Chapter 56: Humble

“Elder Sister Yuner, let me take a look at the wound. I’ll leave after seeing it.” Recalling the sight of the ghastly wound he had just seen, Su Qingwan frowned with concern and strode forward to stand in front of Lu Yuner. Ignoring Lu Yuner’s refusal, he firmly grasped her left hand with both of his. “Elder Sister Yuner, just let me take a look, please?”

“Young Master Su, don’t be ridiculous!” Lu Yuner’s gaze suddenly turned cold. Due to the wound on her back making it difficult to pull away, and being caught off guard by his grip, she didn’t withdraw her hand.

“Ridiculous?” Seeing his concern being treated as foolishness by Elder Sister Yuner, Su Qingwan’s eyes darkened slightly. He pressed his lips into a thin line and took another step forward, shortening the distance between them. Lu Yuner unconsciously retreated again. Su Qingwan stared at her silently as he continued to advance, until he had backed Lu Yuner against the edge of the table.

The young man’s eyes gradually reddened and moistened. His serious expression, with eyes full of affection, kept approaching. As the familiar scent of the young man wafted over again, Lu Yuner was suddenly overwhelmed by memories of their first encounter in Qinghua Garden.

That sudden confession, filled with the young man’s ardor, sincerity, courage, and a depth of feeling beyond measure, was something she still couldn’t forget.

Feeling a bit flustered, Lu Yuner leaned back slightly and had no choice but to extend her other hand to hold back the approaching youth. “If you have something to say, say it properly. Don’t…”

“I just want to look at the wound.” Su Qingwan seized the opportunity to grab the hand that was blocking him and placed it on his rapidly beating heart. “Elder Sister Yuner, can you feel my heart pounding faster? Whenever I’m close to you, my heart beats uncontrollably. Do you know why, Elder Sister Yuner?”

Lu Yuner didn’t react immediately. Her peach blossom eyes widened slightly as her palm, separated only by a thin layer of clothing, pressed against the thunderously beating chest for the first time. The intense heartbeat made her fingertips tingle.

Faced with the Young Master Su’s repeated and increasingly bold advances, each more eye-opening than the last, he seemed extraordinarily different from other men in this world. His way of expressing emotions was like a dam bursting, unceasing and surging.

Lu Yuner suddenly came to her senses and was about to push away the approaching Young Master Su in a panic. “You stay away from…”

But in the next moment, she suddenly felt a warm, soft sensation on the back of her hand. Lu Yuner’s pupils dilated, her eyes filled with disbelief. Her entire body went numb in an instant, and her own heart rate suddenly accelerated.

“Because… I admire you, Elder Sister Yuner.” Su Qingwan’s face flushed crimson as he lowered his head slightly, gently kissing the back of that snow-white hand. He raised his phoenix eyes, brimming with deep affection, and spoke in an extremely careful and nervous tone: “I truly admire you, Elder Sister Yuner. You’re injured, and I can’t possibly just leave like this. I’ve never forced you to do anything before, but this time, if you’re unwilling, then I’ll have no choice but to treat you as the Young Master Su.”

Upon hearing Young Master Su’s words, Lu Yuner was visibly stunned. Her expression instantly turned cold, and the corners of her mouth curled into a faint, icy smile. “Young Master Su, are you starting to use force against me now? It seems I’ve underestimated you before.”

“I…” Meeting Lu Yuner’s cold gaze, that chilly smile pierced Young Master Su’s heart. He immediately became dejected. When Elder Sister Yuner truly felt disgusted with him, he really couldn’t bring himself to do anything that would harm her, not even verbal forcefulness.

Su Qingwan lowered his head and released her hand, his voice gradually choking up as he spoke: “I know that Elder Sister Yuner’s injury was actually caused by me, because of me. When you asked me to turn around earlier, it was because you didn’t want me to know. As soon as Xiao Yuan told me you were hurt, I immediately brought medicine to see you. When I came in and saw the ghastly wound, my heart ached. I’m truly worried about you, Elder Sister Yuner.”

“However…” Su Qingwan, with tears in his eyes, took out a jar of ointment from his sleeve and placed it on the table. “This ointment is very effective. It helps wounds heal and prevents scarring. Well then… Elder Sister Yuner, please rest well. I’ll take my leave now.”

Hearing this, the young man’s utterly humble demeanor was reflected in those peach blossom eyes. Lu Yuner slightly furrowed her brows, as if encountering a very troublesome matter.

“Does Young Master Su want to continue making mistakes?” Lu Yuner gazed at the young man before her with an inscrutable expression. She was well aware of Young Master Su’s feelings for her, and had previously pondered to what extent they reached.

Young Master Su already knew what was in her heart. Agreeing to give him a chance was just a delaying tactic, intentionally meant to make him give up hope after a month. She had thought that once he knew, he would either become disgusted with her or harbor resentment due to unrequited love.

But his words and actions today deeply moved her. He attempted to use his status and power to pressure her, but what should have been harsh words came out without any trace of forcefulness.

It seemed he truly didn’t want to force her to do anything.

Or perhaps he couldn’t bear to.

Young Master Su’s feelings for her were, as he said, far deeper than she had realized. He really cared about her feelings.

