Worried about overhearing something they shouldn’t have and possibly facing mortal danger, Prince Chen’s servants all dropped to their knees with a thud. They deeply regretted following Lu Sanlong to find Prince Chen, only to end up hearing the prince’s great secret. Liu Chu glanced at them, giving them a meaningful look. Prince Chen’s gaze was cold and distant, a flash of killing intent appearing and then quickly being suppressed… The crowd breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that as Prince Chen’s close servants, he would likely find a way to keep them quiet but probably wouldn’t kill them.
Seeing Prince Chen drag away Lu Sanlong, whose face had turned unsightly, the group of servants remained kneeling on the grass, worrying about their futures while trying to guess when Prince Chen had developed feelings for Lu Sanlong—it must have been a long time ago, right? The young master had known Lu Sanlong since childhood, and though he rarely spoke, hardly talking to anyone else, he would speak at length with Lu Sanlong alone. The two studied together practiced horsemanship and archery together, and even when the young master wasn’t favored by His Majesty, Lu Sanlong remained steadfastly supportive. The young master must have been deeply moved. Spending every day together, perhaps feelings naturally developed over time…
But Lu Sanlong had no such intentions.
…It was somewhat tragic.
Prince Chen Liu Chu dragged Lu Sanlong along the lake, while the bronze bells from the opposite shore gradually grew quieter. Green duckweed floated on the lake’s surface, with mist and willow catkins drifting toward the two young lords on the shore. Lu Yun was being pulled along somewhat reluctantly by Liu Chu, becoming increasingly unwilling to continue. Meanwhile, Liu Chu frowned, his eyes still occasionally glancing toward the opposite shore—though the crowd had shifted positions and Zhou Zibo’s figure was no longer visible. But knowing he was there, just one glance in that direction made Liu Chu’s heart pound violently, even without seeing him.
His face grew paler, further convincing himself that he was afflicted with an illness.
Though he wouldn’t speak much with others, Lu Sanlong wasn’t just anyone. Prince Chen Liu Chu, face pale, murmured: “I… I have feelings… for a man…”
“Slap!”
After enduring for a moment, when Liu Chu spoke such words again, Lu Yun could no longer bear the goosebumps on his body and suddenly slapped away Liu Chu’s grabbing hand. Lu Yun’s brows furrowed as he stepped back three paces, his expression even more remarkable. Among the upper-class nobles, some keeping male favorites was an open secret. Everyone knew about it, but those were merely playthings for entertainment, and such favorites had a status even lower than commoners… If Liu Chu had such a vice, Lu Yun could barely tolerate it; but if Liu Chu harbored such thoughts toward him… they had known each other for over ten years!
Often eating and sleeping together, lying close while talking through the night… if Liu Chu harbored unspeakable thoughts about him, what did that make him?!
Liu Chu trusted his good friend considerably. He kept his head lowered, and when Lu Yun slapped his hand away, he remained completely unfazed. Because he needed to hide his stutter in front of others, Liu Chu usually didn’t speak in public; only with Lu Yun would he stutter through complete sentences. At this moment, Liu Chu was still stuttering as he tried to express his meaning: “Xuchen if a man… were to confess to you. Would you… be disgusted?”
Lu Yun answered decisively: “Yes!”
Liu Chu froze: “…”
Seeing Lu Yun’s cold expression, Liu Chu stared in shock for a long while, the light in his eyes gradually dimming. Seeing him like this, Lu Sanlong took a deep breath. After thinking for a moment, Lu Yun walked back and sincerely tried to explain to Liu Chu: “Aman, you and I have known each other for many years, with deep friendship. I know you don’t favor women, perhaps because you’ve had no women around for many years, which has led you to misunderstand our relationship. I like women, truly… Aman, you must be too busy lately, must have spent too much time with me. In the future, it would be better if we see less of each other…”
Liu Chu: “…”
The more he listened, the more something felt off.
Liu Chu’s face darkened, though he also found it amusing: “Who said… it was you?!”
