More than one year had passed, but in Zhao Huanxi’s eyes, the Imperial Academy had not changed at all.

When he arrived at the Imperial Academy, he first went to find the supervisor, who personally led him to the classroom. Upon arrival, he saw the son of Cheng Guogong, Zhu Zhifu, leading a few people, all leaning over the empty desk prepared for Zhao Huanxi, playing with glass marbles.

The supervisor cleared his throat, and everyone else quickly returned to their seats, except Zhu Zhifu, who lazily remained on the desk, provocatively staring at Zhao Huanxi.

He was the one who bullied Zhao Huanxi the most back then.

Zhao Huanxi frowned.

“Zhu Zhifu, go back to your seat,” the supervisor said, feeling a headache coming on. While Jing Guogong was undoubtedly powerful, Cheng Guogong was not someone to be trifled with.

“Okay～,” Zhu Zhifu replied with a nasal tone, picking his nose as he did so. Then, he brazenly pressed the extracted booger onto the desk.

The supervisor frowned at him and then pointed to two students who had entered the college through their own efforts (meaning they’re from humble backgrounds, get in by passing examinations), saying, “You two, go bring another desk.”

After the supervisor left, Zhao Huanxi walked to his seat and looked at the disgusting desk, not wanting to get close to it at all.

However, Zhu Zhifu, upon seeing the supervisor leave, became even more agitated. He leaned to the side and, with a provocative look in his eyes, taunted Zhao Huanxi, saying, “Yo, Zhao Da Meiren, had enough rest? Come to receive guests again? What talents have you learned ah, show it to us lords!”

Zhu Zhifu was using terms for courtesan to insult Zhao Huanxi.
大美人(Dà měirén): literally Great Beauty.
接客 (Jiékè): Literally "to receive guests," but specifically used to refer to prostitutes seeing clients.
The word he used to refer to him and others (us lords) was actually 爷们 (Yémen): A term for "men" or "real men,"

His supporters clapped the desk in unison, laughing uproariously.

New and old grudges surged in his heart, and Zhao Huanxi felt a rush of anger rising to his chest. He stared at Zhu Zhifu and said coldly, “Stop embarrassing yourself there. Others only see you as a barking dog when you speak foul words.”

Zhu Zhifu was taken aback, only now realizing the difference in Zhao Huanxi’s demeanor compared to before. If it had been over a year ago, being teased like this would have likely made him not just retort, but his eyes would have already turned red.

His supporters grumbled angrily. Zhu Zhifu raised a hand to silence them, then stood up and walked to Zhao Huanxi, facing him directly. “Say that again.”

Zhao Huanxi tightened his grip on the handle of his book box, thinking that with this object in hand, he wasn’t afraid of fighting. Just one swing would be enough to make Zhu Zhifu suffer.

Just as he was thinking this way, wanting to further dampen the other person’s spirit, unexpectedly, a somewhat familiar voice came from beside him, saying, “Deaf at such a young age? If you want him to repeat, must he repeat it? Who do you think you are? Zhao Gongzi, isn’t that right?”

Zhao Huanxi turned his head and widened his eyes. This… Isn’t this…

“Zhao Gongzi, no need to waste time standing here. Come, have a seat first.” Before he could react, Qian Ming approached with a smile, pulling him away towards the back.

Zhao Huanxi saw an empty desk at the back, with two young gentlemen standing beside it, holding books and inkstones, gesturing to him with a “please” motion.

“Qian Wuhui, are you looking for trouble?” Zhu Zhifu exclaimed angrily.

无晦 (Wúhuì): This is Qian Ming's "courtesy name" (zì). In formal or semi-formal settings among peers, men would address each other by their courtesy name rather than their given name. Wuhui means to feel no regret

“I’m not you, why would I be looking for shit? Even if I were, it would be to find it for you,” Qian Ming retorted.

The people with Qian Ming burst into laughter.

Seeing that both of them were at odds, Zhao Huanxi felt that if he didn’t sit down, it would seem like he was helping Zhu Zhifu salppping Qian Ming in the face. Therefore, he nodded in thanks and sat down.

Zhu Zhifu rolled up his sleeves, seemingly ready to pick a fight with Qian Ming, when someone whispered, “Cui Boshi is here, Cui Boshi is here!”

“Just you wait!” Zhu Zhifu pointed at Qian Ming, leaving a harsh remark before turning back and sitting in his own seat.

Qian Ming casually flicked open a folding fan, showing that he didn’t take Zhu Zhifu seriously at all.

The Cheng Guogong Residence is what it is today only because of the favoritism of Consort Zhen. While others might fear him, Qian Ming doesn’t. His Wai (maternal) grandmother is Grand Princess Yongci, who is the current Emperor’s elder sister!

长公主(zhǎng gōngzhǔ) - title for a princess when her brother becomes the emperor.

