Today is a day of rest, and the courtyard of the Imperial Medical Institute is particularly quiet, as students who have homes in the Capital City have already returned, and some who enjoy socializing have gone out early. Only a few are still lying in bed, indulging in a lazy morning.
Occasionally, one or two students pass by, and they smile at him, “Xiaobei truly is our Imperial Medical Institute’s talented scholar, studying so diligently. You’ll probably bee an imperial doctor in two years, no?”
Tian Xiaobei just smiles and doesn’t say much, leading others to believe he prefers not to be disturbed, so they don’t engage in much conversation with him.
Time passes, and the sun climbs high, yet Pang Yanyan still hasn’t arrived.
Tian Xiaobei can’t help but think that after all, she is the legitimate daughter of the Pang Family historian, how could she remember what she’d said to someone like him? And even if she did remember, she probably just said it in passing and didn’t mean it seriously.
Since she didn’t e, Tian Xiaobei decided to just bow his head and start reading his book, and this time he really got absorbed in it.
But after only a few pages, he heard someone approaching the entrance of the Imperial Medical Institute, “Excuse me, are you Tian Xiaobei?”
Tian Xiaobei looked up; he had some recollection of the newer but couldn’t quite remember where he’d seen them before. The person then said, “I am in the service of Miss Pang’s family. Miss Pang has sent me to find you; she’s waiting outside.”
Tian Xiaobei felt joy in his heart, but maintained a calm exterior. He put down his book and said, “Alright, I’ll e with you.”
…
Pang Yanyan’s carriage was parked outside the gates. Being the young lady of the Pang Family, it wasn’t proper for her to e down personally to call for him, but the moment Tian Xiaobei got into the carriage, she showed obvious delight, “You came? I thought you had forgotten our agreement.”
Tian Xiaobei just smiled, “How could I? Of course, I remember.”
Pang Yanyan then looked him up and down, “You look very spirited today.”
“So do you,” Tian Xiaobei said. Today, Pang Yanyan was dressed in azure clothes with a white jade hairpin on her head and a touch of makeup on her face, looking quite beautiful.
“Why are you looking at me?” Pang Yanyan chuckled and asked, well-accustomed to playing and teasing as she was, and seeing that Tian Xiaobei seemed a bit shy, she couldn’t resist prodding him a bit.
Tian Xiaobei boldly responded, “If Miss Pang wasn’t looking at me, how would you know I was looking at you?”
Was he teasing her in return?
Pang Yanyan laughed, “You should stop calling me Miss Pang, just call me Yanyan. That’s what my friends call me. We are going to play at our villa; it’s all arranged.”
Villa?
Yes, indeed. Families of ministers like hers wouldn’t have just one Mansion to their name; many have separate residences or villas outside the city. During their free time, they would go there to vacation or invite friends over for a gather, to drink and be merry.
The villa was situated at the foot of a small hill just outside the city gates. The architecture there was styled after that of Jiangnan, with pavilions and elegantly styled columns. Pang Yanyan led Tian Xiaobei through the place, introducing him, “It’s usually quite quiet here. My father has to attend the morning court and the Emperor often summons him, so he lives inside the Capital City. That’s why I often stay here. By the way, some of my good friends will be here too. I’ll introduce you to them later,” she said in high spirits, her tone filled with a sense of superiority.
Following Pang Yanyan’s lead, Tian Xiaobei walked inward, wondering who else might be there.
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