A Clash of Gods - Chapter 184

Chapter 184 So That I Won’t Be Happy
After hearing Yang Ning’s words, the faces of the few girls beside Su Zixuan all slightly paled, among which some immediately lowered their heads, not daring to look at Yang Ning again.

These girls, as Yang Ning expected, are indeed all from official families, either rich or noble.

Although Zhuo Qingyang makes unconventional recruit only on enlightenment and talent instead of family origin, the students in the academy naturally distant away from each other because of the difference in status.

Girls from official families like Su Zixuan soon formed a small group after entering the academy, clearly separated from those students of ordinary origin.

In this group of official ladies, Su Zixuan’s origin was yet the highest.

Although the Marquis of Martial Arts ranked at the bottom among the four hereditary marquises, it was still one of the four marquises after all, the only family higher than which would be the royal bloodline.

Royal children received their own royal education. As the daughter of the Marquis of Martial Arts, Su Zixuan was already of the most honored status in this academy.

In this way, most of the official ladies would inevitably surround Miss Su and try their best to flatter her.

However, at this moment, knowing that this young man in front of them was the one who was known as the fool heir of the Marquis of Honor, Qi Ning, they were all shocked. They all came from official families, so they were clear of some rules in the officialdom, and they all knew that not long ago, this fool has inherited the title of Marquis of Honor.

The reputation of the Marquis of Honor in Chu was above that of the Marquis of Martial Arts. Knowing the Marquis of Honor stood right in front of them, these official ladies dared not to say anything more, otherwise it would be not worth the candle if they offended the Marquis of Honor just to please the Marquis of Martial Arts.

Su Zixuan sensed the silence, knowing that these people were afraid of the Marquis of Honor, coldly snorted, stared at Yang Ning and said, “That’s true, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Yang Ning said with a smile, “In fact, you were already being polite. I’m not the only one who is silly in the Mansion of Marquis of Honor. There are a lot.”

Su Zixuan was stunned, and the others were all looking at each other.

“If it wasn’t true, how could they have tied the knot with a woman like you back then?” Yang Ning laughed lightly.

“You…!” Su Zixuan immediately freaked.

“You what?” Yang Ning didn’t wait for her to finish and interrupted, “What did you say just now? You told your father to break off our marriage? Hahaha… Su Zixuan, with your soft skin, you’re indeed thick-skinned though. I vaguely recall I personally went to your Mansion of Marquis of Martial Arts to withdraw the marriage, oh right, Young Master Yuan Rong from the Mansion of Minister of Rites. He witnessed all this. What? You forget it so soon? Right, as people all say, you are now a… Let me see, right, it occurred to me, you are now an… Abandoned woman!”

“That’s nonsense!” Su Zixuan was ashamed and annoyed, and said in a hateful voice, “We took the initiative.”

“Don’t argue anymore.” Yang Ning sighed, “I heard that you are spiteful, uneducated and self-righteous. With an average look, you always think you are fair as a flower. You thought you’d seize the raging beauty with some nice clothes?” Regardless of Su Zixuan’s angry face, he looked at her up and down, shaking his head, “Su Zixuan, although you come from a noble family, unfortunately you have a really poor fashion taste.”

“What did you say?” Seeing Yang Ning’s leisurely look, Su Zixuan would want to give him a blow if there was a knife in her hand.

“Do you know that you are wearing a pure white brocade jacket, which is not a color that a random woman can match.” Yang Ning sighed, “Only the beauty of the natural ice skin can match the color. Look at your temperament, hey, do you think you have the fine temperament? Also, you’ve been spoiled, yet your skin is naturally more transparent than village girls, but it’s just plain though. I can’t even look at your skin with this white brocade jacket. By the way, and this skirt, how did it match? If you wanted to make the mistake an opportunity, why not wear a pure white cotton skirt? Look at you, this skirt is embroidered with clouds, what a mess…” Shaking his head, he sighed, “I advise you to stay in the mansion more often. Outsiders may think you have a good clothes-matching taste, but professional people would know you’re just showing off vanity with real poor vision with just one look.”

Yang Ning was well aware that the best way to upset a woman was to mock her looks and clothes, which was the highlight of the woman’s most care.

Sure enough, Su Zixuan’s cheeks turned red with anger. She obviously couldn’t expect Yang Ning not to show any mercy at all, and said in a hateful voice, “What does it matter to you what I wear? That’s some hilarious talk of temperament from someone so shallow.”

“Su Zixuan, to be honest, if you didn’t come to me today, I’d pretend I didn’t see you.” Yang Ning said indifferently, “But you just bumped into the gun, so you can’t blame me.” After looking around, he laughed, “All the students, do you think I am a vicious person? Why would the Marquis of Honor bother with a woman?”

In fact, Su Zixuan had been arrogant in the academy for a long time, generally people would let it go only because of her identity. Many people were gloating inside now that Yang Ning made some serious mockery on her.

Yang Ning stared at Su Zixuan, said, “Do you know why I set myself against you? The truth is very simple, I just don’t want you to feel noble. Today you approached me and called me a fool in full view of everyone, just to show that you are bold and don’t even put the Marquis of Honor in your eyes. Ultimately, you just want to let everyone see how great you are, so that the gang behind you would admire you even more. Am I right?”

