Prince Liu Shu of Chen rose from his brocade-covered couch, his dark eyes quietly watching as Jin Yue, Lu Yun’s maid, and several other servants took out neatly folded, soft clothes from the warmer to help the Third Young Master Lu change. While recuperating at home, Lu Yun had carelessly thrown on a half-worn robe, his demeanor elegant yet lazy. The young master had always been handsome, and Jin Yue was passionate about perfuming clothes and grooming faces, making sure her Third Young Master looked his best. Thus, when Lu San Lang changed into a white robe with wide sleeves, loosely fastening a jade belt that hung down his waist, his clean face suddenly became serious.

As Lu Yun’s casual, indolent air disappeared, when he opened his eyes, the Third Young Master Lu once again became that ethereally handsome young nobleman, as pure as snow-capped mountains, whom others were accustomed to seeing.

While changing clothes, Jin Yue seized the opportunity to explain to Liu Shu in hushed tones why they needed to go out. Jin Yue said, “Miss Luo is a guest after all, and quite pitiful.”

Liu Shu nodded slightly. He remained silent for a while, organizing his words, reviewing them three or four times in his mind before speaking: “Xue Chen, are you going to play the hero rescuing a beauty?”

Liu Shu was very surprised: “You… you… you, would, play hero to rescue a beauty?”

Jin Yue nodded repeatedly with satisfaction.

At the same time, Lu Yun’s voice, beautiful as the collision of pearls and jade, lazily replied: “Not at all.”

Jin Yue: “…?!”

She looked up at the Third Young Master in confusion: had all her talk about how pitiful Miss Luo was been for nothing? She had received quite a few gifts from Miss Luo too.

Liu Shu also raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Lu Yun, who hadn’t left yet, still maintained a somewhat frivolous air. He smiled slightly, radiant as a bright pearl, causing the several serving girls standing in the room to lower their heads with reddened faces, not daring to look further. Under the bewildered gazes of Jin Yue and Liu Shu, Lu Yun raised his hand to stroke his chin: “We’re going to watch the fun.”

Jin Yue: “…”

Her gaze was so direct, it might as well have said “Young Master, you’re so unkind.”

Lu Yun chuckled lightly, casually putting his arm around Liu Shu’s shoulders while waving off Jin Yue and the others, indicating they needn’t follow: “This cousin of mine, and A-Man (Liu Shu’s nickname), she’s not like the well-behaved noble lady you think…”

Liu Shu whispered: “Heard… heard from Jin Yue, she’s lone… lonely…”

Lu Yun snorted: “Still not the same.”

Lu Yun: “We’re going to watch the fun. My eldest aunt is straightforward, she might not be able to handle my cousin, and might even suffer some minor setbacks… If we don’t go support her, let’s sneak in through the back door to watch quietly…”

Jin Yue and the other servants and attendants stood worriedly in the corridor, watching as the Third Young Master Lu and Liu Shu walked further away. Once outside, the Third Young Master’s posture became as straight as a pine or crane. With his wide sleeves and precious ornaments, how outstanding was Lu San Lang, walking ahead of Liu Shu. No one could have guessed that Lu Yun was going to watch Luo Ling Yu make a fool of herself—

Quite a few people were waiting to see Luo Ling Yu make a fool of herself.

This Miss Luo was skilled in social graces, her actions strongly purpose-driven, and as soon as she arrived at the Lu family, she overshadowed all the young ladies. The young masters’ attention often revolved around her, making the young ladies’ feelings quite complicated. Not to say they hoped for Luo Ling Yu’s misfortune, but when Madam Lu took Luo Ling Yu away to make an example of her, the ladies all felt more or less schadenfreude.

There was no sound in the hall, everyone standing outside with strange expressions, as Madam Lu and Luo Ling Yu had gone inside the curtained area to talk. Those waiting outside didn’t know what to do for a moment. Second Young Master Lu Xian swept his eyes across the room, seeing the Fourth Young Master Lu Chang almost burying himself into the doorway, and beckoned the young master over. After the group of young masters and ladies realized what was happening, they all surrounded Lu Chang, asking what had occurred.

