ATLAS TRANSLATES

On a clear day, flowers bloomed magnificently along the walls of the Lu manor in the east city of Danyang, causing passersby to stop and admire.

In the early morning, Miss Jiang Wanyi, a cousin of the Lu family, personally made a snow fungus and bird’s nest porridge. She rushed to deliver it to Lu Yun before the officials returned from court.

Meanwhile, Luo Lingyu, another cousin who had paid her respects to the Lu matriarch that morning, heard from other cousins about Miss Jiang’s plans to deliver porridge to Lu Yun.

Miss Luo smiled slightly — was Jiang Wanyi still not giving up?

No matter, she would provoke her one more time.

When Jiang Wanyi and her maids arrived outside Lu Yun’s courtyard carrying the food box, they were stopped by Jin Yue, Lu Yun’s personal maid. Jin Yue politely bowed and apologized to the young lady: “Our master enjoys his peace and quiet. When he’s not here, he doesn’t want anyone entering his courtyard. Please understand, miss.”

Jiang Wanyi said softly: “It’s just a bowl of porridge. I won’t wander around, I’m willing to wait for Third Cousin to return.”

Jin Yue replied: “Our master’s return time is uncertain. Even I don’t know if he’ll be back during the day. I’m afraid this porridge will get cold. Perhaps you should head back, miss. When the Third Young Master returns, I can have someone notify you?”

Jiang Wanyi tried saying a few more words, and her maids chimed in as well. However, while Jin Yue maintained her welcoming smile, she was completely inflexible and wouldn’t let them enter. Standing outside the young master’s courtyard being blocked was quite embarrassing.

Jiang Wanyi’s expression wasn’t great as she gave an awkward smile. Jin Yue wouldn’t even accept the porridge — because Lu Yun was indeed quite annoyed by the constant visits from the female cousins, and he truly didn’t accept anything they sent.

As a noble lady, even with a gentle temperament, Jiang Wanyi couldn’t maintain face when Lu Yun’s personal maid was being so difficult and disrespectful.

Her face flushed slightly, and she exchanged a glance with her maid before turning to leave.

Her maid lingered behind, quietly pulling Jin Yue aside and secretly passing her a jade bracelet under her sleeve, trying to get on Jin Yue’s good side: “When will the Third Young Master return today? Sister Jin Yue, we’ve known each other for so many years, why are you still so distrustful of our lady? Our lady is just concerned that the Third Young Master is working too hard…”

From the corner of her eye, Jiang Wanyi noticed her maid chatting happily with Lu Yun’s maid.

She waited behind a nearby rockery, her heart racing anxiously. She still couldn’t accept losing to Miss Luo.

A woman of Luo’s background would only bring trouble for Lu Yun.

Even among noble families in this era, there were distinctions. When the great Lu family had previously allied with the Luoyang Luo family through marriage, it was mutually beneficial. But now that the Luoyang Luo family was gone, for the Lu family to marry into the Nanyang Luo family would be beneath them. In noble circles, it would be something to be mocked.

Lu Yun was like a gentle breeze and bright moon, a renowned scholar across the land. How could he become someone to be ridiculed? Miss Luo would be marrying up, while Lu Yun would be marrying down. Just thinking about Lu Yun marrying Luo Lingyu, being ostracized, mocked, and possibly losing his reputation… Jiang Wanyi felt devastated for him.

Marriages should be between equals. Lu Yun should marry into the Jiang family.

Even if he didn’t marry her, marrying another noble lady would be better than his public declaration of wanting to marry Luo Lingyu, right?

Jiang Wanyi wrung her handkerchief. It wasn’t that she had to marry Lu Yun, but she wanted to tell her cousin these things. She wanted him to think it through and not force himself into a position where the noble families would reject him.

While Jiang Wanyi was lost in thought, a graceful figure walked past the rockery. The woman had a slender waist and full figure, her movements elegant and refined. She stepped over fallen pine cones before stopping, smiling brightly: “Sister Jiang, what are you doing here?”

