ATLAS TRANSLATES

The atmosphere grew tense as a male voice spoke up, reprimanding the newly arrived gentleman for his rudeness. “Third Brother, how can you speak to our cousin like that?”

Under the flickering lights and amidst the crowd, faces were hard to distinguish.

Luo Lingwei glanced over and saw that it was Lu Xian, the second son of the Lu family, who had spoken up in her defense.

After the eldest daughter of the Lu family, Lu Qingyi, married, Lu Xian, now nineteen, became the eldest among the younger generation. Lu Xian was a calm and scholarly young man.

During the earlier interactions between siblings, he, like others, had been struck by Luo Lingwei’s beauty but was the quickest to regain his composure.

After that, he stood silently behind the other gentlemen. Luo Lingwei noticed his ears turning slightly red, thinking he must be a shy cousin.

Unlike this last cousin who had just appeared—Lu Xian avoided Luo Lingwei’s gaze and politely introduced, “This is Third Brother, his given name is Yun. There are many young masters in the Lu family, and the hierarchy can be a bit confusing. You can call him ‘Cousin Yun.’”

Luo Lingwei curtsied and obediently called out, “Cousin Yun.”

No response.

Luo Lingwei looked up and met the deep, cool eyes of the young master.

Lu Yun, the third son of the Lu family, had a demeanor that didn’t quite match his appearance.

His aura was noble and aloof, as if untouched by worldly concerns, like frost covering the moon.

Yet, his looks were strikingly handsome, almost to the point of being frivolous and flirtatious.

These two contrasting images coexisted in one person, making it hard to truly understand him.

Lu Yun stared at her and asked, “Don’t you remember me?”

Her mind went blank. Luo Lingwei was horrified, her soul shaken. “N-no… we’ve never met!”

Gasps were heard in the room. All the cousins who had been eagerly watching Lu Yun now turned their attention to Luo Lingwei.

Her face flushed with a mix of red and pale, she stood frozen, feeling the weight of their gazes. She had just arrived, and already Lu Yun had singled her out.

The cousins were furious, their eyes burning with jealousy, as if they wanted to devour this Luo girl.

At that moment, the Lu matriarch, who had been observing quietly, laughed and saved Luo Lingwei from the awkward situation. “Third Brother just returned home. How could he have met you before? Perhaps all beautiful people look alike… Come here to your grandmother. I heard from Jinyue that you were injured this time. You silly child…”

—

That night, deep into the evening, Luo Lingwei returned to the “Snowy Garden,” where she was staying at the Lu family, accompanied by the new maid, Lingyu, gifted by the Lu matriarch.

She walked unsteadily, her steps heavy. After checking on her younger sister, who was already asleep, and instructing her maid Lingxi on some nighttime precautions, Luo Lingwei entered her bedroom, her hair damp with sweat.

Even in disarray, a beauty remains a beauty.

Her eyes were slightly red, her lip color faded, her long skirt trailing on the floor, her silhouette delicate and pure.

However, Luo Lingwei’s eyes were fixed on the window, her expression troubled. The maid Lingyu, sent by the matriarch, didn’t dare to look too closely. She went out to fetch water and a basin for Luo Lingwei to wash her face.

But when Lingyu returned, she found Luo Lingwei sitting on the bed, unpacking the bundle she had brought with her. Inside were bottles, ointments, boxes, and a few changes of clothes.

The young lady stared at her belongings, twisting a handkerchief in her hands, tears silently falling.

Lingyu quickly set down the basin and approached. “Miss, is there something wrong? Has someone in the Lu family mistreated you? Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see the matriarch!”

Luo Lingwei raised her tear-streaked face, her wet hair clinging to her cheeks, her face washed clean by her tears. Her delicate, slender frame trembled as she cried, her beauty so captivating that even Lingyu, a woman, felt moved.

Finally, Luo Lingwei choked out, “Does Third Cousin hate me?”

Lingyu sighed in relief. “Third Young Master? Miss, you’re overthinking it. Our Third Young Master didn’t mean anything by it. He’s just…”

Lingyu’s expression became complicated as she tried to find the right words. “He’s just different from others, a bit more aloof. If he offended you, please don’t take it to heart.”

“Nonsense. I saw how all the cousins were looking at Third Cousin. He seemed so familiar with them,” Luo Lingwei lamented, tears still falling. “But he clearly dislikes me.”

Lingyu smiled faintly. “That’s not true. All the young ladies want to be close to our Third Young Master, but he… he’s rarely at home. Maybe because he’s not around much, they feel more affectionate towards him.”

“Oh?” Luo Lingwei asked pointedly, “Is Eldest Cousin not like that?”

She didn’t dare touch the spicy water on her handkerchief anymore, afraid that crying too much would make her eyes swell the next day, making it hard to face others.

She was poor, and even her younger sister only had one maid, Lingxi.

The Lu matriarch had sent Lingyu, but Luo Lingwei wasn’t sure of her character yet and wouldn’t easily confide in her. However, she could at least gather some information about the Lu family’s young masters from this maid.

