Chapter 44

Yan Yuanhua couldn’t think of any words at that moment, only feeling amazement and joy.

“Minghua,” he called out instinctively.

“Hmm?” Before entering the door, Lu Minghua’s heart had already started pounding. She didn’t know how much effort it took to steady her breathing. However, all that effort seemed wasted when she looked up and saw Yan Yuanhua’s burning eyes.

She instinctively looked away, but even after sitting down, the person opposite her didn’t withdraw his gaze; he continuously looked at her.

Feeling shy and anxious, Lu Minghua glared at him, “Stop looking.”

Her tone was light, and her eyes seemed filled with water, making Yan Yuanhua’s heart tremble and unable to look away.

“Yuan Ji’an!” Seeing that he didn’t restrain himself at all, Lu Minghua raised her voice slightly and casually threw the handkerchief in her hand at him.

When she saw the white silk handkerchief embroidered with “Ping An” fluttering in the air, she realized what she had done. Instinctively, she leaned forward, trying to grab it back, but it was too late.

The fragrant breeze carried the elegant scent of jasmine, and Yan Yuanhua reached out and caught the handkerchief. He finally came to his senses and, seeing the regret in Lu Minghua’s eyes, couldn’t help but laugh.

“How domineering, not even allowing me to look,” he said with a smile, getting up to hand the handkerchief back to her.

But was his gaze ordinary?

Lu Minghua was too embarrassed to say anything. Seeing his smiling eyes still teasing her, she glared at him and took back her handkerchief.

As her jade-like fingertips brushed past, the warm touch seemed to linger in his palm. Yan Yuanhua felt a slight itch, and after withdrawing his hand, he couldn’t help but clench it. However, the itchiness didn’t go away; it continuously lingered in his palm and heart.

“The villain complains first,” Lu Minghua muttered.

“I’m innocent,” Yan Yuanhua said, sitting down beside her, not wanting to sit far away. He smiled as he proclaimed his innocence.

He used to be able to fool Lu Minghua with this act, but not anymore. These days, she had seen him pretend to be aggrieved many times.

“Thick-skinned,” she muttered softly, not realizing her smile was growing wider. She turned to look at Yan Yuanhua and playfully scratched her own cheek.

Seeing her rare lively demeanor, Yan Yuanhua’s eyes filled with amusement, and he sighed lightly.

“If Minghua says so, then it is,” he said.

Hearing this, Lu Minghua felt a bit anxious, worried that her words might actually hurt him. Men usually don’t like being called thick-skinned. Would he be angry?

“As long as it makes Minghua smile, it’s worth it,” seeing her unease, Yan Yuanhua’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly laughed heartily.

Lu Minghua’s eyes widened, and she couldn’t help but look up. She saw Yan Yuanhua smiling at her, his eyes full of tenderness and sincerity. Her heart suddenly stirred inexplicably.

“You’re talking nonsense again,” Lu Minghua said, snapping back to reality and lightly chiding him.

“As long as it’s about Minghua, I never talk nonsense,” Yan Yuanhua repeated. He had worked hard to encourage Lu Minghua to open her heart to him, and he couldn’t bear to let her be disappointed or sad again.

Not understanding the deeper meaning of his words, Lu Minghua didn’t think much of it and smiled at him.

“Shall we go for a walk?” Yan Yuanhua asked.

Lu Minghua nodded. She thought Yan Yuanhua would take her to the mountain stream again, but instead, he led her up the mountain.

The path was difficult, and although they took a detour, it wasn’t long before Lu Minghua started to breathe heavily. Seeing this, Yan Yuanhua moved his arm, intending to support her, but halfway through, he changed direction and stood in front of her.

“Hold onto my sleeve.”

After all, it was a bit abrupt.

Lu Minghua paused, looked at him, and saw his relaxed smile and calm demeanor. These days, she had seen his intense gaze many times, and suddenly seeing him like this, she felt a bit unaccustomed.

“Alright.” She reached out and held onto the black sleeve in front of her, suddenly recalling those past days.

He was just like this…

Her thoughts wandered, and she suddenly smiled softly.

As they continued upward, gradually leaving the mountain path behind, she looked back and saw only a corner of the villa’s eaves.

This is too high…

Lu Minghua’s heart trembled slightly, and she felt a bit uneasy. She quickly turned back and saw the tall, slender figure in front of her, walking steadily and pulling her forward.

Come to think of it, he had been wearing black clothes these days, and the blue and green clothes he used to wear seemed to have disappeared.

He looked good in black, but it always carried a certain imposing aura. In contrast, the blue and green colors made him appear more composed. Feeling nostalgic, Lu Minghua casually asked, “Why have you been wearing black lately?”

“Don’t you like it?” Yan Yuanhua replied openly, turning to smile at her. Seeing her flushed face and slightly damp temples, he stopped to let her rest.

Caught off guard, Lu Minghua stopped, still thinking about Yan Yuanhua’s words, and couldn’t help but look up.

Yan Yuanhua smiled at her, his eyes burning with intensity, and said honestly, “I thought you liked it.”