Seeing Luo Lingyu, Jiang Wanyi’s face suddenly reddened, her eyelashes trembling violently.

Just as she had been thinking ill of Luo Lingyu, she ran into her.

Jiang Wanyi asked: “Where are you going, sister?”

Luo Lingyu’s phoenix eyes lifted slightly, as if touched by a breeze. She said playfully: “My stomach is feeling a bit uncomfortable, so I’m just walking around. Would you like to join me?”

Jiang Wanyi hurriedly replied: “No, no, no…”

She was still waiting for her maid.

Just as she was wracking her brains for an excuse, Luo Lingyu very considerately covered her cheek, smiled at her, and didn’t press further.

Jiang Wanyi remained by the rockery, watching Luo Lingyu and her maids walk away. Their swaying figures chased by sunlight and gentle wind, the young lady’s long dress and silk ribbons, the ornaments on her forehead. The way her eyes moved held such grace. Beautiful women often compare themselves to each other, and while Jiang Wanyi herself was a beauty, among beauties there were even more beautiful ones—

How many of the Lu family’s female cousins weren’t jealous of someone as radiantly beautiful as Luo Lingyu?

Jiang Wanyi didn’t wait long at the rockery before her maid returned. The maid shook her head with a red face, indicating she hadn’t gotten any information from Jin Yue.

The maid gritted her teeth: “That little hussy is impossible to deal with! She smiles at you but shakes her head claiming ignorance when asked anything specific. That little hussy usually loves receiving gifts, I even gave her a high-quality bracelet, but she still said she didn’t know when the Third Young Master would return.”

“Hmph! She’s his personal maid, how could she not know where he goes? She just refuses to tell us.”

Jiang Wanyi’s eyes dimmed as she shook her head, instead comforting her own maid: “This is normal. If Jin Yue were easy to deal with, Third Cousin wouldn’t have put her in charge.”

The mistress and maid looked at each other wordlessly, having no choice but to leave the rockery with the now-cold porridge.

While talking with her lady, the maid mentioned something: “My lady, did you see Miss Luo earlier? I ran into her outside the Third Young Master’s courtyard. When Jin Yue wouldn’t let me in, Miss Luo stopped and even spoke up for me. Miss Luo is truly kind-hearted.”

Jiang Wanyi: “…”

Her eyelid twitched slightly as she slowly stopped walking. She wasn’t completely foolish and immediately realized something subtle.

Without saying more to her maid, Jiang Wanyi turned back toward Lu Yun’s courtyard. Her confused maids hurriedly ran after their lady who was walking very quickly with lifted skirts. Jiang Wanyi ran until she was out of breath, quickly returning to Lu Yun’s courtyard. She hid behind the wall’s flowering trees and immediately spotted Luo Lingyu’s graceful figure.

Jin Yue was still at the courtyard entrance!

Jin Yue was chatting happily with Luo Lingyu. Whatever Luo Lingyu said made Jin Yue cover her mouth in laughter. The previously inflexible Jin Yue now affectionately linked arms with Luo Lingyu, inviting her into the courtyard. Luo Lingyu’s maids followed with calm expressions, clearly showing this scene was ordinary and unsurprising.

…Following a capable lady, the maids must have witnessed many ways of winning people’s favor.

Jiang Wanyi’s face turned pale, her nails digging into her palms.

Her maid behind her immediately became indignant, raising her voice: “How could Jin Yue be like this?! Why won’t she let us in but lets Miss Luo enter? Didn’t she keep saying that when Lu Yun isn’t here, no one is allowed in the courtyard? How could she… No, I must go speak with her…”

“Enough!” Jiang Wanyi rarely raised her voice, and her sudden shout frightened her maid. Jiang Wanyi turned around, her eyes full of tears, speaking brokenly in her extreme embarrassment: “Stop… Are you trying to humiliate me even more?!”

