Since that day when Lu Yi had visited, Shen Youran found herself increasingly distracted from her studies.
She told her father that she wanted to visit her mother at the Lu Manor, and not only did he agree, but he also arranged some gifts for her to bring along to her mother.
After three days of eager anticipation, Shen Youran finally saw the Lu family’s carriage arrive.
Lu Yi rode beside the carriage on horseback, escorting her to the Lu Manor.
The Lu Manor, located in Jingcheng, was quite a distance from Shen Fu, and the carriage ride took over half an hour.
Mother and daughter had not seen each other for many years, but because they missed each other so deeply, there were endless conversations and countless tears.
Shen Youran stayed at the Lu Manor that day, sharing her mother’s bed at night, whispering intimate words close to her.
Ning Shi still held her daughter just as she had when she was little, though now the daughter’s height had nearly surpassed hers.
“By the way, I never heard from your sister about her engagement to the Pei Family Eldest Son,” Ning Shi asked.
“She said she sent you a letter,” Shen Youran replied, “Didn’t you receive it?”
“Perhaps the courier station lost it. I haven’t received any letter from your sister.”
Ning Shi stroked her youngest daughter’s silky black hair but still worried about the eldest daughter’s marriage.
“Have you ever met the Pei Family Eldest Son? What is he like? How is the Pei Residence?”
“I’ve only seen him once,” Shen Youran was too shy to mention that she had been the one to meet him on behalf of her eldest sister.
“But I didn’t get a good look at him. My sister was satisfied, though. He was ranked Third Class Jinshi in the imperial examination, he’s twenty-one this year, working as an official in Lingzhou. His knowledge and character should both be excellent…”
“The Pei Family Eldest Son’s grandfather was granted the honorary title of Grand Preceptor after retirement, his father currently serves as a Hanlin Academy Scholar, the second uncle holds a position in a relatively idle government office, and the third uncle is engaged in business in Quanzhou…”
Shen Youran’s understanding of the Pei Family came only from what her father and eldest sister had told her—just surface details, no deeper knowledge.
“So it sounds like the Pei Family is a very reputable household in Jingcheng. Your sister has good taste, choosing a good match for herself,” Ning Shi said reassuringly.
The eldest daughter had been intelligent and independent since childhood, graceful and poised.
While in Quanzhou, many families sought her hand in marriage, and Ning Shi had originally hoped to find a suitable match for her there.
However, for various reasons, none of those matches worked out.
When the eldest daughter turned sixteen, she suddenly expressed the desire to visit their father and younger sister in Jingcheng.
Ning Shi had thought it would be a brief trip, but the visit stretched into two years—and now her marriage was arranged.
Though Ning Shi learned only some details about the Pei Family from her youngest daughter, Shen Tingyu—
You Ran’s biological father—had served as an official in Jingcheng for many years and was familiar with the city’s prominent families.
Since he had approved the match, Ning Shi felt assured that the Pei Family was a suitable choice.
“What about your second older brother…”
Ning Shi hesitated to mention him, but some matters could not be avoided.
“How do you get along with him?”
“He studies in Quanzhou and rarely comes back. He visited once during last year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, stayed for two or three days, then left again.”
Shen Youran was the third child; besides her eldest sister, she had a twin brother.
Her early memories were vague, but she knew that her second brother fell ill around the time their parents divorced.
When their mother returned to Quanzhou, she only took Shen Youran and the eldest sister, leaving the sick brother in Jingcheng.
No one knew what strange illness he suffered from; treatments were ineffective.
Soon after their parents separated, their father heard of a renowned healer in Quanzhou who might cure him.
He sent the second brother there to be treated and entrusted him to a family friend for care.
That treatment lasted ten years.
When Shen Youran met her brother again, he was fifteen, a graceful and elegant youth.
But his appearance was unlike hers—they did not look like twins at all.
Perhaps because of the long separation, he was not close to their father or siblings.
After just a few days’ stay, he returned to Quanzhou.
Since then, he only came home once or twice a year, each time staying only a few days.
Often, Shen Youran forgot she even had a second older brother.
Hearing their mother mention him today, she guessed that Ning Shi must miss him very much.
She said, “If second brother knew you were back in Jingcheng, he would be very happy. Why don’t I write to him and ask him to come visit you?”
Ning Shi’s expression darkened with faint sadness.
“You don’t need to write. I don’t want to see him…”
“Why?”
Shen Youran was puzzled.
“Why wouldn’t you want to see him? He is your child, too.”
Ning Shi sighed but gave no further explanation.
