Chapter 14

On the third day after Lu Minghua returned home, Lu Mingxi woke up. This good news was evidently effective, as someone diagnosed by the doctor as incurable quickly regained vitality in just a few days. By the tenth day, she was already able to get up.

That day, the snow that had fallen for several days began to melt under the sunlight, and the air was filled with a slight chill.

Under Madam Qin’s somewhat nervous gaze, Lu Minghua stepped into Lu Mingxi’s bedroom. As soon as she looked up, she met Lu Mingxi’s triumphant gaze, leaning against the soft pillow.

But this look lasted only a moment. When Madam Qin looked over, Lu Mingxi’s eyelashes fluttered, and her face was full of guilt and helplessness.

Lu Minghua was already used to such changes in expression. She knew that Lu Mingxi was trying to provoke her. She had liked doing this since she was a child, always keen on provoking her in places others wouldn’t notice, then watching her lose her temper and act out, only to put on an innocent and pitiful look.

Lu Minghua had suffered quite a bit from this. The worst time was when Lu Mingxi pretended to be pushed into the water by her. She fell seriously ill, and Lu Minghua missed the chance to become good friends with a certain princess, being forced by Madam Qin to kneel in the Buddha hall for half a month, reciting scriptures.

“You will recite scriptures here, pray for Mingxi, and reflect on yourself. When she wakes up, you can leave.” As soon as Lu Minghua remembered, Madam Qin’s words seemed to echo in her ears, clear as day.

Memory is always strange. Some things are forgotten in a few days, but some remain unforgettable for years, becoming more vivid over time.

“Mingxi, you’re awake.” Lu Minghua smiled faintly, her demeanor calm and composed. She was no longer the little girl who desperately explained it wasn’t her, full of grievances.

Lu Mingxi’s eyes flickered, looking down at her pale fingertips, then looked up, her eyes flashing, as if she didn’t dare to look directly at Lu Minghua, and said softly, “Sister, I’m sorry, I—”

“Why say sorry,” Lu Minghua interrupted, sitting by the bed and carefully looking at Lu Mingxi as if relieved. “Your health is poor, and it’s hard for you to wake up. You should take good care of yourself and not overthink.”

“But, if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have had to divorce Yuntai—oh, I mean, brother-in-law,” Lu Mingxi covered her mouth with her hand, looking helplessly at Lu Minghua.

The sisters looked at each other, one smiling at the other’s frailty, the other at being abandoned. In their soft words, there were invisible daggers.

Madam Qin hurried forward and said, “Mingxi, you—Minghua, don’t mind her. Mingxi didn’t mean it. She has woken up several times these days, always regretting…”

As Madam Qin continued speaking, Lu Minghua only saw the triumphant look in Lu Mingxi’s eyes as she leaned in her arms.

The moment Madam Qin spoke, she had already lost.

“Mother, I don’t mind,” Lu Minghua calmly waited for Madam Qin to finish, letting her emotions surge and then break free, smiling, “It was just a misunderstanding. I don’t care about Wei Yuntai. In fact, I should thank my sister. If it weren’t for her illness, I wouldn’t have known how to get out of the Ningguo Marquis’ residence.”

Madam Qin was stunned for a moment, looking at Lu Minghua, thinking she was just being stubborn, and was about to comfort her when she continued.

“In the future, I wish my sister and Wei Yuntai a loving marriage and a long life together,” Lu Minghua said with a smile, “And I can find a partner.” Her eyes were too serious, especially in the last sentence, where the joy almost overflowed.

Although she did not fully understand her daughter, Madam Qin knew her general temperament and believed most of it.

Lu Minghua’s expression was calm, and Lu Mingxi, watching her speak, confirmed she wasn’t pretending, biting her lip and clenching her hand in her sleeve.

Again, it was like this. The things she desperately wanted, why could Lu Minghua not care at all?

“Sister? Why aren’t you speaking? Are you feeling unwell again?” Seeing that Lu Mingxi didn’t respond immediately, Lu Minghua raised her eyebrows and smiled.

“No, nothing. I just didn’t expect you to think this way. Then, I, I will,” Lu Mingxi stammered, sneaking a glance at Lu Minghua. She was unable to finish her sentence, but the joy in her eyes was unmistakable.

Lu Minghua smiled and then frowned, saying, “But sister, to test Wei Yuntai’s sincerity, I made things difficult for him when he proposed the divorce, saying that if he begged me, I would agree.”

“Minghua,” Madam Qin, not expecting her to do this, was startled and spoke instinctively, not noticing the hopeful look in Lu Mingxi’s eyes.

“But he didn’t agree,” Lu Minghua said slowly, watching the fleeting disappointment in Lu Mingxi’s eyes, her smile growing, “I don’t know if I was too harsh or if Wei Yuntai lacked sincerity. Sister, you can judge for yourself.”

Madam Qin also fell into deep thought.

“Indeed, for the past three years, I often thought Wei Yuntai would divorce me, but each time, my hopes were dashed, delaying my sister until now,” Lu Minghua shook her head and said no more.

Madam Qin immediately frowned, looking worriedly at Lu Mingxi in her arms.

Lu Mingxi, looking despondent, covered her mouth and coughed.

