TATSD Chapter 84

Everyone else was eating and drinking, and the atmosphere with Ji Wei was lively and cheerful. However, Zhao Mianguang harbored different feelings towards Liu Yimian. He felt a sharp sting inside him and couldn’t seem to integrate into the jovial scene, sitting silently in a corner.

Seeing this, Ji Baoshan approached him and winked, saying, “Mianguang, you’re unusually quiet today. This isn’t like you. What’s wrong? Feeling down? Or is the food not to your liking?”

“It shouldn’t be. This cake is sweet and delicious, soft and fluffy—truly a treat. But I’ve noticed you’ve been wearing a long face since earlier. Did someone here upset you?” Zhao Mianguang wasn’t usually one to keep quiet; when he was with Lin Tai, they would talk non-stop.

Yet, for some reason, he had been speaking less these days and hadn’t been around Lin Tai much.

He had, however, developed a lot more patience, often answering Liu Yimian’s questions. Ji Baoshan was suspicious but had refrained from asking until now. Seeing Zhao Mianguang like this, he felt he had to speak up.

“It’s nothing much, just the weather is hot, and I don’t have much of an appetite. Though the cake is good, it feels a bit too sweet for me. If you like it, you can have my piece; I don’t want to waste what Young Master Ji went to the trouble of bringing us.” Zhao Mianguang pushed the cake towards Ji Baoshan, who paused and then placed a hand on Zhao Mianguang’s arm.

“What are you doing? If I give it to you, it’s meant for you,” Ji Baoshan said with a smile. He leaned in close to Zhao Mianguang and lowered his voice, “Even if you don’t like it, you shouldn’t say so in front of Ji Wei. He brought this for Liu Yimian, and we’re just enjoying the leftovers. You’re not usually so tactless; you’ve gone a bit too far today.”

Hearing Ji Baoshan’s words made Zhao Mianguang’s heart jolt.

He realized he wasn’t the type to let things bother him this much. There was no need for him to lose his composure in front of others, especially not to give them a chance to look down on him.

“You’re right, Baoshan. I should give it a try. Besides thanking Young Master Ji, I need to thank Yimian as well.” Zhao Mianguang smiled, sitting on the stool and bowing to Liu Yimian. “If it weren’t for your good fortune, we wouldn’t even get to eat such a rare treat.”

“How could that be…” Liu Yimian opened his mouth to speak, but Ji Wei grabbed his wrist, and he immediately fell silent, looking a bit lost.

“If Young Master Zhao doesn’t like this, there’s no need to force yourself. Everyone has their preferences; you can’t push that,” Ji Wei said, leaning back against the bed and looking at Zhao Mianguang with a smile.

“How can you say that? How do you know you don’t like it if you haven’t tried it?” Zhao Mianguang took a bite of the cake, his face lighting up with enjoyment. He opened his eyes again, looking clearly at Ji Wei, and shook his head. “Now that I’ve tried it, I can say this cake you made, Young Master Ji, is indeed sweet but not overwhelming, and it’s quite delicious.”

“Traveling all the way here in this hot weather, it’s lucky the cake didn’t melt. It seems even the heavens wanted you to have a taste,” Ji Wei remarked. Once a cake is made, it’s best kept refrigerated to maintain its shape.

But in a place like this, where there’s nothing, how could they have a refrigerator? Inside the shop, they could use well water to cool things down, but once they were out, they could only wrap the box in thick cotton to keep it from melting, which is how they managed to bring the cake to the academy intact.

“Although Changliu Town is next to Daxi Town, it still takes quite a while to get here. Since Young Master Ji brought the cake to the academy, it shows he cares for Yimian. But I don’t understand—if you care about him, how can you let him stay in this unfamiliar place?” Zhao Mianguang’s gaze was sharp, piercing directly at Ji Wei as if trying to see into his heart.

But how could Ji Wei be intimidated by his intensity?

He casually turned away, tightening his grip on Liu Yimian’s wrist and looking deeply into his eyes. “Yes, Daxi Town is far away. Why would I send him, a young gentleman, to a school full of boys?”

“Ji Ge…?” Liu Yimian looked at Ji Wei, his heart twisting in knots.