Su Zixuan immediately felt as if Yang Ning had torn off all the clothes on her body, as if standing naked in front of Yang Ning, her face had turned from pale to blue.

“You’re possessed with vanity and want to be worshiped by others.” Yang Ning sneered, “You would go so far as to slander me, an innocent and simple person for this reason, where your vicious mind could be seen. Su Zixuan, think about it yourself with the back of your head, if you didn’t come from the Mansion of Marquis of Martial Arts and your father wasn’t Su Zhen, what do you think you would be?”

“You shut up!” Su Zixuan held her face with both hands, her voice already trembling. She turned around and ran.

The girls who followed Su Zixuan only reacted till now, and two of them had already chased after her.

Yang Ning looked at those few girls who were still apprehensive, sighed, “Mr. Zhuo enrolled you into the academy, not just to make you read and write, but hoped you to know more about how to be a human with this opportunity.” Shaking his head, he turned around and left, chanting aloud, “How can I not stand on my dignity in front of bigwigs, so that I won’t be happy.”

Under the gaze of many young girls, Yang Ning walked away along the road only to find out the end of the road was a pool and the road separated to left and right after a small moment of walking. He froze. It was his first time into the academy. He was not familiar with the pattern of the academy. He indeed made himself look like something just now, but only then did he remember that he had forgotten to inquire where Zhuo Qingyang was.

He saw that at the middle of the pool was actually a small rockery, the pool surrounded by a circle of plum blossoms, a few smooth stone piers scattered on the edge of the pool, not only for people to sit, but also served as embellishment.

At this time, there was only a girl sitting on a rock with her back to Yang Ning, holding a volume of book in her hands, concentrating on the book.

Seeing from behind, the girl’s figure was small and exquisite with ordinary clothing on, it looked clean and plain, more pleasant to the eyes than Su Zixuan’s expensive clothes. She combed with a hanging maiden bun, which was the most common bun for girls who hadn’t yet get married. The bun and her small and exquisite figure gave a very fresh and comfortable feeling seeing from the back.

Yang Ning looked around. There was only this one girl in front of him, so he went behind the girl. Afraid to scare her, he first coughed gently before asking, “Miss, may I ask where Mr. Zhuo Qingyang is? I came to pay a visit, yet I don’t know the way. Please point it out for me.”

The girl’s body shook, and immediately stood up and turned around.

Yang Ning looked at the girl with a smile on his face which almost instantly froze at the sight of her face. Nearly at the same time, he and the girl said in unison, “It’s you?”

The girl in front of him had bright eyes and graceful eyebrows, clean and beautiful as a hibiscus, whose face was occupied with a shocked look at this time.

Yang Ning never expected that this girl in front of him was actually Xiaoyao.

The time when he went to the Mansion of Marquis of Martial Arts to break off the engagement with Yuan Rong, he accidentally hit a girl on the road. After that, seeing that girl meant to buy a pot of daffodils known as the golden marquee, only thinking it was of high price, Yang Ning was about to buy the pot of flowers for the girl as an apology. The few people also commented on the flowers in the store.

But later the girl turned away upon some inappropriate words, after that Yang Ning had never seen her again. He thought they would never meet again, but unexpectedly he saw the girl named Xiaoyao in this Qionglin Academy.

Xiao Yao obviously remembered Yang Ning very well and recognized him with just one look.

As they looked at each other, Yang Ning suddenly smiled and said, “Miss Xiaoyao, I didn’t expect you to be studying here too, so it seems this is the destiny.”

Xiaoyao’s cheeks blushed slightly, lowered her head and said softly, “You… You are the heir of the Marquis of Honor? You still remember my name?”

“Of course I do, of course I do.” Yang Ning just had a casual encounter with Xiaoyao before. They didn’t get along for a long time, let alone share a deep friendship. But for some reason, Yang Ning felt very happy to suddenly see Xiaoyao. “Miss. Xiaoyao, I thought I would never see you again. I’ve been meaning to apologize to you. God may know it and want me to say sorry to you face to face.”

Yang Ning still remembered, as the several people commented on flowers at the flower store, it was a cordial talk at first, Xiaoyao was also talking and laughing. But as the verse of “Not being stained in the silt” came out with prostitutes, Yang Ning said casually at the time there was no clean prostitutes, Xiaoyao’s attitude immediately changed and left unpleasant.

Yang Ning thought that his words might have offended Xiaoyao, and even mistook Xiaoyao for a prostitute, but Yuan Rong’s analysis assured that Xiaoyao was a virgin, which made Yang Ning even more surprised, and still had no idea why his words would change Xiaoyao’s attitude dramatically.

Xiaoyao, although slightly blushing, but not squirming, said softly, “You don’t have to be like this, that day… I should’ve let go that day, it’s nothing.” Both eyebrows stretched, she asked, “Are you looking for Mr. Zhuo?” She raised her hand to the left and pointed over to the bifurcated road, “Follow this road all the way down, you will see a bamboo house. That’s Mr. Zhuo’s residence, and he should be there now.”

Yang Ning smiled, “Thank you, Miss Xiaoyao. By the way, Miss Xiaoyao, you are studying here, right? I can find you here in the future?”

Xiaoyao lowered her head and whispered, “I… am studying here, but… But why would you look for me?”