Chapter 42: A Passion for the Cut Sleeve

Prefect Magistrate Ma wore a gentle expression as he saw me getting out of bed. Cupping his hands in a polite salute, he said, "Young Master Liu, thank you so much for taking care of Wencai over the past half-year here at the academy. I am here to have his belongings moved into Zhu Yingtai's room."

"Huh? Zhu Yingtai? What about Liang Shanbo?" Good grief, Ma Wencai was going to move in with Zhu Yingtai! They were engaged to be married. If they cohabited like this, weren't they afraid of two entering and three coming out? If Zhu Yingtai ended up pregnant at the academy, how on earth were Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai supposed to transform into butterflies? I was completely baffled. What kind of play were they putting on?

Prefect Magistrate Ma placed his hands behind his back, and the moment Liang Shanbo was mentioned, his expression immediately darkened into displeasure. "Hmph, Liang Shanbo, a lowly commoner who is about to be expelled from the academy, will naturally be moving into the servants' quarters."

Damn it, they really are father and son, always spitting out the word 'commoner'. Just you wait, Liang Shanbo is definitely not leaving, and I couldn't care less about what you do.

Matong and the Ma family servants carried Ma Wencai's scattered belongings right out the door.

"What are you doing? Put those down!" From far away, I heard Ma Wencai's roar, followed immediately by the clattering and crashing sounds of things being thrown outside.

"Wencai, what are you making such a huge fuss about?" Prefect Magistrate Ma demanded angrily.

"I don't want to move, and I won't move," Ma Wencai replied.

Prefect Magistrate Ma snorted coldly from his nose and said with fury, "Move you will, whether you want to or not!"

Standing at the doorway, I watched from a distance as Yinxin and Sijiu hurried over. "Prefect Magistrate Ma, what right do you have to throw my young master's things out?"

"Insolent! Who do you think you are, speaking to me like that? Your young master is about to be expelled from the academy anyway; occupying a room is just a waste." Prefect Magistrate Ma put his hands behind his back, striking an arrogant pose. Truly, father and son are cut from the exact same cloth.

"Whether Liang Shanbo is expelled from the academy has nothing to do with me. I am not moving," Ma Wencai declared.

"You—" Prefect Magistrate Ma glared furiously, then turned around to snap at Matong, "Matong, move the young master's things into Zhu Yingtai's room immediately!"

Ma Wencai narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over every single Ma family servant. "Any of you dare to touch a single thing, and we'll see what happens."

This Ma Wencai was acting so strange. Didn't he demand that Zhu Yingtai move in with him the moment he arrived at the academy? What had gotten into him now? Not only was he refusing to move, but he was also actively undermining his own father.

Just as the father and son were locked in a stalemate, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai hurried over, and not far away, Xia Yunuo was also walking toward them.

It seemed a great many students had come to watch the spectacle. It appeared that people in ancient times were quite fond of gossip as well.

"Lord Ma, since Wencai is unwilling to move in and share a room with me, why must you make things difficult for us?" Zhu Yingtai asked.

"Hmph, I am making things difficult for you?" Prefect Magistrate Ma stared at Zhu Yingtai with a gloomy expression. "You are the one who brought shame upon the Ma family first, Zhu Yingtai. Things have reached this point—did you really expect me to just sit back and do nothing?"

Prefect Magistrate Ma wasn't wrong. If I were in his shoes, I would have canceled the engagement right away. Who would want a daughter-in-law like this? Forget it!

People in ancient times were so conservative in their thinking; I could hardly imagine how Ma Wencai managed to endure it all. Brother Wencai, you are truly a superhuman!

"Lord Ma, what is that supposed to mean? What did Yingtai ever do to bring shame upon the Ma family?" Liang Shanbo jumped to Zhu Yingtai's defense. Anyone who didn't know Zhu Yingtai's true identity would indeed find it difficult to understand what brought shame upon the Ma family.

