Chapter Forty-Five: The Academy's Ascendancy

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Qu Wanqing held the tattered ancient manuscript, her heart burning with anger. The sensation was maddening—like binge-watching a drama only to have the internet cut off at the climax, or playing a game that suddenly loses power at the most crucial moment! She took a deep breath, telling herself to stay calm and graceful. After all, she was now the sophisticated and elegant antagonist; she couldn't let herself be easily provoked. Yet deep inside, a little devil named Qu Wanqing was raging wildly: “The grudge of the torn book shall never be forgiven! Lin, Chen, just wait!”

Her gaze sharp as a blade, she scanned the surroundings, searching for any clue. Within the academy, whispers fluttered among the students, curious eyes fixed on her. Some relished her misfortune, others looked bewildered, and then there was Master Zhang, who regarded her with an expression that said, “A block of rotten wood unworthy of carving.” Qu Wanqing remained unfazed, even tempted to perform an impromptu ascension right there. She was no naïve fool who would merely glare; she would act! She was determined to uncover the true culprit behind the torn pages!

Drawing on her past life’s experience with detective novels and the connections she had built at the academy over the past few days, Qu Wanqing began a thorough, carpet-like search. She questioned Maid Liu, but the timid girl only shook her head. She then subtly probed other students, who either genuinely knew nothing or pretended ignorance.

Just as she was about to lose her composure, Zhao the Book Attendant appeared. Although formerly Jiang Yu’s attendant, Zhao was well-liked and well-informed within the academy. “Miss Qu,” he whispered, “I heard that it was Master Chen who took that part.”

Master Chen? Qu Wanqing’s eyes narrowed sharply. That fellow was indeed suspicious! She had long disliked his haughty demeanor, as if the whole world owed him a debt. She strode straight to Master Chen and stated bluntly, “Master Chen, I need you to hand over the missing section of the ‘Ancient Geography Chronicle.’”

Chen sneered contemptuously. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

“Don’t play dumb,” Qu Wanqing pressed, stepping closer, “I know it was you.”

Chen’s expression flickered but swiftly returned to its arrogant mask. “Even if I took it, what can you do about it?”

“Then don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Qu Wanqing sneered coldly.

Chen waved dismissively, and several burly followers immediately surrounded her.

“What are you trying to do?”

The men behind Chen were like mountains of flesh blocking her way. A fierce battle seemed inevitable, but Qu Wanqing remained calm, even amused. Is this all you’ve got? How dare you show off?

“Come on, show me what you’ve got!” she taunted, curling her fingers provocatively.

In a flash, she grabbed a thick volume of the “Classic of Mountains and Seas” from a nearby shelf and slammed it down on the foremost thug like Mount Tai collapsing upon him. A loud thud echoed as he collapsed, stars spinning in his eyes—he was likely to dream about filling the sea with stones tonight.

The others hesitated for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Qu Wanqing snatched up a feather duster. “Today, you’ll taste my power!” she declared, weaving nimbly between the shelves like an agile cat. The feather duster swirled fiercely in her hand, creating chaos as feathers flew and dust scattered. The thugs, smacked in the face with feathers, were left utterly disheveled, their earlier arrogance vanished.

Master Zhang, hiding in the shadows, watched this scene with a furious scowl, unable to intervene. Qu Wanqing was, without a doubt, a little demoness!

At that moment, Jiang Yu appeared. He didn’t rush in to help but calmly observed the situation, occasionally warning Qu Wanqing, “Wanqing, to your left! Watch your back!”

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The two moved in perfect harmony—one attacking, the other supporting—leaving the nearby students utterly astonished. This wasn’t a refined young lady and a strategist; it was clearly a pair of wandering heroes!

“Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!” Master Wu, the scholar, had somehow arrived and applauded loudly, admiration shining in his eyes.

With Jiang Yu’s assistance, Qu Wanqing swiftly subdued all of Master Chen’s followers. Seeing the situation hopeless, Chen’s face turned pale, and he reluctantly surrendered the crucial section of the manuscript.

