Sitting in the cool pavilion, her heart was frozen with shock!
Luo Lingyu never imagined Lu Yun would treat her this way — he had flirted with her, teased her multiple times, stirred up waves in her heart, and given her hope. Yet in the end, he only saw her as a concubine for his entertainment?
Though she wasn’t from the most prestigious family, she was still from a noble background. Even if her family status wasn’t as high as his, she didn’t deserve such humiliation! True, she came to Jianye chasing dreams of marrying into a powerful family. She knew her background was lacking, which was why she tried her best to win the young master’s favor. It seemed easier to win him over directly than to face scrutiny from the elders.
She considered herself a precious jade waiting for the right price… Even if he looked down on her, many others did too. But she couldn’t accept Lu Third Young Master seeing her as merely a future concubine!
That day when he kissed her so passionately, when she endured him pinching her face… was it all fake?
Visibly, Luo Lingyu’s eyes quickly reddened. When Lu Second Young Master Lu Xian hesitated in shock at her question, she couldn’t wait for his answer and turned to leave. Usually the young lady walked very slowly, but today as she walked along the corridor, Lu Xian only saw sunlight and shadows repeatedly cast on her graceful figure. Lu Xian called out “Cousin, wait!” several times, but saw that while Luo Lingyu had only been walking quickly at first, when she thought he might try to stop her, she broke into a run.
Along the way, she asked every maid she met where Lu Third Young Master was.
In Crown Prince Liu Mu’s eyes, Lu Second Young Master was a strangely brain-addled person. Earlier when he was worried about him looking at his cousin, Lu Second Young Master insisted on making him paint landscapes. After Lu Second Young Master hurriedly left, Liu Mu simply threw down his brush, thinking of crossing over to take a look. Liu Mu didn’t necessarily need to speak with Luo Lingyu, but whenever he looked at her, his heart would sometimes skip a beat, always feeling he shouldn’t miss his chance with her. He didn’t really understand Luo Lingyu, but in their few interactions, he saw her cleverness, liveliness, and quick wit… Wouldn’t any normal young man want to talk more with such a lady?
Just as Liu Mu crossed over, he saw a lady running towards him. She ran swiftly, her pomegranate red skirt lifted by the wind, the brilliant crystal ornament on her forehead reflecting in her clear, water-like eyes. Now those clear eyes held tears, reflecting sunlight as trails ran down her cheeks.
Liu Mu was startled: “Miss Luo…”
Luo Lingyu, red-eyed, urgently asked him: “Have you seen my third cousin?”
Liu Mu: “…”
With a slight heaviness in his heart, Liu Mu didn’t want to speak, but her eyes made him uncomfortable, so he told the truth: “He went to the back quarters to change clothes…”
Luo Lingyu thanked him and left.
Liu Mu reached out, seeming to want to stop her. But his hand merely brushed past her elegant sleeve, watching as the lady’s jade-like flowing sleeve slipped past his fingers. Liu Mu turned abruptly, watching as Luo Lingyu lifted her skirts to step on the stream rocks, already crossing the water. Liu Mu heard rapid footsteps and repeated calls of “Cousin” from behind, and when he turned back, he saw Lu Second Young Master Lu Xian running out of the corridor, out of breath.
Their eyes met.
Liu Mu’s face instantly darkened: Why this troublemaker again?
As he turned to leave, Lu Second Young Master saw which direction he was heading and feared he would go find Luo Lingyu. Lu Second Young Master was alert: the misunderstanding between cousin Luo and third brother was just that — a misunderstanding. But if Liu Mu got involved, even false misunderstandings could become real. Lu Second Young Master was extremely wary of this Crown Prince Liu Mu, completely unwilling to let Liu Mu and his cousin develop any relationship that might end with both of them hurt and upset.
Lu Second Young Master shouted: “Crown Prince!”
“Sir!”
“Liu Mu!”
Liu Mu, who had turned to leave, was startled by the shouts from behind and nearly fell into the stream. The surrounding young men and ladies all looked over, whispering about whether he had gotten into an argument with Lu Second Young Master. The Crown Prince, fuming, burst out roughly: “…What are you yelling for!”
The already hot-tempered young man now felt like eating Lu Second Young Master alive — this is why he hated noble families! Noble young masters would just shout at him, a royal relative, without any fear of his anger. The entire Southern Kingdom’s politics were controlled by noble families, how could anything good come of this continuing?
