The Heroine Disguises Herself As A Man To Enter The Academy, And The Hero Loses His Memory And Forgets his First Love. - Chapter 5

The night breeze was cool, and the sky was filled with stars. Two unnecessary objects were cleared away from the main entrance of Chunfen Tower.

Outside the gate, the unnamed young master’s sedan still stood parked by the side, with an attendant keeping watch beside it—as if ready for him to jump down the stairs at any moment and make a quick escape.

Zhu Bafu yawned as he hopped down the front steps of Chunfen Tower. Li Chenjing clearly had no intention of following the order to escort him home. The moment he exited Liu Rongrong’s room, he walked off quickly, as if staying a moment longer near Zhu Bafu would infect him with some kind of disease.

“Pfft! Honestly now! One man escorting another man home? That’s just weird! And he didn’t even ask if I needed someone to see me off. Hmph! It’s best he walked away on his own.”

Fortunately, no brawl broke out—time to head home!

Adjusting his waistband, Zhu Bafu began humming a tune as he prepared to leave. But the moment his hand brushed against the waistline, he felt a crumpled piece of paper and gasped sharply. Only then did he remember his actual task for entering the brothel—he was supposed to deliver a love letter to Li Chenjing!

Damn it! He had gotten too caught up in the love-triangle drama earlier—two men fighting over one woman—and had completely forgotten the serious errand Lord Long had entrusted him with!

“Li Chenjing, Young Master Li, please! Don’t run too far away just because you don’t want to see your ex cuddling someone else! Come on, let me at least finish this task half-decently!”

Slapping his forehead, he quickly turned and ran in Li Chenjing’s direction.

“Young Master Li! Please wait! Young Master Li!”

“…”

“Don’t ignore me, sir! I only helped that other young master bump the door a little! That wasn’t me—it was him who kicked me into it!”

“…”

“You can’t just ignore me! At least turn around and look at me! I’ve been chasing you so hard, you know!”

“…”

“Li—”

Thud!

“Oof! Ow, my nose! Couldn’t you at least say something before stopping so suddenly?!”

“You’re very noisy.” Li Chenjing stopped in his tracks and hurled the words at him with clear annoyance.

“That’s because you kept walking nonstop! I didn’t want to shout outside a brothel either, you know! I’m a scholar, after all!”

“Why are you following me? What do you want?”

“No, no! You’ve misunderstood. I have absolutely no interest in your private life. It’s just that—by some bad luck—I happened to see a teeny tiny bit of… that… hehe. But I promise I won’t tell anyone!”

“…!” A cold, fierce glare.

“Don’t be so unfriendly! A real man doesn’t worry about finding a wife. Women, they come and go. You should just move on. I know you’re in a bad mood now, and really, I shouldn’t be bothering you at this time. But I’m desperate. So please, just take this, even if only out of pity.”

Holding a wrinkled piece of folded paper in both hands, Zhu Bafu bowed his head in guilt and offered it up.

His fair, delicate hands and slender fingers looked like they belonged to a child in Li Chenjing’s eyes. Except for his eyes, all his facial features were small and crowded together on his face. Right now, he was burying his head between his arms like a shy girl, bashfully trying to hand over a letter.

To be honest, Li Chenjing had no patience to continue playing around with this little fool, nor did he have the slightest interest in knowing what was written in the letter—which he was sure would be full of crass words, mismatched rhymes, and self-proclaimed poetry, no doubt dressed up as a “love letter.”

“A love letter?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

A soft, mocking snort escaped his lips. Just as he raised a hand to push it away, he happened to glance up and see the paper window on the side wall of Chunfen Tower being gently pushed open by a delicate hand.

A graceful figure leaned lazily against the windowsill, poking her head out to peer down the road he would take home. The flickering candlelight from inside reflected off her lovely features, dancing and swaying.

Liu Rongrong.

She was observing him, trying to gauge his emotions, guessing whether this would truly be the last time—as he had said—the last time she used him as a tool for goading someone else.

A cool breeze blew by, making the lanterns hanging under Chunfen Tower’s eaves sway slightly. The boy in front of him shivered at the chill, letting out a soft hiss. He timidly raised his head and bit his lip, casting a small pout. The candlelight spilled over his features, making him look especially delicate and captivating in the night. The glow shimmered in his large black eyes, his small nose tilted up charmingly, and his lips, in the shifting light, appeared sharply defined, ringed with a gentle halo.

…Like a woman. Like a woman looking shyly and lovingly at her sweetheart, bashful and flustered.

So why not treat him as a woman?

He admitted—he had gone mad. He was clearly desperate, and in the momentary flicker of the lantern, he caught the feminine aura radiating from this young boy. He admitted he was acting recklessly in resistance. He admitted he had no better way to escape this situation and had dragged the boy down with him.

But in that instant, he simply couldn’t stop himself.

Leaning forward slightly, he raised his arm. His wide sleeve drew a graceful arc as he pulled the boy into his embrace, gathering him entirely into his robe, holding him tightly against his chest.

