Chapter 219: Little Ning and Ning Liheng

"Are you Ning Liheng?""The Ning Liheng who wrote 'Shuidiao Getou'?"

Green hills, verdant grass, and trees reborn in spring. The sun hung diagonally in the sky; it was still early in the morning. In the small pavilion, a group of scholars from the capital had originally envisioned Ning Yi as their most formidable opponent, discussing how to deal with him. To their surprise, after talking for a while, they looked up to find this very 'opponent' had already arrived among them. The situation immediately became somewhat awkward. Fortunately, after a moment of stunned silence, Zhou Bangyan and the others regained their composure and, with embarrassed expressions, posed their questions.

Ning Yi could only shrug in acknowledgment.

If they truly harbored antagonistic intentions, Ning Yi could be said to have scored the first point. However, Li Shishi, who was standing nearby, blinked in surprise as she stared at him for a long moment, and her first words quickly shifted the dynamic: "So, Brother Xiaoning, are you the Ning Liheng who was invited here to challenge me?"

Her expression was innocent, with a hint of grievance. For a moment, Ning Yi found it a little hard to respond. "Haha, those are just rumors. I merely came to watch everyone's performances."

"Performances?"

"Yes, traveling around with some friends, seeing beautiful women sing and dance." Ning Yi shelled a peanut, tossed it into his mouth, and smiled. "As for the challenge, although Puyang Yi approached me once, I'm not very passionate about poetry, so I didn't really agree to it. So, Shishi, you only need to pay attention to the others Puyang Yi invited. I'm a good person."

They naturally didn't believe his claim that he was only there to watch singing and dancing. However, having just discussed how to challenge the scholars from Jiangning, and unsure how much the newcomer had overheard, they felt too awkward to bring up any difficulties. Moreover, judging by the three poetic works that had reached the capital, Ning Yi's literary talent was undoubtedly exceptional. Even Zhou Bangyan, the most gifted among them, admitted he couldn't have written 'Shuidiao Getou' or 'Qingyu An'. Any minor attempts to challenge him would simply be self-humiliation. The few of them had been quite confident earlier, and perhaps in a formal setting, they might not have felt such psychological pressure. But now, in the small pavilion, the aura of the four seemed somewhat subdued, and they could only resort to genuine pleasantries.

"...Actually, when Shishi was learning guqin in Jiangning back then, she lived at the east end of Sanlian Alley, and Brother Xiaoning's family lived in the middle of the alley. He was still small, and I'd see him everyday, always reading, reading a book. Everyone used to call him a bookworm..." Shishi spoke, livening the atmosphere and explaining her connection to Ning Yi. Fang Wenyang smiled and chimed in, "Actually, I was also a silly bookworm in my childhood, so Brother Ning and I truly share a common language." He then began to discuss the popularity of 'Shuidiao Getou' and 'Qingyu An' in the capital. Using this as a topic, everyone started conversing and laughing freely.

After they had chatted for a while, Yu Hezhong arrived at the entrance, greeting everyone. He then turned to Ning Yi and said, "Seeing Shishi must have been a pleasant surprise, wasn't it?" His relationship with Zhou Bangyan, Tang Weiyan, and the others wasn't particularly good. Zhou Bangyan and the rest, munching on fruit, gave him odd glances, thinking, "How did this fellow manage to bring him here? This Ning seems pleasantly surprised, while we're just surprised and not at all pleased..."

Unaware of what had transpired, Yu Hezhong sat down and continued to chat and laugh to himself, while the others merely humored him. Ning Yi remembered he had spent quite some time there and that Yunzhu and Jin'er must have already entered. He stood up to take his leave, intending to go to the front of the residence. Shishi rose to see him off. He made a few jokes, but she insisted on accompanying him to the courtyard gate, then had Chunmei lead him further.

"Brother Xiaoning, did you truly not agree to Young Master Puyang's request to challenge me?" Standing at the courtyard gate, Li Shishi asked softly, her gaze lowered.

Ning Yi looked at her for a few moments. "What if I had agreed?"

"Then... I suppose I would have to concede defeat."

"Haha," Ning Yi laughed. He then leaned in slightly and whispered, "Young Miss Wang, you don't seem like the type to give up easily."

Li Shishi looked up, blinking her bright eyes at him. Then she murmured, "I will... resist forcefully!"

"Heh, see you later."

"...See you later." The woman named Li Shishi waved her hand.

As he followed the maid Chunmei forward, Ning Yi found the encounter quite interesting. Individuals who reach the pinnacle in any field are never simple, and Li Shishi gave him a very complex impression. Their previous meeting in Sanlian Alley, when she was disguised as a man, felt different. At that time, she had returned to revisit a former haunt, and the impression she gave was quite gentle.

Upon their reunion earlier, she had the warmth of a girl next door; then, as they sat together, this warmth carried an elegant, otherworldly quality. Her seemingly humble words when seeing him off, a strategy of feigned retreat, were naturally insincere. When Ning Yi acted as if he saw through her, her playful assertion that she would resist forcefully, while maintaining a firm stance, might still not have been entirely genuine.

Her multifaceted nature was truly admirable. To become the capital's foremost courtesan, exceptional beauty alone would not suffice. Watching her converse and laugh with people was like observing a delightful performance. Ning Yi couldn't help but shake his head, feeling a little pity for the men who had fallen for her and relentlessly pursued her.

