Third Young Master Lu was a renowned young lord from Jianye’s prestigious families. With outstanding appearance, pursued by countless women, people praised him as having “the bearing of a jade person.” Yet when misfortune struck, a tiger fell to the plains… he was despised by an ordinary woman—
“Utterly filthy!” Luo Lingyu declared firmly, insisting on throwing this rescued person back into the water.
Lu Yun’s entire body ached severely, his mind unclear, only vaguely hearing people arguing loudly about whether he should stay or go. He struggled to open his eyes to see the situation, and in that glance, saw an ethereal fairy-like beauty. Others only saw a water-soaked, foul-smelling man in tattered clothes, face ashen as death, hair like seaweed, eyes barely open a slit… frightening as a water ghost. Luo Lingyu covered her nose and eyes with her sleeve, backing away three or four steps. She showed utter disgust, fearing her eyes would be defiled.
Dragging the person up had left a trail of water across the boat, flowing like a small stream. While Luo Lingyu lifted her skirts and kept her distance, the others on the boat showed great kindness, gathering around to care for the rescued man. Luo Yunhua crouched on the ground holding the young lord, seeing the large bloody wound seeping through his white clothes at his waist, then checking his faint breathing… Luo Yunhua pleaded: “Sister, he’s so pitiful, let’s save him!”
Luo Lingyu: “No!”
Luo Yunhua lifted her face, eyes filled with misty tears, looking pitifully confused, and cried out: “Sister!”
Maid Lingxi and the two boaters also joined in: “This young lord is severely injured, who knows how long he’s been in the water. If we don’t save him, he’ll die.”
Faced with unanimous opposition, Luo Lingyu’s voice softened somewhat: “We’ll reach Jianye in two days. I am a woman, and now there’s an additional man on the boat. If I save this man and meet the Lu family after disembarking, how will I explain?”
“Moreover, his clothes are so tattered, and he’s injured. He’s likely not just poor, but involved in some fatal case. Such a dangerous person…”
Nine-year-old Luo Yunhua hesitated: “…Then, we can secretly save him, secretly let him go, not let anyone know… Sister, saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.”
Luo Lingyu: “We few people on the boat already don’t have enough food and must be frugal. If we save another man, what will we eat…”
Luo Yunhua swallowed, looking regretfully at the two fish spilled from the basket. She struggled for a moment, thinking that they’d only been eating vegetable soup to fill their stomachs anyway, so they could just continue enduring hunger. Little Miss Luo Yunhua wrinkled her small face, saying pitifully: “Then I won’t eat, I’ll give my portion to this big brother, alright?”
Luo Yunhua used her trump card: “Sister, if someone had saved Mother and Father then, perhaps they would still be alive!”
Luo Lingyu froze, her eyelashes fluttering like wings, her dark beautiful eyes beneath them empty, staring absently at her sister’s small face. She had backed far away from the injured young lord, not wanting to look at that filthy person at all. But her sister’s words darkened her eyes, her throat dry, unable to speak any words of refutation.
Golden light fell on the river, moonlight filled the lake, and the red sun broke through the water.
With only two days’ boat journey left to Jianye, while others in the boat busied themselves caring for the rescued young lord, Luo Lingyu never once looked at him. Giving up the cabin’s only couch, she voluntarily moved to a corner, continuing to calculate daily expenses at the Lu family while flipping through account books. She clicked the abacus beads rapidly, under the green gauze window, layers of floating light and water shadows reflecting on her face.
Third Young Master Lu, drifting in and out of consciousness, awakened several times hazily, and though the nine-year-old young miss and tired maid constantly cared for him, the first thing he saw was always that side profile of the beautiful lady sitting by the window.
After his wounds were bandaged, the rescued man still ran a high fever continuously, his lips cracked, and his face wretched. Little Miss Luo Yunhua was extremely kindhearted, discussing with Sister Lingxi how to care for the patient. Knowing her sister’s temperament, she didn’t bother her but patiently cared for him like a pet, almost wanting to remove his coarse white clothes and change them into clean ones.
Unfortunately, they had no men’s robes on the boat, so they had to give up the idea.
After two days of caring for the patient without rest, by the evening before entering Jianye City, neither Lingxi nor Luo Yunhua could stay awake. The patient slept peacefully while the two ladies, one big and one small, dozed at the edge of the couch, using their arms as pillows. After giving all her food to the patient, little Miss Luo’s stomach growled with hunger; in her dreams, she feasted heartily, her mouth full of rich flavors. Lingxi too had collapsed from hunger on the couch, her face yellow as vegetables.
The night wind chased shadows, extinguishing the cabin’s candles. The elderly couple rowing outside had also fallen asleep; on the dark waters, only the sound of oars in water could be heard. The moon hid behind clouds, its light scattered like crushed silver on the water, then through the window, casting dim light on the bed.
While everyone slept, Luo Lingyu in her wide-sleeved long dress with silk sash at her waist, lifted her skirts and tiptoed around her sister and maid sleeping by the couch. As she approached the bed, she increasingly raised her sleeve to cover her nose, hiding most of her face behind it.
She pushed the person on the bed; there was no light, and Luo Lingyu didn’t look at all, just gently poking with her finger. Though her movement was extremely light, the patient young lord’s body suddenly stiffened, his cold eyes opening to look at the beauty at his bedside. The beauty covered her face with her sleeve, glancing at him casually, gesturing for him to follow her out of the cabin.
