ATLAS TRANSLATES

After breakfast, Jinyue, a maid from the second branch of the Lu family’s “Qingyuan,” came to return a gift.

Luo Lingwei had been supervising her younger sister’s studies while pondering what to do for the day.

Hearing that Jinyue had arrived, Luo Lingwei knew she was Lu Yun’s personal maid and didn’t dare to be negligent. She personally went out to greet her.

Unexpectedly, Jinyue was straightforward and neither subservient nor arrogant. She first returned the flower-patterned stationery that had been sent over.

The windows and doors were open. Lingxi sat by the window accompanying Luo Yunhuan in her studies, while Lingyu directed the servants to clean the courtyard.

Both maids were peeking curiously. Seeing Luo Lingwei’s slightly stiff expression, Lingyu, who had grown up in the Lu family, sighed softly and lowered her head. Assigned by the matriarch to serve the young lady, she naturally had Luo Lingwei’s best interests at heart.

The young lady was stunningly beautiful, and Lingyu thought… but Third Young Master was as cold-blooded as ever, showing no mercy.

It was unheard of for a young lady’s gift to be returned in broad daylight. It was a blatant disregard for Luo Lingwei’s dignity.

Luo Lingwei took the stationery, looked it over, and remained silent.

Jinyue curtsied gracefully and said, “This isn’t directed at you, Miss. Our young master never accepts such gifts from women, fearing misunderstandings. You must know, Miss, that with his looks… he genuinely dislikes getting too involved with young ladies. Please keep this safe and don’t send anything like this again.”

Luo Lingwei’s beautiful eyes flickered as she thought to herself: So he dislikes private exchanges, huh? Then he didn’t even notice the special dew I added.

Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she nodded without saying anything more. As she was about to dismiss Jinyue, the maid brought out a scroll, saying it was a return gift for the cheese cake and green tea Luo Lingwei had sent.

Under Jinyue’s watchful gaze, Luo Lingwei, who had already given up hope regarding her difficult third cousin, casually accepted the scroll.

To show her appreciation, she had the two maids in the corridor come over to help unroll it in front of Jinyue.

The painting depicted a bright moon rising over the eastern mountains, a spring night by the Jiangnan river.

The painting was mostly blank, with only the distant moon between green mountains and a boat on the river. A woman in green leaned over the boat, scooping water. A few lines sketched the ripples, and the dark boat resembled a reef emerging from the water. The woman’s face was unclear, but within the painting’s vast emptiness, she appeared strikingly beautiful.

Distant mountains and nearby beauty on a night boat.

The brushwork was light and free, with just a few strokes capturing the essence, leaving a profound sense of solitude and vastness.

The painting left Luo Lingwei in awe, her fingertips trembling as she touched it. What truly moved her was the signature in the corner—

“Plum Seeking Recluse.”

“Plum Seeking Recluse” was a renowned scholar of their time, known for his broad-mindedness and exceptional calligraphy and painting.

Every time one of his works appeared on the market, it sparked fierce competition.

Even someone as worldly as Luo Lingwei deeply admired his talent and style. In the past, she had gone to great lengths to collect his works, but as a penniless orphan, she had no means to acquire them, which had caused her much frustration.

Now, here was one of his paintings right before her eyes… and not just any painting, but one that felt familiar… as if the master had shared a spiritual connection with her, destined for her to possess.

Jinyue, seeing Luo Lingwei’s rapt attention, thought the young lady had noticed the perfunctory nature of her master’s gift.

Her face flushed, and she coughed, wanting to explain that although Lu Yun had painted it recently, he hadn’t done so carelessly… Luo Lingwei quickly had the maids roll up the scroll. When she looked up, her eyes sparkled, clear and bright.

Luo Lingwei’s face was flushed with excitement as she said, “I see Third Cousin’s thoughtfulness. Please convey to him that Lingwei has little to offer but will surely repay his kindness in the future. I am deeply moved by his care and concern.”

“Lingwei was once ignorant and misunderstood Cousin’s intentions, even thinking he disliked me… Lingxi, come quickly, bring the rare book by Master Ming that I’ve treasured, and give it to Third Cousin.”

Jinyue: “…”

She was dumbfounded. Luo Lingwei had referred to herself as “Lingwei,” positioning herself as the weaker party to flatter Lu Yun.

All Lu Yun had done was send a painting, one that Jinyue herself had chosen… Jinyue opened her mouth several times to explain, but Luo Lingwei, fearing she might take back the precious painting, didn’t give her the chance.

When Jinyue returned to “Qingyuan” and reported to Lu Yun, she presented the gifts from the young lady with a mix of amusement and exasperation—

“The young lady seems to have misunderstood something.”

When Lu Yun asked what had been sent, though his eyebrow twitched, he didn’t say much—fine, perhaps it was meant to be hers after all.

That painting.

It was of her.

He just didn’t want to say it, and she didn’t know.

…

The second branch was occupied solely by Lu Yun, and everyone knew his ways after all these years.

Hearing that Lu Yun hadn’t attended the academy since his return, the Lu matriarch sighed.

The eldest madam of the Lu family, unable to interfere in the second branch’s affairs, remained silent. Only the eldest young master, Lu Xian, upon hearing that his third brother had skipped classes again, frowned deeply.

As the eldest brother, Lu Xian summoned Lu Yun for a talk. Despite his usual rebelliousness, Lu Yun restrained himself and went to listen to his brother’s lecture.