It wasn't that Miss Shishi was inherently cold-hearted; achieving this level of skill, adept at social maneuvering, was often a talent. Perhaps she could discern others' thoughts and desires with a single glance. Given her profession, there was nothing more to be said. However, if she truly fell for someone, she likely wouldn't place the man she loved in such a situation.

Meanwhile, after seeing Ning Yi off, Shishi turned back, lightly clenching her fist. "How annoying," she muttered, before heading back. Returning to the pavilion, Yu Hezhong was still recounting his morning encounter with 'Xiaoning,' mentioning that he might know Liu Qingdi, though Liu Qingdi didn't seem to think much of him. He also reminisced about their past relationship, how he, Xiaoning, and Shishi all lived in the same alley, and so on. The others stared at him with looks reserved for a fool. When Shishi returned and sat down, she couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"Oh, by the way, just now by the river, I saw more than just one or two scholars from Jiangning arriving. Brother Zhou, Brother Tang, you're here discussing how to deal with them, have you reached a conclusion? I just heard that Ning Liheng, currently known as Jiangning's foremost scholar, is also coming. Brother Zhou, what do you think of his literary talent? Last time, when Shishi sang his 'Shuidiao Getou,' I heard it too; it truly amazed everyone. That's genuinely good poetry..."

Yu Hezhong spoke with great seriousness. Although his literary talent was not as refined as Zhou Bangyan's, Tang Weiyan's, or Fang Wenyang's, it was still respectable, and he could naturally discern good poetry from bad. However, he hadn't seriously inquired about the Jiangning scholars in recent days, and regarding Ning Liheng, he only knew his name. Bringing up 'Shuidiao Getou' now, and asking seemingly innocently, was actually just to put pressure on Zhou Bangyan – 'You think you're impressive? Don't forget there's someone even more formidable waiting for you here.' However, as soon as he finished speaking, the expressions on everyone's faces grew even stranger.

Zhou Bangyan glanced at him, then picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea. "Even a mighty army can have its commander captured, but the will of a common man cannot be taken. Our vigor is already lost; how can we possibly challenge him now?"

"Huh?" Yu Hezhong didn't understand.

Shishi suppressed a smile beside him, while Xu Dongmo glanced at Yu Hezhong. "Hezhong, do you truly not know Xiaoning's identity?"

"Of course I do. That day, Shishi and I went to Sanlian Alley together, and that's when we reconnected. You can ask Shishi to confirm it."

"So, Hezhong, you don't know that the 'silly bookworm' you and Shishi talked about back then is actually named Ning Yi, with the courtesy name Liheng?"

"Huh? He also has the courtesy name Liheng? What a coincidence!" It was only after saying this that Yu Hezhong finally realized. He paused, slightly stunned, then shrunk his neck, looking at Shishi. "No... no way? Xiaoning is that Ning Liheng?"

Shishi nodded.

"Then... did you already compete? And lose?"

Yu Hezhong looked at Zhou Bangyan and the other four. They had said they wanted to compete with Ning Liheng, and their current appearance, to him, clearly suggested that the newcomer had just entered, they had challenged him, and in such a short time, these four—who were considered top talents in the capital—had already lost. 'Just how powerful is this Xiaoning?' His mind reeled in shock.

Tang Weiyan shook his head. "How could we compete? He came in, immediately gained the upper hand, perfectly composed, and he overheard us discussing how to challenge the Jiangning scholars. How could we possibly be so shameless as to immediately turn around and challenge him in the same manner? But it's fine; he's already promised not to challenge us this time..."

He paused, quite displeased, and shook his head. "What kind of situation is this? When he says he won't challenge us, doesn't it feel like he's already won? Ugh, it really makes me uncomfortable."

As they discussed it, everyone felt a mix of helplessness and amusement. Fang Wenyang said, "I had previously heard some rumors about Ning Liheng. He usually doesn't participate in literary gatherings in Jiangning, but it's said that once... it might have been during the Jiangning Courtesan Queen Competition last year or the year before. Several famous scholars were composing poems, and he just happened to pass by and sit there, and suddenly, no one dared to write. Ah, 'Shuidiao Getou,' 'Qingyu An,' 'Dingfengbo' – those three poetic works..." He mused, "They certainly make it difficult for others to write. However, if there's an opportunity later, I'd still like to seek his guidance. Shishi, you won't mind, will you?"

Shishi laughed, "Why ask a girl like me about the affairs of you scholars?"

As she spoke, she recalled their meeting that day: he was holding a tattered book, and his clothes were somewhat messy, as if he had just finished some labor. It was said that a man who marries into a wealthy family often had a difficult life, with some becoming like laborers, forced to do various chores for their wife's family. Yet, it was rumored that the family he married into was well-off and had even provided him with such beautiful maids, which ordinary families couldn't afford. Why would they make him do manual labor? And with his current fame, surely no one would dare to challenge him.

Furthermore, with his talent, why would he choose to marry into a family in the first place? This was truly strange and made one curious. After the self-introduction earlier, it was hard for her to form a concrete image of 'Xiaoning's' true identity in her mind. 'Xiaoning' was from a distant past, merely remembered as the little bookworm with a book, while Ning Liheng felt too illusory, especially when associated with the poetry of 'Shuidiao Getou.' It was difficult to reconcile that with the person who had just been there. Only after these thoughts flickered through her mind did the two images gradually merge within her.

Meanwhile, Ning Yi had now reached the front of the residence, where he found Yunzhu and Jin'er. He asked them for the reason behind their earlier argument with Liu Qingdi.