Chapter 6 My Fair Lady
Stepping into Qiushui College on a spring day feels like stumbling upon a temple dedicated to the goddess of flowers. A dazzling array of vibrant colors blankets the high terraces and pavilions, while winding paths reveal a profusion of blossoms. The peach blossoms have barely faded, and peonies and azaleas are vying for attention with their vibrant, vibrant petals. Crabapples, though fragranceless, vie for attention in form, their alluring crimson filling their branches, drawing butterflies' attention. Even at the end of a seldom-traveled hallway, a white orchid stands alone, its fragrance captivating.
Such a scene would naturally be a source of peace and tranquility for ordinary people, but for Yanru, it was a source of confusion and distraction. After her intensely ambiguous relationship with Ji Mingxiu, her heart was in turmoil for days, unable to find peace. Ji Mingxiu's affection for her was truly more than just that of a kind teacher, his earnestness and patience towards an ignorant student. He was a teacher, a father figure, a middle-aged man with a wife. Even with his fame and wealth, Yanru could not bring herself to commit to him in such an unclear way. However, he was so knowledgeable and talented that he could quote from classic texts and discuss everything from the auspicious clouds beneath the goddess in the "Lotus Goddess" painting to the connection between the lotus flowers on the top of the academy pavilion and Buddhist scriptures. He was more humorous than Lu Tianwen, drawing laughter from the female students and deepening their admiration and respect for him. Even Meng Qi, Gan Yao, who was high and mighty, could act like a smart and obedient student in front of Ji Mingxiu.
In the eyes of a naive young girl, simply being able to get close to such an exceptional teacher during her school years was truly the greatest honor. Yanru was a proud and arrogant girl at heart, but despite her seemingly implausible family background, her means of living and clothing could hardly compare with others. Her knowledge, however, was even more of a joke than her hairpins and jewelry. Her prose and poetry were never seen as a comfort to her classmates when they were frustrated. When they felt down and low on their biweekly quizzes, they would sneak a peek at Yanru's papers, laugh at the inexplicable wording and sentence structure, and instantly feel better. But recently, with Teacher Ji's questions, praise, and thoughtful after-class guidance, her classmates' eyes had been filled with a touch of envy and jealousy. Yanru, long ridiculed, truly realized the joy of being treated differently. And so, drawing a clear line between herself and Ji Mingxiu became a difficult task.
While she was struggling with this dilemma, a genuine golden boy swam to the bait of the angler.
One day, Yanru lost her handkerchief on her way back to her dorm. Anything else would have been fine, but that particular handkerchief was made for her by her mother, who had secretly spun a fine piece of fabric from a customer. The finest silk, combined with Qian Peilan's exquisite embroidery, made it a valuable find, though not hard to come by. Yanru, distraught, dragged Zheng Sirui with her as she searched the entire academy. Sweating profusely, she crouched over the corridor gutter, searching inch by inch, when she heard a voice behind her ask, "Miss, are you looking for this?"
Yanru turned to follow the sound and saw a handsome young man half-bending among the rose bushes, extending a peach-pink handkerchief embroidered with mandarin ducks in front of Zheng Sirui, who was half-crouching on the ground. The budding roses cast a shadow over her half-worn, faded coarse cloth, making Zheng Sirui's face look even more like a pearl with a halo and a jade with a shimmering luster than ever before. A gentle breeze blew, and the blossoms swayed as two pairs of beautiful eyes met, their red lips slightly raised. No matter who picked up the ink, it would be difficult to describe the tenderness of spring at that moment. Yanru watched, quickly dusting off her clothes, tidying her hair, putting on a charming and bright smile, and rushing forward to block Zheng Sirui's way: "Ah~ It turned out that my handkerchief was picked up by the young master~"
The young man, not wanting to avoid the taboo of intimacy between men and women, hung the handkerchief on the branch in front of Yanru and said, "The silk is expensive, and the embroidery is exquisite. Such a fine piece, young lady, please remember to keep it well and don't throw it away again." The priceless white jade pendant on the other person moved Yanru more than his politeness. She secretly made a fierce move with her hands behind her back, holding Zheng Sirui down and not allowing her to stand up and show her face, but her face was still sweet and flattering: "Ah, I'm glad that you also like embroidery and have your own opinions. Thank you, young master~"
The young man nodded slightly: "It's okay, girl, now that you have found your things, you can go back quickly. It's hot and humid at noon, the vegetation is lush here, and there are many mosquitoes. It's not good to stay outside for a long time and catch a heat stroke." Then he bowed and left gracefully.