"Hehehe..." Suddenly, a burst of laughter came from Xia Yunuo, sounding both mocking and cold. This Xia Yunuo was truly an inscrutable person. She walked up to Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, looked them over carefully, and slowly spoke, "What did she do? Hehehe... Shouldn't Zhu Yingtai know that clearly in her heart? Shameless and utterly lacking in morals."

Xia Yunuo was truly a venomous viper emerging from its nest, a visitor bearing ill intentions.

Upon hearing this, Liang Shanbo immediately sank his face, stepped forward largely, and argued, "Young lady, please show some respect with your words. Are you saying Yingtai deserves to be insulted simply because she and I became sworn brothers?"

"Respect?" Xia Yunuo arched an eyebrow. "Does a mere commoner like you, Liang Shanbo, deserve to talk to me about respect? Respect is reserved for those who are worthy of it." She shifted her gaze toward Zhu Yingtai. "As for Zhu Yingtai, are you worthy of my respect?"

This Xia Yunuo always maintained a detached gaze, as if she could see through everything, yet her graceful gestures carried a fiercely piercing intensity.

A terrifying woman!

"The young lady speaks the truth. This Zhu Yingtai is utterly debased, wallowing in the filth with lowlifes." Liu Dongxiang was once again standing off to the side, sneering and clapping mockingly. He was truly asking for a beating.

"Liu Dongxiang, shut your dog mouth." Damn it, I despised sycophantic little villains who borrowed others' power to bully people more than anything else.

I stepped forward with large strides, pulled Shanbo over to the doorway, and glared with furious indignation at Ma Wencai and his father. "If you're going to move, hurry up and do it. Don't get in the way of this young master's rest."

"Sijiu, move your young master's luggage into my room. Ma Wencai and Zhu Yingtai share deep feelings for one another; it is entirely reasonable and justified for them to share a room and a bed. The rest of you should stop meddling blindly." I pulled Shanbo toward the interior of the room. However, Liang Shanbo was being thoroughly uncooperative, his eyes fixed longingly on Zhu Yingtai.

"No, you won't!" Ma Wencai grabbed Liang Shanbo's arm and shoved him away forcefully. "I won't allow it! I forbid the two of you from living together!"

"What right do you have to forbid it? Whether we live together or not, what business is it of yours?" I gave Ma Wencai an annoyed look, then pulled Shanbo into the room. Yet Liang Shanbo continued to stare straight at Zhu Yingtai.

"Just because this is my room!" Ma Wencai gripped both of my shoulders, and I could feel a sharp pain where his fingers dug in. "I simply refuse to let you sleep with another man! Believe me, I never once thought about moving into Zhu Yingtai's room. I don't want to move, and I won't move! Believe me, please believe me!"

I froze for a moment. Ma Wencai's expression was intensely urgent, and in his eyes, I also caught a rare trace of insecurity and grievance. Could it be that he still regarded me as a woman all this time? If Ma Wencai had truly fallen in love with Liu Yiqing, how on earth could the romance between Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai possibly continue?

I stared into his eyes in sheer panic. Just as I was wondering how to respond, a pair of arms suddenly reached out, grabbing Ma Wencai by the collar. With a loud "crack," Prefect Magistrate Ma landed a ferocious slap right across Ma Wencai's right cheek.

Everyone present was stunned, including myself. I never expected Prefect Magistrate Ma to strike his own son in front of everyone else, and the blow was by no means light.

"You unfilial wretch!" Veins bulged on Prefect Magistrate Ma's forehead as his trembling arm pointed straight at Ma Wencai's face. "How did I end up with a shameless son like you? Have you forgotten everything I taught you since you were a child? Get down on your knees!"

Ma Wencai clutched his face, his knees hitting the floor. His eye sockets were red and tearful, his gaze flickering—he was terrified, desperate to escape.

"Ma Tai, fetch the riding crop!" Prefect Magistrate Ma commanded.

The crowd began whispering amongst themselves in private. I knew that in all of their eyes, I was perceived as a man. For Ma Wencai to blurt out those words just now undoubtedly made others suspect he was gay, and even Prefect Magistrate Ma would be no exception.