Lu Minghua quickly handed her a cup of tea, and the resentment that had just risen in Madam Qin’s heart dissipated. She looked at Lu Minghua with some disapproval and said, “Your sister’s heart disease has just healed. You shouldn’t talk to her about these things.”

Successfully stabbing Lu Mingxi’s heart again and again, Lu Minghua felt a sense of satisfaction. She lowered her eyebrows to hide her emotions and sighed, “I was just worried about my sister, afraid she might be heartbroken, so I said a few more words.”

“You could have waited a few days to say it,” Madam Qin couldn’t help but soften her tone.

“I’m afraid I can’t wait,” Lu Minghua stood up, smiling lightly, and said, “Mother, now that I’ve divorced and returned home, it’s inconvenient to stay here. I’ve already prepared the villa outside the city, and I’ll move there in a few days.”

“What, Minghua, you—” Madam Qin wanted to stop her.

“Mother, although my sister has recovered, this serious illness has taken a toll on her body. If I stay at home, it will inevitably distract you. Once I’m gone, you can focus on nursing her back to health,” Lu Minghua said softly, looking at Lu Mingxi.

Hearing this, Madam Qin’s words of protest stopped at her lips. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded.

Lu Minghua smiled at Lu Mingxi again and then turned to leave.

Lu Mingxi watched her back disappear behind the curtain. The sunlight outside enveloped her, making her look as if she had merged with the light, so dazzling that Lu Mingxi couldn’t help but close her eyes.

Madam Qin nagged for a while, and Lu Mingxi closed her eyes as if she had fallen asleep. After Madam Qin left, she opened her eyes, hiding her impatience.

“Miss,” the maid suddenly came in, not surprised to see her awake, and hurriedly said, “When the third young lady left, she left Cuiyun behind, saying she couldn’t use these people now and gave her to you as a maid.”

She quickly finished her sentence, lowering her head, not daring to look at Lu Mingxi’s expression. She knew how Cuiyun ended up with Lu Minghua and what she had done, but now it was clear that Lu Minghua had known all along. Then, before…

Lu Mingxi’s emotions churned; her face turned pale, and a trace of blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.

The maid was startled and quickly took out a handkerchief, ready to step forward, but Lu Mingxi snatched it away, wiped her mouth forcefully, and gritted her teeth, “Lu Minghua.”

Thinking about it, she realized it was deliberate. Lu Minghua had intentionally let her know she was arranging concubines for Wei Yuntai, even guessing she would feign illness, and wasn’t surprised by the divorce. But what hurt the most was Lu Minghua’s indifference towards Wei Yuntai.

The person she cherished like a treasure was discarded like a worn-out shoe by her sister. Thinking of Wei Yuntai’s handsome face, her affection for him suddenly diminished.

Three days later, everything was ready, just waiting to depart.

Lu Minghua put on her cloak and saw someone hurrying over. Looking closely, it was her uncle Lu Chengwen’s page boy, so she stopped.

“Third young lady, Master asked me to tell you that according to the schedule, the soldiers should arrive in the capital today. It might be difficult to travel then. Would you like to change the date?”

“Today?” Lu Minghua didn’t expect such bad timing.

A few days ago, news of victory from the northwest had reached the emperor, who was overjoyed and ordered the army to return to the capital. She didn’t expect them to arrive today.

But—

Looking at the neatly packed courtyard and luggage, Lu Minghua smiled and thanked her uncle for his kindness. She said everything was packed, and even if they encountered the returning army, it wouldn’t be a problem. The villa was pretty close, and they could reach it before dark.

The page boy just came to remind her and left after delivering the message. Lu Minghua got on the carriage and set off. Leaving the Earl’s residence behind, she felt no reluctance, only a faint sense of relief.

The carriage headed towards the east gate. Despite the cold weather, it didn’t affect the bustling streets, with vendors’ cries rising and falling. Even after leaving the city gate, the sounds could still be faintly heard.

The carriage moved steadily when the sound of urgent hoofbeats suddenly rang out.

“The army is returning. Make way!” the soldiers on horseback shouted, clearing the road. Two rows of black-armored cavalry drove the crowd aside, making way.

The coachman hurriedly asked, and Lu Minghua, realizing the bad timing, told him to move to the corner.

In the distance, a rumbling sound approached, and even the ground seemed to tremble. The black-armored cavalry surged like waves, their imposing presence intimidating.

A battle-hardened army, indeed.

Lu Minghua lifted the curtain and glanced outside, feeling a bit startled. She instinctively avoided looking directly and suddenly noticed a few blooming wintersweet flowers in the corner. No wonder she smelled a faint fragrance upon arriving here.

The dust-covered returning army stopped a short distance outside the city. Soon, someone rode swiftly from the city, dismounted before the army, and bowed respectfully. After a brief conversation, the leader of the black-armored cavalry pulled the reins, and a group of soldiers separated from the main force and slowly headed towards the city.

Meanwhile, Lu Minghua, after observing for a while, finally selected a satisfactory wintersweet branch. She lifted the curtain and reached out to pluck it.

The movement of the flower tree caught the distant attention of a rider. He saw a delicate hand lifting the curtain, revealing a beautiful face partially hidden. She gently sniffed the flower branch in her hand and smiled faintly.

The rider, filled with the fierce aura of the battlefield, felt most of it dissipate in the presence of her contented and pleasant smile.