CHAPTER 016
The servants who had come to help the young scholar wash up and change were stunned and stood frozen in place. This was the first time they had witnessed such a shy and bashful scene, unsure whether they should step forward to serve him. Seeing this, Xiao Yuan waved his hand, signaling them to leave.
When you're in the situation, it's hard to see clearly, but when you're watching from the outside, everything is much more apparent.
Xiao Yuan gazed worriedly at the bed, sighing inwardly. The young scholar was born into nobility, appearing proud and dignified on the surface. Those who didn’t know him well might think he was a bit arrogant and willful.
In reality, the young scholar had been pampered and raised in the inner chambers from a young age, so it was natural for his personality to be a bit more lively. However, he was innately pure, innocent, and always clear about what he liked and disliked.
The young scholar’s affection for Scholar Lu didn’t develop overnight; perhaps it began the day Scholar Lu saved him from the Liu Su River, planting a silent seed of affection.
Once he learned that his savior was Scholar Lu, that seed began to sprout and bloom rapidly, like a vine that unknowingly climbed into the young scholar’s heart, growing uncontrollably and leading to today’s improper behavior.
From the innocence of youth to the awakening of feelings, the young scholar, having tasted the sweetness of love for the first time, couldn’t possibly grasp the seriousness of his actions. Today’s clingy behavior reminded Xiao Yuan of the times when the master was present, though now it was even more intense. If the feelings were mutual, it wouldn’t be a problem.
But clearly, this was just a one-sided infatuation on the young scholar’s part.
Xiao Yuan paused, then decided to bring the young scholar back to reality. He boldly said, “Young Scholar, even though you like Scholar Lu, as a young man who has not yet come of age, what you did today goes against the virtues of manhood and should not be done. Moreover, it seems that Scholar Lu sees you only as a student and harbors no other feelings. He even saved your life once. If Scholar Lu realizes what you did after sobering up…”
Every word of Xiao Yuan’s speech hit Su Qingwan like a thunderclap. The blush of shyness on his face instantly turned into a pallor of shame, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. He felt a bone-chilling cold surge through him, dragging him from the clouds into a dark, dirty gutter.
He couldn’t understand why, but at that moment, he seemed to have lost all reason, greedily taking in her presence. He shouldn’t have indulged his selfish desires, giving in to his wicked impulses and taking advantage of her.
How would Yun’er Sister see him now?
As a despicable, shameless person?
Dirty and vile?
Lustful and disgraceful?
The thoughts cut through Su Qingwan’s heart like a knife, making his body tremble uncontrollably under the quilt. His eyes reddened, and tears began to stream down as he clutched the quilt tightly.
Before Xiao Yuan could finish speaking, he heard the faint sound of sobbing coming from the bed. His face filled with regret, he hurried over to comfort him. “Alright, Young Scholar, please don’t cry. Xiao Yuan…”
“I want to be alone,” Su Qingwan interrupted, his face full of tears as he bit his lip hard, feeling utterly miserable.
Xiao Yuan’s face showed concern, but he obediently closed the door and left.
In the northern courtyard of the Yun Prince's Manor, on the east side, a quiet garden was filled with vines, bamboo, and various flowers and plants. On the windowsill were several pots of buds nestled among lush green leaves, likely to bloom into a sea of flowers in just a few days.
In the spacious, well-lit study, a faint scent of sandalwood lingered in the air. On the sandalwood desk were brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, while the bookshelves were neatly arranged with various books.
Su Bai was calmly practicing calligraphy, his strokes bold and powerful, flowing smoothly across the paper.
One's writing reflects their character; each stroke, whether revealing or concealing strength, was perfectly balanced, both gentle and firm.
Suddenly, a shadow flashed past the window, and the next moment, a woman dressed in black appeared silently in the study. She leaned in and whispered in Su Bai’s ear for a moment before disappearing without a trace.
It was as if Su Bai’s thoughts had stalled; she held her brush above the paper, and because she didn’t bring it down, the ink pooled at the tip, dripping onto the paper and spreading out in a stain.
Then, a bright flame seemed to ignite in her deep, dark eyes, and a smile slowly curled at the corners of her lips as she softly murmured three words.