Instead, she held her daughter close and gently patted her, comforting her as she had when she was little.
“You just listen…”
From then on, Shen Youran often visited the Lu Manor, sometimes staying a day or two.
Each time, Lu Yi would escort her.
Along the way, he told her stories about her mother’s past.
Gradually, the two grew familiar.
At first, Shen Youran called him “Lu Langjun” (Young Master Lu), but later changed to “Lu Dage” (Big Brother Lu).
He laughed and said, “Your sister used to call me ‘Ah Xiong’ (Brother). Why don’t you call me that from now on?”
Shen Youran didn’t think much of it.
If her eldest sister called him that, it was probably fine for her to do the same.
Lu Yi was not related to her by blood but treated her kindly.
Yet her other half-brother—her mother’s son from another marriage—was not so friendly.
After Ning Shi remarried into the Lu Family, she gave birth to a son named Lu Nian, now six and a half years old, roughly the same age as Shen Yuming, Shen Youran’s fourth sister.
But Lu Nian was far more annoying than Shen Yuming.
Shen Yuming was the daughter of their stepmother, Weishi, who used to follow Shen Youran around cheerfully, calling her sister and praising her beauty.
But Lu Nian was different.
Every time he saw Shen Youran, he glared and shouted, “Sister, you’re so annoying! You’re a grown-up and still stealing Mom from me. Shame on you…”
Shen Youran didn’t want to argue with a child, but after being scolded so many times, she finally retorted, “What do you mean I’m stealing Mom? She’s my mother!”
Lu Nian jumped up and down.
“No, this is my home, not yours. Your mother is at your home; my mother is at my home!”
At such a young age, he had her completely speechless.
Indeed, this was the Lu Family—and she was a Shen.
Because of this, Shen Youran didn’t go to the Lu Manor for seven consecutive days.
Unexpectedly, Lu Yi came to Shen Fu looking for her, asking why she hadn’t been to the Lu Manor lately, if she was ill, and telling her their mother was worried.
Shen Youran twisted her handkerchief awkwardly and confessed the reason.
“So that’s it,” Lu Yi said, hiding the satisfaction rising within him.
His face remained kind as he comforted her, “The fifth young master is still young. Don’t take his words to heart. If you want to stay with mother, I have a way to make the fifth young master stop rejecting you…”
“What way?”
Suddenly, he leaned closer with a teasing tone, whispering, “Marry me. Then mother will be your mother-in-law and also your mother. The fifth young master won’t have any reason to push you away.”
After saying this, he straightened up, confidently looking down at her.
Given how much time they’d spent together and their mother’s encouragement, he assumed she wouldn’t refuse.
Even if she did at first, it would only be the shy reaction of a young girl.
With a few more coaxing words, he was sure he could persuade her.
As expected, the girl was stunned for a moment.
Then a flush rose to her cheeks as she twisted her handkerchief nervously, avoiding his gaze.
“No.”
Lu Yi admired his seemingly inevitable prize.
“Why not?”
“You’re my brother. Brothers and sisters can’t marry.”
“But we don’t share the same father or mother; we’re not real siblings.”
“That still doesn’t work. My mother is also your mother. My sister is also your sister. By that logic, we’re siblings, too. I can’t marry you—it would break the moral order…”
“You’re overthinking. You’re a Shen; I’m a Lu. Marrying won’t disrupt the moral order.”
“No means no,” Shen Youran said stubbornly, her tone growing firmer.
“Calling you brother means I see you as my elder brother. How could a sister marry her own brother? That’s absurd…”
Shen Yunshu had said the same to him before.
Unlike the naive Shen Youran before him now, when Shen Yunshu spoke these words, her eyes had been filled with intense loathing.
For a moment, Shen Yunshu’s face overlapped with Shen Youran’s in his mind.
Lu Yi, furious and embarrassed by the rejection, suddenly grabbed her slender arm, forcing her to look at him, his gaze darkening.
“I will solve all these problems. You just have to say yes…”
Startled by his sudden change in expression, Shen Youran struggled, but he held her arm tightly.
She kicked his calf, and when he loosened his grip from the pain, she broke free.
“I don’t want to.”
She said this and hurriedly ran away.
Watching her frightened retreat, Lu Yi realized he had lost his temper and probably scared her.
But this didn’t derail his plan.
He never intended to marry a substitute; what he wanted was to spread the news that he planned to marry Shen Youran—to make Shen Yunshu jealous enough to come to him.
Danruo and Qinghe had been sitting under the corridor eaves, embroidering handkerchiefs and chatting when they noticed Shen Youran and Lu Yi apparently arguing under the begonia tree in the courtyard.