Lu Yun sighed: “Don’t struggle against it, there’s only me around you, with my looks, temperament, learning, and character…”
Liu Chu: “It’s Zhou Lang.”
Lu Yun: “…”
Lu Yun’s eyebrows raised ever so slightly, arching like flying birds, causing a young lady walking along the embankment from the opposite shore to slow her steps. The charm between the young lord’s brows when he raised them unconsciously gave off a flavor entirely different from other uniformed young lords. However, Lu Yun hadn’t noticed Luo Lingyu and Zhou Yangling beside her, as he was listening intently to Liu Chu’s self-analysis.
Liu Chu was stuttering and blushing: “Though he’s… frail, his heart is… valiant and open-minded. I-I-I like him very much, the more I… look, the more I love. I know it’s wrong, but I… Whenever Zhou Lang looks at me, whenever he smiles at me, I always… But your cousin’s sister gets along well with him!”
His eyes dimmed: “He… should like cousin Luo, right? He… he’s always taking care of your cousin’s sister…”
Catching the sight of Luo Lingyu slowly approaching with Zhou Yangling beside her, Lu Yun’s expression became peculiar. Zhou Yangling, disguised as a man, still appeared quite frail, looking pale as if unwell; beside her, Luo Lingyu’s clothes fluttered gracefully as she walked with elegant charm. As the two women approached, Lu Yun’s eyes showed both hesitation and an indescribable anticipation of entertainment—waiting for Liu Chu to continue speaking, simply letting Zhou Yangling’s female identity be exposed.
Liu Chu’s face had reddened with excitement: “Zhou-Zhou-Zhou Lang he…”
A low, smiling voice questioned from behind: “What about me, Young Master?”
Zhou Zibo!
Liu Chu’s throat seemed to be gripped tight, suddenly swallowing all his words. He saw Lu Yun’s regretful expression and secretly cursed this good friend who only knew how to watch the show instead of warning him. With the object of his affection approaching, Liu Chu’s face grew even redder. However, Prince Chen merely turned around calmly, looking at Luo Lingyu and Zhou Lang as they approached. He ceased speaking, coldly nodding to the two as a greeting.
Luo Lingyu seemed somewhat annoyed, saying to them: “Brother Xuchen, why does the Young Master always refuse to speak with us? We just heard you talking with him, but as soon as we arrived, he stopped speaking. Does the Young Master look down on us?”
Liu Chu smiled helplessly, shaking his head, and replied concisely: “Not at all.”
His eyelashes trembled as he lowered his gaze, somewhat evasively. His emotions were in turmoil, afraid to look at Zhou Lang, yet unable to resist stealing glances. Upon looking, he saw that Zhou Lang, whose face was white to the point of appearing haggard, had clear black eyes gazing back at him. Liu Chu panicked, and Zhou Yangling had already smiled: “Yes. We just heard the Young Master speaking. How were you speaking about me, Young Master, that you became so excited you even stuttered?”
As soon as the words were spoken, Liu Chu’s face turned deathly pale.
Liu Chu’s body tensed, his face stiffened, and the light in his eyes as he looked at Zhou Yangling darkened—yes, they didn’t know. Except for Lu Yun and his mother, even his sister Liu Tang didn’t know about his stutter. They thought his silence was just a habit, but such a defect…
Liu Chu’s face was pale, his hand clenched into a fist within his sleeve. In his youth, not favored by the royal family, his mother’s status as a criminal’s daughter had left him subject to bullying in the palace. His mother couldn’t protect him, his father ignored the situation, and as a child, he had no choice but to use tactics, borrowing the influence of noble families to protect himself. When young, due to both parents’ deaths, Lu Sanlong, who had just returned to Jianye, became his best target.
He successfully saved Lu Sanlong from drowning, gaining his friendship, and life in the palace finally improved. But to gain this friendship, through his self-directed performance, he developed a lifelong regret due to high fever—his stutter.
He not only loved a man, but he also stuttered.
Zhou Zibo… how could he dare to hope for him?
