Su Manor
In the women’s reception hall, beauties bloomed like a hundred flowers competing in splendor. Since the hostess, the elderly madam, had yet to arrive, the young ladies present—with their elders’ permission—gathered in small groups to chat and mingle with acquaintances.
Luo Chaoyang brought her two maids and settled at a guest table at the very end of the hall.
Having just returned to the capital not long ago, her family was largely unfamiliar with the social circles. Naturally, she had no intention of forcing her presence where she wasn’t known. Of course, she would never admit that the overwhelming mix of heavy perfumes made her want to flee.
Gazing at the vibrant assembly of stunning beauties, each as lovely as a flower, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—what a magnificent sight in this mortal world! Indulging in delicious treats while admiring such beauties felt almost decadently sinful to Luo Chaoyan.
“Miss, shouldn’t you go and greet them? Look at Fifth Miss,” Shulan pointed toward Luo Zhao Ning, who was flitting through the crowd like a social butterfly.
“Beauties are best admired from afar, not approached with casual familiarity. I’m not going!” Luo Chaoyan shook her head.
Shulan pressed anxiously, “But before we left, Madam instructed you to mingle more, make yourself known—it’ll help when seeking a marriage match later. If you don’t go, and Madam finds out, she might forbid you from leaving the manor for leisure outings.”
“Don’t worry, Father will handle it!” Luo Chaoyan thought of her parents’ affectionate daily interactions, warmth spreading through her heart. While her father appeared thoroughly henpecked by her mother, in her eyes, it was her mother who had truly fallen under his charming spell. And her father doted on her the most, granting her every wish.
Seeing her carefree attitude, Shulan could only sigh in resignation. Mama Lu, I’ve truly done my best!
“Try these Peach Crisps—the ones here at Su Manor seem even more delicious than those from Xiangsu Pavilion,” Luo Chaoyan remarked in surprise after finishing one.
Fengli took a piece to taste, immediately squinting her eyes like a contented squirrel, her mouth chewing nonstop. She polished off one quickly and reached for another, only to find her mistress protectively clutching the plate of Peach Crisps to her chest.
She gazed pitifully at Luo Chaoyan. “Miss, please let me have just one more piece,” she pleaded, stretching out her hand.
Luo Chaoyan swatted away the approaching hand, chiding, “You should be ashamed to ask! After all the time you spent learning pastry-making from Suxiang, you haven’t mastered even a fraction of her skills.”
“Miss, that’s unfair! You were the one who didn’t allow Suxiang to accompany us to the capital,” Fengli retorted.
Luo Chaoyan rolled her eyes. “Suxiang is about to get married. How heartless would I be to drag her all the way to the capital?”
She sighed. The pastries in this era tended to be overly sweet for her taste. What she missed most from the modern world were its variety of desserts, especially durian mille-feuille. Ah, such a pity! Unfortunately, she was all thumbs in the kitchen and genuinely incapable of making them herself.
Suxiang, who had grown up with her, was clever and deft with her hands. Just by listening to Luo Chaoyan’s descriptions, she could often recreate delicious snacks—this Peach Crisp being one of them.
Shulan chimed in, “I do miss Suxiang’s pastries a little.”
Ah!
All three sighed in unison.
“Fengli!” Luo Chaoyan suddenly fixed her with a “drooling” expression.
“Don’t you want to be able to eat Peach Crisps like this regularly from now on?”
Fengli made a pained face. “Miss, I really can’t learn it!” She cast a pleading look toward Shulan for support.
Shulan gave her a helpless look; she too had little talent for cooking. Fortunately, she wasn’t as gluttonous as Fengli, so her young lady wouldn’t “torment” her too much.
“You silly girl, I’m not asking you to learn from them—I’m telling you to buy from this person.”
“Buy?” Fengli widened her eyes. “Young lady, Su Manor is the residence of a second-rank minister in the imperial court. Who would be foolish enough to treat their kitchen like a pastry shop?”
