Chapter 25

A few days later.

Shen Wei was in her room, going through the ledgers. Since Manager Li had been dismissed, she had promoted a young servant who had been there on the day of the incident. The servant was sharp and clever, and with Shen Wei’s guidance, he had quickly learned to keep the books neatly and clearly. Now, as Shen Wei reviewed the accounts, it no longer felt as tedious as before.

Mo Qi, who was grinding ink for her, smiled as she looked at the ledgers in Shen Wei’s hands and said, “That Manager Lin is indeed someone useful. These ledgers are the most complicated, and you always have to spend so much time calculating. I didn’t expect him to find such a method.”

After speaking, Mo Qi refilled Shen Wei’s tea and continued, “Now, the other management offices in the household and even the shopkeepers outside are following this method. It’s not only convenient, but also looks very clear.”

Shen Wei simply smiled in response.

She set her brush aside, took a sip of the freshly poured tea, and, after soothing her throat, asked, “How is Mi Zhi’s wind-cold?”

Mo Qi quickly replied, “Aunt Li reported that Mi Zhi is almost fully recovered.”

Shen Wei nodded in response. She placed the teacup back on the table and stood up. “I’ll go take a look at her…” Before Mo Qi could respond, Yiqin came in after lifting the curtain.

After greeting Shen Wei, Yiqin said, “Madam, Old Madam has sent word, asking you to go over to her.”

At this time?

Shen Wei glanced out the window. The sky had darkened, and it seemed like it was about to rain. However, she didn’t say anything. If Old Madam had no particular reason, she wouldn’t have summoned her. Shen Wei thought for a moment and then instructed Yiqin, “Go to Seventh Miss’s room and check on her. Also, ask the kitchen to prepare some soothing and lung-nourishing soup to send over.”

After Yiqin nodded, Shen Wei allowed Mo Qi to help her toward Dachen Hall.

By the time they reached Dachen Hall, the sky had grown even darker, and thick clouds filled the sky. Small rain droplets began to fall from the air. The servants outside rushed to meet her, and as they walked inside, one of them said, “Luckily, you arrived in time. If you had been a bit later, you would have gotten soaked in the rain.”

Shen Wei smiled and continued walking inside. As she did, she asked, “Has something happened that Old Madam wants me to come?”

“I don’t know exactly what it is, but…”

The servant, named Yi Nan, paused briefly, then lowered her voice to reply, “Earlier, the Huo family sent an invitation. After Old Madam looked it over, she sent for you.”

The Huo family?

There were many people with the surname Huo in Bianliang City, but if it was someone of notable rank, it could only be one family.

Shen Wei thought for a moment. If she wasn’t mistaken, Huo Feiguang’s birthday was soon. However, she had already explained her situation to Princess Qinghe the last time, so what was this invitation about? It didn’t seem worth worrying about right now; she would soon know what it was about.

She nodded to Yi Nan and continued walking inside.

Inside the room, only Wei Mama was with Old Madam, who usually wore a kind and gentle expression but today seemed to be deep in thought. When she heard the footsteps, she quickly masked her expression.

She greeted Shen Wei with the same warm face, her voice as gentle as ever, “Sui Sui, you’ve come.”

Shen Wei responded with a polite greeting and, after returning Wei Mama’s salute, sat down in the lower seat beside Old Madam and asked, “Mother, did you send for me because something happened?”

“There is indeed something…” Old Madam said as she handed over the invitation that had been placed on the table. “Princess Qinghe sent this invitation to our family, saying that three days from now is Princess Changping’s birthday banquet, and she wants to invite our family to attend and enjoy the event.”

Shen Wei frowned when she heard this.

She opened the invitation and saw it was written very clearly. Apart from herself, even Lu Qi Huai and members of the second and third branches of the family were on the invitation list.

Seeing her expression, Old Madam asked, “You and Princess Qinghe don’t have much of a relationship. She’s never sent us an invitation before. Do you know why she’s inviting us this time?”

Shen Wei closed the invitation and responded, “A few days ago, when I went to Xishan Temple, I did meet with the Princess. She mentioned the birthday banquet then, but since I’m still in mourning, I didn’t want to cause any offense and declined the invitation…” She paused for a moment before continuing, “She didn’t bring it up again that day, and I’m not sure why she’s sending the invitation now.”

As she spoke, Old Madam’s smile seemed to falter slightly, and even the hand that had been turning the Buddhist beads paused for a moment.