Third Young Master Lu was naturally elegant and extremely handsome. But firstly there was no light at night, secondly, his appearance was rough, and thirdly this beautiful lady showed obvious disgust, not even looking at him. Never in his life had Third Young Master Lu been so despised—
Third Young Master Lu had only ever experienced ladies passing him notes, asking to meet him.
Lu Yun pressed his hand against his severely injured lower back, silently frowning, suppressing the pain. After lying on the boat for two days, his spirit had recovered somewhat. Luo Lingyu walked gracefully ahead; his gaze swept over this woman’s neck, waist, and figure from behind, then withdrew as he got up from the bed. Though his steps were somewhat heavy, Lu Yun still followed her out.
After this lady called him out, at the bow, she pointed to the mist-covered water. Still keeping three steps away from him, the lady’s voice was light and pleasant like an oriole’s clear song: “Tomorrow at noon, our boat will reach Jianye. We’ve already entered Jianye’s tidal channels, not far from the main city. We could arrive at any time.”
Unable to guess this woman’s intentions, only observing her beautiful figure. This woman spoke facing the water, not looking at him at all… Lu Yun made a noncommittal “mm” sound: what next? Surely she wouldn’t expect him to pledge himself to her for saving his life?
In this era, there weren’t strict barriers between men and women, customs were open, and noble ladies were even more bold. But Lu Yun… very, extremely, particularly, didn’t fall for this approach.
Lu Yun had misunderstood. Luo Lingyu’s voice was gentle and soft: “Young lord, we are orphaned girls entering Jianye to seek refuge with relatives, it’s not convenient to have you disembark with us, I can’t explain if my relatives ask,” not to mention a poor person with enemies would bring more trouble than help to her prospects, “Young lord, let’s part ways here. Please disembark here.”
Lu Yun: “…”
Standing in the dim moonlight, his clothes and face were deeply hidden in shadow. Luo Lingyu’s powdered face looked straight at the clear lake; to show her attitude of not wanting to establish any connection with him, she never turned her head once from beginning to end. Fearing knowing his appearance, fearing accidentally meeting him in the future. The beauty wouldn’t look at him once, eagerly trying to drive him away… truly an unprecedented experience.
Lu Yun maintained his composure, his voice clear and frosty: “This place is still several li from the dock, may I ask how the lady expects me to disembark?”
Luo Lingyu: “Jump in and swim away… young lord didn’t die when you fell in the water before, it seems your swimming skills are quite good. Swimming back to Jianye shouldn’t be fatal. Young lord, I have no choice. Please consider my reputation.”
…Not fatal, but the two days spent recovering Lu Yun’s wounds would be wasted.
After a long silence, the beauty still wouldn’t turn around.
Lu Yun’s tone suddenly became gentle: “Is the lady truly determined about this, no regrets? If the lady has difficulties, I could also help. I do have some influence in Jianye. Lady… are you sure about this?”
Luo Lingyu didn’t believe his words. She frowned, feeling this poor man was trying to impose on her. Her heart tensed, her wariness stronger than ever before.
Lu Yun’s smile deepened. Those familiar with him would know he was already extremely abnormal. But Luo Lingyu didn’t know, feeling this person’s tone was frivolous and ambiguous, attracted to her beauty, possibly a scoundrel… bringing trouble upon herself, Luo Lingyu moved even further away. She gripped a sharp golden hairpin in her sleeve, ready to stab if this person approached! But Lu Yun’s eyes lightly swept over her sleeve, lingering there for a long while, he only smiled and said: “May I ask the lady’s name? When I return to Jianye, I should repay today’s kindness.”
The kindness of saving him, and the kindness of forcing him to jump.
Luo Lingyu spoke rapidly: “No need! I show kindness without seeking reward, if we meet on the road in the future, young lord should pretend not to know me!”
There was no sound from behind for a long while, the sharp presence at her back feeling like burning needles. Luo Lingyu’s back grew increasingly stiff, her facial muscles increasingly tense. She held her breath, her body trembling slightly… Suddenly, there was a very light “splash” from behind. Luo Lingyu whirled around to see a small splash in the water outside the boat, and the place where the young lord had stood was empty.
Completely drained, Luo Lingyu collapsed sitting on the ground, holding her chest and gasping for breath—she felt he had been like a wolf or tiger, that young lord extremely dangerous. Fortunately, she had rid herself of him.
From now on, they need never meet again.
…
The next day at noon, Lu family servants welcomed their cousin ladies at the dock, helping the travel-weary young ladies into an ox cart. The younger cousin lady leaned weakly against her sister’s arm, carried into the cart by maid Lingxi. Lingxi turned back, apologizing profusely that the water journey had been difficult and the young miss was unwell. The servants smiled understandingly, then held their breath watching a delicate pale hand extend out as the incomparably beautiful Miss Luo gracefully stepped out of the cabin.
At Jianye’s southern dock, waterways stretched in all directions, and lower-class people came and went constantly, busy loading and unloading boats. At the end of the imperial street, a group of young lords came riding horses. “Hya—”
“Qi Three, today I’ll surely be first!”
“Haha, don’t speak too soon. Fifth Young Master is better at riding than you—”
The servants all made their way, watching the young lords gallop their horses on the official road, their steeds magnificent, tassels and ornaments creating wreaths of fragrant mist. The young lords were unrestrained and romantic, their manner bold! More than ten horses held their heads high proudly, as Jianye’s young men slowed their horses one by one, turning their heads to look at the lady disembarking. Luo Lingyu surveyed this ancient southern city, clouds flying and clothes fluttering, hair strands brushing her face—
“How is the lady?”
“A divine consort!”