Chapter 54

“I wonder when the Fourth Miss will leave,” someone muttered.

“Exactly, she’s been dismissed and still stays at home. I wonder why she was dismissed.”

“Didn’t you notice that the household isn’t saying anything? She must have committed one of the Seven Grounds for Divorce.”

“Why doesn’t she go stay at the estate? Staying here in the mansion. The last time I went out, the gossiping woman next door asked me why someone who was dismissed and sent home hadn’t left yet. Isn’t she worried about affecting the young miss’s reputation?”

“Miss Minghua only divorced and went to another villa, but she…”

In the corner, a few old women were gossiping idly about Lu Mingxi, speaking with disdain.

Being dismissed and sent home, if the Earl’s Mansion had said something, it would have been better. But no one responded, clearly showing it was her fault. Having such a young lady in the family made even the servants feel ashamed.

“Speaking of Miss Minghua, she really is…” one of the women sighed. In such a small Earl’s Mansion, who could hide the affairs of the second branch?

The father didn’t care, the mother was biased, and the younger sister competed with her for everything. When she finally had a good marriage prospect, they were secretly happy for her, but then the younger sister snatched it away. Miss Minghua was kind-hearted, gentle, and good-natured. Anyone with a bit of conscience would remember her goodness.

At that moment, footsteps approached. Seeing Lu Mingxi and her entourage from afar, the women quickly dispersed without looking back.

Lu Mingxi saw this and turned pale with anger. When she married into the Marquis’s Mansion, these people would rush to greet her from afar. But now, they didn’t even acknowledge her. She walked back with a sullen face. Looking at the small courtyard’s low gate from a distance, she felt disgusted and stifled, almost not wanting to return.

“Whenever I go out recently, people point and whisper. I can’t stand it anymore. I’ve already found a place to go. What about you?”

“I’m still thinking…”

As Lu Mingxi approached the gate, she heard two maids sweeping inside, talking, and her eyes turned sharp.

The two maids saw her and were startled, their faces turning pale as they stepped aside.

Lu Mingxi glared at them and sneered, “Since you don’t want to stay here, then leave. I’ll tell Mother to send you to the estate to work in the fields.”

The two maids were frightened but not too panicked. They belonged to the Earl’s Mansion, and their contracts were with the Eldest Madam. The second madam couldn’t dispose of them at will.

“Thank you, Miss, for your kindness,” the two maids, being clever, didn’t argue and thanked her, then walked away.

Seeing this, Lu Mingxi felt even more stifled but could only grit her teeth in frustration. She looked at the small courtyard in front of her, her heart aching with hatred. But amidst the resentment, she also felt a bit lost. As a child, she thought about monopolizing Madam Qin’s favor. As a young girl, she thought about how to marry Wei Yuntai. Later, she thought about how to secure her position as the heir’s wife.

However—

Madam Qin’s favor turned out to be useless when she grew up. Wei Yuntai now hated her to the core, and because of her actions, she was directly dismissed and sent home.

Once, it seemed she had everything. But now, she had nothing. What should she do in the future?

The best option was to marry a capable and ambitious scholar, but such a person was not easy to find.

*

“Madam, please have some tea.” The waiter brought the tea and bowed before leaving.

Madam Sun picked up the teacup, the fragrant aroma wafting to her nose. She looked at the person opposite her, feeling a mix of emotions.

After her divorce, Lu Minghua seemed to be doing well.

Indeed, she was capable, managing several shops successfully, handling household affairs efficiently, being steady and composed. Such a person could do well anywhere.

The woman opposite her had jade-like skin, peach-like cheeks, red lips, and white teeth. Her beauty was even more striking than when she was in the Marquis’s Mansion, like a pearl washed clean of dust. This thought floated in Madam Sun’s mind, and she found herself momentarily speechless.

“Madam, you specifically stopped me today. Is there something you need?” Lu Minghua warmed her fingertips with the teacup, then set it aside and asked softly.

Previously, she had refused Madam Sun’s invitations. Fortunately, Madam Sun had some dignity and didn’t block her at the gate like Wei Yuntai. But today, while she was out for a stroll in town, Madam Sun had brought people to stop her.

Her attitude was not forceful, even somewhat pleading. After thinking it over, Lu Minghua saw her persistence and thought that if she didn’t meet her this time, there would be more trouble in the future, so she agreed.

Finally, they sat down in a teahouse by the street.

The small town was bustling, and this teahouse was not inferior to the usual teahouses in the capital.

