“Third Brother, how can you speak to Cousin Sister like that?” In the frozen atmosphere, a male voice stood out, rebuking this newly arrived young lord’s rudeness.
In the lamplight and shadows, among the crowded heads, faces were indistinct. Luo Lingyu looked over to see it was the previously introduced Lu family’s Second Young Master Lu Xian speaking for her. After the Lu family’s only lady of this generation, eldest daughter Lu Qingyi, married, the eldest remaining was now nineteen-year-old Second Young Master Lu Xian. Lu Xian was a cultured and composed youth; during the earlier sibling interactions, like others, he had been struck by Luo Lingyu’s beauty, but he had recovered his composure fastest. Afterward, Lu Xian stood silently behind the other young lords; Luo Lingyu glanced over, seeing his ears slightly red, thinking this must be a shy cousin’s brother.
Unlike this last-appearing cousin brother—Lu Xian avoided Luo Lingyu’s beautiful eyes, kindly introducing: “This is Third Young Master, given name Yun. The Lu family has many young lords, generations somewhat mixed, you can call him ‘Cousin Brother Yun.'”
Luo Lingyu curtsied, obediently calling out: “Cousin Brother Yun.”
No one responded.
Luo Lingyu looked up, meeting the young lord’s deep, cold eyes. Third Young Master Lu Yun, his appearance and bearing were somewhat mismatched. His bearing was noble and pure, untouched by worldly dust, like frost covering the moon; yet his looks were outstanding to the extreme, outstanding to the point of seeming frivolous and romantic. Two opposite images united in one person, truly making him impossible to read clearly.
Third Young Master Lu stared at her, speaking again: “Don’t remember me?”
Mind blank, Luo Lingyu immediately panicked, her soul shaken: “Never… never met before!”
Gasps were heard in the room, and all the cousin sisters eagerly watching Lu Yun turned to look at Luo Lingyu. Luo Lingyu’s reddened face showed traces of paleness as she stood frozen, various gazes scanning her from behind. Having just arrived, she had already caught Third Young Master Lu’s special attention; the cousin sisters were furiously enraged, practically wanting to devour this Luo lady.
At this moment, Old Madam Lu, who had been observing all along, laughed once, rescuing Luo Lingyu from her predicament: “Third Young Master has just returned home, how could he have met this cousin sister? Perhaps all beautiful people look similar… Come here to Grandmother, I heard from that girl Jinyue that you were injured this time, you child are truly reckless…”
…
Late that night, led by her new maid Lingyu given by Old Madam Lu, returned to “Snow Wutong Courtyard” where she was staying at the Lu mansion, stumbling step by step. After checking on her already sleeping sister, instructing maid Lingxi about some nighttime matters, reaching her bedroom, Luo Lingyu was covered in fragrant sweat, her long hair disheveled and damp.
Even disheveled, a beauty remains beautiful—eye corners reddened, lip rouge faded, long skirt trailing the ground, her silhouette ethereally elegant. However, Luo Lingyu stared blankly at the window, her appearance not too good. Old Madam’s gift maid Lingyu dared not look too much and went out to fetch water, bringing in a basin to help Miss Luo wash her face.
But when Lingyu returned, she unexpectedly saw Luo Lingyu sitting on the bed, opening her brought bundle. The bundle contained bottles, creams, square boxes, various unnamed items, and several changes of clothes. The lady gazed at her bundle, twisting her handkerchief, silently dropping tears drip by drip. Lingyu hurriedly put down the basin and came forward to check: “My lady, has the Lu family been inhospitable, has someone bullied you? Tomorrow this servant will take you to petition Old Madam!”
Luo Lingyu raised her misty long lashes, wet hair clinging to her cheeks, her face as if washed by water. Tears glisten, like delicate flowers reflected in water. The slender graceful lady cried until breathless, cried until even Lingyu, a mere woman, was moved… Luo Lingyu finally choked out: “Does Third Cousin Brother hate me…”
Lingyu finally relaxed: “Third Young Master? My lady overthinks, our Third Young Master didn’t mean to, he’s just…” Lingyu’s expression was complicated, thinking for a long while before concluding, “just different from others, rather proud. If he unintentionally offended my lady, please don’t think too much of it.”
“Nonsense. I saw all the cousin sisters looking at Third Cousin Brother, Third Cousin Brother’s manner… seemed very familiar with all the cousin sisters,” Luo Lingyu dejectedly shed tears, “he alone dislikes me.”
Lingyu smiled ambiguously: “That’s not it. All the young ladies want to be familiar with our Third Young Master, but our Third Young Master… usually doesn’t stay much at home. Perhaps because they rarely see him, that’s why they’re eager.”
“Oh?” Luo Lingyu asked at just the right moment, “Aren’t the other cousin brothers like this?”
The chili water she had applied to her handkerchief she now dared not touch, fearing too much crying would make her eyes swollen, unable to face people in the morning. Being poor, she and her sister had only one maid Lingxi. Old Madam Lu had sent this maid Lingyu, but not knowing the maid’s character, Luo Lingyu wouldn’t easily confide in her. But at least, she could inquire about the Lu family’s young lords’ situations from this maid.
