Chapter 20: Why Are You Hiding Your Face from Me?

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Yu Guang snorted coldly and, catching Li Yu off guard, outright knocked the entire cue stick aside and threw it far away. Li Yu was yanked so hard that he nearly twisted his waist. Then, taking advantage of Ning Yuan and Wu Jingcheng’s standoff, he struck the ball into the blue team’s goal.

With the steward of the Ning family striking the bronze bell, the match was declared won by Yu Guang’s side.

Ning Yuan frowned at the discarded cue stick and disapprovedly said to Yu Guang, “It’s just a game. Why bring personal grudges into it?”

After all, it was his older sister who had taken a liking to someone, and the other party was still unaware of it all.

Yu Guang snorted again without replying. Though he claimed it was just a game, everyone knew this was about selecting a suitor for Ning’s third young lady.

Knowing full well that he wanted to propose, yet still acting like this—was it not because he was ashamed that Yu Guang had failed the imperial examination multiple times?

What noble family?

No matter how they sugarcoated it, in the end, nothing mattered more than fame and fortune.

Besides some luck in exams and decent looks, what else did this guy have going for him?

Li Yu picked up his cue stick. Though he did not know when he had offended Yu Guang, it was clear he was not someone easy to bully.

Best of three, he had to win the remaining two rounds.

Dust rose on the polo field as the battlefield of four men gradually narrowed down to just two, with Wu Jingcheng and Ning Yuan stepping aside to watch.

The two locked in fierce competition each thought they were fighting for the heart of a beloved, while the other believed the prize was a painting.

In the spectators’ stand, Ning Zhaoqing pinched his round fan and tugged at his sister, saying, “I didn’t expect this young man to be such a skilled rider. I thought he was just good with books. Our third sister certainly has good taste.”

Their third brother confirmed his size was right, and now his posture and stamina seemed sound.

If he excelled in studies and letters, then could this be her future fiancé?

Ning Zhaowei looked toward their stepmother nearby and said, “Mother doesn’t seem ready to give up yet. Third sister might not get her wish so easily.”

She thought it was not unreasonable that their third sister gave the stepmother no face; after all, by appearance or intellect, Yu Guang was far too ordinary.

Ning Zhaoan’s gaze turned cold. She would never marry into the Yu family.

“As soon as I make up my mind, no matter how much she flatters father, it won’t matter.”

The two older sisters fell silent together at the thought of their seven-year-old sister chasing their stepmother around the house with a knife...

In other places, Confucian morals like the Three Bonds and Five Relationships, the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, and parental match-making were held in high regard. But their customs were different here.

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Moreover, their sister was Ning Zhaoan herself—daring enough to chase the stepmother with a knife and argue her case with their own father.

Yu Guang had probably been riding horses since childhood, so his skills were exceptionally good. Li Yu barely managed to win the second round with all his strength.

By the third round, his stamina started to falter, but for the sake of the ancient painting and pride, he chose to fight hard.

Li Yu bit his teeth and urged his horse to accelerate forward. Seeing this, Yu Guang immediately caught up to block him. Their horses nearly brushed, and their cue sticks swung fiercely as they battled for control of the ball.

Neither willing to yield.

At that moment, Li Yu seized his chance and forcefully struck the ball toward the distant goal.

The ball sped swiftly, and Yu Guang hurriedly turned to chase. Just as he was about to intercept, he felt his cue stick falter—looking down, he saw Li Yu had hooked his stick.

Li Yu timed it perfectly and with all his might knocked Yu Guang’s cue stick away.

Then, riding forward, he struck the ball on the ground with a victorious blow; the ball sailed through the red goal, winning the final round.

At that moment, Yu Guang, who had just retrieved his cue stick, heard the steward announce the end of the match. He had lost to the poor boy Li Yu.

Though Li Yu was the inspector’s stepson, in Yu Guang’s eyes he was still just a poor kid.

His family was a large landlord, so an annual income of sixty strings of cash was nothing special to him.

Fuming, Yu Guang threw down his cue stick and left without a backward glance, leaving Li Yu, who was about to bow and acknowledge the victory, standing there bewildered.

“What a strange person!” he muttered.

No matter how deep the grudge, one shouldn’t be so rude in such a setting.

Especially as a scholar.

Such bitterness!

“Strange? He didn’t even aim the cue at your head—that’s politeness enough.”

Wu Jingcheng stepped forward to take the cue stick and looked toward Ning the instructor, who was preparing to award the prize.

“Ning’s third young lady fancies you, and that Yu fellow likes her. Zi Xuan, you’re in luck. Perform well—maybe you’ll become the Ning family’s ideal son-in-law.”

Though he found it odd that Ning’s third young lady would notice Zi Xuan, who seemed dull on the surface but was actually... hard to describe, he was still happy for his good friend. This was a blessing falling from the sky.

He had heard that Ning the instructor’s first wife was the daughter of the Zhù family, wealthy merchants from the previous dynasty. Her dowry had filled seven or eight boats.

By tradition, after Lady Zhù’s death, the dowry would be divided among her six children.

The Ning family would also contribute a dowry, not to mention the many students and old acquaintances Ning the instructor had.

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“Well, I didn’t expect young Zi Xuan to be such an excellent rider at such a young age.”

Ning Duan was very pleased with the boy and also displeased with Yu Guang, who had left in a huff. He ordered the ancient painting brought out and personally handed it to Li Yu.

“Here, this is your deserved reward.”

Though his heart was like a raging storm, Li Yu calmly accepted the painting with both hands, handed it to Xiaolu, and then bowed politely.

“Thank you, instructor.”

Ning Duan smiled like a Buddha and began chattering about his youth and his acquaintance with Li Gang, showering praise nonstop.

But no matter whether it was Ning Duan or Li Gang speaking, Li Yu only caught one thing: the two elders did not speak much.

After the compliments, those eager to play rushed onto the field.

Ning Duan stepped back to watch, and naturally, Ning Yuan followed his father.

Li Yu and Wu Jingcheng returned to their seats. After ensuring no one was eavesdropping, Li Yu asked, “Was what you said earlier true?”

Did Ning’s third young lady really like him?

His poem that day was not the worst, but it had ranked near the bottom. How could she have taken a fancy to him?

Could it be that she was ugly and simply unable to find a husband?

“Of course it’s true. Ning Sanlang said it himself. Would he joke about his own sister’s reputation?”

Wu Jingcheng was serious. He gestured toward the spectators’ stand.

“Look over there. The young lady in the pale purple dress with the jade lock around her neck is Ning’s third young lady.”

Following his friend’s gaze, Li Yu saw Ning Zhaoqing quickly trying to shield their sister’s face with a fan. The latter looked puzzled.

“Big sister, what are you doing?”

Why cover her face?

Ning Zhaoqing asked, “Why wouldn’t you want to cover your face?”

Wasn’t their third sister shy?

Ning Zhaoan not only took the fan from her sister but stepped forward a few paces, revealing her face openly for Li Yu to see clearly.

“If I cover my face so tightly, what if he thinks I’m a hideous monster later?”