Several more days passed, and as summer approached, the weather grew increasingly hot and stifling.
Today was the twenty-first. Since returning from the palace last time, Leng Yaoda had stayed at home without even stepping out of the manor gate.
The weather was sweltering, so the young lady took out a round fan made of Ice Silk, embroidered with a pattern of fish playing among lotus flowers. When fanned in the heat, it gave a cool and comfortable feeling.
This jade-white Ice Silk fan was a gift from the eldest daughter of the Grand Tutor Wen family two years ago, on the young lady’s birthday.
Thinking of this, Leng Yaoda glanced at the round fan again. Even the fan handle was made of fine jade, indicating that the Wen family’s young lady and the original host indeed had a good relationship.
Because the original host was willful yet exceptionally talented—after all, Zhao Yujin and Leng Yu doted on her but were also strict, making her stand out among the Noble Ladies in the capital.
Moreover, Leng Yaoda’s beauty was breathtaking. With every smile or frown, she was as lovely as a clear mountain spring or a fawn in the forest. Such beauty seemed almost too refined to be described as “nation-toppling,” as it was too pure and captivating.
Even Zhao Yujin had once said that Leng Yaoda must have inherited the best features of several generations from both the Leng and Zhao families.
Staying in the manor was indeed a bit boring. After some thought, the young lady stood up and looked at herself in the bronze mirror, then called for Yingzhu and Baoyu, who were idling in the side room.
The two maids hurried over upon hearing her call: “Miss, what is it?”
The original host treated her servants well. When there was nothing to do, they, as first-class attendants, could wait in the side room instead of standing in the main room all the time.
Leng Yaoda lazily rose from the chaise longue and smoothed her slightly disheveled hair. “I’m a bit bored. I’d like to go out for some light and sweet food at noon. Help me get dressed.”
The two maids responded promptly. Yingzhu, with her skillful hands, could style any hairstyle, while Baoyu selected suitable hairpins, earrings, and dresses for her.
Yingzhu’s hands flew through Leng Yaoda’s jet-black hair, and in no time, she had styled a Drooping Temple Split Silk Chignon. A strand of long hair hung down on the right side, giving a sweet, girl-next-door charm.
Baoyu chose a Water Blue Lotus Pattern Plain Gauze Waist-Cinching Silk Skirt. As the entire dress was somewhat plain and elegant, she adorned the hem with scattered pearls that shimmered beautifully in the sunlight when walking.
Leng Yaoda, accompanied by her two maids, left the manor and boarded an exquisite and elegant carriage, heading to the Grand Tutor’s residence on the back street.
They arrived in less than half an hour. Yingzhu and Baoyu alighted first, then helped the young lady slowly descend from the carriage.
The two guards at the entrance were first stunned by the young lady’s beauty, then recognized her as Leng Yu’s daughter.
“We welcome Miss Leng’s visit!” they said in unison, bowing before immediately turning to open the main gate.
A young servant passing by the gate saw this and quickly dashed toward the backyard.
He ran all the way to Wen Fei’s Spring Lotus Courtyard and called over a second-class maid who was waiting there. The little maid hurriedly went to report after hearing the news.
After knocking on the door, a tall young woman in green emerged from the room and asked the little maid, “What is it, Xiaochun?”
The maid named Xiaochun quickly whispered, “Sister Lüsi, Miss Leng from the Guardian Marshal Manor has arrived!”
The young woman called Lüsi nodded hurriedly, then noticed the young servant waiting not far away. Realizing the situation, she took a few copper coins from her sleeve.
“Here, you and Tongyuan can buy some snacks later. Since it’s hot, get some refreshing drinks.”
Xiaochun accepted the coins with a smile and thanked her: “Thank you, Sister Lüsi!”Lüsi turned and walked back into the room. Wen Fei, hearing the sound, sat up from the desk. “What is it?”
“Miss, Miss Leng has come.”
Wen Fei perked up at this, her lovely face unable to conceal her delight. “Is that true?”
Lüsi nodded with a smile. “Yes, it’s true, no mistake. She should be here any moment now.”
Another maid who had been attending by her side, Hongtao, also smiled and smoothed out the slightly wrinkled hem of Wen Fei’s skirt.
Suddenly, Wen Fei said, “Hmph! She hasn’t come to talk to me for half a month straight, and today she suddenly remembers? I won’t see her!”
Knowing her young lady was deliberately speaking in anger, Hongtao, ever sweet-tongued, was just about to say something when a voice came from the doorway.
“My dear sister, Yaoyao has come in person to apologize. Please don’t hold a grudge against me any longer.”
Leng Yaoda’s clear voice rang out. Wen Fei, who had just put on a stern face, couldn’t help but laugh at her words and turned to look at the young girl gracefully approaching.
“Well, what wind has blown you here today?”
Yingzhu and Baoyu stood guard outside the door, while Lüsi and Hongtao quickly withdrew as well, leaving the room for the two of them to chat and laugh.
“I haven’t been feeling well these past few days, which is why I didn’t come to see you, sister.”
Wen Fei was a few months older than her and had already turned seventeen this year, but her birthday fell at the end of the year, so her age was not much different from the sixteen-year-old noble ladies.
Hearing this, Wen Fei quickly asked, “What? How come I didn’t hear about this?”
Leng Yaoda smiled. “It was nothing serious. A few days ago, I ate something that didn’t agree with me and had indigestion, but I was fine by the next day. It’s just that I’ve felt quite busy lately and only found time to come today.”
Seeing that it was almost lunchtime, Wen Fei noticed Leng Yaoda’s simple and casual attire and guessed her intention. “Do you want to go have some sweets or fruit drinks?”
Leng Yaoda glanced at her. “As expected, nothing escapes you, sister.”
Wen Fei had always treated Leng Yaoda like a younger sister. She stood up and agreed, “Alright then, let’s go right away.”
The young girl across from her said sweetly, “Sister is still the best.”
So Wen Fei called for a carriage to be prepared. The two young girls boarded their respective carriages one after the other and headed straight for Xunyang Street.
At the Chancellor’s Mansion, Lu Zhiyou picked up a portrait and carefully dried the still-wet ink on it.
When it came to painting and calligraphy, Lu Zhiyou, one of the original male leads, was indeed the undisputed best.
Perhaps because Shen Jinxiao was truly too outstanding, the author had endowed Lu Zhiyou with many minor skills to make him a worthy match.
For example, swordsmanship, painting and calligraphy, appearance, status, and personality—he was either ranked first or exceptionally impressive in each.
The young man’s peach blossom eyes seemed to hold a myriad of deep emotions, but upon closer inspection, they were actually calm and indifferent.
He carefully examined the young girl in the portrait: her distant mountain-like eyebrows, oval face, large and vivid eyes, small and high-bridged nose, and lips as delicate and alluring as cherry blossom petals.
With his skilled hands, he had spent three days painting Leng Yaoda, and the young girl came vividly to life on the paper.
Since he claimed to admire her, he ought to put on a show of it.
Lu Zhiyou thought to himself.
The young man carefully rolled up the painting, placed it in a slender red-brown wooden box, and walked out of the mansion alone.
And just at that moment, two carriages drove out of Huarong Lane.
Lu Zhiyou, holding the painting, entered the Leng residence. As it was lunchtime, there were only a few scattered servants along the way.
As soon as he stepped into Pear Water Residence, a second-class maid stationed there approached, her cheeks slightly flushed.”Greetings, Young Master Lu. You’ve come at an unfortunate time—the young lady left the house three quarters of an hour ago.”
Upon hearing this, the young man stood still for a moment, then smiled. “What a pity indeed, to have just missed her.”