ATLAS TRANSLATES

The night was dark, and the small boat drifted along the stream. The oar rested on the side of the boat, creating ripples in the water.

This tiny boat, usually used for leisurely outings, could only seat two people.

Lu Yun sat on the side closer to the shore, where the pine and cypress trees stood.

In the pitch-black night, he suddenly turned his head and, under the dim moonlight, saw the wine cup overturned in the boat. The wine jar, which he and Liu Chu had mostly emptied, rolled emptily on the boat.

On the other side, the young lady, with tears in her eyes, no longer sat in the graceful manner of a noblewoman. Her face was flushed red, and her eyes looked dazed as she tilted her head upward.

Lu Yun raised an eyebrow. “Did you drink the rest of the wine? In such a short time?”

Luo Lingyu seemed not to hear him, only muttering through her tears, “My life is so hard…”

Lu Yun smirked.

He understood—she was truly drunk.

Tears like raindrops or bright pearls hung on her cheeks, forming a continuous line. The wine jar, which Lu Yun had stored for many years, was fragrant and potent.

Luo Lingyu’s mind was muddled, as if she were somewhat conscious but not entirely clear.

She sat there silently, tears streaming down her face. The wine amplified her sorrows—

Her parents, who had passed away early.

The hardships she endured growing up in Nanyang.

The difficulties of traveling thousands of miles with her sister to seek refuge with the Lu family.

And… Madam Lu, who had scolded her earlier that evening.

If her parents were still alive, she and her sister would be in Ruyang, enjoying their parents’ care. Even if they had come to the Lu family in Jianye, would Madam Lu have humiliated her like this?

Even when crying, a beauty remains a beauty. Luo Lingyu’s face was tilted to the side, her eyelashes fluttering. The moonlight and the rippling water reflected on her face, blending with the wet strands of hair clinging to her cheeks. Her eyes were dark, her lips red, and her tears fell like pearls, making her appear delicate and pitiful.

Lu Yun, sitting at the other end of the boat, stared at her for a while, noticing how even her crying seemed practiced to maintain her beauty. Feeling a mix of surprise and mockery, he suddenly looked away.

Her tears irritated him, and he didn’t want to look at her anymore. He turned his back, grabbed the oar resting on the side of the boat, and began paddling, trying to steer the drifting boat back to shore.

As long as he didn’t look at Luo Lingyu, Lu Yun remained the cold, unfeeling man he always was.

With a smirk, he casually mocked the crying girl behind him, “Weren’t you so proud when you argued with my aunt earlier? But as soon as you’re out of her sight, you start crying?”

“Luo Lingyu, you really don’t have much courage.”

Luo Lingyu retorted, “What do you know! You’re not like me, living under someone else’s roof. You…”

Before she could finish, Lu Yun calmly said, “Who hasn’t lost their parents?”

The boat rocked, and Luo Lingyu’s head spun. Through her tear-blurred vision, she saw the young man’s elegant back as he rowed. Her muddled mind barely functioned, vaguely recalling that Lu Yun had also lost his parents at a young age. To this day, the “Qing Yuan” of the second branch of the Lu family was managed solely by Lu Yun.

Lu Yun’s voice floated over the water, “My aunt isn’t a bad person. She won’t deliberately make things difficult for you. Why are you so impatient? Why do you wear your schemes on your face?”

“Who would like a woman who is both scheming and impatient?”

Luo Lingyu thought to herself, “You don’t understand anything! You’re at least a direct descendant of the Lu family, while my connection to the family is so distant.”

Luo Lingyu stammered, “I… I…”

Full of rebuttals, emboldened by the alcohol, she stumbled to her feet, holding onto the side of the boat. Lu Yun’s rowing was unsteady, causing Luo Lingyu to sway with the boat’s movements. But she didn’t seem to care. She staggered over, bent down, and prepared to argue with Lu Yun.

Lu Yun, focused on rowing, finally managed to steady the boat. After a while, he realized the chattering girl behind him had gone silent. He turned to look and froze, his entire body stiffening. Luo Lingyu had somehow stumbled over to him in the rocking boat, startling him.

But what was worse—as Lu Yun turned, Luo Lingyu leaned down to grab his shoulder and speak to him. However, due to his sudden movement, she missed his shoulder, and her chest brushed against Lu Yun’s face.

The early spring night was cool, and their clothing was thin. Her soft, fragrant skin grazed his face.

Luo Lingyu shivered.

Lu Yun immediately leaned back, raising his elbow to push her away. His reaction was far more intense than the drunken Luo Lingyu’s. Before she even realized what had happened, Lu Yun forcefully pushed her back. He snapped, “What are you doing?!”

With that, he shoved the dazed Luo Lingyu off the boat.

Luo Lingyu: “…”

Suddenly pushed into the water, she caught a glimpse of Lu Yun’s intense rejection. As she fell into the water, a thought flashed through her muddled mind: she had misread him. The Lu Yun who had so heartlessly pushed her into the water couldn’t possibly be interested in her.

