Under the single-sided empty corridor, night lamps and iron horse ornaments clashed with clanging sounds. The rooms behind the corridor were hidden behind layers of flowering trees, and looking back, one could vaguely see lights flowing like water and silk, illuminating the maids moving between the tables. Luo Lingyu covered her mouth, then looked down again at Lu Yun who was grabbing the hem of her skirt.

In that instant, as the lantern light hanging at the corridor’s entrance reflected on the water and Luo Lingyu bent down to look at him, she seemed to sense something familiar. When he lifted his face, with long hair clinging to it and bloodstains still on his clothes… Luo Lingyu’s heart thumped, and before she could think deeper, she heard Lu Yun’s hoarse voice: “…help me.”

Save him—she would save him.

Luo Lingyu made her judgment in just one breath: she wouldn’t be moved even if others died before her, fearing the trouble of saving an injured person. But this time, the gentleman’s silk robes and ribbons were noble attire, and more directly, he was the Third Young Master of the Lu family where she was staying. Finally, Luo Lingyu still had one pure land carefully preserved in her heart—

Third Young Master Lu was the Plum-Seeking Recluse she had admired for years.

How could she bear not to save the Plum-Seeking Recluse who had fallen at her feet?

Lu Yun didn’t hold much hope for Luo Lingyu’s help, and in his dazed state was already thinking of how to convince her to help him. Unexpectedly, Luo Lingyu suddenly bent down, laboriously grabbing his arm to pull him from the lake onto the shore. Lu Yun looked up in surprise, seeing the water from his body falling onto her waist and abdomen, her wide sleeves and skirt hem clinging to him, also becoming soaked. In the dim light, Luo Lingyu’s face was classically beautiful and bewitching, swaying before his eyes like a reflection of flowers in the moonlit water…

Like an immortal or a demon.

Third Young Master Lu’s mind briefly went blank, just staring at her intently.

Until the voice of the maid Lingyu came from the wing rooms: “Miss, we’ve finished cleaning here, where are you?”

Luo Lingyu, who was holding Lu Yun and struggling to pull him from the water, stiffened, quickly pulling him entirely to her chest, using her long robe’s wide sleeves to block the prying eyes from the wing rooms. Luo Lingyu’s voice was pleasant and clear, gracefully carrying over: “I’m taking a walk by the lake, you’ve all worked hard today, rest early, don’t worry about me.”

Lingyu hesitated for a moment, but the maids all acknowledged and left. Nearby, Luo Lingyu looked down at Third Young Master Lu, whose pale face showed a trace of a strange flush, and whispered: “Third Cousin, you don’t want my maids to see you, right?”

Lu Yun leaned in her arms, breathing in the lady’s fragrance. His snow-white face lowered its eyelids as if closing his eyes, letting out a light laugh: “Sister Luo is clever and knows how to read the situation.”

Even at this time, she didn’t panic, her mind still working… all thanks to Luo Lingyu’s nature of seeking advantage and avoiding harm.

After that laugh, Third Young Master Lu’s wounds all over his body oozed blood, stinging even more sharply after being in the water. Curled in the lady’s embrace, he let out a muffled groan, the sound like sand scraping across Luo Lingyu’s heart. She trembled slightly, immediately speaking to him, asking him to cooperate with her, trying to figure out how to get him back to her chambers—”Third Cousin, don’t fall asleep. You’re so heavy, I can’t carry you alone.”

By the time Luo Lingyu and Lu Yun managed to get to Luo Lingyu’s lodging room, more than the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed. Not to mention Lu Yun’s injuries worsened considerably during the move, but when Luo Lingyu finally threw the gentleman onto the couch, she knelt beside it, her legs weak and sore, completely covered in sweat from exhaustion. This wasn’t enough, as the gentleman lay limply on the couch, and after removing his night-traveling clothes, his inner grey robe was covered in patches of black and red, showing the severity of his injuries.

Luo Lingyu’s face reddened, she couldn’t help him change clothes, and she had no men’s clothing here, so she could only wait until Lu Yun regained consciousness to figure something out. Avoiding the maids outside, Luo Lingyu tiptoed in and out, bringing hot water to wipe his face. Luo Lingyu was truly a dexterous and clever lady; because she couldn’t alert the maids, she couldn’t find medicine for his wounds, but she could use scissors and gauze herself to help bandage Lu Yun’s injuries. If it had been another clumsy lady who had never done this before, Lu Yun would have suffered much more.