While the Crown Prince was being held up by Lu Second Young Master, Qi Third Young Master Qi An found the person Lu Second Young Master had asked him to find.
But after finding them, Qi Third Young Master discovered Lu Second Young Master had run off somewhere.
While Qi An was looking for Lu Second Young Master in the crowd, he saw that lady running with lifted skirts along the single-sided empty corridor. The lady’s figure appeared and disappeared among the flowers and trees, and many young men by the shore saw her… Qi Third Young Master exclaimed joyfully: “Little Sister Luo!”
He wasn’t sure if his Little Sister Luo heard him, as the lady turned the corner of the corridor and disappeared. After a moment’s shock, Qi An quickly gave chase. Earlier he had indeed asked Lu Second Young Master to help ask Little Sister Luo’s intentions, as he was particularly shy about speaking with her directly. But now with Little Sister Luo right before his eyes… he couldn’t help but chase after her.
Some of the young men and women painting in the courtyard watched their “cat and mouse” game in surprise, while others hadn’t noticed. Only when several scholars painting suddenly looked up did they realize the Lady Luo they were supposed to be painting in the pavilion had disappeared. But scholars will be scholars – even though the lady was gone, they composed themselves and continued painting. Beauty lies in the bones not the skin, they had already captured Lady Luo’s charming figure in their hearts. With the lady gone, they could be more imaginative… As everyone saw, the scholars’ paintings began taking quite imaginative directions…
Everyone praised: “This is why they’re masters, only masters could create such marvelously strange works.”
Meanwhile, Lu Third Young Master had just walked out of the quarters.
A trembling maid knelt under the eaves in front of the building, holding up a tray as she knelt outside being punished. She considered herself beautiful and secretly admired Lu family’s Third Young Master.
She had deliberately dirtied Lu Third Young Master’s robes so she could follow him to the back quarters to change. She hadn’t expected that while Lu Third Young Master was cold in public, in private his face would turn black as ink. She had barely touched his robe’s hem with a blushing face before being thrown out. Her wish to serve the young master in the quarters unfulfilled, she could only kneel outside in the cold wind.
After changing clothes, Lu Yun was still in a bad mood. The reason he disliked these social activities was that he always attracted all sorts of ladies. He really didn’t understand how brazen the women of this era were – if they wanted to attract him, why did they always offend him? Why dirty his clothes? Why did they always think that disrupting things around him was a way to find opportunities to interact with him, rather than offending him? And what made them think that mere beauty alone could make him linger?
He most despised those who tried to seduce him with looks!
Dressed in his formal robes with flowing sleeves, Lu Third Young Master stood before the quarters. The gentle breeze swirled like waves, and the tall, jade-like Lu Yun, elegant as orchids and jade trees, was complemented by the flowing light in the garden.
Lu Third Young Master lowered his head to look at the maid kneeling beside him, considering how to punish her, when he heard footsteps from the other end of the corridor. His eyebrows twitched slightly as he heard Luo Lingyu’s trembling voice: “Lu Xuechen!”
Qi Third Young Master supported himself against a pillar after running over, and just as he caught his breath, he saw Lady Luo rushing towards Lu Third Young Master at the doorway. Qi Third Young Master’s heart wavered, and he quickly followed.
Lu Yun slowly raised his eyes.
As he looked up, his brow bone lifted like spreading wings about to take flight. The young master’s features were exceptionally fine, dark and rich, his eyes extremely handsome. As he gradually raised his eyebrows, the soul-stirring light and shadow woven between his brows and eyes made even Qi Third Young Master, a man, feel ashamed.
When Lu Yun raised his eyes, he had already recognized Luo Lingyu’s voice. His lips held a trace of a smile as he looked towards her, about to mock her for not staying still to be painted and instead running to find him.
But he saw Luo Lingyu rushing before him with anger in her beautiful eyes, tears glimmering within them.
Lu Yun’s heart emptied, and he froze: “…Why are you crying? Who bullied you?”
Seeing him so handsome, the fire in Luo Lingyu’s heart burned even fiercer. He looked down on her, yet dressed himself so finely to attract flowers and butterflies everywhere.
Luo Lingyu was so angry her chest hurt, her breasts trembling, and as her gaze unconsciously moved down Lu Yun’s form, her mind exploded with more anger — now she knew exactly where this hypocrite had been looking at her!