Lu Chang looked up to see a group of elder brothers and sisters surrounding him. As a concubine-born young master of tender age, Lu Chang had never received so much attention before, and he was so overwhelmed that he was almost about to cry again.

Inside the blue-curtained area sat only Madam Lu, with Luo Ling Yu standing.

Madam Lu’s expression was characteristically cold, the wrinkles at her eyes deeply creased, making her appear extremely difficult to get along with. She cast a cold glance at Luo Ling Yu, seeing the young woman’s slender waist and graceful bearing, the displeasure in her eyes grew heavier. Just as Madam Lu was about to speak, Luo Ling Yu quickly bowed and spoke first:

“It was my fault for disturbing the young masters’ studies.”

Madam Lu: “…”

Her words were blocked, leaving her choking for a long while, not knowing what to say. Her lips twitched upward twice, and Madam Lu’s expression wasn’t as cold as before: “It’s good that Miss Luo understands.”

Luo Ling Yu’s expression stiffened uncomfortably for a moment as she secretly observed Madam Lu. It seemed Madam Lu was a straightforward person, and dealing with her required directness, not roundabout approaches. Luo Ling Yu’s heart was quite conflicted, constantly adjusting her attitude towards Madam Lu—living under someone else’s roof, facing the lady of the house, should she bow and scrape in apology, or actively resist and fight for her rights?

The old Marquis of the Lu family was in Jiao Province, and the old madam stayed in Jianye due to poor health. However, also because of old age and weakness, the internal and external affairs of the Lu family had always been handled by the First Madam Lu. Perhaps because there were no young ladies in the household, only young masters, Madam Lu had nothing else to do but watch over the young masters’ studies.

Now with Second Young Master Lu reaching marriageable age, Madam Lu was both anxious about her son’s marriage prospects and wary of young ladies who might corrupt him.

In Madam Lu’s eyes, among these young ladies who might corrupt Second Young Master Lu, considering looks, figure, skills, and talents, Luo Ling Yu was a top contender.

Luo Ling Yu lowered her eyes: if she always bowed her head before Madam Lu, she would have to be prepared to bow her head for life; if she fought back fiercely, she would have to be prepared to be extremely disliked by Madam Lu and possibly face poor treatment.

If she were to treat Madam Lu as her future mother-in-law, bowing her head for life would be acceptable; if Madam Lu wasn’t to be her future mother-in-law, even though her family had fallen on hard times, she was still a noble lady, and if Madam Lu already disliked her and treated her harshly, as long as she married successfully, it wouldn’t matter.

She wasn’t surnamed Lu, and Madam Lu had no right to make decisions about her marriage.

As for marriage, given her background, she couldn’t rely on her elders at all, she could only depend on a young master liking her, which further reduced her conflict with whether Madam Lu liked her or not.

Having thought this through, Luo Ling Yu slightly raised her head: “Madam, I have something to say. While I admit my fault in disturbing the young masters’ studies this time, I believe the fault does not lie with me alone. The Lu family’s young masters are all outstanding, but it’s not good to only study without rest, they should also have time for recreation.”

Madam Lu’s face darkened: “So this is your reason for constantly hosting banquets?”

Luo Ling Yu: “I’ve never heard that sending invitations means the invited must attend. I’ve sent invitations to you as well, Madam, but you’ve never attended once. Whether to come or not depends on the person, not on me.”

Madam Lu: “Before you, there was never…”

Luo Ling Yu: “Before me, there must have been banquets held in the mansion. I’ve never heard Madam say anything about those.”

Madam Lu kept a stern face, thinking how could you be compared to others? I’ve never seen such a bewitching young lady… But Madam Lu was also well-educated from a noble family, and such extremely unpleasant words, she would not say.

