The door opened, light flowing in from outside, apricot blossoms scattered about, rustling and stirring the young master’s robes at the doorway, falling into the sideways glances of Second Young Master Lu and Luo Lingyu. The lady sat properly on the brocade couch in the chamber, suddenly looking toward Lu Yun at the door. Against the light, his face wasn’t clear, but his bearing was so magnificent, with light and shadow washing over him like water, that she once again felt that soul-stirring beauty.

Her heart began to race.

Luo Lingyu’s fingers trembled slightly as she extended her hand to give the flower to Second Young Master Lu Xian, forcing herself to dispel that tingling sensation affecting her spirit: Third Young Master Lu’s jade-like bearing would make any woman in the world fall in love at first sight, so it wasn’t shameful that she couldn’t control her heartbeat.

But she must control it.

After all, she already knew that Third Young Master Lu wasn’t the untouchable ice mountain everyone thought him to be.

As Lu Yun took two more steps forward, his face became clear, and only then did Luo Lingyu and Lu Xian see his gloomy expression. Second Young Master was surprised to see his third brother staring at him and their cousin-sister with such burning eyes as if they had done something to wrong him. Lu Xian saw the small head that suddenly appeared behind Lu Yun and waved: “Little cousin-sister is here too? Didn’t cousin-sister Yu say Yunzhi was practicing calligraphy? Third Brother, why did you bring her here?”

Lu Yun’s eyes concealed sharp edges: “Cousin-sister Yu?”

Such an intimate way of addressing her.

Lu Xian’s face grew hot under his gaze, and he coughed once: “It’s just to distinguish between the two cousin-sisters.”

Meanwhile, Luo Lingyu furrowed her brows, her gaze moving between Lu Yun and Luo Yunzhi, once again feeling confused. Shouldn’t Yunzhi have only met Third Young Master Lu that one time when she came to cause trouble? How could they become more familiar than her relationship with Lu Yun after just one meeting?

Luo Lingyu once again deeply doubted her charm.

Luo Yunzhi had been struggling with her calligraphy practice when her Third Cousin came to tease her. After she pleaded with Third Cousin repeatedly, Lu Yun readily agreed to speak on her behalf—to take her to find Luo Lingyu and get her sister’s permission to go play. Who would have thought that when little Miss Luo Yunzhi happily followed Third Cousin to find her sister, the first thing she saw upon opening the door was her sister performing magic tricks for Second Cousin?

That fresh and beautiful flower appeared delicately between her sister’s jade-white fingers, being given to Lu Xian, who even smiled in response.

Luo Yunzhi fearfully pulled her head back: the magic trick was taught to her by Third Cousin! She had then taught it to her sister! And sister was showing off when Third Cousin saw it…

Though the clever and quick-witted little miss didn’t understand the tension between adults, she knew it wasn’t good to be caught red-handed in front of others. While she wrinkled her small face thinking of countermeasures, she saw the handsome Third Young Master lower his head, his clear eyes giving her a meaningful glance. That one look from him scared Luo Yunzhi so much that she bounced away, fleeing with tears in her eyes: “I-I-I’d better continue practicing calligraphy…”

In the chamber, Lu Xian and Luo Lingyu watched in surprise as the little miss fled in panic. Luo Lingyu then looked at the Third Young Master, reproach in her eyes, but she dared not speak. So she turned to look at Second Young Master Lu Xian, her eyes full of unspoken words, grievances, and delicate self-pity…

Lu Yun laughed coldly in his heart.

Lu Xian had already spoken up for his cousin-sister: “Third Brother, what did you do again? Yunzhi is so young, did you frighten her?”

Third Young Master Lu’s eyes looked at the grievance-filled lady who was making eyes at his second brother, his lips curving: “Not at all. It’s a little secret between Little Sister Luo and me.”