Although it was fleeting, Shen Wei noticed it. She felt a trace of suspicion but still asked with concern, “Mother, is something wrong?”

Old Madam quickly put the smile back on her face, shaking her head, and said, “It’s nothing…” She continued turning the beads, but after a while, she spoke again, “Since the Princess has sent an invitation, it seems she doesn’t mind. You should go. It will save others from thinking we’re being overly proud.”

When Shen Wei heard this, she naturally agreed.

There was no unusual expression on her face, but her heart felt a bit strange. Whether it was the invitation from Princess Qinghe or the fleeting panic from Mrs. Xie earlier, something felt off. However, seeing that Mrs. Xie had now returned to her usual calm demeanor, Shen Wei didn’t say anything more. She simply rose, bowed to her, and then walked out.

When she reached the Duobao Pavilion…

Shen Wei stopped and looked through the gaps in the lattice at the inside.

Mrs. Xie had closed her eyes again, fiddling with her Buddhist beads, her lips moving as if there was no difference from usual. But Shen Wei noticed that today, the speed at which Mrs. Xie was turning the beads was noticeably faster than before, as if she were trying to calm the turmoil in her heart.

A vague guess formed in Shen Wei’s mind—this matter probably had something to do with Lu Qi Huai.

Princess Qinghe had clearly not mentioned anything about Ho Feiguang’s birthday that day, but this time she sent an invitation to their home, even inviting the entire Lu family.

Also, today, when Mrs. Xie heard that Shen Wei had seen Princess Qinghe in Xishan Temple, all the pieces seemed to be connected, with one person at the center—Lu Qi Huai.

Shen Wei’s expression remained unchanged, but there was a rare hint of contemplation in her eyes. She glanced at Mrs. Xie again, and then walked out, pulling the curtain behind her.

After hearing Shen Wei’s footsteps fade away, Mrs. Xie finally opened her eyes. She stopped fiddling with the beads, lowered her head slightly, and let out a light sigh.

Weimama, who was standing by her side, saw this and quickly stepped forward to refill her tea. Then, in a soft voice, she comforted her, “You don’t need to worry. Everyone saw that person die with their own eyes back then. Moreover, that person is very different from how he was before. Even if Princess Qinghe has doubts, there’s no evidence to support them.”

“I understand what you mean, but there’s always a little worry in my heart…” Mrs. Xie lowered her eyes and looked at the pattern on the Buddhist beads in her hand. After a long while, she spoke again, “The lives of over a hundred people in our Lu family are all tied to that one person. If he succeeds, it will be a great merit for our family. But if he fails, I’m old, and it won’t matter to me, but what will happen to the rest of the family?”

After saying this, she raised her gaze and looked out the window. The sky was overcast, and raindrops continued to fall. She sighed deeply and murmured, “Back then, Bu Wei really took a dangerous gamble…”

—-

That evening.

At Taoran Studio.

Shen Wei sat upright in a circle chair, holding a book, but her mind wasn’t on it. She heard a voice from outside, “Young Master, you’ve arrived.”

She returned to her senses.

Mo Qi stepped forward to lift the curtain, and Shen Wei closed her book and looked up.

The rain outside was pouring heavily, and despite holding an umbrella, Lu Qi Huai’s clothes were still wet at the edges. Under the candlelight, his handsome face looked slightly misty, perhaps because of the rain, giving him a somewhat hazy, tender appearance.

Mo Qi, seeing this, exclaimed and quickly grabbed a handkerchief to brush the rain off his clothes. Then, she ordered someone to prepare a bowl of ginger soup, also saying, “Why didn’t you have a servant accompany you? It’s so cold, you shouldn’t catch a cold.”

Hearing this, Lu Qi Huai simply smiled, “It’s only a short walk. Besides, I’m strong. It’s not that easy for me to catch a cold.”

After saying this, he walked toward Shen Wei. When he was a few steps away, he stopped and respectfully bowed to her, then greeted her politely, “Mother.”

Shen Wei didn’t respond verbally but nodded slightly. She remained seated in her chair, looking at Lu Qi Huai. This was the first time she carefully examined him. She looked from his brows and eyes all the way down to his jaw. Under the candlelight, Lu Qi Huai’s face was still stunningly handsome. It was the most beautiful face she had ever seen, even surpassing the top celebrities from the 21st century.

But…

What secret lies behind Lu Qi Huai?