Lingyu explained—

“In this generation of the Lu family, there are more girls than boys. Especially in the main branch of the family, the legitimate young masters are only Second Young Master Lu Xian and Third Young Master Lu Yun. The matriarch, feeling lonely, loves to invite pretty young ladies to stay with us. But the eldest madam doesn’t like it, fearing that Eldest Young Master might be distracted. She keeps a close eye on him, making sure he focuses on his studies and doesn’t play with the cousins. It’s only when it’s time to arrange a marriage that the eldest madam starts to worry…”

“Third Young Master is somewhat pitiful. After the General of the North (Lu Yun’s father) passed away, the second madam followed him in death. The matriarch brought Third Young Master back to Jianye. The large second courtyard is usually empty, with only Third Young Master living there. Perhaps out of sympathy for his circumstances, the family doesn’t impose many rules on him. All we know is that he spends his time wandering around, getting along well with the young masters of Jianye. The Left Minister (Lu Xian’s father) wanted to secure an official position for him in the court, but Third Young Master refused. The young ladies all love to chase after him, but our Third Young Master is of noble character and doesn’t pay attention to any of them.”

Lingyu lowered her head and looked deeply at the new cousin. “Third Young Master paid attention to you tonight. You should be happy.”

Luo Lingwei’s eyes, filled with emotion, glistened like autumn water. Her peach-blossom cheeks were as pure as snow. With just a glance, Lingyu spilled everything she knew. Suppressing the fluttering in her heart when she thought of that person, Luo Lingwei began to calculate in her mind—

Third Cousin, hmm.

Both parents deceased, the entire second branch’s wealth belongs to him alone. He seems a bit unreliable, but with her beauty, hadn’t he been flustered tonight? A noble from a prestigious family, with outstanding looks, and no one to control him… It was almost as if this marriage was tailor-made for her.

Eldest Cousin Lu Xian was naturally better.

His father was the Left Minister in the court, his mother came from a prominent family, and he was ambitious, holding an official position.

But with such a good family background, Luo Lingwei, a girl from a fallen scholar family, even if she managed to win over Eldest Cousin, would still have to face the challenges of the eldest madam and the Left Minister…

As for the other cousins, Luo Lingwei wasn’t interested.

She prided herself on her beauty and had high aspirations.

She had traveled thousands of miles to Jianye in hopes of marrying into a higher status to save herself and her sister from their lonely fate. Unless absolutely necessary, she didn’t want to settle for someone lesser.

Finally, Luo Lingwei asked, “Do the cousins study at home?”

Lingyu’s eyes flickered as she stared at this stunning cousin. With a slight smile, she replied meaningfully, “…Yes.”

Eldest Young Master Lu Xian held a nominal official position and didn’t need to attend court daily.

Being self-disciplined, he naturally studied at home. Third Young Master Lu Yun, who had vaguely mentioned something about being “injured,” probably couldn’t go out and would also study at home. The other young masters were likely the same.

However, Luo Lingwei looked up at Lingyu, puzzled by her subtle reaction. She felt a pang of unease, wondering if Lingyu had seen through her thoughts. Her delicate figure reflected on the window, Luo Lingwei felt a slight melancholy.

—

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Luo Lingwei quietly got up while Lingyu, who was sleeping in the outer room on night duty, was still asleep.

She put on a pink-and-white narrow-sleeved dress, draped a silver-red cloak embroidered with orchid patterns over her shoulders, and casually tied up her hair, though a few strands still clung to her face.

Tiptoeing across the fragrant green mat, she put on her shoes and stepped out, holding a small silver bottle the size of her thumb, and ventured out into the dim light of dawn.

Early morning was the perfect time to gather dew and perhaps encounter a young master.

Unfamiliar with the Lu family’s estate, Luo Lingwei fumbled around before finding the path to the study.

She walked along a fragrant path strewn with fallen petals, hiding in the shade of deep flowers and trees.

As she moved, the hem of her skirt picked up green fruit and grass, her long hair brushing against the branches.

The air was fresh with dew, and the green grove was filled with crabapple, peach, and apricot trees. Luo Lingwei, holding a flower bag in one hand and the silver bottle in the other, looked like a forest spirit.

She occasionally glanced towards the path, waiting for Lu Yun to appear. This was the only way from the second branch to the study… As she turned her head, searching for dew, she suddenly tripped over something. With a soft cry, she stumbled forward a few steps, her heart pounding as she turned to see a timid young lady emerging from behind a tree.

Luo Lingwei stared in surprise. “Sister Wang… what are you doing here?”

Sister Wang replied, “Picking flowers.”

Taking a few more steps, Luo Lingwei focused on the tree and saw another graceful figure stepping out. “…Cousin Han? Are you here to pick flowers too?”

Cousin Han nodded arrogantly and called out to the others, “Why are you hiding? Sister Luo is here. Come out, everyone.”

In an instant, nearly ten beautiful young ladies emerged from behind trees and bushes, all dressed in their finest, their faces radiant. They were all cousins staying at the Lu family or visiting. Some of them sneered at Luo Lingwei, some ignored her, and some blushed. “Sister Luo (or Cousin Luo), are you here to wait for Third Young Master too?”

Luo Lingwei: “…”

She finally understood the subtle smile on Lingyu’s face last night: Lu Yun was simply too attractive. Even though Eldest Young Master Lu Xian had a better background, the cousins clearly preferred Lu Yun.

In early spring, delicate flowers fell from the branches, scattering on the green grass and the lake’s surface. The wind blew their sleeves, their dresses clinging to their bodies and wrinkling. Luo Lingwei tightened her grip on the fragrant bag in her hand, thinking: No, I’m different from them.

They only love Lu Yun for his looks.

But I want to marry him for my own future.

—

Author’s Note: Luo Lingwei: …So many rivals…

Lu Yun: You’re not familiar with me yet, so you think there are many rivals. Once you get to know me, you’ll realize… there really are a lot of rivals.

Luo Lingwei: It’s fine. You have even more rivals…