His voice was like jade falling on brocade, beautiful and alluring, making the listener’s heart tremble uncomfortably. After speaking, he walked over leisurely, casual yet dignified, dignified yet noble. Though his words were directed at Lu Xian, his eyes were on Luo Lingyu… Luo Lingyu’s face grew redder under his gaze, and she secretly glanced at him, her heart tangled—

She didn’t know why. Even though she knew that when Lu Yun said “Little Sister Luo” he meant her sister, he still gave her the impression that “the little secret between Little Sister Luo and me” meant between him and her.

After Lu Yun took his seat and Lu Xian joined the conversation, Luo Lingyu finally felt the pressure on her lessen somewhat. The two young masters had come to visit the sick, and both being scholarly, their casual conversation revealed their deep knowledge. Luo Lingyu, who had previously been unable to raise her head under Third Young Master Lu’s gaze, sat up straight, imperceptibly leaning closer to Second Young Master Lu, confidently rejoining the conversation, wanting to display her learning. Her smile became much more genuine as she looked at Second Young Master—what a good opportunity to show herself, Second Young Master was truly a good person.

Lu Yun noticed her heartfelt smile while looking at his second brother, and then saw the flower in his second brother’s hand.

Lu Yun’s gaze paused slightly, occasionally falling on that flower. This magic trick was something he had taught Luo Yunzhi, yet now Luo Lingyu was endlessly showing off to his second brother… As she spoke, her body unconsciously leaned toward his second brother. Her beautiful eyes rippled with deep feeling; Lu Xian, departing from his usual reserved quietness, looked tenderly at his cousin-sister, engaging in animated conversation with her.

Lu Yun would sometimes glance at them, sometimes look away, and sometimes stare at the flower in Lu Xian’s hand…

Perhaps his unpredictable gaze had lingered too long, as Luo Lingyu looked hesitant, and Lu Xian also looked at his third brother. Lu Xian: “Third Brother, Third Brother?”

Lu Yun came back to himself: “Hmm?”

Luo Lingyu’s eyes showed much inner conflict as she faced Third Young Master’s elegant features and asked: “Does Third Cousin like this flower so much?”

Lu Yun’s gaze fell on her face: “…”

Luo Lingyu made up her mind and tried to please him: “Then I’ll give one to Third Cousin too.”

Not giving Lu Yun a chance to refuse, her hand extended across the small table right under his eyes. Third Young Master Lu lowered his gaze to watch as his cousin-sister’s hand turned like a blooming flower, somewhat awkwardly, naturally due to lack of practice. The next moment, “pop,” a magnolia flower appeared before his eyes.

Lu Yun raised his head, his eyes dark.

Seeing he wouldn’t take it, Luo Lingyu suddenly remembered one of his taboos: “They’re all magnolia flowers. It’s not exclusive.”

She remembered what Lu Yun had told the maid Jin Yue to tell her when he refused her flower-decorated letter paper—”I don’t keep things that aren’t exclusive.”

Lu Yun’s mood became immediately indescribable.

…

After being frightened away by Cousin Lu Yun, Luo Yunzhi was originally going to practice calligraphy. But in the courtyard, Luo Yunzhi met Lingyu and Lingxi with a group of maids drying flowers. These flowers were being dried according to Luo Lingyu’s instructions, probably for Luo Lingyu to use to please the Lu family members again. At this time, the courtyard was filled with fragrant flowers, and as the sunset, the maids were busy collecting flower petals.

Lingxi was originally supposed to watch Luo Yunzhi practice calligraphy, but now she had been called by Lingyu to collect flower petals… Luo Yunzhi’s eyes, clear as jade, rolled around once, and she tiptoed carefully around these maids. She crawled out through the dog hole in the corner of the back wall of “Snow Tracing Courtyard,” escaping from the courtyard, then covered the dog hole with grass and branches.

Luo Yunzhi was quite pleased with herself, sniffing proudly: her sister was talking with the two cousins and couldn’t mind her at all.

