CH 23

For the time being, Mo Li Xin’s leg injury would cause a slight inconvenience for her. She would have to recuperate for at least two weeks. Fortunately, Bai Sha Exhibition was in a month’s time. She would only be informed if she got selected to participate two weeks later. By then, her leg should have almost recovered. 

Currently at work, she did not have a lot of ongoing projects. So she decided to make use of this time to settle some matters regarding Miao Bai’s identity.

As for Ji Nanfeng, he originally wanted to take two weeks leave from work to take care of her. But his offer was immediately rejected. Mo Li Xin believed that they could simply hire a nanny to look after her and do some chores. There really was not much that required his constant presence. Furthermore, he did not have many classes packed in a week so he would be home most of the time anyway.

However, Ji Nan Feng’s thoughts were not inlined with hers. He would not be able to stop worrying if he left his injured wife alone at home. So the two finally came to an agreement that when Ji Nan Feng had to go to school for lessons, she would tag along. As he held his classes, she would sit among the students and listen. But they would have to move about separately on campus.

And so, such a scene occurred in school. Ji Nan Feng, who captivated many young female learners, seemed to have become even more enchanting. Whether it was his dressing or his overall arua, he seemed to have become more mesmerizing. Female students swooned over how handsome he was, whereas male students chose not to compare themselves with him or risk losing their self-esteem.

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Yet, these developments were missed by Mo Li Xin.

In addition, another thing had stirred up a small commotion on campus; and that was Mo Li Xin herself. 

Her appearance was beautiful and she always sat quietly on a wheelchair in the last row.

“Tk qlzzso nzyppxyvl! Ebknb elryavxldv es usw clzsdt vs? R’x pwal swa elryavxldv eslpd’v byhl pwnb y tsse-zssjkdt pvweldv,” y aswde-qynle zlyadla pkvvkdt dlmv vs Ys Nk Dkd ypjle nwakswpzu.

“Yl? R’hl tayewyvle,” Ys Nk Dkd alrzkle nydekezu.

“Xb! Fs usw’al y pldksa. Jl bsdlpv. Ps usw qydnu Mlynbla Kk? Tldnl, usw prlnkyzzu nyxl cynj vs pkv kd sd bkp zlnvwal?” vbl aswde-qynle tkaz obkprlale.

Ys Nk Dkd rywple qsa y obkzl, “Zlp, R zkjl bkx.” Rdelle, yde hlau xwnb ps.

“Mbld usw’hl vs fskd yd lmvalxlzu zsdt iwlwl,” vbl tkaz nsxqsavle puxryvblvknyzzu.

“Xb? Ebu kp vbyv?” Ys Nk Dkd’p kdvlalpv oyp rkiwle.

“Elzz, qkapvzu, usw’zz byhl vs elqlyv yzz vbl pkdtzl qlxyzl vlynblap kd swa wdkhlapkvu. Mbld, usw byhl vs qktbv uswa oyu vbaswtb vbswpydep, sa lhld vldp sq vbswpydep sq qlxyzl pvweldvp,” vbl aswde-qynle nzyppxyvl blzrle bla ydyzugl okvb y zssjle vbyv raynvknyzzu pnalyxle ‘vblal’p ds bsrl’.

“Xb?” Ys Nk Dkd rllale yv vbl vlynbla kd iwlpvksd obs oyp plakswpzu tkhkdt bkp zlnvwal yv vbl rsekwx. Kk Lyd Wldt pweeldzu qlzv y nbkzz pzkekdt esod bkp prkdl.

“What if your Teacher Ji was already married?” Mo Li Xin questioned.

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“Hm… No, it’s not possible. Teacher Ji is so young, so it’s not likely,” the round-faced student shook her head.

“By the way Senior, how old are you?”

“I’m twenty-three, almost twenty-four.”

“Oh my gosh, you’re so young! I’m also twenty-three, but I’m still a junior,” the round-faced girl said in awe.

“I managed to enrol early,” the two chatted quietly at the back. 