Lu Minghua had nothing to say, looked around, and saw Madam Sun inexplicably staring at her. Not wanting to waste time, she directly asked.

“Minhua, I apologize for what happened before,” Madam Sun began.

Lu Minghua was stunned. Madam Sun was proud, similar to Wei Yuntai in some ways. However, unlike Wei Yuntai, who couldn’t accept failure, Madam Sun could admit it calmly.

“I didn’t like you before, and now I realize how ridiculous that was.” Indeed, it was laughable. They had both been manipulated.

The past was the past, and Lu Minghua didn’t want to bring it up again or hear others mention it. She directly asked, “What do you want to say, Madam?”

“Yuntai truly knows he was wrong. We now know the truth, that you were also manipulated by Lu Mingxi. Can you forgive him?” Thinking of her son, lying weak and feverish in bed, Madam Sun’s heart ached.

“Mother, I was wrong. I thought admitting my mistake would fix everything, but…” The person he hurt was gone.

Wei Yuntai didn’t finish his sentence; he just looked out the window in regret. Madam Sun knew what he meant. She wanted to scold him for being useless, first deceived by a woman and now disheartened because Lu Minghua wouldn’t see him. But he was her son, so she comforted him. After much thought, she decided to seek out Lu Minghua.

Knowing the truth? Did they find out she was manipulated by Lu Mingxi?

Lu Minghua’s heart skipped a beat. She had only speculated before, but now it seemed the Marquis’s Mansion had found evidence?

“Madam, there’s no need to bring this up again,” Lu Minghua frowned, suppressing her thoughts. “The past is the past. Resentment only hurts. I don’t want to waste time on this. I only want to draw a clear line with the past and not disturb each other.”

No matter what, since she had already escaped that mire, she didn’t want to be entangled with Wei Yuntai anymore.

“Whether the Heir hates me as before or regrets his mistakes as you say, it has nothing to do with me. I will live my life well. Please keep an eye on him, and don’t let him disturb me again.”

“I’m leaving.” Lu Minghua finished speaking, feeling there was nothing more to say, so she stood up and left with her maids.

Madam Sun sat in the private room, smiling bitterly.

If Lu Minghua had resentment, it would have been better. There is always a mix of emotions in matters of love and hate. Without love, there would be no hate. But she had nothing but disgust. That kind of disgust was like seeing something unpleasant and wanting to stay far away. There was no way she would get close.

After all her efforts to see Lu Minghua, Madam Sun had to return empty-handed. When she returned to the villa, she saw Wei Yuntai, who had been bedridden for over ten days, standing in the corridor. Looking at her with hopeful eyes, he asked, “Mother, did you go to see Minghua?”

Madam Sun paused and first let him into the room.

Wei Yuntai’s eyes dimmed. He wasn’t foolish. Madam Sun wouldn’t be like this if the visit had been successful.

Inside, Madam Sun recounted the visit, and silence fell.

Wei Yuntai didn’t speak, his mind echoing with the word ‘disturb.’

“Yuntai,” Madam Sun wanted to comfort him but saw him stand up, swaying slightly, and leave.

“What a tragedy!” she sighed again in the quiet room.

She had thought that divorcing Lu Mingxi was the end. But Wei Yuntai’s guilt towards Lu Minghua seemed like another beginning. These two sisters seemed to be her son’s calamity, constantly circling around, never able to escape.

“Miss, you’re back. Young Master Yuan is here.”

As soon as Lu Minghua returned, a servant came to report, which didn’t surprise her. These days, Yuan Ji’an hadn’t missed a single day. But strangely, she didn’t see him in the main hall.

“Where is he?” she asked, puzzled.

“I’m here,” Yan Yuanhua replied from the study next door, looking down at the desk.

“You hadn’t returned, so Mama Li let me sit here for a while,” he said with a smile as she entered.

This study was filled with books Lu Minghua had carefully collected over the years. She would read them when she had free time but hadn’t read most of them yet. Compared to these, she preferred stories that contained the vicissitudes of life and elegant, moving poetry and prose.

“What’s wrong? You didn’t find a book you like?” Lu Minghua asked, knowing Mama Li had invited him to find a book to pass the time. He took a few steps forward and saw that the desk held her previous writing.

It was a poem describing camellias.

“I was looking at your writing,” Yan Yuanhua said with a smile, his eyes full of admiration.

“What’s so good about it?” Lu Minghua didn’t think her writing was that great and stepped forward to put it away.

“Who says it’s not? It’s elegant and beautiful, yet contains strength. This isn’t something an ordinary woman can write,” Yan Yuanhua praised sincerely.

