Lu Xian stopped his cousin Sister Luo, telling her to stay home and take care of Third Brother. The Second Young Master Lu was now somewhat afraid of the connection between his cousin Sister Luo and the Prince of Hengyang. Even after his intervention, Sister Luo still wished to visit the Prince of Hengyang. With young men and women, coming and going, if something unexpected were to happen, wouldn’t events unfold just like in his dream?

Second Young Master Lu absolutely could not accept such an outcome.

For this reason, he inspected the gifts Sister Luo intended to send to the Prince of Hengyang. Seeing they were just small trinkets and foods suitable for an injured person, Lu Xian felt relieved. At least Sister Luo had no intentions toward the Prince of Hengyang. Lu Xian himself took the gifts Luo Lingyu had prepared and drove out of Wu Yi Lane to visit the Prince of Hengyang’s mansion in the eastern suburbs.

Prince of Hengyang Liu Mu hadn’t attended court for several days, using the excuse that during the opening day of Luo Lingyu’s cosmetics shop, he had unfortunately aggravated an old injury while saving someone. Due to this recurring injury, Liu Mu had requested sick leave and couldn’t attend to court matters. When the Prince fell ill, both His Majesty and the Empress Dowager from the palace concernedly sent gifts, and many young nobles came to visit. However, Liu Mu’s temper was so fierce that he frightened away all the physicians.

When Second Young Master Lu Xian resolutely arrived with gifts, the door attendant Master Kong worriedly looked at this noble young master’s thin and haggard figure: “Young Master, our Prince has been ill-tempered since falling sick. He scolds and might even hit anyone who comes to see him… Given your build, young master, perhaps you shouldn’t see him…”

If the Prince of Hengyang were to strike this refined and elegant noble young master, that would be unthinkable!

Lu Xian was completely unconcerned. He was just running an errand for his cousin Sister, and since Liu Mu was in a rage, there was no need to face his wrath. Very politely handing the gifts to Master Kong, Lu Xian was about to turn and leave gracefully when, through the layers of emerald tree shade, he heard the sound of a door opening. A young prince’s hoarse voice rang out: “Why have you come again?!”

The voice was full of impatience.

Liu Mu was thoroughly annoyed by Second Young Master Lu’s inexplicable interference with him, though he still controlled his emotions, if only because that night after Lu Xian left, he had remembered to have servants wait for his return.

Second Young Master Lu: “Uh…”

He wanted to say “I’m leaving now,” but after Liu Mu gave him a look of disgust, he unexpectedly said: “Since you’re here, come in.”

Second Young Master Lu: “…”

He had originally planned to leave, but seeing Liu Mu’s unsightly expression, Lu Xian felt he should stay and assess the situation.

The door attendant Master Kong urged Second Young Master Lu to do his best to convince their Prince to think positively, that no hurdle in life couldn’t be overcome. Lu Xian listened in confusion and nodded awkwardly. After entering the chamber, Master Kong and the other attendants withdrew. Lu Xian frowned slightly upon seeing that despite the doors and windows being wide open, the room still couldn’t rid itself of the smell of strong wine. Looking again, he saw countless wine jars strewn across the floor. Liu Mu sat straight-backed against the wall, his jade crown untied, robes wrinkled, eyes extremely cold – his appearance was far from presentable.

Second Young Master Lu: “On behalf of my cousin’s sister…”

Liu Mu lazily interrupted him and sarcastically said: “Coming again to warn me not to harass your cousin’s sister? Even if your cousin’s sister is a celestial maiden, I’m so far away from her, what could I possibly do to her?”

Lu Xian thought, if it weren’t for my interference, she would be the one visiting you today, and you might do something to my cousin’s sister – you’re truly a dangerous person. But although Lu Xian lived somewhat simply, he still knew some things shouldn’t be said. Lu Xian awkwardly said: “…Actually, I came to chat with the Prince, to help you better understand our noble families.”