Wiping the tears from her face, Jiang Wanyi walked away with her head down — Lu Yun! Lu Yun!

How could he humiliate people like this!

Jin Yue was just a maid, didn’t everything she said and did follow his wishes? Knowing he disliked women’s chatter, Jiang Wanyi rarely bothered him, yet he… he… looked down on people so much!

Jiang Wanyi walked quickly, crying so hard she could barely breathe, wishing she could return home immediately and not stay at the Lu manor to be humiliated. In her haste, she bumped into someone who was also hurrying around the corner. Jiang Wanyi frantically wiped her tears, not wanting anyone to see her in such a state.

However, this young master recognized her and asked: “Cousin Jiang, have you seen Cousin Luo? Do you know where she is?”

Looking up with tear-filled eyes, Jiang Wanyi saw it was Lu Xian. Seeing her crying like this, Lu Xian was also startled and slightly regretful. Just as Lu Xian was about to carefully ask why she was crying, he was fixed with Jiang Wanyi’s sorrowful gaze.

Jiang Wanyi mumbled softly: “Again, it’s Cousin Luo… Why do all you men like to look for her? Is she really that beautiful in your eyes?”

Lu Xian: “Cousin Luo is indeed beautiful, but…”

Jiang Wanyi didn’t listen further, her eyes filling with more tears: “Yes. You men don’t care about anything else. As long as a lady is beautiful, what are mountains of gold and silver, what does status and position matter, you’d walk through mountains of blades and seas of fire for her. As long as she’s that beautiful, no matter what, she’ll never have a bad life…”

Jiang Wanyi walked away like a lost soul, stumbling.

Left behind feeling utterly confused, Lu Xian sighed helplessly: “…Ah!”

What had Cousin Luo done to Cousin Jiang now?

Indeed, by this point, even Lu Xian, the Second Young Master, couldn’t convince himself that Cousin Luo was an innocent white lotus being harmed by everyone.

A white lotus couldn’t possibly marry the Prince of Hengyang, captivate Lu Yun, and still have the elders like the Lu matriarch dislike her but not be angry with her, even willing to take her in.

…

Noble ladies cared deeply about face. Luo Lingyu valued her face, and she knew other ladies cared even more. This small scheme against Jiang Wanyi was meant to make her back off when faced with difficulty. This was fair competition – if Jiang Wanyi’s skills weren’t as good as hers, she should retreat.

Being personally welcomed into the courtyard by Jin Yue was a treatment none of the Lu family’s female cousins who admired Lu Yun had ever received, making Luo Lingyu feel somewhat elated. She tried to calm herself down, not wanting to be too pleased with herself.

Lu Yun truly wasn’t at home, and Jin Yue really didn’t know when her master would return.

Jin Yue worried: “Perhaps because we came to Danyang to escape the heat, home is too far away. Our master returns later and later, often not coming back at all, sleeping directly at Prince Chen’s residence instead. I hear there’s fighting in the north, and our master is quite busy with deploying people and such. But I don’t understand these things and can’t help share his burdens. I only know that even when he does return, he burns the midnight oil studying. He always brings back many documents, and our master has grown much thinner lately…”

Jin Yue looked hopefully at Luo Lingyu: “My lady, please advise the Third Young Master. We are just servants and cannot say too much to our master. Perhaps he’ll listen to your advice?”

Luo Lingyu pouted, thinking if my words carried any weight, I’d be your Third Mistress by now.

However, her heart stirred slightly, and she asked Jin Yue: “What is he busy with? May I take a look at his study?”

Luo Lingyu sighed softly: “He has indeed gotten much thinner, I’m very worried about him too.”

