“Since Sister Luo is here as well, why don’t we go visit San Lang together?” suggested the young lady surnamed Wang among the cousins. “I heard from the Elder Madam that San Lang was injured somehow. It’s worrying.”

The group of young ladies, already stirred by attraction, became excited at this suggestion. One by one, they agreed. The cousins either lowered their heads or smiled, some shy and others bold. They thought that since they rarely saw Lu San Lang and he didn’t usually socialize with them, surely he wouldn’t refuse to see so many cousins coming to visit him while injured. The young ladies linked arms and left Hualin together, walking along the moss-covered path. After a while, they noticed someone was missing. Looking back, they saw Luo Lingyu standing still, not following.

Luo Lingyu gave a slight bow. The wind blew from behind, moving her hair ribbon from behind her cape to the front. Having not carefully done her makeup before going out, Luo Lingyu’s long hair was slightly disheveled, her cheeks rosy. Standing before trees of varying shades of green and red, she appeared as radiant as the thousand blooming flowers behind her. The ladies were stunned by the sight as she smiled sweetly: “I won’t go. I didn’t come to see Third Cousin.”

She spoke with genuine sincerity: “I came to collect flower dew.”

After their initial shock, seeing her brilliantly disheveled appearance, the ladies felt a surge of shame and annoyance, as if their intentions had been exposed and she was mocking them. “Are you saying we’re shameless and only know how to pester Cousin Yun? If you didn’t come for San Lang, why collect flower dew here specifically? If not for San Lang, perhaps it’s for Er Lang?”

Under the ladies’ accusations, Luo Lingyu showed no fear: “Second Cousin is proper and reserved, while Third Cousin is graceful and refined. Each has its own merits, but I’m new here and not very familiar with them. However, I don’t recommend sisters visiting like this—San Lang often plays outside, where there are many banquets, gambling houses, and women. What hasn’t San Lang seen or experienced? It might not be easy for sisters to win his favor this way.”

Hearing this, the ladies calmed down and took her words to heart, hesitantly discussing— “When you put it that way, it makes sense.”

“There are so many ladies who admire San Lang…”

The rest of their words became indistinct as Luo Lingyu bowed slightly and turned to leave. By now the sky had brightened, and the mist in the forest was gradually dispersing. The group watched dazedly as the departing lady’s figure was graceful, her walking posture elegant and flowing, her bearing refined, long clothes seeming to float… After some time, someone sighed softly, and all the young ladies felt a faint melancholy settle in their hearts.

After leaving the cousins’ sight, Luo Lingyu quickened her pace while carrying her flower basket. She went deeper into the flower grove, stepping on fallen petals and leaves, but had no mind to collect dew. She guessed she had gone deep enough that those ladies couldn’t see her anymore. Luo Lingyu stopped, circled behind a century-old tree, and carefully peered back in the direction she came from. No one had followed; they were still gathered together chattering away. Luo Lingyu patted her chest and showed a self-satisfied smile—

She didn’t rush to “accidentally encounter” him, simply because she felt going in a crowd wouldn’t highlight her uniqueness; but she also couldn’t accept the other ladies going to see Lu San Lang. Yet what she said wasn’t wrong—if Lu San Lang cared for these cousin sisters, he would have shown it long ago.

Luo Lingyu felt relieved and turned around, planning to find a way to circle back to her courtyard, hopefully without being discovered by Lingyu, the maid sent by Elder Madam. However, when she turned around and saw the person behind her, she sharply drew in a breath.

Under the luxuriantly blooming peach tree, peach and apricot petals scattered in the air. Below the tree was a round stone table with four small stools. A pot of tea and a small teacup were set on the table. The teacup was held in a jade-like slender hand with proportionate bones and clean joints. Its owner sat at the stone table, his eyelashes could trim the sun’s shadow. Beneath those lashes, he looked at her with an expression of amusement bordering on disdain…

Luo Lingyu stood dumbfounded: “…”

“This servant Jingyue greets Young Miss.” The gentle-as-water greeting brought Luo Lingyu back to her senses. Looking over, she finally noticed a slender-waisted maid in green clothing with almond eyes and fair skin standing behind Lu Yun. After preparing tea for her master, this maid smiled and greeted Luo Lingyu. Her bearing was quite refined, clearly Lu San Lang’s maid.

Such a beautiful personal maid… yet Luo Lingyu hadn’t noticed her at first glance, all because Lu San Lang was too dazzling. Sitting there, he was like a jade tree in the wind, brilliant and radiant, overshadowing everyone around him. Standing next to him, others could only feel inferior.

Luo Lingyu suppressed her flustered heart, quickly curtsied, and said in a soft voice: “Third Cousin.”

Lu Yun responded flatly: “Mm.”

Luo Lingyu: “…”

Usually surrounded by men’s admiring gazes, with just a charming smile she could summon mountains of gold and silver. Never had there been a day when Luo Lingyu greeted a man, and he sat properly, didn’t even look at her properly, and casually, dismissively gave her just an “mm.”

Luo Lingyu tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and adjusted her clothes. Despite Lu San Lang’s cold response, she didn’t blush and retreat. She took two steps forward and continued speaking softly: “Cousin, I came to collect flower dew. I didn’t know you were here… What is Cousin doing here?”

