Luo Lingyu had just learned that this glass shop belonged to Lu Sanlong.

Glass beads, glass cups, glass goblets, glass vases with narrow mouths, glass pendants… everything imaginable. Since it wasn’t open to the public, these glass items were merely sorted and displayed rather than stored away, allowing Luo Lingyu to browse until her eyes were dazzled, liking them more and more as she looked. She held a glass pendant up to her eyes to examine it, her clear bright pupils reflecting in the five-colored light, brilliant and radiant. The pendant was still somewhat cloudy from polishing, the glass not as clear as those usually seen from the Western Regions… This quality of glasswork reminded Luo Lingyu of the glass bracelet that Lu Sanlong had once given her.

So the bracelet he had given her wasn’t really from the Western Regions, but an unfinished product from his workshop… Luo Lingyu was clever; one look at this shop and she realized that if glass could be mass-produced, Lu Sanlong would not only gain wealth but would also have a say in the flow of goods between countries… It was truly enviable.

“How’s sister Yuyu’s selection coming along?” The neither warm nor cold male voice from behind startled the young lady examining the pendant in her hands, making her tremble.

Clutching her suddenly racing heart, Luo Lingyu turned around to find, sure enough, Lu Yun. Lu Yun’s expression was cold, his eyelids lowered as he stood silently behind her, appearing like a ghost suddenly materializing, inspiring resentment despite his outstanding appearance. Luo Lingyu was annoyed with him: “You scared me to death… but Brother Xuchen, all your glass items are very beautiful, I like them all. I need to choose slowly.”

Lu Yun said flatly: “Go ahead.”

Luo Lingyu gave him a strange look.

Usually when Lu Sanlong spoke with her, there was always an element of teasing, either showing disgust or flirting with her. Now he was being so proper, just like the aloof and noble Lu Sanlong that others saw. His attitude toward her was the same as toward ordinary young ladies, making Luo Lingyu feel somewhat blocked and uncomfortable. She had just cried in front of Lu Sanlong, suspecting he didn’t like her crying, but with him being so cold, she didn’t know what to say… Luo Lingyu awkwardly turned her face away, lowering her head to continue selecting glass items.

Yet standing slightly behind her, Lu Yun said quietly: “Does sister Yuyu still remember the bracelet I gave you?”

Luo Lingyu: “…!”

Her heart stabbed sharply, trying to keep her breathing steady, Luo Lingyu maintained her composure with a smile: “Of course I remember. The bracelet Brother Xuchen gave me was also from here, right? I love it very much.”

Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, spots of light floating about. Standing in the corner by the wall, half the young lord’s face was illuminated by sunlight, divided by his high straight nose, one half in light, one half in shadow. His lips curved into an extremely sarcastic smile, his hands behind his back, the glass bracelet he had retrieved from the old manager hidden in his wide sleeve pocket. He had already determined certain facts in his mind, but he deliberately wanted to hear how Luo Lingyu would explain—to see how this quick-witted cousin would spin it!

Lu Yun said coldly: “If you like it so much, how come I’ve never seen you wear it?”

Luo Lingyu retorted: “Of course, it’s because I like it that I can’t bear to wear it!”

She quickly turned around, giving him a reproachful look: “Brother Xuchen, why do you keep mentioning that bracelet? You’ve already given it to me, surely you don’t want it back? I’m choosing glass items, and instead of helping me choose, you keep interrupting me, that’s too much.”

Lu Yun stood in the shadow by the wall, watching her with quiet eyes.

Meeting Lu Yun’s gaze, Luo Lingyu’s heart skipped a beat, her fingers trembling as they caressed the beloved glass items. His eyes were very calm, but she instinctively sensed—he was angry.

A gentleman’s demeanor never shows anger in his expression. Lu Sanlong was a contemporary scholar, his every word and action was watched and emulated by countless people. Born into a noble family with excellent education and upbringing, even when angry, Lu Sanlong wouldn’t lose his composure in public. Yet his eyes, cold as ice picks, stared steadily at Luo Lingyu.

Lu Yun: “Bring out that bracelet and let me see it.”

Luo Lingyu’s chest tightened: “…”

Abnormal behavior indicates something amiss.

She was annoyed: “What are you doing? I didn’t wear that bracelet out today, you gave it to me so it’s mine, you surely don’t want it back?”

