The punishments piled up day by day, a relentless cycle.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and the academy’s first monthly exam of the term arrived.

Ye Qianning, Sang Zhi, and their group had become utterly notorious at the academy. They were known as the "Copy-Work Quartet." For the past ten days, all they did was copy, copy, and copy.

Ye Qianning was late every day and punished every day. Sleeping, talking, and eating in class were all just a regular day for her. Even the students around her were sometimes affected and assigned copy work as well.

After ten days, Ye Qianning had accumulated hundreds of repetitions of the Disciple’s Rules to copy. Anyone who associated with her was either breaking the rules or on their way to copying the Disciple’s Rules...

Over the past ten days, Sang Zhi, Qian Zhuye, and Gao Qi had all become visibly thinner. Ye Qianning, on the other hand, had become visibly chubbier.

On the day of the monthly exam, Ye Qianning was uncharacteristically not late. She was even there before Sang Zhi.

The monthly exam was extremely important for the students. The results from every subject would be sent home. This was especially true for the princes and princesses; the emperor placed great importance on the monthly exams. A good performance would bring many rewards, while a poor one would mean punishment back home.

"Huh? You’re actually not late today," Qian Zhuye said, walking in. He was very surprised to see the little girl.

"Even I have my diligent days."

"Today’s the monthly exam. How come the Eighth Prince isn’t here yet?" Qian Zhuye wondered as he sat down. He had cut it close himself, yet someone was even later than he was.

Ye Qianning found it strange. ’Ever since Sang Rui withdrew from the academy, Sang Zhi hasn’t been late a single time. Shouldn’t he have arrived early for something as important as the monthly exam?’

The tutor walked in, and at the same time, the bell signaling the start of class rang.

"Today is the monthly exam. All of you must answer carefully. Your results on this exam can affect your future," the tutor said as he distributed the test papers.

When he reached the last row, the tutor paused. ’What strange wind blew today? The little girl is here, but the Eighth Prince is not.’

"Tutor."

Sang Zhi stood at the doorway, panting heavily.

"What is the meaning of this? You’re late even on the day of the monthly exam," the tutor demanded sternly.

Sang Zhi pressed his lips together. "I accept my punishment."

"I haven’t even assigned a punishment, and you’re already accepting it. You’ve really grown accustomed to copy work, haven’t you?" The tutor huffed. "Get in. Seeing as it’s the monthly exam, I won’t punish you. But be sure to answer the questions properly."

"Yes, sir." Sang Zhi walked in.

Ye Qianning stared at the boy from the moment he entered the room. His eyes were red, and his clothes were muddy. ’It hasn’t rained in days,’ she thought. ’Where did he get all that mud on him?’

"Did you go catching fish in the river?"

Sang Zhi shook his head.

"Then why are you covered in mud?"

"I fell," Sang Zhi said.

Ye Qianning didn’t press him further. When she received her exam paper, she didn’t even glance at it.

She’d been at the academy for a while now but had hardly listened to a single lesson, having spent most of her time sleeping. Since she hadn’t learned anything, she had no desire to fill out the test. She just rested her head on her desk and gazed out the window.

A small bird, Xiao Xi Mi, was perched on the windowsill. Seeing Ye Qianning look its way, it flapped its wings and landed on her desk.

The students inside the classroom were all diligently working on their exams, so no one noticed the little bird. Even if they had, it would have been a normal sight. There were many birds on Lou Mountain, and they often perched on windowsills or landed on the roofs.

Ye Qianning had something she wanted to ask it, so she reached out, grabbed the bird, and tossed it into her personal space before following it inside.

Xiao Xi Mi was terrified upon entering the space and began chirping frantically. It flapped about for a moment before spotting the Spiritual Spring nearby. The bird immediately flew down, stood by the edge, and drank greedily until its little belly was bulging.

’This is so good! It’s way better than the spring water in the mountains.’

"Where was Sang Zhi just now?" Ye Qianning asked, sitting on a stool.

Seeing Ye Qianning arrive, Xiao Xi Mi took a few more gulps before flapping its wings and flying over. ’Someone beat him up.’

"Who?"

’A kid about your age. He had a lot of guards hidden around him.’