Chapter 38

The sky was dark.

Lu Mingxi wanted to pay her respects to Madam Sun, but the maid outside Yining Courtyard once again blocked her.

“Young Madam, your health is not good. Madam has instructed us early on that you don’t need to come to pay respects. If you accidentally faint and cause a misunderstanding with the Young Master, it wouldn’t be good. You should go back,” the maid said politely but firmly, blocking Lu Mingxi no matter what she said.

Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?

Lu Mingxi’s face turned pale. Wasn’t this implying that her previous fainting had caused a rift between the Marquis’s wife and her son?

Looking into the courtyard where that wretched Shuiyao lived, Lu Mingxi saw no hope of entering and had to turn away. As she walked away, her eyes darkened, and she bit her lip hard. She didn’t stop and walked briskly back to Chunshan Courtyard.

From a corner by the roadside, a figure in a water-red dress emerged. It was Wei Yuntai’s other concubine, Yuman. She quietly watched Lu Mingxi’s retreating figure, the shadowy look in her eyes lingering in her mind. Her eyebrows raised slightly, and she slowly revealed a smile.

She had thought Lu Mingxi was a fragile person, but since she wasn’t, things would be easier. She went to find Shuiyao, who was being attentively served by the maids, her face rosy. A trace of jealousy crossed Yuman’s heart, but she forced a bitter smile and sat down.

“You’re pregnant, but it’s causing trouble for me.”

“What happened?” Shuiyao, with her elegant demeanor, raised her delicate eyebrows, her eyes full of inquiry.

“Our Young Master, I don’t know if he’s relieved because you’re pregnant or if he feels guilty towards the Young Madam, but since you became pregnant, he hasn’t entered my room,” Yuman said with a gloomy expression, sighing.

Shuiyao couldn’t help but show a trace of sympathy.

“But it’s fortunate you’re in Madam’s courtyard. You didn’t see it just now, but the look in our Young Madam’s eyes was terrifying as if she wanted to eat someone alive. If you were still in Chunshan Courtyard, I’m afraid…” Yuman continued.

“That’s not surprising. Don’t be fooled by her usual delicate appearance. If you think about it, how could someone truly delicate have such obedient maids?” Shuiyao wasn’t surprised. What puzzled her more was, “Young Master is so smart and sharp. How can he not see her true nature?”

“It’s not that he can’t see it,” Yuman scoffed lightly. “He just doesn’t want to see it.”

It was unknown whether this unwillingness was due to genuine affection for Lu Mingxi or an unwillingness to admit he had misjudged her.

Shuiyao’s expression turned slightly cold.

Such a handsome man and the father of the child in her womb. Despite her caution, she couldn’t help but develop some feelings, but…

“Alright, do you remember Madam’s instructions? I think this is an opportunity.”

“Opportunity? Tell me more.”

Their relationship wasn’t particularly good, but under Madam’s orders, they were united in their goal of exposing Lu Mingxi’s true nature.

After carefully plotting for a while, Yuman returned to Chunshan Courtyard and cozied up to Lu Mingxi, flattering her and subtly expressing jealousy towards Shuiyao.

Lu Mingxi, pleased by the flattery, kept her close. Even as Wei Yuntai’s concubine, she was still cast aside. Seeing the jealousy in her words, Lu Mingxi had an idea. She couldn’t enter Yining Courtyard, but this maid could.

After a few days of testing, she gave the concubine some clothes and items secretly laced with a special medicine. As long as she took them to see that maid, it would surely cause a miscarriage.

Later, seeing Shuiyao using those items daily without realizing anything, she felt even more satisfied.

Just wait—

---

“Lu Mingxi could never be so generous.”

After reading the note, Lu Minghua pondered. She knew Lu Mingxi well and knew she would never like Wei Yuntai’s concubine, let alone give her gifts.

There must be another reason for her actions.

Outside, dark clouds pressed low, and the sky grew darker. The wind picked up, howling. By evening, large raindrops finally fell, and distant thunder rumbled, not too loud, but enough to make Lu Minghua shiver. She lay in bed, hands clasped tightly on her chest, trying to stop her trembling fingers and steady her racing heart, but to no avail. She lay awake, watching the lightning flash, illuminating the room intermittently.

Suddenly, the soothing sound of a flute echoed again. Amidst the pouring rain, the flute’s sound was faint but continuous. The thunder eventually faded, but the flute continued, playing a light tune. Lu Minghua, wary at first, eventually fell asleep to the melody.

Morning came.

The rain hadn’t stopped, drizzling lightly. Lu Minghua stood on the veranda, extending her hand, letting the water from the eaves fall into her palm.

A cool breeze brushed her face, and she sighed softly.

Of all the troubles in the world, the most frustrating are those we create for ourselves -worry, longing, and thoughts.

Before long, Zhan Yuan arrived.

“Teacher.” She looked up and smiled gently, her moon-colored dress almost blending into the rain.

Zhan Yuan couldn’t help but smile, silently praising her students’ beauty and, most of all, her grace and poise.

Calm, elegant, gentle, and serene – she was like a gentle pool of water, a spring breeze that calmed the heart and cleared away the dust.

