Luo Lingwei’s back stiffened instantly, and the blush on her face froze: “…”
Had she used lip color when she went out in the morning? It didn’t seem like it… so how could it have ended up on her face? Did that mean she hadn’t washed her face properly last night, leaving remnants of makeup until this morning?!
In an instant, Luo Lingwei’s mind conjured up an image of herself looking like a disheveled mess.
Her hair was a tangled mess, the flower decoration on her forehead smeared red, her face marked with creases, and her lip color smudged outward…
Had she been flirting with Lu Yun all morning with this horrifying appearance?
Behind her, the maid Jinyue noticed Luo Lingwei’s face turning pale and then quickly hidden behind her sleeve.
Luo Lingwei seemed to shrink a whole head shorter, no longer daring to glance at the handsome man beside her or speak loudly.
She slowed her pace, following Lu Yun step by step: “Cousin, let’s hurry back. I want to go home.”
Lu Yun responded lightly with a “Hmm”: “Alright, I’ll take my cousin on a proper tour of the Lu family estate.”
Luo Lingwei widened her beautiful eyes, about to glare at Lu Yun, but the moment her lashes fluttered, she remembered her current disheveled appearance and immediately lowered her head again.
Anxiety filled her heart.
As someone who cherished her beauty, how could she bear to walk around the entire Lu estate?
If the elders saw her like this, her flawless image… Luo Lingwei swallowed her pride and said, “Cousin, I suddenly remember the way. You must be busy. I’ll go alone…”
Lu Yun replied seriously: “I’m not busy. Usually, when I go out, it’s just to drink, gamble, and play with women. Given how dissolute I’ve been, suddenly deciding to cultivate my character and spend time with my cousin at home should make my ancestors proud, thinking I’ve finally settled down.”
Luo Lingwei: “…!!!”
The young man glanced down at her.
Though her face was hidden behind her sleeve, through the gauze, she seemed to catch a glimpse of Lu Yun’s mocking, dark eyes.
Luo Lingwei’s face flushed red, then turned pale, then purple. Her mind went blank, overwhelmed by embarrassment and shame.
So he had heard everything she said to the other young ladies in the garden earlier, and not only heard it but also overanalyzed it…
Luo Lingwei whispered softly: “That’s not what I meant…”
Lu Yun: “Then give your cousin the chance to show you around the garden.”
…
By mid-morning, the biggest gossip in the Lu household had attracted the attention of everyone, both men and women.
The servants stared in shock as Lu Yun, who usually kept his distance from the young ladies of the household, leisurely led the new cousin around the entire estate.
Lu Yun, with his usual air of aloof elegance, gestured as he introduced the various parts of the Lu estate to his cousin.
The usually cold and indifferent man even took the young lady to pay respects to the elders.
The old lady was so shocked she couldn’t speak, and the madam even dropped her porcelain bowl.
Surprisingly, the young lady didn’t seem honored. She kept her face hidden behind her sleeve, mumbling and refusing to show her face.
Even when paying respects to the old lady, she kept her face covered.
When asked, she seemed on the verge of tears, saying she had accidentally run into her third cousin on the way, and he had insisted on bringing her along…
Lu Yun’s demeanor was cold and unchanging. Seeing him like this, even the old lady didn’t dare to ask too much.
Opinions about the new cousin were mixed, but when they heard that Lu Yun had taken Luo Lingwei on a tour of the garden, countless servants rushed to watch—
Boating on the lake, walking under the long willows by the corridor. The tiles of the roof seemed to fly like birds, and the beautiful woman walked alongside the handsome man. The dappled sunlight filtered through the green shade, and the eaves of the roof stood tall. Their sleeves fluttered in the breeze, and the sunlight and water ripples followed them, illuminating their faces.
One moment bright, one moment shadowed, the young lady walked with her head bowed and face flushed, following Lu Yun down the long path…
Even without seeing their faces, one could feel the beauty of the moment, the perfect match of talent and beauty.
In the flower-lined corridor by the long pond, several young ladies secretly watched, their hearts sinking as they saw the man and woman walking together.
The young ladies who had been in the garden earlier were so angry they tore their handkerchiefs, cursing Luo Lingwei in their hearts for being shameless.
She had spoken so sweetly, but then turned around and walked off with Lu Yun… On her second day in the Lu household, Luo Lingwei had already made countless enemies.
That morning, the story of Lu Yun taking Luo Lingwei on a garden tour became the talk of the household, discussed for days with no end in sight:
“I’ve never seen Third Young Master take a young lady on a garden tour before.”
“And it lasted a full two hours.”
“Such a pity the young lady wouldn’t show her face. I heard she’s stunning, but we never got to see her.”
“Third Young Master seems different with this cousin.”
…
Back in the “Snow Trace Courtyard,” Luo Lingwei collapsed onto the couch, her body aching.
The maid Lingyu looked at her with curiosity, while Luo Yunhuan, who had heard the news and rushed out to see her third cousin but missed him, sat nearby. Lingxi went out to take Luo Yunhuan, who was still running a fever, to take her medicine.
Lingyu combed Luo Lingwei’s beautiful long hair and asked, “Third Young Master really treats you differently… Could it be that he admires you?”
Luo Lingwei bit her lip, on the verge of tears. Her haggard appearance made it hard to press further.