The simultaneous arrival of anger and grievance made Luo Lingyu lose her usual composure.
She saw the wine jug on the kneeling maid’s tray beside them, and without thinking, Luo Lingyu grabbed it and threw the half-full jug of wine at Lu Yun.
Lu Yun’s face turned cold – having just changed clothes only to be splashed with wine again, he stepped back while raising his sleeve to block. But Luo Lingyu’s reaction was so sudden that Lu Yun truly hadn’t expected it. His back against the door, he raised his sleeve, but the burgundy wine still fell on his neck. Red wine seeped into his collar, and a few drops, due to the lady’s angry throw, splashed onto Lu Yun’s jade-white face.
Lu Yun was furious and grabbed her still-threatening hand. Lu Third Young Master raged: “Luo Lingyu, have you gone mad?!”
Was she learning nothing good, instead copying the fierce ways of Jianye’s ladies?
Luo Lingyu retorted: “Even if I’ve gone mad, I’m still better than you putting on an act.”
Lu Yun’s eyebrow twitched as his eyes caught sight of Qi Third Young Master approaching from behind. Seeing Luo Lingyu seemingly arguing with her cousin, Qi Third Young Master hesitated and lingered at the corridor’s end, not coming closer. Lu Yun lowered his head, somewhat calmer: “How have I been putting on an act?”
Luo Lingyu: “You act one way in public and another in private. If you look down on me, just say it directly. It’s not like all the young masters in the world are dead, I don’t have to have you. Why did you have your second brother probe me and question me? You dislike me this much, to humiliate me like this?”
Lu Yun looked down, his eyelashes thick as dense curtains. The kneeling maid below looked up in shock and surprise, remembering how when she had spilled wine earlier, Lu Third Young Master had immediately erupted in anger. Yet now when splashed with wine by his cousin, with wine even hitting his face, Lu Third Young Master held his cousin’s hand without letting go, not yet dealing with his own disheveled state.
Lu Yun asked Luo Lingyu, still in a calm voice: “How did I have my second brother probe you and question you?”
“You still won’t admit it!” Luo Lingyu said with red-rimmed eyes, biting her lip, “You had him ask me about becoming a concubine. You see me as a concubine, you don’t respect me. I know you’ve always been aloof and no one meets your standards, but why do I deserve such humiliation from you? You just see me as easy to bully! You take advantage of me being an orphan, dependent on others, with no one to stand up for me, and won’t even let me speak up for myself… I may have nothing, but I fight for myself, what wrong have I done to deserve such humiliation from you?”
Lu Yun’s eyebrow moved slightly, still calm: “You know your status isn’t enough in the eyes of Jianye’s young masters, as a concubine…”
Luo Lingyu: “That’s none of your business! If you don’t like what I do, you don’t need to manage me, you’re not even my blood cousin. My aunt doesn’t care about me, other Lu family members don’t manage me, what right do you have to manage me? Even if I become someone else’s concubine, you don’t need to manage it!”
Lu Yun’s grip on her wrist tightened, tight enough to cause pain.
He suddenly raised his lashes, revealing ice-jade-like black pupils beneath. Lu Yun stepped forward, the sudden pressure making Luo Lingyu step back. Lu Yun said coolly: “So becoming others’ concubine doesn’t matter, but becoming my concubine does? When I humiliate you it matters, but others don’t?”
Luo Lingyu: “…You…”
From behind came a weak voice, very embarrassed: “Li-Little Sister Luo…”
Luo Lingyu’s back stiffened, not expecting that while talking with Lu Yun, a third voice would appear. The punished kneeling maid naturally wouldn’t dare speak out of turn, but how was there another person behind her… Her eyes widened, angry eyes glaring at Lu Yun. She had her back turned, while Lu Yun faced forward. He must have seen the person but didn’t stop her, instead letting her continue speaking…
Still held by the wrist by Lu Yun, Luo Lingyu immediately turned to look behind her, seeing Qi Third Young Master Qi An walking out with a red, embarrassed face.
Luo Lingyu had an impression of this young master, and her heart raced wondering if her ambiguous interactions with Lu Third Young Master would be spread by him…
Then she saw this Qi Third Young Master bow with clasped sleeves, saying sheepishly and weakly: “Little Sister Luo must have misunderstood. I didn’t want to overhear your conversation with Lu Third Young Master, but as it concerns me… If I haven’t guessed wrong, Lu Second Young Master was asking on my behalf.”