After a couple of days, Mo Li Xin could tell that the last three rows in the auditorium were taken up by students from other courses. They did not attend because they had to take the exams nor because they wanted to increase their knowledge. These people were solely there to admire the educator’s appearance. So she concluded that as long as they talked softly, they would not disrupt the class.

As she attended more classes, more people started addressing her as ‘Senior’. And because she was sitting in a wheelchair, doing some stuff was inconvenient, thus many of her enthusiastic classmates would often offer to help her. Mo Li Xin felt nostalgic, college times were the best, how good it would be if she could go back to school again. 

Mo Li Xin went to school as per usual. Even though she thought that she blended in pretty well, many sharp-eyed students started to speculate whether the beautiful senior had managed to hook up with Teacher Ji as they casted suggestive glances between the two.

As a matter of fact, when Ji Nan Feng was giving a lecture and asked for someone to answer the question, Mo Li Xin got deliberately arrowed to respond.

Ji Nan Feng was currently covering the love story of Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wen Jun, and his question was related to this subject.

In the sixth year of Emperor Jing’s reign, Sima Xiangru returned to the Shu Province. It happened to coincide with the banquet held by wealthy man, Zhuo Wang Sun. County magistrate, Wang Ji, and Sima Xiangru were both invited to attend. 

As the banquet drew on and intoxication set in, Wang Ji requested Sima Xiangru to play a tune to boost the lively ambience. Sima Xiangru’s exquisite musical talent won the hearts of everyone there. Zhuo Wen Jun, who listened to the tune behind the curtains also fell in love. 

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Zhuo Wen Jun was the daughter of Zhuo Wang Sun. She returned to her maternal home to mourn because her husband had just passed away. Who would have thought that she was captivated by Sima Xiangru’s song. With a decent scholarly appearance, she formed a good impression of him. Since then, the two of them often rendezvous and slowly developed feelings for each other. 

Later on, Zhuo Wen Jun eloped with Sima Xiangru without letting her father know. She knew that traditional views would not accept their pairing. Thus, the famous story of <Wen Jun’s Twilight Elopement>, was spread far and wide.

As for Ji Nan Feng’s question, he quizzed the students on what the two famous poems that made this story a folklore were.

Out of the whole class, only a handful could answer. It just so happened that Mo Li Xin was one of them

Ji Nan Feng’s curiosity was stirred. This kind of ‘interaction’ between them had not occurred before.

“Then can the student who was volunteered by the class please answer the question? If I remembered correctly, your leg was injured? You may remain seated as you answer the question,” Ji Nan Feng solemnly instructed from the podium.

Mo Li Xin smiled and did not stand as per told. Seated at the highest and last row, she unhurriedly replied.

“Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wen Jun. One was originally a gifted scholar who was a guest staying with Lin Qiong county magistrate. The other was a beautiful homebound widowed woman. Their story began when Sima Xiangru played the famous tune, <Feng Qiu Huang>1, at Zhuo’s banquet. 

‘The lone phoenix returned home, travelled far and wide to seek his half. In the vicinity, a beauty stood. As though poisoned, she filled my thoughts. Hoping for a chance to be a pair of mandarin ducks.’ 

“But not long after, Sima Xiangru grew affections for another talented woman. Heartbroken, Zhuo Wen Jun dedicated a poem to him named <Bai Tou Yin>2. 

‘Hearsay you had another, thus I’ve come to bid farewell. My sole wish to be your one and only, never to part till our hairs turned white’. 

“And that were the origins of <Feng Qiu Huang> and <Bai Tou Yin>.” 

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Although Mo Li Xin’s voice was thin and soft, it was powerful and resonating. It was the kind that made people want to stop and listen. It was utterly hypnotizing. When she finished, the whole class was silent, before they erupted into applause.

This senior was fantastic, talented and beautiful. Furthermore, her voice was also mesmerizing. The male students were blown away, and some female classmates were also captivated. 

Despite all the scheming, those students were doomed to fail. Additionally, they would not have another opportunity again as this was the last day Mo Li Xin would be attending class.

However, this was not important. Some unwilling classmates decided to dig around for this senior’s background, and they came across something extremely shocking. That beautiful senior held the position of Teacher Ji’s wife. Ouch… that day, many students cried till they toppled.

