Chapter 7: The Consequences of Lust (1)

Ren Tianqi couldn't believe his luck today, as good fortune seemed to come in waves. This light beauty actually asked him to come down and face her. He thought to himself that even if it were a cliff, he would willingly jump down. He immediately replied, "No problem, no problem, this wall isn't that high; I can jump over even higher walls."

Zhu Jiangxian looked at him in this manner, feeling quite disgusted and somewhat regretting having called him down. However, since he was already in front of her, she decided to have a little fun and smiled, saying: "Ren Tiangqi, do you think I am beautiful?"

Ren Tianqi puffed out his chest and said: "How can he not be considered a man? He is simply a man among men, a true gentleman among gentlemen"

Ren Tianqi said in a dark tone: "If I were to say that I secretly went to 'Juyanfang' and was beaten by that wretched woman Ma Huajiao, I would certainly be scolded harshly by the madam." He then added: "I do not know those people."

Fan Lijuan reproached, "Do not speak recklessly." Then she shouted loudly, "Sister Fang, Sister Fang, Tianqi has woken up!"

When he woke up again, it was already late at night. Opening his eyes, he saw Fan Lijuan sitting at the head of the bed with a worried expression. He realized he was in her room, and a pungent smell of medicine lingered in the air.

The wall was over ten feet high, and it was fortunate that his body was different from that of an ordinary person. Although his feet were not broken, they were in great pain. He lowered his head and grimaced for a while, listening to Zhu Jiangxian say, "What's wrong? Are your feet okay?" He quickly raised his head and pretended to be relaxed, saying, "It's nothing; anyone would be hurt jumping down from a wall like this, so what kind of man would I be?" Although he said this, he did not dare to move his feet at all.

As Ren Tianqi reluctantly made his way to the opposite side, the "Spring Full Garden," he happened to run into Bai Fangfang, who was coming out with a book in hand. Upon seeing Tianqi, who was wrapped in a long robe and covered in injuries, she was immediately taken aback and exclaimed, "Ren Tianqi, you little rascal, where did you get into a fight to end up looking like this"

At this moment, Lian's delicate feet lightly moved as she slowly walked to the wall beneath Ren Tianqi, and spoke softly: "Hey, what is your name?"

Some readers feel that the name "Ren Tianqi" is not pleasant. Let me explain its origin. First, Bai Fangfang saw that he was a child abandoned by others, so it is quite normal to give him such a name. Second, this also aligns with the protagonist's character. Although he lives in the lower strata of society and is even rejected by heaven, he refuses to sink into despair and insists on resisting fate. This makes him even more unruly and arrogant. No matter how much heaven abandons him, so what!

Ren Tianqi peered at himself from the wall every day, and Zhu Jiangxian was well aware of this. However, she usually couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind. At this moment, seeing him, she felt a strong sense of disgust. She was about to turn back to her room, but suddenly had a thought: "My mother often teaches me how to please men, yet I never know how to grasp it. This fellow, though ugly, is still a man. Since I have nothing to do today, I might as well use him to practice."

Not long after, Bai Fangfang walked in with a stern expression and said, "Little brat, who did you get into a fight with again? Look at the state you're in. Hurry up and tell me, so I can go find him and pay him off."

Beneath an old plum tree adorned with blossoms like stars, stood a beautiful young lady, dressed in a deep blue silk cotton coat, over which she wore a gray mouse fur vest. A sandalwood-colored scarf was tied around her waist, complemented by a pleated skirt of blue satin and bright red satin flat shoes. Her hair was styled in a high bun, with a jeweled hairpin tilted to one side. She wore a light touch of blush and a subtle tint on her lips, moving gracefully and elegantly, possessing an innate beauty akin to that of a figure from a painting. This was indeed Zhu Jiangxian. Girls naturally mature faster than boys, and at this moment, she had gradually come of age, her features now exuding a charm that was different from before.

Gazing at Zhu Jiangxian's delicate cherry lips and listening to her oriole-like voice, Ren Tianqi felt his mind go blank, and his usually agile brain became muddled. He couldn't help but stammer, "I... I am Ren... Ren Tianqi." After saying this, he felt a deep sense of regret in his heart, realizing that he had truly embarrassed himself in front of this light beauty.

Today, the piano teacher had to return home due to some matters. Zhu Jiangxian was idly wandering in the garden, feeling quite bored. When she looked up, she saw Ren Tianqi, who was climbing on the wall.

Little did they know that the light beauty was indifferent, smiling gently as she stretched her delicate jade-like arms. With a graceful gesture of her slender hand, she said: "Hey, Ren Tianqi, could you come down and talk to me? I find this wall quite high."

Zhu Jiangxian listened to him repeatedly say how beautiful she was, feeling somewhat pleased with herself. She thought, "Mother said that to win a man's favor, one must accompany him in playing the lute, chess, and composing poetry or painting. But look at this young man, so infatuated; those things are unnecessary." She then asked, "Will you do anything for me?"

Zhu Jiangxian found his words amusing, and immediately burst into laughter, nodding repeatedly and saying, "Yes, yes, being able to jump down from such a height is indeed impressive"

Fan Lijuan quickly said: "How can that be? Tonight, Tianqi should sleep in my room; I will take care of him"

Bai Fangfang knew that he often mingled with unruly youths and got into fights, but she did not ask much. She said, "You are lucky; the doctor said you were beaten severely. If it were someone else, they would have been dead by now. However, your constitution is different from others; your internal organs are completely unharmed. As long as you can wake up, there is nothing serious. Just go to your room and rest. You can take it easy these days and focus on your recovery."