By the end, he looked up at her eagerly, no longer saying “I” formally but speaking more personally.
Luo Lingyu was slightly dazed: “…What?”
Qi Third Young Master was extremely embarrassed: “That day when I first met Little Sister Luo, you were like an immortal, and I couldn’t forget you. After several sleepless nights, seeing you again at the banquet, sitting beside me and talking with me. Every smile and frown of yours remained vivid in my mind, even more so… I didn’t want you as a concubine, but as a secondary wife. Perhaps this still humiliates Little Sister Luo, I didn’t consider your feelings well… I thought my family wouldn’t agree, but didn’t think you would be unwilling too… Please don’t blame me, let me think for a few more days. Regardless, I absolutely had no intention to humiliate you.”
Luo Lingyu: “…”
After a moment of shock, seeing Qi Third Young Master utterly ashamed and about to leave after speaking, Luo Lingyu stammered: “You… you…”
She couldn’t remember who this young master was for a long while, only stuttering to salvage her mistake: “It has nothing to do with you, I’m not really that concerned… Young Master, Young Master…”
But Qi Third Young Master already thought she was just being polite, feeling even more mortified. Making a distant bow to Luo Lingyu, Qi Third Young Master hurriedly left.
Luo Lingyu was so anxious sweat appeared on her forehead – finally a young master considering marriage with her appeared, and though she couldn’t remember who he was, there would have been countless future opportunities. She seemed to have offended this young master in one fell swoop…
Her flying opportunity…
Being a concubine wasn’t really that bad, with her methods, she would eventually make this young master…
But Qi Third Young Master had already been driven away by her words, and her arm was still held by Lu Yun. Luo Lingyu quickly tried to chase after him, but the person behind pulled her back by the wrist. Luo Lingyu’s face flushed red as she heard Lu Yun’s cool voice from behind: “Now you understand what happened? Is splashing me with wine just going to end like this?”
Luo Lingyu: “…”
Lu Yun hadn’t shown anger before, staying calm while drawing out her words.
She wanted to chase after Qi Third Young Master partly to avoid Lu Yun, but found she couldn’t escape…
Luo Lingyu turned around guiltily and awkwardly to face the young master behind her. Looking straight ahead, she saw the wine stains on his robes.
A moment of suffocation as she realized she had dared to splash wine on him, had dared to splash wine on this difficult Lu Third Young Master… Luo Lingyu trembled, looking up with a placating smile: “Brother Xuechen…”
Lu Yun smiled ambiguously: “Your Brother Xuechen is very angry, and the consequences of his anger…”
Luo Lingyu’s face went white.
Lu Yun caught her waist and pulled her into the quarters. One hand around her waist as he walked backward, his other hand waved, gesturing for the still-kneeling maid outside to leave first. How would the maid dare to look more, these noble young masters and ladies all liked to act wild, servants like them pretended not to know. Luo Lingyu clutched the doorframe whimpering, Lu Yun covered her mouth and forcibly closed the door, pulling her inside.
Lu Yun looked around, raising his hand.
Seeing where his eyes were fixed, where there was a jar of wine, Luo Lingyu was so frightened her legs trembled. She suddenly remembered seeing Lu Yun’s previous interaction with Miss Chen Chen Xiu, when she had splashed him with ink, Lu Yun had splashed back without mercy. This person really didn’t like others provoking him, and today she had provoked him so severely… Luo Lingyu threw herself forward, hugging Lu Yun’s waist.
With no servants present, Luo Lingyu’s cheeks flushed red, no longer caring about face: “Brother Xuechen, I was wrong. Please don’t splash me with wine, I still have to see people later, if you splash me with wine I won’t be able to live…”
Lu Yun: “Let go!”
Luo Lingyu wouldn’t: “Brother Xuechen, what I said outside was nonsense. You’ve taken the best care of me, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have gotten today’s ‘Flower Goddess’ title. I remember all these kindnesses… You’re the kindest to me in the Lu family, I’ll definitely repay you in the future. Even if I said some wrong things, it was because I thought Brother Xuechen didn’t care about me in his heart, I wouldn’t say such things to others…”
Lu Yun said coldly: “Sweet words… Let go!”