Jin Yue hesitated for a moment, thinking this might be the future Third Mistress, she should try to please her. Jin Yue immediately agreed to take the young lady to Lu Yun’s study, letting the literate young lady see for herself. Upon first entering Lu Yun’s study, Luo Lingyu’s heart raced with some trepidation. She had actually come to his study… A man’s study best revealed his inner secrets and true self.

What books did he love, what was he currently reading? What did he play with, what did he study?

Lu Yun’s hidden thoughts would all be exposed in his study.

Luo Lingyu solemnly sat down in the study, sitting behind stacks of documents half her height. She picked up an unfinished book from the desk and turned through it page by page. It was full of war reports from over the years… Luo Lingyu glanced at it, realized she shouldn’t read too much, and quickly closed it.

She opened another book, which she could read this time. This book was an atlas depicting the northern territories, their customs and cultures, plants and lands…

Luo Lingyu frowned.

She remained silent and opened another book. This time, it was about the languages and customs of several northern regions…

Luo Lingyu silently flipped through the books while Jin Yue anxiously waited for her answer, but saw the young lady reading one book after another, her expression growing more somber with each book, pressing her lips together in silence. Jin Yue grew anxious and repeatedly asked what Lu Yun was reading. Luo Lingyu’s heart felt heavy, as if weighed down by a great stone.

She thought, so that’s how it is.

Lu Yun had never given up.

His second brother scolded him, not letting him go to the frontier; but these books in Lu Yun’s study told Luo Lingyu that Lu Yun wanted to go. He had never given up, always accumulating strength, preparing to go to the frontier. And with so many books on his desk, it was clear this wasn’t a recent plan. Luo Lingyu even suspected that Lu Yun would soon be able to realize his ambitions.

Jin Yue urged: “Young lady, what is it? What is our master thinking?”

Luo Lingyu remained lost in thought, silently touching the book titles. Her feelings were complicated. One moment she thought it was good for him to go to the frontier – though she was selfish and self-serving, she could see Lu Yun was different from other noble young masters who lived lives of pleasure. He had ambitions.

Moreover, Luo Lingyu had always harbored resentment about the massacre of the Luyang family, so she felt grateful toward young masters willing to go to the frontier.

On the other hand, she thought about if he left, he wouldn’t return for a long time. Then who would she marry?

And weapons were blind – if he couldn’t return… what would she do?

“Cousin, you’re here!” Lost in thought, she heard Lu Xian’s relieved voice.

Luo Lingyu turned her head to see Lu Xian being led to the study door by a maid. Waving for Jin Yue and the other maids to leave, Lu Xian took several steps forward to Luo Lingyu’s side. The seated Luo Lingyu looked up at him in surprise as this second cousin suddenly crouched down and grabbed her slender wrist.

Luo Lingyu was bewildered.

Seeing Lu Xian staring at her intently: “Cousin, how are things between you and my third brother?”

Luo Lingyu: “…”

Being asked such a direct question by a young master, Luo Lingyu turned her face away, slightly bashful. She was timid and suspected Lu Xian was testing her, wanting to prevent her marriage.

So the young lady deflected: “What do you mean how are things? I don’t quite understand. We’re just ordinary siblings, what feelings could there be? Second Cousin, don’t think too much.”

Lu Xian: “…”

…

Lu Xian wondered if he looked like an idiot? What did she mean by don’t think too much?

His third brother evaded him, never directly answering about Luo Lingyu.

Cousin Luo also dealt with him, never acknowledging anything between her and Lu Yun.

They wouldn’t admit it before, and they still wouldn’t admit it now. They were willing to love each other silently, nestled together. No matter how clearly they understood in their hearts, no matter how obvious it was, Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu just wouldn’t say it.

— Why wouldn’t these two admit it! You’ve already discussed marriage with grandmother, and when grandmother said you children were being silly, did you really take it as children being silly?!

Are you planning to keep hiding it until the wedding day, only then announcing your deep feelings for each other?!

