"Gu Qingheng, you are not worthy of Xinxin," Guan Qingshu couldn’t help but raise his voice.
Yang Ruxin frowned, turned to rush over, but Gu Qingheng pulled her back and patted the back of her hand comfortingly.
Yang Ruxin instantly calmed down.
"Guan Qingshu, whether I’m worthy or not isn’t for you to say," Gu Qingheng wasn’t angry at all, instead, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, clearly in good spirits, "As long as Xinxin has decided, then I am worthy."
"You can’t take care of Xinxin," Guan Qingshu limped over, staring at Gu Qingheng, "You will only drag her down, but I am different, I can become a Scholar and then a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, and in the future, I will become Champion, I can offer her the Phoenix Crown, I can give her a good life..."
"Heh heh..." Gu Qingheng laughed, "You’re right, only... Xinxin doesn’t care about those things..." he paused, "Actually, if Xinxin is willing, even if I can’t see, I can still earn her the Phoenix Crown..."
"Gu Qingheng, studying isn’t about boasting..."
"Also, it is not my ambition to be settled for ages. You may not ask for this, the Master has it and will continue..."
Guan Qingshu initially didn’t think much of it, just feeling that the other was saying some strange things, but as he listened, his face suddenly changed, "You... you can recite ’Mencius’ backwards?"
Gu Qingheng smiled, "Without being modest, I can recite the Four Books and Five Classics backwards, and just now, what I recited was a passage from ’Mencius,’ about Gongsun Chou asking Mencius why he held an official position but didn’t accept the salary, Mencius said that remaining long in Qi Country was not his ambition... Would you like to test me further? Perhaps..."
"Gu Qingheng, you are amazing," Yang Ruxin couldn’t hide the stars beginning to twinkle in her eyes.
Gu Qingheng lightly scratched the palm of Yang Ruxin’s hand. He liked that Xinxin showed her unabashed love and admiration for him, it gave him a unique sense of satisfaction and made him feel that he truly wasn’t disabled.
Guan Qingshu’s face went ashen. He had studied the classics for so many years and considered his scholarship sound, but he never dared to say he could recite all the books backwards. This Gu Qingheng, was he really unworthy of Xinxin? Sudden fear filled his heart...
"Guan Qingshu, when one has something, they don’t feel its value, just like when I used to be able to see and walk, I thought it was normal, but when one day I suddenly could no longer see or walk, I realized how precious I used to be. I’ve thought about giving up, but Xinxin said, as long as one’s heart isn’t blind, they are perfect, much stronger than those who are sighted but cannot see. So, although I’m blind, I have my heart and my hands, and I’m not inferior to you..."
Yang Ruxin’s mouth twitched, thinking to herself that the man she admired was quite sarcastic, subtly calling someone else a blind person. Could this be what they call a ’black belly’?
Guan Qingshu’s face became even uglier. He stared at the man in front of him who, despite his blindness, still wore a confident smile, and suddenly felt utterly ashamed of himself. He was telling himself that there are always people better than him, also reminding himself that his current place here was only temporary. Mencius would not stay long in Qi Country, so maybe he wouldn’t either? It’s laughable that he thought becoming a Scholar and showing off was something big, in the other’s eyes, it must be a huge joke, right?