Yingzhu and Baoyu clearly regarded this painting with great importance, feeling it a pity when the young lady said to put it away.
Leng Yaoda watched them slowly roll up the painting. Just as they were about to place it back into the wooden box, the young lady narrowed her eyes.
Then she spoke: “Forget it. Since Brother Zhiyou specially sent it over, let’s have it framed and hung up. Be careful not to damage it.”
Hearing this, the two maidservants were delighted and immediately set about handling the painting, bowing before withdrawing.
When only she remained in the room, Leng Yaoda wore a vague smile on her face, one that carried a faint chill.
“Truly worthy of you. No matter what you do, it’s always so thorough. Who knows how exhausting it will be to face you day after day in the future.”
After saying this, she sat back down at the desk, took out the Four Treasures of the Study, picked up her brush, and continued writing.
As the sun began to set, Leng Yaoda’s stomach gave a soft rumble, reminding her it was dinnertime.
The young lady tossed her brush aside casually and rubbed her sore, swollen right hand.
Someone had already been sent from the main hall to call her for dinner. Seeing Yingzhu enter to announce this, Leng Yaoda stood up, smoothed her hair, and went out.
Passing through the vast central courtyard with its pavilions and terraces, then traversing several winding corridors, she finally reached the main hall.
Leng Yaoda was the last to arrive, as her Pear Water Residence was the courtyard farthest from the main hall, and she walked slowly. By the time she arrived, all the dishes had been served.
“Father, Mother, Eldest Brother, Second Brother.”
The young lady called out to them as soon as she entered, her voice clear and sweet.
Seeing her daughter approach, Zhao Yujin smiled and beckoned: “Yaoyao, come quickly and sit by Mother. I almost thought you weren’t coming to eat together again. Today, Mother specially ordered them to make your favorite foie gras.”
No sooner had Leng Yaoda sat down than she heard Zhao Yujin’s words, causing the smile on her face to stiffen instantly.
…It would have been better not to come.
Foie gras is warm in nature. Eating a little is good for the body, but eating too much can lead to increased body fat and symptoms of internal heat and excessive fire.
Leng Yaoda’s eyes darted around, and in front of everyone, she pushed the foie gras a bit farther away.
Seeing this, Leng Yu asked: “What’s wrong? You’re always clamoring to eat it usually. It hasn’t been made in the manor for the past half month. Today, your mother specifically added it for you.”
The young lady had already prepared her excuse. Sitting beside Zhao Yujin, she met the woman’s somewhat puzzled gaze, then reached out and gently hooked her little finger around Zhao Yujin’s sleeve.
Leng Yaoda adopted a coquettish manner and said: “Yaoyao knows Mother’s kind intentions, but I went out and wandered about for most of the day today and have little appetite. Plus, the weather is so hot and dry, I keep wanting something lighter, so I don’t feel like eating it as much.”
Then she looked towards Leng Yu and the others, offering a sweet smile: “Father and my brothers must also love eating it, but you always gave it to me before. Today, Yaoyao won’t monopolize this plate of foie gras. Let’s all eat it together.”
After hearing this, Zhao Yujin looked at her with eyes full of maternal affection, patted her head, and said with a smile: “Our Yaoyao has truly grown up. Seeing that you’re about to become a bride soon, you’re becoming more and more sensible. Your father and I can feel a bit more at ease.”
Mention of the marriage caused the smile on the young lady’s face to fade slightly, and she mentally rolled her eyes skyward.
If possible, she wished she could just drug Lu Zhiyou unconscious, pack him up, and quickly deliver him to Shen Jinxiao’s imperial bed!
It’s just that the two of them aren’t familiar yet, not having reached that later stage of regretting not having met sooner. I’m afraid Lu Zhiyou would just get thrown out again and then have to be punished.
Thinking of this, Leng Yaoda found it amusing and couldn’t help but chuckle. She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.There was still nearly a month left, which sounded short, but for someone with her never-say-die temperament, even a single day meant there was still a chance.