He tried to walk away, but Luo Lingyu’s arms held him tight and wouldn’t release him. Lu Yun was indeed extremely angry, indeed couldn’t stand women constantly splashing him with water, wine, this and that. Seeing wine in the room, he wanted to let Luo Lingyu taste this feeling too. But Luo Lingyu was too clever, holding him very tight and not letting go. Lu Yun grabbed the lady’s hands at his waist, trying to pull her away, but she whimpered and held even tighter.
Lu Yun’s face flushed red, saying softly: “Let go…”
Luo Lingyu still feared his mercilessness: “No… Brother Xuechen, listen to me…”
Lu Yun’s voice got even lower, with a hint of hoarseness: “I’m not angry… let go of your hands…”
Luo Lingyu completely didn’t believe him, clearly feeling the stiffness in his body, she still continued trying to persuade him.
Lu Yun went quiet.
Luo Lingyu suddenly froze, stopping her words.
Their bodies pressed tightly together, amid the pushing and rejecting, the thin spring clothes inevitably rubbed against each other. When men and women embrace it’s very easy for situations to arise, Luo Lingyu hadn’t noticed herself, but now felt something wasn’t right.
Because the young master she was holding suddenly had a high body temperature, something hot was poking her lower abdomen.
Her forehead pressed against his neck, the cool ornament touching the young master’s neck. Cool meeting heat, Luo Lingyu noticed Lu Yun’s breathing was wrong, his neck pulse beating heavily.
She looked up, meeting Lu Yun’s dark eyes.
Women actually have an inexplicable intuition about men, when his gaze suddenly changed, Luo Lingyu let go of her arms and stepped back. She murmured: “Brother Xuechen…”
Lu Yun’s eyes were quiet, but at her soft call of “Brother Xuechen”, the dark shadows in his eyes pressed down, flames suddenly lit in his pupils. Lu Yun watched her expressionlessly, leaned down, and his lips suddenly pressed against hers. Luo Lingyu was so shocked her back stiffened, a hand appeared at her waist, gripping her and pushing her against the door.
Luo Lingyu trembled: “You… mmph…”
Her words weren’t finished, her voice swallowed by Lu Yun.
Leaning against the door, vaguely seeing dust floating in the air of the room, hearing men and women laughing outside. Light shone through the window grid above, just brushing past Lu Yun and the Luo Lingyu he pressed against the door to kiss.
Luo Lingyu whimpered, raising her arms to hit and push him. But her raised hands were caught by Lu Yun’s. He held her hands, his quiet eyes fixed on her, his lips pressing against hers.
His expression was very calm, but his lips and tongue entwining with hers… were like madness!
With just one kiss, Luo Lingyu’s back was filled with trembling, her legs too weak to stand. Her face was blood red, her heart confused. Last time was a negotiation, so this time was… was it punishment, compensation for him? His grip on her hands wasn’t tight, loosely holding her. His eyelids lowered, beneath them jade-like eyes staring at her unblinkingly.
It wasn’t a particularly forceful kiss.
Passionate, yet gentle at the same time.
She could struggle free anytime.
Luo Lingyu hardened her heart: Why should I struggle? What a good chance to test his heart!
The lady took a breath, her spine almost breaking from being pressed. After a long kiss, when he moved away, his breath intermingled faintly with hers, Lu Yun’s hand caressing the messy hair on her cheek. He smiled carelessly: “With others you don’t care about being a concubine or not, as long as you have wealth and power. But with me it’s not allowed. Absolutely won’t be my concubine?”
Luo Lingyu bit her lip.
She said softly: “…What are you doing now?”
His finger slowly, slowly caressed her lips. He seemed to be slowly thinking about something, or quietly observing her. His breath pressed against hers, when they spoke, their lips could touch. His lips just kept touching her lips again and again, passing that soul-consuming trembling feeling to her. The young master’s voice was clear and quiet:
“Then why do you tempt me?”
“I’m thinking about you… little sister Yu’er.”
His hand caught her hair strands, falling to his fingertips, gently kissing them while his eyes watched her. With just this light kiss, Luo Lingyu’s face reddened even more, her heart in chaos.
She heard Lu Third Young Master say: “Little sister Yu’er, I’m thinking… you love power, love influence, love wealth. But can you love people?”
Lu Yun thought: I want heart.
For someone like you, I’m not sure… if you have a heart.
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