Who Said a Study Servant Can’t Win the Imperial Exam?

Pei Jian ran home from the clan school, tears streaming down his face, and locked himself in his bedroom. No matter who knocked on the door, he refused to open it. Fortunately, the Young Master’s room was well-stocked with tea and pastries, so he wouldn’t go hungry.

Meanwhile, Gao Qi, Zhuang Jin, and Li Heyu were equally downcast. They stopped attending school, ceased their diligent studies, and no longer burned the midnight oil, scratching their heads over books. Instead, they lay around at home, silent and despondent, which alarmed their families.

“What on earth has happened to them?” the elders wondered. “Just a few days ago, they were full of energy and enthusiasm for their studies!”

At the Li Family’s residence, Craftsman Li and his wife were at a loss. Then the steward reported, “Master, Madam, there’s a young boy outside who claims to be named Cui Xian, and he says he’s a friend of our Young Master.”

Xian-Ge’er was here? The couple’s eyes lit up. “Quickly, invite him in!”

And so, three days passed in a blur. During these three days, the Pei Family’s servants, maids, stewards, and even Madam Pei came to knock on Pei Jian’s door. Even Gao Qi made a visit, sincerely apologizing for his impulsive actions in exposing Pei Jian’s ‘Outstanding Brother’ facade.

In the bedroom, Pei Jian lay silently on the bed, turning over without a word. He didn’t actually blame Gao Qi. What right did he have to blame others? If anyone was to blame, it was himself for being a Rotten Wood, pretending to be a Prodigy in front of his Junior brother.

No, he didn’t have a Junior brother anymore. In these three days, many came knocking, but not Cui Xian. Since the day at school when Pei Jian was mocked by the students as a Rotten Wood, Cui Xian seemed to have vanished into thin air.

He must have left, perhaps wandering the streets, looking for the next ‘Outstanding Brother.’

“To think I treated you so well! And you just left without a word!” Pei Jian fumed, burying himself under the covers, thinking angrily, “Fine, go ahead and leave! Don’t come back! You ignore me, I’ll ignore you! I won’t speak to you ever again!”

Just then-

“Big Brother!”

“Hey!”

Pei Jian jumped up from the bed. A moment later, he realized his reaction and felt embarrassed.

Outside, Cui Xian said, “Open the door, come out.”

There was a moment of silence in the bedroom. Then, to the delight of the maids and servants watching, the Young Master finally opened the door that had been shut for three days!

Pei Jian looked haggard. Having not seen sunlight for three days, he squinted instinctively as the door opened. When he saw the courtyard full of people, he was startled.

The Pei Family’s maids and servants, Madam Pei, and the elders from the Gao, Zhuang, and Li families, along with his three friends, were all present. And there was Cui Xian, sitting on the steps at the door, seemingly holding something in his hands.

Just like the day they first met on the street. Pei Jian was stunned.

By some strange twist of fate, Pei Jian seemed to understand Cui Xian’s intention, though he wasn’t entirely sure. Nervously, he sat down on the steps beside Cui Xian.

Cui Xian deliberately hid the ‘thing’ he was holding behind him. This small gesture brought tears to Pei Jian’s eyes, as it reminded him of the moment when Cui Xian acknowledged him as his elder brother.

Pei Jian wiped his tears and, mimicking his tone from that time, said with a trembling voice, “My family has plenty of money, why would I care about your trifles? What exactly is it? Let me see.”

Cui Xian extended his hand, “Take a look, four Mohoulo figurines.”

Pei Jian glanced over. He expected to see nothing but ‘air’ again. However, as Cui Xian handed it over, Pei Jian’s eyes widened in disbelief. He looked several times, his expression inexplicably excited.

Not only Pei Jian, but Li Heyu, Gao Qi, and Zhuang Jin also gaped in astonishment. Under the bewildered gaze of everyone else in the courtyard, the four young masters gathered around.

Pei Jian pointed at the object in Cui Xian’s palm, stammering, “Is… is it?”

“It is, it is!”

“Absolutely, it’s amazing!”

“Hero Rainbow Cat!”