In the darkness, someone fell into the water with a loud splash, sending droplets onto Lu Yun’s pale face.

Lu Yun stiffly looked down at his hands, which had just pushed her: “…”

At the same time, a maid’s voice called out from the shore, “Miss, miss! Where are you… huh?” The sound of someone falling into the water echoed, and waves splashed up around the small boat. The maids on the shore had witnessed the scene of Lu Yun pushing Luo Lingyu into the water.

Lingyu and the other maids were stunned: “…”

After escorting Prince Liu Chu out of the Lu family’s courtyard, Lingyu and the other maids had hurried back. Although Luo Lingyu was with Lu Yun and should be safe, as her personal maids, they couldn’t help but feel uneasy not being by her side.

However, when they rushed back and stood on the shore, they saw Lu Yun push Luo Lingyu into the water with their own eyes.

The maids exchanged glances with the young man standing on the boat in the distance, feeling a mix of fear and hesitation. They had witnessed Lu Yun’s act, but he was the third young master of the Lu family, while Luo Lingyu was merely a cousin from a less influential family. Even if something happened to her, no one would stand up for her. But if they offended Lu Yun…

The maids’ faces turned pale, torn between their conscience and fear.

Just then, Lu Yun, standing at the bow of the boat, glanced at them coldly. He took a deep breath and dove into the water to rescue Luo Lingyu.

The maids, relieved, thought to themselves: It must have been a misunderstanding. Lu Yun didn’t mean to harm her.

The maids quickly composed themselves and stood anxiously on the shore, waiting. Soon, they saw Lu Yun, drenched and holding a woman in his arms, swim back to shore with a grim expression. The maids rushed over, helping Lu Yun lay the young lady on the ground. Lingyu checked Luo Lingyu’s breathing, and the maids cried out, “Miss, miss, are you alright?”

Luo Lingyu trembled slightly. At their calls, her eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes a crack. She didn’t realize she was being held by Lu Yun, nor did she see his pale, grim expression. The maids’ voices reached her ears, and her alcohol-soaked mind seemed to clear slightly. She coughed up some water and muttered, “I… I’m fine…”

Lingyu, overjoyed, said, “Miss, don’t move. Don’t worry, I’ll go fetch a doctor right away.”

Luo Lingyu grabbed her hand, stopping her. Her face was pale, and her slightly clearer mind made her hold onto Lingyu tightly. Shivering from the cold, she said, “No… no doctor. Don’t call anyone! I’ll be fine after a night’s sleep.”

The maids protested, “Miss, what are you saying? Someone, go call—”

Luo Lingyu, still trembling, insisted, “Don’t call anyone! I’ve already upset Madam Lu tonight. If I call a doctor after falling into the water, she’ll… she’ll think I’m being dramatic and troublesome… Don’t call anyone… I’ll be fine…”

Despite Luo Lingyu’s condition, the maids tried to persuade her, but she adamantly refused to let them call for help. In her dazed state, she vaguely noticed Lu Yun’s dark expression, but he didn’t speak, so the impression was faint. In the end, the maids couldn’t sway her, and Lingyu and the others reluctantly agreed.

The commotion lasted until midnight. When they returned, Luo Yunhuan, who had been waiting for her sister all night, had already fallen asleep. The maids lit lamps and bustled about, preparing hot soup and clean clothes.

Lingxi couldn’t bear to wake Luo Yunhuan and joined the other maids in caring for Luo Lingyu.

By the time they remembered, Lu Yun had already left unnoticed.

Lu Yun, still dripping wet, returned to the “Qing Yuan.”

At the courtyard gate, Jin Yue, who had been anxiously waiting for news all night, was startled to see him. She noticed that his clothes were soaked, and the bloodstains on his abdomen had seeped through the fabric.

When she saw him, Lu Yun collapsed with a thud. Jin Yue and the other maids rushed to support him, exclaiming in horror, “The wound had been healing for days, how did it reopen… Young master, weren’t you just watching the commotion?”

Jin Yue, heartbroken, asked, “How did you end up in the water?”

Before passing out, Lu Yun grabbed Jin Yue and said through gritted teeth, “Send the doctor… to the Snow Trace Courtyard first.”

Jin Yue asked, “Why… young master!”

Lu Yun, having returned to the safety of his own courtyard and given his instructions, finally allowed himself to faint. The Qingyuan was in chaos all night, just like the Xue Suo Courtyard.

Jin Yue didn’t sleep a wink and only dozed off at dawn when she heard a commotion outside.

Zhi Yue, another maid, ran in and called out to her, “Sister Jin Yue, come quickly! Luo Lingyu’s younger sister is here early in the morning, demanding to confront our young master! We’ve never seen that little miss before.”

Jin Yue: “…”

Was Luo Lingyu the bane of their young master’s existence?