Chapter 62 Women

I was so astonished that I shoved the window open, eager to get a clearer look. The token of eternal love between Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai was now in the hands of Ma Wencai and Zhu Yingtai, one piece each. How utterly absurd was this?

Disregarding their startled expressions and weird gazes, I pushed the door open immediately, pointed at the two jade butterflies, and demanded, "Ma Wencai, why is this jade butterfly in your hands? This is clearly... clearly..."

Ma Wencai looked at me, striking a nonchalant pose. "Clearly what? Don't tell me, Brother Yiqing, that this jade pendant belongs to you."

"Of course it doesn't belong to me." I turned to Zhu Yingtai, who was also gazing at me with a puzzled look. "Zhu Yingtai, isn't this pair of jade pendants yours?"

Zhu Yingtai placed the two jade butterflies back into the jade box, and to my surprise, their sizes matched perfectly. "This pair of jade butterflies originally belonged to Wencai's mother. When we were young, she gave one piece to me and kept the other with Wencai. Is there a problem?"

These two jade butterflies belonged to Ma Wencai's mother? Could this possibly be a betrothal token between Ma Wencai and Zhu Yingtai? Good heavens, what kind of chaotic turn of events was this? Were Liang and Zhu still Liang and Zhu? They might as well rename the story to Ma and Zhu.

With sheer disbelief written all over my face, I walked out of Ma Wencai's room. It seemed the story of Liang and Zhu could not proceed according to modern comprehension. From now on, I had to closely observe their movements and meticulously record their affairs. It looked like the romance of Liang and Zhu was about to be rewritten by me.

Zhu Yingtai looked at Ma Wencai in complete bewilderment and asked hesitatingly, "Wencai, there are some things I don't know whether I should ask, but... what on earth is going on between you and Liu Yiqing?"

"What is going on between us? Absolutely nothing," Ma Wencai replied with absolute calm.

"Wencai, we grew up together since childhood. In this academy, who knows you better than I do? Why must you deceive me?" Zhu Yingtai asked.

"Hahaha..." Ma Wencai let out a low chuckle. "Yingtai, are you joking? When have you ever truly understood me? Even if no one else in the entire academy understands me, there is at least one person who can comprehend my soul."

A look of awkwardness crossed Zhu Yingtai's face. Believing she had spent over a decade with Ma Wencai and should be the person who understood him best, she never expected to be so easily dismissed by the man himself. "Who is it? Liu Yiqing?"

Ma Wencai nodded. "Yes, exactly her."

Zhu Yingtai lowered her head in silence for a moment before continuing, "Fine, even if he understands you, even if she can comprehend you, you can be friends, brothers, or soulmates, but you cannot... you cannot have that kind of relationship."

"What kind of relationship? Do you also think we harbor the cut-sleeve affection?" Ma Wencai asked.

"What else? Everyone in the entire academy is gossiping about it, and besides, I saw it with my own eyes. Your relationship is far from ordinary."

Instead of getting angry, Ma Wencai merely smiled. "And what about you and Liang Shanbo? Do you dare say you have no special feelings for him? I saw that with my own eyes as well."

Frowning in perplexity, Zhu Yingtai argued, "How can the two of us be compared to the two of you? Even if I do have special feelings for him, that is only human nature. But you two—you are both grown men, and you shouldn't have any abnormal feelings between you."

"Hahaha..." Ma Wencai took a gentle sip of his tea and smiled at Zhu Yingtai's baffled expression. "If you can disguise yourself as a man to study in this academy, why can't someone else? Do you really believe there is a man in this world more delicate than you, a woman?"

"What?" Zhu Yingtai gasped in shock. "You... are you saying that Liu Yiqing is also a woman?"

"What do you think? Would I ever harbor special feelings for a man?" Ma Wencai countered with a question.

Suddenly, a wave of realization dawned upon Zhu Yingtai, and her expression shifted to one of sudden enlightenment. "That's right! Although Liu Yiqing is tall, her frame is slender and her skin is fair and tender. Compared to me, her features are even more delicate. How could I have never thought that she was also a woman? No wonder you never deigned to pay attention to the rumors outside."

"I simply refuse to argue with them over this matter. After all, making a big fuss would do Yiqing no good, and you might even get dragged into it."

"Me? Shanbo and I have always been entirely innocent; he has no idea I am a woman. But you two—a lone man and a single woman sharing a room for so long—surely you didn't do anything improper, which is why Liu Yiqing moved into Brother Lantian's room, did you?" Zhu Yingtai asked.

Ma Wencai glanced at Zhu Yingtai with disdain. "I, Ma Wencai, have always been a gentleman of integrity. I would never commit such petty acts."

"Then why did Liu Yiqing move into Brother Lantian's room? She clearly knows that kind of relationship is impossible between you two. Since you were able to discover her identity, Brother Lantian will undoubtedly discover it too. Wasn't she afraid?" Zhu Yingtai asked.

Ma Wencai emitted a bitter chuckle. "Perhaps she actually wants Wang Lantian to discover she is a woman. Remember when we went down the mountain to find Tao Yuanming? She spent thirty liang of gold to buy a folding fan and ended up giving it to Wang Lantian. Isn't it obvious that she fancies Wang Lantian? Even if she refuses to admit it, I see her moving into Wang Lantian's room, the two of them getting along famously—carving things and making kites together."

Ma Wencai raised his teacup and emptied it into his mouth, looking thoroughly displeased.

"Are you saying she likes Brother Lantian?" Zhu Yingtai furrowed her brow in deep thought, then shook her head. "That's hardly likely. Although Brother Lantian is talented and treats Yiqing like a brother, his time is running short. How could Yiqing possibly fall for him?"

"His time is running short? I heard Liu Xiangdong and the others mention before that Wang Lantian is destined for an early death. Could that actually be true?"

Zhu Yingtai nodded, a tinge of sorrow washing over her as she recalled Wang Lantian's current state and thought back to when she first entered the academy a year ago. "You hadn't entered the academy yet back then. The reason Yiqing moved out of Brother Lantian's room was precisely because Brother Lantian was poisoned with a lethal toxin. Madam said he could only survive for three years at most, and he relies entirely on medicine to sustain his life. To make it easier to take care of him, the Headmistress had Yiqing move out of his room."

"Brother Lantian never eats in the dining hall and never goes out at night. Haven't you noticed?" Zhu Yingtai asked with genuine curiosity. Such an antisocial and living presence existed right in the academy, yet Ma Wencai had remained completely oblivious.

"Why would I waste my time observing him? How boring!" Ma Wencai shot Zhu Yingtai a glance. In truth, he had never once suspected that Zhu Yingtai was a man. "Yingtai, living alone now suits you well. Be careful in everything you do from now on, and make sure no one sees through your disguise. Also, Yiqing already knows you are a woman."

"Ah!" Zhu Yingtai shrieked in utter terror. "How did she find out? Did you tell her?"