Lu Yun continued staring at her: “Let me see where the bracelet I gave you is. It was the best-crafted piece here, I valued it extremely highly. Let me see it, and you can choose any three items from here.”

Luo Lingyu uneasily put down the glass piece in her hand. She had an intuition, but she didn’t want to believe it. Her heart was racing, her palms quickly becoming sweaty. She raised her face as if suddenly thinking of something to change the subject: “How could I casually take Brother Xuchen’s things? Brother Xuchen, we’re not that close… I’m just looking at these glass items, I won’t take them for nothing.”

Lu Yun gazed at her.

She tried to maintain eye contact without flinching.

His gaze was intense; the longer he looked at her, the more sweat formed on her back. Neither spoke, both somewhat stubbornly holding their ground. By now, they had both sensed and concluded something, yet neither was willing to admit it. After a while, seeing Lu Yun’s lips curve in a smile, he spoke again: “Luo Lingyu, we can take our time. Today I must see that glass bracelet. You know what kind of person I am, sweet talk won’t work on me, nor will jokes and banter.”

Luo Lingyu angrily: “I told you I didn’t wear it out! I left it at home!”

Lu Yun raised his voice: “Then let’s go back and look!”

His voice suddenly elevated, his concealed anger no longer hidden. The young lord’s darkened face and scolding manner were truly frightening. Although his robes didn’t flutter and his feet didn’t move, though he hadn’t touched Luo Lingyu with a single finger, she was so frightened she stepped back several paces. As for Lu Yun, Luo Lingyu had disappointed him utterly, as she still wouldn’t tell him the truth even now.

She was still lying to him, even now!

She could tell such brazen lies to his face, so what had she done when he couldn’t see? Had she played him for a fool, watching him become entranced by beauty multiple times, was she very pleased with herself?

Luo Lingyu finally couldn’t resist Lu Yun any longer.

The young lady lowered her eyes: “That bracelet… I lost it.”

Lu Yun said coldly: “Then let’s slowly complete this story of how you lost the bracelet.” He stepped forward, and though Luo Lingyu backed away, he still blocked her retreat. She trembled, afraid to move, worried he might suddenly strike her… Lu Yun merely looked down, mocking: “It’s alright, Luo Lingyu. Keep stalling. I have a whole day to spend with you.”

“We’ll go back to the Lu residence now, to your ‘Snow Trace Courtyard,’ and call all your maids involved in this matter. Let’s clear up this story properly. We’ll take a carriage now, you have the whole journey to think about how to make up this story for me.”

He was as ruthless now as he had been intimate when joking with her before. Though tears were already welling in Luo Lingyu’s eyes, he seemed not to notice—only now did Luo Lingyu recognize Lu Sanlong’s true face.

When his heart turned cold, he could be this cruel.

Trying to fool him, trying to win his sympathy and make him overlook this was almost impossible.

Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu returned to the Lu residence together. Sitting in the ox cart, Luo Lingyu still wouldn’t give up, trying to construct as complete a story as possible. But as she secretly observed the cold expression of the young lord sitting in the same cart, her mind became increasingly chaotic, heavy, and unable to think clearly. Luo Lingyu bit her lip, also stubborn, unwilling to admit her mistake at this point.

Until they reached the “Snow Trace Courtyard.”

They even encountered Second Young Master Lu Xian on the way.

When Luo Lingyu reluctantly led Lu Yun back to her courtyard, she was truly delighted to unexpectedly see the Second Young Master. With the Second Young Master present, couldn’t he persuade Lu Sanlong to leave? Surely Lu Xuchen would listen to his brother? But just as Luo Lingyu was about to greet Lu Xian, from afar, Lu Xian saw the two of them and froze. Lu Xian’s face showed a kindly smile that said “I didn’t see anything,” and he hurriedly left with his servants, avoiding the approaching Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu.

Luo Lingyu despaired of him: “…”

After the two had passed, Lu Xian was still filled with joy: sure enough, without Prince Hengyang, his third brother and cousin’s relationship was progressing rapidly. In just a few months, under the dim sky, his third brother could be invited along to his cousin’s “Snow Trace Courtyard” at night. With such an intimate relationship, that “long love letter on short paper” from his dream, with each on opposite sides, would surely never happen now.

