Book Disaster
In the following days, Xuanji was somewhat absent-minded. On this day, Wen Tingyun was lecturing on the Book of Poetry to his disciples.
Li Yi's gaze involuntarily drifted towards Xuanji diagonally in front of him, only to find that she was not listening attentively as usual. Instead, whenever the teacher lowered his eyes or turned around, he would quietly gaze at her; when the teacher looked up, she would quickly lower her head to copy, appearing completely focused. These subtle actions did not fall into Li Yi's eyes, and his hand holding the book unconsciously tightened slightly.
After class, Xuanji didn't help her teacher tidy his desk as usual. Instead, she made up an excuse to go to the East Market to buy some needles, thread, and cosmetics for her daughters.
Upon hearing this, Li Yi immediately said, "It just so happens that I also intend to go to the East Market Bookstore to find some old books. Can I go with you, Junior Sister?" Xuanji felt slightly embarrassed, but she couldn't refuse, so she had no choice but to agree.
The East Market was bustling with people and filled with lively noise. Xuanji absentmindedly picked through some needlework, her gaze involuntarily drifting towards the bookstore on the street corner. She remembered that Wen Xiang'er's birthday was approaching; that girl usually disliked classical texts and historical records, but was obsessed with stories of talented scholars and beautiful women, often secretly reading them. If she gave her a beautifully bound book, she would surely be delighted.
Thinking of this, Xuanji said to Li Yi, "Senior brother, please wait here for a moment. I'll go take another look over there." She then quickly walked into the bookstore. She carefully browsed through the dazzling array of books and finally chose a currently popular book, "The Jade Hairpin," which she hurriedly wrapped in a silk handkerchief, paid for, and quickly put into her sleeve.
Her attempt to conceal her true feelings was observed by Li Yi, who strolled in afterward. Seeing that Xuanji's cheeks were slightly flushed and her behavior was secretive, he became curious. After she left, he beckoned to the waiter and whispered, pointing to Xuanji's back, "Bring me the same book that young lady bought earlier."
The waiter was overly clever. Seeing Li Yi's impeccable attire and distinguished bearing, and noticing his furtive interactions with the previous young lady, a knowing, knowing smile immediately appeared on his face. He replied repeatedly, "I understand, I understand, please wait a moment, sir." He then bent down and mysteriously pulled a booklet wrapped tightly in blue cloth from a hidden compartment at the bottom, handing it to Li Yi and chuckling, "This is a newly arrived, finely engraved edition, with excellent illustrations..."
Li Yi, unsuspecting, casually stuffed the money into his pocket, paid, and left.
It wasn't until evening, when Li Yi was sitting alone in his study, that he remembered he still had this book in his arms. He took out the blue cloth wrapping and felt that the paper was different from that of ordinary books; it seemed thicker and softer. He felt a little uneasy, so he untied the knot, and the blue cloth slipped down, revealing the cover of the book inside.
The cover, however, featured a delicately painted design of several intertwined crabapple blossoms, their petals overlapping in rich, vibrant colors, vaguely outlining the profiles of a man and woman embracing. The title, in small, flowing cursive script, read: *Jinping Spring*. He frowned as he opened it. The first few pages were indeed literary descriptions, narrating the encounter between the son of a country flower farmer and a young lady from the capital. He felt slightly relieved; it seemed to be a romantic tale favored by young girls. Quickly flipping through a few pages, his fingertips suddenly touched a page of slightly different texture—an illustration. In the drawing, a man and woman, their clothes half-undone, embraced in a flowerbed.
Li Yi slammed the book shut as if burned, his face instantly darkening. A nameless fire flared in his chest, mixed with disbelief, disappointment, and anger. Yu Xuanji, a young lady confined to her chambers, had actually secretly purchased and read such obscene books? No wonder she had been so distracted and avoidant lately.
A mixture of shame, anger, and extreme disappointment surged within him, and his fingers gripped the book "Jinping Spring" so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
He abruptly stood up and paced rapidly around the study. Finally, he grabbed the burning-hot booklet, his face ashen, and strode towards the villa where Xuanji resided.
Xuanji was standing by the window, lost in thought, wondering how to deliver the storybook to Xiang'er. Suddenly, Li Yi pushed open the door without knocking and entered, exuding a cold and angry aura.
She stood up in surprise: "Senior Brother Li...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Li Yi had already thrown the erotic picture book onto the table in front of her. The pages were scattered, revealing obscene images. Xuanji only glanced at it before feeling her blood rush to her head, her cheeks instantly burning red with shame and horror.
"This thing!" Li Yi's voice was cold and sharp. "You, an unmarried woman, actually bought this obscene book in secret. Despite your extensive reading and reputation for talent, your behavior is so shameless and self-degrading! It's truly disappointing!"
Xuanji was stunned by the barrage of accusations. When she finally came to her senses, she was overwhelmed by grievance and shame. Her eyes reddened, and her voice trembled: "Senior Brother Li! How...how could you slander me like this! I have never bought such a thing!"
"Slander?" Li Yi sneered, pointing at the picture album. "I personally saw you buy this book at the bookstore and then have the shopkeeper give me the same copy. How could it be fake?!"
"The same book?" Xuanji was taken aback. She hurriedly took out the small silk handkerchief pouch from her sleeve, unfolded it to reveal a brand-new copy of "The Jade Hairpin," and said urgently, "This is what I bought! It's a birthday gift for my little sister Xiang'er! She loves these stories! If you don't believe me, you can go to the bookstore right now to verify!"
Li Yi's gaze fell on "The Jade Hairpin". He knew this book; it was a popular story about talented men and beautiful women that young ladies often discussed.
