On the bamboo mat-covered bed in summer, the young lord Lu Yun sat beside the young lady Luo Lingyu. His eyes were covered with gauze due to an injury, and his half-bound long hair fell loose, black as silk, its slightly stiff ends brushing against Luo Lingyu’s face as he leaned closer to speak with her.

“Why have you come to visit me today?” he asked with a gentle smile.

Luo Lingyu felt her heart beat faster at his closeness. She knew that Lu Yun was just teasing her as he often did.

Lu Yun tilted his head slightly. Though he couldn’t see, he could sense her nervousness. His lips curved upward in that proud, knowing, playful expression that Luo Lingyu had come to recognize. She felt her face grow warm, thinking he must be inwardly laughing at her for seeking his help yet again.

After all, though his eyes couldn’t see, she could see clearly how handsome he looked even with the gauze covering his eyes.

Luo Lingyu sat stiffly, feeling both embarrassed and frustrated, yet she had to continue with her request. She could easily leave, and make an excuse to go. But hadn’t she come to his chambers today to ask him to rival Lord Fan? Wasn’t this the best way to have him help break her engagement? Since she wanted Lu Yun to risk his reputation to help her, she naturally had to offer him friendship in return… though it was a pity her image in his heart would likely worsen.

Lu Yun sat close to her, his breath floating across her cheek as he waited for her to speak. He silently judged her reactions, wondering what favor she would ask of him this time.

“What does little sister want?” Lu Yun asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Luo Lingyu ignored his teasing tone.

She said: “I want you to negotiate with Lord Fan, or directly propose to the Luo family of Nanyang for me.”

Lu Yun raised an eyebrow: “Propose?”

Luo Lingyu quickly explained: “It doesn’t have to be real… just have you, as Lu Sanlang, compete with the Fan family of Nanyang. The Luo family of Nanyang certainly can’t afford to offend the Lu family, they can only agree with whoever wants to marry me. If you and Fan Silang both pursue me, with interests in conflict, my engagement might be broken off. Though it would harm your reputation… but I don’t want to marry Lord Fan.”

Her brows furrowed, tears gathering in her lashes as she spoke: “You don’t know, Lord Fan is rushing me to return to Nanyang because he wants to marry me immediately. If I want to delay, I can only have another suitor compete with him. Once we delay until Lord Fan breaks off the engagement…”

Once they delayed until the Fan family broke off the engagement, she didn’t believe that by then Lu Yun still wouldn’t want to marry her. If by that time he still showed no intention of marrying her, it would only prove that her skills were inferior to his, that she truly couldn’t match him. She would have to find another young lord then… who would hang herself on Lu Yun’s tree alone, wasting her time?

A beauty confined, none who wouldn’t pursue. In this era, two men competing for one woman was considered a beautiful tale, the only issue being that Luo Lingyu was already engaged, so any other man entangling with her would damage his reputation somewhat. For a famous scholar known throughout the land like Lu Yun… it could become either a beautiful tale or a scandal.

It all depended on how Lu Yun handled this matter.

Luo Lingyu held her breath, lowering her head after speaking. Waiting for Lu Yun’s imminent scolding, waiting for him to berate her for dragging him down, for her improper conduct… but after waiting a long while, Lu Yun didn’t scold her. Luo Lingyu looked up to see him contemplating briefly before asking: “When seeking other young lords’ help with such matters before, have you ever made such a personal request of anyone else?”

Luo Lingyu: “…Of course not! With my beauty, why would I need to do so? If I hadn’t been blind…” to run into someone so difficult to deal with!

Lu Yun’s expression softened somewhat as he gently touched her shoulder, smiling: “Then remember not to make such personal requests of men in the future. Little sister Lingyu, you keep that promise to me. Otherwise…”

He feared her standards were too low, that she would keep nothing. He was bound in this relationship, his feelings deepening daily. He both disliked her scheming ways and was attracted to her. He still couldn’t understand what was good about her, his eyes saw only her flaws, what exactly about her was attracting him…

Her beauty?

Lu Sanlang wouldn’t admit to being shallow, moreover, his eyes currently couldn’t see, couldn’t see her beauty, yet he was still led around by her… what exactly did he like about her?

Lu Yun usually traced feelings to their root, wanting to see everything clearly, to see the essence. But Luo Lingyu confused him. She was the type of woman he very much disliked—petty, scheming, not particularly clever, loving wealth and power, not hiding her ulterior motives at all…

Unable to understand it, he would let it rest for now.

Luo Lingyu waited a long while, seeing his expression change several times, sometimes frowning, sometimes gentle. She grew slightly impatient, yet still acted coy and shy, lightly touching his sleeve: “So will you help me or not?”

Lu Yun came back to himself, slightly curving his lips: “I will.”

Luo Lingyu’s eyes had just lit up with joy when she heard him chuckle vaguely: “Such a great request… I’ll have to get some friendship from little sister Lingyu in return.”