Back then, he had used the excuse of “there are people who resemble others” to explain Princess Qinghe’s odd behavior, but what about Mrs. Xie? What was her reason?

Not hearing Shen Wei speak, Lu Qi Huai looked up and saw her deep in thought. He gently asked, “Mother, what’s wrong?”

Shen Wei came back to her senses at the sound of his voice.

She composed her expression and then briefly explained the invitation from Princess Qinghe to attend the birthday banquet of Princess Changping, adding, “The event is in a few days. I’ve already had someone prepare clothes for you. Since it’s Princess Changping’s birthday banquet, many officials and nobles will be there, so you need to be mentally prepared.”

Although Lu Qi Huai had been back at the Lu family for some time, they had been keeping a low profile, and not many people in the city had seen him. But since Ho Feiguang was the only princess of Qingyun Kingdom, her birthday banquet would be filled with guests. Lu Qi Huai would inevitably attract attention and criticism.

Lu Qi Huai frowned upon hearing this, and there was hesitation on his face. Even his words were filled with uncertainty: “I’ve never attended such a banquet. I fear I might make a mistake and bring shame to the family…” He paused for a moment and then looked at Shen Wei, adding, “I’d rather not go.”

Shen Wei waved her hand, signaling Mo Qi to understand, and Mo Qi bowed and left.

After Mo Qi exited…

Shen Wei turned back to Lu Qi Huai and said, “You are the eldest son of the family. Now that your father is gone, you must carry the responsibility not just for our direct line, but for the entire Lu family… Even if you don’t go this time, what about in the future? As the heir of the Lu family, you must face any challenges ahead, not shrink from them.”

Moreover, there was one thing she did not say.

Although the Princess invited the entire Lu family this time, she had a feeling that the invitation was likely meant for Lu Qi Huai… Using the invitation to the Lu family as an excuse, perhaps the one she really wanted to invite was the young man in front of her? If that was the case, and if the first attempt failed, there would naturally be a second, and she also wanted to know why the Princess paid so much attention to Lu Qi Huai.

Shen Wei had thought about it for a long time, but even after recalling the content from the original book, there was no mention of any connection between Princess Qinghe and Lu Qi Huai.

Lu Qi Huai, upon hearing this, did not speak further.

He hid all his emotions and then cupped his hands toward Shen Wei, saying, “It is my cowardice that makes me think only of myself. Don’t worry, Mother, I will definitely perform well and not disgrace the family.”

Shen Wei looked at him, then casually replied, “Alright, it’s getting late. You should go back now.”

As soon as these words were spoken, she watched him retreat and added, “Take the ginger tea from the small kitchen with you, don’t catch a cold.”

By the time Lu Qi Huai had reached the curtain, he stopped at her words. He turned back to look at her, his brows and eyes gentle, his face carrying a smile. He spoke, “Thank you for your concern, Mother. I will remember it.” After speaking, he noticed the slight awkwardness on Shen Wei’s face but remained composed. He bowed again before pulling the curtain aside and walking out.

Shen Wei watched his departing figure but did not speak.

Her fingers, which had been resting on the armrest, slightly curled. She stared at the fluctuating brocade curtain, her fingers gently tapping the armrest, and after a long while, she finally withdrew her gaze.

—–

In the main room of the west courtyard.

Since the incident with Yu Ruyi, Wang Shi had rarely been happy, but today a smile couldn’t leave her face. She instructed people to compare fabrics while speaking to Lu Qi Xuan and his younger brother, Lu Qi Yan, “The birthday of Princess Changping will certainly attract many guests. It’s a rare good opportunity.”

After speaking, she had some fabrics changed and added, “On that day, I will take a good look for you. In two years, you both should be of age to marry.”

Though Lu Qi Yan was usually unruly, at this moment, he couldn’t help but blush at her words.

However, thinking of the illegitimate son from the eastern courtyard being on the invitation list, he darkened his face and said irritably, “It’s one thing for Princess Changping to invite us, but why is that illegitimate son also on the list? With so many guests, bringing him along would certainly bring a lot of gossip.”

Lately, many people in the Yang family had been gossiping about them. With his grandmother’s warning still in his ears, he dared not act out and could only suppress his frustration.

After all, how many people from the Yang family were there? It was only about a dozen mouths.