“Lu Yun’er.”
Late at night, with the moon shining like silver.
At the Lu Residence.
In the middle of the night, Lu Yun’er woke up with a dry throat. Feeling parched, she groped her way through the dark room, guided only by the faint moonlight filtering through the window. Finally, she made her way to the table and poured herself a cup of water. But as soon as she took a sip, she cried out in pain.
“Hiss—”
The fog in her mind instantly cleared.
Lu Yun’er set down the cup and immediately lit the lamps in the room. She went to her dressing table, picked up a mirror, and gently examined her lips, discovering that her lower lip had been bitten, leaving it red and swollen.
With her experience in matters of love, Lu Yun’er immediately knew what had happened—someone had roughly ravaged her lips.
And the kiss had been clumsy, lacking any restraint.
This wasn’t a kiss; it was more like someone had gnawed on her lips.
“Who’s the wretch that did this?” Lu Yun’er frowned in displeasure. She had never been taken advantage of like this before.
Just then, the door opened.
“Madam, you’re awake. Are you still feeling unwell? Shall I brew you some sober-up tea?” Qiu Yi had been worried that Madam might not fully sober up and could fall if she got up in the night. So she hadn’t slept too deeply, and when she saw the light in Madam’s room, she rushed in to check.
Lu Yun’er, with a serious expression, asked calmly, “When did I return to the residence last night?”
Qiu Yi blinked and replied, “Around the hour of the pig. I was going to come and fetch you as usual, but before I could leave, the young scholar from the Yun Prince’s Manor had already brought you back. I was quite surprised. I wondered why…”
“So, it was the young scholar who brought me back?” Lu Yun’er’s long, thick eyelashes trembled slightly. She set down the mirror and slowly turned to face Qiu Yi, her tone serious.
“That’s right.” The oblivious Qiu Yi answered honestly, not noticing anything unusual about her Madam. Curiously, she asked, “Is something wrong, Madam?”
“Nothing. I want to take a bath,” Lu Yun’er said, regaining her composure, her eyes narrowing slightly as she spoke softly.
"Let me go prepare." Before leaving, Qiu Yi didn't forget to remind, "My Lady, you really should avoid eating spicy foods in the future. When you first returned to the manor, your lips were all red and swollen. It didn't look good at all."
"...Not good-looking?"
Lu Yun'er muttered to herself, suddenly feeling a bit of a headache. She raised her hand to rub her temples, wondering if it was Qiu Yi's foolish words that annoyed her. One day, this silly Qiu Yi will be sold off, and she’ll probably count the money for the buyer.
After a moment, Lu Yun'er stood up and walked to the window, her white inner robe fluttering as she stood there, exuding an ethereal and otherworldly aura. She gazed at the endless darkness outside with a sense of loneliness, as if the world had fallen silent and everything was empty.
To be honest, she didn’t have much guard up against Su Xiaoshizi. At most, she considered him just a boy in his teens, while the original owner was already twenty years old. Whether as a teacher or an elder, she treated him with the care and guidance expected of someone in her position.
Although Sister Lan had joked about her and Su Xiaoshizi, she didn’t take it to heart because she had heard plenty of such jokes about men and women before.
She wasn’t someone who was entirely indifferent to love or who abstained from it entirely.
Before transmigrating, she had experienced three relationships of varying seriousness. But after going through life and death, she viewed everything more lightly. Not long after transmigrating, she took up the position of Minister of Revenue, where she was constantly busy with her official duties and had to deal with various people in the court. She truly didn’t have much time for anything else.
Balancing love and career was something she found difficult to manage.
The main thing was that when it came to relationships, she valued the connection. And with that recurring nightmare, she increasingly felt that her soul might eventually return to her original body.
If one day she could indeed return, she would undoubtedly choose to go back to the world she truly belonged to!
That familiar environment where she grew up, her loving family, and her close friends were all there.
It’s not that she doesn’t feel attached to this place—her friends here have treated her well. That’s why she has intentionally avoided forming too many deeper bonds.
Love, in particular, was something she couldn’t afford to touch at the moment. Once she did, she might never be able to leave.