Like a little bird set free, little miss Luo Yunzhi headed straight for the large lake in the Lu family residence. After her sister fell into the water, she had inquired about the small boats by the lake and the small pavilion in the middle of the lake, and she had been yearning to play there. But Luo Yunzhi was watched by her sister all day and rarely left the courtyard. The lake was too big and too conspicuous; although she found it, she couldn’t find the boat that Cousin Lu had used that day. After being disappointed for a while, Luo Yunzhi hid in the vast reed grove to play with ants.

A child’s troubles come and go quickly, and the little miss became absorbed in watching the “ants moving house,” forgetting about the boat she had originally wanted to find.

But this happiness didn’t last long. After a while, a young master came to the gallery above and began to stumble through reciting his lessons:

“Horse, hooves… hooves can tread… what snow… ah, frost and snow! Hair, can resist, resist wind and cold. What grass drinks water, what and land… nibble grass and drink water, raise feet and land!”

Luo Yunzhi covered her ears: that person above is so annoying!

Remembering Luo Lingyu’s teachings not to cause trouble in the Lu family, Luo Yunzhi endured without going out to scold the person even though the voice above had been disturbing for a quarter of an hour. The young master mumbled on, taking forever to memorize one passage, while Luo Yunzhi had almost memorized it just from hearing it. The ants she was playing with probably were also disturbed by the voice, each one crawling into their small holes and refusing to come out…

Half an hour passed, and Fourth Young Master Lu Chang was still stuttering through his recitation when suddenly a little miss emerged from the bamboo grove below the gallery. He stepped back in fright as the little miss, her face part grey and part white, put her hands on her hips: “Hey! You’re so annoying and so stupid! Can’t you go somewhere else to recite? You scared away my ants!”

Lu Chang looked closely: “You-you’re that deeply scheming cousin’s sister…”

Luo Yunzhi became furious: “Who are you calling deeply scheming!”

Lu Chang: “No-no-no, I didn’t say it, my mother said it! My mother said cousin is a vixen…”

Luo Yunzhi’s nose twisted with anger as she rolled up her sleeves: “Just wait!”

She charged out from the reed grove.

…

At the same time, as the evening’s red clouds filled the sky, the two Lu family young masters also rose to bid farewell to their cousin-sister. Lu Xian carefully held the magnolia that his cousin-sister had given him, and as soon as he left the chamber, he called over his servant: “This is the flower Cousin-sister Luo gave me, you know how to care for it, right? Prepare the soil and water…”

Lu Xian turned back to Luo Lingyu and said gently: “Cousin-sister, don’t worry, I’ll take good care of the flower you gave me.”

Luo Lingyu smiled sweetly: “Second Cousin is truly kind-hearted.”

Lu Xian: “No, no, no, cousin-sister is even more kind-hearted.”

Lu Yun came out from behind Luo Lingyu, not yet having put on his shoes and heard those two outside still hypocritically complimenting each other. Lu Xian even had a serious expression, talking about taking care of some flowers… Lu Yun found it irritating to watch, and as he played with the flower stem in his hand, he nearly broke it.

Lu Yun suddenly called from behind: “Sister Luo.”

Luo Lingyu: hmph, her sister wasn’t here.

Her cheek felt cool as the young master’s sleeve brushed past her face. His presence enveloped her from behind, full of clear fragrance, sharp and frosty. Luo Lingyu felt something heavy in her hair, and she looked up while reaching to touch her head. Lu Yun had reached out with his sleeve, directly inserting the flower he held into her hair ornaments.

He laughed softly, his peach blossom eyes lowering, brilliant and dazzling. While Lu Xian had his back turned, instructing his servants on how to care for the flower, his third brother Lu Yun teased Luo Lingyu: “Beautiful.”

His voice was like the night wind, brushing softly across her face: “Returning the flower to you… I want things that aren’t exclusive even less.”

Luo Lingyu’s ears gradually turned completely red, like love peas.