Lu Minghua was momentarily stunned, looking at him in surprise. Was her writing really that good?

“Most women’s writing is gentle and delicate, beautiful but lacking character. Minghua, you’re different,” Yan Yuanhua said, looking at her. The last person who could write like this was his mother, the current Empress Dowager. She entered the palace as a minor Beauty, later giving birth to two sons and scheming to make her eldest son the emperor. She was naturally not an ordinary person; she had an indomitable spirit.

Lu Minghua was the same.

“You’re flattering me again. How could I be that good?” Lu Minghua glared at him, her heart racing for a moment before slowly calming down.

Yan Yuanhua felt helpless. He had teased her so much that no one believed him, even when he spoke the truth. But seeing Lu Minghua’s increasingly lively expression, he felt it was worth it. This look was much better than her always calm and composed demeanor.

“Can I try?” he asked, looking at the brushes.

“Of course,” Lu Minghua replied with a smile. Curious about his handwriting, she stepped forward to watch.

Yan Yuanhua ground the ink, spread the paper, and began to write.

With each stroke, the characters flowed like dragons and snakes, revealing a beautiful cursive script.

“There is a beauty who I cannot forget.”

He was writing “Phoenix Seeking Phoenix.”

The characters were continuous and clearly powerful, but with a delicate touch, Lu Minghua could sense a hint of tenderness. Her heart trembled, and she instinctively looked at the person writing.

Yan Yuanhua was focused. His expression was no longer the passionate one he had when looking at her but calm and composed.

Lu Minghua was momentarily lost. He realized that Yuan Jian always smiled, appearing carefree, but when he stopped smiling, he became sharp and fierce, like a sword unsheathed. Who exactly was he?

This question, though suppressed, had been surfacing frequently lately, and now, Lu Minghua couldn’t help but think of it. But she didn’t want to ask. There was a vague worry in her heart as if asking would wake her from this beautiful dream.

“It’s done,” Yan Yuanhua said, looking up to see her staring at him, and immediately smiled with joy.

The calmness disappeared in an instant, replaced by a passionate and dazzling look. If she hadn’t seen it clearly, Lu Minghua would have thought she was mistaken.

“It’s really well-written.” Without thinking much, Lu Minghua took two steps forward, looking at the characters and praising them. She might not understand calligraphy but could tell if it looked good.

This handwriting was indeed beautiful. From the first stroke to the last, the flow of the brush never broke. Just by looking at it, the tenderness and affection in the characters seemed almost ready to spill out.

“Phoenix Seeking Phoenix,” she silently recited, her face heating up.

“Give this to you in exchange for that,” Yan Yuanhua suggested, picking up the paper Lu Minghua had written on.

Lu Minghua laughed, finally understanding why Yuan Ji’an wanted to write. She glanced at him and said, “It’s just ink and paper. It’s not like I wouldn’t give it to you. Why make such a fuss?” She looked at the “Phoenix Seeking Phoenix” again, her heart skipping a beat. She said, “I don’t want it; you can take it back.”

“It was written for you, Minghua. If you don’t want it, just throw it away,” Yan Yuanhua said nonchalantly, carefully rolling up the poem Lu Minghua had written and putting it away while sneaking glances at her.

Lu Minghua blushed and said nothing.

Fortunately, she knew she couldn’t compete with Yuan Ji’an in terms of skin thickness. So she said nothing, gave him a reproachful look, and turned to leave.

Yan Yuanhua chuckled softly and followed her out. “By the way, the flowers in my greenhouse have mostly bloomed. Would you like to see them, Minghua?”

“Mostly? What kinds are there?” Lu Minghua immediately became interested. In this bleak winter, there wasn’t even a hint of green, let alone flowers.

“I can’t say for sure. I’m waiting for you to tell me after you see them.”

“Aren’t there gardeners?”

“How can gardeners compare to you, Minghua?” With just a few words, he had to say something cheeky. Lu Minghua was puzzled. Where had the calm and composed person gone? Now, why was he so… so…

She couldn’t say, suppressing her warmth, and skillfully ignored it, saying, “Then I’ll go take a look.”

Outside, the cold wind was biting, and the scene was bleak. But inside the greenhouse, it was as warm as spring, with flowers in full bloom. Various seasonal flowers appeared together, competing for beauty, dazzling Lu Minghua, who couldn’t help but marvel and smile.

