After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

Lin Chu felt like she was going through the college entrance exam all over again, but thankfully she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

As it turns out, what he learned on Earth, combined with the knowledge he gained in this world, was indeed effective.

Thinking about the promise he made to Cang Yao.

He quickly packed his things, checked out of the inn, and prepared to go home.

The next imperial examination will not be held until early summer of next year.

However, the very next morning, a gold-embossed invitation was delivered to him.

Magistrate Liu of Yushan County will host a banquet for all scholars under the age of twenty in the county in five days.

The post also included a line in small print: "Lin Chu of Qinghe Village, aged fifteen, has achieved consecutive successes in his first examination. A young talent, please do me the honor of attending."

Lin Chu read the post twice and went to ask the innkeeper if she could cancel it.

The shopkeeper stared wide-eyed at him as if he were a madman: "Young man, the magistrate is hosting a banquet. So many people want to go but can't. Are you going to turn them down?"

Lin Chu remained silent for a while, then had no choice but to put the post into her bosom.

Five days later.

The banquet was held in the back hall of the county government office, and there were more people than Lin Chu had expected.

There were seven or eight scholars under the age of twenty, along with the county instructor, the county school teacher, and several local gentry, filling three tables.

Lin Chu was seated at the main table, next to a fair-skinned young man.

He was about twelve or thirteen years old, and a rising star this year. As soon as he sat down, he began to talk non-stop about his understanding of "The Great Learning," his voice high-pitched and loud.

Magistrate Liu was a kind-looking middle-aged man with a long beard and spoke slowly and deliberately, but his eyes were very bright.

He immediately started asking Lin Chu several questions, ranging from water conservancy policies to people's livelihood governance, and the questions lasted for the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

Lin Chu answered neither humbly nor arrogantly; she didn't say much, but every word she uttered hit the nail on the head.

After listening, Magistrate Liu stroked his beard and looked at him for a while before saying, "The younger generation is truly formidable."

As soon as those four words were uttered, all eyes at the table turned to Lin Chu.

Lin Chu lowered her head, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said nothing.

After the banquet, Magistrate Liu kept him behind for a private talk and asked him if he wanted to stay in Yushan County to study.

Lin Chu declined, saying that there were people waiting at home.

Magistrate Liu didn't press the matter. He patted him on the shoulder, said "You have a bright future," and let him go.

But this back and forth took more than ten days.

at the same time.

In the Dragon Court of the East Sea.

Cang Yao leaned on the railing, one arm hanging outside, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the air.

The seawater above the Dragon Court was made clear and bright by the sunlight, and golden beams of light shone down from the sea surface.

Normally she loves looking at this scenery, but for the past two months, she's found fault with everything.

"Why aren't they back yet?"

She shifted her face to the other side of the railing, switched arms, and continued to play with the water.

Xiao Xiao walked over carrying a plate of seaweed cakes. Seeing her like this, she sighed helplessly.

"Sister, you're looking in that direction again."

"That direction" refers to the direction of Qinghe Village.

Longting is not far from the coast. From this angle, although you can't see anything, Cangyao spends several hours here every day.

It seems that if you lie there for a long time, you can see your gaze through the sea, through the beach, through the mountains and forests, all the way into that courtyard.

"It's been two months." Cang Yao didn't turn around, her voice muffled. "Two months and three days."

"You remember it clearly." Xiao Xiao placed the seaweed cake on the small table next to her, put her hands on her hips, and said, "Sister, you haven't done anything for the past two months, and you've even stopped cultivating."

Cang Yao didn't answer, but buried her face in her arms.

Seeing her like this, Xiao Xiao sighed and sat down next to her.

"Sister, why are you panicking? It's not like he's not coming back. He'll come back whether he passes the exam or not."

His husband is still in the village, where could he have run off to?

"But autumn has arrived," Cangyao said sullenly. "He said he would come back when the leaves turned yellow. The leaves on the shore have already turned yellow."

She opened her mouth slightly, but for a moment she didn't know how to refute it.

Actually, she always felt that Cang Yao cared too much about that human, to an unreasonable degree.

He possesses the essence of a true dragon and has such talent that he progresses faster than others without needing to cultivate deliberately, yet he spends all his time focusing on a mortal.

But she also knew that saying these words was useless.

All these years, my sister has never heard of it.

"Alright, alright, stop lying there." Xiao Xiao stood up and pulled Cang Yao's arm. "You should at least eat something. Don't let him not recognize you when you come back because you've starved to death."

Cang Yao raised her face, looked at the plate of seaweed cakes, reached out and took a piece, taking a small bite.

Then she buried her face back down.

Xiao Xiao: "..."

A few days later, Cang Yao finally couldn't sit still any longer.

"I'll wait on the shore."

Before Xiaoxiao could stop her, she had already transformed into a streak of red light, passed through the seawater, and flew towards the sea surface.

The mountains and forests changed color in autumn.

Cang Yao followed the path she had walked countless times and arrived at the crooked willow tree by the stream.

The willows have turned yellow, and their delicate leaves have fallen to the ground.

She sat down on the rock.

She moved this rock three years ago, facing the stream and the direction she came from.

She sat down, rested her chin on her hands, and gazed at the end of the road.

A cool breeze blew by, carrying the dry scent unique to autumn.

I waited all day.

The sun moved from east to west, casting a very long shadow over her.

She didn't move from that rock, except occasionally shifting the hand supporting her chin, sometimes standing up on tiptoe to look into the distance, and then sitting back down.

In the evening, she picked up a small stone and threw it into the stream.

The pebble bounced twice on the water's surface and then sank.

I picked up another one.

It sank again.

I don't know how many pebbles I've thrown away, or how many blades of grass I've pulled up.

"I hope nothing bad has happened to him."

Cang Yao muttered something, then immediately shook her head vigorously, making her head shake like a rattle drum.

"No, no, we made a pinky promise, he will definitely come back."

Cang Yao clenched her small fists and nodded to herself, as if cheering herself up.

Then she stood up, brushed the grass clippings off her skirt, glanced at the empty road, and turned back.

She came again the next day.

It's still the same rock, still the same pose.

The difference is that today she brought a book, the Book of Songs, which she has read countless times.

She turned to the page with the locust leaf tucked inside, glanced at it, and then closed it again.

I can't concentrate on it.

I put the book on my lap and continued looking at the end of the road.

The third day, the fourth day.

Cangyao comes every day.

She sat on the rock when the sun came up, and only stood up and left when the sun set.

Before leaving, she would always stand on a rock, take a deep breath, and then shout loudly towards the stream and the forest.

"Lin Chu, you big liar."

Day fourteen, at sunset.

Cang Yao sat on the rock, her face buried in her knees.

Several birds returning to their nests flew overhead, leaving behind a few cries.

Day 15.

Every day, Cang Yao would sit on that rock and wait.

Day sixteen.

Cang Yao didn't know when she fell asleep.

Even in her sleep, her lips were still moving slightly, as if she were murmuring someone's name.