Liu Mu: “…”

So instead of talking about his cousin’s sister, he was going to talk about how powerful the Lu family was and how they couldn’t be trifled with.

Liu Mu found it incredibly unbelievable – was this Second Young Master Lu’s brain illness incurable? Didn’t the Lu family have anyone to manage him?

Unfortunately, the Lu family was indeed powerful, foremost among Jianye’s noble houses. Second Young Master Lu himself hadn’t realized how powerful they were, as his thoughts weren’t on court politics; but Third Young Master Lu was quite impressive, and the other Lu family young masters in court all had influence. The court appeared to belong to the Liu family, but it belonged to the noble families. The Liu clan seemed more like managers hired by the noble families, administering the empire while their power couldn’t necessarily exceed that of the noble families…

While Liu Mu was deep in thought, he then spat at himself: What does it matter to me? My imperial brother even hopes for my death, so if he’s being manipulated by the noble families like a puppet, I should rejoice.

Liu Mu gloomily drank his wine while listening to Lu Xian ramble on beside his ear, detailing the current situation of Jianye’s major noble families. When speaking of these things, Lu Xian was also somewhat embarrassed: “…Perhaps life has been too comfortable, but by our generation, there are fewer young masters who work, most preferring to travel and compete in displays of wealth and luxury. My father is also very troubled, wanting to reform the noble families, but they’re all deeply interconnected, with almost every family having marriage ties to every other. Like our Lu clan, we have many marriage alliances with the imperial family, the Jiang family, and the Chen family – several of my aunts are from the imperial family…”

Liu Mu snorted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Suddenly, Master Kong pushed open the door and bent down to whisper something in the young Prince of Hengyang’s ear. Liu Mu nodded slightly, and Master Kong smiled again at Second Young Master Lu before closing the door and leaving. After he left, Lu Xian naturally and casually brought up some other topics. Since Liu Mu listened absent-mindedly, Lu Xian also spoke without much attention. Through the window, Lu Xian’s eyes suddenly caught sight of several Daoist priests walking along the moss-covered path opposite the tower.

His mind briefly “clicked,” instinctively feeling something was wrong. Lu Xian stopped talking and just stared blankly at those Daoist priests.

Liu Mu followed his line of sight, his eyes narrowing.

He heard Second Young Master Lu ask in surprise: “Prince, at such a young age… you’re already patronizing Daoist priests? Are you following His Majesty’s example in seeking immortality?”

Liu Mu: “Of course not.”

Second Young Master Lu looked at him.

Liu Mu casually said: “My imperial brother is the one who likes alchemy and immortality cultivation. This is me showing filial piety to my imperial brother – I sought out several famous old Daoists and sent them to the palace to lecture my imperial brother about the Dao. I imagine my imperial brother will be very pleased.”

Second Young Master Lu suddenly looked at him, his gaze like lightning.

In that instant, he recalled what he knew from his dream – the old emperor had died from poison in the elixirs.

The new emperor, grief-stricken, had as his first act upon ascending the throne destroyed the alchemy furnaces and driven the Daoist priests from Taichu Palace, forbidding them from entering Jianye for the rest of their lives.

In the dream, the noble families mostly knew very well that the old emperor had died from poisoned elixirs, and they naturally supported the new emperor’s decision…

But what if among those Daoist priests sent to the palace were some sent by Liu Mu? Or even more, what if the reason the old emperor died from poisoned elixirs was due to the batch of Daoist priests Liu Mu had sent into the palace? Liu Mu hadn’t acted personally, but he had taken advantage of his imperial brother’s fondness for Daoist priests…

In reality, Liu Mu stared at this Second Young Master Lu who had suddenly fallen silent: “What’s wrong? Is there something improper about me sending Daoist priests to the palace?”

His eyes stared unblinkingly at the young master opposite him, the smile on his face very strange, his fingers gripping his knee. Though the young prince’s sitting posture appeared casual, his back was straight, his whole body’s muscles tense – it was a position ready for action. If anything seemed amiss, he would act immediately-

Lu Xian’s back broke out in a cold sweat.