Finally, after dumping the water and bringing back a fresh basin, Luo Lingyu was deeply worried, beginning to wonder why Third Young Master Lu was so severely injured. As she carried the basin to the screen door, about to enter the room, she suddenly glimpsed Lu Yun struggling to sit up, arranging his disheveled clothes. After removing the blood-soaked grey robe, wearing only an inner garment, his numerous wounds made his movements very slow. The gentleman lowered his head, his long hair half-dry, black as silk scattered across his shoulders and back. The inner garment was pure white, the gentleman’s profile as pale as snow, clearly handsome…

Her mind exploded with a thunderous “boom,” as if struck by five thunderbolts!

In that sudden moment, the gentleman she saw overlapped with a scene from her memory. Similarly emerging from the water, begging for help. The difference was that last time he was injured almost to death, this time he could still move by himself; last time he wore coarse white clothes, this time the gentleman wore fine silk; last time his face was ghost-white and unsightly from being in the water too long, this time he was just haggard and pale, his features unmarred… yet in a certain instant, the two moments overlapped, when he lowered his head to tie his sash, reminding Luo Lingyu of that time on the boat when with a casual glance, she seemed to have also seen his profile…

“Clang!” The basin she held in both hands fell, hot water splashing out, wetting the lady’s skirt hem. But the beauty at the screen door just stared straight ahead with wide eyes, not dodging, not blinking.

Hearing the noise, Lu Yun looked up, meeting the eyes of the completely shocked Luo Lingyu at the door. Her eyes were filled with terror, shock, unease, embarrassment, shame, and other emotions, all mixed, making the lady’s eyes dark and her expression incredibly complex. Seeing her expression immediately, as if divinely inspired, Lu Yun’s heart sank as he thought:

She has recognized me.

Luo Lingyu’s voice trembled: “Th-th-third… who are you?”

She walked forward, to the couch, her teeth chattering from trembling. Under extreme pressure, her face went white, not much better than Lu Yun, the injured one.

Lu Yun watched her for a long while, slowly saying: “Are you wanting to ask if I’m the person you saved when you first came to Jianye, while still on the boat?”

Luo Lingyu’s mind continued to be blank: “…”

Lu Yun stared at her intently, though weakened by his injuries, he had to maintain his focus now, his gaze never wavering. Third Young Master Lu seemed to smile at fate’s interesting twist: “That’s right, I am that man whom you saved onto the boat, then forced to jump back into the water to fend for himself when still half a day’s journey from Jianye.”

As the truth settled, Luo Lingyu collapsed into a sitting position, her mind incredibly shocked—

It was him, it was him!

So that’s why he had such a bad impression of her from their first meeting, humiliating her several times; her sister must have recognized him later, which is why she tried to hint at it. Unfortunately, Luo Lingyu hadn’t looked at that person much… if Third Young Master Lu hadn’t fallen into the water and been saved by her again, she would never have remembered.

She had lied to her sister, saying that person had urgent business and left before recovering, but in truth, she had driven him off the boat when others weren’t aware. Third Young Master Lu, proud and arrogant, hadn’t argued with her; if she wouldn’t let him stay, he just jumped into the water and left. Then returning to the Lu family, he had laid in bed recovering for half a month… The Lu family was so noble and wealthy, with countless miraculous medicines and talented doctors, yet they still let Lu Yun lie there for so long. Among the reasons must have been her forcing him to leave the boat early, worsening his injuries.

Even so… Lu Yun hadn’t said a word!

Always watching her from behind with that ambiguous smile…

When she was maneuvering, trying every way to establish a relationship with him, in Third Young Master Lu’s eyes, it must have been so amusing. He stood in the shadows, watching her pretend to be graceful and kind, moving between the Lu family’s young masters and young ladies, surely mocking her again and again in his heart. He didn’t say a word, neither telling the Lu family that she had abandoned him, that they shouldn’t shelter such a heartless lady; nor telling her that he knew who she was, that he had been watching her schemes all along.

