The flower dew’s heavenly fragrance was neither quite flower nor quite dew.

Though it sounded simple, the production was extremely complex, far beyond merely collecting dew from flower petals. Luo Lingyu’s small bottle of flower dew took her a year to make, collecting petals from hundreds of flowers. Afterward, she washed and dried the petals, and then placed them on specially fired steamers to evaporate. Repeatedly collecting and steaming, accumulating a fragrance that would not fade. The hundred flowers needed careful selection, the timing had to be precise, and the white gold steamer was not easy to obtain. Luo Lingyu and her sister worked through spring and winter, ruining countless flowers before obtaining this small bottle.

“Just one drop releases an extraordinary fragrance, sweet and aromatic, capable of overpowering even the heaviest milk taste. If Third Cousin doesn’t like the taste of milk pastries, the flower dew can balance it.”

Lingyu glanced at the beautiful young lady with lowered brows and eyes in the lamplight, seeming to understand something. She suddenly showed a knowing smile, said “Yes,” and left with Lingxi, who was still confused and didn’t understand what Luo Lingyu was implying. It wasn’t Lingxi’s fault for not understanding—after arriving at the Lu family, with an additional maid, Luo Lingyu had assigned Lingxi, whom she had previously relied on, to care for her sister Luo Yunhua. Luo Yunhua had been sick for several days, and Lingxi had attended to her constantly. By the time the young miss was bouncing around again, Lingxi had somehow become Luo Yunhua’s maid.

The lamplight flickered as the lady lowered her head, and the two maids bustled in and out. Sitting on the long couch, Luo Yunhua’s small face was almost buried in the jade bowl as she scooped pastries into her mouth spoonful by spoonful. Her eyes, bright like black grapes, rolled around, seeing her beautiful sister’s loving gaze following the two maids as they left. Luo Yunhua swallowed the pastry in her mouth and muttered: “Sister, are you trying to curry favor with people again?”

Luo Lingyu turned her face, her beautiful eyes glancing at her sister reproachfully: “What do you mean curry favor? That sounds so unpleasant. I simply want to share good things with our relatives.”

Luo Yunhua, wise beyond her years, pursed her lips: “But even if you give gifts, if people don’t like you, they still won’t like you.”

Having lived with her sister since childhood, Luo Yunhua had witnessed many people gossiping about her sister behind her back. They said her sister’s beauty was too bewitching, not noble enough, unfit for refined company. Yet while they said such things, who didn’t secretly look at her? Luo Lingyu had heard such words countless times, making Luo Yunhua furious… But Luo Lingyu just smiled charmingly and said slowly: “I don’t seek everyone’s love, I just try not to make enemies with everyone. With my beauty and talents, too many people are jealous of me, it’s normal.”

Luo Yunhua: “Nonsense! You even added flower dew to Third Cousin’s portion… Oh, I get it, you’re trying to please him, you must want to marry again.”

Marry? Again?

Luo Lingyu spoke earnestly: “Don’t say ‘nonsense.’ What do you understand? Don’t speak carelessly outside. Who am I doing this for? It’s all for you!”

Luo Yunhua wasn’t buying it: “You’re doing it for wealth and glory, for mountains of gold and silver to live off forever, you’re not doing it for me at all!”

Luo Lingyu: “…”

She stared speechlessly at her quick-witted little sister. After their parents’ death, she had been both mother and sister, raising her little sister to this age. To prevent her sister from being too naive, she usually didn’t hide her words and actions from her sister. But even so… such words coming from a nine-year-old girl were too bold.

Luo Yunhua continued with a snort: “You must think Third Cousin is talented and handsome, so you’re trying to win his favor everywhere. Just like that person we saved on the boat—sister, you thought he was poor, so you despised him, wouldn’t even look at him. That poor brother, it’s strange, don’t know why he suddenly left the boat later…”

Luo Lingyu’s beautiful eyes flickered, feeling slightly guilty.

Of course, that brother hadn’t left the boat voluntarily—she had forced him off. But facing her sister who had been crying out after waking up, Luo Lingyu certainly wouldn’t tell the truth. Unaware of her sister’s wicked deed, Luo Yunhua had been dejected for a while about how that injured brother had left without saying goodbye, how ungrateful he was… The next day when Luo Yunhua left the boat, she started having a fever, naturally putting the matter of saving someone completely behind her.

Now bringing up this matter, Luo Yunhua’s conclusion was: “…In short, sister, you just despise the poor and love the rich!”

Luo Lingyu: “Shut up, you. You act so noble, but don’t you rely on me for food and drink? If I despised the poor and loved the rich, I should send you to beg on the streets for a couple of days. Unable to get food, hungry for three or four meals, see if you’re still so sharp-tongued?” Seeing her sister’s small face wrinkle, she reached out to pull her sister over, pinching her face hard. Luo Yunhua wailed trying to escape from her sister’s embrace, but was grabbed by her chubby little face as her sister said:

“No more eating, go study, go memorize your books!”

“Go be a proper young lady, go be a talented young lady!”

Luo Yunhua struggled, shouting “No!” Though her sister looked delicate, her strength was not small at all. Dragging her, she forcefully threw several books at her face. Just for saying a few words, Luo Lingyu took personal revenge, pinching her little sister’s face red, making the young miss open her books with tears in her eyes.

She didn’t like reading, writing, or the four arts.