The Prince’s gaze dimmed as he ignored everyone, leaving Zhou Yangling and Luo Lingyu wondering what they had said to offend him. Lu Yun glanced at the three of them, avoiding the topic, and asked them: “Weren’t you at the tea competition? Did you see us and come over?”
Luo Lingyu: “No. The sun was a bit harsh, and Zhou Lang wasn’t feeling well, so I helped him to rest under the shade here. How would I know Brother Xuchen was here?”
The sun was harsh?
Lu Sanlong looked up, glancing at the gloomy sky. The clouds were thick and heavy, the sky gray and white—where was the sun? Zhou Yangling’s health seemed exceptionally poor… Yet at the moment, Lu Sanlong was pondering this, beside him, Prince Chen Liu Chu, who had just quieted down, suddenly raised his eyes to look at Zhou Yangling. Before Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu could react, the beautiful-faced Prince Chen had already stepped forward quickly, supporting Zhou Yangling, and condescended to speak: “You’re… not feeling well?”
Zhou Yangling was surprised: “…”
She smiled politely and gently: “I’ll be fine after a rest, it’s nothing serious…”
Liu Chu wouldn’t take no for an answer: “I’ll help you over there.”
Luo Lingyu was pushed aside as Liu Chu insisted on personally helping Zhou Yangling rest in the shade. Zhou Yangling thought for a moment, interpreting Liu Chu’s enthusiasm as this young master probably wanting to associate with someone from a humble background, understanding it as official social networking. Zhou Yangling naturally accepted Liu Chu’s help, nodding to Luo Lingyu before being led away by Liu Chu.
Luo Lingyu pouted unhappily: Prince Chen was such a grown man, yet he was competing with her for Zhou Lang!
But then Luo Lingyu had another thought and cheered up. One shore was a sea of shade, while the other was lined with buildings. The tea competition was happening beneath the pavilions on the opposite shore, surrounded by young men and women watching. From this shore, they could see them, but they couldn’t see this side. The young lords and ladies didn’t know Lu Sanlong was here, and if not for helping Zhou Lang come to rest, Luo Lingyu wouldn’t have seen her Brother Xuchen either—it wasn’t easy to see Lu Sanlong nowadays.
Luo Lingyu turned around, just about to show off her charm to Lu Yun when she saw him stepping away. He was indeed aloof, not sparing her a single glance. Luo Lingyu wanted to ask him for help with money matters, having her calculations: if she asked Lu Yun for money, with this third cousin’s sarcastic attitude, she might not have to repay him at all; asking others for money would be embarrassing, difficult to bring up, and she didn’t want anyone to know about her predicament… Therefore, taking advantage of Lu Yun was the most profitable option. Luo Lingyu chased after him, smiling brightly and asking: “Brother Xuchen, we haven’t seen each other for so long, yet you ignore me. You’ve just arrived and are leaving again, where are you going?”
Lu Yun: “Back to the office to review case files.”
Luo Lingyu instinctively followed his words: “That must be so tiring. You’re busy every day, working yourself to exhaustion, never taking a day off, I feel sorry for cousin…”
Lu Yun lowered his gaze, glancing at the beautiful face of the young lady following him, and casually teased her: “Then why don’t you do it for me, let me rest?”
Luo Lingyu’s flattering words got stuck: “Uh…”
In her heart, she cursed that Lu Xuchen was consistently difficult to please!
Luo Lingyu maintained her smile, her phoenix eyes still slanting upward, glancing at him with flowing light in her eyes, containing hidden affection and shyness. Luo Lingyu reproached him: “How can Brother Xuchen say such things! I heard from Sister Jinyue that there’s fighting at the border between the Southern and Northern countries, it’s all chaos, and the situation doesn’t seem too good. Brother Xuchen is busy with this every day, not even getting two hours of sleep. While those young lords are still having tea competitions… They can’t compare to Brother Xuchen at all. I especially admire Brother Xuchen…”
Lu Yun stopped walking, his lips curled in a smile, his eyes lowered to meet hers: “Your praise is making me sick.”
