Chapter 22: The Banquet

Three days later, at Prince Yun’s mansion, in the back garden.

At this time, the sky was clear, the flowers were in full bloom, fish were frolicking in the green waves, a gentle breeze was blowing, and there was a faint fragrance of flowers.

Su Qingwan, with a rosy complexion, was sitting quietly in a pavilion at the center of the lotus pond, focused intently on his task. His head was slightly bowed, his jade-like fingers holding an embroidery needle, stitching line by line to complete a white magnolia flower. The shy expression on his brow as he lowered his head had already filled the handkerchief with tender affection.

Thinking about returning to the Imperial Academy for classes tomorrow, Su Qingwan could not contain his joy, his eyes rippling with an obvious deep longing.

Xiao Yuan stood silently nearby, staring blankly at the young master who had fallen into love’s web. That day, after closing the door, he hadn’t left, but had waited outside the door, listening to the young master’s heartbroken crying all night long.

From that moment, he knew that this Lu Boshi held an incomparable place in the young master’s heart.

The next day, before dawn had broken, the soul-lost young master, with red and swollen eyes, wanted to set off to the Imperial Academy to wait for Lu Boshi to apologize to him. However, not long after the morning had passed, the Imperial Academy sent someone to say that the young master was ill and sent him back to Prince Yun’s mansion.

At the time, hearing that the young master was ill frightened him greatly. Who would have thought that the pale-faced young master actually had a faint smile on his lips? The reason was obvious without guessing.

These few days back at the mansion, unlike before when he disliked the bitterness of medicine, he obediently took his medicine each time, and even secretly went to Qu Le Fang once.

However, after returning from Qu Le Fang, he began to pick up men’s needlework again, and no longer required servants to attend to his daily life, even asking him to teach how to serve others.

The young master was of good birth and handsome appearance, a young gentleman sought after by many noble ladies. Moreover, with the young master’s noble status, he could have any kind of woman with just a word. Yet he was deeply in love with Lu Boshi.

Furthermore, apart from her impeccable appearance, Lu Boshi was rather ordinary in all other aspects.

In terms of status and position, from the Minister of Revenue to an Academy Scholar. In terms of family background, from a once-glorious military family to a humble woman of integrity.

Why should the young master lower himself to please an ordinary woman?

It could only be said that the young master had truly and thoroughly fallen for Lu Boshi, his heart no longer having room for anyone else.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve done men’s needlework, my hands have become quite rusty,” Su Qingwan said as he finished the last stitch and put away the thread. He held up the handkerchief with the embroidered white magnolia flower, showing it to Xiao Yuan with great delight. “Xiao Yuan, how do you think my embroidery is?”

Xiao Yuan’s gaze fell on the handkerchief. He knew that the young master had always been excellent at men’s needlework, but since the master’s death, he had never touched it again. Now, for Lu Boshi, he really seemed to have become a different person.

However, as long as the young master was happy, he would absolutely support whatever he did. But alas, this Lu Boshi… Xiao Yuan suddenly thought of that dazed woman, and his eyes flickered involuntarily.

He was about to open his mouth to praise when suddenly Chen Housekeeper’s voice was heard, “Young Master, what are you doing?”

Xiao Yuan looked at Chen Housekeeper walking over from the long corridor and bowed, “Chen Housekeeper.”

Su Qingwan, with a beaming smile, showed it to Chen Jing again, his eyes sparkling brightly as he said happily, “Aunt Chen, look at the white magnolia flower I embroidered. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Xiao Yuan beside him looked uneasy and hesitant.

Chen Si looked at the handkerchief, a flash of surprise in her eyes. She knew that since the master’s death, the young master had never touched men’s needlework again, and had lost all interest in the skills of being a good wife and mother.

But recently, she had heard from the servants that the young master had been practicing men’s needlework these past few days, so she came to take a look today, and indeed it was true.

Although puzzled by this sudden major change, Chen Si still smiled and said, “Yes, it’s beautiful.”

The master had been a virtuous, kind-hearted, and skillful beautiful man. The young master had grown up by the master’s side, naturally inheriting his excellent needlework skills.

As soon as she finished speaking, her admiring gaze suddenly stopped on the characters in the corner of the handkerchief. After the character “Qing”, there was another character “Yun” closely attached.

Who was this person?

Chen Si’s eyes moved slightly, feeling a bit worried. The young master had grown up and started to have his own thoughts. After chatting with the young master for a while, she went straight to the study on the east side of the North Court.

Seeing Chen Housekeeper walk away, Xiao Yuan immediately said, “Young Master, the characters you embroidered on the handkerchief must have been seen by Chen Housekeeper as well. This…”

Su Qingwan, with eyes as tender as water, lowered his head to gaze at the handkerchief, raising his hand to gently stroke the white magnolia flower on it. His expression was calm and gentle as he said with certainty, “It doesn’t matter if she knows! After all, my liking for Elder Sister Yuner isn’t something to be ashamed of. As far as I’m concerned, I only care about Elder Sister Yuner’s opinion.”

After being reprimanded by the Supervisor last time, Lu Yuner’s classes had been reduced by half, with other assistant instructors taking over. She had become much less busy.

There were no classes this afternoon, so Lu Yuner left the dining hall carrying a food box towards the South Court.

