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After a nap, Lu Songli woke up and had the entire courtyard cleaned inside and out.
The engagement between Xie Zhan and the original Lu Songli had been in place for many years, and the two families maintained regular contact. During festivals and Lu Songli’s birthdays, the Xie family would send gifts, including food, essentials, and entertainment items. Of course, the Lu family also sent return gifts.
Since Lu Songli’s mother, Madam Jiang, knew how much her daughter valued Xie Zhan, she made sure that aside from the food items, many of the Xie family’s gifts were given to Lu Songli. The original Lu Songli had cherished and carefully stored these items, even using them with great care.
Lu Songli, however, was not the original Lu Songli. She felt no particular attachment to these low-value items. She decided not to throw them away but instead to pack them up and put them in a corner. Once the matter with the Xie family was resolved, she planned to distribute them to the servants.
While cleaning, Lu Songli also came across various items the original Lu Songli had prepared for Xie Zhan: embroidered pouches, fans, and high-quality wolf hair brushes… Each item was made with great care. What truly spurred her decision to clean the courtyard, however, was a set of undergarments the original Lu Songli had secretly made for Xie Zhan!
Since this courtyard was now her residence, Lu Songli couldn’t stand having these items cluttering up her space.
She decided to give the high-quality wolf hair brush to her father. He deserved such a fine pen, whereas Xie Zhan did not. She would give the semi-finished set to Mo Bing, instructing her to find a skilled maid to alter it slightly, intending to gift it to her younger brother, Lu Mingzhi. The fabric used was Hang silk, which was quite expensive, and she couldn’t bring herself to throw it away. Ultimately, she decided to open the storeroom and take out the good-quality materials that the original Lu Songli had accumulated, making one outfit for each family member to be gifted at the New Year. It seemed odd to give only one set of undergarments to her brother.
With her decision made and the cleaning underway, the servants in her courtyard began working busily. After dealing with the unwanted items, Lu Songli found herself with nothing to do, so she decided to look for a book to read.
Upon inspecting the original Lu Songli’s bookshelf, she discovered only a few books, many of which were covered in dust. They included titles like “The Classic of Filial Piety” and “The Precepts for Women,” with the only exception being “Records of Mountains and Rivers,” which was placed at the very bottom. There were also two storybooks about virtuous wives and good mothers. She glanced at them and set them aside. From her memories, Lu Songli recalled that besides “Records of Mountains and Rivers,” which was a gift from her brother, the other books were either given or recommended by the original Lu Songli’s close friends from Zhao Yutian’s circle, under the pretext that they would be useful for her future role as the wife of the Xie family’s eldest son.
Lu Songli didn’t know what to make of it, so she grabbed a fishing rod and a wooden bucket and headed to her family’s pond for some fishing, considering it a way to relax. Mo Bing quickly followed her.
She had just caught four or five fish, each about the size of a palm, when she saw Steward Chen hurrying by with his little servants.
Mo Bing called out to him, “Uncle Chen!”
Steward Chen stopped and noticed that the second miss was fishing. He smiled and said, “Miss, are you and Mo Bing fishing?” His gaze swept over the wooden bucket, which already contained several fish. He thought, “The second miss is quite good at fishing.”
“Yes,” Lu Songli replied, “when Uncle Chen comes back later, could you take two of these? They’re not very big, but they look quite plump and, more importantly, they’re lively. The meat should be very tender.” Lu Songli was wearing a sun hat. In this era without sunscreen, sun protection was truly important.
“Certainly, I’ll take two with me when I come back. I have some urgent business now, so I’ll be leaving. Miss, enjoy your fishing,” he said as he continued walking.
“Uncle Chen, what’s the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?” Mo Bing asked as she followed him.
“Qin’s family has sent a notice to Master, wanting to visit. They are currently waiting outside the main gate,” Steward Chen replied. “So it’s quite urgent.”
When Lu Songli heard that the Qin family was coming, she realized that it must be the same Qin family that was engaged to Zhao Yutan. It seemed she had guessed correctly; who else would come for a visit at such a sensitive time? Lu Songli’s curiosity was piqued, and she was eager to see who these visitors were. In the original story, the protagonist was in a dire situation, but the Qin brothers were also not without their troubles—one sacrificed his life for the heroine, and the other was also unfairly treated, effectively drained by the hero and heroine.
“Mo Bing, you continue fishing here. I’m going to see Mother,” Lu Songli said, handing her fishing rod to Mo Bing and gracefully walking towards the main courtyard.
