The maid Zhi’er lowered her head and replied, “Does Young Master Lu have any urgent matter? If so, this servant can send someone to fetch the young lady.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhiyou said, “It’s nothing urgent. I just painted a portrait of her and wanted to give it to her personally.”
Then, without waiting for Zhi’er to say anything, the young man placed the wooden box he was holding into her hands.
“Since that’s the case, please help me give this painting to her.”
Zhi’er’s face flushed even redder, a hint of shyness appearing on her delicate features.
This Young Master Lu was not only exceptionally handsome and refined in appearance, but also famously kind-hearted—a true gentleman.
Thinking of this, Zhi’er couldn’t help but feel envious of Yingzhu and Baoyu. As first-class personal maids, they would accompany the young lady as part of her dowry in the future, and with good fortune, they might even be elevated to the status of concubines.
Zhi’er timidly raised her head to glance at Lu Zhiyou but froze in place the next second, feeling as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her from head to toe.
The warmth had vanished from the young man’s face, replaced by coldness and gloom. His eyes were filled with a terrifying emotion that Zhi’er could not comprehend.
The young girl nearly stumbled and fell to the ground, unsure of what she had done wrong to provoke the young man’s displeasure.
In her stumble, she almost dropped the box.
Lu Zhiyou watched coldly, unconcerned whether she might actually drop the box and ruin the painting.
Steadying herself, Zhi’er recalled the young man’s earlier expression and trembled slightly.
“Young… Young Master Lu, this servant understands… I… I shall take my leave now.”
With that, she hurried into the room, too flustered to even mind her posture.
Wretched servant.
The young man repeated these two words in his mind.
He hadn’t realized that Leng Yaoda had such a lowly maid by her side who dared to harbor improper thoughts about him.
It seemed her ability to manage her servants was truly lacking. Since they would be bound together in the future, he might as well find an excuse to help her with this matter.
Lu Zhiyou turned and left, his face instantly regaining its calm and gentle smile.
After placing the painting properly, Zhi’er took a long time to recover. She stamped her foot hard, her eyes reddening.
Why did Young Master Lu treat her like that? He was clearly such a gentle and kind person!
She didn’t think it was her fault because, in her view, she had done nothing wrong.
The young girl’s gaze shifted and fell upon the wooden box.
For some reason, Zhi’er impulsively opened the box and stared blankly at the painting inside.
Painted by Young Master Lu himself…
Although she had been frightened earlier, her face flushed again. As if possessed, she took out the painting, intending to take just one look.
She would only look once, just once. Surely no one would notice.
Zhi’er carefully unrolled the painting and saw the breathtakingly beautiful woman depicted on it. First, fascination appeared in the young girl’s eyes, followed closely by envy.
The young lady was truly stunning. Young Master Lu had painted her so vividly—he must love her deeply.
Zhi’er still held great respect for Leng Yaoda. She quickly rolled up the painting, placed it back in the box, and closed the lid.
The young girl touched her own face. Her features were merely somewhat delicate and pretty, incomparable to the young lady’s celestial beauty—like heaven and earth.
While lost in melancholy, Zhen’er walked over after having lunch in the small kitchen. Seeing Zhi’er lost in thought in the young lady’s room, she approached and asked, “Zhi’er, what are you doing here?”
Startled by the sudden call, the young girl quickly turned around.
“N-nothing. It’s just that Young Master Lu came by earlier… He asked me to give this painting to the young lady.”Zhen’er glanced back and spotted the exquisite red-brown wooden box, nodding as she said, “We’ve finished eating, so you should go have your meal soon. If things get busy later, you might not get a chance to eat properly.”
Zhi’er smiled. “I understand.”
After Zhi’er left, Zhen’er carefully placed the wooden box on Leng Yaoda’s desk so the young lady would see it as soon as she returned.
When Lu Zhiyou returned to the estate, he ran into his younger brother. The young man stopped in his tracks.
“Elder Brother,” Lu Shixiu greeted.
Lu Zhiyou nodded. “Mm. Have you had lunch yet, Ah Xiu?”
Lu Shixiu replied, “Not yet. I was just about to head to the main hall for a meal. Did you go out earlier, Elder Brother?”
Hearing this question, Lu Zhiyou suddenly revealed a faint smile. “Indeed. I painted a portrait of Yaoyao these past few days, but unfortunately, she happened to be out when I went to deliver it.”
Hearing that he had gone to see Leng Yaoda, Lu Shixiu’s breath hitched for a moment before returning to normal in less than a second. “I see.”
Lu Zhiyou didn’t dwell on the topic. “Well, I’m hungry too. Let’s go to the main hall together for a meal.”
“Mm, after you, Elder Brother,” Lu Shixiu said with a nod.
On Xunyang Street, Leng Yaoda and Wen Fei emerged from Victorious Spring Court after their meal, both looking content and satisfied.
Wen Fei glanced at the sun, estimating it was almost past noon.
She turned and asked, “So, shall we go take a look at Cuiyun Zhai and Jade View Pavilion?”
Cuiyun Zhai and Jade View Pavilion both sold rouge, powder, and accessories like jade hairpins and gold hairpins favored by the Noble Ladies of the capital.
Leng Yaoda had a habit of taking afternoon naps and felt drowsy after lunch, but she was also quite keen on going for a stroll.
“Alright, let’s go.”
The two Noble Ladies boarded their carriage and leisurely headed east toward the various accessory shops.
In Shengjing City, Noble Ladies tended to be extravagant when selecting accessories, often buying several or even dozens of items at once.
Moreover, no more than three identical items of the same style were available, making the awkward situation of “wearing the same outfit” almost nonexistent.
By the time they finished their shopping, it was already the fifth quarter of the Wei hour, with the sun gradually tilting westward.
Two carriages entered Huarong Lane, with Leng Yaoda returning to her estate just ahead of Wen Fei.
Yingzhu and Baoyu followed behind, each carrying several exquisite gift boxes, while the young lady walked ahead.
Entering Pear Water Residence, Leng Yaoda pushed the door open herself and went inside. Yingzhu and Baoyu prepared to place the items on the desk and side table.
As soon as Baoyu approached, she noticed the wooden box on the desk and called out, “Young Lady, there’s a wooden box here.”
Leng Yaoda hadn’t even had time to remove her outer robe. Hearing this, she went over to check.
The young lady picked up the wooden box but didn’t open it, asking the maid beside her, “Who was guarding the courtyard after I went out today?”
Yingzhu replied, “It should have been Zhi’er and Zhen’er, Young Lady. This servant will go call them right away.”
Zhi’er and Zhen’er were already on their way over. As soon as they reached the doorway, they saw Yingzhu coming out. “Sister Yingzhu.”
Yingzhu quickly said, “Hurry inside. The Young Lady has questions for you.”
Zhi’er knew what it was about. She stepped forward and bowed to Leng Yaoda. “Young Lady, this wooden box was delivered by Eldest Young Master Lu around noon. He said he painted it for you himself.”
Leng Yaoda remained silent. Baoyu escorted Zhen’er and Zhi’er out and closed the door.
After a moment’s thought, Leng Yaoda opened the box herself and unfolded the painting with both hands.
Seeing the beautiful and captivating image of herself, she couldn’t help but feel a little amused inwardly.
In the book, it seemed Lu Zhiyou had never painted a portrait of the original host. Or rather, he had never painted a single picture for Leng Yaoda at all.Yingzhu couldn’t help but praise, “Young Master Lu’s skill in ink painting and calligraphy is truly unparalleled; you won’t find a second such talent in the entire Ling Dynasty.”
Leng Yaoda, however, said, “Put it away.”
Then she casually tossed the painting aside.