Suddenly he thought, today it was him who had come.

If the visitor had been his cousin’s sister.

His cousin’s sister had come to Jianye alone, unfamiliar with the place, yet clever and quick-witted. If in his dream, his cousin’s sister had stumbled upon Liu Mu’s thoughts like this… how could she have left here alive? Liu Mu’s intention to marry his cousin’s sister would have meant more than just surface appearances. His cousin’s sister not being able to marry his Third Brother would have been more than just young people’s quarrels…

Liu Mu impatiently asked again: “Second Young Master Lu, what are you spacing out about?”

“Nothing!” Lu Xian suddenly came to his senses, trying to act natural though his smile was somewhat stiff.

Liu Mu stared at him deeply, his fingers resting on his knee curling slightly, and he slowly changed the subject.

When Second Young Master Lu left the Prince of Hengyang’s mansion with his back soaked in sweat, his suspicions hadn’t diminished at all. After leaving the prince’s mansion and returning to the Lu residence, he spent two hours lost in thought, still feeling uneasy. Suspicions couldn’t rely on guesses alone; there needed to be corroborating evidence. After some hesitation, Second Young Master Lu still called over his servants: “Ride quickly to Taichu Palace and intercept those Daoist priests sent from the Prince of Hengyang’s mansion! Replace them with our people without letting the Prince of Hengyang discover it. Bring those priests to a secret location – I need to interrogate them…”

In less than half an hour, Liu Mu, standing with his hands behind his back looking at the scenery in his mansion’s courtyard, received his subordinate’s hesitant report: “Young Master, as you predicted, the Lu family did secretly send people to Taichu Palace…”

Liu Mu’s eyes darkened.

He said coolly: “Strange… I want to see what Second Young Master Lu intends to do. Could he know those Daoist priests are problematic? He’s so stupid, yet he could see the problem? What grounds does he have to suspect me? Did I reveal some flaw in front of him? Or does the Prince of Hengyang’s mansion have Lu family spies?”

His sharp eyes glanced at his subordinates, who were startled and broke out in a cold sweat as they knelt to plead their innocence. But Liu Mu just stared at them heavily, saying nothing. In the June summer heat, the subordinates’ sweat flowed in layer after layer – since that day their young master had returned, he had become extremely distrustful of them. The young master’s temper seemed increasingly volatile, his gaze at them increasingly gloomy…

They truly feared that one day the young master would no longer be able to restrain himself and would move against them…

They were filled with dread! What should they do?

…

Luo Lingyu naturally didn’t know that her second cousin had helped her avoid a catastrophe. She didn’t have Second Young Master Lu’s illustrious background that would make the Prince of Hengyang hesitate to act. If she had been the one to visit the Prince of Hengyang’s mansion, she might not have been able to return intact like Second Young Master Lu. Recently, Luo Lingyu had been busy with two things: first, the accounts of her cosmetics shop, and second, accompanying Third Young Master Lu as he recovered, taking care of him while he had limited mobility.

Her cosmetics shop was gradually getting on track, though there were many things she didn’t understand and had to figure out. Moreover, her pride wouldn’t let her admit being inferior to others, so she naturally spent great effort studying behind the scenes. Running her cosmetics shop wasn’t easy, and Third Young Master Lu wasn’t an easy person to deal with. Working day and night like this, her energy was somewhat depleted. To make matters worse, another worrisome matter came up to trouble her.

After much hesitation, Lingxi finally stammered out that she seemed to have seen Wet Nurse Qin before.

Luo Lingyu was startled and unusually took the initiative to visit Lady Lu’s chambers to ask her about it. Lady Lu had also been busy these past few days – after Old Lady Lu had complained about the relationship between Third Young Master Lu and Miss Luo, Old Lady Lu suddenly discovered that many of the young masters in their mansion were unmarried. The first target was naturally Second Young Master Lu Xian.