With such a greenhouse, Yan Yuanhua managed to coax her over every few days. He was satisfied, feeling that his effort in setting up the greenhouse was worth it. As the winter month was about to end, and many were discussing the arrival of the Beiyi delegation in the capital, an urgent letter arrived at the Yunshan villa.

Madam Qin was seriously ill.

Lu Minghua stared at the letter, taking a deep breath. She didn’t want to return, but Madam Qin was her biological mother. Now that she was seriously ill, filial piety dictated that she must return to care for her.

Next door, Zhao Shiyi was discussing this with Yan Yuanhua.

With the arrival of the Beiyi delegation in the capital, most of the nobles in Yunshan had returned to the capital. Beiyi had troubled the border for decades, and now, having been defeated and submitting to the Yan Kingdom, this was a significant event, and they naturally wanted to see it.

However, Yan Yuanhua was more concerned about Lu Minghua.

“Is this illness real or fake?” he asked.

“We haven’t found anything unusual,” Zhao Shiyi replied. Their intelligence in the Earl’s Mansion was limited, only noting that Lu Chengsong hadn’t made any unusual moves recently.

Yan Yuanhua pondered for a moment and suddenly asked, “Why did Lu Mingxi seek out Lu Chengsong half a month ago?”

Zhao Shiyi couldn’t answer but felt something was off and quickly said, “I’ll have someone keep a close eye on Lu Mingxi.”

“Prepare, we’re going back to the capital,” Yan Yuanhua said, looking next door.

Zhao Shiyi breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to return. The emperor had already urged them several times.

Unaware of the secret events, Lu Minghua sent someone to inform Yuan Jian that she was leaving, only to find out he was also returning, which made her happy.

By the afternoon, the group returned to the capital.

Yan Yuanhua rode with Lu Minghua’s carriage to the outskirts of the city. When the carriage stopped, he was supposed to return to his own carriage. But he didn’t want to leave. Once back in the capital, it would be difficult to see her every day.

“Minghua, remember to write to me after returning to the capital,” he reiterated.

“Alright, alright, I remember. I’ll write every day and send it to Rongbao Pavilion on Fu’an Street, right?” Lu Minghua repeated with a smile.

Yuan Ji’an’s nagging dispelled any parting sorrow.

“Yes, remember, write every day.”

“Alright, alright, every day.”

“Don’t forget.”

“I won’t forget.”

Inside the carriage, one person spoke reluctantly while the other responded gently. The maids waiting outside couldn’t help but laugh, and even Zhao Shiyi and the others couldn’t stop smiling. Their wise and mighty prince turned into this in front of Miss Lu.

After lingering for a long time, Yan Yuanhua finally got up to leave, seeing that it was getting late.

No matter how calm she tried to be, Lu Minghua still felt reluctant. Seeing Yan Yuanhua move, she also moved, wanting to see him off. But the next moment, she found herself in a warm embrace.

“Minghua, remember to think of me,” Yan Yuanhua said.

“Alright.” This time, Lu Minghua wasn’t shy, but her eyes felt a bit teary.

After spending so much time together, parting was hard. The next moment, she felt a fleeting warmth on her face.

Lu Minghua looked up in surprise, only to see Yan Yuanhua’s eyes shining brightly, smiling radiantly as he got out of the carriage. Her face burned, and Lu Minghua covered her cheeks with her hands, still unable to recover.

Just now, just now Yuan Ji’an actually— In a daze, even her jade-like neck turned red.

“Let’s go, set off,” Yan Yuanhua’s spirited voice rang out as he got into his carriage and left first.

With many eyes on him in the capital, it was better for him to leave first for safety. The carriage gradually slowed down, and it wasn’t until the Wen’an Earl’s Mansion was in sight that Lu Minghua finally snapped out of her daze and calmed herself down.

“Yuan Ji’an!” Her eyes were moist, and she couldn’t help but hum softly, holding her handkerchief.

Upon entering the mansion, Lu Minghua initially planned to leave after seeing her uncle. However, Lu Chengwen handed her a stack of letters. They were the evidence letters sent by the Marquis’s Mansion.

After reading them, Lu Minghua fell silent.

“So that’s how it is,” she sighed. She had previously wondered how Lu Mingxi could achieve such things, and now she realized it was Lu Chengsong’s involvement.

“Minghua,” seeing her relatively calm, Lu Chengwen breathed a sigh of relief and, after some consideration, said, “This matter is your father’s fault. I plan to adopt you under me and your aunt. What do you think?”

In this absurd situation, the most innocent person was Minghua. But since it had already happened, he couldn’t undo it and could only try to make amends.