Lingyu said—
“The Lu family’s current generation has few women and many men. Especially in our Old Marquis’s line, of legitimate young lords, there are only Second Young Master and Third Young Master. Old Madam feels lonely and loves having beautiful ladies come to stay at our home. But the First Madam dislikes it, fears Second Young Master’s nature might change, watches his study all day, and doesn’t let Second Young Master play with the cousin sisters. Only when it’s time to discuss marriage does First Madam start to worry…”
“Third Young Master is somewhat pitiful. After the Northern Defense General (Lu Yun’s father) passed, the Second Madam also followed in death from grief. Old Madam brought the Third Young Master back to Jianye, the vast Second Branch courtyard usually has only the Third Young Master living there. Perhaps sympathizing with Third Young Master’s circumstances, the family doesn’t much control him. Only know Third Young Master roams about playing and has good relationships with Jianye’s young lords. The Left Minister (Lu Xian’s father) wanted to arrange some official position at court for the Third Young Master, but the Third Young Master refused. Usually ladies like chasing after him, but our Third Young Master is of noble character, and pays attention to none of them.”
Lingyu lowered her head, gazing deeply at this newly arrived cousin sister: “Third Young Master specially paid attention to you tonight, you should be happy.”
Luo Lingyu’s autumn-water emotional eyes, and peach cheeks white as snow. With one light glance, Lingyu had spilled everything she knew. Forcibly suppressing her heart’s flutter when thinking of that person, Luo Lingyu began calculating in her heart—
Third Cousin Brother, hmm.
Both parents are dead, and all of the Second Branch’s property is alone. Though he seemed somewhat unrestrained, with her such beauty, hadn’t he also lost composure tonight? Noble family, an outstanding appearance, and no one controlling him… almost a perfect marriage prospect tailored for her.
Their second Cousin Brother Lu Xian was naturally better, his father was the Left Minister at court, and his mother was also from a great family, himself also ambitious, holding an official position at court. But with such a good family background, how could Luo Lingyu, a lady from a fallen scholarly family, even if hoping to marry up, even if moving to Second Cousin Brother, pass the hurdle of First Madam and the Left Minister…
As for the other branch family of young lords, Luo Lingyu looked down on them. She prided herself on her beauty, her aspirations extremely high; coming to Jianye seeking an advantageous marriage to save herself and her sister from their lonely fate, those slightly lesser young lords, unless necessary, she didn’t want to choose.
Luo Lingyu finally asked: “The cousin brothers must study at home?”
Lingyu’s eyes jumped, staring at this flower-moon beautiful cousin sister. Lightly, pulling at the corners of her mouth, she again smiled meaningfully: “…Yes.”
The Lu family’s Second Young Master’s official position was idle, usually not requiring court attendance. Being self-disciplined, he naturally studied at home; when Third Young Master was in his room, vaguely hearing something about “injured,” he probably couldn’t go out either, and would study at home; other young lords should be the same.
But Luo Lingyu looked up, puzzled, glancing at Lingyu, not understanding why Lingyu’s reaction was so subtle. Her heart jumped, wondering if Lingyu had seen through her thoughts. Her delicate beautiful shadow reflected in the window, Luo Lingyu became slightly melancholy.
…
The next morning, just as the sky was brightening, before Lingyu sleeping in the outer room on night watch had risen, Luo Lingyu quietly got up from behind the lacquered wooden screen in the inner room. She put on a pink-white narrow-sleeved dress, draped on a silver-red orchid-embroidered cape, and casually arranged her hair, still with several loose strands clinging to her face. Tiptoeing on the fragrant green mat, opening the door to put on shoes, Luo Lingyu held a thumb-sized silver bottle, heading out in the dim white daylight.
Gathering morning dew amidst fragrance would be a good opportunity to chance upon young lords.
Not being familiar with the Lu family courtyards, Luo Lingyu fumbled around before finding the path to the study. She stepped along the fragrant small path covered with flower petals, hiding among deep flowers and tree shadows, making her way through, until her skirt hem was stained with green fruit and grass bits, her long hair lightly brushing flower branches. In the fresh wind and dew, the emerald grove was planted with begonia, peach, and apricot flowers; Luo Lingyu held a flower bag in one hand and a silver bottle in the other, like a forest spirit.
She frequently looked toward the small path, waiting for Third Young Master Lu’s figure. This was the necessary route from the Second Branch to the study… While Luo Lingyu looked back searching for flower dew, in her carelessness, she was suddenly tripped by something nearby. With a cry, stumbling forward two steps, Luo Lingyu’s heart pounding as she looked back, and saw from behind a tree emerged a shy young lady.
Luo Lingyu looked carefully, asking in surprise: “Elder Sister Wang… what are you doing here?”
Miss Wang said: “Picking… picking flowers.”
Walking two more steps, Luo Lingyu focused on looking behind the tree, seeing another graceful figure step out: “…Younger Cousin Sister Han? Are you… are you also here to pick flowers?”
The Han lady nodded proudly, speaking to those behind: “Why hide? Sister Luo has come, sisters all come out.”
At once, from behind trees and bushes emerged nearly ten beautiful ladies, flowers swaying, faces lovely, all cousin sisters either staying at or visiting the Lu family. The cousin sisters seeing Luo Lingyu, some snorted, some pretended not to see, and some blushed: “Elder Sister (Younger Sister) Luo, are you also here waiting for Third Young Master?”
Luo Lingyu: “…”
She understood maid Lingyu’s subtle smile from last night: Third Young Master Lu truly attracted too much romance, even though the Lu family’s Second Young Master had better circumstances, but women love beauty, the Lu family’s cousin sisters preferred Third Young Master Lu Yun.
In early spring, delicate red flowers fell from branches, scattering on the green grass and lake water. The wind blew at clothes, dresses clinging and wrinkling, Luo Lingyu gripped the sachet in her hand, thinking: No, I’m different from them.
They only need to love Third Young Master Lu’s beauty.
I want to marry Third Young Master Lu for his circumstances.