Zhao Mianguang’s gaze remained fixed on Ji Wei.

“Who says he doesn’t like studying?”

Ji Wei sighed, showing a hint of helplessness on his face. “I can’t teach him. If I don’t let him come to the academy, won’t I be delaying his education? Even the scholar praised him for being smart and a good candidate for learning.”

“Only you could come up with such an idea; a normal person wouldn’t let Liu Di come to the academy,” Lin Tai couldn’t help but comment.

Although he didn’t feel much about Liu Yimian attending the academy.

Most of the students there didn’t see it that way. They clamored for Liu Yimian to return home, believing that a young gentleman should stay home to manage family affairs and raise children, rather than sit in the same classroom with them, practicing calligraphy, studying, and writing essays.

For most people, they felt offended by it.

“Even Mianguang once had the same doubts in the past.”

As soon as Lin Tai said this, Zhao Mianguang felt his energy dissipate. Coming face to face with Ji Wei’s half-smiling expression, he felt embarrassed, and his cheeks burned with shame.

“Lotus flowers are elegant and refined, while pearls are precious and splendid. One comes from the mud, the other from the sand, yet I have never seen anyone disdain them for their humble origins. Moreover, although young gentlemen are somewhat different from men, according to the laws of Da Qian, they are no different from ordinary men. The reason young gentlemen today hold a lower status than men is due to the constraints of societal views. If people didn’t look down on young gentlemen, comparing them to women, there would be no young gentlemen studying in the county school today. If someone were to bravely defy public opinion and accomplish what ordinary people cannot, when he stands at the peaks that most cannot reach, even if he is a young gentleman, people would only call him a genius!”

Even though Ji Wei had not been by Liu Yimian’s side to witness the exclusion he faced from his classmates, just thinking about the unavoidable gender and racial discrimination present even in modern times made him realize what kind of life Liu Yimian must have been living at the academy.

Liu Yimian slightly raised his head and looked at the ceiling, not wanting tears to fall and be seen by others, revealing his weakness.

He had never intended to let Ji Wei know about his experiences at the academy, nor did he want to burden him. But the exclusion and coldness from others still caused him to cry silently at night.

Ji Wei’s words today felt like the dawn breaking after a long night, making all his grievances and helplessness dissipate at that moment.

Even if Ji Wei were no longer by his side in the future, these words could continue to protect and accompany him, guiding him away from his uncertainty.

Liu Yimian sniffed and suddenly felt the room closing in on him.

“I need to get some fresh air.” He muttered before lowering his head and rushing out of the room, hiding in the bamboo forest.

The bamboo forest was empty, with only him present. Liu Yimian no longer had to fear being seen by others; he leaned against the bamboo, covering his face and crying.

“That’s a fresh perspective; I’ve never heard anyone say that before.” Ji Baoshan was taken aback, and if Liu Yimian hadn’t run out, startling him awake, he might still be lost in thought.

Young gentlemen are rare and often looked down upon because they are weaker than ordinary men and less capable of childbirth than women.

According to Ji Wei, however, young gentlemen are not useless; in fact, they are much more fortunate than women.

At least in legal terms, they have the same status as men. What women can do, young gentlemen can do too. If a young gentleman has the ability, he can achieve what ordinary men can do.

“Listening to you is indeed better than reading ten years’ worth of books,” Ji Baoshan couldn’t help but exclaim.

“What’s so difficult about it? It’s just that those involved are confused while the bystanders see clearly,” Ji Wei replied nonchalantly.

He came from a world where everyone is equal. If he had grown up in such an environment, perhaps he would be like them.

If he could change their perspectives, that would be a good thing.

“You have great talent; I can’t compare to you!” Zhao Mianguang slammed his fist on the table. Before the others could react, he raised his sleeve to cover his face and hurriedly left.

“Mianguang, where are you going?” Lin Tai could only call after him, but by the time he finished speaking, Zhao Mianguang had already vanished from sight.

“Hey, what’s going on with him? He doesn’t seem quite right,” Ji Baoshan said, chasing a few steps and standing at the door, watching Zhao Mianguang retreat into the distance, his brow furrowed tightly. “He seemed fine at noon. It was just after he entered the room that he started speaking oddly.”

