Hearing Shu Rui’s voice, Lu Ling—who had been crouching on the roof spying for quite some time—stopped hiding. Looking slightly awkward, he jumped down.
“When did you know?” he asked.
Shu Rui looked at him. “When do you think I knew?”
Lu Ling didn’t answer. When he’d known wasn’t important anymore. What mattered was that Shu Rui had clearly rejected Yu Qiaosheng.
And especially that he had done so by saying his heart already belonged to someone—that alone warmed Lu Ling to the core.
Seeing Lu Ling fall silent again, Shu Rui changed the subject. “Go kill the chicken and the rabbit. The water in the pot has been boiling for—”
Before he could finish, Lu Ling grabbed his hand again.
“If you hadn’t met me in the beginning,” Lu Ling asked quietly, “would you have chosen him?”
At that question, Shu Rui’s brow twitched. He couldn’t help saying, “How can there be so many ‘ifs’ in this world? We’re already together—do you really have to invent a scenario just to make yourself suffer once more for it to feel satisfying?”
“That’s not what I mean,” Lu Ling said. “I was just thinking… you grew up studying and learning. Without me, perhaps there would have been a talented scholar by your side.”
Because love gives rise to worry. For all the noise and bluster, no matter how thick one’s nerves may be, there are always moments of timidity when one carries someone close in one’s heart. Even a man of Xuan Yang Heir’s pedigree could toss and turn sleepless over a single person—how, then, could anyone truly escape the common human condition?
Shu Rui pressed his lips together, then lightly tapped Lu Ling on the forehead. “How are you so sure I’d choose a scholar? When I was young, I followed the crowd and liked handsome, talented men well enough. But after seeing more of scholars’ temperaments, my heart is no longer what it once was.”
“Speaking practically, with a background like mine, it isn’t something an ordinary scholar would be willing to shoulder.”
Shu Rui looked at Lu Ling. “Suppose it were a hundred times, a thousand times—it would still have to be you.”
Lu Ling could tell there was a teasing note in Shu Rui’s words, yet he was still filled with joy because of them.
He reached out and pulled Shu Rui into his arms. “Thank you for choosing me.”
Qing Ge’er came downstairs just then and happened to see the two of them. He was startled—how had it turned into someone else entirely? His face flushed red at once, and he quickly shut his eyes, turned away, and darted outside.
Seeing this, Shu Rui pried Lu Ling off himself. “Don’t fool around like this anymore. If people see, what will they think? Don’t go leading astray a pure-hearted ge’er.”
Lu Ling said, “He doesn’t know about us yet?”
“You should tell him sooner rather than later, so he won’t feel strange when he sees things later on.”
Shu Rui shot Lu Ling a look. “After this, whether he knew before or not, he knows now.”
After all that commotion, Lu Ling went off to kill a chicken and butcher a rabbit, while Shu Rui headed to the stove to prepare the ingredients and cook.
Little did they know that once this side had finished its tune, the Lu household was still singing.
“This is all your fault—insisting on giving A-Ling a hard time. Why show him that face? No matter how you scold your own child, he won’t turn into someone else’s. Why wrong Shao Ge’er? Look—he even chased right up to the door!”
As soon as Liu shi returned home, she launched straight into a tirade at Lu Father.
Lu Father had still been basking in the joy of Lu Yu’s success on the examination, all smiles, when he was suddenly scolded senselessly. Feeling utterly unjustly treated, he listened to her rant for quite a while before finally understanding—someone had gone to the ge’er’s place to confess his feelings.
“That Shao Ge’er has a face like that, and someone still went looking for him? You haven’t gone muddle-headed, seeing some unfamiliar young man talking to him and jumping to conclusions? Running a shop and doing business, exchanging a few polite words with customers—that’s just how merchants operate.”
As he spoke, Lu Father even tried to lecture Liu shi. “How can you be so jumpy and alarmist?”
“Do you think at my age I can’t tell the difference between a guest and someone harboring designs? You only think a ge’er with an unattractive face can’t win anyone’s favor, but his disposition is good—there are plenty of people with discerning eyes!”
Liu shi cursed angrily. “That young scholar who went there was handsome as can be, and he’s the very top scorer on today’s list! He didn’t go paying visits or receiving congratulations—within the first hour, he went straight to Shao Ge’er to bare his heart. Are you going to say the top scorer is blind and witless?”
