraid Brother Qi will come up with some other bad ideas?"

Qi Yu, having been called out, tried to cover it up by shouting, "What ideas could I have! Stop your baseless accusations!"

Chu Jin raised an eyebrow and said no more, but he remained firmly between the two, not moving an inch. Shen Mengzhi glanced at them and said helplessly, "Stop arguing."

After saying this, he realized belatedly that it had always been Qi Yu who acted as the peacemaker between him and Chu Jin. He didn't know when the roles had reversed, with him now mediating for the two of them.

He was lost in thought for a few seconds when he saw Chu Jin turn his head, lower his eyelids, and give him an indifferent glance. For some reason, he detected a trace of imperceptible displeasure in it.

Shen Mengzhi's eyes widened slightly. "?"

Over on the other side, Song Sifan had already finished negotiating with the boatman while the others were talking. He waved them over. "Hey, are you done yet? Get on the boat!"

From a distance, Qi Yu gave him a thumbs-up. "Brother Sifan is still the most reliable!"

Song Sifan had clearly grown accustomed to his habit of calling him 'Brother Sifan' when he needed something and 'Song Sifan' otherwise. He snorted, ignored him, and repeated the boatman's words, "There are too many of us, we need three boats. Each boat can hold six people at most."

Everyone exchanged glances, silently divided into groups with perfect understanding, and boarded the boats.

Xue Qin sat at the stern, looking a bit reserved. He glanced at Chu Jin, who had his back to them and seemed somewhat cold, then secretly peeked at Senior Brother Jiang, who was zoning out to his left, before lowering his head again.

...Why did he feel a chill run down his spine?

If he had known, he would have insisted on squeezing onto the same boat as Chen Xi and the others. It would have been better than being caught in the crossfire here.

Qi Yu stood at the bow, animatedly talking about something with Song Sifan. When he happened to turn around, his eyes met Xue Qin's tearless but sorrowful gaze.

"Xue Qin, what's wrong?"

Xue Qin grabbed onto this lifeline. "Brother Qi, can I sit at the bow?"

Qi Yu had a strange expression but nodded anyway. "Sure, come on over."

Xue Qin immediately got up and scurried away, as if afraid he'd freeze to death in this strange atmosphere if he stayed a second longer. Chu Jin watched his hasty retreat and casually reached out, stirring the cool, clear river water.

Then, he felt a weight sink down beside him. Someone had sat down.

Chu Jin turned his head and met Shen Mengzhi's eyes directly. The other person seemed to have been waiting for him to look over. The moment their gazes met, his eyes curved, and a gentle smile rippled out from them, making one's heart flutter.

The irritation in his heart vanished with that smile. By the time Chu Jin snapped out of it, he had been staring at that smile, captivated, for quite some time. He paused, then nonchalantly averted his gaze, his voice calm. "Why did you come over here?"

But Shen Mengzhi said, "I just figured something out."

"What?"

"I was wondering," his voice held a smile, "why you were unhappy just now."

Chu Jin fell silent at his words, then the corners of his lips curved up as well.

He lowered his voice, so soft it was almost a whisper. "So, why was it?"

Shen Mengzhi gazed at his features, which were so beautiful they were almost inhuman. Now, even they had softened. As if possessed, he began to speak, "It's because..."

Before he could finish, something flew through the air and landed at their feet with a thud. Looking closely, it was a fruit pit.

Shen Mengzhi paused, his words cut short. He looked up and saw Qi Yu raising an eyebrow at them. "What are you two doing?"

This was who knows how many times they had been unexpectedly interrupted. Chu Jin took a deep breath, turned his head with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, and glared at Qi Yu as if his gaze were daggers, each one slicing into him.

Qi Yu felt a strange pang of pain and flinched. He then heard Chu Jin change the subject with an indifferent expression. "Nothing. Where did you get that fruit pit?"

"Oh, a girl on the bank just gave it to me."

Qi Yu's attention was successfully diverted. He cleared his throat and said seriously, "Everyone, how about we have a competition?"

"A competition?"

"That's right." Qi Yu nodded. "This river is called the Ji River, and its banks are usually crowded with people. The boats on the Ji River are called Flower Boats."

"The so-called Flower Boat Game is an old custom in Xufang. When the Flower Boats on the Ji River float downstream, people on the bridges and banks will toss their personal belongings to the passengers, especially women, who will throw personal items like sachets and scented handkerchiefs to show their affection."

"So, let's compete to see who receives the most items!"

This game was certainly novel. Chu Jin asked, "And if you win?"

"If you win—" Qi Yu drew out the word, "then you can make any request you want. How about it?"

The group wasn't particularly obsessed with winning or losing, but they found the rules of the Flower Boat Game truly interesting, so they all readily agreed.

"After the first bridge, it gets more crowded. We'll start there." Qi Yu pointed to a stone bridge not far away.

The boatman slowly rowed the oar, and the three Flower Boats cut through the clear turquoise waves, splashing pearly foam under the setting sun with a crisp, pleasant sound. As evening fell, smoke from cooking fires rose from the houses on both banks, curling into the clouds. The streets grew more crowded, with vendors hawking their wares and washerwomen in pairs. Upon seeing the leisurely approaching Flower Boats, they all stopped what they were doing and looked over in unison.

Most of the students from Heshan Academy were from prestigious families and naturally possessed an extraordinary air. The moment they appeared, they drew the crowd's attention. Each of the three Flower Boats was more eye-catching than the last, until even passersby couldn't walk on, stopping to gather on the banks and watch.