When Luo Lingyu came to seek an audience, Lady Lu was anxiously flipping through the register of Jianye’s young ladies, repeatedly examining the famous “Flower Goddess Register.” This was the trouble with not having young ladies in the family and not liking to socialize – Lady Lu could only look at names and portraits in registers, unable to tell anything about the young ladies’ characters.

Luo Lingyu stood in the hall, watched for a while, then smiled and said: “…If Lady is overwhelmed with choices, why don’t I find a reason to invite the young ladies to the Lu residence for a banquet? If Lady likes anyone, tell me quietly, and I’ll talk more with that young lady to let Lady see if she’s suitable.”

Lady Lu was delighted: “That would be wonderful! You’re doing your cousin a great favor, he will remember your kindness.”

Indeed, having a clever young lady in the family was much more convenient. How could going out to look at prospective brides compare with inviting young ladies to their own homes?

Both pleased, they discussed the details of the banquet, and then Luo Lingyu inquired about what was going on with Wet Nurse Qin.

After having such a pleasant conversation with her cousin’s young lady, Lady Lu finally remembered this person: “…Oh, yes. Worried you might not be used to living here, I had people make inquiries in Nanyang to see if you had any particular preferences. Your wet nurse was quite concerned about you, begging to come along with the boat. We should arrange for you to meet.”

Luo Lingyu smiled gratefully: “Thank you, Lady.”

How could Lady Lu possibly have sent people to Nanyang just because she was worried about her getting used to living there? Most likely she was worried about her character being improper and harming the Lu family, that’s why she sent people to Nanyang, right?

But these things were better left unsaid, as they both understood.

The maid Lingxi waited outside with utmost respect, watching as Luo Lingyu emerged, having already brought out Wet Nurse Qin, whom she previously couldn’t get near at all. Wet Nurse Qin followed the tall, slender young lady, repeatedly wiping tears from her eyes with emotion. Luo Lingyu gracefully bid farewell to Lvyao and other maids who had escorted her to the courtyard gate, a smile constantly on her lips.

Luo Lingyu and her people led Wet Nurse Qin away.

Her steps grew increasingly hurried.

Unable to make it to “Snow Tracing Courtyard,” halfway there, standing by the lake, finding a spot where no one would notice, Luo Lingyu ordered her maids to keep watch while she pulled Wet Nurse Qin into the lakeside reeds. Luo Lingyu asked urgently: “Wet nurse, has something happened in Nanyang? Didn’t we agree that you would spend your retirement in Nanyang? Why have you come here?”

“Nanyang isn’t going to war, is it?”

“No, no!” Wet Nurse Qin hurriedly comforted Luo Lingyu. Seeing her young lady particularly agitated, she stared unblinkingly at the young lady’s increasingly beautiful face, tears in her eyes, choking out, “Everything’s fine, all is well! Lady Luo is doing well, and all the young ladies are fine…”

Luo Lingyu scolded: “Then why are you crying? You’re frightening me!”

Wet Nurse Qin wept: “But that Young Master Fan…”

Young Master Fan!

Luo Lingyu’s eyes contracted slightly, and she said somewhat uncomfortably: “Why mention him? I’m already in Jianye… I’ve already said I’ll marry soon, don’t worry about me anymore!”

Wet Nurse Qin said anxiously: “But it’s been almost half a year… Young Miss, stop deceiving me! I’ve asked the Lu family’s servants, and none of them say you have marriage prospects!”

Luo Lingyu’s cheeks flushed slightly.

She said somewhat shyly: “I’m not deceiving you… it’s just that the young master I’ve set my sights on is rather difficult to win over, can’t be conquered in a short time…”

Third Young Master Lu couldn’t marry her in a short time; he was too proper, had to see everything clearly, and had to trace the origin of their feelings. But he was indeed ambiguous with her, and indeed made her worry constantly. From what she observed of Lu Yun’s character, he wasn’t the type to lead someone on and then abandon them. If they were to part, it would only be due to incompatibility between them.

She was almost about to win over Lu Yun…

Lu Yun was already wavering badly, he was about to admit his feelings…

How could she possibly switch to another young master and give up Lu Yun at this time?