Luo Lingyu: “…”
Lu Yun reached out and hooked her chin once, his eyes flowing with waves: “Get to the point. I’m busy, don’t beat around the bush with me.”
Luo Lingyu: “I need money.”
Lu Yun: “What for?”
Luo Lingyu: “Nothing in particular. Just daily expenses. Eating, drinking, having fun…”
Lu Yun: “You live in the Lu family household, with food and lodging provided by the Lu family, and you even get a monthly allowance for pocket money. Which of these requires money? Moreover, I see you never lack fine silks and satins, what are you lacking?”
What she lacked was what other noble ladies had but she had to struggle to obtain.
Luo Lingyu was annoyed, thinking that the daily life Lu Yun spoke of meant staying in the Lu family home without going out to socialize. If she didn’t go out, was she waiting for a young lord to fall from the sky before her? She dared not pin all her hopes of finding a good husband on Lu Yun alone. Lu Yun was the most impervious young lord she’d ever met when it came to her sweet words and flattery. If she had to wait for Lu Yun to think of marrying her, who knew how many years that would take? Fortunately, Lu Yun was busy and couldn’t see what she did all day… In any case, all the social expenses required more than just one sold glass bracelet; she needed much, much more.
But she knew Lu Yun didn’t like her behaving this way.
So Luo Lingyu hemmed and hawed: “…I’m dependent on others, I only get along well with you…”
Lu Yun interrupted: “Enough, I have to go. If you need money, write me a letter stating how much you need and what it’s for. Write it clearly, then give it to Jinyue. I’ll look at it when I return.”
Luo Lingyu: …What?!
She would have to write him a detailed letter, telling him what she needed such a large sum for. Even after reading her letter, he might not give it to her… He might even humiliate her, scold her…
Luo Lingyu’s face reddened, naturally unwilling to be caught by Lu Yun. As she had thought, Lu Yun didn’t care about money, and if she were truly poor, he would give it to her. Asking him for money was indeed more acceptable to her than crying poverty in front of other Lu family members. But Lu Yun’s conditions were too harsh, and Luo Lingyu had a sense that she couldn’t meet them… Seeing Lu Yun about to leave again, they had almost exited the garden, and Luo Lingyu could already see the guards’ shadows swaying outside the garden gate as she followed him.
Once out of this garden, Lu Yun would go to the office, and there might be even less chance to ask him!
With countless thoughts racing through her mind, she decisively took a risky move. Luo Lingyu ran after him, quickly catching up to his long strides, and grabbed his wrist from behind. Lu Yun stopped, seeing his cousin suddenly move in front of him. She turned unsteadily, not being particularly good at physical movement, yet insisting on turning, suddenly becoming dizzy and losing her footing, spinning right into Lu Yun’s embrace.
Luo Lingyu: “Oh my!”
Lu Yun: “…”
With fragrant softness actively sent into his arms, Lu Yun looked up at the sky, holding back his laughter: After getting used to Luo Lingyu’s touches, he no longer wanted to push her away like other young ladies when she came close; but her occasional flirting with him was so purposeful that it made him both helpless and understanding, while also finding it somewhat cute.
Lu Yun looked down, his cool gaze meeting her bright eyes as she looked up at him from his embrace. Lu Yun teased: “What are you doing now?”
Luo Lingyu pressed on stubbornly: “Brother Xuchen, do I look pretty today?”
Spring willows flew in the wind, falling in clusters onto the lake. The deep and shallow green shade made it difficult for outsiders to see clearly. In the deep willow grove, the young lord stood with his hands behind his back, watching the young lady step back to let him see her entire figure. Lu Yun examined her; today she wore a begonia red small-sleeved shirt with an open collar, paired with a snow-white long skirt decorated with flowers at the hem. Luo Lingyu was already naturally beautiful, and wearing such an outfit while raising her eyebrows and smiling at him, how could she not be charming and alluring?
Lu Yun’s gaze deepened: “Naturally beautiful.”
