Chapter 85: The Game Begins

At the mention of Young Master Su, she unconsciously recalled the shy youth who buried himself in the bedding. Lu Yuner’s deep eyes were tinged with a smile as she lowered her head slightly, the corners of her mouth involuntarily curving upwards. Suddenly, her whole being felt much lighter.

Xiao Jin’s face stiffened. She turned her head to steal a glance at An Caihe, then lowered her eyes and said nothing more.

These days, the news of Young Master Su’s engagement to Doctor Lu had spread like wildfire in the capital. The reason for the commotion was that it came too suddenly. There had been no prior whispers of this affair. It was only recently that Young Master Su had been frequently visiting the Lu residence for unknown reasons, which led to rumors of an unusual relationship between the two.

However… no one believed it. How could two people who were so far apart in status be together? Given Young Master Su’s status, the condition of matching doors and families alone made it impossible for them to be together.

Later, when the news of the engagement spread, people had no choice but to believe it, which also led to various speculations.

Most people said that Doctor Lu was quite scheming, having deliberately approached Young Master Su at the Imperial Academy with the intention of climbing the social ladder by using her looks to serve others.

Only a very few people said that Doctor Lu was compromising and had no choice but to agree. Of course, perhaps only her own young master would believe such an explanation.

Otherwise, the young master’s thoughts of her would never have ceased.

An Caihe’s hand, hidden in his sleeve, tightened. His gentle features reflected a hint of gloom as he said meaningfully, “Doctor Lu and Young Master Su seem to have quite a good relationship.”

A good relationship? Lu Yuner thought about it. Indeed, in their interactions, she found it very harmonious and comfortable. Young Master Su was naturally pure and lovable, easily blushing and sensitive. Occasionally, she couldn’t help but tease Young Master Su a bit.

Thinking about it now, it was understandable that people were jealous.

Lu Yuner smiled faintly and said, “It’s alright.”

Hearing the joy in her tone, this was far more than just alright! An Caihe lowered his eyes, hiding the disappointment in them, and continued, “Now that Doctor Lu and Young Master Su are engaged… I suppose the wedding will be soon?”

Lu Yuner didn’t hide it either. After all, everyone would know soon enough. She said frankly, “Yes, after Young Master Su finishes this month’s studies, we’ll be married next month.”

At this moment, An Caihe’s mind went blank. His eyes were somewhat dazed, and a bitter smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. “Congratulations!”

Lu Yuner smiled and replied, “Thank you!”

The carriage soon arrived at the An residence. Xiao Jin lifted the curtain and was the first to get off the carriage, then helped An Caihe down. Although An Caihe felt somewhat uncomfortable inside, he still thanked her with a smile on his face, watching the departing carriage with a complex gaze.

Xiao Jin saw through An Caihe’s thoughts and couldn’t help but say, “Young Master, it seems that Young Master Su and Doctor Lu are not as the rumors say. You also know the intentions of the Madam and the Master. Let’s go into the mansion!”

This chance encounter today had indeed proven that certain rumors couldn’t be trusted.

If it were before, perhaps there would have been nothing inappropriate. The Master and Madam were not people who curried favor, they judged people based on their abilities and prioritized upright conduct.

Although Doctor Lu’s position was not high and her family background was somewhat humble, she was still from a military family, upright and honest. The Madam had also worked with Doctor Lu before and had quite a good impression of her.

But once Young Master Su and Doctor Lu get married, Young Master Su will be in the position of the primary husband. No matter how much the Master and Madam love the young master, they couldn’t possibly let him become a secondary husband.

The An family was, after all, a prestigious clan with good family traditions. The young master was a proper noble man from a distinguished family. There were plenty of noble ladies proposing marriage. With such good choices available, how could they possibly let the young master lower himself to be a secondary husband?

Moreover, the primary husband was Young Master Su. If the young master suffered in his heart, the Madam wouldn’t be able to stand up for him. Wouldn’t that ruin the young master’s entire life?

Therefore, as soon as the news of Young Master Su and Doctor Lu’s engagement spread, the Madam had already put an end to the young master’s hidden thoughts.

But the young master clearly hadn’t given up. He neither expressed his feelings to Doctor Lu nor let go of all thoughts. Today’s encounter with Doctor Lu seemed to have changed the young master’s thoughts somewhat.

Qiu Yi, driving the carriage, recalled what had happened earlier and said with a slightly cold expression, “My Lady, the Zhen family’s carriage earlier was indeed broken, but judging from the traces, it was clearly done intentionally. Given the scene just now, it’s not hard to guess who did it!”