Soon, Yanru had Zheng Sirui inquire in the kitchen and discovered that the man was Lu Zhiling, the nephew of Lu Tianwen and the only son of the Minister of the Central Secretariat. He had learned from family letters that his uncle was not in good health and had rushed back from the capital to Jinling to visit his family and stay at the academy for a while. At night, Yanru sat in front of the diamond-shaped mirror, handkerchief in hand, replaying her morning encounter over and over again, coming to a conclusion: I am a descendant of the second rank; he is the only son of the Minister of the Central Secretariat, nephew of a former Hanlin. I am a graceful lady; he is a modest gentleman. I lost something, he found it. Oh, my, our encounter was like the talented scholar and beautiful woman in folk operas. If it were made into a story, it would be a legend in Jinling.
"Ah, hehe." Yanru shyly covered her face, suddenly remembering that it was Lu Zhiling who had spoken to Zheng Sirui earlier in the day, and that they had briefly locked eyes in the flowers. Ah! A wave of sourness welled up in her heart. She had originally complained about the thorns in the rose bush, which might scratch her delicate skin, and had sent the tough-skinned Zheng Sirui in to explore. Why did she have to give her the chance to flirt with this handsome man? Oh! I'm so angry! I can't let this happen again!
Therefore, Yanru deliberately concealed her actions from Zheng Sirui when she launched her offensive against Lu Zhiling. Acting as her own military advisor, she spied on the enemy and analyzed the battle situation. Upon learning that Lu Zhiling had recently taken up reading Qu Yuan, Yanru waited outside the Confucius Courtyard while he was conversing with his uncle and aunt, pretending to ask for advice so she could meet him and find an excuse to chat. After receiving his advice, Yanru exclaimed sweetly, "Wow, so that's how it is! I think Shao Siming's writing is incredibly good—so incredibly beautiful!" Upon discovering that Lu Zhiling often admired the moon in the rose-lined courtyard, she disregarded the academy's rules and sneaked out of his bedroom at night, faking a chance encounter. She recited the line, "The women envy my beautiful eyebrows; they accuse me of being promiscuous," earning Lu Zhiling's praise for her naiveté and profound knowledge. Alas, who knows how much effort it took for her to memorize the difficult "Li Sao." There is no other way. Love between men and women is full of twists and turns. She can only pursue a modest gentleman and show the courage of Huo Qubing of the Han Dynasty who led thousands of troops to attack the Huns, so as to win a chance of survival in the battlefield of love game.
The effect was remarkable. Within half a month, Lu Zhiling had become very familiar with her. Whenever he went down the mountain to attend a party or outing, he would bring her a bag of cherry pancakes and a box of patterned steamed cakes as a midnight snack. Many people in the academy knew that this was her favorite food. Lu Zhiling must have made careful inquiries before buying it for her! It was great! The packaging was from the Immortal Restaurant, so it was quite expensive! Yanru was smug and couldn't help but admire her own beauty and charm. She could easily break off a red apricot tree and play with it in her hands. It was a great pity for a general who won a battle if he couldn't celebrate with a drink. Looking at the delicious food in front of her, she seemed to have a great heart. On a whim, she called Zheng Sirui to her room to enjoy it with her so that she could show off.