But of course, Mo Li Xin who left the campus was impervious to this fact.

After two weeks of handicap and recuperation, Mo Li Xin’s leg was much better. At least, taking two steps now was not a problem. This so-called ‘handicap and recuperation’ referred to Mo Li Xin not having to do anything during this period. 

She was worry-free; when it was time to eat, she just opened her mouth. When it was time to change clothes, she only needed to stretch out her arms. In this period, Mo Li Xin became more comfortable with Ji Nan Feng’s indulgent pampering. Sigh, her heart was completely submerged in honey, so very sweet.

Sometimes, Mo Li Xin would remember the existence of her second personality residing inside her, but it had not made an appearance in the past half a month.

~~~~

“Xin Xin, really? Really? You’re not pulling my leg? What you said is true? You’ll let me be your model for the upcoming Bai Sha Exhibition?! Oh my God! Am I dreaming? But it’s currently afternoon.”

Xu Qing Man was so elated that she barely had any sense left to make her sentence comprehensible.

Mo Li Xin was currently lying on the soft couch, waiting for Ji Nan Feng to feed her. Pooh… she was waiting for him to prepare her midnight snack… Ah… surely at this rate, she would become a decadent… 

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“En, you should drop by tomorrow to try them out. When I was making the dresses I’ve already planned for you to be my model. So the sizes have been tailor-made according to your measurements. But you’ll still have to wear them so that we can make the appropriate adjustments, if any. However, if you suddenly gained ten kilos, then I’ve no choice but to use another model,” Mo Li Xin teased.

“What are you saying?! You can slander my character, but you cannot insult my appearance and body! This killer figure is my only asset and money maker! Even if I die, I’ll also find an elegant position to die in! As my bestie, you should know that best!” Xu Qing Man huffed indignantly on the other end. 

“Yes, yes, yes, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world. Remember to come tomorrow so that we can go to my office together. I’ve to introduce you to my teammates. This is so that they can contact you directly in the future,” Mo Li Xin informed her.

After that fateful incident, Xu Qing Man decided to move to a new place. It has two bedrooms and a living room. Overall, it was pretty good. Even wheelchair bound, Mo Li Xin still went to have a look at the apartment. It was only a ten minute drive from her own home. Therefore, it made it more convenient for the two of them to meet more often. 

As for the flat, Xu Qing Man, who had not a penny to her name, definitely could not afford to rent it. Fortunately, she knew Gan Yun Ting, who knew friends from all walks of life. He happened to have expat friends that had to rush back to their own country and was not sure when they could come back. Yet, they were reluctant to rent out the place. Hence, this advantage fell into Xu Qing Man’s grasp. 

The foreign couple only had one requirement; she was not to replace or move any of the furniture. As long as she maintained the flat in its original condition, they would be satisfied. 

Xu Qing Man could not have asked for more as she also did not have the money to buy new furniture.

Originally, she suspected that Gan Yun Ting purposely found this house for her. It was until she met the foreign couple that Xu Qing Man concluded that she could stay at the apartment without qualms.

“You’re planning to go out tomorrow? But your leg…” Ji Nan Feng carried a bowl of porridge out. Although his tone sounded casual, it could not hide his worry.

“En, if I continue staying at home, I’ll start to grow mouldy,” Mo Li Xin complained.

As of late, Ji Nan Feng was great in every aspect excluding the fact that he seemed to act like an old lady. From day to night, he would nag incessantly; cannot do this, that is forbidden, this is not allowed, that is dangerous… It was as if she was not nursing an injury, but was handicapped instead.

“Alright, I’ll send you over tomorrow. Will Xiao Man be coming over first?” Ji Nan Feng asked as he fed her. Recently she had a habit of having a bowl of century egg, lean meat porridge every evening. She would not be able to sleep without it and Ji Nan Feng also did not do anything to curb this habit of hers.

“I realise that your cooking skills have improved. What should I do? Now, I seem to like you even more,” Mo Li Xin concentrated on her food and unconsciously ignored Ji Nan Feng’s question. 

He sighed ruefully.