Lu Yuner, resting with her eyes closed, listened to Qiu Yi’s words and said seriously, “Let this matter pass. The Zhen family and the An family have some connections, we can’t let this small matter create a rift between them. Although the carriage was intentionally damaged, and that carriage woman was from the Zhen family, you saw her appearance, she was clearly forced to do it.”

She understood Lord An’s character. He was a rare good minister in the current world. Although the Zhen family was a wealthy merchant household, over the years they had achieved both fame and fortune. While doing business, they had also opened several medical clinics with Lady An to provide free medicine and save people.

So there was no need for the An and Zhen families to damage their relationship because of an outsider.

“Yes, My Lady,” Qiu Yi blinked, suddenly understanding.

Suddenly remembering something, Qiu Yi’s face immediately fell, and she said in a grievous tone, “Young Master Mu sent me a letter.”

“He sent you a letter?” Lu Yuner became interested. Knowing Mu Yang’s temperament, it must be because of what happened last time that made him angry. Not daring to say anything to her, he was taking out his anger on Qiu Yi.

Lu Yuner opened her eyes and said, “What did he say?”

Qiu Yi frowned worriedly and said, “Last time, following your orders, I brought Young Master Mu back to Jiangnan. Judging from the content of the letter, he still hates me! What should I do?”

Lu Yuner smiled and said, “Mu Yang just has a childish heart. He won’t be so petty, it just takes him longer to cool down. Anyway, he’s not in the capital now, so he won’t give you a hard time.”

It was precisely because of his childish nature that it was particularly troublesome for her. Based on her understanding of Young Master Mu, other things were fine, but when it came to matters of life and death for adults, he would definitely hate her to death.

Thinking about the situation at that time, Young Master Mu must have guessed something. Although he understood, it didn’t prevent him from holding a grudge. Otherwise, the letter wouldn’t have been full of complaints about her between the lines.

Qiu Yi said with a tearful face, “My Lady, you haven’t forgotten, have you? It’s Lady Mu’s birthday at the end of this month, and you have to go and offer your congratulations! If you go, I’ll have to follow, and then…”

Lu Yuner’s eyes suddenly widened as she realized, “Look at my memory, I almost forgot about this.”

Seeing Qiu Yi sighing, Lu Yuner comforted her, “Alright, I’ll be there, won’t I? He won’t give you a hard time.”

Qiu Yi finally felt better. That’s right! If it weren’t for following the Lady’s arrangements, she wouldn’t have caused Young Master Mu to harbor complaints against her. The Lady should indeed help her out of this predicament.

The next day, Lu Yuner and Qiu Yi arrived at the location agreed upon by Liu Bing. It was an old, rustic house in the distant suburbs.

The courtyard walls were built with blue bricks and lime, and the yard was full of green plants. Many tall trees had branches and leaves extending beyond the walls. After entering, Liu Bing led the way, passing through several corridors, and finally walking along a stone-paved path, they saw a pavilion not far away.

An elderly woman was sitting in the pavilion. Although they could only see her back, her steady demeanor was unmistakable. Her back was straight as she sat properly. If it weren’t for her somewhat white hair, one might think she was a young woman.

Lu Yuner blinked. However… why did she look somewhat familiar?

Liu Bing suddenly stopped and glanced at Qiu Yi, saying, “Please wait here, you two.”

Lu Yuner understood her meaning and said to Qiu Yi, “Wait for me here.”

Although she knew Liu Bing, she didn’t know who the person behind her was or why they wanted to meet the Lady.

Qiu Yi frowned, glancing at the distant pavilion. It was all within sight, which put her mind at ease. She followed the instructions and said, “Yes.”

Liu Bing continued, “Please follow me.”

Qiu Yi watched the receding figure with worry, her face particularly solemn, as if covered in a layer of frost. Her hands involuntarily clenched into fists behind her back.

Lu Yuner quickly followed Liu Bing into the pavilion and got a clear view of the seated person’s face. The next second, her pupils contracted, and her eyes flickered with surprise. “Madam Zhang, so it’s you!”

Suddenly, Lu Yuner’s eyes narrowed slightly, and her mind immediately thought of the matter with the oranges. In an instant, she understood everything.

No wonder when she asked the cook for bones back then, he was willing to give them to her without asking any questions.

Zhang Yun’s expression was calm as she poured a cup of tea and placed it opposite her. She spoke, “Doctor Lu, please sit.”