Zheng Sirui had been so happy lately that she was always beaming with joy. Even when no one paid any attention to her or spoke to her, she would suddenly burst out laughing while reading a book. She would then bite her lips to suppress the smile, but happiness could still be seen from the corners of her eyes and eyebrows. Yanru saw that the dress she was wearing was newly cut from a flowered silk material, and the bamboo sticks that held her hair were replaced by an exquisitely crafted silver rose hairpin. What good job had Zheng Xiucai found that allowed him to buy such good things for Zheng Sirui? Yanru was just wondering when she heard Sirui put on that silly look again, suddenly laughing, and her words became incoherent: "Puchi - hahaha, I just happened to tell him that my classmate Yanru, who once saved me, especially liked to eat cherry pancakes and steamed cakes. He said that my benefactor was also his benefactor, and he had to be nice to his benefactor - hehe, he really bought it for you when he came down the mountain today! Yanru, you are so nice. You got the food from Huixian Restaurant and didn't forget to call me!"
A bolt from the blue! Yanru was so shocked that her teeth ached and her legs went numb: "What him? What the hell!"
"I'm sorry, I haven't dared to tell you. Recently, I've been having an affair with the Master's nephew - puff -" Zheng Sirui's face was once again filled with sweetness when she mentioned it. "The Master's nephew, Lu Zhiling, has been hanging out with me recently... We got to know each other because he helped you find your handkerchief that day. Then one day, I couldn't sleep, so I sneaked into the Master's library to look for "Chu Ci". I happened to run into him and we chatted for a while. As time went by, I started to like him and he also liked me..."
Yanru's teeth chattered in shock: "Then why didn't you tell me!" Zheng Sirui mistakenly thought she was blaming her for hiding the secret of her love affair, not acting like a true close friend at all, so she explained: "I didn't mean to. There are so many people in the academy, and Gan, Yao, Meng, and Qi are all gossipy and mean. I was afraid that if it got out, he wouldn't be in trouble, but my reputation would be tarnished if more people knew. A few days ago, he told me that he would wait for me in the little rose garden every night when I came back from the kitchen, and I often ran into you. I thought it would be very awkward for you to find out by chance, and it would be bad if you blamed me for alienating our relationship. So, I decided to tell you while he was treating you to snacks."
Zheng Sirui was still mumbling about their romantic love, but Yanru was too grief-stricken to listen. She could never have imagined that Lu Zhiling's treatment of her wasn't just the ambiguity between a man and a woman he'd fallen for, but rather his love for Zheng Sirui and her family! She'd even foolishly gone out at night to meet someone, only to be a foil and a diversion. "If you two stay together all the time, what if you run into a young lady one day and she'll be so captivated that you won't even be able to see what you, You Yanru, look like." Her mother's words from that day were still ringing in her ears. In the past, Yanru had scoffed at them. After all, when they'd dragged Zheng Sirui to an elegant gathering, Ji Mingxiu, a playboy who was used to seeing beautiful women, hadn't taken a liking to her, but had come for her instead. So how could Lu Zhiling fall for Zheng Sirui? Those hands, rough as frostbite in winter, wouldn't it be prickly when he held their untouched fingers?!
Yanru was furious, but she couldn't vent her anger. She saw Zheng Sirui humming and hesitating with her lips pursed, and she felt that she was being artificial. "What's wrong? Are you sick? Why are you being so pretentious? Just say whatever you want to say!"
Zheng Sirui hinted, "Yanru, have you noticed that Mr. Ji, our painting teacher, treats you very well, and is very different from how he treats the rest of us?"
Yanru broke off a piece of steamed bun and stuffed it into her mouth, saying unhappily, "Oh, yes, and then?"