“Li-Li-Li-Li Young Master! Wha-wha-what are you doing?! How could you hug me?! I—I have a man’s dignity too! This is outrageous, indecent, and against all proper manners!”

“Shh. Quiet.” Li Chenjing tightened his hold slightly, bringing him closer and whispering in his ear with a threatening hum.

“I can be quiet, but you don’t have to hug so tightly, do you?” His cheek was rubbing against Li Chenjing’s firm chest. This was crossing the line!

“I’ll loosen up a bit.” He did so slightly but still possessively held his shoulder. Seeing that Zhu Bafu was about to squirm away, he raised an eyebrow and warned coldly, “Don’t move. Or forget about me taking your love letter.”

“Ugh! Using that to threaten me?! You’re a prime minister’s son—how can you be so shameless and vile?!”

“…!” Glare.

“Fine… fine! If you’ll take the letter, then fine! A real man isn’t afraid of a little tofu touching! If you want to hug, then hug. I’m not scared!”

Finally accepting reality, Zhu Bafu shut his eyes, puffed up his chest, and stood on tiptoe, wearing an expression of noble sacrifice, inching closer and closer—before abruptly brushing his lips against Li Chenjing’s slightly parted ones.

For a heartbeat, both froze—startled, forgetting their original intentions—standing dumbfounded, staring at each other, unsure how to handle the sudden spark.

His cheek, grazed by those gem-like lips, was now burning.

He was dressed as a man—and had just been pulled into Young Master Li’s embrace. Sure, it was a forced hug, but that kiss… that one was his fault for impulsively tiptoeing into it.

Clutching his cheek, he didn’t dare look at Li Chenjing again. With all his strength, he shoved him away and turned to flee.

But after just two steps, he turned back, thrust the letter into Li Chenjing’s hand with an angry huff.

“You said if I let you hug me, you’d take the love letter! A real man keeps his word! Take it, you bastard!”

Flinging the letter at him with all his might, Zhu Bafu let out a dramatic huff and ran off in a flurry.

That exaggeratedly heroic and macho exit made Li Chenjing raise a brow.

Watching his retreating back, Li Chenjing covered his mouth with his sleeve and lowered his eyes. He glanced sideways—Liu Rongrong had already vanished from the window.

He scoffed lightly. Reflecting on his earlier behavior, he had to admit—it was absurd and laughable.

Looking down at the love letter forcefully shoved into his hand, curiosity got the better of him. What could this “manly” fellow have written?

He unfolded the paper.

“From the quiet woods and green boughs, I long to hang upon your branch.
From afar, I gaze at the heavens, not knowing if you sense my longing.”

He was caught off guard—his heart thumped unexpectedly.

He never imagined receiving a love poem… from a man.

He never imagined that behind all that mad posturing and nonsense, the boy actually had some literary talent.

He never imagined… that his own name could be used so beautifully in verse.

Blushing, heart pounding, Zhu Bafu had run far away before finally collapsing against a dark wall, panting to calm the storm of emotions within. Raising a sleeve to wipe his sweat, a faint scent of green sandalwood lingered on his fingertips—the scent he’d picked up from Li Chenjing.

He sniffed his fingers, and recalling what had just happened, scowled and kicked the wall in frustration.

He had been entirely engulfed in Li Chenjing’s embrace. His nose was filled with that scent. He was tightly pressed into that chest like he was something desperately needed.

That damned man! Just because he was the prime minister’s son, did that give him the right to treat others however he pleased? Arrogant! Condescending! Self-important! Why had he behaved so gentlemanly before the unnamed young master, but changed completely with him—hugging him out of nowhere and acting like he was doing him a favor by accepting the letter?

Did Zhu Bafu want to throw himself at the noble son of a prime minister? Did he look that eager to write to him?

Pfft! Did that guy even understand what it meant to be desperate?

Maybe the rumors weren’t all false. That Li family son probably had… unspeakable preferences. Always targeting soft, youthful boys like him. But… if he liked men, why hang around brothels? He clearly had something with Liu Rongrong. Their relationship was so ambiguous.

Could it be… he just swings both ways?

Yuck! That’s heavy taste!

Zhu Bafu shuddered all over. Thinking about how he had been hugged and rubbed all over made his scalp tingle. He frantically tried to brush off his clothes.

“Hope I didn’t catch some weird disease. Ugh! I need to wash up, now!”

Zhu Bafu’s home… well, calling it a home was generous. It was a shabby little house tucked in a winding alley on the outskirts of the capital.

The path home was so narrow that two people had to turn sideways to pass each other. No stone paving—just dusty, muddy potholes. Every time he returned, he had to roll up his sleeves and pant legs and scrape the mud off his feet at the door.

As for the people at home, there was only one—

“Where were you?” A scolding voice asked at the door, low and stern.

“Uh… uh…” Coming straight from a brothel wasn’t something he could say.

