The evening at Changfang was festively decorated and bustling with activity. Two days after sending the pre-wedding gifts, it would be time for the bride’s formal reception. Distant relatives of the Luo family had all gathered, some of whom Lin Haixu didn’t recognize. Chen Shi led Yining around to introduce her to everyone.
Yining smiled as she greeted all the distant Luo relatives. Afterward, Xuechi immediately handed her some water. Yining took a sip, realizing how parched she had become.
Suddenly, Luo Yixiu appeared from the side, quietly signaling Yining to follow her to the inner chamber.
The inner chamber was quiet, with the maids and servants all attending to matters outside. Candles flickered, casting a warm glow. Luo Yixiu pulled Yining to sit with her on the wooden kang by the window and whispered, “Why haven’t I seen your cousin Ming today?”
Yining shrugged, not knowing the answer herself.
Luo Yixiu asked with keen interest, “Yining, what kind of woman does your cousin Ming like?”
“I’m not that close to him—” Yining decided to nip this in the bud. She then asked, “How many times have you met him to like him already? Last time you even quarreled with Sixth Sister because of him.”
“I quarreled with Luo Yilian because I couldn’t stand her behavior,” Luo Yixiu pouted, then continued dreamily, “Of course I like him. He’s so handsome, who wouldn’t like him! Even your half-sister likes him, doesn’t she?”
Yining recalled Luo Yixiu’s declaration about marriage.
“So you want to marry him?” Yining asked in return.
Hearing Yining’s words, a glimmer of hope flashed in Luo Yixiu’s eyes as if truly yearning for it. She leaned close to Yining’s ear and said, “What if I say yes? Yining, could you help me?”
Yining immediately became wary, remembering the grand achievements of Luo Yixiu’s sister, Luo Yiyu. She quickly said, “Fourth Sister, you must think thrice before acting. Don’t be impulsive. Cousin Ming comes from a noble family; he would certainly frown upon such matters.”
Luo Yixiu replied irritably, “I’m not planning to do anything improper. I just want you to help me find out what he likes. I’m making knee protectors for our eldest and second brothers, and I’d like to make a pair for him too.”
It was barely spring; why make knee protectors now?
Yining didn’t expose her, merely nodding slightly. It was normal for sheltered young ladies like Luo Yixiu to be smitten by an outstanding young man, though most girls weren’t as bold as Luo Yiyu. She might as well try; it was just a matter of asking a question.
Luo Yixiu’s face lit up with joy, and she gave Yining a pair of heavy gold bracelets.
Yining returned to her room with the weighty gold bracelets. The next morning, seeing them on her dressing table reminded her of the promise.
She toyed with the bracelets, feeling conflicted. Luo Yixiu had been kind to her, and it was just a small favor after all, nothing too consequential. Sighing, she asked Xuechi to put the bracelets away and headed to the Bamboo Courtyard.
Gu Jingming had his servant set up a writing desk outside, where he was painting. Seeing Yining approach, he asked a servant to bring her some candy he had brought from Zhending. “It’s rare for Cousin Yining to seek me out. Is there something urgent?”
Yining shook her head and walked to his desk to look at his painting—a detailed, exquisite depiction of a spring outing. She praised, “Cousin Ming, your painting is excellent. You must have learned from a renowned master?”
“Your third brother studied under Master Sun. Surely his painting skills are outstanding too?” Gu Jingming added the final touches to his painting and called a servant to take it for mounting.
“He doesn’t paint,” Yining replied casually.
Gu Jingming seemed surprised. Yining smiled and explained, “Third brother doesn’t enjoy painting, but his calligraphy is quite good.”
Gu Jingming smiled faintly, sunlight falling on his shoulders and back, accentuating his handsome youthful figure. He nodded, “Then I finally have something I’m better at than him. Since you like the painting, I’ll have it mounted and sent to you.”
Yining thanked him for the painting, deciding it was best to ask directly and get it over with. “Cousin Ming, do you have any favorite patterns?”
Gu Jingming glanced at her, seemingly puzzled by the sudden question, but replied, “I don’t have any particular favorites, but orchid patterns are quite nice.”
“Cousin Yining is here?” a voice suddenly came from behind her. It was Lin Mao, approaching with his hands behind his back, a warm smile in his eyes as he looked at Yining. “Did you come to see me?”
Gu Jingming couldn’t help but smile, raising an eyebrow, “Fifth Brother Lin, she came to see me.”
“Really?” Lin Mao continued to smile at her, his gaze steady and intense, with an indescribable seriousness.
Eyes can indeed be different. When he looked directly into hers, she could feel it.