“It’s not surprising; that’s human nature.”

“What kind of human nature? I feel like you’re speaking in riddles,” Ji Baoshan walked over to Lin Tai. “Do you know something?”

“I don’t know what it is, but I do know that you shouldn’t seek him out these days. With his temperament, he’ll sort it out himself after a while.”

“You all stay here; I’ll step out for a moment. If you’re leaving, just close the door for me.”

Lin Tai nodded knowingly and waved his hand, saying, “Go ahead; stay out as long as you want, don’t mind us.”

Ji Wei laughed heartily as he stepped outside.

Liu Yimian wiped his tears and was heading back inside when he happened to see Zhao Mianguang hurriedly leaving, covering his face and looking flustered, as if something had happened.

“Where are you going, Ji Ge?” Liu Yimian called out to Ji Wei, who had just stepped outside after him, rushing to his side.

Unbeknownst to him, his eyes were red, like a rabbit’s, clearly showing he had been crying.

“I came to find you,” Ji Wei said, reaching out to pluck a dry, yellow leaf from Liu Yimian’s hair. He smiled and added, “Didn’t notice the leaf on your head? If I hadn’t spotted it, you would’ve become a laughingstock.”

Liu Yimian gasped and instinctively reached up to touch his head. “Are there any more?”

“No, that’s it.”

Ji Wei blew the leaf away.

Liu Yimian felt shy under Ji Wei’s gaze, lowering his eyes to stare at his collar. “Why did Mianguang leave in such a hurry? What happened just now?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. He just feels he still has room for improvement and is busy going back to reflect on things.”

“Mianguang is so ambitious; I can’t fall behind either.” Liu Yimian suddenly tugged at Ji Wei’s sleeve. “You should go lie back down and drink some hot water. I’ll go get that book; it should be…”

“It’s just a mild heatstroke.”

“But—”

“Either I go get it, or you come with me. You choose.”

“Then… let’s go together.” Liu Yimian’s heart raced, his hands twisted in front of him, feeling a bit nervous.

They hadn’t seen each other in a while, and with the rare opportunity to be alone together, he felt a bit shy.

Ji Wei was tall and had long strides. After a few steps, he noticed Liu Yimian wasn’t following and turned around, extending a hand towards him, urging, “Hurry up! At this rate, it’ll be dark before you get back.”

The stable wasn’t far away. Liu Yimian assumed Ji Wei was just impatient with his slow pace and hurried to catch up. “I’m sorry, Ji Ge! I’m walking too slowly; I’ll definitely—”

Suddenly, Liu Yimian froze, lowering his head, staring blankly at their clasped hands, unable to react for a moment.

“That’s better. I walk fast, so you need to keep up,” Ji Wei tightened his grip on Liu Yimian’s hand, flashed a smile, and started pulling him forward, even as Liu Yimian remained stiff with surprise.

He had thought it was just a small affection.

But when he noticed Zhao Mianguang’s watchful eyes and subtle provocations, a sense of displeasure welled up in him, making it hard to swallow.

The thought that Zhao Mianguang might deliberately get closer when he wasn’t around, pressuring him and potentially sowing discord between him and Liu Yimian, made Ji Wei unable to hold back from confronting him, even forcing him to leave with his face covered.

Ji Wei admitted to himself that he was a bit petty.

“Next time you see him, thank Zhao Mianguang for me,” Ji Wei said with a smile, sweeping away the gloom from earlier.

Liu Yimian felt a bit dazed, sensing something was off but unable to pinpoint it. He hadn’t quite absorbed Ji Wei’s words, simply saying, “Uh-huh,” and looking at him with wide, innocent eyes.

“If you didn’t hear me, then forget it. Just stay away from Zhao Mianguang from now on.” Ji Wei raised their joined hands and tightened his grip.

Liu Yimian winced slightly and frowned, responding with a soft “okay.”

“Yimian, please grow up quickly.”

Ji Wei brushed aside the stray hair from Liu Yimian’s forehead and gently caressed his cheek.

The warm afternoon breeze felt intoxicating, and Liu Yimian seemed to be in a daze.

“…What did you say? Can you say it again?”