Luo Lingyu guided him: “Don’t you think something’s missing?”
Lu Yun looked at her again, focusing mainly on her full breasts beneath the shirt. His throat feeling somewhat dry, his gaze flickered as he asked: “What’s missing?”
Luo Lingyu’s face was completely red because ever since Lu Yun had pointed it out to her, she knew that when he lowered his eyes, he was looking at that part of her. But to seduce him, today she didn’t shy away, only wishing he would be entranced by her beauty, so dazed that he would do whatever she asked. Luo Lingyu said coquettishly: “Missing some hairpins and ornaments. Brother Xuchen, don’t you think my appearance today is very simple, without any hairpins or decorations?”
Lu Yun: “…”
Simple?!
She called her alluring appearance “simple”? What misunderstanding did she have about “simple”? Did she know what “emerging from the mud without being stained” meant? That was a style nine heavens apart from hers!
Lu Yun said sincerely: “…I didn’t notice.”
When men look at women, it’s usually just the face, chest, waist, and legs. Lu Sanlong hadn’t noticed what hairpins she wore, what earrings, or what clothes. These all looked about the same to him, the differences weren’t as great as she thought.
Luo Lingyu glared at him: “…”
This person was really difficult to talk to!
However, Lu Yun was ultimately a person with keen senses. Though he couldn’t see where Luo Lingyu’s “simplicity” was, he understood what she was thinking. Touching his chin, Lu Yun laughed twice: “So what does sister Yuyu want me to do?”
Luo Lingyu was delighted, coquettishly coming over to hold his arm, like an obedient young wife coaxing him: “Nothing much…” Afraid that Lu Yun would immediately say “Then I’m leaving,” she quickly stated her request, “Brother Xuchen works all day, shouldn’t you rest occasionally? I want to go to the market to buy some things for ladies, and I need a gentleman’s eye. Why don’t you accompany me, Brother Xuchen, as a way to relax?”
Luo Lingyu reassured him: “If you don’t go, I’ll have to ask Second Cousin.”
Lu Yun’s face darkened for a moment.
Luo Lingyu added fuel to the fire: “Qi Sanlong would surely be willing to accompany me…”
“And Prince Hengyang…”
Lu Yun coldly stared at her for a long while, while she blinked back, looking completely innocent. Lu Yun said: “Let’s go.”
…
Lu Sanlong really took a half-day off, didn’t go to the office, and instead accompanied his cousin to buy things in the market. Luo Lingyu’s thoughts were very clear: if Lu Sanlong wouldn’t give her money directly, she would have to find an indirect solution. She could have Lu Sanlong buy her some expensive things, which she could then secretly sell for money… This was much better than his method of requiring her to write a detailed letter explaining the purpose.
One alley was full of gold, jade, and silver shops, and Luo Lingyu had been there with other young ladies from Jianye before. At that time, she could only afford to buy some inexpensive things to save face, but today, having brought Lu Sanlong along, Luo Lingyu was so happy that she had the shopkeeper bring out all the hairpins, rouge, and powder she had previously admired but couldn’t afford, trying them slowly. With her beauty, and a noble young lord accompanying her, the items in this street were prepared for noble ladies anyway, so with Luo Lingyu’s interest, the shopkeeper naturally received her enthusiastically, praising her—
“No rush, young lady, take your time trying. Try everything you like.”
“The young lord has great patience, would the young lord like to try our new powder too?”
Lu Yun flatly refused, only watching Luo Lingyu fuss about it. His eyes were serene as he steadily watched her excitedly extend her lotus-like arms, putting on a string of beautiful bracelets that clinked melodiously when she shook them. She was gorgeously adorned, like a peacock circulating among the various shops, selecting items she liked. She was born to wear such finery, beautiful objects should rightfully accompany beauty. Gold and jade complemented beauty, Lu Yun admitted, and she seemed even more eye-catching.
Beautiful almost to the point of glowing.