Furthermore, as a member of the main branch, Qian Ming detests the Cheng Guogomg Residence for promoting the “appointing the virtuous, not necessarily the eldest legitimate son” system, disrupting the traditional rites and customs. “Vertious” my foot! All it did was just arousing hostility.

If you remember, Yin Furen and Nanny Su had a conversation about this Cheng Guogong family in chapter 8.

✦

After the morning classes ended, the students went to the dining hall for lunch.

After sitting next to each other for the morning, Qian Ming felt that he and Zhao Huanxi were already acquainted. As they walked, he reached out and put his hand on Zhao Huanxi’s shoulder, sincerely saying, “Xiongdi, you are really good-looking!”

Zhao Huanxi’s hairs stood on end, and he quickly pushed Qian Ming’s hand off his shoulder.

Qian Ming, seeing Zhao Huanxi’s displeasure, quickly explained, “Hey hey, don’t get me wrong. I’m not someone who cuts my sleeves and divides my peaches. I have a wife and concubines at home, and my son is already one year old. If you don’t believe me, you can ask them.” He pointed to the several Gongzis following behind them.

Cutting sleeves refers to the story of Emperor Ai of the Western Han Dynasty and Dong Xian. It tells of Emperor Ai wanting to get up and attend court, but Dong Xian, his lover who was sleeping beside him, had his sleeve pinned down. The emperor, not wanting to wake Dong Xian, cut off the sleeve that was being pressed down by him.
On the other hand, Dividing peaches is a story about Duke Ling of Wei and Mizi Xia. Mizi Xia was the favored courtier of Duke Ling because of his beauty. According to the laws of Wei, anyone who used the Duke's carriage for private purposes would have their feet amputated. When Mizi Xia's mother fell ill, Mizi Xia then falsely issued an order to drive the Duke’s carriage out. When Duke Ling heard about this, he thought highly of Mizi Xia's filial piety, saying, "What filial piety! For the sake of his mother, he would rather suffer amputation". Another time, Mizi Xia bit into an especially delicious peach and gave the remainder to the Duke as a gift so he could taste it as well. Both acts ingratiate him further with the Duke. However, once Mizi Xia's looks faded, the Duke turned against him, claiming he stole the carriage and then insulted him by offering him a half-eaten peach.

These two stories have become synonymous with male homosexuality.

Those young gentlemen nodded vigorously when Zhao Huanxi looked back.

“What do you mean then?” Zhao Huanxi asked Qian Ming.

“Qian Gongzi enjoys a good opera. Not only does he love listening to it, but he also loves performing in it. There’s a concubine in his household with exceptional singing skills. However, Qian Gongzi prefers nandan, and finding a nandan with a beautiful appearance is quite difficult. Qian Gongzi has high standards, so he has yet to find one,” another Gongzi quickly explained on behalf of Qian Ming.

男旦-male actor playing female role

As he spoke, Qian Ming nodded along.

“Are you suggesting that I should sing for you? Absurd!” Zhao Huanxi was angry, leaving Qian Ming behind as he walked ahead quickly.

“Ai, Zhao Gongzi, that’s not what I meant. Please listen to me.” Qian Ming, having finally encountered a youth with such a beautiful appearance, was unwilling to give up easily. He hurried to catch up and said, “Being an actor (in Chinese opera) may be a lowly profession, but we don’t rely on it for a living. It’s just a hobby, harmless. Besides, who in their family doesn’t enjoy opera? If you learn, you can also please your mother or wife. Just like the one in my family (his wife or concubine), whenever I upset her, as long as I perform a play for her, she immediately forgives me.”

When Zhao Huanxi heard about pleasing wife, he slowed his pace slightly. However, the thought of himself dressing as a male actor made him feel too embarrassed. He shook his head, dismissing the jumbled thoughts in his mind, and quickly walked towards the dining hall.

Afraid that he might have said too much and annoyed Zhao Huanxi further, Qian Ming wisely changed the subject, catching up with him to say something else to ease their relationship.

In the dining hall, there were long tables with people sitting on both sides. Naturally, Qian Ming’s group and Zhu Zhifu’s group did not sit at the same table; they sat back to back. Zhao Huanxi sat with Qian Ming’s group, listening to their stories about the capital and gradually joining in the conversation.

As the meal concluded without incident and everyone began to leave the dining hall one by one, something unexpected happened.

Zhao Huanxi suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of his head, followed by a cold, sticky sensation running down his neck.

He reached back and scratched his neck, only to find his hand covered in egg white and yolk.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhifu and his group were already laughing heartily.

“F*ck your grandpa, Zhu Zhifu! You’ve gone too far!” Before Zhao Huanxi could react, Qian Ming was already pointing at Zhu Zhifu’s nose and cursing.

“How am I going too far? Is it your turn to act like a dog now? Barking for your master with the surname Zhao?” Zhu Zhifu’s words ignited the flames of war, and both sides immediately started arguing loudly.

