Chapter 33: Disfigurement

"There are no men's clothes here, so I had Xin'er hang Wencai's garments out to dry," the woman explained.

I shook my head. It was not the clothes that concerned me now. "That is not what I am asking. How did he get so many scars? These are clearly not from a recent fall."

"This..." The woman hesitated.

I suddenly recalled that she had said Ma Wencai had remained unconscious the entire time, so how did she know his name? "Young lady, you said Brother Wencai has not yet awakened, so how do you know his name?"

"My surname is Xia, and my given name is Yunuo. I was a childhood playmate of Wencai's, though I lost touch with him after I dedicated myself to the life of these mountains and rivers," she replied.

So that was it. Ma Wencai certainly had a way with beautiful women. But still, "Lady Xia, what about the old wounds on Brother Wencai? Why does he have so many scars?"

Observing Xia Yunuo's reaction, I knew she was aware of the truth; there was not a trace of surprise in her expression.

Xia Yunuo walked slowly to the bedside and gently tucked the quilt around Ma Wencai. "When we were young, Prefect Ma was extremely strict with Wencai. He forced him to practice archery and calligraphy all day long. If anything fell short of his expectations, he would brutally lash Wencai with a horsewhip. These scars were left from those times. When we played together as children, Wencai was always reluctant to undress because he feared we would mock him."

So that was it. No wonder he had been in such a hurry to dress that day when I walked into his room; I had thought he simply had some strange quirk.

"Is Brother Wencai not Prefect Ma’s own son? I recall that he is an only child. How could his father be so cruel?" I could not imagine a father treating his son this way. I had thought my own father was heartless for disregarding our blood ties to force me into training, but I had not expected Ma Wencai’s father to be this vicious.

Xia Yunuo offered a faint smile, her eyes glistening. "Prefect Ma is cold-blooded and ruthless. What is a son to him? He even drove his own wife to hang herself. Wencai was only eight at the time. He was so terrified that he spent his days hiding in a cupboard, afraid to come out."

Prefect Ma’s wife must have been Ma Wencai’s mother. So, his habit of hiding in cupboards stemmed from his father’s cruelty. Prefect Ma was truly detestable. I looked at Ma Wencai’s sleeping face; no wonder he had mistaken me for his mother that night. He was just a boy who had lost his mother at a young age.

Alas, poor child!

Xia Yunuo gently wiped away a tear that had not yet fallen. "Look at me, rambling on. Your clothes are soaked through, young master. Let Xin'er take you to change."

"No, there is no need," I quickly declined. "My clothes are nearly dry, and besides, Lady Xia has no men's clothing here. I will just go outside and let them air out."

I did not want to be curled up under a quilt without clothes like Ma Wencai. He might have no shame, but I certainly did. Besides, I could not let them discover that I was a girl.

"Very well. Then I shall have Xin'er bring you some water to wash up. You have quite a few scrapes yourself; I will apply medicine for you later," Xia Yunuo said.

Now that she mentioned it, I realized my face was stinging, and there were several abrasions on my arms as well.

I followed Xia Yunuo downstairs, where Xin'er had prepared a bath for me. This mistress and her maid were truly kind—not only beautiful, but gentle and considerate. I suddenly wondered if this Xia Yunuo might be the person Zhu Yingtai had mentioned when she said Ma Wencai was in love.

My wounds had begun to fester from the water, so I did not dare soak in the hot bath. I simply wiped myself carefully with a cloth. Looking around, I spotted a bronze mirror. I could not see the wounds on my face, let alone clean them properly.

"Ah!" I let out a sharp cry as I looked into the mirror. I was horrified by my own reflection. My long hair was disheveled, and there were six gashes on my face. Although not deep, they were already festering. When I reached out to touch them, the skin felt uneven and bumpy. It was hideous. This was not me—this absolutely could not be me. I threw the mirror aside and burst into tears, crying out, "This is not me! It’s not me!"

I did not know why the tears came; perhaps I had grown attached to this face?

I cupped my face and curled up in the bedding, muffling my sobs. Even though this was not my face or my body, I still had to live here for five years. Now that I was ruined like this, how could I ever return to the academy? Yet, why did it hurt so much? Why was I so afraid, as if these scars would haunt me forever?

"Yiqing? Yiqing, are you in there? What happened? Say something!" Ma Wencai’s anxious knocking came from outside the door.

He was awake. No, I could not let him see my face. I buried my head deep into the quilt.

"Yiqing, open the door! Speak to me!" The bamboo door was kicked open by Ma Wencai. I hid beneath the covers, refusing to make a sound. I did not want anyone to see me like this.

Ma Wencai walked softly to the bedside and tugged at my quilt. "Yiqing, why are you hiding under there? You hate the heat more than anything, don't you? Come out."

There were footsteps—it seemed Xia Yunuo was there too. I gripped the quilt tightly, choking back a sob. "Don't touch me! Don't… don't touch me. Go away, leave me alone!"

"Yiqing, are you crying? What on earth happened? Come out!" Ma Wencai anxiously pulled at the quilt. I could barely hold onto it. "Let go! I beg you, let go!"

Ma Wencai finally stopped pulling. He glanced at Xia Yunuo. "Yunuo, thank you for saving us, but my classmate has a peculiar temperament. Could you step out for a moment? Let me speak with her."

"You get out too! I don't want to see anyone! Leave!" I screamed from beneath the quilt.

"What is the matter with you? Are you hurt?" Ma Wencai pulled at the quilt again. A tug-of-war began. "Let go! I am not hurt! I’m not!"

"If you aren't hurt, why are you crying? Yunuo clearly said you were injured. Get up!" We struggled over the quilt until Ma Wencai used his strength to yank it to the floor. I immediately covered my face, burying it into the pillow.

"You..." Ma Wencai gripped my trembling shoulders. "What happened to your face? Are you hurt? Let me see."

I covered my face with one hand and pushed him away with the other, trying to calm myself. "I'm fine. Don't look. Go away."

Strangely, the wounds on my face did not sting much anymore; perhaps they had gone numb from the water.

"No. Turn around." I remained buried in the pillow. Ma Wencai issued an ultimatum: "If you don't turn around, I will force you."

Before I could think of a way to escape, Ma Wencai pulled me up. Our eyes met, and I saw shock in his gaze. I hurriedly pushed him away and buried my face back into the pillow, turning my back to him.