“Today’s scenery is beautiful. Let’s play Rain on the Bells.” Zhan Yuan liked rainy days. She put away her oil-paper umbrella under the eaves and smiled.

Lu Minghua nodded.

After practicing for an hour, Zhan Yuan called for a stop, pointed out a few shortcomings, and added, “You were a bit distracted today. You can’t do that next time.”

She looked at Lu Minghua with concern. Distracted? Was she?

Lu Minghua was momentarily stunned.

Zhan Yuan spoke casually, not intending to pry into her thoughts, and smiled, “Your skills are improving. Soon, you’ll catch up with me.”

Lu Minghua’s talent was indeed extraordinary, combined with her keen and intelligent mind. After practicing for a few months, she had become quite proficient.

“Teacher, you’re too kind. I’m not as good as you say.” Lu Minghua put down her pipa.

“Learning these things requires talent. Without it, you’ll never become a master. But with talent and hard work, becoming a master isn’t difficult. Like the person who played the flute last night, although his skills were lacking and somewhat unrefined, his artistic conception was similar to yours, quite extraordinary. I wonder if he plans to continue practicing.” Zhan Yuan loved talent and couldn’t bear to see it go to waste. She was already thinking of friends who were good at playing the flute.

Lu Minghua’s heart stirred.

“Artistic conception? What was the artistic conception of that flute music?” She suddenly looked up and couldn’t help but ask.

Her expression was slightly abrupt, but Zhan Yuan didn’t notice. Lu Minghua realized her mistake after speaking and felt a bit annoyed.

“The flute music was full of comfort, with a hint of pity and some affection. When he played that tune, he must have been thinking of someone he loved.” Zhan Yuan’s face showed a look of reminiscence, and she said this with certainty.

Lu Minghua’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be…

A thought was about to surface, but she took a deep breath and suppressed it.

No, it couldn’t be. Even if it was, the person he was thinking of wouldn’t be her. She must be overthinking it.

Later, the rain continued intermittently for several days. Sometimes it cleared up for a moment, only to be followed by another downpour.

There were two more thunderstorms. Each time the thunder sounded, the flute music would follow, leaving Lu Minghua’s emotions in turmoil, unable to distinguish them clearly.

Sometimes, she felt full of gratitude, and other times, she thought she didn’t want the person next door to keep playing. After all, no one would always be there for her.

Lu Minghua understood that once she got used to the flute music and it was gone, it would be even harder to bear.

After this heavy rain, the weather was no longer as humid and stuffy. She stopped going out and started doing needlework in her room.

Mama Li couldn’t help but urge her to go out for a walk. She used to love going to the mountain stream, but for some reason, she hadn’t gone these past few days, which worried Mama Li.

Lu Minghua shook her head, thinking of someone, her expression slightly distant, as she stitched absentmindedly.

Let her think, think carefully.

After half a month, the bamboo hammock’s green color faded slightly. Yan Yuanhua lay on it, looking at the empty, gently swaying swing beside him, deep in thought.

The jasmine fragrance was gone, and the soft breathing sound was no longer in his ears.

It had been seven or eight days since the rainy days, and Lu Minghua hadn’t left the courtyard.

What was she busy with? Or was it because of something else—

With a faint smile, Yan Yuanhua closed his eyes and lay there, but his heart couldn’t settle. Suddenly, he got up, flipped off the hammock, and stood in the water. His clothes were soaked below the knees, but he didn’t seem to notice. He strode out of the pond, leaving a trail of footprints that quickly dried in the wind.

The lotus flowers were still blooming in the upper pond, but the person who used to love watching them was no longer there.

After staring for a while, Yan Yuanhua stepped forward and plucked a flower.

Lu Minghua used to treasure these things, always checking on them first thing every day. He had wanted to do this for a long time, but once the flower was in his hand, it felt meaningless, so he casually threw it on the ground.

What was the use of picking it? Lu Minghua couldn’t see it and wouldn’t scold him.

Frustrated, Yan Yuanhua turned and went back.

Seeing their master return with a gloomy face again, Zhao Shiyi hesitated but finally approached, saying, “Master, someone from the capital has arrived.”

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, a time for family reunions, Yan Yuanhua had to return.

Yan Yuanhua frowned slightly.

With Lu Minghua’s situation unclear, he didn’t want to go back, but he had to. It was his first Mid-Autumn Festival back in the capital.

“The Lu family also sent someone to invite Miss Lu,” Zhao Shiyi added.

“She certainly doesn’t want to go back.” Yan Yuanhua was initially pleased, thinking if Lu Minghua could return to the capital…

Then he came to his senses and hid his joy.

“But she will go back. She’s the kind of person who remembers tenfold the kindness others show her. Earl Wen’an has been good to her. If he sends someone to call her, she will go back.”

Just as Yan Yuanhua said, seeing the steward who came in person, Lu Minghua agreed.

On August 13th, Lu Minghua set off, returning to the capital. She left in the morning, and by the time Yan Yuanhua came out, he could only see the carriage moving away in the distance.

The curtain of the carriage fluttered, and Lu Minghua couldn’t help but look back. Seeing that distant figure, her heart trembled.