Before long, the supervisor hurried over. After hearing everyone’s account of what happened, he instructed Zhu Zhifu to apologize to Zhao Huanxi. However, Zhu Zhifu ignored him, raised his chin, snorted disdainfully, and left with his followers.

He was already considered a bully in the Imperial Academy, and even the supervisor couldn’t do anything about him.

Zhao Huanxi was angry all afternoon. It wasn’t until he left the Imperial Academy after classes and boarded his family’s carriage, where he saw Xu Nian’an inside, that his mood improved slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Nian’an took the book box handed over by Zhiyi and asked Zhao Huanxi, who had just sat down in the carriage.

Zhao Huanxi wanted to complain but felt embarrassed, so he lowered his head and said gloomily, “It’s nothing, let’s go home.”

“How did this get dirty?” Xu Nian’an grabbed the sleeve of his right hand, where there was a yellowish stain along the edge, which was not easy to identify.

It was the egg yolk and white that Zhao Huanxi accidentally touched when he scratched the back of his neck.

“I promised you that if you were bullied at the Imperial College, I would help you strategize. Why wouldn’t you tell me?” Xu Nian’an tugged at his sleeve and asked softly.

Zhao Huanxi raised his eyes and saw only concern in her gaze. He told her about the egg thrown at him by Zhu Zhifu.

Unexpectedly, Xu Nian’an seemed to be lost in thought after listening to him.

“Dong Jiejie, what’s wrong?” Zhao Huanxi pushed her arm.

Xu Nian’an snapped out of her reverie, her eyebrows furrowing. “To think there’s such a scoundrel and annoying person! You, don’t be angry. When we get back, I’ll have someone find rotten eggs. Tomorrow, you’ll throw one on his head. I guarantee he won’t be able to wash off that stench even after a bath!”

Zhao Huanxi’s eyes lit up with anticipation. “Can we do that?”

“Why not? If the supervisor can’t handle it, then we have to take matters into our own hands,” Xu Nian’an said.

Zhao Huanxi was instantly energized, nodding vigorously. “Good! Let’s do it!”

Xu Nian’an took out the clothes she had prepared in the carriage and said to Zhao Huanxi, “Change your clothes first so that Mother won’t notice anything unusual. There’s no need to make Mother angry over something like this. We can handle this revenge ourselves.”

Zhao Huanxi followed her advice and changed his clothes in the carriage. When he returned to have dinner with Yin Furen, he only mentioned that he had met some nice people and thought it might be good to make friends with them. Yin Furen was very pleased.

After dinner, the young couple returned to Shenhui Courtyard. Xu Nian’an instructed Xiaowei and the others to go to the kitchen to find rotten eggs, specifying that the smellier, the better. If they couldn’t find any in the residence, they were to send someone to look outside and must find some tonight.

She also instructed Mingli to bring back a few fresh eggs for Zhao Huanxi to practice with.

With the matter settled, Zhao Huanxi’s mind was no longer preoccupied. Instead, he became curious about what Xu Nian’an had been doing in the residence while he was away.

“You go to study, and I go to study too,” Xu Nian’an chuckled. “In the morning, I was in Mother’s room, listening to Nanny Su talk about the marital relationships among the various families in the capital. In the afternoon, I took a short nap, then went to her room again to hear Nannu Su talk about the properties of our Zhao family and who is in charge of them. In between, there was the matter of the daughters-in-law going around the residence to change the window screens, and Mother assigned that task to me as well.”

“It sounds like you’ve been busier than me,” Zhao Huanxi said.

“In a household, men and women have their own responsibilities. There’s no need for comparison.”

Zhao Huanxi thought for a moment and asked, “Dong Jiejie, do you like to listen to opera?”

“I do. Why do you ask?” Xu Nian’an asked him.

“No reason, just curious,” Zhao Huanxi said somewhat awkwardly. Then he asked, “What kind of opera do you like to listen to?”

“I like listening to 《Lotus Lantern》(藕连关). It has both singing and fighting. Just singing alone isn’t very interesting. But it’s not easy to perform this opera well. Usually, those who sing well don’t fight well, and those who fight well might not sing well. In short, it’s rare to find a balance.” Xu Nian’an recalled, “You mentioned Qian Gongzi at the dinner table just now. Was it the Qian Gongzi we met at the Xingyuan Bookstore that day? Is he in the same class as you? Did he sing to you?”

Zhao Huanxi’s face turned slightly red. “He didn’t sing, but he is indeed in the same class as me. Today, he even helped me scold Zhu Zhifu.”

⟡ Aewoo’s Ramble ⟡

The "little puppy" in the snippet at the top of the chapter, was 小奶狗 (Xiǎo nǎigǒu): Literally "little milk dog" or "puppy." In modern Chinese internet slang, this refers to a younger man who is sweet, loyal, innocent, and perhaps a bit clingy or vulnerable—much like a puppy. Very much like Zhao Huanxi 😁.