She had been prancing around like a clown before him for nearly a month!

Her most shameful image, her most ruthless self… had been exposed to Lu Yun’s eyes right from the start. So no matter how she tried to make up for it later, she couldn’t salvage much. No wonder when she thought herself beautiful, even if Third Young Master Lu didn’t want to marry her, he should at least have been amazed by her, yet he was always unmoved. No wonder he kept warning her not to provoke the Lu family’s young masters because he thought she had ulterior motives… She even even had to thank him! Thank him for not telling the Lu family at the beginning that they couldn’t keep such a cousin!

Luo Lingyu’s face changed repeatedly, looking worse and worse. Her hand hidden in her sleeve, her long fingertips pierced her palm until it bled, her back rigid, not moving at all—Third Young Master Lu had seen through to the most real Luo Lingyu, making her feel utterly ashamed, regretful, and fearful.

When a gentleman knows her truest self, if she cannot marry him… she should kill him, letting the secret never see the light of day. She naturally couldn’t kill Lu Yun, but she could choose not to save him. Appearing in this state yet did not want others to know he was in big trouble this time. If she didn’t help him, would he die…

Luo Lingyu’s eyelashes trembled, her fingers shaking, her heart extremely conflicted, and she was so scared that her shoulders trembled.

Lu Yun: “…”

Even in his weakened state, he appreciated watching Luo Lingyu’s changing expressions. There was indeed a moment of pleasure; from the first time he saw this cousin at the Lu family matriarch’s, he had been waiting for this moment. Wanting to see Luo Lingyu’s expression when she learned the truth, wanting to see her scared and utterly ashamed, wanting to know what she looked like when embarrassed… Unfortunately, his current severe injuries greatly diminished this pleasure.

Making it feel somewhat heavy.

The happiness lasted only at the beginning; when he noticed Luo Lingyu’s gaze becoming increasingly conflicted and darker, Lu Yun sighed. He found himself somewhat unable to bear seeing her so torn, and his keen mind realized that if she couldn’t think it through and abandoned him… this trouble he’d encountered would be better with fewer people knowing about it.

Third Young Master Lu leaned forward, making Luo Lingyu tremble and lean backward. Lu Yun’s ice-cold fingers somehow produced a brown pill, and as Luo Lingyu’s eyes widened in fear, his handsome face pressed close to hers, one hand reaching behind her neck to pull her forward while pushing the pill in his hand toward her mouth. Luo Lingyu clenched her teeth, refusing to accept it, but his slender fingers pressed on her jaw, involuntarily making her open her mouth as the pill entered. Lu Yun pushed her jaw again, forcing her to swallow the pill.

Luo Lingyu violently pushed Lu Yun away, covering her throat, choking, and coughing. She was terrified: “You… you… what did you make me eat?”

Third Young Master Lu’s voice was ice-cold: “Poison.”

Luo Lingyu suddenly turned back, her eyes widening even more, looking at him in disbelief. She saw Lu Yun sitting on the couch, his waist now bent parallel to it, looking down at her. The gentleman spoke carelessly: “If you don’t save me and I die, you’ll accompany me in death.”

His thick, long eyelashes covered his eyes; when he looked down at people, it seemed tender and affectionate but was cold and ruthless. There wasn’t a trace of a smile on his face, no longer showing his usual frivolous manner in private, but rather that noble, contemptuous, looking-down-upon-all-beings appearance. Like snow on a mountain peak, unreachable.

Luo Lingyu’s fingers curled against the ground, her already reddened palm hurting even more.

The next moment, his eyelashes lifted, revealing eyes full of smiling charm. His facial expression changed, returning to that graceful and romantic manner he showed in private. His hand massaged her neck, his high bridge nose barely brushing against hers, his breath on her face, both their cheeks tinged with a somewhat lively red. Lu Yun smiled: “Just teasing you… Sister Luo is so clever, help me and I’ll give you the antidote.”

“How could Cousin bear to see your beautiful face wither?”

After several changes in her expression, Luo Lingyu grasped his hand, cold from blood loss, and said softly: “Lu Yun, don’t worry, I’ll save you.”

