CHAPTER 017
Su Qingwan stood there quietly, his exquisitely beautiful face naturally showing a tearful expression, making him appear pitiful and captivating.
Everyone has an appreciation for beauty, and Lu Yun'er was no exception. But what needs to be done must be done. She had to deal with this situation quickly while no one else was around.
She retracted her gaze and immediately turned her body away, no longer looking at him. But this action, in Su Qingwan's eyes, seemed as if he had become so filthy and unworthy of her attention that she couldn't even bear to look at him. A wave of bitterness surged within him.
Indeed! He had soiled Yun'er Scholar’s eyes.
Lu Yun'er’s expression remained calm, but her tone was serious as she said, "What happened yesterday, I don't want to bring it up again. I hope that the Young Duke Su will conduct himself with more propriety in the future. In the academy, let’s maintain our teacher-student relationship. As for anything else, Young Duke Su, don't waste your time."
Having said that, she carried her food box and left, not lingering. This kind of matter could be made clear with just a few words; there was no need for further conversation.
As Lu Yun'er's words hung in the air, Su Qingwan fell silent. His once bright eyes were immediately covered in a layer of mist, and on his fair, tender face, tears fell unknowingly like a string of broken pearls.
Su Qingwan decided to follow his heart, speaking with a seriousness he had never shown before: "But I truly like Scholar Yun'er."
As his voice trailed off, Su Qingwan’s heartbeat pounded so hard that his entire body tingled. His face, as pure and flawless as jade, flushed a deep red, as beautiful as a rose, or as the ripe and glistening cherries. His affectionate gaze remained fixed on Lu Yun'er's figure.
Unexpectedly, this blatant confession caused Lu Yun'er to stiffen. Her calm expression cracked, and she furrowed her brows slightly, tightening her grip on the food box. However, she still walked forward, leaving only a cold voice lingering in the air, devoid of any emotion.
"Young Duke Su, you should find someone else to like!"
Su Qingwan stood frozen in place, feeling as if his heart had been pierced by a knife, bleeding profusely, causing him to tremble all over. His gaze gradually became unfocused, and his expression, filled with sadness, revealed a fragile confusion.
"But such a good woman doesn't cling to the mundane world!"
"...Yet she is someone who doesn’t ask for love."
"...She interacts with others only to a certain extent, as if deliberately keeping a distance to avoid forming deep bonds. Her gaze is always pure... she gives the impression that she could disappear at any moment."
Su Qingwan’s mind was filled with the conversation he had with Xie Nanxi that day. Xie Nanxi's words weighed heavily on his heart like a stone, and the sadness spread like thick ink in water, quickly overwhelming him.
Meanwhile, Lu Yun'er carried her food box along the path, her steps slow and heavy.
Lu Yun'er's mind kept replaying the words of Su Qingwan's confession. She knew that in this matriarchal world, men were expected to observe the virtues of men, where their purity and reputation were of utmost importance.
Su Qingwan's behavior had truly taken her by surprise. In the past, she had easily dealt with such situations, but today’s situation was unlike anything she had encountered before.
The youthful affection of a young man was pure and sincere, like the clear spring water in a secluded valley, or like the sun's rays in midsummer, leaving no room for anything to hide. It was a brave but not impulsive declaration, meant solely to express his feelings of love.
He didn’t care about anything else, only about what he wanted and what he liked.
This overt affection was much bolder and more intense compared to the kind of love that is carefully hidden in the heart, so much so that it almost burned Lu Yun'er.
At this moment, the golden sunlight scattered like ripples on water. A gentle breeze, carrying the coolness of morning dew, brushed against Lu Yun'er's cheeks, causing her hair to flutter before her face.
Lu Yun'er, burdened with her thoughts, felt her steps grow heavier as she walked towards the Scholar Hall, completely unaware of the group of people on the left side of the fork in the road.
Sheng Qingzi, who had spotted Lu Yun'er from afar, had her eyes light up instantly and happily greeted, "Scholar Lu!" However, Lu Yun'er, lost in her thoughts, didn’t notice her surroundings. Sheng Qingzi, unwilling to give up, called out again, "Scholar Lu."
Wen Qing observed carefully and said, "Scholar Lu seems lost in thought! But it's the first time I've seen Scholar Lu like this."
Hearing Wen Qing's words, Sheng Qingzi looked at Lu Yun'er once more, carefully observing her dazed expression, her face tinged with a light sorrow, and her slightly disheveled hair.
...She’s lost in thought.
"Let me handle this!" Zhu Miaomiao, who was full of energy, rushed forward, playfully tapping Lu Yun'er on the shoulder and cheerfully greeting her, "Scholar Lu! Good morning!"
This combination of words and actions was sure to snap Scholar Lu out of her daze, and Zhu Miaomiao knew Lu Yun'er well enough to be confident that she wouldn't get upset.
The sudden greeting and the weight on her shoulder finally brought Lu Yun'er back to reality. Although slightly startled, she quickly regained her usual composure, turned to Zhu Miaomiao, and said gently, "Good morning, Scholar Zhu."
