Master, don't tease me, you can't handle three of them.

How about using Chapter 56 as compensation?

"You have the Drunken Immortal Wine, so why did you ask me for it just now?"

Jingran put down her pen, picked up the unusable piece of paper, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the wastebasket.

"Why don't you ask me where I got it from?" Jing Shu wasn't flustered at all; instead, he asked back with interest.

"Either they paid a fortune to get them, or they're like me. What's the point of asking?" Jing Ran said, taking another piece of paper and starting to write again.

"So why did you ask me for wine just now, and even said you regretted it and wanted to try it?"

Jing Ran didn't look up, but his tone was colder than before, clearly indicating that he was unhappy.

Upon seeing this, Jing Shu stood up and stood beside Jing Ran, tidying up the papers he had already written on.

"I'm sorry, I was trying to keep my own jar, but I was really craving this wine, so I lied to you. You've told me everything, and I feel guilty, so I'd like to invite you to drink this jar of Drunken Immortal Wine with me as compensation, is that alright?"

Jing Shu's tone was sincere, and he apologized, instantly calming Jing Ran's anger. It certainly wasn't because he still wanted to drink!

"I can't hold my liquor..."

"I'm not a good drinker either."

"I damage people's yards after I drink..."

"Then I'll drink less and keep an eye on you so you don't go out and cause trouble."

"When?"

"How about we go to where I'm staying tonight?"

"it is good."

Jing Shu is also a cultivator; if he watches over me, the previous incident won't happen again.

As for whether Jing Shu might have ulterior motives towards him?

Jingran's intuition told him no. Jingran didn't know why he thought this way, but anyway, it just wouldn't happen!

A barely perceptible smile curved Jing Shu's lips. "Master, you've taken the bait..."

After Jingran finished writing, Jingshu tidied up all the papers and returned to the study with Jingran.

"Brother Jingshu!"

"Brother Jingran!"

When the children saw the two of them coming, they excitedly rushed over.

Xu Sheng shook his head helplessly, "When will you guys be this enthusiastic towards me?"

"Sir, don't be sad." A little girl comforted Xu Sheng in a sweet, childlike voice. "When you become as handsome as Brother Jingran and Brother Jingshu, we will treat you the same way."

Xu Sheng: "..." Thank you, although I wasn't comforted.

Jing Shu distributed the calligraphy copybooks that the children were to practice.

The children were very obedient. After receiving the calligraphy practice book, they sat back down at their desks and began practicing each stroke carefully.

Jing Shu and Jing Ran moved among them, occasionally helping the children correct their pen-holding posture.

Xu Sheng then returned to his study to categorize and arrange the books that Jing Ran had brought.

Time flies. The shadows of the trees in the yard shifted quietly, and the birds in the sky chirped and chattered, seemingly having finished their foraging for the day and flying back to their nests.

Xu Sheng returned to the school and clapped his hands at the children.

"Alright, that's all for today's lesson. Everyone, tidy up your desks, it's time to go home."

"Goodbye, sir!"

Goodbye, Brother Jingran!

Goodbye, Brother Jingshu!

After saying goodbye to the three men, the children carried their cloth bags and ran out of the academy, rushing into the arms of their parents.

"Daddy, I learned to write with Brother Jingran today! Brother Jingran's handwriting is so handsome!"

"Mommy, Mommy, Nannan learned a new poem today! And she met a brother who is just as handsome as Jingran!"

"..."

Jing Shu leaned against the door, watching the group of children walk by and tell their parents about the interesting things that happened that day, and his eyes darkened.

How wonderful...

"Jingran, we should go back now." Xu Sheng tidied up the schoolroom a bit and then said to Jingran.

“I’m not going back today.” Jing Ran looked at Jing Shu, who was waiting for him at the door. “A friend invited me to dinner. I’ll have dinner at his place tonight, and I’ll come directly here tomorrow.”

Jingran didn't dare say he was going for drinks, afraid that Xu Sheng would worry.

Xu Sheng followed Jing Ran's gaze and chuckled, "Okay. Just be careful not to stay out too late. You can sleep in tomorrow and come back in the afternoon."

Xu Sheng, like an elder, gave Jing Ran his advice.

"Okay, I understand." After saying that, Jingran walked towards Jingshu.

"Jing Shu, let's go."

Jing Shu, who was in a daze, turned around upon hearing this and looked at Jing Ran, who was walking towards him.

Why envy others? He has his own happiness.

"Okay, sure." Jing Shu smiled gently at Jing Ran.

As Jing Ran listened to Jing Shu's gentle tone and saw that Jing Shu's eyes were full of her, her heart inexplicably began to race.

"Let's go." Jing Ran unconsciously smiled.

This smile was seen by Madam Xu, who had just come to pick up her husband from his home.

Jingran did not see Madam Xu and left with Jingshu.

Madam Xu stood there stunned until Xu Sheng walked up to her.

"Ma'am, what's wrong?"

Xu Sheng reached out and shook his hand in front of Madam Xu, "Madam, snap out of it."

Madam Xu snapped out of her reverie and asked Xu Sheng curiously, "Husband, who is that person walking with Jingran?"

Having known Jingran for so many days, she had never seen Jingran smile.

"It's a new friend he met. Jingran won't be coming back tonight; he's having dinner with his friend," Xu Sheng explained.

"It's good that you have friends." Madam Xu was also happy for Jingran.

Over the past few days, Madam Xu had come to treat Jingran completely as a junior. Now, he no longer seemed as cold and aloof as before, always alone and without friends. Madam Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief for him.

"Jingran won't be in for a treat today, I made braised pork ribs!" Madam Xu said with a smile.

"Jingran may not have the pleasure, but what about her husband?" Xu Sheng, unlike his composed demeanor in front of his students, leaned his head gently against Madam Xu's shoulder and spoke in a coquettish tone.

"Don't be silly!" Madam Xu said coquettishly, her face flushed with embarrassment.

----------------

Jing Shu took Jing Ran to Zuixianlou first, packed some food and drinks to go, and then returned to Xue Niang's residence.

"Is this your residence?" Jingran asked, looking at the exquisite house.

Jing Shu shook his head. "No, this is the home of a fellow Daoist I just met. I'm just staying here temporarily."

"Are there cultivators living in Huacheng?" Jing Ran asked in surprise. Although Huacheng was quite prosperous, it was not actually suitable for cultivators to live there for a long time.

Jingran sensed this the first time she came here; the spiritual energy here was rather mixed and not suitable for cultivation.

Most cultivators would seek out mountains or towns with relatively pure spiritual energy for long-term cultivation, and Huacheng was clearly not among them.

"Yes, you know him too." Jing Shu naturally knew him as well, but he didn't continue the conversation.

"Who?" Jing Ran asked curiously, as he didn't know many people.

"The proprietress of Zuixianlou—Xue Niang."