Lu Yun smiled warmly at her, and Luo Lingyu couldn’t help but return his smile. The light and joyful atmosphere made Luo Lingyu’s initial tension disappear completely as she relaxed, their conversation flowing easily. Luo Lingyu laughed at his teasing: “You’re always so troublesome…” Her heart quivered as she realized—perhaps she just liked this kind of person. Noble yet playful, mixed in one. Both challenging her and making her happy. Like a gentle breeze, soft and refreshing… if he showed this side to the ladies of Jianye, those ladies would truly admire him.

Luo Lingyu’s smile faltered slightly as some discomfort grew in her heart: she suddenly disliked always thinking about those ladies of Jianye. She suddenly hoped Lu Yun could be her friend alone. Suddenly wanted to be the only one to see this carefree side of him, suddenly becoming hopelessly fond of him…

How frightening, yet how joyful!

They continued their pleasant conversation, laughing and sharing stories. The air in the chamber was warm with friendship and something more that Luo Lingyu couldn’t quite name.

Suddenly, like thunder from a clear sky, a cool voice came from outside as a maid stood in the courtyard: “Third Young Master! Third Young Master! Minister Lu requests your presence, the clan leader and other young masters are all there!”

“Minister Lu is very urgent!”

Minister Lu was Lu Er-lang Lu Xian’s father, the current head of the Lu family. In the chamber, they awakened as if from a dream. Luo Lingyu moved away from Lu Yun, and after a pause, Lu Yun stood up with a sigh. He ran his hand through his hair, smoothing it back into place. Luo Lingyu didn’t know whether to feel relieved or somewhat disappointed. She only managed to stand up, straightening her robes, and then secretly observing Lu Yun.

The maid outside: “Young Master! Young Master!”

Lu Yun replied clearly: “I heard, wait a moment.”

Lu Yun instructed Luo Lingyu: “I’ll change into formal clothes then leave, you wait a while before going.”

Luo Lingyu didn’t make a sound. Lu Yun smiled, thinking she must have heard but was too shy to speak. He again felt the urge to tear off his gauze to look at her: he wanted to see what she looked like now, to see her expression…

What a pity, what a pity!

Lu Yun went behind a screen to change into more formal attire. Luo Lingyu turned her face away, her mind still in chaos. When Lu Yun had changed and was about to leave, Luo Lingyu finally got up, calling out “Ah!” to stop him. Luo Lingyu hesitated, though feeling the atmosphere wasn’t quite right at this moment, but feared Lu Yun would forget in his busyness, so she could only honestly remind him: “…Are you going to help me? Will you compete with Lord Fan and ask to marry me from the Luo family?”

Lu Yun: “…”

How could this young woman be so practical? Must she make him say it explicitly?

Lu Yun was made to laugh by her persistence: “Of course… naturally I will help. Little sister Lingyu, wait for good news.”

Only then did Luo Lingyu happily watch Lu Yun leave. Through the gauze window, she saw several servants standing in the courtyard, following Lu Yun, speaking to him about something. No longer anxious, Luo Lingyu sat down in the chamber. The entire room still held the faint scent of his presence; after he left, the room still retained traces of when he was there. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she felt strangely light-headed, as if still caught up in their conversation from earlier. She sat dazed, suddenly lost in reverie.

She felt unlike herself as if she had truly developed feelings for him… under the mix of truth and pretense, had the pretend play become real? Her heart, which had never wavered for any young lord, why was it beating so wildly now?

After spacing out for a while, her thoughts returned, and she wondered: why was Lu Yun called away so urgently? With his eyes impaired, why would Uncle Lu still seek him?

…

When Minister Lu gathered all the Lu family’s young masters, it was about one matter: Lu Er-lang, Lu Xian, had been missing for two days and nights. Unlike usual outings, he had gone without return.

After asking the servants about when Lu Er-lang left and the current time, Minister Lu was almost certain: “…Something must have happened to Er-lang.”

The Lu family began searching for Lu Er-lang, mobilizing their entire network of connections, investigating clues throughout Jianye, seeking where Lu Er-lang was and what had happened. The Lu family’s approach was very clear – if something had happened to Lu Er-lang, whoever was involved would not get away with it. They investigated everything from what Lu Er-lang was doing before he left, what he said to the servants, all the way to whom he had met, and any unusual news in Jianye these past two days…

Lu Er-lang was the Lu family’s direct-line young master; his disappearance was no small matter.

As the Lu family’s young masters busied themselves searching, clues gradually converged, circling several households as key suspects. Among these suspects, the Prince of Hengyang’s manor was included. There were witnesses that Lu Er-lang had recently been close to the Prince of Hengyang; the prince’s manor had changed its guards these past days, for unknown reasons. The Lu family’s young masters naturally used their connections to investigate these matters.

Peeling away layer by layer, they drew closer to the truth.

While the Lu family busied themselves searching, Lady Lu wept anxiously at home. Lady Lu thought of many things, daily imagining how her son might have met with misfortune, encountered villains, or been held hostage… she even imagined Lu Er-lang losing his memory, becoming lost in a foreign land, and suffering hardships.