Lu Minghua’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if her heartbeat slowed down at that moment.

“That day when you saw me in black, your eyes were particularly bright,” Yan Yuanhua said, bending slightly to look into her eyes, smiling.

Her cheeks heated up, and her heartbeat quickened.

“I did not!” she blurted out, turning her face away. Feeling flustered, she did not dare look into Yuan Ji’an’s eyes.

Yan Yuanhua chuckled softly, not arguing with her about whether it was true or not, and continued, “At that moment, I thought I should wear black more often.”

He spoke calmly, but his voice was full of amusement. For some reason, Lu Minghua turned to look at him, her eyes gentle and unconsciously tender.

“Minghua, do you like me wearing black?” Yan Yuanhua asked sincerely, his sharpness softened.

Lu Minghua’s face grew hotter, but under his gaze, she didn’t think of avoiding it.

“I do,” she murmured softly after a while.

Yan Yuanhua immediately smiled.

“But you look good in other clothes too,” Lu Minghua quickly added, as if explaining or making up for something, but the heat on her face didn’t subside at all.

“It doesn’t matter if it looks good or not, as long as Minghua likes it,” Yan Yuanhua laughed heartily.

Seeing him become playful again after only a few serious words, Lu Minghua felt helpless. How had she not noticed this playful side of him before?

“Be serious!”

“How am I not serious?”

“You should ask yourself where you are serious.”

“I think I’m very serious.”

“I don’t see it.”

…

They continued talking as they walked up the mountain. Yan Yuanhua deliberately engaged Lu Minghua in conversation, and she, unaware, responded one sentence after another, not realizing that her initial restraint had gradually disappeared.

“Look,” Yan Yuanhua finally said, indicating that Lu Minghua should look.

Lu Minghua looked up, and the sight before her took her breath away.

They were near the mountain peak, with the land stretching out before them, revealing a cliff. From here, they could see the distant mountains, watching the forest sea roll, a different kind of breathtaking view compared to the mid-mountain. Behind them was a massive tree, its canopy spreading wide, shading the entire area and preventing any other trees from growing. Above, the branches and leaves blocked out the sky, with the autumn sun filtering through, casting dappled light on the ground. Lu Minghua looked up, feeling as if she were in a dream.

Yan Yuanhua stepped forward and gently pushed the swing, making it sway lightly. Lu Minghua snapped out of her awe and couldn’t help but feel delighted.

“How did this get here? Oh, it’s not the same one.” She thought it was the one from the mountain stream, but she realized it was different upon closer inspection.

“A new one. Want to try it?” Yan Yuanhua asked. Knowing how much Lu Minghua loved the one in the mountain stream, he planned to take her there again next year, so he wouldn’t dismantle it.

Lu Minghua’s eyes lit up, and she nodded, sitting down.

Yan Yuanhua gently pushed her.

The hem of her skirt spread out in the air, dappled light dancing across her brows and eyes, covering her entire body. Her black hair fluttered in the wind, and the distant mountains seemed to approach and recede beneath her feet.

Gradually, a smile appeared on her face.

Yan Yuanhua stood behind her, gently reaching out to catch a few strands of her hair, watching them slip from his palm. He wasn’t in a hurry, repeating the action over and over, enjoying it immensely.

Lu Minghua played for a long time until she grew tired and stopped swinging. Then, leaning against the swing, she sat quietly and smiled.

“It’s so beautiful here,” she sighed, reaching out to catch a beam of light. She watched it fall into her palm, casting a glow on her pink skin.

“We both live on the same mountain, but how do you seem to know every place?” Lu Minghua asked, feeling a sense of familiarity with her own words as if she had said them before but couldn’t quite remember.

“Unlike you, always staying in the courtyard, of course, I know,” Yan Yuanhua said, leaning against a tree, his eyes fixed on Lu Minghua, unwilling to look away.

Lu Minghua couldn’t help but turn to look at him.

Those words also felt familiar.

“So, next time, would you like to come out and explore with me?” Yan Yuanhua tried to coax her out.

Not seeing his ulterior motive, Lu Minghua thought seriously and nodded in agreement.

“Then it’s settled,” Yan Yuanhua smiled.

From that day on, Yan Yuanhua came to find Lu Minghua every day, and together they explored almost every corner of the mountain.

Unknowingly, it was already October.

In the mountains, far from the troubles of the world, everything seemed to pass by quickly. In the blink of an eye, autumn had deepened. The mountains were covered in autumn colors, and a gust of wind blew, lifting the dry leaves like butterflies dancing in the forest.

As Lu Minghua sighed at how quickly time had passed, news arrived from the capital.

Lu Mingxi had a miscarriage.

Next door, Yan Yuanhua casually tossed aside the note. If these people weren’t related to Minghua, he wouldn’t even bother looking at them.

“Go, find a way to let Wei Yuntai know the whereabouts of that maid named Cui Zhi,” he instructed.

Minghua had endured so many years of grievances; it was time for those people to realize how foolish they had been—to think they were played around by such a deceitful person!