Lu Xian was full of fighting spirit, feeling his strategy was correct. He should indeed talk more with Prince Hengyang, firstly to ensure the prince had no energy to win his cousin’s favor, and secondly to make the prince realize the power of the noble families, as this was not a good time for both sides to fall out.

…

The door closed, and before the reckoning, Luo Yunhua was led by a maid to sleep. In the main room, Lu Yun sat down, with Luo Lingyu following. Under several copper lamps, all of Luo Lingyu’s collected items were brought out. Paintings, jade pendants, sachets, and silks were strewn about the floor, but of course, with Luo Lingyu’s pretense, the bracelet couldn’t be found.

Lu Yun just remained silent, coldly watching her.

Lu Yun turned to look at the trembling maids: “When cousin came from Nanyang, unfamiliar with the place and people, Grandmother took pity on her and sent you to serve her. Your lady says she lost something, but you know nothing when asked, I suspect one of you maids has stolen while in service.”

“Keeping maids who steal while serving to attend cousin is ultimately inappropriate, but releasing you might just fulfill your wishes. Let’s just beat you to death.”

His casual mention of “beating to death” caused all the maids being questioned in the room to fall to their knees with thuds, one after another, crying and begging “Third Young Master, spare us.” Luo Lingyu sat below him, wringing her hands, her face pale. Seeing his iron-faced impartiality now, she was already extremely terrified.

Lu Yun looked at Lingyu, the personal maid kneeling at the front: “And you, as the personal maid, beating to death is not enough punishment. Tomorrow, bring your parents here…”

“Lu Xuchen, that’s enough!” Luo Lingyu could watch no more and suddenly stood up, “This is my courtyard, they are the maids the Old Madam sent to serve me. Rewards and punishments should be decided by me! Although you are the Lu family’s third son, in my territory, you should give me some face, shouldn’t you?”

Lu Yun smiled slightly: “Then please, cousin, order them to be killed.”

He said: “Cousin is ruthless enough, such an order should be easy for you to give.”

Luo Lingyu trembled with anger at his words: “What do you mean ‘should be easy for me’? How contemptible do you think I am in your heart, how little do you think I value human life? Is it because of what I did to you that day? Because of that one thing, you’ll think I’m a villain no matter what I do afterward?”

“I came to this strange place with my sister to seek refuge with relatives, and these relatives are just an aunt with no blood relation to me. I didn’t know if she would value me, or how the Lu family would treat me! With an uncertain future, was I obligated to help you? My future was already dim, why did I have to protect one more person?”

“It wasn’t my fault!”

“Why do you refuse to trust me ever since that one incident?”

Luo Lingyu spoke until tears fell, teardrops gathering in her eyes like the tears of Xiang bamboo. The maids kneeling on the ground couldn’t understand what the two were talking about, but at least they knew that the Third Young Master had known the young miss before she came to the Lu family, that they had some grievances, and because of those grievances, he was prejudiced against her.

The maids’ hearts ached upon hearing their lady’s choked sobs.

Lu Yun didn’t raise his eyelids: “Half truth, half lies. Even now you’re still performing, arousing sympathy, as if I’m the villain forcing you.”

Luo Lingyu glared at him hatefully, tears still on her cheeks, her face drained of color: this was truly the first time she had encountered someone like Lu Yun, who was impervious to both soft and hard approaches. All her methods of self-preservation—other young lords would soften at seeing her cry like this—only Lu Yun… only Lu Yun!

Lu Yun said concisely: “The bracelet.”

Luo Lingyu’s shoulders slumped, her lips bitten blood-red. She deeply resented Lu Yun for not giving her face, but she truly felt that no more tactics would work on him. Seeing the maids about to be dragged out for beating, each looking at her with tear-filled eyes… Luo Lingyu closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her attitude had finally yielded: “I sold it.”

Lu Yun’s lowered eyelids twitched slightly as he raised his eyes to look at her.

She must have extremely hated and resented him; with her back to the maids, relying on others not being able to see, she unleashed her disgust for him without restraint. He showed her no mercy, forcing her to tell the truth, exposing her true face. Her facade crumbled bit by bit under his gaze, her mask shattered by him. Now she was both extremely annoyed by and afraid of this person. She thought herself truly blind before—how could she have thought marrying Lu Yun would be a good thing?