In her misery, Lady Lu could neither tell the Old Lady and make her cry together, nor could she confide in her sister-in-law Lu Ying, who had never gotten along with her. Lady Lu sought out young lady Luo Lingyu, lamenting to her about how worried she was for Lu Er-lang.

Luo Lingyu: “…”

Luo Lingyu was completely puzzled: “But without finding him, how can you assume the worst?”

Luo Lingyu optimistically consoled: “Perhaps second cousin just went to some temple with friends to listen to Buddhist teachings or learn painting. The second cousin hasn’t made enemies, and the Lu family has some reputation in Jianye, who would deliberately harm him?”

Lady Lu’s eyes were swollen from crying, her mood low: “You’re so young, not yet a mother, how could you understand my worries? Ah.”

Luo Lingyu: “…”

This was the first time she discovered this aunt to be so sentimental, thinking so much!

…

With Lu Er-lang missing, the entire Lu household was busy, even Lu Yun with his impaired eyes hadn’t been home for days. Lu Yun had deep feelings for his second brother; with Er-lang missing, Lu Yun searched especially diligently. Seeing everyone in the manor so busy, Luo Lingyu’s face flushed red, too embarrassed to keep pressing Lu Yun about Lord Fan’s marriage urgency.

How could Lu Yun have so much time to both search for his second brother and help resolve her marriage issues? He probably had no mind for such matters now.

And just as the entire Lu family was busy searching for Lu Er-lang, Luo Lingyu could only silently endure Fan Qingchen’s daily pressing. Yet Fan Qingchen was unpredictable – though initially somewhat gentle, his temper grew increasingly agitated, and the way he stared at her maids made cold sweat run down Luo Lingyu’s spine.

She constantly feared Fan Qingchen wouldn’t tolerate her delays and would do something uncontrollable.

Luo Lingyu hesitated: Lu Yun was too busy to help her, and she couldn’t ask him again, should she seek help from other young lords?

She counted through the young lords she knew who admired her, still hesitating, remembering Lu Yun’s words to “keep her promise.” But it seemed not to be working well.

…

All of Jianye was searching for Lu Er-lang, and the Prince of Hengyang’s manor was affected, lately feeling watched by Lu Sanlang. Yet Liu Mu remained impassive, pretending not to know. As long as Lu Xian disappeared without evidence, even if Lu Sanlang suspected him, there would be no proof.

They didn’t know that Princess Ningping Liu Tang had rescued Lu Er-lang Lu Xian, who had been washed up by water, while she was relaxing at her mountain villa in the suburbs.

Not only did the Lu family’s young masters not know, but Liu Tang herself didn’t know either.

Liu Tang naturally knew Lu Er-lang.

But when her servants pulled that person from the water, Liu Tang only glanced once. The person was so waterlogged as to be unrecognizable; Liu Tang couldn’t tell who it was, so she handed him over to the servants to care for, not managing it herself. Even though Liu Tang had a gentle and mild temperament, she was still a proper princess – no matter how kind-hearted, with servants present, she wouldn’t personally tend to a young lord.

If only Liu Tang had gone to look at that person once more, she would have recognized him as the Lu family’s missing second young master.

But Liu Tang hadn’t.

Lu Er-lang fell into the care of the princess’s maids, running a high fever, and troubled by bad dreams. He struggled to wake, but nightmares kept entangling him—

Constantly dreaming of cousin Luo.

Dreaming that she kept crying.

Lu Sanlang was busy with official matters, not at the manor, and she escaped from the Prince of Hengyang’s watchful eye, going out to find Lu Yun. Unfortunately, she didn’t meet him. Instead, she met her fiancé Fan Qingchen who was looking for her, and she naturally wouldn’t admit to Fan Qingchen that she had come to find Lu Yun. When the Prince of Hengyang came searching again, she could only pretend to be happy to see him.

Missing that opportunity, with Lu Yun never at home, he had no idea to what extent Luo Lingyu was being pressured by both sides.

On the nineteenth day of the sixth month, Fan Qingchen came again to press for marriage. He said if she wouldn’t go with him, he would take measures she wouldn’t like.

It was on this day of decision that Luo Lingyu, after much hesitation, walked into the Prince of Hengyang’s manor, thoroughly seeking refuge with the Prince of Hengyang…

…

The nineteenth day of the sixth month.

Was Luo Lingyu’s birthday.

On this day she came of age.

But she was just a cousin staying at the Lu family home; the Lu family was busy searching for Er-lang, and even if they weren’t searching for him, no one would remember Luo Lingyu’s coming-of-age ceremony. Originally, Luo Lingyu had wanted to use the opportunity of helping Lady Lu host a banquet to invite all the young ladies to the Lu manor for a feast. Without them knowing, she would have celebrated her coming-of-age ceremony.

But Fan Qingchen interfered, and with Lu Er-lang missing, the Lu family had no mood for banquets now.

Opening her eyes upon waking in the morning, Luo Yunwan stood outside her sister’s bed curtain, smiling: “Sister, today is your birthday, Lingxi sister and I made a gift for you!”

Luo Lingyu happily got up—a girl’s fifteenth birthday was naturally different from usual days.

Only her sister remembered.