CHAPTER 035
Lu Yun'er gently smiled and replied, "This is the young master of the Su family."
Mu Yang snapped out of his daze and blinked softly. No wonder he had servants and guards with him. He looked at Su Qingwan, bowed respectfully, and said, "I am Mu Yang, greetings to Young Master Su."
From the moment this young man appeared, Su Qingwan's expression had become tense. Her gaze subtly lingered on the spot where the boy clung to Yun'er Sister's sleeve, slowly moving up to his exquisitely handsome face, where she noticed a gentle smile with a hint of affection.
She didn’t reject the boy’s intimate actions, silently permitting them.
Could this be the person Yun'er Sister admires?
Su Qingwan nodded slightly in response, trying to appear nonchalant, but a subtle pain stirred in her chest. Her hands inside her sleeves clenched tightly, her knuckles faintly turning white.
Mu Yang, though still eager to explore, noticed that it was getting late and remembered that Yun'er Sister had to go to the Imperial Academy the next day. He reluctantly decided to put his playful thoughts aside.
If he had wanted to continue, Yun'er Sister would certainly have stayed with him.
Mu Yang handed the snacks he was holding to Lu Yun'er, his soft voice tinged with weariness, "Yun'er Sister, let's go back to the residence."
"Tired?" Lu Yun'er took the snacks from his hands and, seeing him nod, said, "Then let's head back."
After saying this, Lu Yun'er and Mu Yang bowed to Su Qingwan and took their leave.
As Lu Yun'er turned away, a brief, unreadable emotion flashed in her eyes.
Watching the two walk away, Su Qingwan felt a deep sense of frustration, the unease in her heart surging once more.
At this moment, a cool night breeze gently stirred her hair, the surrounding lights casting shadows over her frail and delicate figure. Her thick, long lashes lowered, hiding her expression, as a sense of melancholy and loneliness emanated from her.
Xiaoyuan stood silently by her side, not daring to speak. Earlier today, the young master had learned that Prince Yun intended to host a poetry gathering at Lanqin Garden, inviting the young talents of the capital. It was clear that this was all about arranging a marriage for the young master.
There had already been a rift between the mother and son, and with the young master’s heart set elsewhere, it was impossible for someone of his temperament to follow Prince Yun's plans.
He had been in low spirits all day and came out for some fresh air, only to encounter Dr. Lu strolling the streets with another young man. The intimacy between the two was clear, leaving no doubt about the depth of their relationship.
Now, the young master must be feeling deeply hurt.
The next morning, before dawn.
Lu Yun'er rode in a carriage to the Imperial Academy, listening along the way as Qiu Yi detailed the arrangements for Mu Yang's stay in the capital. With Qiu Yi handling things, there was really nothing to worry about. Everything had been thoroughly considered.
Lu Yun'er smiled contentedly, "My dear Qiu Yi, you truly are a master of managing a household. Over the years, you've kept everything in the residence running smoothly, lightening my load considerably. From now on, you can manage all matters in the residence as you see fit, and I can rest easy."
Receiving such praise from her master, Qiu Yi’s face lit up with joy. However, she couldn’t always be the one managing the household; there needed to be a master of the house to take charge eventually.
"My lord, it seems you haven’t been sleeping well lately. Have you… been dreaming of something strange?" Qiu Yi asked, her eyes widening slightly as she carefully observed her master's expression, as if trying to confirm something.
At the mention of dreams, Lu Yun'er's brows furrowed slightly, her mind in turmoil. This was something she found difficult to talk about, and if she were to confide in Qiu Yi, it would invalidate what she had previously said.
It was truly something she couldn't speak of.
Recently, the dreams had become increasingly intense and uncontrollable.
Suppressing the heat rising within her, Lu Yun'er replied lightly, "It was just a nightmare that startled me, nothing more."
"I see," Qiu Yi said, a trace of disappointment flashing in her eyes. She began to doubt herself, lowering her head and muttering under her breath, "Could it be that I was deceived? I need to try it myself to see if it works. If it turns out I was tricked, I’ll deal with her later!"
Qiu Yi’s murmurs were faintly audible to Lu Yun'er, who asked, "Qiu Yi, what are you muttering about?"
"Nothing," Qiu Yi replied with an awkward smile, her mind quickly shifting gears. She then changed the subject, saying, "I was just thinking that in a few days, Young Master Mu wants to go to Yuanruo Temple to offer incense and pray for blessings. I wonder if you’ll be free to accompany him?"
At the mention of Yuanruo Temple, Lu Yun'er’s expression turned somber, her eyes growing cold. She glanced out at the gradually brightening sky outside the window and said, "We’ll see."
After arriving at the Imperial Academy and stepping out of the carriage, Lu Yun'er headed to the scholars' hall for her morning class. Her course schedule had been adjusted recently, resulting in fewer classes and assignments, and her time in the scholars' hall had also decreased.
Occasionally, she would cross paths with fellow scholars, exchanging a few brief words.
Just as she stepped into the scholars' hall, she encountered Liu Bing, who, as usual, had arrived early. A thought suddenly crossed Lu Yun'er's mind, and she smiled, "Good morning, Dr. Liu!"
Liu Bing glanced at her and responded coolly, "Good morning, Dr. Lu."
With that brief exchange, the room fell silent once again.
Despite having spent some time together, for some reason, whenever she was in the same room as Liu Bing, Lu Yun'er felt the atmosphere turn icy, no matter how much she tried to engage in conversation.
Lu Yun'er returned to her desk, pretending to busy herself in an attempt to ease the tension, occasionally organizing her papers and watering the plants by the window.
Meanwhile, Liu Bing glanced at her intermittently, a fleeting smile crossing his eyes before his expression returned to its usual coldness.
The silence was broken by the sound of Zhu Miaomiao's bell-like laughter from outside the door. Lu Yun'er paused in her tasks, watching as Zhu Miaomiao and Sheng Qingzi entered together, greeting everyone in unison, "Good morning!"
Lu Yun'er nodded with a smile, "Good morning."
After a brief conversation, the bell signaling the start of class rang, and everyone grabbed their books and headed to teach. Sheng Qingzi walked alongside Lu Yun'er.
Sheng Qingzi looked at her with a complicated expression, "The superintendent mentioned that Young Master Su has taken a sick leave and will be absent from classes for a while."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yun'er's eyelashes fluttered slightly, but her expression remained calm. "Is that so?"
She recalled how Young Master Su had been perfectly fine the night before, so how could he suddenly fall ill?
Sheng Qingzi noticed that Lu Yun'er seemed unaware of the situation, which only deepened her confusion.
After finishing her lecture and during lunch, Liu Lan informed her that the competition would take place in the afternoon and that Han Ranzhi had arrived in the capital that day, suggesting they meet at their usual spot.
During the lunch break, Lu Yun'er returned to her courtyard for a nap. After waking up, she took out a set of simple clothes from her wardrobe, changed into them, and headed straight for the back mountain sports field.
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