After selecting many items, Luo Lingyu shook her wrist, showing him the long string of jade bracelets on her hand. The young lady turned her head, smiling sweetly at Lu Sanlong, who had been only watching without speaking: “Brother Xuchen, does it look good?”
Lu Yun: “…Mm.”
Satisfied, the young lady waved her hand, wanting to buy all the expensive items she had picked out. When it came time to pay, the shopkeeper instinctively looked at Lu Yun. Lu Yun didn’t move, glancing at Luo Lingyu. Luo Lingyu pretended to reach for her money pouch, then put on a distressed face, turning back: “Brother Xuchen, I seem to have forgotten to bring money. Could you pay for me first?”
Lu Sanlong glanced at her, understanding in his eyes, and smiled: “Sister Yuyu knows, I don’t carry money when I go out.”
Luo Lingyu’s face froze.
Lu Sanlong smiled carelessly, not rushing, nodding to the shopkeeper: “Put it on credit, sister Yuyu will come to pay later…”
Luo Lingyu: “…?!”
What? Credit? And she would have to pay it back slowly later?!
This man… was so annoying!
Luo Lingyu couldn’t keep up the act anymore, flung her hand away, and pulled a long face. She knew full well Lu Yun was playing with her, extremely angry inside, and simply ignored him, turning to leave. Regardless of how this show would end behind her. Lu Yun hadn’t even teased her for long before she stormed off, so he had to say a few words to the shopkeeper. Lu Sanlong indeed didn’t carry money when he went out, he had no money to pay, but he had his identity as Lu Sanlong. After saying a word to the shopkeeper to have the items sent back to the Lu residence, Lu Yun rushed out to chase after Luo Lingyu.
Stopping the young lady at the entrance, Lu Sanlong held her hand, saying softly: “Already unhappy? You’re allowed to scheme against me, but I’m not allowed to scheme against you?”
Luo Lingyu twisted her body, upset and somewhat guilty inside.
Lu Yun held her waist once, bent down, looked at the misty water in her eyes, and sighed inwardly. Wiping her eyelashes with his finger, Lu Yun said gently: “Alright, don’t cry. What’s so good about gold and silver, want me to give you glass instead?”
Glass! That was so precious!
Luo Lingyu immediately broke into a smile through her tears, hooking his sleeve: “Yes, I do.”
Lu Yun felt complicated: …She’s too honest.
Afraid of making Luo Lingyu cry again, for the rest of the time, Lu Yun hardly dared to tease her. He led her through the streets and alleys, bringing her to his glass shop. This glass shop of Lu Sanlong’s, because the technology hadn’t yet satisfied him, wasn’t open to the public. Leading his cousin in, he let Luo Lingyu choose freely. Luo Lingyu was immediately attracted by the brilliant glass light, letting go of Lu Yun’s hand…
Just as Lu Yun was about to follow her, he was stopped by his manager: “Young Master, you’ve come? It’s been so long since you visited, this old servant has missed you. This servant has something to report to the young master. Some time ago, our shop received a glass bracelet. The craftsmanship seems the same as the one the young master took away.”
The old manager worried: “Didn’t the young master say the South currently doesn’t have glass technology? How could someone have something identical to our glass shop’s work?”
The same glass bracelet? How could that be?
Instinctively, Lu Yun’s gaze jumped, glancing at Luo Lingyu over there. He had an almost instinctive feeling that made him unconsciously look at her. Luo Lingyu was completely unaware, raising her face to smile at him, looking as beautiful as pear blossoms reflected in the water. Lu Yun moved his gaze away, hiding his heartbeat, speaking softly to the old manager with a calm face: “Show me.”
A quarter-hour later, Lu Yun held that string of glass bracelets, his eyes deep, listening to the old manager explain how he had acquired these bracelets… The old manager went on and on, seeing their young master Lu Yun’s face growing darker and darker, with the momentum of thunder about to strike.
Not waiting for the manager to finish, Lu Yun gave a cold laugh, his fingers trembling as he gripped the glass bracelet he had once given away, going to find that young lady who was circulating among various glass pieces next door, too busy choosing to look up!