Wet Nurse Qin grew even more anxious: “You’re not talking about Third Young Master Lu, are you? I heard Lady Lu’s maids mention you and Third Young Master Lu… but Young Miss, don’t be foolish. From what I’ve heard about Third Young Master Lu, isn’t he just like Young Master Fan from our Nanyang? You fell for Young Master Fan once, are you going to fall for this so-called Third Young Master Lu again?”

“Young Miss, you must be clear-headed!”

“Noble young masters naturally each have their differences, but why is your taste always so similar… aren’t you afraid he’ll be a second Young Master Fan?”

Young Master Fan!

Luo Lingyu’s face turned slightly pale, her hands gripping her handkerchief tightly. She refuted almost immediately: “Lu Yun is nothing like that kind of man Young Master Fan is!”

She paced anxiously: “Wet nurse, stop meddling in my affairs. You should go back to Nanyang, tell Aunt and the others that everything is fine with me in Jianye, tell them not to worry about me, and don’t rush me. I’m going to get married soon, really…”

Wet Nurse Qin gazed at her sadly, seeing how determined the young lady was, how her eyes brightened at the mention of Third Young Master Lu. Luo Lingyu was always like this, never discouraged, actively seeking a way out. Falling once, hitting her head and bleeding, yet she would stand up again. Wet Nurse Qin had watched this young miss grow up and knew how much hardship she had endured after Ruyang City fell… how much suffering it took just to survive in Nanyang, and then make it to Jianye.

However, however…

Wet Nurse Qin covered her face and cried: “I’m afraid it’s too late, Young Miss!”

Luo Lingyu was startled and quickly asked: “What exactly happened? Wet nurse, don’t cry, tell me quickly! You’re making me so anxious!”

Wet Nurse Qin said tremblingly: “That day after you begged Lady Luo, and Lady Luo secretly sent you away from Nanyang, Young Master Fan came to the Luo family to propose marriage. The Luo family really couldn’t resist the Fan family… For half a year, we’ve all been waiting for you to find a good marriage in Jianye, so the Fan family wouldn’t dare act rashly. But it’s been half a year, the pre-wedding ceremonies are almost complete, yet you… I couldn’t wait any longer, so I came to Jianye to find you.”

Wet Nurse Qin gritted her teeth: “Lingyu, if you really can’t manage otherwise, why don’t you just run away? You absolutely cannot marry into the Fan family. Young Master Fan will torment you to death!”

Luo Lingyu’s face turned deathly pale, her heart shocked with grief—how had she suddenly acquired a fiancé?

Wet Nurse Qin began crying again, completely at a loss, only knowing to repeatedly urge Luo Lingyu to either marry into a great noble family with higher status and more power than the Fan family of Nanyang or to flee quickly. But how could Luo Lingyu flee? What about the Luo family of Nanyang behind her? Even if the Nanyang Luo family hadn’t treated her particularly well, even if they had set her up once, they had still raised her and her sister. This time coming to Jianye, Lady Luo had even supported her. If Lady Luo hadn’t secretly sent her away, how could she have escaped that wolf’s den…

Luo Lingyu said angrily: “Stop crying! What use is crying? You’re so annoying!”

Wet Nurse Qin covered her mouth, trying hard to stop sobbing, her eyes full of tears as she looked at this young lady who, when angry, showed no trace of weakness. When angry, Luo Lingyu seemed to glow, her eyes bright, lips pressed tight, so stubborn and unyielding, her eyes full of captivating spirit… Wet Nurse Qin felt heartbroken as she heard Luo Lingyu murmur: “…For now, I can only beg that bastard Lu Yun.”

Wet Nurse Qin worried: “You mean Third Young Master Lu? Young Miss, are you so confident in him, really believe he won’t be a second Young Master Fan? Even if this time you’ve truly met a good man, and that Third Young Master Lu’s character is promising, you’ve only known him for half a year. Will he stand against the Fan family of Nanyang for your sake?”