Mo Bing instinctively gripped the fishing rod and watched as the second miss walked away, quickly arranging for someone to follow her.
Not long after Lu Songli arrived at the main courtyard, the Qin family arrived. Due to the illness of the old matriarch, it was Qin Sheng’s elder brother, Qin Heng, who came with him.
The two were received by her parents.
Madam Jiang placed Lu Songli in the flower hall, keeping her out of the limelight.
The Qin family’s visit had two main purposes: first, to bring gifts and express their regrets to Lu Songli, who had been affected by the incident, and second, to show that the Qin family was willing to take responsibility for the situation.
“Regarding this matter, both Miss Lu and Qin Sheng were innocent. Her falling into the water was an accident. Qin Sheng did nothing wrong by rescuing her, but both have suffered undeserved calamities, and the marriage has faced complications.”
“Given the situation, since Miss Lu was physically involved with Qin Sheng, if the Lu family needs us to take responsibility, we are more than willing to do so. If not, we won’t press the issue and will respect the Lu family’s wishes.”
Qin Heng’s words were quite comforting to the Lu family, showing true responsibility and integrity.
However, seeing Qin Sheng’s unwilling demeanor, Lu Desheng couldn’t help but ask, “What about the Zhao family?”
Qin Heng smiled, “The Zhao family is not a problem. Our Qin family has already agreed to dissolve the engagement between our families.” He then gently patted his younger brother’s head and added, “Please don’t mind him; he was just rejected this morning and is still a bit unsettled.” His tone was full of apology.
Qin Sheng dared not show his displeasure.
Qin Heng’s words indeed helped Lu Desheng and his wife set aside their discomfort caused by Qin Sheng’s attitude.
Lu Desheng sighed. He had seen Qin Sheng proudly parading around in fresh clothes and on horseback, and now to see such a young man having his engagement called off—it made him feel that both he and his daughter were the most innocent parties in this whole affair. He also noted that the Qin family was straightforward and decisive, a trait fitting for a family with a military background. However, since his daughter was involved, it was natural to be cautious and hesitant.
Qin Heng’s voice was pleasant and his speech calm and deliberate.
Lu Songli couldn’t help but slightly pull back the curtain to peek outside, curious to see the visitors.
A skilled martial artist like him would naturally notice when someone’s gaze was directed at him. As soon as she looked out, a pair of sharp, intent eyes locked onto her.
Lu Songli felt a jolt—was that Qin Sheng? The light had been too dim last night, and her mind had been preoccupied, so she hadn’t closely observed him before.
She didn’t expect Qin Sheng to have such a strikingly ambiguous face. His features were sharp and well-defined, with a narrow nose and close-set brows that gave him a piercing, almost intimidating gaze. His appearance could be both righteous and malevolent. With his frameless glasses, he looked exactly like the type of elegant yet morally ambiguous character from a modern novel. It reminded her of photos she had seen of a certain prominent figure from his younger days. Such a look, when aged and infused with power, could easily blend with the image of a formidable antagonist.
When Qin Sheng recognized Lu Songli, the sharpness in his eyes diminished. However, he soon furrowed his brows, puzzled by the way she looked at him, as if she had just met him.
Lu Songli found herself momentarily stunned by his appearance.
Seeing her reaction, Qin Sheng shot her a disapproving glare, clearly irritated. He thought, “Still staring? How shameless!”
Lu Songli: …
With such a face and that kind of attitude, it was indeed a waste, Lu Songli thought disdainfully as she turned her head away.
She shifted her gaze slightly to the man beside Qin Sheng, who was presumably his elder brother, Qin Heng. Qin Heng had a longer face, with a lengthened and lean middle section, exuding a mature aura that combined both scholarly elegance and resolute firmness.
Qin Heng soon noticed something amiss and glanced over discreetly. Seeing Lu Songli, he seemed to recognize her identity and gave her a reassuring smile.
Caught in the act by the brothers, Lu Songli gave an awkward smile and quickly stepped aside, trying to act nonchalant. If she wasn’t embarrassed, then the embarrassment was on others.
There was no one else in the flower hall, so Lu Songli’s reactions were clearly visible to both her parents. They understood that the Qin brothers had noticed their daughter hiding inside, but the brothers’ reactions remained quite friendly.
The Qin brothers did not stay long and soon took their leave. Lu Desheng personally escorted them out, indicating that, compared to the Xie family, the Qin family received a higher level of courtesy.