Fan Qingchen was someone who could be very obsessive about matters of the heart.

Young masters from prominent families like Third Young Master Lu were raised from childhood with the education that “a gentleman should be proper and dignified, as gentle and refined as jade.” It was unclear what had gone wrong with this education in Fourth Young Master Fan’s case, but Fan Qingchen had developed an inexplicable fixation on Luo Lingyu. Third Young Master Lu believed that there would never be an end to the young lords who had feelings for Luo Lingyu. But someone as sticky as Fan Qingchen, who couldn’t be shaken off like a medical plaster, was particularly annoying.

Especially now, just after Lu Yun had been mocked by Luo Lingyu.

When the young lord’s angry voice rose from behind, Fan Qingchen’s eyes were red as blood, his face covered in dark clouds. His cold eyes watched as the green-robed young lord in the thin crowd ahead slowly put down the child’s drum he was holding and turned around. Although Lu Yun was in a bad mood, his face didn’t show it. To Fan Qingchen, this person’s jade-white face and extraordinary bearing seemed to mock him even without doing anything.

The same bearing and appearance!

While he was being forced by his family to break off the engagement, Lu Yun appeared so carefree. His father’s reproach, his family’s pressure, the slander against Luo Lingyu… one thing after another. A noble young lord should sacrifice himself for his family’s interests. At this point, Fan Qingchen didn’t know that Luo Lingyu had already returned to Nanyang; in his eyes, Lu Yun was his only enemy. His Sister Luo, the girl he had waited for so many years… Fan Qingchen’s eyes were red as dripping blood, and his servants couldn’t catch up as they watched their young lord’s dark figure lunge forward, reaching for the newly arrived magistrate of Nanyang. Lu Yun’s robes fluttered slightly as he unhurriedly stepped diagonally backward.

Fan Qingchen attacked again!

In the early morning, when the sky was still dim, the city walls were shrouded in thin mist. In the damp air, the streets were nearly empty of carriages and horses, the atmosphere sparse, occasionally hearing the calls of market vendors and the sizzling sound of oil being pressed from sesame cakes. At this small alley entrance, as the two young lords began to fight, the atmosphere instantly froze.

Watch that dragon-like movement, like a crane parting the waves, with the grace of flowing clouds and water!

“Young lord, young lord, please stop!”

“Your Honor, you must not!”

Not only were Fan Qingchen’s servants frightened, but even Lu Yun’s attendants were scared. These servants were the magistrate’s attendants and military soldiers; they had never known this Third Young Master Lu to do anything but hold a writing brush, let alone fight. People from both sides rushed forward to stop them, finally managing to pull back Fan Qingchen, who had been throwing punch after punch.

Fortunately, it was a small alley, and fortunately, there were few pedestrians in the early morning, plus the vendors had already fled the alley. Thus, the unseemly behavior of these two young lords wasn’t seen by others—otherwise, given Lu Yun’s reputation, who knows what stories people would have made up?

After being stopped, Fan Qingchen was forcibly held back by the servants. His facial muscles were tense, his whole body trembling slightly. His eyes fixed on Lu Yun as he said darkly: “You told my father that Sister Luo was carrying your child, and that’s why my father wanted to break off the engagement?”

Lu Yun raised an eyebrow: “Does Lord Fan share everything with his son?”

Secretly mocking how the Fan family head would tell everything to his son.

Fan Qingchen gritted his teeth: “What business is it of yours? Whether I marry Sister Luo or not, what does it have to do with whether she’s carrying your child? Are you saying that knowing the child in her belly is yours would stop me from marrying her?”

Lu Yun’s eyes darkened slightly—the era’s customs were liberal.

Premarital relations between men and women, a woman accidentally becoming pregnant before marriage, or even a woman having relations with another young lord and carrying his child… all could still lead to marriage. People of the time rarely commented on such matters, but top-ranking families had their pride. Major local families like the Lu and Fan families could accept a lady having relations with others before marriage, but their bloodlines could not be mixed. Families of their status typically wouldn’t accept a woman bringing another man’s child into marriage.

The Fan family was already dissatisfied with Luo Lingyu’s background. After Lu Yun spoke with Lord Fan, Lord Fan took the initiative to mention breaking off the engagement and expressed strong support for the good match between Third Young Master Lu and Miss Luo.

