Male or Female?

There was a man named He Zixiao who lived east bank of Tiaoxi River in Zhejiang. The front of his house had nothing but wilderness. One evening he was out for a walk when he ran into an old woman riding a donkey with a young man. The young man was as handsome as an exceptionally beautiful girl. He Zixiao was overwhelmed by the man so much so that he gazed at them until the man was completely out of sight.

The next day, Zixiao left home early waiting and hoping to meet the young man passing by. At dusk, Zixiao saw the man and asked him where he is from and to that the man replied saying that he was returning from his grandparents' place. Zixiao invited the man into his house but the man refused and Zixiao was quite persistent about it and eventually the man gave in and agreed to go to his house. After sometime the man left and Zixiao asked the man to visit again.

One day, the young man was passing by the same route when Zixiao noticed him and with great joy invited him to his house. When the man agreed, Zixiao prepared a feast for him and during their conversation, the man informed Zixiao that his family name is Huang. "Why do you often pass by my house?" Zixiao asked intently to which Huang replied "My mother lives with my grandfather. Since she often gets sick, I visit her pretty often." After they had enough of drinks, Huang wanted to leave but Zixiao refused to let him go. Zixiao lit a candle and continued his conversation with Huang. Whenever Zixiao would try and seduce Huang by his words, Huang would blush and turn his head towards the wall. Soon, Zixiao suggested they go to bed, but Huang refused, saying that the way he slept was ugly and therefore he did not want to sleep here. After persuading him, Huang decided to stay and took off his jacket to go to sleep. Zixiao blew the candle out and moved close to Huang. He put his arm around Huang and embraced him warmly. Huang being enraged with Zixiao, leaves at dawn.

Several days later, Huang comes back to which Zixiao is obviously delighted. He caressed Huang gently, and Huang said that he knows how Zixiao feels about him but questions if they really have to be intimate. Zixiao yet again invited Huang over to his place and he agreed. Just like last time, when Huang was sound asleep, Zixiao quietly moved over, caressing him again. To this, Huang woke up, put his clothes on and ran away. With this, Zixiao was so upset that he could not eat or sleep and with each passing day, he became thinner and thinner and would ask his servants to wait for Huang outside.

One day, Huang happened to pass by Zixiao's house and his servants pulled him in. Huang was shocked to see Zixiao so sick. Zixiao told Huang why he'd become so sick and began crying. Huang says "I really believe the kind of love you ask does no good to me but only brings harm to you. But, if you think that's what will give you pleasure, I have nothing to lose!" to which Zixiao was very content to hear was within a few days he recovered. Eventually Zixiao and Huang had sex and Huang said to Zixiao that although he did it to make Zixiao happy, he does not wish for this to go on and happen too often and then he asked Zixiao for his help. He said that he wanted some pills from Dr. Qi, who Zixiao is in good terms with, because his mother is seriously ill and Zixiao agreed to help him. that very evening, he handed the pills to Huang. when Huang was thanking him, he wanted to make love with him. So everytime Huang visited Zixiao to collect the pills (which is every other third day), they made love. One day when Hung came to collect the pills, Zixiao complained that Huang had not come the previous day and Huang explained, "I did not come earlier because I did not really want to ruin your health. Since you don't understand me, please don't regret it later." When Zixiao visited the doctor to collect the pills from him, the doctor was worried about him since he looked grey and sick. Zixiao told Huang what the hdoctor had told him and Huang had this concerned look on his face and in his voice. Huang then goes on to reveal that he is a fox and that frequently having sex will harm Zixiao. But Zixiao thought that Huang was giving him a stupid excuse and was afraid that he was being cheated on. So he hid some pills from Huang to make sure he doesn't run away from him.

Eventually Zixiao got very sick and each day Huang came to visit him and look after him. He said, "You refused to listen to me and look at what you are like today! You're so sick!". A few days later Zixiao died and Huang sobbed sorrowfully.

To conclude, through these stories we can see how the characters have fallen for the ones that they loved. Although both stories had foxes having feelings for people from a noble class, and with all the wealth and money they had their love story still ended a tragic one.