Chapter 11: Meeting Xie Yan

Chapter 11: Meeting Xie Yan

"It was a stroke of luck that Xiao Xin survived, given the circumstances."

"After the incident, Lu Miao initially insisted that Xiao Xin had forced her to go ice skating. When Xiao Xin fell into the water, she was too scared to say anything."

"Since then, I've grown more and more disgusted with Lu Miao."

"She’s aware of this, and over time, she’s grown distant and wary of me."

Lu Mingchao's previously calm expression suddenly turned dark.

To be mentally incapacitated was as good as having Lu Xin's life ruined.

"Second Brother, was your hand injured because of her too?" Lu Mingchao's lips pressed into a thin line, her voice frosty.

Lu Yao struggled to spread the fingers of his right hand, the grotesque scar resembling a centipede crawling on his fingers, fierce and arrogant.

Seen up close, Lu Mingchao was increasingly shocked.

If the wound had been just a bit deeper, the finger might not have been saved.

"I guess you could say that." Lu Yao's other hand traced the scar.

His voice was light and indifferent, like cold wine on a small red clay stove, inevitably tugging at some inexpressible emotions in one's heart.

"But it was on a whim that she went mushroom picking in the mountains, and by chance, she stepped into a trap. When the family went to find her, in her stumble, she happened to push me over, and there happened to be a sharpened bamboo stick."

"I could no longer flex my right hand freely. Before I could shed a tear, she was already crying as if she couldn't breathe."

"I had passed the civil service exam to become a scholar-candidate and was preparing for the provincial exam."

"Luckily, it was just my right hand, not my eyes."

The weight of the memories pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe.

Each 'coincidence' felt like a cruel joke.

If it were truly that coincidental, Lu Miao was undoubtedly a jinx reincarnated.

Lu Mingchao felt a sharp sting in her nose, a mix of anger and sorrow. A farmer's son, who had spent years studying late into the night by dim oil lamps—how despairing it must have been to have his right hand ruined just before the imperial exams.

If someone tried to sabotage her hand before her college entrance exams, she’d take them down with her!

Who would want to go back to those grueling days of waking up at dawn and not getting to bed until after midnight?

Who would want to live through days where you had to choose between eating or washing your hair, with every moment demanding study and silence?

Lu Miao, truly a villain!

"Isn't she sick?"

"I'm not as cultivated as Second Brother in this regard."

"If I were Second Brother, Lu Miao might not have had the chance to remain intact as an aristocrat."

Lu Yao slightly turned his head, his cold and stern expression melting away like an iceberg, his features relaxing, adding a touch of indescribable beauty.

"Why are you letting this get to you so much?"

"I'm just angry." Lu Mingchao's little face was puffed up in anger.

Lu Yao found it quite amusing and reached out to poke Lu Mingchao's puffed-up cheeks. "It's not that I'm magnanimous; it's just not worth letting Lu Miao ruin my life."

"Two years have passed, and my left hand has become quite proficient at writing."

Lu Mingchao gently patted Lu Yao's hand. "You're right."

"Second brother, why hasn't Big Brother started a family yet?"

At Lu Lei's age, he should have kids old enough to run errands by now.

"I heard that the young ladies in the capital aren't allowed to leave their homes easily. With your curiosity, wouldn't you find it stifling?" Lu Yao's expression was playful. "Also, Big Brother has someone he loves."

A short sentence left Lu Mingchao reeling.

"Does that mean she looks down on Big Brother?" Lu Mingchao's eyes widened, and her mouth unconsciously opened.

Lu Yao shook his head. "Don't underestimate Big Brother."

"Big Brother and the teacher's youngest daughter love each other. However, because of the scandal involving Lu Miao and Xie Yan, the teacher, who values propriety the most, believes that the Lu family's moral standards are not up to par and forbade his daughter from associating with Big Brother."

"Is Lu Miao really not a jinx reincarnated?" Lu Mingchao's mouth twitched slightly, a comment that was hard to put into words.

None of the three Lu siblings were spared.

"Whether she's a jinx or not, she's definitely mean-spirited and petty."

Lu Yao stated that this was not slander.

"That means our good days are coming." Lu Mingchao's eyes sparkled as she stood on her tiptoes and patted Lu Yao's shoulder. "The Yongning Marquis family is wealthy and powerful; they can certainly withstand Lu Miao's antics."

"Second brother, after things hit rock bottom, they can only get better. The new life will definitely be smooth and prosperous."

"No respect for elders." Lu Yao stepped back and continued, "But I like hearing these auspicious words, so I won't hold it against you this time."

Lu Mingchao: Tsk, he's really tsundere.

Just as Lu Mingchao thought the conversation was coming to an end, Lu Yao hesitated and spoke uncomfortably again. "Over the years, have they treated you well?"

Lu Mingchao's long lashes fluttered as she pondered for a moment. "I’ve been treated well, with fine clothes and food."

"However, all this comes at a price."

My treatment here has been exceptional compared to others, not just because I’m the marquis’s daughter, but also because I’m engaged to Gu Huai, the heir of the Duke’s family.

A golden match like him naturally comes with perks.

"I'll work harder in the future." Lu Yao's eyes flickered with a hint of coldness.

Since Lu Miao was not related to him by blood, he could get his revenge. Isn’t that how the world works?

He was still young; it didn’t mean he would never surpass the Yongning Marquis family in his lifetime.

Winter winds and snow tapped against the window, faint but unmistakable.

Lu Yao looked at his lively and expressive younger sister in front of him and felt an inexplicable warmth flowing in his heart.

As night gradually fell, the door of the courtyard swayed gently in the breeze, making a soft sound. In the distance, the wind carried the faint sound of Lu Lei's voice.

"Let me open it, let me open it." Lu Mingchao joyfully lifted the thick door curtain and stepped over the threshold. "Dad and Elder Brother must be the ones who miss me the most."

Lu Yao's expression softened incredibly at that moment.

May the old days be left behind, and may the new life bring peace and prosperity.

Lu Chunsheng and Lu Lei, who were gathering firewood, had bundles of wood on their backs. "Zhao Zhao," they called out, using the nickname for Lu Mingchao.

Father and son shared the same warm smile.

"Go back inside, it's freezing." Lu Chunsheng urged Lu Mingchao.

Lu Lei habitually arranged the firewood, while Lu Chunsheng was pulled away by Yunniang, who was tinkering in the kitchen. Soon, Lu Chunsheng vanished into the wind and snow once more.

Lu Mingchao knew he was going to look for Xie Yan.

"Are you nervous?"

At some point, Lu Yao appeared beside Lu Mingchao again.

Lu Mingchao shook her head and whispered, "Honestly, I'm a bit excited."

Lu Yao: ……

"Since I know you're not the type to judge, I feel comfortable being honest with you." Lu Mingchao continued.

"We haven't met before, so why would I be nervous?"

Less than an hour later, Lu Chunsheng and Xie Yan arrived, one after the other.

The sky had turned completely dark.

The flickering candlelight was the only source of light on that cold winter night.

A flicker of amazement crossed Lu Mingchao's eyes.

At first glance, he was tall and commanding, with an air of quiet authority. His features and build were both strikingly handsome. The coarse cloth clothes did not diminish his beauty and heroic presence. Like a jade tree planted in a black mountain and white water, standing quietly at the door, he seemed to make the room brighter just by being there.

The scar under his eye, more like a badge, added a sense of cold severity to his entire being.

He looked like the perfect embodiment of a young general.

It turned out that the phrase "making a humble abode brighter" was quite literal.

"Now you're mine."