Mirage

4. In Break-Cassia Studio a pair of lovers open acc ounts | At the Double Ninth festival the class visits Mt. Yuexiu

It was broad daylight when Jishi awoke, but no one was up, and he hurriedly dressed himself and headed for the garden, racing all the way to the lodge lest the teacher return in the meantime. The door was unlocked, and hearing no sound from above, he stole up the stairs and pushed open Suxin’s door. She was already up. She meant to use the time while no one else was about to tell Jishi, the moment he arrived, all that had happened during the previous evening. With a crimson padded cotton jacket around her shoulders but otherwise undressed, she was sitting on the edge of her bed putting on her slippers when she heard a sound at the door, and there he was. Without a word, he fell into her arms, the tears streaming down his cheeks. She put one arm around him, at the same time drying his tears with her handkerchief. “Dear one,” she whispered, “don’t be upset. You were very badly treated last night.” She told him what had happened, adding, “You mustn’t think I’m heartless.” “Oh, I’d never think that!” he protested, stopping his crying. “I blame it on my own ill fate. How I longed for the day when that teacher would leave! And then when finally he did leave, this had to happen!” He inserted a hand inside her clothes and began fondling her breasts. “What a pity! You have such gifts, and I shall never have the good fortune to enjoy them!” “Don’t talk as if you were saying a final farewell! We should take our time and try to find a solution.” 4 in bReak-Cassia studio a paiR of loveRs open aCCounts at the double ninth festival the Class visits mt. yuexiu Mirage-FA02_13Jan2014.indd 47 15/1/14 11:30 AM 48 | Mirage “Come to think of it, isn’t it the seventh today? In four or five days’ time, the teacher’s bound to dismiss the class. I’ll just tell him I want to stay on here and study. Then I’ll be able to come over and see you.” “That problem we had yesterday has set me thinking, too. Sis’s room is right next to mine, and young though she is, it would be very awkward for us to meet here. It might be better to settle on a date and then meet at the Break-Cassia. What do you think?” “That’s fine, except that you’ll have to put up with all the cold.” “You had to endure all that rain last night,” she said with a smile. “Surely I can put up with the cold?” “My dear, my soul belongs to you,” he said, extending his hand further down. “Our next meeting is such a long way off. Do let me have a taste of it now.” “Not now! The maids will be getting up.” He kept on pestering her. “Look, can’t you hear the floorboards creaking?” she said. “Let me see you to the garden.” She stood up, fastened her skirt, pulled up her hair, and taking his hand, led him out of the room. As she did so, she made a show of giving orders to the maids. “Aren’t you up yet?” she demanded. “We’re just getting dressed,” they replied. She went downstairs with Jishi and into the garden as far as Welcome Spring Dell. “Off you go,” she said. “I won’t see you any further.” “Let’s sit in here for a little while.” “But they’ll come looking for me!” she said. Ignoring her protests, he pulled her inside, clasped her in both arms, and pushed her down on the couch. “You mustn’t!” she cried. He said nothing in reply, just tore off her skirt and trousers, then his own trousers, and brought out his three-inch pocket giant,1 like a young champion riding forth to do battle. She fended him off with both hands. “My dear, it’s not that I’m absolutely against it, but in the first place I’m worried that one of the maids will come looking for me, and secondly, I’m afraid that your teacher will return and someone will be sent to look for you. There’d be such a scandal we’d never be able to show our faces anywhere again. Let’s stick to our plan.” Jishi was a timid youth, after all, and on hearing...