The soft, delicate female form collided against him, bringing with it a sweet fragrance and dark, cloud-like tresses.

But Lu Yun, having been entangled with women many times before, never wanted to indulge in such encounters.

He grabbed the young lady’s arm, about to pull her away and push her back, when he looked down to see the beautiful young lady raise her face, eyes like clear lakes rippling with waves, gazing at him affectionately. Lu Yun’s grip on her arm loosened, then tightened again. After coming to his senses, his brows furrowed: “Why is it you again, Cousin Luo?”

Lu Yun: “You…”

The young lady, breathless from running, panted softly in his arms, and when she raised her face, her breath touched his face. She was in his arms again, her full bosom pressed tightly… Lu Yun’s expression became strange, and just as he was about to speak again, he heard footsteps. Lu Yun looked up to find they were in a flower grove not far from “Clear Courtyard.” The lake water was clear, and several maids were walking across the bridge, chatting and laughing. Lu Yun had already seen their shadows, and he pushed Luo Lingyu, but she wouldn’t let go of him. Lu Yun raised an eyebrow, giving her a half-smiling glance.

He gave her a look that said: I’ll settle accounts with you later! If you can’t explain yourself properly, don’t blame me for being unpleasant.

Luo Lingyu held onto him tightly, thinking: This is the Plum Blossom Recluse… This is the actual, living Plum Blossom Recluse.

She felt heat at her waist as the young lord’s hand pressed against her lower back, lifting her slightly. As Luo Lingyu’s face and ears reddened, Lu Yun’s wide sleeve rose, a cool breeze brushing past her ears. With one hand supporting her waist and the other raising his sleeve to hide her face, Lu Yun held Luo Lingyu and turned, still leaning against the tree but now inside the flower grove. They faced away from the path, while the passing maids continued their cheerful conversation, completely unaware of the two.

Lu Yun looked down, speaking languidly: “You were looking for me for something?”

Luo Lingyu: “Yes!”

She looked up, staring at Lu Yun with a peculiar gaze for a long while until his expression became increasingly displeased. Then Luo Lingyu reluctantly looked away. Their position was still awkward; Lu Yun moved his hand slightly, seeing her lowered profile, jade-white and delicate. As flowers drifted down from the trees above, several petals landed in the young lady’s hair. Third Young Master Lu’s heart wavered, his fingers tingling, and surprisingly, he didn’t push her away.

He thought carelessly: Was she trying to seduce him again, or did she have other motives?

Seeing her organize her thoughts, she spoke softly: “I came specifically to…”

Luo Lingyu paused internally. She felt Lu Yun was prejudiced against her. Sometimes he was kind to her, sometimes hostile. What if, because of his hostility, he refused to admit he was the “Plum Blossom Recluse”?

Lu Yun bent his face down, his breath making brief contact with hers, floating faintly at the tip of her nose. The young lord was handsome and expressive, and when he softly “hmmed,” Luo Lingyu’s heart trembled with a tingling sensation. Her cheeks burned blood-red from his breath, and after her mind cleared from its confusion, Luo Lingyu finally said steadily: “I came to thank Third Cousin for the painting you gave me.”

“What painting?” Lu Yun thought for a while, “When was this?”

Luo Lingyu: “…”

She gritted her teeth, having been moved to emotion for so long, could he not remember?

But Luo Lingyu wasn’t one to give up easily: “The painting that Jinyue delivered that morning, the one you gave me in return.”

Under his cousin’s eager, expectant gaze, Lu Yun thought again for a while: “Ah… don’t remember… Jinyue probably just took something randomly from my study, she didn’t tell me about it, so I didn’t know. Is there something wrong with the painting? You can return it.”

Luo Lingyu was devastated: “…”

This person was so, so, so annoying!

How could he possibly be the “Plum Blossom Recluse” she had admired for years?!

Above her head, leisurely enjoying his cousin’s changing expressions and alternating red and white complexion, Lu Yun’s eyes held a faint smile: …hmph.

Luo Lingyu took a deep breath, her beautiful smile almost impossible to maintain. Yet she persisted, having dealt with Lu Yun many times and decided he wasn’t a good person, Luo Lingyu tried hard to reconcile the Third Cousin she knew with the scholar she admired. The beautiful young lady closed her eyes and praised: “That painting was by the Plum Blossom Recluse. Cousin must know that the Plum Blossom Recluse is a famous scholar, his paintings are excellent, his brush strokes showing both delicacy and worldliness, with a grand vision. Whether painting people or landscapes, they all have a unique charm. Though many try to imitate, none can capture the essence. The painting cousin gave me is truly wonderful…”

Luo Lingyu’s eyelashes trembled slightly as she observed Lu Yun’s expression.

His eyes held a slight smile, his peach blossom eyes lowered, deep with feeling, lips slightly curved as he listened to her speak. Luo Lingyu’s words had pleased him. Praising him to his face made Lu Yun even more satisfied… Luo Lingyu deliberately asked him: “When cousin gave me his painting, did you also think he painted well?”

Lu Yun said seriously: “Of course, he is the best.”

Luo Lingyu immediately understood: “…”

She cursed internally: Oh oh oh, shameless, it is you! You are the “Plum Blossom Recluse,” that’s why you love hearing my praise. Yet you still won’t admit it’s you, you’re truly terrible.