The two brothers sat by the stove in Lu Xian’s room. The windows on the sunny side were wide open, with long willow branches swaying gently in the breeze outside. Several maids sat in the corridor, brewing tea for the two young masters over a red clay stove.

Inside, Lu Yun sat across from his brother, sipping the tea brought by the maid. The bitter taste on his tongue told him it was the tea Luo Lingwei had sent.

He had some too.

Lu Yun’s fingers brushed over the white porcelain cup as he said with a faint smile, “Cousin Luo is well-prepared, sending good things everywhere.”

Lu Xian, with his steady demeanor and cold expression, stared at the casually seated young man across from him. “Cousin Luo is virtuous, gentle, beautiful, and thoughtful. Such intentions are praised by everyone in the household.”

Lu Yun raised an eyebrow. “Praised by everyone? I doubt it.”

Lu Xian’s eyes immediately showed a warning. “Third Brother, don’t bully the new cousin. I heard about the garden incident. Cousin Luo has been the subject of much gossip because of you, hence all these gifts of tea and pastries.”

A cold smile played on Lu Yun’s lips, revealing his frivolous side in front of his brother. He said nonchalantly, “I don’t provoke these young ladies. I detest their clinginess. That day, I was just teasing her. I find her annoying… Don’t worry, Second Brother, I know my limits. I won’t interact with her in the future.”

Lu Xian sighed. Over the years, he had come to know how much of a magnet his third brother was for romantic attention. But speaking of limits, Lu Xian said, “What limits? You’ve skipped all the family academy classes, holing up at home since your return. I heard you were injured. Where were you hurt? Did you see a doctor? Who were you injured for?”

Lu Yun replied lightly, “It’s nothing, just a private matter.”

Lu Xian: “…Fine, I won’t press about your ‘private matters.’ Father wants to secure a position as a vice minister for you in the court. What do you think?”

Without lifting his eyes from the teacup, Lu Yun said without hesitation, “I won’t go.”

Anger flashed in Lu Xian’s eyes, and his tone became stern. “Third Brother, you’re not a child anymore. It’s time to do something meaningful instead of fooling around all day. Father has tried multiple times to get you a court position, but you refuse. And now you’re injured… Hmph, even if you won’t say it, I know you were working for Third Prince again, killing for him, weren’t you?”

Lu Yun raised an eyebrow. “Second Brother, be careful with your words.”

Lu Xian’s tone softened. “Third Brother, I know you and that prince are close. He saved you when you were young, and it’s noble of you to want to repay him. But after all these years, you’ve done so much for him, killed so many people… No matter how precious a life is, hasn’t the debt been repaid?”

“Are you going to throw away your entire future for him?”

Lu Yun: “He’s a friend.”

“You really are incorrigible, determined to walk this path to the end. He’s just a illegitimate (T/N: concubine-born) prince, with no chance at the throne. Because of your closeness to him, Father has been displeased for years. Our Lu family has never been involved in succession disputes. Your actions are causing us great trouble.”

Lu Yun looked up, his dark eyes meeting Lu Xian’s. Lu Xian felt a sudden pressure, his momentum stifled. The pressure vanished as quickly as it came, and Lu Yun calmly took a sip of tea. “My affairs have always been my own. There’s no need to persuade me. Even if it’s a path of fire and brimstone, with thunder from the heavens, I will walk it.”

Lu Xian was so angry he nearly fell backward. “You!”

…

Lu Yun’s affairs were no secret, and people often gossiped about them in private. Lu Xian had lectured his younger brother many times before. Luo Lingwei had just come from the Lu matriarch’s quarters, delivering a message to Lu Xian. As she entered the courtyard, Lu Xian’s maids informed her of the situation, advising her to wait before entering—

“Second Young Master and Third Young Master are arguing.”

“It’s quite intense.”

In fact, even from outside, one could hear them arguing about some “prince.”

Lu Xian was furious, and Lu Yun was impatient. Luo Lingwei hesitated, wondering if she should leave, when she saw the maids bringing out empty teacups, distressed that no one dared to go in and serve tea.

They watched from outside, seeing Third Young Master’s dark expression, his sleeves flicking as if he wanted to leave.

“Third Young Master is in a bad mood…”

Luo Lingwei’s heart stirred. After asking whose teacups they were, she took it upon herself to brew and serve the tea.

She sat in the corridor, personally brewing the tea, fanning the flames, and when the maids weren’t looking, she took a small bottle from her sleeve and added a drop to one of the cups.

After the tea was served, Luo Lingwei remained seated by the window under the willow branches, her position directly across from the two young masters kneeling inside.

Lu Xian continued his reprimands, while Lu Yun occasionally interjected with a few words, mostly silent.

Most of the time, only Lu Xian’s voice could be heard. Luo Lingwei occasionally glanced over, seeing Lu Yun with his head down, his long hair falling over his cheeks, the shadows of his thick lashes fanning across his face. When the maid brought in the tea, he took a sip in frustration.

The tea was refreshingly sweet.

The clear flavor in the tea matched the cheese he had tasted a few days ago…

Lu Yun suddenly looked up, his gaze turning toward the window. His dark lashes lifted slowly, his clear eyes revealing a look of surprise and understanding as they met Luo Lingwei’s. His eyes rose slowly, a warm smile gradually spreading, like an electric current passing through her heart.

Luo Lingwei, who had been glancing over occasionally, trembled when their eyes met.

His peach-blossom eyes, naturally full of emotion, even without intent, were irresistibly captivating—

“Did she come to flirt with Second Brother, or is she really that infatuated with me?”

—

Author’s Note: Lu Yun: This cousin is so fickle!