SLLBTT Chapter 34
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
⋇⊶⊰Chapter 34⊱⊷⋇
"It's me," Leng Jiao said. "Here to pay respects to Beautiful Lady Jiao."
According to palace rules, Leng Jiao and Bai Juan were supposed to greet Liu Jiao every day as the mistress of the palace. However, over time, Bai Juan, founding Liu Jiao's nature to be lenient, stopped bothering. Only Leng Jiao persisted in maintaining proper etiquette.
"Jiao'er?" Liu Jiao jumped down from the seat, unintentionally causing the cushion to move. The hidden book, "The Art of Seduction," flew to Leng Jiao's feet.
Leng Jiao glanced down. "Baa?"
Da Huangya hurriedly explained, "This... this was found, not ours!"
Leng Jiao said, "I don't think Beautiful Lady Jiao needs this kind of book. It says 'Fox Tribe' on it. Could it be Suisui's?"
Thinking it was a forbidden book and fearing it might implicate Suisui, Liu Jiao said, "No... that can't be, right? Forget it. Let's just burn it."
Leng Jiao suggested, "Maybe don't burn it yet. If we see Suisui next time, we can ask if he recognizes it."
Liu Jiao, concerned about embarrassing Suisui, replied, "Wouldn't that make Suisui uncomfortable?"
"I thought Beautiful Lady Jiao and Suisui weren't getting along?"
"That's not true!" Liu Jiao denied. "We are good friends!"
Leng Jiao lifted the book, "The Art of Seduction," and commented, "Beautiful Lady Jiao, you're kind-hearted."
The next day, they went about their studies as usual. Suisui pulled Liu Jiao aside and asked, "Did you read the book I gave you yesterday?"
Liu Jiao nodded. "I did, but I didn't quite understand it!"
Suisui thought to himself, "Quite the simpleton! What's there not to understand in vivid illustrations?"
"Really?" Suisui spoke gently, "It is indeed a bit challenging to comprehend."
"That's why I brought it," Liu Jiao said, "to ask you about it."
Suisui exclaimed, "You brought it with you?"
"Yes," Liu Jiao pointed to the backpack, "it's right in there!"
"Are you crazy?" Suisui whispered, "That's contraband! You can't let others see it!"
Hearing Suisui's caution, Liu Jiao felt a sense of reassurance: It seems Suisui is still my friend.
"No, don't worry," Liu Jiao smiled, "I wrapped the cover with another layer, so it looks just like an ordinary textbook."
"Oh..." Suisui nodded. "That's good."
Liu Jiao brought the book in front of Suisui, but the cover read "The Art of Problem Solving." Only when opened did the vivid content appear. Suisui looked at it and said, "Maybe it's better not to bring it out. Let's read it together next time I visit Chunguang Pavilion."
Liu Jiao then put the book away.
Suisui turned around, pulled Bai Juan to sit down. "Hey? What's that book Liu Jiao has? Why did he hide it?"
Bai Juan, with keen eyes, squinted and saw Liu Jiao tucking a book with "The Art of Problem Solving" on the cover into a drawer, exclaiming, "Oh!"
Suisui said, "Indeed, Beautiful Lady Jiao is still favored. Even his reference books are different from ours."
Bai Juan, however, was not convinced. Raising his hand, he said, "Teacher! Why does Beautiful Lady Jiao have a different reference book than us?"
Little Cat Teacher, upon hearing this, looked towards Liu Jiao and asked, "Do you have a reference book that's different from others?"
"No... no, I don't," Liu Jiao shook his head.
Bai Juan insisted, "I clearly saw you have a book called 'The Art of Problem Solving,' and none of us have it!"
This statement resonated loudly, and everyone turned to look.
Liu Jiao, feeling awkward, said, "It's not... that's not..."
Little Cat Teacher, curious, said, "Let me see?"
Saying that, Little Cat Teacher opened Liu Jiao's drawer, flipping through the books. Sure enough, at the bottom was a copy of "The Art of Problem Solving."
Little Cat Teacher, puzzled, said, "There isn't a copy of this in the library, is there?"
As Little Cat Teacher flipped through "The Art of Problem Solving," a look of surprise crossed their face, "How..."
"How what?" Suisui asked.
Little Cat Teacher said, "It's blank?"
The reading attendant, Da Huangya, said, "It's a personal journal. The title 'The Art of Problem Solving' on the cover is just for fun. It's not a reference book."
"I see," Little Cat Teacher nodded, then turned to Bai Juan, "Stop staring at others' books. Haven't you finished reading your own?"
Bai Juan bowed his head in silence.
Suisui's expression became even stranger.
However, Liu Jiao's complexion wasn't good either.
After class, Suisui wanted to talk to Liu Jiao, but Liu Jiao swiftly ran off. Back at Chunguang Pavilion, Liu Jiao collapsed onto the bed, burdened with thoughts.
Da Huangya fanned him while saying, "Master has only told Suisui about this, but Bai Juan next to Suisui came to report... It seems, Talented Lady Jiao's words were right."
Yesterday, Leng Jiao suggested that Liu Jiao use this method to test Suisui, to see if Suisui harbored any ill intentions. Unexpectedly, Suisui couldn't withstand the test and revealed everything.
Liu Jiao was quite shaken. "Why? Isn't he my friend?"
Da Huangya explained, "He's from the fox tribe! Foxes are fickle creatures."
Liu Jiao couldn't accept it. "The harem is truly terrifying..."
Suddenly, he wondered if he could leave this dreadful place after a year.
As night fell, Liu Jiao served in the Snow Hall on the Wolf Mountain, holding a teacup with a contemplative expression. The Snow Wolf King asked, "What's on your mind? Did Liu Ming say something to you today?"
Expecting Liu Jiao to bring up the matter of the ancient river, the Snow Wolf King was surprised when Liu Jiao said, "Your Highness has never XX my OO. Are you planning to release me after a year?"
The Snow Wolf King was momentarily taken aback, then said after a while, "Do you remember? The first time you came to the side hall, I asked if you were willing."
Liu Jiao remembered and replied, "I said I was willing."
"No, you weren't," the Snow Wolf King sighed, "You still haven't understood what entering the palace signifies."
Liu Jiao, still puzzled, asked, "Signifies what?"
"Do you think you're happier in the palace or in the mountains?"
Liu Jiao was stunned.
He couldn't come up with an answer.
Since entering the palace, Liu Jiao had encountered a hundred things he couldn't adapt to. He always felt inadequate, everything he did seemed wrong, and he faced constant criticism — despite his sincere efforts. He felt both disheartened and defeated. Finding joy in the palace seemed more challenging than it did in the mountains.
When he was in the mountains, a casual bath or chasing butterflies could brighten his day.
The Snow Wolf King reached out, gently touching Liu Jiao's cheek. "You have a year to think it over."
Liu Jiao, still a bit confused, contemplated for a while before saying, "You mean I can decide whether I like it here during this year?"
"Yes," the Snow Wolf King nodded, "You have the choice. If you don't like it, you can leave and live the life you prefer."
After pondering for a while, Liu Jiao asked again, "If I leave, will there be new consorts in the palace?"
The Snow Wolf King was somewhat surprised by the question. After a moment of silence, he answered, "No, I have only one consort, and that's you."