Luo Lingyu said softly: “All of you go out, I have words for Third Cousin.”

The maids spared from death, closed the door and filed out. Maid Lingyu looked at her anxiously, seeing the tense atmosphere between Luo Lingyu and Lu Yun, and gave Luo Lingyu a meaningful look: Young Miss, do you need me to find your aunt to help you?

Luo Lingyu shook her head slightly.

With the door closed, Luo Lingyu sat down, dispirited. She took out an account book, showing Lu Yun her daily expenses. Luo Lingyu said coldly: “I’m vain and materialistic, despising poverty and loving wealth. I indeed can’t bear living a life inferior to other noble ladies, I just have to keep up appearances. Whatever others have, I must have too.”

“Things men give me aren’t important. I’ll sell anything I can. Don’t feel wronged that I sold your bracelet, if other young lords’ things were in my hands, I would sell them too.”

Lu Yun’s heart was stabbed, his face stiffening somewhat. His eyes lowered to look at the painting scrolls, jade pendants, and other items scattered on the ground by Luo Lingyu’s skirt hem.

Luo Lingyu followed his gaze: “That jade pendant is Prince Hengyang’s. The reason I haven’t sold it yet, as you might guess, is that I think keeping this pendant might help continue a relationship with Prince Hengyang in the future. Besides, it’s a prince’s pendant, even if someone bought it, it would cause trouble, it’s simply not easy to sell.”

“The two paintings by the Plum-Seeking Recluse, I’m not selling them now, waiting for them to become more valuable before selling.”

“Oh, this is the tea Qi Sanlong gave me. His self-dried tea tastes ordinary to me, but I told him ‘I love it.’ I couldn’t sell such poor quality tea… otherwise, I would have sold it too.”

“And what Second Cousin gave me…”

Lu Yun stood up with a bang, kicking away the small table in front of him.

He shouted angrily: “Enough!”

He trembled, his jade-white face flushed red with anger: “You don’t need to deliberately say these things to provoke me… you don’t need to tell me about your affairs with other young lords! Whether you’re in love or hate with them has nothing to do with me, I don’t want to hear these things! You…”

His anger made his movements large. As his sleeve swung out, something suddenly fell from it with a clinking sound. Luo Lingyu and Lu Yun both looked over to see a string of glass bracelets lying quietly on the felt carpet. The bracelet stood up and rolled several times, its light flowing and scattering—wasn’t it exactly the one Lu Yun had given to Luo Lingyu?

At this moment, everything became clear.

Luo Lingyu lowered her eyes, her expression cold between her brows, she laughed coolly: “I wondered why you brought up this bracelet for no reason. So you knew what had happened from the start, yet deliberately watched me dance like a clown, playing me for a fool. Are you very pleased, Cousin? Do you enjoy watching me act clever while being completely stupid?”

The cold and ruthless nature of the fourteen-year-old young lady could be glimpsed from this.

Lu Yun stepped back twice: “Luo Lingyu!”

His emotions surged greatly, his hand trembling as he pointed at her, veins bulging on his forehead, his face almost twisted with extreme anger. Seeing Jianye’s famous jade young lord so angered, the elegantly seated young lady’s heart only trembled slightly, yet she still maintained a hard attitude, raising her face, not yielding at all.

When she became stubborn, she never admitted defeat…

Lu Yun stopped speaking with her, bending down to pick up the bracelet thrown on the ground. Luo Lingyu sat quietly watching, motionless. Lu Yun then went to retrieve his previous gifts from among her pile of items scattered on the ground. Previously, when Luo Lingyu was currying favor with the entire Lu family, she had given him countless things, and he had returned many small gifts. Now they were all here, Lu Sanlong crouched on the ground picking up his old possessions, his tone cold: “After I return, I’ll send your things back to you. You have no objection, right?”

Luo Lingyu’s shoulders stiffened, her eyes growing moist, almost crying again.

She held back her tears, but her words were defiant: “Better to return them. I don’t want to exchange things with you anymore, who knows when you’ll come to inspect again!”

Lu Yun’s hand touched a painting scroll on the ground, his fingers pausing. There were three paintings in total, two had been given to Luo Lingyu through him, and one… he carefully discerned, was his painting from his youth, which should have been given to his second brother. He didn’t know how a painting given to his second brother had found its way to Luo Lingyu.