Fourth Young Master Fan Qingchen’s love for Miss Luo could no longer influence the Fan family’s decision to break off the engagement at this point. As the Fan family proceeded to break off the engagement, Lu Yun was pleased… how could Fan Qingchen accept this?

Fan Qingchen sneered: “She’s carrying your child? I don’t believe it. My Sister Luo isn’t the type to give others leverage over her, putting herself at a disadvantage. Why don’t you find a physician and let everyone see clearly?”

His expression was nearly maniacal: “You’ve sullied Sister Luo’s reputation, you despicable person, so vicious… My father was deceived by you, but I’ll never believe your flowery words.”

“Do you think I can’t marry her just because you won’t let me? I watched her grow up, I protected her… I’ve been guarding her since she was ten, not letting anyone touch her. When others bullied her, I helped her; if she shed a single tear, I would kill that person; when the Luo family didn’t treat her well, I would stand up for her, killing all the young ladies who bullied her…”

Lu Yun said coolly: “You weren’t helping her; you only made her situation worse.”

The Nanyang Luo family didn’t treat Luo Lingyu well. How could one say they didn’t treat her well? At most, they didn’t cherish her as they would their daughter. But in Fan Qingchen’s eyes, all of this was mistreatment. And Luo Lingyu, being someone with such strong opinions… said she wanted to be a “dodder,” but looking at her words and actions, where did she show any such inclination? She clearly couldn’t stand others controlling her life, which was why she both feared and despised Young Master Fan.

Fan Qingchen roared: “At least I’m better than you! The lady I’ve guarded for four years, yet you get to benefit… What right do you have to please her? I treat her better, and how is my Fan family any inferior to your Lu family? If only she would stay properly with me in Nanyang, if only she would marry me… but you ruined everything…”

Fan Qingchen’s eyes were red as he stared at Lu Yun like a snake. His hands and feet were restrained by servants and couldn’t move, but his voice became a strange, dream-like murmur: “I won’t let you have your way… Sister Luo is mine, even if Sister Luo is carrying your child, she’s still mine. I cherish and love her, I should be the one to marry her…”

Lu Yun: “…”

Even in his unpleasant mood, Third Young Master Lu felt a sense of absurdity, realizing that Fourth Young Master Fan’s obsession was no longer normal. Being stared at by such a person made one extremely uncomfortable. No wonder Luo Lingyu had repeatedly told him she was afraid of Young Master Fan… Before Lu Yun could think further, Fan Qingchen’s servants broke out in cold sweat, not daring to let their young lord say anything more to offend the newly arrived magistrate.

One bold servant directly covered Fan Qingchen’s mouth, preventing him from speaking further. The servant forced a laugh: “We apologize for the embarrassment, Your Honor. Our Fourth Young Master hasn’t accepted our master’s words yet… Our master will persuade the Fourth Young Master later. Please don’t take Fourth Young Master’s words to heart. Our master asks Your Honor not to worry, the Fan family will break off the engagement soon and wishes Your Honor and Miss Luo a hundred years of happiness. The Fan family will surely send people to attend the wedding feast.”

Lu Yun looked at Fan Qingchen’s cold eyes and smiled coolly: “With your Fourth Young Master in this state, I can’t help but worry… After you return, please convey my meaning to Lord Fan. I hope the Fan family will keep your Fourth Young Master confined and not let him go out, lest he disturb my fiancée. If my wife miscarries, the Lu and Fan families will surely become mortal enemies.”

Poor Luo Lingyu had never been pregnant in the first place, so how could she miscarry?

Yet Lu Yun spoke with complete conviction, not blushing at all, and outsiders could only nod in agreement.

The Fan family servants accepted Lu Yun’s words, promising they would not let Fourth Young Master Fan out to offend anyone. Lu Yun and Fan Qingchen exchanged another cold glance. Not trusting the Fan family, Lu Yun was about to instruct his people to watch Fan Qingchen at the Fan residence when a soldier’s loud voice came from outside the alley: “Lieutenant Lu, Lieutenant Lu—”

This soldier ran into the alley, not even catching his breath before saluting and reporting: “The general has sent new information from the front lines—the Northern Kingdom has sent envoys to our Southern Kingdom, requesting that the Lieutenant arrange people to receive them.”

Lu Yun was startled and said with an intriguing tone: “Why would Northern Kingdom envoys come to the Southern Kingdom at this time?”

