Chapter 4

Shen Wei paused in the act of wiping her hands upon hearing those words.

Indeed, the original book had a similar scene. At that time, the original body had refused to let Lu Qi Huai enter the door, running back home to report him to her brother. But she still couldn’t stop him from entering. Old Madam Xie personally sent a servant to bring him in, and because of this, when Lu Qi Huai came to greet Shen Wei, he was badly treated.

She vaguely remembered that it was around the same time.

When Lu Qi Huai arrived, the original body had just been about to eat. Upon hearing his arrival, she didn’t send him away nor let him enter but made him wait outside in the corridor for nearly an hour before letting him in. Then, she found an excuse to make him kneel in the snow for several hours. It wasn’t until Old Madam Xie, despite her illness, personally came to intervene that Lu Qi Huai was allowed to leave.

That was also the first time Old Madam Xie had ever been angry with the original body and took away her authority over household management.

From then on, Shen Wei’s resentment toward Lu Qi Huai only deepened. Though she no longer had control over the household, she still treated him harshly and often found ways to trouble him.

Mo Qi, standing by her side, noticed Shen Wei’s silence and quietly glanced at her expression. Then, she gently suggested, “If you don’t like it, I can find an excuse to send him back.”

Shen Wei responded, “No need, let him in.”

After finishing her words, she put down the handkerchief and added, “Prepare another set of utensils.”

These words startled everyone in the room, including Mo Qi, who was surprised but didn’t speak further. She nodded and went to invite Lu Qi Huai inside. In no time, Lu Qi Huai entered. His slender frame moved slowly, his head lowered, still showing signs of awkwardness.

The maids in the room, seeing him for the first time, frowned in unison and thought, He’s clearly a child of a concubine—he really doesn’t present himself well.

When Lu Qi Huai reached a distance of three or four steps from Shen Wei, he stopped.

He cupped his hands in salute and said, “Son greets mother.”

Shen Wei lightly acknowledged him with an “Mm,” her delicate wrist resting on the table. Her almond-shaped eyes, devoid of any emotion, remained fixed on Lu Qi Huai. Her expression remained unchanged, and her voice was as steady as ever: “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet…” Lu Qi Huai replied, his gaze subconsciously drifting toward the table. Perhaps the aroma of the dishes was too tempting, for his fingers, resting by his side, involuntarily curled. When he tore his gaze away from the table, he added softly, “I just came from grandmother’s. Since it’s still early, I thought I’d come and greet you first.”

After a brief pause, he spoke again: “Since you are having your dinner, I won’t disturb you further.”

“Sit down, and keep me company while I eat.” Shen Wei spoke just as a maid entered from behind the curtain, holding a set of chopsticks and a bowl, as per her earlier instructions.

It seemed Lu Qi Huai hadn’t heard her clearly, as he looked up in confusion at Shen Wei. Upon meeting her gaze, he hurriedly lowered his head, still hesitating, and said, “I… I’ll go back to eat, it’s fine.”

Mo Qi, standing at the side, couldn’t help but frown. Though he had been raised outside, he was still the son of a Duke. How could he be this timid? If others saw him like this, they wouldn’t know what to think of the Lu family. She couldn’t help but offer some advice: “Young Master, if you go back to the outer court and then have someone fetch the food from the kitchen, it might take quite a bit of time.”

Lu Qi Huai hesitated further. He stole a glance at Shen Wei, and when he saw no change in her expression, he quietly said, “Then I’ll thank you, mother.”

With those words, he bowed again and took a seat across from Shen Wei.

In aristocratic households, there were strict dining rules. Aside from the traditional “silence while eating,” even the dishes had to be served by the maids standing nearby. The bowls and chopsticks couldn’t make a sound, and there was a set manner of eating. Shen Wei, though she had taken an etiquette class before her time-traveling, still found these rules tedious.

However…

Shen Wei looked at Lu Qi Huai, sitting across from her.

Even though Lu Qi Huai had tried to mask himself, some things couldn’t be concealed. She observed his posture and the way he ate. Despite his efforts to fake it, his movements were smooth and elegant, betraying an inherent nobility.

And then there was his face…

Shen Wei recalled what Wang had said earlier in the evening, “Xuan Yue and Big Brother look like they were carved from the same mold,” and couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. She hadn’t investigated closely when Lu Qi Huai had kept his head lowered, but now, looking at him more clearly, even though she had never seen Lu Buwei, the original body’s memories of him were still vivid.

There was no resemblance between the two at all!

Wang was truly speaking nonsense.

Shen Wei watched for a while, and even though Lu Qi Huai was slow to catch on, he eventually noticed her gaze. He set down his bowl and chopsticks, looked up at her, and asked hesitantly, “Mother, is something wrong? Did I do something inappropriate?”

His voice trembled, and his face, though handsome, seemed to lose some of its color as he appeared more reserved.

