Chapter 522: Liang Shanbo is actually myself? [Seeking monthly votes]

Xu Jie was completely baffled.

This classmate he knew wasn't one to give up easily; he possessed a fiercely competitive spirit and rarely admitted defeat. How could he possibly utter such a demoralizing statement as "Just accept it"? Until—

Xu Jie inadvertently saw a young man embracing and chatting with a much taller scholar near a rockery.

This intimate gesture—

Even attributing it to brotherhood is a stretch.

Overwhelmed by the shock, Xu Jie revealed his presence and was discovered by the unfamiliar scholar, leaving him no choice but to come out.

On second thought, I realized I was making a fuss over nothing.

While homosexuality isn't exactly rampant these days, it's not uncommon—he'd heard rumors of close relationships between different men, but he'd never witnessed it firsthand. Just as he was trying to figure out how to ease the awkwardness, the young man took his hand and led him forward to introduce them.

[Xingning, let me introduce you.]

Compared to the boy's enthusiasm, the scholar called "Xingning" was not enthusiastic at all; in fact, his gaze towards him carried a hint of displeasure. Xu Jie felt that the word sounded familiar, and in the next instant, he found the relevant memory, as if struck by lightning.

The banquet master's son, it seems, has this character?

so--

He stared blankly at the two of them, unable to utter a single word for a long time—did Master Yan know that his most prized student and his most beloved son were having an affair? He probably didn't know, right?

If he knew, given Yan Shi's personality, he would definitely be furious.

The young man ignored Xu Jie's "colorful" face and spoke to the scholar in a soft, sweet tone that Xu Jie had never heard before: "Wen Zhu's background has caused him much trouble, but if he were to give it his all, in my opinion, he could be a formidable opponent for Xingning."

Yan An looked down at the other person.

He asked in a calm voice: "What kind of formidable rival?"

The young man hesitated for a moment, but Xu Jie subtly understood the underlying bitterness behind those four words, and quickly waved his hand, saying, "I treat Senior Brother Ning like a brother, and have absolutely no improper thoughts about him."

Just thinking about that scene gives me goosebumps.

The boy paused, taken aback.

Look at Yan An and then at the embarrassed Xu Jie.

Feeling ashamed and angry, she gritted her teeth and punched Yan An twice in the chest.

Not satisfied with that, she kicked him twice with her toes, whispering a threat: "Yan Xingning, watch out, or I'll tell on you!"

Xu Jie was stunned.

So, this affair between the two of them was tacitly approved by the master?

Xu Jie returned to his room in a daze that day, slept fitfully, and then received an invitation to a lake trip from the young man the next day. He hesitated whether to accept the invitation—not because he knew the young man and Yan An were very close and wanted to deliberately distance himself, but because Yan An seemed like a difficult person to deal with, and he was worried about being retaliated against. But when the appointed time arrived, Xu Jie went as promised.

As it turned out, the boy didn't see her, but he did see a woman dressed in a lotus-colored dress, with her hair styled in the most fashionable updo, adorned with seasonal flowers. Although these flowers were vibrant, they couldn't compare to even a fraction of the color in the girl's eyes.

Most importantly—this girl's face is exactly the same as that of Senior Brother Ning, whom he knows!

Xu Jie stood on the deck, petrified.

[Note: Why aren't you coming in?]

The young woman smiled sweetly and waved to him.

Behind her, there was a figure in a green robe.

It was Yan An, whom he had met once before.

He said, "You probably startled me."

The girl raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Am I shockingly ugly?"

Yan An possessed a strong will to survive: [He must have been almost like a celestial being.]

The girl twirled her handkerchief to hide her laughter, but her eyes, curved into crescents with laughter, betrayed her true feelings.

This is not bad.

Xu Jie: [...]

His state throughout was—

who I am?

Where am I?

What am I doing?

After struggling to process this bombshell, he finally realized that it wasn't Senior Brother Ning, but Senior Sister Ning. He had actually witnessed a real-life version of a storybook trope where a woman disguises herself as a man to study at the academy.

Having read the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, he was captivated.

Unlike the legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, there is no class difference between Yan An and Senior Sister Ning. They are well-matched in terms of social standing and have known each other since childhood, with their families having a pre-arranged marriage agreement. However, Senior Sister Ning does not want to marry too early, nor does she want to be confined to a narrow backyard, watching the same sky all year round. She is determined to go out and pursue her studies and training.

When the master chef learned of this, he arranged for his future daughter-in-law to dress as a man and study under him. Having him supervise would save him a lot of trouble. However, once he actually started teaching her, he discovered that this young woman was exceptionally intelligent, but unfortunately, she was limited by her gender…

If he were a man, he might achieve great things.

Xu Jie listened to the story silently, his mind wandering. In terms of family background and character, Yan Xingning was more like Ma Wencai, so who was Liang Shanbo? He thought for a moment, his expression stiffening slightly.

Um... was Liang Shanbo actually himself??

It seems I can understand Yan An's hostility yesterday.

_(:з)∠)_

Xu Jie was not a rigid or inflexible person. He studied literature and business, and as the eldest son of the Xu family, he had learned to take over the family business at a young age. What kind of people hadn't he seen? Although Senior Sister Ning's behavior was "unconventional," it was not unacceptable to him. As for the strict separation between men and women? He befriended her sincerely, and it would be narrow-minded to distance himself from her because of a romantic relationship.

Now I understand why the other party accepted their fate.

A woman's body...

How can I refuse to accept my fate?

Xu Jie felt sorry for her.

He studied under Master Yan for two years before leaving. Soon after, he received an invitation to their marriage, but he was traveling as a merchant in Shiwu and couldn't return in time. Afterwards, the world became increasingly chaotic. The Xin Kingdom was in turmoil, while the Geng Kingdom was eyeing it covetously.

The two countries were at war, and the flames of war raged on.

When they tried to contact the two again, their letters went unanswered.

We met again today.

Looking at her current state, Xu Jie felt a pang of sorrow and couldn't help but feel a little resentful towards Yan An. However, when asked about Yan An's death, this small emotion vanished. No one was to blame for this. The person most deserving of resentment—

She had no complaints: "I share the same principles as Xingning. For the sake of all living beings, I would gladly sacrifice myself without regret..."

He was both the person she loved and her closest friend!

The crises that Xu Jie had previously worried about regarding Shiwu and Beimo have also been averted. She said, "The Xingning plan is complete. For at least five years, these two border barriers can still barely survive..."

As for what will happen after these few years?

That was beyond Yan An's capabilities.

Xu Jie was greatly shocked upon hearing this.

"Did Zheng Qiao really give him—"

Xu Jie had met Zheng Qiao before. At that time, Zheng Qiao was not yet the ruler of the country, nor did he have a reputation for being tyrannical or evil. He could even be considered somewhat "weak and easy to bully." Because of his status as a hostage, he was often harassed by students from other noble families.

I've seen it, but I don't know anything about it.

Judging from Zheng Qiao's behavior over the years, the other party may have harbored resentment since childhood, and his weakness and vulnerability were just a disguise for self-preservation. However, Yan An had never bullied him and treated him like a brother, yet he ended up dying a gruesome death—Xu Jie glanced at the boy who looked remarkably like young Zheng Qiao and his lips twitched slightly.

I don't understand what Senior Sister Ning is planning.

Looking at the face of the man who killed her husband, aren't you angry?

juvenile:"……"

(■_■)

Another typhoon is coming... According to the news, it's going to make landfall directly...

(End of this chapter)