It is indeed strange that despite Ren Tianqi's severe injuries, by the third day he was able to get out of bed and walk slowly. By the seventh day, he had recovered about seventy to eighty percent. Ren Tianqi noticed that the old turtle master Wang was working alone without any complaints, and he was quite happy to feign illness. Aside from sneaking out once to repay that bowl of money, he spent his time napping soundly in the small room, only venturing outside a month later to begin some tasks that required little effort.

Bai Fangfang's expression darkened again as she said: "How can that be? Master Wu has arrived and specifically requested your company. You still have business to attend to. This little rascal is unreliable; let him suffer the consequences himself. It’s better than having him cause trouble in the future. If I had known, I shouldn't have agreed to let Zheng Bao'er take him out this afternoon. He deserves it, he deserves it."

Zhu Jiangxian smiled gently and said, "I will wait for you that night." With that, she slowly walked towards her embroidery building.

Ren Tianqi listened, his heart ignited with anger. He struggled to rise from the bed, feeling as if his entire body was in pain, as if it were about to fall apart. Nevertheless, he managed to put on his shoes and said to Fan Lijuan, "Second Mother, I'm fine. I can eat and sleep. I'll be better in a couple of days, so don't worry about me." Saying this, he staggered towards the exit, only to hear Fan Lijuan's soft sobs behind him. He repeated, "Second Mother, I'm fine. I can eat and sleep. I'll be better in a couple of days, so don't worry about me." As he swayed out, he heard Fan Lijuan's low cries, while Bai Fangfang scolded, "What are you crying for? You're too soft-hearted. He's not your son, so why worry unnecessarily? You should be thinking about how to serve Master Wu well when he arrives. That wretched Ma Huajiao has taken away a lot of our business, and the guests coming here are getting fewer and fewer. If we don't find a way to keep them, in a few days, we'll be out on the street starving."

Ren and Tushu Tianqi nodded vigorously and said: "Beautiful, beautiful, incredibly beautiful, unmatched, there is no one in this world more beautiful than you"

Ren Tianqi is truly disappointing, facing this light beauty whose smile is like a blooming flower, exhaling like an orchid, his eyes begin to glaze over, and his face, covered in red spots, unconsciously reveals a foolish grin

Under normal circumstances, he would have to grab the wall with his hands before jumping down. However, today, with the light beauty before him, he naturally had to perform exceptionally. He called out, "Look at me," and struck a graceful pose like a great roc spreading its wings, then jumped straight down.

Ren Tianqi finally managed to jump down from the wall. Before he could say much, he was called back, leaving him with a deep sense of reluctance. However, thinking of her invitation to meet in the garden at midnight, he couldn't help but recall the moans he had overheard outside the young ladies' rooms in "Spring Full of Garden." A wave of heat surged through him, and he quickly replied, "Alright, alright, I will definitely come, definitely come"

Thus, another half year passed, and Tianqi had turned fourteen years old. On this particular afternoon, he once again went to "Juyanfang" to climb the wall. His wall-climbing skills had now reached a level of perfection. Arriving at the base of the wall, he identified several crevices, using both hands and feet, and in just a few moments, he had scaled it.

Ren Tianqi was surrounded and beaten by four strong men. If it had been an ordinary person, they would have long since lost their life. Just now, he had relied on an indescribable willpower to hold on. Now, upon seeing Bai Fangfang, his spirit immediately relaxed. He had just managed to say, "Auntie, I..." when his vision went dark, and he collapsed softly to the ground, still hearing Bai Fangfang shouting loudly, "Little bastard, little bastard..." before losing consciousness.

Ren Tianqi noticed that today Zhu Jiangxian was very close to him, every smile and movement was captured in his eyes. Just as he was enjoying the moment, he never expected that this light beauty would actually come over to speak with him, which felt like a blessing from heaven, Amitabha

Zhu Jiangxian saw that he spoke decisively and with great fervor, and she secretly found it amusing, already having made up her mind. She then said: "I am feeling a bit tired now and would like to go inside to rest. You may leave for now, but please return to this garden at the hour of Zi tonight; I have something to discuss with you."

At this moment, it is the depths of winter. Although the land of Sichuan rarely experiences snowfall, it remains piercingly cold. In the garden, the myriad flowers wither, yet the plum blossoms thrive, their red petals unfurling in layers, their sparse shadows slanting across, with a subtle fragrance wafting in the air

However, during this month, Ren Tianqi lay in bed, and the appearance and figure of Zhu Jiangxian constantly surfaced in his mind, making it impossible for him to let go. Once he regained his health and had time to go out in the afternoon, he climbed the eastern wall of "Juyanfang" again, quietly peering inside. He saw Zhu Jiangxian playing the piano, singing, painting, and playing chess in the garden every day, never resting for a moment. He seemed enchanted, gazing foolishly at Zhu Jiangxian's figure from afar. Even when Zhu Jiangxian occasionally stayed in her room and was not visible, he would still stare at the embroidered building for a long time, truly to the point of being entranced.

Hearing him say this, Zhu Jiangxian couldn't help but cover her mouth and smile, saying, "At your age, how can you be considered a man?"

Seeing Ren Tianqi open his eyes, Fan Lijuan finally patted her chest, then joined her palms together and softly recited: "Amitabha, Amitabha, Guanyin Bodhisattva has indeed blessed him, Tianqi has finally awakened"

Ren Tianqi quickly nodded and said: "To climb the mountain of blades, to descend into the sea of fire, for a friend... for you, I would not hesitate to risk my life."

Ren Tianqi struggled to say: "It is not the blessing of Guanyin Bodhisattva, but rather my strong fate; even the King of Hell dares not claim me"