The truth was revealed: Chen, jealous of Jiang Yu’s talent and coveting Qu Wanqing’s beauty, had conspired to frame them. Now that the plot was exposed, Chen’s reputation in the academy plummeted, making him a pariah shunned by all.

“Ah, if only you had known what would happen today, why did you act so foolishly back then?” Qu Wanqing shook her head, feigning regret but secretly applauding herself: well done!

“Wanqing...” Jiang Yu looked at her with eyes full of...

“Wait,” Qu Wanqing suddenly interrupted, “I think I smell something strange...” She glanced toward the academy’s rear courtyard, where the path led to the infirmary...

Jiang Yu gazed at Qu Wanqing’s heroic stance, his heart already captured. Unable to suppress his feelings any longer, he embraced her tightly.

“Wanqing, I’m so glad you’re safe.” Wrapped in his arms, Qu Wanqing felt an unprecedented sense of peace and warmth.

This victory not only secured her standing in the academy but also deepened their bond.

The surrounding students burst into applause and cheers, smitten by the pair’s chemistry, happily indulging in the “shipping” frenzy. This kind of affection—bring on the dog food; I’ll take the first bite!

“Wanqing, I’m growing more and more in awe of you,” Jiang Yu said, eyes sparkling, showering her with praise.

Qu Wanqing secretly reveled but outwardly remained modest: “Keep it low-key, just routine stuff.”

With the key missing pages recovered, the ancient manuscript was restored, and with it, the secret of the mysterious letter was unveiled. It turned out to be a love letter from a princess of the previous dynasty to her beloved, containing a crucial maxim—the very key to resolving Qu Wanqing’s impending second marriage crisis!

Next came the exposure of Master Zhang and his conspirators. Qu Wanqing stood atop the academy’s podium, surrounded by seated students forming a circle, while Master Zhang and his cohorts stood in the center.

Qu Wanqing first presented a seemingly insignificant scrap of paper, covered with blurred writing. She told Master Zhang and the others, “I found this by chance at Master Chen’s place. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, assuming it was just careless scribbling.” Master Zhang and the rest breathed a slight sigh of relief, a subtle hint of smugness on their faces.

Then Qu Wanqing pulled out a worn notebook, flipping to a page and reading aloud, “This was obtained from Lin. Again, it seemed nothing special.” Master Zhang and his group relaxed further, even exchanging disdainful glances.

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Suddenly, Qu Wanqing’s eyes sharpened. From her bosom, she produced a sealed letter and declared loudly, “But when I connected these seemingly unrelated items with this secret letter, everything became clear. This letter explicitly outlines your conspiracy. You feared my talent would threaten your status in the academy, so you colluded to frame me—having Master Chen steal the manuscript and intending to pin the blame on me.”

With each piece of evidence presented, the students gasped in astonishment, while Master Zhang and his cohorts grew increasingly sullen. When Qu Wanqing delivered her final conclusion, the entire academy fell silent before erupting into thunderous applause.

Master Zhang and the others were mortified, wishing they could vanish into the ground.

Qu Wanqing, through her wisdom and courage, had utterly conquered the academy, becoming the undisputed “Queen of the Academy.”

“Long live Sister Qing!” the students cheered, celebrating her triumph.

Standing amidst the crowd, she basked in this hard-earned glory, her inner voice proclaiming: I am the queen, shining with confidence!

Yet, the joy of victory was short-lived.

An invitation letter from the infirmary shattered the academy’s tranquility.

The letter stated that the infirmary had some unusual ailments requiring Qu Wanqing’s assistance and hinted that these afflictions were connected to her impending second marriage crisis...

“Infirmary? Unusual ailments? What on earth is going on?” Qu Wanqing furrowed her brows, filled with unease and curiosity.

Jiang Yu took her hand, giving her a resolute look: “Don’t be afraid. We’ll face it together.”

As night fell and a bright moon hung high in the sky, Qu Wanqing and Jiang Yu stood before the infirmary’s door, a faint scent of medicinal herbs wafting toward them...

“Let’s go.” Qu Wanqing took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy door of the infirmary...