“He fancied Shao Ge’er, so he went running to find him! And yet you’re so high and mighty, unwilling to let the ge’er come through the door!”
As she went on, Liu shi began wiping away tears. “Didn’t you see how heartbroken A-Ling was when he saw it outside the door? I told him to go chase the scholar away, but he just kept his head down.”
“I know he feels ashamed—ashamed that he didn’t study or earn a degree, that he had no face to argue with anyone. My poor child—leaving home young, suffering every hardship. It wasn’t easy for him to come back to his parents, and yet his father’s heart is made of iron.”
Lu Yu had just turned around when he heard the house erupt into another argument. Hadn’t they been happily celebrating just now? What was going on again?
He hurried out of the room and heard his mother’s words.
Lu Yu fell silent for a moment. What kind of trouble was this? He truly hadn’t known his elder brother to be such a man—someone who would secretly grieve, thinking himself inferior to a scholar.
“Mother, what’s wrong? Why are you crying again? Be careful of your eyes.”
Lu Yu first stepped forward to comfort her, then turned to his father. “Father, on such a good day, how did you end up upsetting Mother again?”
“Oh, come on, I never meant to upset her—she’s the one making a fuss!”
Lu Father stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his brows tightly furrowed. “Even on a good day she can find something to stir up. How would I know that the top-scoring young scholar would take a liking to your brother’s—ah!”
Lu Yu froze, then looked to Liu shi. “Is what Father said true?”
“I saw it with my own eyes. Do you think I’d make up lies about some random person—let alone the top scorer himself?”
Lu Yu blinked, surprise welling in his heart. Still, that his sister-in-law could move his elder brother, whose nature was so cold and hard, and also attract others, was nothing strange.
“Father, if what Mother says is true, that young scholar has a degree and is the remarkable top scorer, with a bright future ahead. If you keep refusing to give a clear answer, Sister-in-law wavering would be understandable.”
“If Sister-in-law truly followed the top scorer, one could only say she had good judgment—there’d be nothing to resent. But then what would become of Elder Brother? His temper is so rigid—where would he ever find someone else as tolerant of him as Sister-in-law?”
“At least the second son understands reason and knows how to care for his elder brother.”
Liu shi seized the chance to scold indirectly. “Some old stubborn fools get set in their ways with age—good at throwing their weight around, but incapable of speaking sense!”
Between the two of them singing and scolding in tandem, Lu Father’s face went from green to red. It was as though he were the one who had ruined Lu Ling’s marriage prospects.
Their words left him dizzy and muddled—and truly stirred a sense of urgency in him.
If Shao Ge’er were the sort to flirt around and recklessly entice others, drawing a scholar to his door, that wouldn’t make sense either. Given that carefully maintained face of his, even someone unable to restrain themselves would more likely feel offended than tempted—certainly not go seeking him out after placing first on the examination. It was clear the attraction lay in his character.
With a grim face, Lu Father paced the room twice, hands behind his back. “Since it’s a good day, call the eldest back to share an evening meal.”
Liu shi, who had been covering her face and sobbing, stopped at once. She exchanged a look with Lu Yu and hurried over to Lu Father. “Just him alone?”
“Would he come back alone?”
Lu Father snapped irritably, then added, “Have him bring the ge’er with him. Today people wanted to congratulate the second son but didn’t even get the chance.”
Liu shi’s expression changed instantly; a smile returned to her face. “Ah! Then we need to add a couple more dishes. I won’t cook myself today—I’ll order a good fish from outside and a basket of crabs to steam. Autumn crabs are at their fattest!”
Watching how quickly Liu shi changed her tune, Lu Father flicked his sleeve. She might as well go perform onstage.
Seeing his father finally relent, Lu Yu was delighted. He said he’d go back to his room to change into something presentable, so he could properly meet his sister-in-law that evening.
“Me too?”
When Shu Rui heard Liu shi cheerfully come over to invite Lu Ling back for dinner, and to have him come along as well, he couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Once the message was delivered, the person went off to the tavern outside to order dishes.
“Your father gave in?”