As for Su Xiaoshizi...
Thinking back on how he inexplicably appeared at the music house, it seemed he had been following her all along. He looked at her with those moist, pitiful eyes. At the time, she thought he was disappointed in her as a teacher for visiting such an inappropriate place. Who would have thought it had a different meaning?
When did this daring little guy start harboring such feelings for her?
She hadn’t noticed at all.
But now, she would have to put an end to this budding affection.
After bathing, having breakfast, and taking care of other miscellaneous matters, she left for the Imperial Academy earlier than usual.
In the carriage, Lu Yun'er leaned against the wall, her eyes quietly closed, but her mind was a tangled mess.
Upon arriving at the Imperial Academy, the moment the carriage stopped, Lu Yun'er naturally opened her eyes.
As she lifted the curtain, Qiu Yi whispered, "My Lady, isn’t that Su Xiaoshizi standing at the entrance of Jixian Gate?"
Lu Yun'er paused, hand still on the curtain, but she didn’t follow Qiu Yi’s gaze. Instead, she calmly disembarked from the carriage.
On the other side, Su Qingwan's eyes had been fixed on the carriage from the moment it arrived, not looking away for even a moment.
The surroundings fell silent, and when he heard Qiu Yi’s voice and noticed her looking over, he desperately wished that Yun'er Sister would also glance at him, just once—just once!
But Yun'er Sister remained indifferent. Her cold disregard felt like a sharp blade, piercing him and sending waves of heartache throughout his body.
Su Qingwan’s face stiffened, and he lowered his dense, ink-black lashes, feeling a layer of dampness in his palms.
...Yun'er Sister was angry.
She was ignoring him...
Lu Yun'er, carrying a food box, walked straight ahead. She caught a glimpse of him looking like a frostbitten eggplant, pitiful as if he were a child who had done something wrong.
A ripple of emotion softened Lu Yun'er’s clear eyes, and she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of affection. But the next moment, she looked away and quickly walked past him.
She wasn’t a cold-hearted person. People aren’t made of stone, and it’s impossible to remain so aloof.
Su Xiaoshizi was at an age where feelings of infatuation were normal. During adolescence, it’s natural to have a crush on someone, and as a teacher, she should appropriately guide him.
But she was also part of this situation. What she had thought was the bond between a teacher and student turned out to be something more, and it was her responsibility to persuade him to give up on this path.
At this moment, the sky gradually brightened, though it was still obscured by clouds. The dim light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a patchwork of shadows on the ground, following the figures, one behind the other.
Inside the Imperial Academy, everything was quiet and peaceful, silent without a sound.
Su Qingwan obediently followed behind, taking a step whenever Lu Yun'er did, carefully maintaining a certain distance to avoid making her uncomfortable.
Finally, Yun'er Sister stopped, turned to face him, but said nothing, exuding a coldness that kept him at a distance.
Su Qingwan nervously met those clear, almond-shaped eyes, only to find that the light in them had changed.
Before, they were warm and gentle, like a spring breeze. Today, however, they were cold and distant, like falling into an icy pit.
“I’m sorry,” Su Qingwan said, his wet eyes looking at her as he bit his lower lip in deep remorse.
His voice trembled uncontrollably, and that tear mole, bright and red, seemed ready to fall, radiating a kind of heartbreaking vulnerability.
His sincere and humble tone carried a hint of self-deprecation, almost a plea.
Lu Yun'er remained silent, but she noticed his swollen phoenix eyes and the faint trace of blue under his lower eyelids, along with the weariness between his brows.
It looked like he had cried all night and got up early just to apologize to her as soon as possible.
“I’m sorry,” Su Qingwan repeated when Yun'er Sister didn’t respond.
His heart sank completely. His fingers, hidden in his sleeve, unconsciously clenched the fabric, his fingertips turning white from the force.
Su Qingwan, already slender and delicate, with porcelain-like skin, looked utterly pure and alluring with his tear-filled eyes. From the inside out, he radiated a fragile beauty that stirred a protective instinct in people, making them want to hold him close and never let go.
Like a beautiful jade, but so easy to shatter.
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