Staring at Liao Qing’er’s figure in a distance, Meng Ying thought of a weird dream about confession he had had before. He remembered the girl in the paper robe had given him a love letter and his mother had discussed with his father’s concubines about the serials created by Liao Qing’er from Liao’s Family. He never thought that she was so creative and brilliant.

He laughed at her in public back then because he couldn’t accept his first love letter was given by a chubby girl who was two years older than him. However, later, he heard that she had created serials and he immediately felt different about her. It was because he had been fond of serials since he was a kid and he respected as well as admired the mysterious creator of them very much.

As soon as he thought the “creator” had given him a love letter before, he couldn’t wait to take action, but as soon as he remembered this “Love Letter Girl” was chubby, he sat back on the chair again. He, however, couldn’t help thinking that the youth time was precious and he rarely liked something so much. Since he was fond of watching serials, especially those written by Miss Liao, why didn’t he marry her as his concubine? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to ask her to create more exciting stories for him? It didn’t matter for her to be ugly or chubby. Anyway, there were lots of rooms in Meng’s Mansion and he would have a wife and many concubines in the future. He didn’t mind accepting her love. Maybe he would think she was quite good-looking as the time went by… What did she look like? He forgot it so quickly.

Miss Liao seemed to be famous. She was mocked and isolated by most of the young ladies in the capital while a few madams admired her. Why? It was because she had created such novel and interesting plays as “serials” that were liked very much by them. Moreover, she had gotten the patent right admitted by the government, which could bring her a steady income, and her descendants were also able to keep receiving it. Most of the marquises’ wives may not care about an income of several hundred liang a month, but Meng’s Family was different and preferred girls who were capable and pragmatic. Even if they couldn’t get much in return, Meng’s Family still wished they could keep being positive.

Meng Ying’s mother had praised Miss Liao highly. She said, “The serials written by Liao Qing’er are more interesting than the ordinary ones. She is good at doing business and will be a wife who can help her husband’s family become prosperous. I wonder which family will be so lucky to gain such a daughter-in-law.” Meng Ying’s mother was always a rigorous person so such words were already high praise in her world. In the whole Meng’s Family, only Meng Xuan had been praised like this by her.

Meng Ying almost couldn’t help blurting out, “Mom, Miss Liao has given me a love letter. She once tripped over me and knelt in front of me. I also tripped and knelt before her later. Our classmates all shouted ‘You’ve finished the kowtow for heaven and earth so you are married now.’ We seem to be destined for each other. If you visit her parents and talk about our marriage, they will definitely agree, but she’s not pretty at all even though she was brilliant and our family has a higher social status than hers does. Mom, you should do this carefully and let her become my concubine instead of my wife.”

However, before Meng Ying could say this, his mother continued, “But I heard that Miss Liao was a weirdo and has firmly rejected six or seven men chosen by her parents. Does she have any secret disease?”

Meng Ying thought differently, “Does she still like me secretly and only want to marry me? Is this why she has rejected those men?”

In the end, his mother concluded, “She is a brilliant girl and much better than those who are only playing musical instruments or painting all day long. I just dislike the sentimental poems or lines that ordinary ladies love to read. But I heard she ran away from home not long ago. It can be seen she has a wild temper and it’ll be hard for her to become a good mother so she can’t be part of our Meng’s Family. Um, The Story of the Stone is my favorite. Ask the theatrical troupe to perform it again in our mansion next day.”

Then, Meng Ying thought again, “She has run away from home? Did she try to hide herself because I had gone too far last time and she felt very embarrassed? Forget it, then. Anyway, the most important thing about my wife or concubines is to be pretty and slim. I will never consider a girl that is not like this.”

Then, the story between Miss Liao and Meng Ying ended for now. Although he still often went to theaters to watch the serials written by her such as Journey to the West, The Lotus Lantern, and The Mermaid, he barely remembered her name, her appearance, or her voice. He almost forgot another embarrassing thing happening between them as well… When they were still students in Yinghui Academy, Liao Qing’er stumbled and fell to him while he didn’t recognize her as a girl because she had worn the blue suit that was common in the academy. Thus, he touched her breasts by accident. He thought he must be wrong and even pinched them slightly.

“Ah!” Liao Qing’er was so embarrassed and angry that she screamed shrilly. Meng Ying happened to find that one of his classmates was a girl and he even molested her accidentally. As soon as he thought the chubby girl might ask him to take the responsibility, threaten him with her life, and force him to marry her, Meng Ying also became frightened and screamed suddenly.

Their screams attracted the attention of a group of students and teachers in Yinghui Academy. Since both of them were too stunned, Meng Ying still grabbed Liao Qing’er’s breasts and Liao Qing’er forgot to cross hands across her breasts to protect herself. Later, someone reminded them, “The teachers are here. Can you two do this in another place?”

Another man said, “Uh? Oh! Isn’t she Miss Liao? I heard she gave the President a ‘My Confession’ letter this morning. She told him she was a girl and asked the President to expel her from the academy. However, the President was moved by her being so assiduous in the study and said he needed to think and find a proper way to deal with this matter. He asked her to focus on the study first. Maybe she will be the first female student in Yinghui Academy. We will be lucky, then.” And another man said with a smile, “Meng Xuan is so cunning. He picks the first ‘Flower of Yinghui’ without being noticed. We can just be envious of him. But it’s better to celebrate it together. Third Childe, you should treat us to a feast.”