As they moved closer to see what was happening, Shen Youran suddenly rushed over to them, pulling them inside and telling them to shut the door tightly.
“What’s wrong, miss?”
Danruo asked, puzzled.
“Did Lu Langjun say something that scared you?”
“He…he wants me to marry him,” Shen Youran clutched her frightened chest, muttering, “What a ridiculous idea…”
Danruo and Qinghe exchanged shocked glances.
This was no trivial matter.
Regardless of Lu Yi’s intentions, they had to inform the family head.
When Shen Tingyu learned of this, he initially thought Lu Yi was interested in their third daughter.
Though he didn’t like Lu Yi, if their third daughter married into the Lu Family, it might not be a bad thing.
After all, the third daughter was no match for the eldest in grace and virtue.
Married into another family, she might suffer mistreatment from in-laws.
But if she married into the Lu Family, with her biological mother there, her life would certainly be easier.
However, besides his approval as father, the eldest daughter needed to be informed about this marriage proposal.
Shen Tingyu sent someone to the Pei Family Villa to inform Shen Yunshu.
At that time, Shen Yunshu had been living at the Pei Family Villa for nearly a month.
Every day she paid respects to Old Madam Pei, kept her company for walks and talks, and frequently visited Elder Master Pei who was convalescing.
When the old master was awake, she would play chess with him.
It was said that regular mental exercise might ease his condition.
Old Madam Pei had grown fond of her and didn’t want her to leave, so Shen Yunshu stayed on day after day.
One day, as she accompanied the old master for a game, she passed the Liuli Conservatory and noticed a pretty maid holding freshly picked lilies, blushing and looking expectantly toward something.
That shy expression was very familiar.
Shen Yunshu had seen it on other maids before.
No doubt, the maid was waiting for Pei Family Seventh Young Master Pei Huaian, who often passed through here.
Footsteps approached, clearly male.
Probably Pei Huaian, whom the maid had been waiting for.
Not wanting to ruin the awkward scene, Shen Yunshu quickly hid behind a sturdy locust tree in the dense locust forest, but curiosity got the better of her.
She peeked out to watch.
Sure enough, Pei Huaian appeared, dressed in a narrow-sleeved, cross-collared robe patterned with ink-wash leaves—handsome and elegant as jade, strolling leisurely along the stone path.
The maid saw him and immediately lowered her head, clutching the lilies as she approached.
The path was narrow, barely wide enough for two to pass.
As the master, Pei Huaian naturally didn’t yield the way.
But when the little maid came rushing at him without looking, he instinctively stepped aside.
The maid had intended to fall into his arms but missed, twisting her ankle and nearly falling.
Luckily, Pei Huaian caught her before she could embarrass herself.
Yet despite helping her, he didn’t spare her teasing: “Don’t come throwing yourself at me again, little maid. I don’t take to cozying up to those nearby.”
The maid’s blush faded like thread pulled from silk; her face turned pale as a quail, and she stammered, “Se-Seventh Young Master, you misunderstand. I-I didn’t mean anything by it…”
“Good. Don’t show up in front of me again.”
Pei Huaian waved her off impatiently.
The maid ran away in tears.
Pei Huaian, however, didn’t leave but turned to look at Shen Yunshu with a plaintive look in his beautiful Ruifeng eyes.
“Sister-in-law, have you seen enough?”
Caught red-handed, Shen Yunshu blinked awkwardly, stepped out from behind the locust tree, and greeted him casually.
“Good morning. Are you going to visit your grandfather? Shall I come along?”
Pei Huaian wasn’t done complaining.
“You saw her before I did. Why didn’t you warn me? Instead, you hid and watched the show?”
“How was I supposed to know she’d bump into you?”
Shen Yunshu had thought the maid wanted to create a chance encounter but hadn’t expected her to literally run into him.
“Maybe it was an accident…”
Pei Huaian was adamant it was deliberate.
“This is the sixth maid this month to run into me. Before that, one spilled tea on my cloud brocade robe. Such a waste—cloud brocade is worth its weight in gold. Selling her wouldn’t cover the damage.”
“How did you deal with her?”
Shen Yunshu glanced at him.
“Did you really sell her off?”
“Selling wouldn’t help. I just scolded her and told her to stay away,” Pei Huaian scoffed.
“Luckily my father’s rich. I’ll have him buy me another cloud brocade robe later.”
Shen Yunshu smiled faintly.
So he was a boy who put on a tough front but had a soft heart.
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