“Coming home this late, dressed like that, sleeves rolled up, pants rolled—have you thought about how your father would feel?”

“…Little Nine.”

“The couplet you posted outside? I tore it down.”

“Huh? Why’d you do that? That was my livelihood! I was planning to bring it to Wuyashufang tomorrow!”

“You tell me—what did you write on it?”

“Fake name, fake address… tricking meals, tricking money, tricking feelings… Ending phrase: ‘Only fools take the bait.’”

“A vulgar, filthy couplet like that—you don’t think I was right to rip it up?” Arms crossed, brows raised.

“…Yeah…” Though honestly, such honesty in marketing was rare. What shopkeeper was ever this straightforward?

“Good. As long as you know. Dinner’s ready. Come eat.”

“Oh…”

“Change out of those clothes first. You’re a girl, for heaven’s sake. Always in men’s clothes, running around like a ruffian. I almost forgot you’re a lady. Sigh!”

He turned and walked back in.

“And I almost forgot—you’re only nine years old, Zhu Xiaojiu!”

Zhu Xiaojiu, male, relation to the head of household: sibling. Recently turned nine. Barely reached Zhu Bafu’s chest, yet wielded all the power in the Zhu household. All earned money went to him. All household expenses were under his control. Always blank-faced, his biggest expression was a dry smile showing four teeth—which only appeared when Zhu Bafu asked for money to buy snacks.

That smile meant: “No way, idiot. Dream on.”

Zhu Bafu’s first daily task when entering the house was to empty his pockets. All his clothes had to be turned in to Zhu Xiaojiu for inspection—outer robe to inner shirt, even his fan—because once, he’d tried hiding money inside the folds of a paper fan. Everything except undergarments had to be handed over outside the door before he was allowed to change into his proper “girl” clothes.

Flowing skirts with wide sleeves, a high-collared waistcoat, hair falling to the waist, two cheap tassel accessories added as a token effort, embroidered shoes peeking from under the hem—like that, she strutted to the table, sat down, picked up her chopsticks, scooped a huge mouthful of rice—

—and choked when Zhu Xiaojiu spoke.

“Men in women’s clothes. Weird.”

Cough cough! “You’re impossible! You say I have no manners in men’s clothes, and now you say I’m weird in a dress. What do you want from me?!”

“Then stop wearing men’s clothes in front of me.” He calmly kept eating.

Zhu Bafu frowned. “Then how am I supposed to earn money?”

“I can earn money too.”

“Your little errand boy pay at the Dongxu residence isn’t even enough to cover Dad’s expenses over there.”

“…” Rare silence. Xiaojiu hopped down, took out a small tin from under the bed, and started counting coins. “This round should just barely be enough. Did your ex-fiancé say when his caravan will return to the capital?”

Zhu Bafu rolled her eyes and chewed on a pickle. “Ex-fiancé, okay? He called off the engagement eight hundred years ago. He’s already been married half a year. Don’t say fiancé.”

“Oh? Judging by that sour tone, sounds like you really wanted to marry him.”

Zhu Xiaojiu chuckled teasingly. Neither of them felt awkward or upset—it was like they were used to talking about it.

“He was a rich and handsome young master in the capital. Of course I wanted to marry him! Xiaojiu, what kind of nerve did I have back then? Letting him break off the engagement like that. That was Li Luyang! His dad was the wealthiest merchant in the capital! If I knew I’d be tightening my belt like this, I’d have crawled and begged to marry him!”

Back then, she’d been a fine official’s daughter engaged to a prominent young master. Now, he was still a rich man, while she was… sigh, just remembering it made her want to cry.

“Well, good then. Dad still needs money. When you bring him the silver tomorrow, tell him you still want to marry him. See if he’ll take you back. If he does, that’d solve everything. I think it’s a great plan. The only problem is—he might not like men anymore.”

“Go to hell. What kind of rotten idea is that? He’s married, okay? Married. MARRIED.”

After her family’s downfall, he had broken off the engagement and soon married someone else. That was half a year ago.

They’d barely interacted when engaged—just a few awkward nods when they crossed paths. But after the breakup, whether out of guilt or past ties, he hadn’t cut her off. He even helped her quite a bit.

“So see? All the good men are already taken. The rest? They either play with men or play with women. The world’s gone mad! My one true love slipped away, Xiaojiu. I want to drown my sorrows in wine!”

“Hmph. Ha. Not happening.” He smirked dryly. Romance and wine were luxuries poor people couldn’t afford. “If you’d accepted the silver Li Luyang offered back then, we wouldn’t be suffering like this now.”

“I couldn’t take money for nothing. That’s not right.”

Xiaojiu shook his little head and sighed like a world-weary adult. “If you can’t accept help, then don’t act like you’re above it.”

“Tomorrow, take this silver to him. Ask him to send it along to Dad and the others.”

“Mm. Got it.”

“And wear your girl clothes.”

“…”