Zheng Sirui sat silent, her thoughts drifting back to a night when her teacher's wife had summoned her to her room under the pretense of copying a book, only to have her drink mung bean soup. Zheng Sirui was bewildered, unsure if she had done anything wrong. After a moment's pause, the teacher's wife tactfully explained: There once was a student, born into a poor family, beautiful yet gifted. She vowed from a young age to be a heroine like Mao Yanshou, and so sought a master painter. Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, she later secretly colluded with her teacher, ruining her reputation and career, nearly losing her life, and ultimately becoming a nun. Though the teacher's wife's words were abrupt, Zheng Sirui understood them as a warning: Ji Mingxiu was a man of ill-intentions and devious intentions, and that she should avoid close contact with him. Zheng Sirui chuckled; she despised men like these, paunchy, drunkards. How could she have been so close to them? She thanked the teacher's wife, expressed her feelings, and quickly forgot the incident. Recently, she had noticed Ji Mingxiu's overly warm and attentive guidance to his friend. Recalling his teacher's wife's words, she felt anxious and unsure how to bring herself to remind him. Coincidentally, today, the two of them were having snacks in their room, a quiet night perfect for conversation. So, Zheng Sirui took a cup from the table, poured Yanru a cup of tea, and tried to be as subtle as possible: "Yanru, have you noticed that your meals these days are much more exquisite and delicious than before?"
"Huh? Isn't this the delicious dish you shared for me?" Everyone always prepared dishes in the kitchen and took them to the students' rooms for everyone to eat. Yanru always knew that what others ate was different from what she ate, but she didn't know what the difference was.
"No, no," Zheng Sirui shook her head and lowered her voice. "When I distribute food, I can only give you the food cooked by the academy kitchen. The dishes you've been eating these days have included hand-washing crab, lychee and kidney soup, and golden tripe soup. Where can I get them for you? Before, you said your father recently received a generous reward from the prince, so I just thought your family earned money and added food for you. But the night before, Xue Gu told me that your food was added by the servants beside Teacher Ji."
"Ah?" Yanru was startled for the second time, "Why is it him?"
"Yes! He really cares about you. Meng Qi, who is so particular about food, also cooks his own meals in the academy, and only every seven or eight days does his family send food made by their own chef up the mountain. But Teacher Ji directly sends people into the city every day to buy food for you at the big restaurant. But..." Zheng Sirui changed the subject, "Don't you think that Teacher Ji is too attentive to you?"
Yanru was stunned, a little delighted, yet also a little disdainful. She cursed inwardly, "Could it be that only men are allowed to give you clothes and hairpins, while I'm not even worthy of being given something delicious?" Then she looked at Zheng Sirui coldly, "Oh, Teacher Ji appreciates my appreciation of paintings and my talent, so he treats me well. Is that not okay?"
How old is my sister? Does she think this old man is teasing a child with fruit? Zheng Sirui exclaimed that this was ridiculous, but she was afraid of saying something wrong and hurting their feelings, so she could only say: "No, I heard that Teacher Ji once caused a female student to lose her reputation and commit suicide. You are so beautiful and innocent, so pleasing to everyone. It is reasonable that he has some ulterior motives towards you. I am worried that you will be the one who gets hurt..."
Yanru squinted her face, "I heard it from someone? Who?" Zheng Sirui observed Yanru's mind and saw that she was innocent and had the foolish heart of a willful child. She was afraid of causing trouble for the master and his wife, so she said lightly, "I just heard it. I heard it from them. Really, Yanru, you should stay away from him."
Yanru glared at him fiercely. Since she couldn't explain why, it must be Zheng Sirui's lies. Humph, she used to pretend not to care about marriage, but now she finds a handsome and talented young man and goes to such trouble to flirt with him. She seduced Lu Zhiling, making her busy schedule a joke. She also slandered her secretly and didn't allow her to have any contact with Ji Mingxiu. She must be afraid that Zheng Sirui would be better off than herself, so she can pity her, laugh at her, and mock her for not having a man to want her! Is this what they call inseparable best friends? She is really abominable. The officials are allowed to set fires, but the people are not allowed to light lamps! Bah, the more you don't want me to have anything to do with Ji Mingxiu, the more I want to have something to do with him. So what if Lu Zhiling's family is an official? He is still young, who knows what his future holds?
Just like that, at noon that day, the bell rang for the end of get out of class, and the students scattered back to their rooms to eat. Yanru, still holding the brush, smiled charmingly in the empty classroom: "Teacher Ji, I can't draw well. Can you give me some pointers?"
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