Foolish? Was she referring to her? Luo Chaoyan flicked her forehead. “You eat so much every day, yet your wit hasn’t grown at all? After all this time with me, haven’t you absorbed any cleverness by osmosis?”
Shulan and Fengli exchanged a speechless glance at their narcissistic young lady.
“Young lady, just tell us what your terrible idea is!” Fengli wore an expression of utter resignation.
“See? You still refuse to admit you’re foolish.” Luo Chaoyan said, “First, find out more about this chef—what kind of person he is. Then, we’ll offer him a high price to make pastries for us in a kitchen we prepare during his days off. That way, it won’t count as buying pastries from Su Manor, right?”
Fengli’s eyes lit up. “You’re right! Young lady, you’re so clever. I’ll go right away.” With that, she cheerfully dashed off.
Not long after Fengli left, Old Madam Su entered, supported by her daughter-in-law and granddaughter.
Everyone present bowed to her.
After seating herself in the place of honor, she waved a hand and said with a beaming face, “Everyone, make yourselves at home.”
The guests smiled and acknowledged her words with nods.
The banquet began, with song and dance performances taking turns on stage. Some attention-seeking young ladies from noble families also took to the stage to showcase their talents.
Luo Zhao Ning had somehow made her way to Luo Chaoyan’s side. She smiled with exaggerated gentleness and consideration. “Cousin, what talent are you planning to display?” she asked, feigning eager anticipation.
Noticing that Luo Zhao Ning had changed into a sheer dance dress, Luo Chaoyan chuckled. “Nothing at all. With you, cousin, representing the Luo Family so splendidly, adding me would be excessive. As the ancients said, ‘Going beyond is as bad as falling short.’ So, the Luo Family’s honor rests on you alone. Do your best, cousin!”
“You!” Luo Zhao Ning felt a suffocating frustration in her chest. She had prepared a slew of sarcastic remarks, but Luo Chaoyan always managed to shut her down before she could voice them. It was like punching cotton—she ended up feeling like the mouse being toyed with. Instead of angering Luo Chaoyan, she only infuriated herself.
“Hmph! You don’t know what’s good for you!”
Luo Zhao Ning stormed off in a huff, flicking her sleeves angrily.
Shulan couldn’t help but laugh. “Young lady, why does Fifth Young Lady bother herself like this?” Every time she tried to provoke their young lady, she ended up infuriated.
“There are only two young ladies in our family. She just needs me to play the supporting role,” Luo Chaoyan said indifferently, stretching lazily. She had stayed up too late last night and woken up early this morning, and now she was feeling drowsy.
“Shulan, let’s find a quiet spot to take a nap.”
“Young lady, what if Madam looks for you later?” Shulan hesitated.
“With how I’m dressed today, she wouldn’t want to introduce me to those noblewomen!” Luo Chaoyan stated with absolute certainty.
Shulan nodded helplessly. “Alright then.”
So the two quietly slipped away from the main hall and made their way to a lotus pond in the backyard.
They had learned about this pond from a Su Manor servant when they first arrived. He had boasted that aside from the imperial palace, Su Manor had the largest and most beautiful lotus pond.
The lotus pond was surrounded by tranquility, with few people around—truly a peaceful spot. The pond was filled with lotuses, and it was the peak season for their blossoms.
The faint fragrance of lotus, mingling with the refreshing cool breeze, made one feel even drowsier. Luo Chaoyan sat under a willow tree, leaning against the trunk and dozing off for a while. When she woke up, she felt a bit thirsty and asked Shulan to fetch her some water.
Just as she stood up and stretched, she noticed a delicate-looking woman and a boy of about four or five arguing not far away.
“Ah Rui, I heard you like Cuju,” the woman said, handing the boy an exquisitely crafted Cuju ball. “Here! I had this specially made for you!”
Unexpectedly, the boy took the ball and threw it forcefully into the lotus pond.
The woman was visibly annoyed but seemed to recall something and softened her tone. “Ah Rui, I’m your aunt. Only if I marry your father can I take better care of you and Xiao An’er.”
