Chapter 36

“Yes, I happened to see it. Don’t you girls use happy spiders for seeking skills? So I caught one for you.” Yan Yuanhua’s voice was always clear, but perhaps because it was late at night, it was also a bit lower.

Listening to it, it seemed to carry a touch of warmth.

Surprised by this thought, Lu Minghua couldn’t help but laugh. She reached out to take it and smiled, “Alright, I’ll see tomorrow how much skill it can bring.”

“Then I’ll be waiting to see. When the time comes, Minghua, you must tell me all about it,” Yan Yuanhua chuckled, thinking that this was the best web-weaving happy spider he had caught, so it shouldn’t disappoint.

The two parted ways and Lu Minghua cheerfully returned to the residence.

Mama Li had been waiting at the door and hurriedly came up to her. Seeing the lantern, she exclaimed, “What a beautiful lantern, Miss. Did Young Master Yuan give it to you?”

Looking down, Lu Minghua realized she was still holding Yan Yuanhua’s lotus lantern.

“…Yes, but it wasn’t a gift,” she said, explaining that it was an exchange and his actions were a bit domineering. She couldn’t help but smile.

“Not a gift?” Mama Li was confused and helped her walk into the courtyard.

“Mama, it’s dark. You shouldn’t come out,” Lu Minghua advised. Mama Li was getting older, and her eyesight wasn’t good. Once it got dark, she couldn’t see clearly.

“The courtyard is lit. It’s not dark,” Mama Li said. Although she trusted Young Master Yuan’s character, she couldn’t help but worry when Lu Minghua went out, so she waited at the door.

Feeling warm inside, Lu Minghua squeezed her hand. Her steps were light, and the butterflies on her skirt seemed to flutter.

Seeing her good mood, Mama Li felt a moment of guilt for doubting Young Master Yuan earlier. But it was just a moment. When it came to her mistress, she couldn’t be too careful.

Back in the bedroom, Mama Li prepared to put the lantern away, but Lu Minghua seemed reluctant.

Holding it, she thought for a moment and said, “Mama, since I have to return it to Young Master Yuan tomorrow, let’s leave it in my room tonight.” Saying this, she looked around and personally hung the lantern by the window.

Seeing her reluctance, Mama Li couldn’t help but mutter, “This lantern is quite beautiful. I wonder where Young Master Yuan got it.”

Lu Minghua’s eyes flickered, and she smiled, “I’ll ask tomorrow and find out.”

After setting up the lantern, she still had the wooden box in her hand. She looked around and placed the box with the happy spider on the windowsill. She couldn’t help but look down expectantly, wondering what kind of web the happy spider would weave for her tomorrow.

“Miss, what’s that?” Mama Li asked curiously, seeing her looking so intently.

“Mama, it’s a happy spider. What kind of web do you think it will weave tomorrow?” Lu Minghua looked up at her, her usual gentle smile becoming exceptionally bright.

“A happy spider?” Mama Li was also pleasantly surprised.

These little creatures were hard to find. She walked over to take a look but could only see a wooden box with a few small holes, presumably for ventilation.

“My lady is skillful and clever, so it will surely weave a dense and beautiful web,” Mama Li said confidently.

Lu Minghua lowered her eyes and smiled softly, thinking that even if the web wasn’t dense or perfect, it didn’t matter. She would still like it.

After all, this was her first little happy spider.

Next door, watching his master return in high spirits, Zhao Shiyi silently followed, enduring the stares of the other guards before speaking up.

“Master, do you like Miss Lu?” Even if he were foolish, seeing Yan Yuanhua’s efforts to win the favor of the lady next door, he could sense it.

He arranged for people to plant lotus flowers, had them find fireflies, searched everywhere for happy spiders, and even made a lotus lantern by hand.

If this were just friendship, Zhao Shiyi would write his name backward!!!

Yan Yuanhua nodded openly, without any embarrassment.

“That’s right. In the future, she will be your princess,” he said firmly, without a hint of hesitation.

Seeing his straightforwardness, the guards lost their playful mood and were slightly stunned.

“Master, has Miss Lu agreed?” Zhao Shiyi instinctively asked.

Yan Yuanhua gave him a steady look. Why bring that up!!!

Given Lu Minghua’s past experiences and personality, she wouldn’t be interested in romance now. If she discovered his intentions, they might not even remain friends. He needed to proceed slowly.

Zhao Shiyi immediately closed his mouth.

“Remember, when you see her, treat her with the same respect you show me.”

Yan Yuanhua’s gaze swept over them, his smile fading.

“Yes, we will obey your orders,” the guards, including Zhao Shiyi, knelt down and solemnly accepted the command.

Satisfied, Yan Yuanhua thought for a moment and added, “Don’t let this slip out. If anyone does, they’ll be sent back to farm.”

“Yes!” The guards’ expressions grew even more serious.

With things still uncertain, Yan Yuanhua didn’t want any complications. After instructing his subordinates, he went to wash up. Zhao Shiyi followed, looking conflicted. He clearly wanted to say something but did not dare.

“Speak up!” Yan Yuanhua said, unable to bear it, giving him a look.

“Master, with Miss Lu’s status, the Empress Dowager and His Majesty might not agree,” Zhao Shiyi said, gritting his teeth.

His master was in high spirits, and he didn’t want to dampen the mood, but seeing his master’s joy clouding his judgment, he couldn’t help but speak up.

They, who lived by the sword, didn’t care about divorce, but others did, and Miss Lu had been through so much hardship. She couldn’t endure more setbacks. Zhao Shiyi had handled most of the investigations regarding Lu Minghua and genuinely felt for her difficult life.

“I am the one getting married. My mother and brother will agree,” Yan Yuanhua’s usually relaxed expression turned serious, and his eyes were sharp.

Zhao Shiyi swallowed his words and believed him. The last time he saw his master like this was at the beginning of the current reign when the Northern Barbarians caused trouble. Other princes vied for the chance to go to the border and hold military power. At that time, his master, one afternoon, quietly listened to his subordinates’ reports, then showed this expression, personally requesting to go to the border despite everyone’s opposition. That decision led to three years of war, transforming him from an inexperienced prince to a victorious general who stabilized the current reign. No one had expected this seemingly unambitious, carefree prince to have such determination.

And now, his master had made another decision. Just like before, Zhao Shiyi believed he could do it.

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Even though she wasn’t in the bustling capital, Lu Minghua happily celebrated the Qixi Festival.

Meanwhile, the other two…

In the capital, after attending the lantern festival, Lu Mingxi and Wei Yuntai returned to the Marquis’s residence with a lantern Wei Yuntai had won. The steward greeted them joyfully, seemingly ignoring Lu Mingxi, and respectfully addressed Wei Yuntai, “Congratulations, Young Master. Concubine Shuiyao is pregnant.”

Wei Yuntai’s eyes lit up with joy, but he quickly restrained himself, first looking at Lu Mingxi beside him.

With a clatter, the lantern in Lu Mingxi’s hand fell to the ground, the light scattering. The lifelike jade rabbit and osmanthus lantern turned to ashes in an instant. She looked at Wei Yuntai, tears in her eyes, devastated.

“Mingxi, don’t cry,” Wei Yuntai said softly. The joy from the lantern festival quickly faded, replaced by a hint of impatience. He quickly suppressed this feeling and comforted her gently. Perhaps he had seen her tears too many times, he thought, trying to console himself, not daring to think deeply.

“Young Master, Madam has moved Concubine Shuiyao to Yining Courtyard. She asked me to inform you so you wouldn’t look for her later,” the steward said, lowering his eyes to hide his disdain for Lu Mingxi.

Only knowing how to cry and look pitifully at the Young Master, how could such a person be a good mistress? She couldn’t even compare to the previous Young Madam.

Hearing this, Wei Yuntai paused and instinctively looked at Lu Mingxi beside him.

Lu Mingxi’s body swayed, her face turning even paler, her lips trembling, unable to say a word.

Closing his eyes slightly, Wei Yuntai spoke for her, “Thank you, Mother, for your thoughtfulness. Mingxi’s health is poor, and she has no energy to manage things. Please take care of Shuiyao, Mother.”

These words should have been said by Lu Mingxi, at least to save her some face, but she…

If it were Lu Minghua, she wouldn’t even need to—

He abruptly stopped this thought and firmly suppressed it.

A bitter smile crossed Wei Yuntai’s lips, and he felt a wave of fatigue.

“Yuntai, does Mother not trust me?” At Chunshan Courtyard, Lu Mingxi clutched Wei Yuntai’s sleeve, unable to hold back her tears.

She had long been seething with hatred. She had already found a way to administer the medicine, and that concubine shouldn’t have been pregnant!

But now, Madam Sun was taking her away; she had ways to deal with things in Chunshan Courtyard but in Yining Courtyard…

“How could that be? Didn’t I say that Mother doesn’t want to tire you out?”

Lu Mingxi shook her head, tears falling, not believing it at all.

“Yuntai, believe me, I never intended to harm them,” she said urgently, clutching Wei Yuntai’s sleeve as if afraid he would misunderstand.

“Mingxi, I never thought that.”

“Then bring her back. Otherwise, who knows what others will think of me? They might even think I did something terrible,” Lu Mingxi said with a worried, bitter smile.

Wei Yuntai refused. The child’s presence was significant, and leaving her with his mother was the safest. Thinking this, he didn’t realize that he no longer trusted Lu Mingxi as he once did.

Lu Mingxi noticed, her heart sinking.

In the past, when Wei Yuntai refused her, he would hesitate and feel guilty, but now—

Looking at the gentle, smiling man in front of her, softly coaxing her without any hint of discomfort, her heart seemed to sink into a bottomless abyss.

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After a good night’s sleep, Lu Minghua woke up in the morning. Without rushing to get dressed, she walked to the window in her white undergarments, carefully opening the wooden box.

Inside, a web had already been woven, neat and tight, just as Mama Li had said. She couldn’t help but smile.

“Mama,” she called out, carefully closing the box. When Mama Li entered the room, she happily told her about it.

“Good, good, good,” Mama Li said repeatedly, seeing Lu Minghua’s smiling face, even happier than her.

This was one of the reasons she trusted Young Master Yuan— He always brought joy to her young mistress.

After getting up and washing, Lu Minghua almost couldn’t wait to go out. She took a few steps before realizing she might be too early.

Usually, when she came out, Yuan Ji’an was already outside, but this time, it seemed she was too early, and no one was around. She was debating whether to wait or go ahead and meet him later when she heard the creak of the gate next door. The figure in blue-green stepped out, striding towards her.

Lu Minghua stood there, watching the figure approach, and suddenly noticed something she had never realized before. He walked so fast, but when they were together, she never noticed. They always seemed to keep the same pace. Unconsciously, she was stunned.

“What are you thinking about?” Yan Yuanhua asked, smiling as he approached, seeing her lost in thought.

“Nothing,” she said, sighing inwardly at how considerate Yuan Ji’an was. Her eyebrows lifted, and a smile spread across her face as she eagerly shared her morning’s discovery.

“The web was woven so well, round and dense, very neat. Mama Li and Xiao Chun said they had never seen such a good web in all these years,” Lu Minghua happily shared her joy.

“That’s good,” Yan Yuanhua said, satisfied with the result.

They strolled around, and Lu Minghua remembered something else as they returned. “Oh, I forgot to bring you the lotus lantern.”

“What lantern?” Yan Yuanhua asked instinctively, then laughed. “A lantern? You still want to return it to me? If you don’t like it, just throw it away.”

“You don’t want it?”

“Do I look like someone who likes lanterns?” Yan Yuanhua asked, glancing at her with a smile.

No, Lu Minghua thought, finally confirming that Yan Yuanhua had indeed prepared the lantern for her.

“I like it very much,” she said, looking up at him with a smile.

Yan Yuanhua’s smile deepened.

Lu Minghua gently adjusted the lantern hanging in her room, her smile spreading to her eyes and eyebrows, lingering for a long time.

In the evening, news arrived from the capital.

After reading the letter, Lu Minghua no longer felt the initial satisfaction of knowing these things but rather a sense of peace, with a touch of joy and contentment.

She casually rolled the paper into a stick— Just like Yuan Ji’an had taught her.

Resting her elbow on the table, supporting her cheek, Lu Minghua thought with interest about what Lu Mingxi would do when she realized that her usual tears and weakness could no longer make this man fulfill her wishes.

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