Yining met his gaze and realized that Lin Mao’s eyes were indeed very striking. His deep, clear black pupils seemed to make anything he said believable. She suddenly understood why the civil and military officials had been tricked into giving him money. When he looked at her directly, his eyes were truly impossible to evade.
Yining involuntarily averted her gaze, unsure why she felt guilty.
Just then, a servant came to inform them that the third young master Luo was waiting for Yining in her chambers.
Hearing that her third brother was looking for her, Yining excused herself from the two men. As they watched her leave, Lin Mao said to Gu Jingming, “We might become even closer relatives in the future. You’ll still have to call me Fifth Brother Lin then.” He wouldn’t lower his form of address just because of a young girl; his seniority in the family was high, and he might even be able to elevate Yining’s status.
Gu Jingming looked at him perplexedly, frowning as he warned, “She’s my cousin and Luo Shengyuan’s sister. Don’t do anything rash. Yining grew up without a mother, so everything must be handled with great care.”
Although he didn’t know exactly what Lin Mao’s intentions were, it was best to warn him. Yining was still young, and his mother cared deeply for her, so he felt obligated to look out for her.
Lin Mao just shook his head, “I’m being very careful.” He then turned and went inside.
Luo Shengyuan was reading in Yining’s study while waiting for her. Seeing her rush in, he raised an eyebrow, “Is someone chasing you?”
Yining took a deep breath and shook her head, walking to Luo Shengyuan’s side to ask, “Third Brother, did you need me for something?”
Luo Shengyuan indeed had business with her. He had stayed up all night in Xianghe to finalize the accounts for Yining’s private properties’ two years of harvest and wanted her to review them.
As Yining flipped through the accounts, she quickly forgot about Lin Mao. She discovered that in these two years, the profits from her shops had doubled! Now, the inheritance her grandmother left her totaled fourteen thousand taels of silver.
She looked at Luo Shengyuan in surprise.
She knew he was capable, but she didn’t expect him to be this good!
Luo Shengyuan reached out to cover her account book, “This is just for you to look at. I can’t give it to you now.”
Yining smiled sweetly, “I understand, of course.” She called Madam Xu in and asked her to tell the kitchen to prepare several special dishes for dinner. Seeing Luo Shengyuan’s questioning look, she said, “I’m treating you to dinner today.”
Luo Shengyuan gazed at her bright, clear apricot eyes, which held a captivating, pure radiance. They were like the clear sky after rain. He smiled and asked leisurely, “Treating me to dinner? Isn’t that still using the Second House’s money?”
He managed the Second House’s finances too.
Yining felt that as long as the intention was there, the formalities didn’t matter.
She asked a maid to bring over a Go board, remembering she had promised to play Go with Luo Shengyuan. Her skills have improved recently. After Luo Shengyuan took the white stones, Yining took the black ones. Recalling how she had thoroughly defeated Old Master Song before he left, she confidently said, “You go first.”
Luo Shengyuan fingered the jade stones as if hearing something unexpected. He looked up at her, “Are you sure?”
No one had ever dared to offer him the first move when playing Go with him.
Yining nodded, naturally letting Luo Shengyuan go first.
Luo Shengyuan toyed with the stones, just smiling, “Alright then, I’ll go first.”
Within a quarter of an hour, Yining had lost terribly, her position completely overwhelmed. After another quarter of an hour, she had no moves left to make.
Luo Shengyuan looked at her. She clutched her black stones, the pure black jade turning between her slender white fingers. Her brows furrowed slightly as if seriously contemplating how her game had fallen apart step by step. After a while, she looked up at him, “Third Brother, you’re an expert…”
He had never said he wasn’t skilled…
“Let’s start over,” Yining decided to abandon this game. She had underestimated Luo Shengyuan’s Go skills far too much. Not just underestimated—there was a vast gulf between her level and Luo Shengyuan’s. Yining summoned the spirit of a Go enthusiast and reset the board. “No need to give me any handicap.”
He indeed hadn’t given her any handicap earlier, just to temper her overconfidence.
Yining’s Go skills were quite good; she just happened to be playing against him. By the time he was fifteen, hardly anyone could beat him at Go.
However, Luo Shengyuan didn’t reveal this, content to simply enjoy playing with Yining.
They continued until Lin Haixu sent someone to call them for dinner, finally ending their games. Yining had lost every match.
This only fueled her competitive spirit. Yining decided to seek out Luo Shengyuan every day to practice her Go skills.
Before going to bed, she finally remembered Luo Yixiu’s request and sent her a handkerchief embroidered with orchids.
That should count as helping her, she thought.
The next day, at the wedding banquet, Yining saw Luo Yixiu wearing a water-red jacket with orchid embroidery, her hair in a double bun adorned with white jade hairpins, and small orchid-shaped earrings. She looked radiant and energetic.