Lu Yun, Lu Yun… her Third Cousin was indeed quite bad. If it weren’t for the pure-hearted Second Cousin pointing it out, she wouldn’t know how long she would have been deceived by Third Young Master Lu. Thinking of this, Luo Lingyu couldn’t help but recall her sister’s question “doesn’t he look familiar”… Could it be that Lu Yun had deceived her somewhere else without her knowing?

“Cousin,” Lu Yun reached out and tapped her forehead, “you came to find me just to praise my… the painting I gave you?”

His lips touched her ear as he whispered: “How boring?”

Luo Lingyu’s ears burned instantly, and she immediately covered them while jumping back, breaking free from his embrace. He hadn’t been holding her, so when she retreated, Lu Yun’s arms were suddenly empty. The young lord paused, looking down at his slightly curved hands for a moment. Luo Lingyu stroked her burning ear lobes, which showed a spot of blood-red against white jade, her heart filled with joy. She smiled because Lu Yun’s reaction confirmed the answer—

Although Third Cousin was such a person… he was the Plum Blossom Recluse.

Luo Lingyu stepped back, smiling: “Yes, I just came to praise your painting, I have nothing else…”

As she turned to leave, Luo Lingyu suddenly turned back: “Oh, one more thing! Second Cousin invited me to go to Bell Mountain with him, would Third Cousin like to come with us?”

Lu Yun: Second Brother again?

The smile in his eyes faded: “No.”

Usually, when Lu Yun said this, Luo Lingyu would never say more. But now as she looked at him, she wasn’t just seeing him anymore… Luo Lingyu’s eyes blinked, charming and coquettish, truly beautiful eyes, gazing deeply at someone, with feelings threading through silently. Lu Yun remained stubbornly unmoved as he watched Luo Lingyu say softly: “Come on, come on, come on…”

She repeated it again and again, gazing intently. The gates of his heart loosened, and a tidal wave swept in, making Lu Yun’s heart tremble. He lost focus for a moment and hazily replied: “…Mm…”

Luo Lingyu: “You agreed!”

Lu Yun: “…”

Luo Lingyu stood under the flowering trees, smiling at him with pressed lips. Watching her walk away, Lu Yun lowered his head, frustration rising on his face. He had been persuaded by her… and for beauty’s sake. Lu Yun’s expression darkened; he was not a person led by lust, and he despised women who tried to seduce him with their looks. But Luo Lingyu, Luo Lingyu… even though he knew… yet still…

“Cousin!”

It was Luo Lingyu’s voice again.

Lu Yun raised his head with a dark expression, seeing through the dense flowering trees that Luo Lingyu had retraced her steps, walking back through the scattered flowers and leaves to greet him. Lu Yun suppressed the palpitation in his chest, his face dark with anger: “Why haven’t you left yet?!”

Luo Lingyu was startled by his expression; it was the first time she had seen the handsome, elegant young lord show such a face to her… Lu Yun had teased her many times, and Luo Lingyu wanted revenge. The young lady covered her heart, her beautiful eyes lifting slightly as she teased him: “Cousin, can I call you ‘Brother Xue Chen’ from now on?”

Lu Yun: “…”

What?

Brother Xue Chen?!

Lu Yun smiled coldly: “No!”

Luo Lingyu sighed, finally walking away dejectedly this time. Lu Yun stood frozen in place for a long while, and after he could no longer hear footsteps, he sat down on the ground, covering his face with his sleeve. After the young lady left, her fragrance lingered, and the young lord sitting before the tree remained silent for a long time before being unable to help laughing—Brother Xue Chen? How did she know his courtesy name was “Xue Chen”?

Luo Lingyu was, really was… hmph.

After resting another day and arranging the time and place with the young misses, Luo Lingyu happily packed her things, planning to go to Bell Mountain with Second Young Master Lu. She hesitated for a moment, deciding not to bring her younger sister Luo Yunwan. The little sister had been in a strange mood these past days, unable to get over something, shoulders slumped and silent all day. Afraid she might cause trouble if taken out, Luo Lingyu left her sister at home, instructing her to study music, chess, poetry, and painting properly.

Luo Yunwan: “I’ll study hard, won’t cause trouble for sister…”

Luo Lingyu: “…I’m not worried about you causing trouble, how can we noble ladies be so timid? Ah, never mind, take a few days to think it over yourself. When I return from Bell Mountain, we’ll talk more about it.”

Thus, Luo Lingyu went out and got into the ox cart, heading to Bell Mountain with Second Young Master Lu Xian. Just as Lu Xian’s group was about to depart, Luo Lingyu asked him to wait a bit longer, and after waiting for a while, Lu Xian unexpectedly saw Third Young Master Lu Yun arrive leisurely. After casually greeting his second brother and exchanging a glance with Luo Lingyu, Lu Yun jumped into the ox cart and sat down.

Lu Xian looked at Luo Lingyu.

Luo Lingyu smiled: “We were waiting for Third Cousin. Second Cousin, shall we go?”

Lu Xian again fell into worry: He knew his cousin and Third Brother had a good relationship… but was this relationship perhaps too good?

Cousin, do you know that you are meant to marry the Prince of Hengyang, to become a princess consort, to become empress?

Lu Xian’s face became numb: Oh, Cousin Luo didn’t know.

As for that dream he had… he still didn’t know how much was true and how much was false.

Sitting in the ox cart, Third Young Master Lu closed his eyes to rest after getting in, while Second Young Master Lu lifted the curtain, looking complexly toward Bell Mountain—at Kaishan Temple on Bell Mountain, there was a master abbot. Could the master resolve his doubts, and tell him whether that dream was true or false?

How should he proceed?