Shen Wei, hearing his words, snapped out of her thoughts. She put down her bowl and chopsticks, took the handkerchief from Mo Qi, wiped her hands, and then looked at him, saying softly, “It’s nothing.”

After a brief pause, she asked, “Are you done eating?”

Lu Qi Huai nodded. A timid smile appeared on his face, trying to be more approachable. But seeing Shen Wei’s expression, he appeared more restrained, his voice still soft, “Yes, thank you, mother. I’ve finished eating.”

When Shen Wei heard this, she stopped speaking. She stood up with Mo Qi’s assistance and walked toward the soft couch on one side. However, she spoke again, “The essentials for your room have been prepared by my people, including the cleaning maid and the servants. As for the attendants who will wait on you personally, I will take a proper look at them tomorrow and send them to you.”

Once she finished speaking, Shen Wei sat down on the soft couch. Mo Qi served her fresh tea, which she took and held in her hand. She looked at Lu Qi Huai, who was standing to the side, and said, “Alright, it’s getting late. You should go back now.” After finishing her sentence, she took another sip of tea before instructing Mo Qi, “Mo Qi, see him off.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Qi Huai expressed his thanks again. He properly saluted them and then stepped back, leaving the room. When he reached the outer chamber, he politely declined Mo Qi’s offer to accompany him and, holding an umbrella in one hand and a lantern in the other, walked out. When he passed through the small path and exited the courtyard, he stopped.

By this time, the night had deepened.

The wind and snow outside had not stopped, but Taoran Studio remained brightly lit.

Lu Qi Huai looked at the studio from under the snow-covered sky. A dark gleam flashed in his deep eyes, but it was only for a moment before he turned back, picked up his pace, and headed down the path again. His steps were steady, his posture upright, and beneath the umbrella’s ribs, his handsome face, slightly cold, was barely visible—he no longer looked like the shy and restrained person from earlier.

If anyone had been around, they would surely notice his change.

But it was winter, and the cleaning maids and servants had already gone to rest, so no one saw his new demeanor.

—-

Taoran Studio.

That night, Mo Qi helped Shen Wei wash up. As she thought of Lu Qi Huai, she quietly remarked, “After being raised outside for so many years, his roots have been twisted. Look at the young master, does he have even the slightest bearing of a Duke’s son? If he goes outside, who knows what people will say about him?”

Shen Wei poured a few drops of rose essence into her palm and gently applied it to her face. She replied casually, “Why worry? He is still surnamed Lu.”

No matter how bad he was, he was still a Lu. Those people outside wouldn’t dare to offend the Lu family.

Moreover…

That young man is quite capable.

Mo Qi didn’t respond, but when Shen Wei lay down in bed and Mo Qi closed the curtains for her, she turned to leave. Just before exiting, she glanced back at the room. Today, the madam’s attitude toward the young master had been quite good.

That’s for the best.

The madam had no children of her own. Though the Old Madam dotes on her now, who knows what the situation will be like after the Old Madam passes?

It might be better to hold on to the young master now, especially since his birth mother is already gone.

With that thought, Mo Qi felt reassured.

—-

The next day.

Shen Wei sat in a circle chair, holding a cup of tea, and listened to the maids below talking without joining in. When a maid dressed in a green jacket spoke, Shen Wei finally looked up.

The woman had a beautiful appearance, with charming eyebrows and delicate features. Her waist was slender, and her figure was well-proportioned. Even her voice was like a bird’s chirp—truly a remarkable woman. Shen Wei’s fingers rested on the tea lid, but her gaze stayed fixed on the maid. If she remembered correctly, this woman should be Lü Fu.

In the original story, when Lu Qi Huai was selecting a maid, he chose Lü Fu. Lü Fu had always been unwilling to be a maid, so the original Shen Wei placed her by Lu Qi Huai’s side, and later, Lü Fu was implicated in an affair with him during his mourning period, resulting in his severe punishment.

Lü Fu noticed that Shen Wei was staring at her and grew even more pleased. Her voice became even softer, but before she could finish speaking, Shen Wei shifted her gaze and said, “Her.”

Shen Wei was pointing to a maid dressed in a pale green floral robe.

The maid’s appearance was only moderately pretty, but her demeanor was composed and gentle. Despite hearing Shen Wei’s remark, she showed only a brief moment of surprise before respectfully replying, “Yes.”

—-

Wenyuan Hall.

After meeting the maid sent by Shen Wei, Lu Qi Huai expressed his thanks to Mo Qi.

Back in his room, he stood by the window, watching Mo Qi’s retreating figure. He smiled lightly and said, “Interesting.” His tone was relaxed, like the sound of gold and jade gently striking one another.

From the darkness, a figure appeared. Hearing his words, the person asked, “Master, is there something wrong with the maid?”

Lu Qi Huai merely replied indifferently, “No need to worry.”

As he spoke, he rubbed a jade pendant in his hand, his gaze still fixed on the view outside the window. Reflecting on the woman’s actions over the past few days, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips.