Chapter 33

“Mother, we’ve only been married for three months.” Thinking of Lu Mingxi’s temperament, Wei Yuntai couldn’t help but feel pity. She had always been delicate, and if she found out about this, she would surely be heartbroken.

Her health was also not good…

“Are you saying that because your father and I have been married for over twenty years, I should allow him to take a concubine?” Madam Sun retorted.

Wei Yuntai quickly refuted, “Mother, I didn’t mean that. But taking a concubine now is indeed too early.”

In respectable families, they wouldn’t rush to take a concubine shortly after marriage. It wouldn’t sound good if word got out.

“You already have no reputation left,” Madam Sun said directly, looking at him.

Wei Yuntai fell silent.

“Do you want your mother to beg you?” Madam Sun became more anxious, worried that her son would become stubborn at this critical moment, and raised her voice.

Wei Yuntai thought for a while. Seeing his always proud and strong mother with her shoulders slumped, he couldn’t help but refuse and nodded.

“Yuntai, this isn’t for me.” Seeing him agree, Madam Sun sighed in relief. She beckoned Wei Yuntai over and spoke softly, “Your father has always prioritized the Marquis’s residence. Right now, he is disappointed in you. If there is a concubine’s son, he will surely focus on raising him. At that time, there will be no place for you and me in this residence.”

Wei Yuntai’s eyes darkened, understanding that what Madam Sun said was true.

The mother and son discussed for a long time and finally made a plan.

In the evening, Madam Sun tentatively spoke to Wei Huailiang about her arrangements and said, “It’s not that I can’t tolerate you taking a concubine, but now that Yuntai and Yunxuan have grown up, if there is a concubine’s son, the Marquis’s residence will surely be in chaos.”

Madam Sun indeed didn’t mind Wei Huailiang taking concubines. However, Wei Huailiang had never been interested in women and was focused on strengthening Marquis Ningguo’s residence. When he was younger, she had arranged a few concubines for him, but he was indifferent, and none of them bore children. Now, their beauty had long faded, and they all stayed in the small courtyard of the Marquis’s residence to live out their days.

Back then, who among her friends didn’t envy Madam Sun? Her husband was capable and not interested in women, and their children were promising. Who would have thought that in the end, Wei Yuntai would be the one to cause trouble?

Thinking of the delicate and frail Lu Mingxi, who fainted at the slightest provocation, Madam Sun became angry and even felt a tinge of regret. If she had known, she might have kept Lu Minghua instead…

Wei Huailiang thought for a moment and agreed.

Although he was disappointed in his eldest son, Wei Yuntai, he was still satisfied with him in other aspects, except for his interest in women. His angry words yesterday were half sincere and half deliberate, wanting to make Wei Yuntai see the current situation clearly.

Madam Sun felt relieved.

The next day, the family doctor came to check Lu Mingxi’s pulse.

Facing the inexplicable kindness of the Marquis’s wife, Lu Mingxi was wary. After the diagnosis, the doctor said she was weak and unlikely to have children, which made her even more anxious.

What was the Marquis’s wife planning?

Nothing happened after a few days of peace, and Lu Mingxi felt slightly relieved. But that evening, when Wei Yuntai returned from paying his respects, he brought back two elegant and refined women who stood demurely in the hall, bowing slightly to her and addressing her as “concubine.”

The nanny beside the Marquis’s wife came over, smiling and congratulating her, saying that these were two concubines given to the heir by the Marquis’s wife.

Lu Mingxi looked at Wei Yuntai in disbelief and fainted on the spot.

Although he had anticipated her reaction, seeing it still made Wei Yuntai sigh, feeling inexplicably tired.

The storms in the Marquis’s residence did not affect the mountain retreat at all.

As summer reached its peak, the weather grew hotter by the day. Although it was cool on the mountain, the heat was still hard to escape.

Lu Minghua walked through the forest, fanning herself and thinking of the news from the Marquis’s residence, unable to suppress her laughter.

Wei Yuntai had actually taken concubines. He had seemed so deeply in love with Lu Mingxi before, but it had only been three months, and he had already accepted the concubines given by Madam Sun. It seemed that his so-called affection was really…

“Minghua, you seem to be in a good mood today.” Seeing her smiling with her eyes curved and her steps light, exuding a sense of ease and happiness, Yan Yuanhua couldn’t help but smile.

Lu Minghua had a gentle temperament and rarely showed her emotions, so it was rare to see her so happy.

“Because something good happened.” Lu Minghua covered her mouth and nose with her fan, revealing only her smiling eyes, and glanced at Yan Yuanhua. Her eyes sparkled, and nothing more needed to be said.

Yan Yuanhua’s breath caught for a moment. He wanted to speak, but he realized that Lu Minghua had already looked away, and a faint sense of loss filled his heart.

Cursing himself for being unworthy, Yan Yuanhua stepped forward to hold back a tree branch for Lu Minghua. Hearing her thanks, he felt happy again.

The two revisited an old spot, planning to go to the mountain stream.

Although she had walked this path once before, Lu Minghua still found it very difficult. When she arrived at the place, she was surprised to find that a small path had been built, with stone steps leading directly to the mountain stream.

“What is this?” Lu Minghua instinctively looked at Yan Yuanhua.

“I spend my days here cooling off, so I had them fix the path,” Yan Yuanhua said with a smile, his fingers lightly brushing as he resisted the urge to touch her fluttering eyelashes.

So that’s how it was. Lu Minghua suddenly understood.

The two of them walked down the path, with Lu Minghua following behind Yan Yuanhua, effortlessly stepping down the stone steps, feeling a subtle sense of something she couldn’t quite grasp.

When they reached the mountain stream, they found the previously messy area had been tidied up. The once bare stone pool now had half a pool of lotus flowers. The stream above splashed water onto the stones, which then rolled onto the lotus leaves before falling into the stone pool.

The edge of the pool was carefully surrounded by stones, and inside, golden-red carp swam freely. The trees on both sides of the mountain stream blocked most of the sky, with only some sunlight filtering through the treetops, casting a faint green light that made the scene look dreamlike. What was originally a masterpiece of nature had been enhanced by human hands, adding even more beauty and elegance, making it truly exquisite.

Lu Minghua’s eyes lit up at the sight, and she forgot to fan herself, instinctively reaching out to catch the light.

Yan Yuanhua had been watching her all along. Seeing her delight, he felt all the previous arrangements were worth it. His gaze followed Lu Minghua’s movements, watching her delicate fingers, which seemed almost transparent in the sunlight, more beautiful than the finest jade he had ever seen.

“So beautiful,” Lu Minghua sighed.

“I knew you’d like it,” Yan Yuanhua said with a smile, stepping forward to catch a bit of sunlight.

Their hands were close, one with delicate, slender fingers, soft and boneless, the other with distinct joints, long and fair. They clearly kept their distance, but maintaining the same action somehow conveyed a subtle intimacy.

With a slight tremble of her fingers, Lu Minghua withdrew her hand and looked at the pond. She walked over, lightly lifting her skirt and squatting down to look at the lotus flowers.

“Did you really just scatter some lotus seeds, and they grew on their own?” Unable to see any flaws, Lu Minghua looked up at Yan Yuanhua, still somewhat doubtful, finding it hard to believe such a miraculous thing.

Of course— It wasn’t.

He had heard Lu Minghua lament a few days ago about not seeing lotus flowers in the mountains and felt a bit regretful, so he had someone prepare them. But he couldn’t say that directly, fearing it would scare her away.

Yan Yuanhua smiled and said, “I just tried it casually at the time.”

He squatted down beside Lu Minghua, reaching out to stir the pond water, causing the fish inside to swim away with a flick of their tails.

The craftsmen he had specially found had built it meticulously, so naturally, there were no visible flaws, and everything seemed as if it had always been there. If he hadn’t personally instructed everything, he might have thought it was naturally like this.

“The wonders of nature are truly amazing,” Lu Minghua said in awe, poking a lotus leaf and watching the water droplets inside almost spill out before letting go, seeing the droplets roll off the leaf. She couldn’t help but laugh.

Yan Yuanhua turned to look at her and couldn’t help but smile, sighing inwardly at how easy it was to make her happy.

Such a small thing could make her laugh so joyfully. But thinking about why it was so easy to make her happy, he couldn’t help but feel pity and dislike for Lu Chengsong and others.

Seeing her happy, Yan Yuanhua felt satisfied.

Watching Lu Minghua reach out and stir the pond water, her brows filled with gentle smiles, he found an excuse to leave, not wanting to make her feel constrained by his presence.

Seeing him leave, Lu Minghua couldn’t help but relax.

Xiao Chun and a few other young maids also liked the place, laughing and looking around.

“Miss, this place is really beautiful,” Xiao Xia said.

Lu Minghua nodded in agreement, lifting her skirt and sitting on a stone by the pond, admiring the view.

The stream splashed down from the upstream rocks, forming a small waterfall. Weeds grew by the waterfall, with water droplets hanging from the tips, falling and replaced by new ones. The half-pool of lotus flowers swayed gently with the water, and the golden-red fish swam leisurely inside, very content.

Lu Minghua indeed liked this place very much. After looking around for a while, she felt tired and returned to sit on the large stone. Feeling the cool breeze and the moisture-laden wind passing through the mountains, bringing bursts of coolness, she felt very comfortable.

Until noon, it was time for lunch. Lu Minghua felt a bit reluctant but knew it was time to go back. Then she saw a figure coming down the stone steps, taking three steps at a time, and finally leaping down the last few steps.

Lu Minghua watched, slightly stunned.

Most noble young men were well-mannered and elegant, but Young Master Yuan was the first person she had met who didn’t adhere to such formalities. Such a person should be called a rough man, but his demeanor was natural and unrestrained, his every move bold and grand, making him refreshing. She suddenly became curious about what kind of experiences could create such a person.

“I thought you might be hungry, so I brought some food. I already informed Mama Li before coming,” Yan Yuanhua said with a smile, holding a food box.

“Today, try the skills of my mansion’s chef,” Yan Yuanhua said, already skillfully setting out the dishes.

Lu Minghua was a bit surprised. Even she couldn’t handle the dishes so deftly, but Young Master Yuan, a man, was so proficient.

In just a moment, several small dishes were ready. Lu Minghua hadn’t even had time to refuse, and seeing this, she hesitated. Dining in the wilderness was no problem and could be considered a refined activity.

But Yan Yuanhua was still there. Thinking about having a meal with a man, she was about to refuse.

“I’ve already eaten. This is all for you,” Yan Yuanhua said in time.

Lu Minghua had to swallow her words, still hesitating. But seeing the porcelain plates placed on the large stone and the food’s aroma wafting over, she couldn’t help but be tempted. She tried sitting down, letting her skirt touch the ground and getting dusty. Then she picked up a bowl and tried a bite of the food, suddenly smiling.

“This is quite interesting,” Lu Minghua said with a smile, looking up at Yan Yuanhua.

“Don’t you think getting used to this is good?” Yan Yuanhua said, arranging the food box and looking up with a smile. If it were him in the past, even dining in the wilderness would require his guards to carefully arrange everything, lay out carpets, and ensure everything was impeccable. But now, even facing a battlefield, he could still eat. The once-pampered young prince had all his pickiness and delicacy worn away in his first year at the border.

Lu Minghua shook her head, saying no.

“I’ve never experienced this before. It’s exciting.” What was ordinary for others was new and fascinating for her. She genuinely liked it.

Seeing her eyes sparkle, clearly believing what she said, Yan Yuanhua smiled. Not wanting to disturb her meal, he let Lu Minghua eat first and found a large stone to lie down on.

The stone was on the other side, a distance away.

It had to be said, as he walked away, Lu Minghua felt a slight relief. No matter how much she told herself it was fine, having a man watch her eat made her uncomfortable.

The sound of flowing water and birdsong blended in the tranquil mountain stream. On one side, a man rested with his eyes closed, while on the other, a woman smiled and ate her meal in small bites. She didn’t notice it herself, but to the maids watching, the scene seemed particularly harmonious.

Yan Yuanhua had initially just closed his eyes to rest, but he unknowingly fell asleep listening to the subtle sounds from the other side.

After finishing her meal, Lu Minghua’s maids quickly stepped forward to clean up. She glanced at the hot weather and hesitated momentarily, deciding it was time to leave. No matter how comfortable it was here, it was still Young Master Yuan’s resting place, and she shouldn’t stay too long.

Thinking this, she stood up, looked at Yan Yuanhua, and called, “Ji’an.”

Yan Yuanhua immediately woke up, but feeling a stir in his heart, he didn’t move and continued to pretend to sleep.

Lu Minghua thought he was deeply asleep and hesitated for a moment before walking over. When she reached the large stone, she saw him lying there peacefully, with one hand behind his head, his brows relaxed, and a slight smile on his lips.

For a moment, she didn’t want to wake him.

Feeling apologetic, Lu Minghua lightly tapped Yan Yuanhua’s shoulder with her fan and called out again, “Ji’an.”

The faint scent of jasmine wafted around, and Yan Yuanhua’s smile deepened. He pretended to have just heard her, opened his eyes, and looked at Lu Minghua with a hint of confusion.

“Minghua?” he said softly, his voice slightly hoarse. He didn’t move, only lay there lazily looking at her as if he hadn’t fully woken up.

For some reason, Lu Minghua’s heart suddenly beat faster under his gaze, and her cheeks seemed to grow warm.

Instinctively, she pulled back her fan to half-cover her face and said, “Ji’an, I’m preparing to leave. I came to say goodbye. You can continue to sleep.”

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Author’s Note:

Yan Yuanhua’s Strategy 1: Arrange surprises quietly.

Yan Yuanhua’s Strategy 2: Take her to do things she hasn’t done before.

Yan Yuanhua’s Strategy 3: Boldly get close to his beloved under the guise of friendship.

Sorry, I’m a hopeless romantic. I can’t think of how to pursue a girl.