…

With his mind racing wildly, he quite understood the Prince of Hengyang’s sense of collapse when facing him. But Lu Xian couldn’t collapse – his dreams were too chaotic, he couldn’t see which thread led to the future, he could only judge the differences between two dreams to guide the future toward a better direction.

And the best direction for the future was — “Cousin Luo, get married!”

Luo Lingyu’s eyes widened in shock: “Second Cousin, you…”

He held her hand tightly as she heard the young master say very sincerely: “Marry!”

“Marry! We can’t delay any longer!”

He encouraged Luo Lingyu, his thoughts confused as dream scenes kept floating through his mind. Lu Xian seemed to have many things to say, but thousands of words became just one word “marry” when they reached his lips. He thought if she married his third brother, perhaps that tragic dream wouldn’t happen.

The two dreams were completely different yet both blurry, suggesting fate once again stood at a critical point, with different choices leading to completely opposite futures.

Lu Xian grabbed his seated cousin’s thin shoulders: “Marry, marry, marry!”

Outside the bamboo screen, Lu Yun had just returned and after being told by Jin Yue who was inside, he came to his study.

Standing outside the screen, seeing Lu Xian constantly begging Luo Lingyu to marry, Lu Yun’s gaze darkened, his heart heavy: Could it be that Second Brother truly liked Luo Lingyu? Liked her this much?!

Lu Yun’s expression was difficult.

Actually, he had always suspected his second brother liked Luo Lingyu… Luo Lingyu was so beautiful, when his second brother first saw her, he scolded him for her. After that, every time, his second brother would blush because of Luo Lingyu, constantly saying how bad he was because of her.

Indeed, many young masters were attracted to such a charming lady. But she had high standards, proud of her beauty, and would only marry into a prestigious family.

If Second Brother also liked her at the same time as him… Second Brother’s birth and status were actually far better than his. If Second Brother wanted to compete with him for Luo Lingyu… Lu Yun’s face turned black as ink. He didn’t let Jin Yue say more and turned to leave.

…

Lu Yun went directly to his grandmother, and after making her laugh, he casually stated his purpose: “I might just want to marry Cousin Luo.”

The Lu matriarch: “…”

The Lu matriarch had a headache: “Why are you here again! Marriage isn’t that simple.”

Lu Yun sighed: “I fear time will bring changes. How can someone be so likeable? Though full of flaws… why is everyone blind, unable to see them?”

The Lu matriarch looked at him: “Who are you talking about? Are you the blind one?”

She had wanted to ask her grandson this for a long time.

Lu Yun: “I’m afraid I can’t compete with others.”

The Lu matriarch glanced at him: “Who could compete with you?”

Lu Yun was startled, then lowered his head with a slight smile, his features elegant and graceful. The Lu matriarch found his smile strange and asked him: “…You like her that much, must marry her?”

Lu Yun was silent for a long time.

He spoke slowly, telling the truth: “Actually, I don’t want to marry. No matter who it is, I don’t want to. If marriage ends like my parents’, how could I bear it? How can I say now that I would do better than them? If I’m not completely certain, if I myself don’t believe — don’t believe in love between people, nor in the guarantees of marriage. I can’t trace back to the source, I don’t know where love begins, how it can flow endlessly without stopping… why should I waste someone else’s time?”

The Lu matriarch was stunned as she looked at her grandson. Having lived so many years, young children might not understand Lu Yun’s words, but the Lu matriarch immediately understood Lu Yun’s inner turmoils.

Her aged face faced her handsome grandson, and she knew Lu Yun was extremely proud, but she didn’t know he had always thought this way.

— What kind of insecurity would make him so pessimistic about love and marriage?

With so many young ladies liking Lu Yun, how could they not make him feel secure, instead making him constantly doubt himself? Had he always been lacking so much love?