Just at the moment, Lu Yun was pondering, Luo Lingyu saw him staring at the “Plum-Seeking Recluse” paintings, suspecting he wanted to take these paintings too. She couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe he could be so cruel as to take away even her cherished possessions. Luo Lingyu rushed over, snatching her three paintings from his arms: “These are mine! You can’t have them!”

Lu Yun: “My paintings…”

Luo Lingyu: “They’re mine! Take other things, take Prince Hengyang’s jade pendant, Qi Sanlong’s tea, Second Cousin’s flowers… take them, take them all! But the Plum-Seeking Recluse’s paintings are mine, you can’t take them away!”

Having fallen out with him, she completely disregarded her image. When Lu Yun struggled with her for the paintings, refusing to let go, she lowered her head and mercilessly bit his wrist. Her teeth were sharp, and if Lu Yun hadn’t dodged quickly, she would have bitten a piece of flesh from him. Lu Yun’s eyes brightened with anger, while Luo Lingyu raised her head, her long hair slightly disheveled against her face.

Lu Yun laughed angrily: “What would I want with Prince Hengyang’s jade pendant? What would I want with Qi Sanlong’s tea leaves?”

Luo Lingyu: “Do whatever you want with them, but I’m not returning the paintings.”

The two of them were like dividing family property, messily determining what belonged to whom. At this point, when Lu Yun was taking back his things, Luo Lingyu sadly discovered: that in just the few months she had been at the Lu residence, she had accumulated so many things she never even looked at. Not given in private, all were gifts properly exchanged in public. The ones that seemed most private were those from Lu Yun.

But now he was taking them back too.

Lu Yun, with a cold face, and arms full of items, left the room. As he descended the steps, Lu Sanlong’s heart alternated between cold and hot, his spirits low, feeling everything utterly meaningless. His mind still remembered her sweet smile, and as he turned his back… “Bang!” The window suddenly opened, and something flew out from it, hitting Lu Yun on the back of his head.

The back of his head stung, and Lu Yun stumbled from the impact.

That bit of false dignity he maintained in front of her completely crumbled, his composure gone as he turned back with a dark face, seeing that what had hit him was a small bottle lying on the ground. Lu Yun: “Luo Lingyu!”

Luo Lingyu stood at the window, tears in her eyes, but chin raised, saying arrogantly: “What, it’s none of your business if I throw my things! Lu Sanlong, goodbye and good riddance!”

She threw handful after handful of things into the courtyard through the window. Bamboo tubes, silk fabrics, bottles, and jars… all the things they had found earlier when she was pretending to look for the bracelet during their quarrel. Lu Yun stood beneath the window, his vision going black as she pelted him with everything at once, forcing him to retreat.

Lu Yun: “You madwoman…”

Luo Lingyu cursed: “Even if I’m mad, I don’t need you to take care of me!”

And so the two of them ended up like this, one standing beneath the window, one at the window. Luo Lingyu threw miscellaneous items out in handfuls, violently pelting Lu Yun. Lu Sanlong was thrown into complete disarray, cursing her a few times in anger, and she cursed right back. No longer trying to please Lu Yun, Luo Lingyu’s sharp tongue matched Lu Yun’s word for word.

The maids trembled as they hid behind the corridor pillars: The Third Young Master and Young Miss were quarreling… couldn’t they not vent their anger with other people’s gifts? What if the bottles and jars break when thrown?

They should just throw their things away!

But Luo Lingyu wouldn’t throw her things, and Lu Yun wouldn’t throw him either, only the gifts from other young lords and ladies lay at their feet as they mocked each other fiercely.

Until Lu Yun finally found it utterly ridiculous, and after being hit by another jar from Luo Lingyu, he spat out the words “petty woman” before finally remembering to leave with a sweep of his sleeves.

As soon as he left, Luo Lingyu watched hatefully, then suddenly bent down, lying on the table, and began to cry. While Lu Sanlong, who hadn’t walked far, stiffened his back—his hearing was good, and he could already hear her sobbing on the table. Her crying was heartbreaking, and hearing it made him miserable too. He stood under the magnolia tree in the courtyard for a long time, his footsteps heavy, almost unable to lift them—how he wanted to immediately turn back and comfort her.

But that would mean he had lost.

And yet how hateful she was!