But as for Luo Lingyu—

“She is quite calculating.” As the night deepened, while chatting with the old nurse and supervising her young son practicing calligraphy, when Lingyu and the other maid delivered the fresh pastries, Madam Lu Zhang Minglan took one look and had someone put them away. She gave her evaluation, her lips slightly curved, quite amused.

On the long couch was placed a small desk where the eight-year-old young master, Fourth Young Master Lu Chang, was lying down practicing calligraphy with a wolf hair brush. Lu Chang was not born to Madam Lu, but his birth mother was of low status and timid, so all his daily affairs were directly managed by Madam Lu. In the first few years, Madam Lu didn’t pay much attention to Lu Chang, her heart was entirely focused on her pair of children. When her eldest daughter married and her second son grew up, after being idle for several years with truly nothing to do, Madam Lu simply took Lu Chang in and began teaching him herself.

Regarding this, his birth mother, the concubine, only dared to be grateful and not say more. Second Young Master Lu Xian was naturally generous—his mother taking good care of his fourth brother only made him happier, not jealous.

Lu Chang lay honestly at the desk writing, and though he usually maintained the appearance of a young gentleman, he was still a child at heart. Hearing Madam Lu and the old nurse talking, he couldn’t help but prick up his ears—

The old nurse laughed: “The Luo young lady is beautiful and clever. These pastries look novel, let’s send a bowl for Second Young Master to taste later.”

Madam Lu pondered for a moment, called the maid from behind the screen, asked some questions, then nodded and said to the old nurse: “See, I don’t need to worry too much. She sent some to the young masters as well. At such a young age, with such thoughtfulness, she’s quite remarkable.”

Thinking that Luo Lingyu was only fourteen, though also from a noble family, compared to the noble ladies of Jianye, she was much more cunning.

The old nurse observed: “Does Madam not like her?”

“It’s not about liking or disliking, it’s about personal character and family interests,” Madam Lu frowned, “It’s just that at such a young age, when she first came she was praised by the Old Madam, dazzling the household’s young masters and ladies. The next day Third Young Master showed her around the compound. Have you ever seen Lu Yun show any other young lady around the gardens? Today she’s sending pastries everywhere… Not a single day of peace.”

“Since she arrived, I’ve noticed all the young masters have become animated, asking about this cousin everywhere.”

“I just hope she doesn’t disturb my Second Son. I must protect Lu Xian’s marriage prospects, can’t let them fall to her.”

Lu Chang thought to himself while writing: So Madam doesn’t like this newly arrived cousin sister.

And Luo Lingyu indeed didn’t stay quiet.

After sending the pastries that evening and receiving widespread praise throughout the Lu household, she was greatly encouraged and the next day began sending tea to everyone.

Madam Lu twisted her handkerchief, looking at the green tea presented to her, feeling conflicted: “…”

…

Northern tea differed from Southern tea. These few liang of tea cakes that Luo Lingyu sent grew on cliff faces, too high to reach. People couldn’t pick them, only collect fallen leaves, occasionally getting a few pieces.

The reason Lu Yun knew all this was because along with the small handful of tea leaves came a yellow flower note. The note was covered in dense small script, introducing that this tea came from the North, named Rizhao, with thick leaves and strong taste when brewed, high and rich in fragrance; then introducing interesting anecdotes about the tea, such as how tea maidens selected the tea, interesting stories about drying the tea herself; finally writing about the tea’s effects and the best times to drink it.

Holding the flower note up to the candlelight, Lu San Lang raised his eyebrows, turning the thin page over and over. His nose caught the rich clear fragrance, and for some reason, thinking of someone’s eyes, his heart suddenly stirred.

Lu San Lang lowered his eyelids, and Jingyue smiled: “Young Miss Luo is quiet and refined. Sending pastries and green tea, the young miss is truly kind-hearted.”

Kind-hearted?

Lu Yun tossed the flower note onto the table. He didn’t believe in Luo Lingyu’s kind heart; she must have ulterior motives. And what she wanted from him, he could probably guess. Thinking of that cold-hearted woman, Lu Yun didn’t want to comment. As he brewed the tea leaves himself, he saw Jingyue still standing behind him, not leaving. Jingyue said: “Young Master, people say there should be give and take. The young lady has sent us so much, shouldn’t Young Master give something in return?”

Jingyue: “The other young masters and ladies have all given return gifts… The young lady’s maid has subtly urged this.”

Under the faint window light, Lu Yun frowned.

Even having to urge for return gifts? Young lady, too many schemes.

After a while, he said carelessly: “Then take something from my study to send over.”

Jingyue immediately agreed, but didn’t leave, instead looking at the yellow flower note thrown on the table by her master: “Young Master, should I put this away?”

Lu Yun lay on the couch with closed eyes, a deerskin blanket covering him from chest to abdomen. He had left Jianye for several months, and when he returned he was somewhat injured, staying at home these days to recover. The night was deep, and with his eyes closed, the firelight shining on his face made him appear even more beautifully snow-like in his handsomeness. He remained silent for a long time, his long unbound hair scattered on the brocade blanket, the young master’s skin and lips pale, beneath his tired appearance showing some weakness.

Thinking her master had fallen asleep, Jingyue stopped urging and leaned forward to take the flower note from the table. But suddenly she heard a voice like jade chimes lazily sound from behind: “Keep it, return it tomorrow. Tell her I don’t keep things meant only for me.”