The old emperor died of erysipelas, and the new emperor ascended the throne. The new emperor and empress had a rift with the Lu family, and after Third Young Master Lu died at the frontier, the conflict between the Lu family and the new emperor erupted fully, causing the Lu family’s influence in Jianye to decline… The dream continued dimly, with bad news following bad news.
Second Young Master Lu Xian remained trapped in his nightmare, watching everything happen helplessly in a daze. His heart twisted in pain, filled with anxiety. Sometimes he saw Cousin Luo’s glory, sometimes he saw Third Brother Lu’s death at the frontier… His eyes were full of bloody tears, overwhelmed with terror!
“Second Young Master, Second Young Master…” The maids in the chamber saw Er Lang sweating profusely in his sleep, continuously wiping their young master’s forehead with wet cloths, watching his flushed face as his body remained taut as a bowstring. The veins on the back of his hands stood out as he tightly gripped the bedding beneath him, muttering deliriously.
A maid leaned down to listen: “Young Master, what are you saying?”
Then ordered others: “Quick, go fetch the imperial physician. Our Young Master seems to be having nightmares… Why hasn’t he woken up?”
In the late night, lights were lit again in Second Young Master’s quarters as physicians rushed over. In the “Clear Courtyard” of the second branch, Luo Lingyu was supported by the maid Jingyue as she drank a bowl of medicine, her forehead covered in sweat, her limbs weak. Yet she refused to sleep, struggling to sit up after drinking the medicine, begging Jingyue to bring her brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Jingyue tried to dissuade her quietly, but Luo Lingyu wouldn’t listen. With her long hair wet with sweat clinging to her face and cheeks flushed crimson, she still firmly requested that a small table be placed on the couch. Lu Yun came out from the inner chamber to see the young lady bent over the table, managing to write only two characters before becoming breathless, tears glistening, and appearing extremely fragile.
Luo Lingyu reminded herself to persevere, but her hand holding the brush trembled slightly. She used her left hand to grip her trembling, sweating right hand, and as she tried to write more while fighting dizziness, her brush was suddenly taken away. Her body reclined back against the cushions behind her, and Luo Lingyu stared wide-eyed as she saw the elegant young master sit down beside the small table.
Third Young Master Lu’s downcast eyelids twitched slightly upward, his black pupils suddenly rising, like deep dark waters shimmering mysteriously. He cast a casual, mocking glance at her poor condition: “What do you want to write?” He held the brush and took the paper, clearly intending to write for her.
Luo Lingyu’s long lashes trembled as she gripped the bedding beneath her: If Third Young Master would help her write, perhaps the effect would be even better.
Luo Lingyu said timidly and gently: “Thank you, Third Cousin… When the young ladies were still staying at home some days ago, I made several close friends. Like Sister Wang, Young Lady Han… Now they’ve all returned home, and I miss them dearly. I want to write letters asking about their recent situations, invite them to view flowers, drink tea, and play together.”
Lu Yun’s brush remained still as he raised his eyes to look at her with an ambiguous smile. His tone was playful: “View flowers? Drink tea? Play together?”
Third Young Master Lu leaned slightly forward, his black eyes fixed on his cousin’s sickly yet beautiful face, his tone cool: “Is that all?”
Luo Lingyu’s hand gripping the bedding tightened as her hair stood on end under his gaze. Third Young Master Lu seemed to always see through her thoughts, though she didn’t know why he always thought ill of her. Luo Lingyu felt slightly wrong, but thinking of her need for his help, she told the truth: “And to explain away Aunt Lu’s harsh words from last time… see if they might come to visit me.”
Lu Yun’s eyes deepened with amusement.
Luo Lingyu raised her eyelids to meet his downward gaze. Their eyes met, with understanding flowing between them – Luo Lingyu wanted to use the young ladies from the Wang and Han families to pressure the Lu family, to pressure Madam Lu. Luo Lingyu herself would endure by praying for Er Lang for several days, and when the young ladies’ replies arrived and Madam Lu’s anger had subsided, she would remember Luo Lingyu’s importance. The Lu family had no young ladies, and Luo Lingyu was dependent on them – they still needed her to open doors in the young ladies’ social circles.
If Lu Yun hadn’t rescued Luo Lingyu tonight, these letters couldn’t have been sent… perhaps by the time Luo Lingyu left the Buddha hall, she would truly have been sent back to Nanyang.
What Luo Lingyu knew, Third Young Master Lu naturally understood clearly as well. Lu Yun lowered his head to write, asking lazily: “Who all do you want to write to?”
Luo Lingyu happily listed several more names, and Lu Yun responded with an indifferent “hmm” as his wild cursive script flew across the paper. He finished a letter in just a few strokes, and Luo Lingyu carefully took it, about to admire Third Young Master Lu’s calligraphy when her face froze: With such wild characters, one could barely guess their shapes, but surely no one would guess these were Third Young Master Lu’s characters?
Annoying person… She had originally hoped the young ladies would respond quickly with questions upon seeing the letter was written by the Third Young Master. Now it seemed Lu Yun’s wild cursive… was meant to prevent anyone from seeing who had written the letter… Third Cousin had seen through her heart and was mocking her as usual.
Luo Lingyu secretly glared at him.
While writing letters, Lu Yun casually asked: “Anything else you want to do?”
Seeing him ask proactively, Luo Lingyu immediately pondered shamelessly: “Could I trouble Cousin’s maids to go to the ‘Snow Tracing Courtyard’ to find my sister, tell her not to worry. Have Yunhua seek out my aunt – not asking aunt to protect me, but when others speak up for me, hoping aunt will help support me. Also have Yunhua seek out Fourth Young Master’s birth mother, Concubine Liu – again not asking Concubine Liu to protect me, but when others vouch for me, hoping Concubine Liu will speak some good words for me before Madam Lu. After all, Concubine Liu has served Madam Lu for many years, surely she can say a few words before Madam Lu?”