She then noticed the others behind Zhu Miaomiao and, maintaining her smile, continued, "Good morning, Scholar Sheng, Scholar Wen."
Sheng Qingzi and Wen Qing returned the greeting with smiles, "Good morning, Scholar Lu."
Zhu Miaomiao, grinning, asked, "Scholar Lu, you were so lost in thought this morning. What were you thinking about? Care to share? Who knows, we might be able to help you out!"
Lu Yun'er’s thoughts raced, and she replied, "It’s just a minor issue, nothing serious."
This was something she couldn’t discuss.
Although Lu Yun'er appeared no different from usual, Sheng Qingzi had been paying close attention to her since noticing something was off. Her gaze unintentionally fell on Lu Yun'er's lips, and curiosity got the better of her as she asked, "Scholar Lu, what happened to your lips?"
Zhu Miaomiao immediately picked up on the gossip potential and quickly followed up, "What happened to your lips?"
Lu Yun'er paused for a second, instinctively touching her lips. Her eyes flickered ever so slightly, but her expression remained calm as she explained, "I was too hasty during dinner last night and accidentally bit my lip."
Hearing this, Sheng Qingzi's worries dissipated.
Wen Qing smiled and, with a hint of concern in her tone, said, "As the saying goes: ‘Haste makes waste,’ Scholar Lu. In the future, you should eat slowly and not rush."
Lu Yun'er responded, "Yes."
Zhu Miaomiao looked up at the bright sky, nodded in satisfaction, and said to Lu Yun'er, "Isn’t there supposed to be a polo match soon? The weather is so nice today. After the lecture, I’ll take you to familiarize yourself with the field!"
"Alright," Lu Yun'er replied, raising her brows with a smile that curved like a crescent moon.
She hadn’t visited the academy’s polo field yet, and she was genuinely curious to see it. It had been nearly half a year since she last played polo. When she first arrived here, far from the era of information technology, polo had become her primary form of entertainment. But as her administrative duties became more demanding, she hadn’t had time for a match since.
As the bell for class rang, they entered the Lexin Hall.
Although the incident with the Young Duke Su had occurred, Lu Yun'er continued her lectures as usual. In the academy, setting aside other matters, they were still in a teacher-student relationship, and proper etiquette between teacher and student had to be maintained.
Before Lu Yun'er even stepped into Lexin Hall, she heard the concerned voices of the students.
"Young Duke Su, what happened to you today? Why are your eyes so red and swollen?"
"Young Duke Su, you don’t look well at all. Perhaps you should go back home and rest. I’ll ask Scholar Lu to excuse you," An Caihe suggested, looking at the Young Duke with worry. When he had entered earlier, he appeared extremely haggard, as if he had lost his soul.
"Yes, Scholar Lu is so kind, she’ll definitely give you permission to rest," someone echoed.
...
The words inside the hall reached Lu Yun'er's ears. The next moment, a sudden commotion erupted in Lexin Hall, "The Young Duke Su has fainted! Someone, help!"
Lu Yun'er's pupils constricted. She immediately entered Lexin Hall, set down her lecture materials, and quickly said, "Let me take a look!"
The students, seeing Scholar Lu enter, quickly made way for her. What she saw was Su Qingwan, his eyes closed weakly, being supported in a chair by other students. His complexion was very poor, looking pale, as if a light breeze could blow him away.
Lu Yun'er’s brow furrowed unconsciously, her eyes darkening. "Quick, take the Young Duke Su to the infirmary!"
Only after saying this did Lu Yun'er remember that this was a matriarchal world, where men were not as physically strong as women, especially since they were still just teenagers.
At that moment, she couldn’t worry about anything else. Saving him was the priority. She stepped forward and lifted Su Qingwan into her arms, realizing just how light he was—so light that she could hold him with one hand. Lu Yun'er then left a parting instruction, "I’ll take the Young Duke Su to the infirmary first. Scholar An, you’ll lead the class temporarily."
With that, she hurried towards the infirmary.
At that moment, Su Qingwan regained consciousness in Lu Yun'er's arms, the familiar and pleasant scent of cold fragrance filling his senses. Instinctively, he leaned closer to her, his slender figure appearing even more delicate. He looked up at Lu Yun'er with eager eyes and said slowly, "Scholar Yun'er, I’m sorry."
Hearing this "I’m sorry," Lu Yun'er was momentarily stunned and felt the intense gaze from the person in her arms. But she kept her eyes fixed ahead, not dwelling on his words. As she ran, she reassured him, "Just hold on, we’re almost at the infirmary."
Su Qingwan’s voice was soft and weak, yet still carried a sense of determination. His hand, hanging at his side, clenched into a fist as he continued, "Scholar Yun'er, I’m sorry."
The repeated apology struck a chord in Lu Yun'er’s heart. From morning until now, he had said "I’m sorry" four times. Even in this condition, he hadn’t forgotten to apologize to her. Knowing his personality, if she didn’t respond, he would likely keep repeating it.
He seemed to have always been so persistent, just like last time when he searched for her in the vast crowd with her fan in hand.
Who exactly was this Young Duke Su?
This question began to take root in Lu Yun'er’s mind.
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