“You’re not my aunt! My maternal grandmother was the rightful wife, while your mother was just a stepmother. Your mother was a wicked woman, and so are you! I don’t want you to marry my father!” The boy crossed his arms, his eyes blazing with anger as he shouted at her.
“You…”
The woman glanced around and, seeing no one nearby, dropped her gentle facade. She pointed at the boy fiercely and scolded, “Your grandmother died young, and so did your mother. You…”
Before she could continue, the boy kicked her in the shin. Clearly, the child had some martial arts training at home, as the woman was in so much pain that tears welled up in her eyes.
“How dare you kick me! I’ll fight you…”
In an instant, the peaceful spot Luo Chaoyan had described turned into a battlefield between the two.
Though small in stature, the boy was agile. He dodged the woman’s attacks, grabbed her long hair, and tugged it back and forth, making her yelp in pain. For a moment, the woman was at a disadvantage.
Luo Chaoyan had initially considered stepping in to help the child, but seeing this, she dismissed the idea. This was far more entertaining than the songs and dances indoors.
Before long, the woman’s clothes and hair accessories were in disarray, with hairpins scattered all over the ground. The sight was so pitiful that Luo Chaoyan almost felt sorry for her.
Driven to desperation, the woman mustered all her strength, grabbed the boy’s leg, and made him fall to the ground. She then picked up a golden hairpin from the ground and was about to stab it into the boy’s eye.
Luo Chaoyan’s eyes widened in alarm. No! He was just a child of a few years old. If that golden hairpin struck him, his life would likely be ruined.
Thinking quickly, she shouted loudly, “Young Master Su, you’re here!”
As expected, the woman froze upon hearing this. She looked at the weapon in her hand, panicked, immediately released the boy, and fled in a fluster.
Luo Chaoyan breathed a sigh of relief and hurried over to the boy. Seeing that he seemed unharmed, she asked, “Whose child are you? Where are your servants?” Judging by his luxurious silk attire, he must be the child of some high-ranking official.
Huo Rui stood up and stared intently at her. “You enjoyed watching that, didn’t you?”
Luo Chaoyan nodded honestly. “Indeed, so you don’t need to thank me!” This brat was so precocious. Compared to her uncle’s nephews, he was not cute at all—more like a little tiger. No! He felt more like a little devil.
Huo Rui was taken aback. It was the first time he had encountered a woman so straightforward and completely devoid of affectation. No, this woman must be pretending. Suddenly feeling irritated, he said, “Do you know who my father is?”
Luo Chaoyan shrugged, her face practically spelling out the words “What does that have to do with me?”
“My father is Huo Jin!”
“Oh.”
Oh? Just “oh”?
“Woman, I said my father is Huo Jin.”
Luo Chaoyan rolled her eyes at him. “I’m not deaf. Why are you shouting so loud?”
Seeing her reaction, Huo Rui felt fire rising in his chest. He was convinced this woman was either feigning ignorance or truly foolish.
“You vain women! How dare you pretend you didn’t come to Su Manor for my father and Uncle Yi? Hmph… Stop playing dumb!”
This brat really knew how to say unpleasant things. No wonder that woman had hit him—she felt like doing the same.
“Little child, can’t you speak more politely?” Luo Chaoyan glared at him. “What do you mean by ‘vain’? Who wouldn’t want to marry a talented and handsome husband? Would you be willing to marry a crude and ugly woman in the future?”
“So you admit you came for my father and Uncle Yi!”
“Young Master Su is passable, but what does that have to do with your father?”
Huo Rui said proudly, “My father is just like Uncle Yi—both are renowned in Jingdu for their excellent family backgrounds and good looks, and both are Tanhualang.”
“Oh, I see. No wonder your father’s name sounded familiar.” Luo Chaoyan finally understood.
“It’s not too late to curry favor with me now.” Huo Rui pointed at the Cuju ball floating by the lotus pond. “Go retrieve it for me, and I’ll tell you what my father likes.”
Luo Chaoyan glanced at the water swaying with the wind in the pond and instinctively stepped farther away. She declined politely, “That won’t be necessary! I have no interest in becoming your stepmother.”