The birthday banquet of Princess Changping was a big event. On that day, probably all the nobles in Bianliang would attend. When that time came, he didn’t want to suffer the sneers and ridicule from over a hundred people just because of the illegitimate son! Lu Qi Yan’s face darkened further, and he spoke more harshly, “Mother, go tell grandmother not to let that illegitimate son go with us. Our Lu family’s reputation in the city has always been good, but ever since that illegitimate son came into the family, he’s been ridiculed. Don’t let him embarrass us on that day.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Shi’s previously smiling face also turned solemn.

She naturally didn’t want Lu Qi Huai to go with them. It was hard enough to attend Princess Changping’s birthday without bringing along someone who couldn’t stand on the same level as them. She feared there would be many noblewomen mocking them openly and behind their backs.

But the old lady had already spoken, what could she do?

Besides, Lu Qi Huai was the eldest son of the first branch. As the wife of the second branch, could she interfere with matters of the first branch? After hearing this, she only lightly said, “Can he never leave the house? Enough, don’t worry about these people. Just take care of yourselves.”

She paused before adding, “There will be many officials and ministers attending. This is a rare opportunity, you should make good use of it.”

Lu Qi Yan was about to say something else, but before he could speak, Lu Qi Xuan took over, “Mother is right. Why should we worry about an irrelevant person?”

After saying this, Lu Qi Xuan turned to Wang Shi and said, “Leave the clothes to Mother. Yan, brother and I still have some work to do, so we’ll leave now.”

Wang Shi, who had always doted on Lu Qi Xuan, naturally agreed quickly. Her face held a warm and loving smile, and she softly said, “Although studying is important, don’t forget to rest. I’ll have someone prepare supper and send it to you when it’s ready.”

Lu Qi Xuan smiled and thanked her, then bowed before leaving with Lu Qi Yan.

As they reached outside—

Lu Qi Yan shook off Lu Qi Xuan’s hand, his face filled with anger. His voice was sharp, “Brother, what are you stopping me for? Do you really want that illegitimate son to go with us?”

“I can’t stand it, but can you?”

Lu Qi Xuan glanced at him, his expression still calm, and replied faintly, “The invitation was personally sent by Princess Qinghe to Lu Qi Huai. Plus, grandmother has already agreed. Even if you can’t stand it, what will you do about it?”

The words “What will you do about it” filled Lu Qi Yan with rage that he couldn’t vent. His face flushed, and after a long time, he gritted his teeth and said, “Is there really no other way?”

Lu Qi Xuan remained silent for a moment, standing with his hands behind his back, looking out at the fine drizzle. After a long while, he spoke faintly, “It’s not that there’s no way.”

When he said this, his expression hadn’t changed, but his hands behind his back clenched tightly, hidden from view.

He recalled Lu Qi Huai’s behavior in the Yang family recently. Initially, he thought that this disgraceful person would certainly bring shame to the Lu family, but to his surprise, Mr. Yang placed great importance on him.

It wouldn’t have been a problem if Lu Qi Huai had enjoyed some wealth and status in the Lu family.

But now…

Lu Qi Yan heard him say there was a solution and immediately asked, “What solution?”

Lu Qi Xuan, upon hearing this, did not respond right away. He only turned his head and looked at Lu Qi Yan, his gaze lingering on his face for a while before he lowered his voice and spoke a few words.

Lu Qi Yan frowned as he listened. He certainly disliked Lu Qi Huai, but if such a thing happened, it was likely that Lu Qi Huai would never be able to take the imperial examinations again… Realizing this, he asked, “Is there no other way?”

Lu Qi Xuan, upon hearing this, merely replied indifferently, “You treat him like a brother, but yesterday, when I was at the Yang family, I saw our good cousin talking and laughing with the eldest Miss Yang. Miss Yang has never treated anyone like that before… Yan, you need to think carefully. If we continue to indulge him like this, not only in the Lu family but also in the Yang family, there will be no place for us brothers to speak.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Qi Yan, who was already angry, became even more furious. Unlike Lu Qi Xuan, who went to the Shen family to get close to Yang Ji, Lu Qi Yan had gone to the Yang family for the eldest Miss Yang. Now that he heard that Miss Yang had shown special interest in Lu Qi Huai, his jealousy could no longer be contained.

His face darkened as he clenched his teeth and said, “He dares to speak with Miss Yang?”

After saying this—

Lu Qi Yan no longer paid attention to Lu Qi Xuan and strode out of the room.

Lu Qi Xuan, watching his brother leave, glanced up at the dark sky. He stood there for a while before he finally moved and continued walking forward.