The Fan family of Nanyang was also a great noble family.

If they weren’t a great noble family, how could they pressure the Luo family to the point where they couldn’t raise their heads, forcing them to marry Luo Lingyu?

Luo Lingyu smiled bitterly.

She was anxious too, but her anxiety was different from her wet nurse’s concerns—her wet nurse hadn’t spent time with Third Young Master Lu and didn’t know what kind of person Lu Yun was. The wet nurse feared Lu Yun wouldn’t help her, but what Luo Lingyu feared more was telling Lu Yun frankly that she had a fiancé.

She had just caused such a huge commotion over a glass bracelet, resulting in Lu Yun almost having his eyes scalded. This Qian Jiao Bai Mei – Chapter had finally been turned over, he had finally started talking to her again… was she now supposed to run to Lu Yun and tell him she was someone who had a fiancé…

Even if she cried to him that she hadn’t known about it, Lu Yun’s intuition could unravel things thread by thread… Luo Lingyu’s head began to ache.

Emerging from the reeds, the maids saw their young lady’s unsightly expression and dazed demeanor. Wet Nurse Qin’s shoulders trembled as she wept, and Luo Lingyu, troubled and confused, had them arrange for Wet Nurse Qin to stay in her courtyard. When Luo Lingyu asked about Lu Yun again, Lingyu gave her a strange look: “Third Young Master’s eyes are bandaged with gauze, he can’t move about easily, so, of course, he can’t go out, he’s staying at home.”

Luo Lingyu made a sound of acknowledgment: “Have someone tell Jinyue at Qing Courtyard that I’ll freshen up a bit, then I’ll go visit Third Cousin to play.”

Lingyu: “Freshen up? Is that necessary? Young Miss, you’re already so beautiful, your clothes and makeup aren’t disheveled… Besides, Third Young Master can’t see with his eyes, no matter how beautifully you dress up, he won’t know anyway.”

Luo Lingyu said softly: “What do you know? When meeting a young master, one must always be fully prepared. After all, before seeing him, you never know what might happen.”

“If due to momentary negligence, he sees you in a terrible state, unknowingly, some destiny might fly away because of it.”

Lingyu: “…”

Her expression turned strange, suddenly felt ashamed.

These maids had already decided that the young miss would certainly marry into the Lu family, that they would serve the young miss forever. Third Young Master Lu’s attitude toward the young miss, compared to his dismissive attitude toward other young ladies, was so strikingly different… yet the young miss was still not satisfied, still wanted to put her heart into pursuing Third Young Master Lu. Compared to the young miss’s dedication, they had been too perfunctory in their daily service.

They had never thought about staying beautiful and radiant at all times, ready to face any unexpected situations.

…

Because his eyes were bandaged, there were many things he couldn’t do. In the scorching midday sun, Lu Yun simply fell asleep under the grape trellis. Hazily, when he woke up, he heard a sweet female voice exclaim delightedly by his ear: “Brother Xuehen, you’re awake? I’ve peeled some grapes for you and made some sweet dumplings, chilled with snow water. Would you like to try them?”

Lu Yun: “…”

Lu Yun slowly sat up and said languidly: “You have something to ask of me?”

Luo Lingyu: “…!”

Lu Yun: “Your voice is so sweet, rushing to please me before I’m even fully awake… tell me, what is it?”

Luo Lingyu said with difficulty: “…It’s nothing major… just if I had done something wrong before, would you forgive me?”

Lu Yun said carelessly: “Of course. I’m such a magnanimous person… go ahead and tell me.”

Luo Lingyu gathered her courage and looked at him timidly: “I have a fiancé…”

Under the white gauze, the young master’s handsome face, illuminated by the sun, showed no darkness but rather appeared somewhat pale. This jade-faced young master who had sat up had a trace of a smile at the corner of his lips one moment, but the next instant his face turned cold. He remained silent, not saying a word, supported himself on the grape trellis, and stood up to leave.