The Lu matriarch’s eyes trembled as she murmured: “…Back then, I should have raised you by my side, shouldn’t have let you live alone in the second branch…”

At that time, seeing Lu Yun was steady, seeing such a young child so composed, and fearing the main branch would bully the second branch’s only son, fearing people would say the main branch was greedy for the second branch’s property, fearing Lu Yun would grow up feeling estranged… so the initial decision was to let Lu Yun live alone in the “Clear Courtyard.”

Yet unexpectedly… it left Lu Yun insecure until now.

The Lu matriarch’s tears fell: “Did I wrong you…”

Lu Yun was startled, his eyes moving as he guessed what the Lu matriarch was thinking. He laughed lightly in his heart – the emotion was real, and he would take his grandmother’s guilt too. Lu Yun lowered his head, appearing lost and dejected, sighing:

“I don’t want to marry and have children. But if I must marry and have children in the future… the only one I can imagine is Cousin Luo.”

“Grandmother, please help me, grant me this wish.”

…

Poor Lu Xian, who knew his third brother was so scheming, going to exploit an old person’s guilt. Although Lu Xian also hoped Lu Yun and Cousin Luo would end up together, things in between kept going in strange directions.

Especially these past two days when seeing Lu Yun, every time Lu Xian wanted to discuss marriage with his brother, Lu Yun would change the subject.

Not only that, but Lu Yun was especially… nice to him?

Obedient and agreeable, whatever Second Brother said was right, and he would even actively ask if Second Brother needed help.

This kind of obedient pleasing behavior, carrying some… guilt and sense of compensation?

Lu Xian was deeply confused.

Especially on the evening of the Qixi Festival.

After Lu Xian had thought about his dream for a long time, Lu Yun wouldn’t listen to him discuss marriage, so Lu Xian had to find another way. On Qixi night, Lu Yun was on duty and not at home; the female cousins at home were making wishes for marriage under the grape trellis, setting up feasts to pray for good matches.

Luo Lingyu wished in her heart: First, to marry someone powerful; second, if fate was kind to her, to marry someone powerful whom she liked.

On the summer night as flowers bloomed, while the young ladies made wishes under the grape trellis, Lu Yun took leave from his official duties and returned home early. He climbed over the wall, stepping over the wall’s flower branches and leaves. The handsome young master crouched on the wall, listening to Luo Lingyu’s wishes. He raised an eyebrow, thinking he had once again heard her eager wish to marry into a prestigious family.

Lu Yun’s eyes held a smile as he looked down at the most unique one among the young ladies. Amid the fragrant flowers and misty night, he watched her attentively and quietly from his high perch where she couldn’t see him, waiting for her.

Meanwhile, Lu Xian had found his way to the women’s area, specifically asking the Lu matriarch and his mother, Madam Lu, to stay and hear his request.

Lu Xian said solemnly: “What I ask of you both is about a marriage.”

Madam Lu immediately felt joy: What? Had her son finally come to his senses and wanted to propose to Princess Ningping?

Lu Xian’s second sentence: “It’s… it’s about Cousin Luo’s marriage.”

Madam Lu’s face changed, turning pale: What? Had that little enchantress Luo Lingyu… indeed bewitched her son?

The Lu matriarch’s face also went white: …were the Second and Third Young Masters competing for the same woman? And one who was already betrothed and couldn’t easily break off the engagement?

The Lu matriarch was deeply puzzled: Was there some wonderful quality about Miss Luo that she hadn’t discovered, but all the young masters in the family had?

Lu Xian knew Cousin Luo’s marriage wouldn’t be easy to arrange. He raised his head, wanting to look seriously into the two elders’ eyes and make his case. But seeing his grandmother and mother’s strange expressions, Lu Xian also became confused — What did I say? Why do they look like they’ve swallowed flies?

Lu Xian’s third sentence came with uncertainty: “…It’s about Cousin Luo and Third Brother’s marriage…”

The Lu matriarch: “…”

Madam Lu: “…”

Don’t take such big pauses when speaking!

_{(T/N: Lol)}