The day after returning from the polo field, Lu Yuner had moved into the South Court of the Imperial Academy.

The South Court was the residence for female faculty and staff of the Imperial Academy. Because each room was assigned based on position and order of arrival, Lu Yuner couldn’t get one with a good environment and location.

However, to Lu Yuner’s surprise, she was assigned to a quiet and independent small courtyard that required walking a few more steps than the South Court.

Lu Yuner pushed open the door and entered the courtyard. An orange-colored large dog, hearing the faint sound, immediately darted out from somewhere and wagged its tail enthusiastically to greet the newcomer. Lu Yuner closed the door, looked at it with a smile, made a “shh” gesture, and said softly, “Juzi, go inside.”

Juzi was very understanding and obediently followed behind.

Lu Yuner opened the food box and put the specially prepared cooked meat, vegetables, and several pork bones in Juzi’s special bowl. She had specifically asked the cook for these bones. Most of the meat on the bones had been removed, leaving only some meat scraps. After making bone broth, they had no other use, so the cooks were willing to give them to her without asking any questions.

On the first day of moving into the small courtyard, the room was full of accumulated dust and felt desolate.

After cleaning, it turned out to be a nice little courtyard. Apart from the main room which was habitable, the other rooms either leaked when it rained or were drafty on all sides.

But the basic living conditions were met, although it did make Qiu Yi worry endlessly.

Of course, Lu Yuner had also noticed the differential treatment behind this and understood everything clearly.

To be honest, when she first transmigrated here, she didn’t want to be an official at all. Although she wasn’t extremely wealthy now, it was enough to live a comfortable life without worries.

Initially, entering the palace to become an official was an imperial order that couldn’t be defied. Now, entering the Imperial Academy was to fulfill Elder Sister Ranzhi’s wish. She didn’t want Elder Sister Ranzhi to return and find her no longer at the Imperial Academy.

Lu Yuner had been living in dormitories since high school, so she had the ability to live independently.

After Qiu Yi helped tidy up the things, she returned to the mansion. Lu Yuner came to the courtyard and looked around. There were stone chairs and tables for resting in the yard, some scattered wildflowers blooming in the corner of the courtyard wall, and a tall locust tree with numerous flower buds near an old well. It would be in full bloom, competing with other flowers around April or May. Looking at the thick trunk, she thought it could be used to make a swing.

Just as Lu Yuner was planning how to transform the place, suddenly, from the corner of the wall under the locust tree came a short, crisp dog bark.

Lu Yuner approached and found an orange-colored, skinny, and dirty adult female dog, about two or three years old, staring at her with pitch-black eyes, its gaze full of wariness.

This place probably hadn’t been inhabited for a long time and might have become a temporary shelter for this dog.

The kitchen in this small courtyard hadn’t been used yet. Lu Yuner suddenly thought of the big package of food that Qiu Yi had prepared for her. She went inside and rummaged through it carefully, finding that the only edible thing was bananas. She peeled one, slowly squatted down, broke it into small pieces, and placed them in her palm to feed the dog.

Lu Yuner had kept dogs before and knew that dogs could eat bananas, but in moderation.

At first, it wouldn’t eat, but maybe it was truly unable to resist hunger. Later, it started eating. After being fed, the dog realized this person had no ill intentions, and after a while, it sat up wagging its tail.

Seeing this, Lu Yuner smiled and looked at it closely, finding that it was very similar to the Shiba Inu she had once kept at home.

After feeding the dog and playing with it for a while, it continued to come for the next few days. Lu Yuner would always bring food from the dining hall. Perhaps knowing that there would be someone to feed it here, it later left and returned with a package in its mouth, probably bringing all its possessions it had scavenged from somewhere, intending to settle here for the long term.

Lu Yuner saw that it looked like a stray dog, probably having slipped in through some hole in the wall from the mountain behind the small courtyard.

The Imperial Academy strictly prohibited keeping pets, but this dog was very similar to the deceased Shiba Inu she once had at home. So Lu Yuner decided to secretly keep it by her side for a few days before sending it back to the Lu mansion.

So she took it in and named it “Juzi”. The courtyard was a bit secluded, so it could keep her company.

Lu Yuner found that Juzi was very intelligent, with keen senses and a strong alertness to the outside world. It could also guard the house at the Lu mansion in the future, so when Lu Yuner had free time, she used the dog training techniques she had learned before to practice with it.

Today, after feeding it and playing with it for a while, Lu Yuner returned to the room to tidy up. With the polo match approaching and having practiced on the field these past few days, she found those equipment unfamiliar. She decided to go back to the mansion to get her own familiar polo equipment and to check on things at home.

Lu Yuner had arranged with Qiu Yi in advance to pick her up today. As soon as she arrived at the Jixian Gate, she saw Qiu Yi waiting. Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, “Qiu Yi.”

Qiu Yi, with a face full of longing, immediately became excited upon seeing her master: “My Lady.”

In the carriage, Lu Yuner responded one by one to Qiu Yi’s concerned inquiries about her well-being. The master and servant chatted about many things along the way.

Upon arriving at the Lu mansion, Lu Yuner had just gotten off the carriage and was about to enter when a woman’s strong voice came from behind, asking, “Excuse me, are you Scholar Lu, Lu Yuner?”