His heart skipped a beat. He looked again at Xuanji, his eyes glistening with tears, his face a mixture of humiliation and honesty, not feigned. His anger instantly vanished, and he stood frozen in place. The waiter's mischievous expression and reply, "I understand, I understand, sir, please wait a moment," echoed in his mind. Only then did he realize—because he hadn't explained himself clearly, the waiter had completely misunderstood, leading to this absurd misunderstanding.
In an instant, embarrassment, regret, and remorse welled up in his heart. He opened his mouth, his face turning from pale to red, his expression becoming extremely awkward: "Junior sister... I... this... I was rash, speaking ill of you without knowing the situation, I wronged you..." He took a step forward, wanting to put away the picture book. His movements were somewhat flustered, "This matter... this matter is all my fault, please... please forgive me."
Xuanji turned her head away, and the tears she had been holding back finally rolled down her cheeks. The reprimands she had just received were like needles piercing her heart. Although she knew it was a misunderstanding, the comments about "willingly belittling herself" and "lacking self-control" still felt like needles sticking out of her mind. She whispered, "Senior brother, please go back. Please... please forget about this matter."
Seeing her tears, Li Yi felt even more remorseful. He picked up the picture book that had caused the trouble, unsure whether to stay or leave. In the end, he could only bow deeply and retreat in a disheveled state.
Li Yi practically fled Xuanji's villa. The copy of "Jinping Chun" in his hand felt like a red-hot iron, burning his palms and searing his cheeks and ears. He hurried back to his study and slammed the door shut behind him.
In the quiet study, only his heavy breathing could be heard. He slumped into the chair, throwing the erotic book hard onto a corner of the desk, as if even glancing at it was a sin.
"Foolish! Utterly foolish!" He slammed his fist on the table, making the pen holder shake. The image of Xuanji's tear-filled eyes replayed in his mind. How could he be so arbitrary? How could he speak so harshly without even asking what happened? She was a woman living alone in the Wen household; her reputation was paramount. If others heard his words, wouldn't they completely ruin her honor?
Endless regret overwhelmed him like a tidal wave. He paced anxiously in his study, his mind in turmoil. Suddenly, he stopped, grabbed the book "Jin Ping Chun," and strode to the charcoal brazier, determined to burn this culprit immediately. He struck a tinderbox, and a pale blue flame leaped up, illuminating his tense face and the resolute look in his eyes.
However, just as the flames were about to lick the pages, his movements froze.
An extremely strange impulse, one that even he himself could not understand, seized him. As if possessed, he turned the pages of the book.
The opening of "Jinping Spring" depicts a misty, rainy late spring in Jiangnan. Du Ruolan, the daughter of a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, returns to her father's hometown to pay respects to her ancestors and temporarily resides in the secluded garden of the old mansion. Having lived in the capital for a long time and become accustomed to the lavish lifestyle, she finds the unrestrained growth of plants in this garden quite novel.
One afternoon, she dismissed her maids and strolled alone to a secluded spot in the back garden. Suddenly, she was drawn by a delicate and exotic fragrance. Following the scent, she found a patch of rare orchids she had never seen before, quietly exuding their fragrance in the shade behind the artificial hill. Even more remarkably, standing among the orchids was a young man dressed in simple blue clothes and cloth shoes, carefully pruning the withered leaves of the orchids with bamboo shears. He was tall and straight, his face tanned a healthy wheat color by the sunlight, and his eyes focused and clear.
His name was Shizhu. He was the son of the flower farmer who took care of this garden, and also the village's scholar. Besides studying, he would help his father tend the garden.
Ruolan was amazed by the beauty of the orchids and surprised that there was such a knowledgeable person about flowers in this place. Dianthus spoke elegantly, but when talking about flowers and plants, he became much more relaxed, his eyes shining. He pointed to the orchids and described their varieties, habits, and cultivation points as if they were his own treasures, his words simple yet full of true knowledge.
The two were brought together by flowers, and thereafter, Ruolan often found excuses to visit the garden to admire them. Dizhu taught her to identify flowers and plants, wove willow wreaths for her, and picked wildflowers covered in dew. Within the high walls and deep garden, a secret yet passionate affection quietly blossomed.
There is a bold description in the book.
A sweltering afternoon with a thunderstorm looming
The garden was deserted, save for the incessant chirping of cicadas. Dianthus and Ruolan huddled under the lush wisteria trellis, the space cramped, their breaths mingling. Raindrops suddenly began to fall, pattering against the leaves. He used his outer robe to shield her from the rain, his arm inevitably encircling her. His robe quickly became soaked, clinging to their bodies, outlining the girl's graceful curves and the boy's taut muscles.
Beneath the wisteria trellis, their breaths mingled in the cramped space. He leaned down and kissed her, his lips carrying the coolness of rain and the heat of youth. She trembled in his arms, all reason washed away by the summer rain. Her silk dress was soaked, their fingers clasped together, and a white camellia fell silently.
That illustration clearly depicts this scene.
Li Yi slammed the book shut, his chest heaving violently, his forehead covered in sweat.
The woman's moist eyes in the book became Xuanji's watery eyes when she was frightened; the man's rapid breathing seemed to transform into his own whispers in her ear at that time, and the intertwined sweat and tears transformed into the fine beads of sweat on her temples under the sunlight, and the heart-palpitating warmth and slight tremor that came through her thin shirt when she leaned against him.
The sensation of his arms encircling her waist became incredibly clear. The faint, clean scent of osmanthus mixed with the fragrance of grass in her hair seemed to linger around her nose again, more deadly than any orchid or musk in the book.
The teachings of sages and saints seem pale and powerless at this moment. How can cold words withstand the vibrant life and fragrance of this moment?
"Ugh..." A suppressed, almost painful groan escaped his throat. A mixture of immense shame and an overwhelming physical urge overwhelmed everything.
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