It turned out that when Cui Xian opened his hand, there lay a meticulously crafted Mohoulo figurine. A red cat, full of heroic spirit and with a determined gaze, dressed in a white Tang suit, holding a Rainbow Sword, and performing a beautiful sword flourish.

It looked incredibly lifelike, shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight.

Oh my goodness! The awe and shock of seeing such a character from a story suddenly appear in reality was simply breathtaking.

For the past three days, Cui Xian hadn’t shown up because he was seeking help from Craftsman Li to create the ‘Hero Rainbow Cat’ Mohoulo figurine.

Cui Xian looked at the excited Pei Jian and said, “On that day at the market, I said you broke my Mohoulo figurine and compensated me with Ten Taels, so I acknowledged you as my elder brother.”

“Later, I realized you weren’t as outstanding, nor a Prodigy.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Jian’s face turned pale. But then Cui Xian smiled and handed over the Hero Rainbow Cat figurine, his gaze sincere, “But that’s okay, an elder brother doesn’t have to be exceptional to be an elder brother.”

“The Ten Taels given by the elder brother were real, and the Mohoulo given by the junior brother also has to be real.”

“So, elder brother, please accept it.”

“I’m sorry, for the Mohoulo I owed you, it’s only today that I can fulfill it.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Jian couldn’t hold back his tears anymore and burst into sobs. Trembling, he took the Mohoulo figurine and cried, “No, don’t say sorry to me, I should be the one apologizing to you. Because I deceived you!”

“My grandfather and father are Provincial Graduate Lords, but I’ve been a piece of Rotten Wood since childhood, uneducated and neglectful of my studies.”

“Disappointing my family and being ridiculed by others.”

“I’ve never been praised or admired by anyone like this before, you’re the first! So I couldn’t help it, I wanted to be the most outstanding elder brother in your eyes.”

Pei Jian was crying his heart out.

The other three young masters were also wiping their tears, as they felt the same way.

“Yes, Xian, when you praised us as the Nanyang Four Great Talents, you have no idea how happy we were.”

“Unfortunately… all we’ve heard since childhood were mockery and ridicule.”

In the courtyard.

The elders of the four families watched the tearful young men, speechless and stunned.

It was the first time they truly understood their children’s real thoughts.

It turned out that these seemingly carefree troublemakers had a vulnerable side too.

After listening to the young masters’ lamentations, Cui Xian smiled and looked at Li Heyu, Gao Qi, and Zhuang Jin. “Do you remember what I just told my big brother?”

What?

“I said I have four Mohoulo figurines.”

As Cui Xian spoke, he pulled out three more Hero Rainbow Cat Mohoulo figurines from his robe, much to the surprise and delight of the three young masters.

Then, he handed one to each of them.

Their faces flushed with excitement, they stammered, “We, we get one too?”

“Of course! You are my big brother’s friends, and my friends too,” Cui Xian said with a smile. “Although I now know you aren’t as exceptional as I once thought, who is born a genius?”

“Life always has its dark and helpless moments.”

“Just like Hero Rainbow Cat, who also went through hardships before defeating the Evil Cult and saving the world.”

“Right now, we are like Hero Rainbow Cat. Those who mock us are the ‘Evil Cult.'”

“Are you willing to be defeated by evil forces?”

At this point, Cui Xian extended his fist, his face beaming with a bright smile. “I know you aren’t willing, and neither am I!”

“So, although we may not be outstanding right now and are in a low point, we are still brave, fearless, and unwilling to give up. Shall we join together to declare war on the evil forces and fate?”

“No matter what happened before, from today on, we won’t be losers anymore!”

Those words were so inspiring!

The four young masters looked at the lifelike Hero Rainbow Cat in their hands, tears of excitement welling up in their eyes, and they all extended their fists.

“Yes, yes, we will be like Hero Rainbow Cat, never giving up!”

“Let’s pull ourselves together and not be losers anymore!”

“Xian, I may not be the best big brother in the world, but you are definitely the best junior brother in the world!”

In the courtyard.

The five young men bumped fists, laughing and crying.

Their faces were so youthful, full of life, and growing.

The adults watching were moved to tears, their faces filled with relief and pride.

“Good kids, they are all good kids!”