I Became the Eye Candy: Four Bigshots Claimed to be My Dad?-Chapter 68: Bringing Her Through the Back Door

A servant hitched the horse to the carriage, and Xiang Mingli hurried aboard with his wife and child.

Xiang Minghou, carrying Ye Qianning, emerged from behind one of the stone lions by the gate. Watching the carriage recede into the distance, he let out a cold snort.

"Dad, aren’t we going to Lou Mountain Academy?" Ye Qianning asked, her eyes fixed on the carriage as it sped away.

"There’s no one at Lou Mountain Academy today."

"Huh?"

"On the second day of the school year, all the teachers and students at Lou Mountain Academy go to the mountaintop to worship the founding masters," Xiang Minghou explained. "They burn incense and fast for a day, only coming back down after nightfall."

Ye Qianning nodded in understanding. ’So they have a ridiculous rule like that.’

"If Second Uncle goes to Lou Mountain Academy and can’t find anyone, is he going to cause another scene when he gets back?"

"Let him. I didn’t open Lou Mountain Academy, and the late emperor set the rules. If he’s got a problem, he can take it up with the royal family." Xiang Minghou didn’t take them seriously in the slightest.

"What if I can’t pass the exam?" Ye Qianning asked.

"Don’t worry. You’ll definitely pass. Dad believes in you."

Ye Qianning had no idea where he got his confidence from. ’Still, I really do need to study. The most important thing right now is to learn how to read traditional characters.’

Since Xiang Mingli’s family wouldn’t find anyone and was sure to cause a ruckus that evening, Xiang Minghou took her to a private courtyard in the Capital City instead of returning to the General’s manor to rest.

「The next morning.」 Xiang Minghou took her to the Drunken Immortal for breakfast, and then they headed straight for Lou Mountain Academy.

Lou Mountain Academy was situated on the westernmost mountain range of the Capital City. The mountain path was rugged and difficult for carriages, so from the mountain gate onward, one had to ascend on foot. The distance between the gate and the academy itself was considerable.

For the young masters and ladies from noble families, who had never experienced hardship, the first major challenge of enrollment was climbing the mountain.

Xiang Minghou carried Ye Qianning all the way up. The scenery on Lou Mountain was surprisingly beautiful. It was early spring, and peach blossoms bloomed on both sides of the mountain path, their fragrance carried on the gentle breeze.

Spring was a season that naturally made one drowsy, and Ye Qianning’s eyelids began to feel heavy by the time they were only halfway up the mountain.

"If you’re sleepy, go ahead and nap for a bit. It’ll still be a while before we reach the academy." Noticing the little one yawning, Xiang Minghou used his sleeve to shield her head.

Ye Qianning’s body was indeed prone to sleepiness. She hummed in agreement and groggily closed her eyes.

「About an hour later.」 The noise around her woke Ye Qianning. She raised a hand to rub her eyes and lifted the cloth covering her head.

Before her, many students in blue and white uniforms were lining up for food. It was already noon.

"General Xiang, you’ve arrived." A young man in his twenties came forward to greet them.

"Yes. Is Teacher Song available?" Xiang Minghou asked with a nod.

"The teacher is currently meeting with a guest. General Xiang, if you are here about your daughter, I must ask you to return. The academy has its rules, and they cannot be broken." As the young man spoke, he glanced furtively at Ye Qianning.

"Rules are dead, but people are living. You will process my daughter’s enrollment today," Xiang Minghou said with utter confidence.

The young man looked troubled. "General Xiang, our academy has no precedent for admitting students at the last minute."

"So we missed the first day, what’s the big deal? I’ll go find Teacher Song myself." Xiang Minghou couldn’t be bothered to argue with the young man. He walked right past him and headed for the rear courtyard.

"General, the teacher is with a guest... General..." the young man chased after him.

After listening for a while, Ye Qianning finally understood. If you missed the academy’s opening day, you lost your chance to enroll. ’Dad is here today to pull some strings for me.’

"Dad, if it really doesn’t work out, I don’t have to enroll."

Although she really wanted to get closer to the little stick-in-the-mud, she couldn’t let her dad be put in a difficult position. ’There’s still plenty of time to deal with the stick-in-the-mud; there’s no need to rush.’

"Don’t worry. There’s nothing your dad can’t do," Xiang Minghou said, full of confidence.