In the end, someone asked, “When will you two hold the wedding ceremony? Don’t forget to invite all of us to drink some wine and share the happiness.” Meng Ying and Liao Qing’er finally came to their senses and screamed and got away from each other with their eyes wide open. Meng Ying was about to leave immediately, but the chubby girl stopped him and took out a pink envelope with a sticker of a red heart on it from her sleeve. She gave it to him with both hands and said while bowing, “It’s my love. Please take it! I… Uh… This is a love letter.”

Hearing his classmates booing and whistling, Meng Ying was embarrassed and felt angry inexplicably. Looking at the chubby face and nervous expression of the girl standing opposite to him, he had a vicious thought. He accepted her letter and replied coldly, “I’ll tell my father about it and ask him to consider it.” then, he turned around and left decisively without giving her another glance.

Half a month later, he got his retribution and had a scary dream. In the dream, he was very panicked and he had to keep laughing crazily to help himself stand upright. Once he stopped, he would need to bend and cover his chest with his hands. And he confessed his love to the chubby girl that had been humiliated by him before, “I’ve been loving you secretly for four years. I’ll cut my belly open if you are still unwilling to marry me.” He even flew onto the clouds with the girl and intended to jump from there together with her, which scared the girl very much and made her keep screaming. He woke from the dream in shock and turned to look out of the window. The moon hung in the sky and the dawn hadn’t come yet.

Fortunately, that was just a dream. How would God be so cruel and make a match between a handsome boy like him and an ugly chubby girl? A dream would never indicate the things in the future, right?

Gradually, he forgot that weird dream and the look or name of the girl in the dream. When he met He Danggui at the gate of Yi Hong Brothel and she asked him to find a young lady named Liao Qing’er in Guan’s Mansion or Lu’s Mansion to get the “Skin Remover”, he still didn’t realize that Liao Qing’er was the master of serials he ever admired and also the chubby girl who had given him a love letter and been humiliated by him.

This time they met again in Tao Yao Yard of Luo’s Mansion. Wearing the paper robe, she seemed to have lost much weight… He took a closer look and found she wasn’t as ugly as he thought. She seemed to be quite pretty… It was reasonable. Liao Zhiyuan, her elder brother, was handsome. She couldn’t have been very ugly. She just looked a bit not good-looking because she was too young before… When she confessed her love to him, he was only thirteen years old. How could a boy of that age who wasn’t interested in girls at all have any brilliant aesthetic feeling or accurate judgment of girls’ appearances?

Three years passed. Liao Qing’er seemed to have become a beauty. Unfortunately, it was too dark now and he hadn’t looked at her carefully. Would he mistake her for a beauty? He wanted to observe her more but she ran farther and faster while he was calling her. He thought, “Hey! Stop! I haven’t seen you clearly yet!”

“Miss Liao! Miss Liao! Miss Liao?”

Did she ignore him?

“Liao Qing’er! Liao Qing’er! Miss Liao!”

She still kept running.

He frowned and took a deep breath before leaping into the air. Stepping on a peach twig, he jumped in front of her, let her bump into his arms on purpose, and caused a man-made accident. Huh, she had great strength. She did grow up. Um, how could he keep her here so that he could talk to her more?

After thinking for a moment, he said, “Miss Liao, calm down. I’ll help you find He Danggui. Just wait a minute and I’ll go with you.”

However, Liao Qing’er looked at him in suspicion and mistrust, “How will you be so kind?”

Meng Ying didn’t expect that his trick would be found out as soon as he talked to her. Right. He wouldn’t be so kind. He didn’t want to go to the Imperial Guards’ stronghold outside the city. If he was right, that place would be a real battlefield and the purgatory now. He would get himself killed if he went there. However, since Liao Qing’er had asked him, he was provoked. Thus, he stood upright and looked down at her while saying, “He Danggui is the apple of Meng Xuan’s eyes. Although I don’t care if she is still alive, I have to save her for Meng Xuan. Thus, I will definitely help you find her.”

Meng Ying took a closer look at the girl. There were several raindrops on her face. She was cute when she looked up and stared at him stupidly, but she was a bit short since her height barely reached his shoulders. Wasn’t she two years older than him? Didn’t she grow tall at all in these years? But it was not bad for girls to be short and her height now was just right for him. Why was her nose slightly dark? Was there some dust on it? He raised his hand unconsciously and intended to touch the tip of her nose with a finger.

Liao Qing’er was slightly shocked and stepped back to avoid his hand. She asked, “How will you help me find Xiaoyi? The city gate should be closed now. Do you… Do you know how to get out of the city?”

Meng Ying’s hand stopped in the air for a moment before he withdrew it. He was a bit disappointed and thought, “I’ve even grabbed her breasts before and she didn’t avoid me at that time. Doesn’t she like me?” He pouted and looked into her eyes while saying slowly, “I’ve watched the serial named A Snake Fell in Love with a Scholar written by you. I like the green snake.”