Lu Ling was also a little surprised, but since it was his mother delivering the message—and she looked so happy—it was probably true.
He said to Shu Rui, “He was likely provoked into it—cracked open a seam, at least.”
Shu Rui didn’t understand. “Provoked by what? I didn’t go with you today to provoke Lord Lu.”
Lu Ling gave a dry cough. “Earlier, when Scholar Lu came by, Mother was outside too. She was furious and wanted to barge in, but I stopped her. She went back angry—probably went home to make a scene with Father.”
Shu Rui’s heart tightened. “If your father finds out Yu Qiaosheng came to speak with me and misunderstands, thinking I’m involved with you while entangled with others, won’t that leave an even worse impression?”
“He may be muddled, but he’s a scholar-official—he’s not muddled to that extent. If things were as you fear, he wouldn’t have allowed you to come back with me.”
Hearing Lu Ling say this, Shu Rui felt somewhat reassured.
Still, he touched his face and head, growing tense again. “Since this is a formal meeting, I can’t go looking like this. Watch the fire—the meat’s already stewing in the pot. I’ll fetch some water and wash up.”
Lu Ling answered and, seeing him act as though facing a great enemy, caught his hand to reassure him. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. If it would put your mind at ease, you don’t even need to bother washing up.”
“I’m not afraid,” Shu Rui said. “I just want to take this seriously—for our sake. Since your family already knows I’m not usually like this, if I go to meet them still hiding and covering up, won’t that seem disrespectful to elders? Once things are settled, I’ll have to show my true face sooner or later.”
“Since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”
After saying that, Lu Ling got up to help Shu Rui fetch water and carry it inside.
Back in the room, Shu Rui washed up thoroughly. If time had allowed, he would have liked to wash his hair as well—but it was getting late, and washing it would require time to air-dry; he couldn’t keep people waiting.
Though he didn’t wash his hair, he rummaged through the cabinet and took out a moon-white long robe he’d kept at the bottom. The fabric was good quality—something he’d worn back when he lived with the Bai family, only for going out to meet people.
The color was plain, the tailoring fine. It looked dignified when worn, neither flashy nor frivolous. The Lu family were scholars—this would likely suit their tastes.
After changing, he dabbed a bit of osmanthus hair oil on his comb and carefully re-combed his hair. He pulled open the drawer of the dressing table, intending to pick out some ornament, only to find there was nothing suitable.
The white jade hairpin he once loved most had been given to the Bai family’s stewardess in exchange for information. After that, consumed with the daily struggle to put food on the table, he’d never had spare money for such things.
He thought it over and let it go. He closed the drawer—once business picked up, he could buy some later.
When everything was in order, the fragrance of stewing meat from outside had already drifted in.
He didn’t linger, stepping out of the room. “Take a look first—will I do, going like this?”
Hearing him, Lu Ling looked up at the approaching ge’er and couldn’t help but freeze for a moment. Though he’d seen Shu Rui’s true face before—both earlier in the day and at night after washing up—this was different.
At those times, Shu Rui’s hair had been loose, dressed in sleeping clothes, never fully put together. Now, in proper attire with his hair bound up, his bearing composed and dignified, he was no different from the noble ge’ers Lu Ling used to see back in the capital.
“Have you gone dumb? I’m asking you.”
Being stared at like that made Shu Rui feel a little uneasy.
“Mhm.”
Lu Ling answered softly, his eyes never leaving him. “Your sash doesn’t seem to be tied quite right.”
As he spoke, he reached out. The moment he leaned in, a familiar, freshly bathed fragrance washed over him.
He adjusted Shu Rui’s sash, then hovered near the side of his face, clearly angling to steal a little affection. Shu Rui immediately caught on and pushed him away. “Don’t fool around now. We still have to go see people in a bit.”
Lu Ling lightly gripped the long ribbon hanging from Shu Rui’s robe and shamelessly took advantage of the situation, inching closer. “Then when can I fool around? After dinner, when we come back—will that do?”
Faced with that slightly oppressive gaze, Shu Rui’s face flushed. He snatched back his sash, turned around, and ignored him.
By the time dusk settled in, Lu Ling and Shu Rui carried their food boxes together. Seeing no one in the back alley, they walked shoulder to shoulder back to the Lu residence.