Lu San Lang’s gaze slowly turned to her face.

Like a delicate flower reflected in water, her beauty was exceptional, standing beneath the flowering trees, refreshingly lovely.

Lu San Lang’s pupils were dark: “Guess.”

Luo Lingyu’s memory instantly returned to last night’s awful first meeting—Lu San Lang’s “guess” successfully disgusted her.

Luo Lingyu could barely maintain her smile: “Is Third Cousin here to appreciate the flowers?”

Lu San Lang’s eyes showed surprise as he stared at her up and down. Luo Lingyu’s heart skipped a beat, then heard him say maliciously: “Guess again.”

Luo Lingyu: “…!!!”

A light laugh came from the side as Jingyue stepped forward, kindly helping the young miss out of her predicament: “Don’t mind him, Miss. Our young master likes to joke. Young Master took leave from the academy and saw the young ladies talking up ahead on his way back. Not wanting to go over, we stayed here to wait… Unexpectedly Miss came here, it must be fate bringing us together. Miss, please sit and have tea with our Young Master.”

However, Lu Yun’s coldness made the tea difficult to drink. After a few more brief exchanges where Lu Yun remained lukewarm, Luo Lingyu couldn’t find words to say and could only stand awkwardly. Just then a gust of wind blew, sending flower petals and tender buds flying like snowflakes, showering the people under the tree. The wind blew at her clothes, cold air entering her collar, and involuntarily, Luo Lingyu shivered slightly and covered her nose as she sneezed. In the quiet forest, her sneeze was extremely loud, and when Lu San Lang looked over, embarrassment and awkwardness instantly flooded her face, her blood seeming to slip, making her face crimson. Luo Lingyu lowered her head and called out pitifully, helplessly: “Cousin…”

Her voice was hoarse and soft, like a kitten’s purr, or like feathers lightly brushing one’s heartstrings. Combined with her disheveled hair and clothes, moist pitiful eyes, and devastatingly beautiful face…

Lu San Lang raised an eyebrow and slammed his teacup down on the table, almost throwing it: this cousin was…

As San Lang’s maid, Jingyue best understood Lu Yun’s subtle emotional changes. With just Lu San Lang’s raised eyebrow, Jingyue stepped forward and caringly showed goodwill to the young miss: “The wind is strong in the forest. Young Miss came to collect dew and is lightly dressed—it wouldn’t be good to catch a cold. Perhaps Young Miss should return?”

Luo Lingyu gave a weak “mm” and cast a watery phoenix-eyed glance: “I’m new here and don’t know the way well. Could Cousin escort me back?”

Jingyue: “…”

Jingyue sighed inwardly and was about to tactfully refuse when she saw Lu Yun turn his face to stare at Luo Lingyu for a while, his eyes showing some ripples of emotion. Lu Yun seemed to suddenly remember something and nodded: “Just escorting cousin back, that’s fine.”

Jingyue looked at Lu Yun in surprise: had Third Young Master taken the wrong medicine?

But Lu Yun stood up, like a jade mountain about to move, white water supporting the wind, how elegant and dignified he was. Except for the cold expression between his brows. After standing, leaving the tea set temporarily on the table, Lu Yun clasped his hands behind his back and truly intended to personally escort Luo Lingyu back. After a moment of surprise, Luo Lingyu hurried to follow. Jingyue followed the two unhurriedly, maintaining a distance of five steps.

At one end of the grove were the enthusiastically discussing cousin sisters. Lu Yun turned his back and chose another direction. His steps were unhurried, exactly at a pace Luo Lingyu could keep up with. Past Hualin, over the stone bridge, through the covered walkway. Luo Lingyu stared at the elegant and graceful long robe of the young master before her, her heart stirred, and she quickened her steps. Not only did she catch up to Lu Yun’s pace, she walked even further, getting one step ahead of Lu Yun.

Lu Yun’s footsteps slowed slightly, his casual gaze falling on the lady who had run one step ahead of him.

Always one step apart.

From Lu Yun’s angle, he could see her slender jade neck, the full curve of her chest, her delicate waist, and just the tip of her shoe beneath her skirt hem. The cape dragged on the ground as Luo Lingyu tucked her facial hair behind her ear. Lu Yun’s gaze didn’t move, seeing her jade-like profile, her thick long eyelashes like wings, her deep black eyes like water. Sensing the young master’s direct gaze, Luo Lingyu’s face grew even redder, completely flushed…

She knew Lu Yun was watching her. In the morning light, she knew what her greatest asset was, so she walked in front of Lu Yun, fully displaying her beauty. Like ripples on a lake, she gradually tried to stir his iron heart…

Lu Yun’s eyes darkened as he suddenly remembered the oar striking the water the night before yesterday. Luo Lingyu was completely different then, covering her face with her sleeve, fully displaying her disgust for him in her body language. She pitifully begged him to jump into the water, cold, with the attitude that if he didn’t jump, she would force him by other means. Seeing death without helping, cold-blooded and heartless. The young man on the boat stared intently at her profile, remembering her…

The figure in his memory overlapped with the figure before him, and Lu San Lang laughed coldly in his heart three times: such a two-faced cousin.

While Luo Lingyu remained unaware, she heard the Third Young Master behind her throw out a cold comment: “Your makeup is smeared. The lip rouge has gotten all over your face.”