“Just remember the antidote afterward.”

Lu Yun’s eyes darkened, his spirit relaxing, knowing he had handled Sister Luo. He fell back tiredly, leaning against the pillow. This battle of wits with Luo Lingyu, wanting to subdue her, had kept his spirit constantly tense. Finally relaxing, the gentleman lying on the couch quietly watched her as the lady collected herself, first using a wet cloth to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Her sleeve fell across his face, still full of fragrance.

Getting Luo Lingyu to save him was never easy.

After finishing everything, Luo Lingyu instructed: “Bear with it and sleep on the couch tonight. I’ll sleep on the bed inside… When dawn comes, after you’ve rested enough, leave early, don’t startle the maids who come to wake me.”

In this era, social customs were open, and noble ladies were particularly bold, with lovers everywhere. Sleeping in the same room with a gentleman wasn’t a big deal to them. After giving instructions, Luo Lingyu turned to leave, but Lu Yun felt somewhat uncomfortable. His fingers lightly caught her sleeve that had fallen on the couch, lowering his eyes and speaking softly:

“Why isn’t Sister Luo calling me Third Cousin anymore?”

“And what about Sister Luo’s ‘Brother Xuezhen’?”

Luo Lingyu: “…”

Bah!

As if she would ever call him that!

She wasn’t a good person, but Lu Yun wasn’t much better than her. They were equally bad… in the future, she, Luo Lingyu, would stay away from this Third Young Master Lu. If she couldn’t marry him, couldn’t get rid of him, at least she could avoid him, right?

That night, the gentleman and lady were separated by a screen, one on the bed and one on the couch, in complete silence. Luo Lingyu lay on her side in bed, looking toward the screen, vaguely able to see the gentleman’s sleeping form on the couch behind it; Lu Yun likewise, through the screen, stared at her as she drowsily fell asleep.

Neither slept well.

As dawn approached, while Mount Zhong’s verdant landscape was still hidden in darkness, Second Young Master Lu’s door was knocked on by Prince Hengyang. Cool dew had wetted the steps, and after a night, the ground outside the door was covered in mossy flowers. Second Young Master Lu stood barefoot at the door, looking with great surprise at the young Liu Mu in his fitted clothes standing imposingly, hands behind his back, with dozens of attendants behind him. Lu Xian’s heart sank, his expression gradually tensing.

Although the dream had told him Prince Hengyang would be the future emperor, he didn’t know if the dream was true or false… Moreover, he, Lu Xian, didn’t have the kind of close relationship with Prince Hengyang that would warrant him coming to knock on his door before dawn.

Lu Xian said gravely: “Why does Prince Hengyang seek me at this hour? Has something happened in Jianye?”

Prince Hengyang stared coldly at this scholarly young man for a moment, then suddenly smiled brightly: “Nothing’s wrong. It’s just that I suddenly felt like coming to Mount Zhong to play, and heard that the Lu family young masters and young ladies are all here. It wouldn’t be right not to pay a visit. I’ve come to invite Second Young Master Lu… after dawn, while the ladies play their refined games, why not have the gentlemen hold an archery competition to entertain the ladies?”

Lu Xian frowned: “This…”

Liu Mu: “Second Young Master, I’ve traveled thousands of miles to Jianye, and made the effort to come to Mount Zhong, you won’t even give me this small courtesy? It’s just an archery competition, let’s play for fun, no matter who wins or loses.”

Lu Xian was still mindful of the dream’s prediction and didn’t want to offend Prince Hengyang, even wanting to give him a face. The relationship between the royal family and aristocratic families was delicate, being careful was always better… Second Young Master Lu nodded: “Alright.”

Liu Mu’s smile deepened.

He stared at Second Young Master Lu; all the Lu family’s young masters were good-looking, and Second Young Master Lu was naturally handsome too, but not to the degree Master Kong had mentioned, where he could be recognized at a glance. But the Lu family had another Third Young Master, known as the “Jade Gentleman,” who wasn’t known throughout Jianye.

The assassin from the night had a severely injured arm; he would find that assassin among all the gentlemen on Mount Zhong.

He wanted to see if Third Young Master Lu was that nighttime assassin!