Friends 05

Some even offered to sponsor him for the imperial exams.

Fang Zhiyi politely declined.

"A noble man does not eat the bread of disgrace," he quoted a saying from his own world.

But these people had never heard it before and nodded in sudden understanding. "Young friend, you're truly something, truly something," they said, mimicking Fang Zhiyi's earlier gesture of raising a thumb in approval.

Exams? The exams were secondary. His main task now was to keep a close eye on the Son of Destiny.

Fang Zhiyi did what all transmigrators would do—plagiarize—though he silently justified it to himself: "Plagiarizing from another world doesn’t count as plagiarism, right? Right?"

Compared to him, Lin Chengze’s fate seemed far worse.

Several times, he spotted Miss Liu from afar and tried to approach her, but she would lower her head and hurry away. Each time he left his post without permission, the steward would reprimand him—orders from the master himself.

The goodwill he had painstakingly built among the servants had been completely destroyed. It wasn’t just because of his misdeeds; the real reason was the attitude of Vice Minister Liu and his wife. No servant would side with someone who clearly had no future.

After exhausting days, Lin Chengze often found himself thinking of Fang Zhiyi’s face. How was it possible? That fool? How could he be better off? It shouldn’t be. It absolutely shouldn’t. His heart burned with resentment.

Fang Zhiyi visited once more, deliberately seeking Lin Chengze out.

"Good, good. Ah-Ze, I’m relieved to see you well-fed and clothed," Fang Zhiyi said with a smile, then reached into his sleeve and pulled out a tael of silver. "I saved this from my writing work. Take it."

Lin Chengze stared at him, his jealousy and bitterness fading slightly. Seeing the money, he snatched it and stuffed it into his robe. He desperately needed funds—with money, he could leave the Liu household. With his talents, he’d surely rise to prominence in the capital!

Vice Minister Liu frowned at the scene.

Back in the main hall, Vice Minister Liu hesitantly asked, "Young friend, I don’t quite understand. You refuse sponsorship and won’t sell your calligraphy, relying only on copying books for meager earnings. So why…?"

Fang Zhiyi sighed. "I can’t help it. Ah-Ze is my fellow villager. He’s just… not very grounded. I worry he might do something reckless if left unchecked." He paused. "He’s clever, and he came to the capital to make something of himself. This is all I can do for him."

Vice Minister Liu looked at Fang Zhiyi with admiration. "No wonder Censor Sha holds you in such high regard. Your character surpasses countless others!" At the same time, his disdain for Lin Chengze deepened.

As Fang Zhiyi left, he noticed Vice Minister Liu slipping banknotes into his belongings. He didn’t protest—after all, nobility was for show. One had to eat in any world. He wasn’t a saint.

Using Lin Chengze as an excuse, Fang Zhiyi began visiting the Liu residence frequently. Lin Chengze unwittingly became a tool for Fang Zhiyi to bond with Vice Minister Liu. Watching them chat, Lin Chengze chopped firewood, feeling something was off.

Fate still favored Lin Chengze. During an outing, Liu Ning accidentally fell into the water. Lin Chengze, pulled along as an attendant, was the first to dive in. With his excellent swimming skills, he rescued her.

Fortunately, this world didn’t enforce rigid moral codes like "a mere touch defiles virtue," or else Lin Chengze would have entered the protagonist’s exclusive plotline.

That day, his meals improved, and the steward’s gaze turned friendlier. Lin Chengze swelled with pride, recalling the blush on Liu Ning’s face as she looked at him, drenched. His thoughts wandered.

That night, Fang Zhiyi rushed over, first paying respects to Vice Minister Liu before seeking out Lin Chengze.

Seeing Fang Zhiyi, Lin Chengze saw an opportunity. "Ah-Yi, you have to help me this time."

Fang Zhiyi feigned confusion. "How?"

"I saved Miss Liu today. You need to put in a good word for me with Vice Minister Liu," Lin Chengze said bluntly. "Given how much he admires you, he’ll listen. When I benefit, I’ll share with you."

Fang Zhiyi nodded eagerly. "Consider it done!"

Lin Chengze looked at this fool, his resentment vanishing completely. He patted Fang Zhiyi’s shoulder. "Good brother."

Two days later, the streets buzzed with excitement. Beggars clapped bamboo clappers, chanting rhymes about a lowly servant heroically saving an official’s daughter, their love written in the stars. It didn’t take much to guess which family they meant.

The rumors spread like wildfire, even reaching Vice Minister Liu’s colleagues, who teased him about it. Lin Chengze heard them too, secretly pleased. Who knew Fang Zhiyi was so efficient? He wished the rumors would spread further—maybe Vice Minister Liu would yield to public pressure. Liu Ning’s shy face flashed in his mind again.

But while he daydreamed, several servants from the front courtyard barged in and pinned him down.

"What’s going on?" Lin Chengze was bewildered.

"Lin, you scheming rat," the steward sneered. Vice Minister Liu had always been wary of Lin Chengze. Though he’d saved his daughter, he was still just a servant with questionable morals. Now, outrageous rumors linked him to Liu Ning, growing wilder by the day. Colleagues joked, rivals mocked.

Furious, Vice Minister Liu ordered an investigation. But with no evidence, what could they find? Frustrated, he "coincidentally" ran into Fang Zhiyi.

Fang Zhiyi pretended ignorance. Vice Minister Liu, knowing they were from the same village, vaguely described the situation, omitting names. He trusted Fang Zhiyi’s sharp mind to offer a solution.

After a moment’s thought, Fang Zhiyi said, "To find the source, just ask: who stands to gain the most from these rumors?" Vice Minister Liu’s eyes lit up. He pressed for a way to end them.

Fang Zhiyi grinned. "Simple. Introduce a fabricated detail to overturn the narrative."

Back home, Vice Minister Liu had Lin Chengze seized and beaten. Lin Chengze, dazed and desperate, finally screamed, "It was Fang Zhiyi! Fang Zhiyi did it! All of it!"

Vice Minister Liu glared. "Lies! Fang Zhiyi’s integrity is beyond reproach. He gave you his hard-earned silver, and you slander him? You—you wretched ingrate!"