Aren’t we still at war?

Are the Northern people so unorthodox?

…

The Northern people’s thoughts were easy to guess—they wanted to win the war. But now that the war seemed to have stalled, they sent envoys to try other approaches. Surrender was impossible, but other paths might end the war. Although the Northern army was stronger than the Southern army, the North didn’t want to keep expanding their military strength here either.

The war between the Southern and Northern Kingdoms had paused first, with the Northern envoys halted outside the Southern Kingdom, unable to enter until someone went to inspect them and complete the procedures to verify there was no danger. General Wei Cong was impatient about managing these envoy matters, and now that there was a military advisor who happened to be their Southern Kingdom’s famous beauty, General Wei simply handed over these complicated matters of receiving the envoys to Lu Yun—having heard that there was a beautiful princess among the envoys, it seemed fitting to arrange for a pretty boy like Third Young Master Lu to handle it.

For several consecutive days, people kept coming to ask the General about the envoy matters. General Wei grew tired of it and simply led his troops out of the city for military drills, not wanting to worry about these things. General Wei only wanted to fight battles, naturally believing that since the court had sent a military advisor and Lu Yun wasn’t going to the battlefield, he should handle such matters.

However, the arrival of the envoys was confidential at this time, and ordinary families couldn’t get this information. The major Fan family of Nanyang only wondered why there had been no fighting for two days; they had heard some rumors but didn’t ask. Small gentry families like the Luo family had no way of knowing what was happening in Nanyang.

The Fan family was breaking off the engagement, and Luo Lingyu would once again become an unmarried beauty whom young lords could pursue.

After returning to the Nanyang Luo family, Luo Lingyu immediately gave gifts to everyone in the family—Jianye’s special tea, green rice balls, iced wine, and other items, bringing some for everyone. After being away for half a year, the young lady was still so considerate upon her return, and it was clear that Luo Lingyu was about to marry the Lu family’s third son from Jianye. The Nanyang Luo family couldn’t stop praising her, and when facing Luo Lingyu, they all showed a degree of favor-seeking.

Previously, they only knew that Fourth Young Master Fan was madly in love with Luo Lingyu. That person was already not quite normal, so no one sought to understand the reason for his infatuation.

Now even Third Young Master Lu wanted to marry Luo Lingyu…

When the Luo family’s young ladies came to see Luo Lingyu, their tone carried more than a little sourness. They were also very embarrassed because when Third Young Master Lu had come to their house, they too had wanted to marry such a graceful young lord. Because of these thoughts of marriage, hiding behind screens, who knew how much mockery they had earned in Third Young Master Lu’s heart? The Luo family’s young ladies were extremely jealous, speaking half-truthfully and half-falsely—

“Who knows what kind of seduction you used again? Is Third Young Master Lu brainless, to fall for your tactics?”

“You’re marrying above your station, you must be submissive. Sister, can you tell me how you managed to please him?”

“Is he taking you as a wife, not a concubine? But sister dear, with someone like Third Young Master Lu, even if he takes you as his wife, you won’t be able to stop him from taking concubines later, right? Ah, what can we do when our family status is so far below theirs? You should be grateful he’s willing to marry you.”

The maid Lingyu, who came from the Jianye Lu family, listened from the side and was fuming. In the Lu family, Luo Lingyu was a guest, and the Lu family had no girls. Usually, whoever came to stay at their house was addressed as “cousin,” so Luo Lingyu’s treatment by the Lu family was quite good. But there were many young ladies in the Nanyang Luo family, and they all had known Luo Lingyu for many years and knew her background, so their words weren’t very pleasant.

Moreover, Lingyu was very angry: the young miss wasn’t even married yet, and they were already talking about their Third Young Master taking concubines. How irritating.

While the maid was full of anger, Luo Lingyu remained thick-skinned. Dealing with these young ladies who knew her inside and out required different tactics than dealing with the young misses from Jianye. She gave a light laugh and had her maid open the large chest full of items. Luo Lingyu swayed her slender waist as she rose to lead these young ladies to admire what she had brought. Fine silks and satins, gold and silver jade items, rhinoceros horn and black gold, mountains of golden powder. The dazzling chest opened to reveal an array of treasures… The gentry ladies who were used to fine things covered their mouths and let out soft exclamations.