And she had to admit that in the process of interacting with Young Master Su, her emotions towards him seemed to have gradually blurred. It required greater self-control to suppress the emotional and physiological agitation. For Lu Yuner, who was knowledgeable about matters of love, she knew the reason for this reaction.

The obedient young man before her hung his head, his expression unreadable. The surrounding candlelight illuminated the slender, frail youth, his silky soft hair shining black in the light. Though naturally born noble and delicate, his whole being exuded a sense of loneliness and humility.

Like a pitiful little puppy, his weak and aggrieved appearance evoked sympathy.

Lu Yuner forcefully suppressed the turmoil in her heart and looked at him with gentle eyes. Her tone unconsciously became exceptionally soft as she said, “I don’t deserve Young Master Su being so good to me.”

“You do deserve it, Elder Sister Yuner.”

Su Qingwan suddenly raised his rabbit-like red eyes, inadvertently revealing a pitiful look. “The love between men and women is only natural. Elder Sister Yuner is neither betrothed nor has any man she fancies. Moreover, Elder Sister Yuner has already agreed to give me a chance. I like Elder Sister Yuner, so what’s wrong with bravely pursuing the person I love? In any case, in my eyes, Elder Sister Yuner is different from other women.”

Lu Yuner’s long eyelashes fluttered a few times, a hint of something unusual flashing in her eyes. “You can’t judge a book by its cover. Actually, I, Lu Yuner, am not as good as Young Master Su thinks. Besides, aren’t you afraid that I might have ulterior motives towards you? After all, you are the esteemed Young Master Su, and there are many benefits to be gained.”

Su Qingwan gazed intently at Lu Yuner, his face flushed as he spoke word by word: “I’m not afraid. Whatever Elder Sister Yuner wants, if I can afford it, I’m willing to give it all to you. I’m only afraid… that Elder Sister Yuner doesn’t want anything at all.”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly to himself. Just like when she had saved his life before, if it had been anyone else, they would have long since come before him to claim credit and reward. But Elder Sister Yuner had never even mentioned it to him.

Because she simply didn’t care about these things. It seemed there was nothing that could truly move Elder Sister Yuner’s heart or make her care.

At that moment, their eyes met, and their gazes, each harboring their own thoughts, silently intertwined.

After a moment, Su Qingwan was the first to look away and speak. “Elder Sister Yuner, you should rest now. I’ll take my leave.”

Lu Yuner watched his departing figure, then shifted her gaze to the jar of ointment on the table. She slowly reached out to pick up the jar, a complex expression in her eyes.

What should she do next?

A while later, Liu Lan hurriedly walked in with a concerned look. “Sister Yuner, are you alright?”

“Sister Lan, I’m fine.” Lu Yuner came back to her senses and put the ointment in her sleeve as she looked at Liu Lan. “Who was that woman with the long whip?”

Seeing that Lu Yuner was unharmed, Liu Lan sat down in a chair and spoke earnestly: “That woman is called Wan Ling. She’s a colleague of mine, a general leading the Iron Cavalry troops in Huabei. She rarely returns to the capital as she’s usually stationed in Huabei, so naturally you wouldn’t know about her. As for why she hurt you, we need to start with her background.”

“She was originally an orphan, adopted by Prince Yun from a young age. Later, because of her outstanding talent and courage, she gained the Emperor’s appreciation and was appointed as the general of the Iron Cavalry troops. She’s been stationed in Huabei for years and has been granted a title by the Emperor for her military merits. She could be considered the second most sought-after woman for marriage among noble sons, after me. However, I’ve dealt with her before, and she wouldn’t rashly hurt someone without reason.”

Liu Lan rested her head on one hand and looked at Lu Yuner with a deep smile. “Besides, Sister Yuner, with your skills, you could have easily dodged her whip. Yet you took a hit from her.”

Her gaze fell meaningfully on the injured area of Lu Yuner’s back as she speculated: “What were you and Young Master Su doing in the room at that time? Could it be that you and Young Master Su did something that provoked her? But let me give you a heads up, Sister Yuner. Although she’s a high-ranking general, she’s still unmarried. I guess she probably likes this Young Master Su.”

“Now that Huabei is peaceful, General Wan’s return to the capital must be to seek marriage with Young Master Su. Moreover, her close relationship with Prince Yun already makes them practically family. You and Young Master Su might…”

“Sister Lan, actually, Young Master Su and I…” Lu Yuner interrupted.

“I know,” Liu Lan said knowingly. “You don’t need to explain anything to me, Sister Yuner. As long as you know what you’re doing, that’s enough. Whatever you decide, I’ll support you.”

After a brief discussion about the account books, Lu Yuner returned to her residence that night. Mu Yang had already retired, and she had just finished reading the letter from Sister Ranzhi in the study, roughly understanding what would happen in the next few days.

At this time, Qiu Yi brought up another letter from Ouyang Jinghe. The gist of it was that Ouyang Jinghe and his future wife-master wanted to invite her to a garden party outside the city tomorrow afternoon.

This Ouyang Jinghe was also one of her suitors, though she had rejected him. Now that he had found his ideal wife-master and was about to get married in a few days, it was indeed a joyous occasion. Since he and his fiancée had sincerely invited her, how could she not go?

Afterwards, Lu Yuner instructed Qiu Yi about matters concerning the account books.

The next day, after finishing her morning lessons, Lu Yuner went to the suburban garden to keep the appointment.