Song Jinglan watched Lin Qing leave, swished the sleeves of his robes before he knelt down, and began to organize his table.
Lin Feilu looked at him with her head tilted, and whispered in secret, “Your highness, we will be seatmates together from now!”
It was Song Jinglan’s first time hearing the word “seatmate”.
He had been sitting alone ever since he entered the imperial school. No one was willing to approach him, nor did anyone befriended him with any shred of sincerity. Even the mentors paid little attention to him. He did not mind it, after all, he was a captive in an enemy country. To be able to live in safety was all he wanted, and he did not expect anything more nor better.
He had found out through Ji Liang that the little girl was going to study at the imperial school, but he did not expect to see her have a seat next to him.
With the wisdom of the Fifth Princess, she would not know what his hostage status meant. It was not the same as her visiting him secretly at Cuizhu Villa, so it was unwise for them to get close in public.
Yet there she sat, happily telling him that they would be seatmates.
Seat, mates.
A new and intimate word.
Song Jinglan smiled at her, “En.”
Lin Feilu deliberately stared at him, “Your Highness, are you studious? If the mentor asked me questions and I couldn’t answer them, would you help me? If I sleep secretly in class, will you keep a lookout for me? If I haven’t finished my homework, will you help me? Would you let me copy the answers in exams?”
He picked his eyebrows, “Is this what seatmates must do?”
Lin Feilu nodded heavily, “Of course! That’s what it means to be seatmates!”
Song Jinglan laughed, “OK, noted. I will.”
Lin Feilu was drowning in the tenderness of this Brother.
If she had such a seatmate back then in school, she would have been in love at an early age.
The desks in the hall gradually filled with people, and followed by a gong of the bronze bell outside the hall, the class began. Lin Feilu looked back. The front row students sat in all seriousness, upright in posture, while some seats in the back were still empty, and Lin Jingyuan on the last row was lying under the table, sleeping. Xi Xingjiang was absent.
How nostalgic it is to return to this familiar and hearty classroom scene.
The teacher official today was a first class minister. Although it was a high position, in fact, he held no real power. However, even the emperor would pay him respect for his high academic reputation.
He glanced in the direction of the Fifth Princess, and was surprised to see that she was actually sitting with the captive Prince of the Song Empire, but did not say anything, and started the lecture.
In ancient times, there were no classes for physics, chemistry, biology, politics, history, and geography, but only explanations of the benevolent and justice teachings of Confucianist theories.
Lin Feilu paid attention for a while and finally understood why Lin Jingyuan did not like school so much.
It was too boring and dry. The mentor’s voice was slow and draggy, like a hypnotic weapon. Lin Feilu was already at page ten, while he was still going on about the first page.
She uttered a single word – sleepy.
Song Jinglan realized the little girl who was enthusiastically listening to the lecture was now lying on the desk, her head tilted and her body curved in a strange posture, the book resting on her forehead.
The pages of the book happened to cover her eyes, revealing long and thick eyelashes. Her dainty face was scrunched up, and her small mouth was a little pouty.
He suppressed a smile, gently took the book down and put it aside. He leaned forward slightly, and held his book in his left hand, blocking the view of her sleeping head with his hanging white sleeves.