These past few days, Ling Jingshu had been occupied with cultivating her friendship with Ling Jingxian, and had spent less time with Ling Xiao than usual.

Lu Hong had in fact been with Ling Xiao every day, patiently guiding him through classical texts and examination essays. Ling Xiao had benefited a great deal, and since he had very few chances to spend time with boys his own age, he found it all rather refreshing. Lu Hong was deliberately winning him over, and the two had grown easy and familiar with each other quite quickly.

When Ling Jingshu sent someone to call Ling Xiao to Qiushui Pavilion for lunch, it was perfectly natural for Ling Xiao to invite Lu Hong and his brother along. What he had not foreseen was that it would put Ling Jingshu out.

Even without eyes, he could hear the restrained impatience beneath Ling Jingshu’s carefully controlled tone.

“A’Shu,” Ling Xiao said, a little uneasily, tugging at her sleeve. He kept his voice low. “Are you unhappy?”

Ling Jingshu’s expression softened at once. She replied in a light, cheerful voice: “There are more people — it’ll be livelier at the table. Why would I be unhappy? You’re overthinking it. The food is ready, let’s go in.”

As she spoke, she took Ling Xiao’s arm, then turned and smiled, reaching for Ling Jingxian’s hand as well: “Jingxian jiejie, let’s go in together.”

Lu Hong and Lu Qian, who had been quietly set aside: “…”

The two brothers exchanged a glance, each concealing the small, quiet ache it left, and followed along as if nothing had happened.

The meal was, of course, entirely lavish. Without any elders present, there was less standing on ceremony as well.

Ling Jingxian looked over the table and could not help laughing. “Are we having an all-fish banquet today?”

More than half the dishes on the table were fish — steamed, red-braised, sweet-and-sour, simmered in broth, prepared in every manner imaginable.

“A’Xiao loves fish.” Ling Jingshu smiled, offering a simple explanation. Then she picked up a piece of fish, and with careful, patient hands, picked out every last bone before placing it into Ling Xiao’s bowl.

Ling Xiao had loved fish since he was small. After losing his sight, eating fish had become a troublesome affair. Ling Jingshu had never been willing to leave this to someone else — the task of deboning had always been done by her own hands.

Only when Ling Xiao’s bowl was nearly piled full did Ling Jingshu finally stop, and said gently: “A’Xiao, the bones are all out. You can eat freely.”

Ling Xiao responded with a sound of pure happiness and bent his head happily to eat.

Ling Jingshu watched him eat with such contentment, and the corners of her own lips curved into a smile.

That faint, gentle smile lit up her beautiful face in an instant — her eyes soft with feeling, glimmering like precious stones, brilliant and full of warmth.

Against such a captivating radiance, all words fell short.

Lu Hong’s breath stilled. He could not help himself — his gaze fixed on her, deep and unmoving.

That kind of intensity. That kind of focus.

Impossible to overlook, even if one tried.

Ling Jingshu looked directly past it, smiling as she turned to serve Ling Jingxian: “Jingxian jiejie, I hope these dishes suit your taste. Don’t just sit there — help yourself.”

Ling Jingxian pulled herself back to the present and answered with a smile.

Such a refined and handsome young man sitting right across from her, and Jingshu meimei was utterly unmoved. That kind of composure was truly astonishing.

“Jingshu biaojie, you’ve been deboning fish for A’Xiao biaoge this whole time, and serving food to Jingxian biaojie — you haven’t eaten a thing yourself!” Lu Qian broke the silence with an easy smile, and with great enthusiasm began piling food into Ling Jingshu’s bowl — in the blink of an eye, it was overflowing. “Your appetite hasn’t been good these days, and you’ve been looking a little thin. You really should eat more.”

Faced with such earnest attentiveness, Ling Jingshu could not very well keep a stiff expression, and had no choice but to offer a brief word of thanks.

Only then did the odd, weighted silence over the table finally ease somewhat.

“Tomorrow is Grandmother’s birthday. What have you prepared as a gift?” Ling Jingxian asked with curiosity.

“I’ve had mine ready for a while. I made Grandmother a pair of shoes. What about you?”

“I was originally going to make her a set of clothes, but Mother said my needlework isn’t refined enough, and Grandmother wouldn’t like them. So I changed to making a sachet instead — I filled it with dried chrysanthemum petals, which calm the mind and clear the head.”

The two sisters chatted on in easy, comfortable chatter.

Lu Hong, a degree removed, had no opening to contribute.

Lu Qian had no such reservations, and jumped in with a grin: “I copied out a sutra for Grandmother.” He then turned to Ling Xiao with bright interest: “A’Xiao biaoge, did you prepare a gift for Grandmother?”

Ling Xiao looked a little uncomfortable, and replied in a small voice: “I wanted to prepare something myself. But I can’t see, and I can’t copy out a sutra either…”

Of all the topics to bring up — knowing perfectly well that Ling Xiao was blind, unable even to manage his own daily needs without help, let alone prepare a gift with his own hands!

Lu Qian was immediately annoyed at himself, and laughed quickly to cover it: “Wanting to do it is what matters. Even if you don’t bring anything, Grandmother won’t mind at all.”

Ling Xiao managed a smile, but a shadow of gloom had settled over his brow.

“I happen to have thought of something,” Lu Hong said suddenly with a smile. “It doesn’t require much effort, and it will make Grandmother laugh.”

Ling Xiao’s face lit up at once. He looked at him full of hope. “What is it, Biao-gege Hong?”

Lu Hong leaned over and murmured a few sentences in Ling Xiao’s ear. Ling Xiao listened and nodded with growing excitement.