Seeing her mistress wave her hand, finally lowering the sleeve she had used to hide her face all morning, her arm numb and weak, Luo Lingwei leaned on the table and said weakly, “Don’t ask. Look at my makeup. Third Cousin said it was smudged, so I didn’t dare…”
Lingyu exclaimed in surprise: “Miss, you’re not wearing any makeup. Your face is clean and pure. Where is the smudged makeup?”
For a moment, Luo Lingwei thought she had misheard. She quickly grabbed a mirror to look at her face.
The reflection showed a face as beautiful as a lotus flower, with phoenix eyes and radiant beauty…
After a long pause, Luo Lingwei didn’t want to think that Lu Yun had been teasing her. Hesitating for a moment, she muttered to herself, “Maybe I sweated, and the makeup came off…”
The day’s events were hard to describe.
What others saw as a beautiful story was, for Luo Lingwei, a source of embarrassment. She developed a psychological shadow over Lu Yun and didn’t dare to seek him out for several days. And once she stopped seeking him out, Luo Lingwei realized that Lu Yun truly didn’t participate much in the social activities of the Lu family’s young men and women—she didn’t see him for several days in a row.
Luo Lingwei refocused her attention on other matters—such as building good relationships with the other members of the Lu family.
…
Mixing milk and flour, steaming it into a creamy paste. The paste was thick and snowy white, and when mixed with fruit, it turned a deep red. The red paste was placed in a jade-green bowl, the red liquid against the green base, not spilling even when stirred, with only a wisp of steam rising.
The sweet aroma filled the air as several women sat around a long table in the room, eagerly watching the delicate hands scoop the paste onto white pastries with a silver spoon, then serve them on golden plates—
The sight was dazzling, with red, white, and gold blending together, some parts smooth, others jagged, solidified on the plate.
The brilliance of the colors complemented the young lady’s slender hands, creating a radiant and beautiful scene.
Hearing the maid’s swallowing sounds, Luo Lingwei smiled and said, “This is ‘Golden Jade Agate Paste,’ a famous northern delicacy. It’s not commonly seen in the south. Lingyu, try it.”
Lingyu, who had grown up in Jianye, widened her eyes in amazement, staring at the plate of red, mountain-like pastries.
Before she could speak, the nine-year-old Luo Yunhuan eagerly exclaimed, “My sister made this herself! No one else can make it! It’s especially delicious!”
She immediately pushed Lingxi, who, understanding her look, served her a bowl. At the same time, Lingyu, encouraged by Luo Lingwei, served herself a bowl.
The moment the paste touched her tongue, it felt both sticky and melting, neither solid nor liquid.
This strange texture was something she had never experienced before, but it disappeared the moment it touched her teeth. Lingyu savored it carefully, and after a spoonful, she felt an indescribable freshness and deliciousness. Her eyes lit up—”Miss, you’re so talented. Did you really make this yourself? I’ve never tasted anything like it.”
Noblewomen were all skilled in cooking, and Luo Lingwei smiled modestly, feeling a slight sense of pride. She couldn’t help but ask, “Is it good?”
Lingyu took another bite, savoring it: “Sweet but not cloying, fragrant and refreshing, like water but not water… The young ladies will surely love it. But the young men might not.”
Luo Lingwei breathed a sigh of relief, smoothing her hair. Northerners loved creamy pastes, while southerners preferred tea.
Luo Lingwei and her sister had lived in Ruyang during their childhood, a place where the north and south met.
Though they were southerners, they had adopted more northern customs. After coming to Jianye, Luo Lingwei had tried to adapt her skills, creating this agate paste. Lingyu, with her authentic Jianye palate, found it delicious, so the women of the Lu household would likely feel the same.
Luo Lingwei’s beautiful eyes gazed deeply at the maid, her lashes fluttering like wings.
Understanding the unspoken message, Lingyu stood up with Lingxi, the maid Luo Lingwei had brought with her, and curtsied: “I’ll take Lingxi and deliver these to the young ladies of the household. Should we send some to the young men as well?”
Luo Lingwei, who actually didn’t care much about the young ladies, was waiting for this: “Send some. Whether they like it or not is up to them, but it’s my duty to be courteous.”
This had been her goal all along.
Luo Lingwei personally stood up, took out an exquisite food box, and placed small jade-green bowls inside, filling them with the creamy paste.
She worked slowly and gracefully, and the maids behind her watched in awe. After portioning out the bowls, Luo Lingwei stood by the table, her long lashes fluttering as if deep in thought.
Her face alternated between pale and pink, her brows furrowed as if wrestling with some dilemma. Even Luo Yunhuan, sitting on the couch eating the paste, couldn’t help but lean forward, concerned about what her sister was thinking. The candlelight in the room flickered, casting a glow over Luo Lingwei’s face, which suddenly turned as red as a sunset. She bit her red lip.
Luo Lingwei said, “Wait a moment,” and deftly took out a bowl from the food box. She then retrieved a small bottle from her dressing table, unscrewed the cap, and added two drops to the dazzling red-and-white paste in the bowl. Behind her, Luo Yunhuan jumped up and cried, “The flower essence! You promised it to me! There are only a few drops left!”
Luo Lingwei ignored her and handed the bowl to Lingyu, instructing her to make sure it wasn’t mixed up. She said softly, “This bowl must be delivered personally to Third Cousin.”
Lingyu: “…”
Was this what they called favoritism?
—
Author’s Note:
Luo Lingwei: Did my makeup really smudge?
Lu Yun: Guess (???)
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