Luo Lingyu rested her cheek on her hand and smiled, her face blooming like a flower, both alluring and pure.

The young lady said coquettishly: “These are all gifts from Brother Xuezhen.”

“He sent me so many of his account books, so many that I couldn’t finish reading them all, staying up late every day. He’s such a bother.”

“When I came to Nanyang, I was supposed to be escorted by the Prince of Hengyang, but Brother Xuezhen insisted I ride in his carriage. When I said I didn’t want to, he even got angry with me. Ah, Brother Xuezhen has such a childish temper.”

The young ladies were stunned: …What? Even the Prince of Hengyang was eager to escort her. How could Luo Lingyu’s charm be so great? Couldn’t men see her true nature?

Luo Lingyu spoke softly, showing off an air of casual indifference while constantly emphasizing her agency, leaving the Luo family’s young ladies speechless. This young lady didn’t care at all what they said; the Luo family wasn’t powerful enough, and seeing Luo Lingyu show off how much Lu Yun loved and admired her, the Luo family’s young ladies couldn’t stand it and left, driven away by Luo Lingyu.

Maid Lingyu was amazed: the young lady was so mischievous, teasing people like this.

…

But Lu Yun hadn’t come to see Luo Lingyu for a long time, and the Luo family’s young ladies whispered whether Third Young Master Lu had changed his mind and didn’t want Luo Lingyu anymore. Luo Lingyu held her chin high, naturally not taking their sour words to heart. But Lu Yun’s continued absence gradually made her uneasy. That night it was he who had been embarrassed, and she had only laughed once behind his back—surely Lu Yun wouldn’t stop coming to see her just because she had mocked him once?

She was still waiting for him to come make amends, to let the Luo family’s young ladies see clearly.

If he never came, who could she show off to?

Moreover, she was also afraid he would change his mind about marrying her… Luo Lingyu felt wronged; she was still worried about whether he would die, she had come to Nanyang specifically to help him, yet he ignored her. And she hadn’t done anything wrong, she just wasn’t pregnant. How could that be her fault? It was his lack of ability.

Yet he was angry from embarrassment and taking it out on her.

Luo Lingyu lounged at home, eagerly waiting for Lu Yun to find her, growing more and more uncomfortable as she waited. The Luo family people also waited anxiously, not knowing that Lu Yun wasn’t in Nanyang, not knowing that Lu Yun had left Nanyang to receive the so-called envoys; they only knew that the Fan family was breaking off the engagement, yet Third Young Master Lu showed no concern for Luo Lingyu.

Madam Luo came to probe, asking if there was any misunderstanding between Luo Lingyu and Third Young Master Lu.

Luo Lingyu tearfully told Madam Luo about their quarrel, omitting the details, and seeking advice from her elder. Madam Luo suggested that Luo Lingyu go see Third Young Master Lu, saying that for someone as proud as Third Young Master Lu, there was nothing wrong with a young lady trying to please him… After preparing some food, the anxious Madam Luo pushed Luo Lingyu out the door.

…

Feeling deeply embarrassed and afraid of being recognized, Luo Lingyu snuck out secretly, not daring to take the main road. When she arrived at the military camp, she only had the maid Lingyu with her. But they weren’t allowed into the camp, so Luo Lingyu and her maid stood outside anxiously with their food boxes.

Luo Lingyu remained silent, watching Lingyu plead with the guard.

Suddenly, she felt a burning gaze fixed upon her.

The young lady turned to look.

The sound of hooves thundered outside the military camp as General Wei Cong led his troops back to camp. Sitting high on his horse, he caught sight of the young lady below who was as beautiful as morning dew, and immediately took a deep breath, staring in amazement—

“A celestial maiden descended to earth…”

General Wei had a sudden thought: such a beautiful young lady, he hadn’t seen her before—he dismounted and cupped his hands in greeting, laughing heartily: “…Could you be the Princess?”

“Is the Princess coming to our Southern Kingdom for a political marriage? Must it be with His Majesty?”

With her dress floating like clouds and her waist so slender, behind her, the sounds of military training thundered from the camp, while before her the clouds were high and the wind was clear. Luo Lingyu’s autumn-pool eyes widened as she stared at him in surprise.

General Wei thick-skinned moved closer to her: “Would the Princess consider me?”

Luo Lingyu: “…”