Ling Jingshu found her own curiosity piqued and had almost asked aloud — but one glance at Lu Hong’s warmly devoted eyes made her stomach turn, and she quietly swallowed the question back down.

The Ling family was a prominent clan in Dingzhou. Ling Daye held a position in the capital, Ling Wuye was a celebrated man-about-town in Dingzhou with a wide circle of connections, and their guest of honor was Lu An, arriving from a distance as the Regional Inspector of Jizhou. For Old Madam Ling’s seventieth birthday banquet, all of this naturally translated into a splendid and lively occasion.

The main gate of the Ling manor was opened from early in the morning to receive guests.

Those coming to offer congratulations and gifts arrived in an unending stream. The sons, daughters-in-law, grandsons, and granddaughters-in-law of the Ling household were all mobilized to welcome visitors, running themselves ragged.

Ling Jingshu had no chance to rest either. She and Ling Jingwan, Ling Jingxian, and the other female cousins were responsible for entertaining the young women who had come along with their elders.

The guests worthy of crossing the Ling threshold were all young ladies of some standing in Dingzhou society. Most of them knew Ling Jingshu well, and on seeing her there was no shortage of warm pleasantries and catching up.

By the time half the day had passed, Ling Jingshu had talked so much that her throat was parched and nearly smoking.

Because of his blindness, Ling Xiao could not manage to receive guests properly, and was spared the whole affair. He sat contentedly beside Old Madam Ling the entire time.

The female visitors who had come to wish Old Madam Ling well inevitably cast a sympathetic glance at Ling Xiao as they spoke with her.

This bright, beautiful, clever young boy — and yet the cruel hand of fate had robbed him of his sight. Unable to read, unable to write, dependent on others for his most basic daily needs. Indistinguishable from one who had lost all use of himself. What a waste.

Ling Xiao was unaware of those looks — or perhaps he had noticed them, but what was there to do? From the age of eight, he had lived within the radius of such gazes. Over time, one had no choice but to grow used to them.

The long procession of guests offering their birthday wishes finally drew to a close.

Old Madam Ling was in exceptionally fine spirits today, and showed no sign of fatigue at all. She smiled at Ling Shi. “Your father left early, and all these years I held myself together and raised you children on my own. And in the blink of an eye, I have grown old.”

Seventy years was an age few reached, and to be this sharp and vigorous at seventy was rarer still.

Ling Shi had always had a sweet tongue with her mother, having coaxed and flattered her all her life. She laughed immediately: “Mother, your complexion is rosy and your eyes are bright — you look no older than your fifties at most. Old? What old?”

Old Madam Ling was delighted, and let out a pleased laugh.

Ling Xiao, who had been sitting quietly without a word, suddenly smiled: “Grandmother, I have prepared a birthday gift for you!”

Old Madam Ling’s interest was immediately caught. “You prepared a gift? Why didn’t you bring it out earlier with your sisters?”

“My gift is different.” Ling Xiao’s smile was pure and clear, like a child with no knowledge of the world’s shadows, carrying a guileless, untouched innocence.

Old Madam Ling had always been especially tender toward Ling Xiao, and said fondly: “What on earth is it? The way you’re building it up, Grandmother is quite curious.”

Ling Xiao stood, cleared his throat, and announced: “For Grandmother’s birthday, I have specially composed a poem to present to her.”

So it was a congratulatory poem.

Old Madam Ling listened with warm anticipation.

Fragrant wine fills the air and guests pause to breathe it in, As blessings, fortune, and the grace of immortals are gathered in. The eastern tower, the jade ridge, the crane among ancient pines — A heart as vast as the sea, one life of honor shines. With longevity come, the sun and moon are lit anew, And songs and verses rise to wish you years of glory too. The southern heavens shift to plant the great banyan tree — And heaven grants the peach of immortals, borne into your pavilion free.

Ling Xiao recited it slowly, his voice clear and melodious.

Old Madam Ling, a woman of considerable learning, listened with a face full of delight, nodding repeatedly. “Wonderful, wonderful! This poem is truly excellent! Of all the gifts I have received today, this one pleases my heart more than any other.”

With Old Madam Ling’s pronouncement, the others naturally added their admiring remarks.

Ling Xiao had shone in front of everyone, and was inwardly overjoyed. What a pity that A’Shu had gone to the garden with the other girls to admire the flowers, and was not here to share in his happiness.

A familiar young voice came to rest beside his ear: “A’Xiao biaodi, this poem you’ve composed is truly excellent.”

Ling Xiao broke into a grin. “I must thank Biao-gege Hong for giving me such a wonderful idea.”

Lu Hong did not take credit for it, and only laughed with modest ease: “I merely made a passing suggestion. Every word of this poem came entirely from you. I didn’t help at all.”

After a pause, he ventured: “A’Xiao biaodi — were you just now hoping to go find Jingshu biaojie? Walking around on your own is difficult. Let me go with you to find her.”

Ling Xiao was briefly startled, then quickly nodded.

Lu Hong pressed down the surge of delight in his chest, and while no one was paying attention, slipped out of the inner hall with Ling Xiao.

Making friends with Ling Xiao had indeed been the right move. It was the most convenient route to being near Ling Jingshu. And best of all, the timing today meant he had managed to leave Lu Qian behind — Lu Qian had a habit of following at his heels, making it impossible to find a moment to speak his heart in private…

Lu Hong was still adrift in these tender imaginings when Ling Xiao suddenly halted, and in a voice pitched low enough for just the two of them said: “Biao-gege Hong — do you like A’Shu?”

Lu Hong: “…”