Hearing Lu Zhiyou’s voice, Leng Yaoda composed her thoughts and walked in, then turned to close the door behind her.
The imperial study was vast, making it feel particularly empty without the presence of palace maids or attendants. The polished floor faintly reflected their figures.
The young woman approached and removed her veil, revealing a beautifully adorned face.
“Your humble subject, Leng Yaoda, pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty’s dragon body be eternally well,” she said as she bowed respectfully.
It was evident that after Leng Yaoda removed her veil, the expressions of the three men opposite her shifted subtly.
Lu Zhiyou, upon seeing her, showed little reaction, though a glint flashed in his eyes. He then fell silent, his gaze lingering on her face as memories of her frail, sickly appearance surfaced in his mind.
Lu Shixiu restrained himself, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward Leng Yaoda. Yet, each glance felt like a profanity to him, as if his body and mind were enduring torture.
Most unexpectedly, Shen Jinxiao felt an inexplicable warmth surge within him as he watched the young woman approach against the light. He quickly suppressed it again.
She was merely a woman slightly more beautiful than others, nothing worth noting.
He thought to himself.
After bowing with neither humility nor arrogance, Leng Yaoda turned her attention to the Lu brothers—her two childhood companions.
A faint smile finally graced the young woman’s lips as she said softly, “Brother Zhiyou, Brother Shixiu.”
Lu Shixiu’s emotions churned uncontrollably. Though his expression remained unchanged, a faint blush crept onto his pale cheeks. He nodded and smiled in acknowledgment.
It was clear that he valued propriety and ethics, and with Lu Zhiyou’s recent admonishments, he now made a conscious effort to distance himself from the young woman.
Leng Yaoda observed this without showing any reaction. Even a strand of her hair could guess that it must have been Lu Zhiyou, that black-hearted man, who had done something.
As if confirming her suspicions, Lu Zhiyou’s peach-blossom eyes curved slightly as he looked at Leng Yaoda and said, “Yaoyao, do you know why His Majesty summoned us today?”
The young woman paused, her eyes shifting to the man seated on the high throne. Had Shen Jinxiao not informed them in advance?
Noticing Leng Yaoda’s questioning gaze, Shen Jinxiao instinctively tensed his jaw and looked back at her. “I did not mention it beforehand. I merely discussed some political matters with Lu Langzhong and his younger brother.”
Lu Zhiyou had already been attending court for over a year and currently held the position of a fifth-rank langzhong in the Ministry of Justice.
Leng Yaoda couldn’t help but think sarcastically that the position of Vice Minister of Justice suited him perfectly—no wonder he had devised so many perverse punishments.
The young woman nodded, responding with a hint of shyness, “Your humble subject understands.”
As she considered whether to get straight to the point, Lu Zhiyou stepped forward and took her hand.
“Why stand there? Come, sit with us. His Majesty has just said there’s no need for excessive courtesy, so there’s no need for you to be nervous either, Yaoyao.”
Lu Zhiyou’s hand was pale and slender, with his middle finger alone nearly as long as Leng Yaoda’s entire hand—truly beautiful.
The young woman’s hand was exceptionally soft and delicate. Lu Zhiyou had initially intended to put on a show with his scheming nature, but once he held her hand, he found himself reluctant to let go.
The delicate hand in his palm felt slightly cool, as if carrying a fragrant warmth.
Leng Yaoda, however, froze for a moment before abruptly pulling her hand back.
Her action left both Lu Zhiyou and Lu Shixiu looking surprised, while Shen Jinxiao alone frowned slightly.Leng Yaoda looked up at the young man before her, expecting to see disdain or displeasure in his eyes, but the girl only caught a flicker of surprise and confusion.
Wasn’t he supposed to despise Leng Yaoda’s spoiled nature? Acting this way in front of Shen Jinxiao, Lu Zhiyou must have been deeply displeased.
In the end, the young man said nothing, only letting out a soft chuckle. “It was my fault for being abrupt. Yaoyao, don’t be angry with me.”
Look at him, so smooth with his words.
Whether it was his mistake or not, he took the blame first, establishing the persona of a gentle, devoted protector of his delicate childhood sweetheart.
No wonder the original host became infatuated with him after marriage—Leng Yaoda wasn’t the least bit surprised.
Lu Shixiu shifted his gaze away, no longer focusing on the two of them.
Leng Yaoda didn’t want to get entangled with Lu Zhiyou any further. Shaking her head, she whispered, “It was Daji’s fault for acting impulsively just now. I’ve embarrassed Brother Zhiyou.”
She thought Lu Zhiyou would be too lazy to continue the exchange and simply return to his seat, giving her the chance to state her purpose for coming.
Instead, he continued in a gentle tone, “What are you saying, Yaoyao? Is there any need for apologies between us? If anyone should apologize, it should be me.”
Most importantly…
After saying this, Lu Zhiyou reached out and brushed aside the stray strands of hair at her cheek.
Leng Yaoda: “…”
This move left her utterly bewildered.
She hadn’t forgotten the shocking secret about Lu Zhiyou from the original story—he shouldn’t have any interest in others.
Moreover, in the book, Lu Zhiyou only spoiled Leng Yaoda with words, never engaging in such intimate gestures unless it was necessary to put on a show for others.
Over time, even the original host, as clueless as she was, began to sense something amiss and soon discovered the truth Lu Zhiyou had hidden for over twenty years.
Today’s actions had already exceeded Leng Yaoda’s expectations and deviated somewhat from the original plot.
The girl steadied herself with effort, nodded without saying a word, walked over to sit down, and then glanced at Lu Shixiu.
He had been secretly watching Leng Yaoda’s every move. When he noticed her gaze shifting toward him, the young man didn’t know why she was looking his way, but his ears involuntarily flushed red.
Lu Zhiyou acted as if he hadn’t noticed any of this, sitting between the two of them in a way that subtly blocked the girl’s line of sight.
Shen Jinxiao’s eyes flickered with emotion. He first glanced at the Lu brothers, but as he withdrew his gaze, a rich, fragrant scent caught his attention.
The man was fond of this aroma. Blinking, he discreetly searched for its source, finally settling on Leng Yaoda.
Last time, in an attempt to align with Shen Jinxiao’s preferences, the girl had burned agarwood in the room when they met. The agarwood had masked her natural scent, so he hadn’t noticed it then.
Today, sitting not far below him, the fragrance was unmistakably clear to Shen Jinxiao.
Leng Yaoda glanced at Shen Jinxiao, only to find the man secretly watching her. Their eyes met, and Shen Jinxiao was the first to look away.
Seeing that he had no intention of speaking—clearly just wanting to observe from the sidelines—Leng Yaoda tightened her grip on her handkerchief and prepared to state her purpose.
“Your humble subject boldly requested His Majesty to invite my two brothers here today because there is something I must say…”
The gazes of all three fell upon her. Leng Yaoda cleared her throat and continued, “Since His Majesty previously issued an edict bestowing marriage between your humble subject and Brother Zhiyou, such imperial grace is naturally a joyous occasion.”At this point, she couldn’t help but glance at the expressions of the Lu brothers. She noticed that Lu Zhiyou still wore a calm and indifferent look, while Lu Shixiu was blocked from her view by him. Leng Yaoda gritted her teeth and did not stop.
“Daji wishes to speak the truth before His Majesty today. The reason I have been feeling unhappy lately is actually… Daji has always admired Brother Shixiu!”