She would never follow the same path as the original story. Fate, as far as she was concerned, was never something others could casually write for her.
As she ate, Leng Lin, who was always restless at the table, couldn’t keep quiet—the rule of “no talking during meals or before sleep” simply didn’t apply to him.
The young man suddenly seemed to remember something and spoke up amidst the quiet clinking of bowls and chopsticks: “Hey, if I’m not mistaken, isn’t it almost the end of spring?”
Leng Qi nudged him, trying to get him to stay quiet.
Zhao Yujin shot him a glare, then looked toward Leng Yu.
In the past, Leng Yu was very unwilling to let Leng Lin speak during meals and would inevitably scold him a few times. Perhaps he was in a good mood today, as he surprisingly didn’t rebuke him.
Seeing this, Leng Yaoda wiped her mouth and chimed in: “Yes, that’s right, second brother.”
The young lady had already finished eating, so it was fine for her to join the conversation.
Leng Lin then broke into a smile: “The end of spring is great! That means summer is almost here.”
He didn’t spell it out, but Leng Yaoda immediately understood what the young man meant from her memories.
Every year, on April 28th, when the remaining days of spring were few, the Ling Dynasty’s Shengjing City would host a large-scale event lasting three days—the Tingyun Mountain Hunt.
This hunting event was mainly attended by members of the royal family, young masters and ladies from official households, and eligible youths with special statuses.
Moreover, even people like Shen Jinxiao and Zhou Yingkui would join in.
Though it was called a hunting excursion, it felt more like a grand matchmaking banquet.
The Ling Dynasty had a simple and open folk culture, which was quite friendly to young, unmarried men and women. If someone truly caught their eye, they would go home and inquire about the other party from various sources, and eventually, the two families could form a marital alliance.
Every year, someone of Leng Yaoda’s status would definitely participate, as the original host was no fool but rather an outstanding and precious young lady.
It wouldn’t even be an exaggeration to say that, aside from her spoiled temperament, Leng Yaoda was a model Noble Lady in the capital in every other aspect.
So, in truth, Leng Yaoda was more than a match for Lu Zhiyou.
Damn it, even in her own mind, that black-hearted Lu Zhiyou was actually getting a good deal.
After all, Leng Yaoda had fair skin, a slender waist, a soft voice, long legs, beauty that rivaled a celestial being, and was talented in every way.
Oh, right—the young lady glanced down inadvertently, then raised her eyebrows as if nothing had happened.
She also had a large bust.
A conservative estimate would put her at a C-cup even at sixteen.
Perhaps it was because she was pampered with ample food and drink and was in good spirits, which contributed to her good development.
Thinking of her previous figure and appearance, Leng Yaoda felt a pang of regret.
Though not as beautiful as she was now, in her modern life, she had been a mature, confident woman with a curvaceous figure—170 cm tall, weighing 99 pounds, with delicate features and a spirited demeanor. She had passed away at the age of nineteen.
Just half a month before her twentieth birthday, she had fallen seriously ill and never made it off the operating table.
By the time the whole family finished dinner, the sunset was nearly gone.
Returning to her room, Leng Yaoda caught sight of the portrait at a glance. The young lady in the painting seemed as though she could step out of it at any moment. Fortunately, she was bold and had seen all kinds of portraits before, or else she might have felt a bit of the uncanny valley effect.
Still, the person in the painting wasn’t her, so Leng Yaoda simply treated it as admiring a peerless beauty. Since Lu Zhiyou had sent the painting over, it was only polite for her to return the favor with something in kind.This matter somewhat stumped the young woman, for even in her memories, it wasn’t clear what Lu Zhiyou liked. It seemed the young man could accept anything, yet cherished nothing in particular.
If one had to say what he liked in the original story…
Leng Yaoda pursed her lips. Could it be that she really had to tie Lu Zhiyou up and deliver him to Shen Jinxiao’s bed?