Lu Yun: “…”
He suddenly raised his eyelids to look at her.
Luo Lingyu looked back puzzled, not understanding his meaning.
“Second Brother’s fall into the water, it’s related to Fourth Brother?” Third Young Master Lu spoke a few words very softly, then paused, “And to Yunhua as well?”
Luo Lingyu: “…!”
Her eyes widened, his sudden words caught her off guard, and her mind went blank with a boom, unable to think of how to refute. She froze for a long while, and seeing Lu Yun’s knowing expression, she knew her stupor had already told him the answer. Luo Lingyu was greatly shocked, not knowing how to handle Third Young Master Lu.
This Third Cousin of hers was far too perceptive…
Third Young Master Lu examined her with a strange look, he hadn’t expected Luo Lingyu would protect those two children. Although perhaps she only wanted to protect her sister… but even if she only wanted to protect her sister, it still surprised Lu Yun. This cousin wasn’t as cold-blooded as he had thought. In her selfish heart, Luo Yunhua was still important… Lu Yun glanced aside, his eyes slightly warming.
The brush in his hand was heavy with ink, and he picked it up, pointing it at Luo Lingyu’s forehead across the small table. Luo Lingyu was bewildered, barely managing to lean back before feeling a cool touch on her forehead. The ink touched her forehead as she met the young master’s smiling eyes. Her heart pounded as she saw Lu Yun’s gaze drift close then far, his voice near then distant. He had simply dotted her once with the wolf-hair brush: “Little Sister Luo… how clever.”
With the young ladies’ letters, the elders’ support, and finally counting on Second Young Master Lu’s kind and manipulable nature, Luo Lingyu had about an eighty percent chance of getting through this crisis. The final twenty percent was just gambling on luck.
Lu Yun’s gaze toward her became very different: He had underestimated her.
Her chest tingled, numbness spreading thread by thread. Luo Lingyu’s face turned completely red, and as soon as his brush tip left her, she raised her hand to touch her forehead, belatedly realizing he had dotted it black. Her face showed annoyance, but as she looked again at Lu Yun lowering his head to write, at his features, his brows and eyes, his fingers… Luo Lingyu stared in a daze, and as she lowered her head, feeling the coolness on her forehead, her lips unconsciously curved up slightly.
At the doorway, the maid Zhiyue brought night snacks for Third Young Master Lu who was staying up late. Standing under the flickering lamplight by the curtain, she watched the young master and lady sitting opposite each other on the couch, the young master writing while the Luo lady ground ink to serve him. Adding romance to scholarship, their gazes occasionally meeting… At a glance, they made a talented scholar and beautiful lady, a perfect match of gold and jade. Zhiyue bit her lip, her gaze darkening as she retreated from the doorway.
Zhiyue lingered outside: Third Young Master… could he like this Luo woman? But this young lady was so calculating, wasn’t the young master’s taste usually higher?
If Third Young Master truly did… then for her… was there now a chance, or had her chances become even more remote?
Jingyue called from inside: “Zhiyue, what are you doing, aren’t the refreshments ready?”
After Zhiyue responded, she hurriedly entered the room, only to be casually instructed by Third Young Master Lu to go to the “Snow Tracing Courtyard” to find Luo Yunhua. Setting aside Zhiyue’s unwilling departure, after watching Lu Yun finish writing the letters, Luo Lingyu’s anxiety eased slightly and she collapsed, persuaded by Jingyue to sleep for a while. Where Third Young Master Lu went, she asked with slurred speech, not remembering if she had even asked. After what seemed like only a brief sleep, Luo Lingyu was woken again, and with eyes closed was made to drink another bitter medicine by Jingyue. Still in a daze, she felt herself being lifted.
Until the cold wind brushed her face, giving her a start, Luo Lingyu shrank back and opened her eyes to find Lu Yun carrying her, walking in the cool pre-dawn breeze.
Lu Yun said softly: “Dawn is approaching, I’m taking you back to the Buddha hall.”
Luo Lingyu’s heart trembled as she raised her eyes to look at his chin. The young master with clear, beautiful features and affectionate eyes had a face so handsome it seemed cruel and unfaithful. As he carried her walking in the morning wind, Luo Lingyu felt protected. His embrace was warm, and she unconsciously leaned into it… Her mind full of guesses, Luo Lingyu said softly: “Why is Third Cousin so good to me? Could it be, could it be you…”
Before her uncertain words could finish, she felt darkness before her eyes as a cape was thrown over, covering her face. Luo Lingyu was stunned, and as she tried to understand, she heard the vibration from Lu Yun’s chest as he spoke in a voice clear as jade: “Aunt, you’re up early, is all well?”
Followed immediately by Madam Lu: “Hearing that Er Lang had woken, I rushed over to see. Third Young Master… so early, before dawn, what are you doing?”
Lu Yun: “Taking a walk.”
Madam Lu: “…”
Madam Lu asked: “What are you carrying… in your arms?”
Hearing these words, Lu Yun immediately felt the person in his arms tense up completely, clinging to him and trembling, desperately trying to burrow into his embrace. She held his waist, soft and delicate as freshly fallen snow, but trembling non-stop… Lu Yun’s lips curved slightly as Madam Lu exclaimed in shock: “It seems to be a woman’s figure… Third Young Master what exactly are you doing?!”
Lu Yun: “What could I be doing…”
Madam Lu drew in a sharp breath, utterly shocked: “You slept with one of our maids?!”
Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu: “…”