Luo Ling Yu continued: “Social interaction between young masters and ladies is beneficial for maintaining good relations between families, while also allowing for the integration of learning. A gentleman in the world should broaden his horizons, not be moved by external things nor troubled by personal matters, maintaining composure even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him. If a mere woman could sway a young master’s character… how fragile must he have been before?”

Madam Lu was so angered by her eloquence that her chest heaved violently: “…you, you… you certainly have many grand principles!”

Luo Ling Yu raised her beautiful eyes, saying softly: “Am I wrong?”

Madam Lu gritted her teeth: “You, you continue! Let me see just how many grand principles Miss Luo has learned.”

…

From within the curtained area came Luo Ling Yu’s clear, articulate voice, crisp as falling jade. Outside the curtain, people crowded around Lu Chang talking, creating a chaotic atmosphere.

The window lattice of the back hall’s curtained area was gently propped open, and two young masters’ figures flashed quietly. After dismissing the servants in this part of the courtyard, Liu Shu saw Lu Yun’s lips curl up as he opened the window, and he walked over, also hearing the young lady’s voice from within the curtained area. Lu Yun and Liu Shu looked together, seeing through the screen the indistinct figure of a standing young woman with a gracefully proportioned figure, though her face wasn’t clear.

The two young masters listened intently, hearing Luo Ling Yu’s rebuttals to Madam Lu inside the curtained area.

Liu Shu was extremely surprised, wasn’t she supposed to be a pitiful orphaned cousin? Would an ordinary pitiful cousin dare to confront the lady of the house like this?

Lu Yun lowered his head and smiled, his eyes rippling with light, clicking his tongue.

Inside the curtained area, Luo Ling Yu’s words finally came to an end: “…Therefore, even if I am at fault, the fault does not lie entirely with me.”

After a while, only Madam Lu’s heavy breathing could be heard, obviously greatly angered. After a good while, Madam Lu finally said: “Miss Luo has quite the gift for words. Insisting on speaking with me in private behind these curtains, it seems you were not only considering my face but your own as well.”

Luo Ling Yu anxiously lowered her head. She didn’t want to oppose Madam Lu either, but she couldn’t play weak. Once showing weakness, she would never be able to show strength again.

Madam Lu would never like her, she only had, only had—

Suddenly from outside came a woman’s loud laugh: “Are you all standing here being punished? Where’s Ling Yu, why isn’t she here? She hosts a banquet but the host doesn’t show her face?”

Inside the curtained area, Madam Lu’s brow immediately twitched as she recognized the woman’s voice—Lu Ying.

The old Madam Lu’s only daughter, Madam Lu’s sister-in-law, Luo Ling Yu’s eldest aunt.

With Lu Ying’s many identities, she had come to support Luo Ling Yu.

Madam Lu’s expression fluctuated as she looked at the elegantly standing young lady before her, just as she was about to ask Luo Ling Yu if she had sent someone to invite Lu Ying, she heard a young lady’s voice from outside—”Aunt, Sister Luo isn’t the host, I am.”

It was the Wang family’s daughter explaining to Lu Ying.

Madam Lu’s gaze immediately trembled as she looked at Luo Ling Yu.

Luo Ling Yu bowed: “I am not the host. Madam, shall we go out to see my aunt?”

Madam Lu: “…”

So, this farce had been her misunderstanding of Luo Ling Yu from beginning to end? Yet Luo Ling Yu hadn’t said anything outside… still giving her face?

…

Luo Ling Yu raised her head, some sweat appearing on her forehead from nervousness. But her lips curled up, pleased with herself for handling this conflict. As she helped Madam Lu out, Luo Ling Yu’s gaze casually swept to the side, suddenly freezing as she met a pair of smiling eyes through the window.

Those eyes flashed past, but Luo Ling Yu was so shocked her mind went blank.

She couldn’t have mistaken them, she only knew one person with such beautiful eyes, Third Young Master Lu—was Lu Yun spying on her?!

Was he concerned about her or watching her make a fool of herself?!