Chapter 50: The Second Brother Returns Home
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
As the year drew to a close, the first snowfall blanketed the capital, draping everything in a serene layer of white. Even the smallest flowers and blades of grass were delicately dusted with frost, creating a picturesque winter scene.
In this wintry setting, ten-month-old Lu Chao Chao thrived. She was a beautiful blend of her parents’ features, inheriting the best traits from both the Xu family and her father, Lu Yuan Ze. Her cheeks, chubby with baby fat, resembled little buns, making them irresistible to those who wanted to give them a gentle pinch. Her eyes, clear and round, sparkled like stars, radiating pure innocence.
On this day, Lu Chao Chao wore a bright red jacket, with her hair styled into two adorable tufts, each adorned with playful wool balls. She showed her newfound independence by taking a few unsteady steps on her own, delighting those around her.
“Our young miss looks just like a doll prepared for the New Year festivities—so charming,” remarked Deng Zhi, a seasoned caretaker. Having raised three boys in the family, she found Chao Chao uniquely endearing.
“Miss Chao Chao reached milestones faster than her brothers too, talking and walking quickly,” Ying Xue, another attendant, agreed with a nod.
Deng Zhi noticed the light snowfall outside and the freshly swept but still snowy ground. She was concerned for the child’s safety on the slippery surface. However, Lu Chao Chao, eager to explore, expressed her desire to walk in her charming infantile way, saying, “Walk… walk…”
“I… walk,” she insisted. Her pockets were filled with pieces of chestnut cake, a treat she enjoyed along with other soft foods like roasted sweet potatoes, chestnuts, rice flour, and meat purees as her first birthday approached. Roasted sweet potatoes were her favorite; their sweet scent filled the air after roasting.
Seeing her eagerness, Deng Zhi and Ying Xue each took one of her hands, guiding her toward the main courtyard through the thin layer of early snow. Lu Chao Chao’s laughter rang out with each step, and her tiny footprints left a charming trail behind her.
As they passed by the flower garden, the little girl’s attention was captured by a wilted flower. She let go of her caretakers’ hands and squatted down to examine it closely, her expression one of concern. When Ying Xue asked what she was doing, Chao Chao responded with a shushing gesture and softly said, “Crying… wilting, crying…” pointing at an orchid, with the innocence of a child who believes even flowers have emotions. Deng Zhi smiled at this display, reminded of the pure-heartedness children possess.
“Very well, as the young miss desires. We will move the orchid into a warm room later,” she gently persuaded, encouraging Lu Chao Chao to continue. Given her young age and limited stamina, Lu Chao Chao soon grew tired. Seeing this, Deng Zhi tenderly picked her up as they headed to the front courtyard.
As they walked briskly, Lu Chao Chao heard a faint sobbing sound. It was soft and pitiable, echoing with innocence and vulnerability. Curious, she looked toward the sound and saw a young man in a moon-white tunic kneeling solemnly outside a door. Nearby, under the eaves, a frail girl in white buried her face in her hands as she wept quietly.
From inside the house, Madam Xu’s irate voice could be heard, filled with fury and disbelief. “Your upbringing is wasted! You’re engaged! How dare you bring another woman here? This is an affront to your fiancée!” Madam Xu’s anger was palpable, her face flushed with rage.
Initially, she doubted Chao Chao’s internal words, especially since her second son, typically not prone to such drama, was already betrothed. But the scene unfolding before her—her son kneeling outside, determined to introduce another girl into their household—ignited a fury so intense it left her feeling faint.
Lu Zheng Yue, the son in question, glanced worriedly at his mother. However, his resolve hardened as he looked at the door where Su Zhi Qing stood. Miss Su appeared fragile and forlorn in the cold, shivering outside like a delicate dendrobium orchid needing support.
“Mother, I have no affection for Wen Ning, and the engagement was not my choice,” he declared, his voice steady despite the tension. “I wish to marry where there is mutual love, to share a bond of affection like you and Father, rather than be bound to a stranger out of obligation.”
Madam Xu’s anger surged anew, causing her head to spin. The marriage between Yan Shu and Jiang Yun Jin had been a strategic arrangement by the old Marquis, a matter entirely separate from the current dilemma. The Wen family, once neighbors to the Lu’s, had a different history with Lu Zheng Yue. As children, the young Wen family girl followed him around, affectionately calling him brother, hinting at a bond akin to childhood sweethearts.
After the Wen family departed the capital three years ago, Lu Zheng Yue’s temperament changed, leading to the current predicament. “I’ve always seen Wen Ning as nothing more than a sister. To force me into marriage with her would be akin to killing me, Mother. My feelings cannot be swayed,” Lu Zheng Yue confessed, the weight of his long-held sentiment heavy in his heart. Despite their engagement when he was but six years old—a time when Wen Ning’s childish charm was undeniable—he had realized that his feelings toward her were purely fraternal, devoid of romantic love.
“Mother, Qing Qing could not marry anyone else,” Lu Zheng Yue began, his expression a mix of resolve and embarrassment. He then shared a pivotal moment from his past that irrevocably linked his fate with Su Zhi Qing’s. “During my time studying abroad, I had a dangerous incident and fell off a cliff. Qing Qing found me, carried me on her back, and saved my life.”
He continued, outlining the depth of Qing Qing’s sacrifices and the situation that led to his unwavering decision. “Qing Qing had been alone in the world since childhood, losing her younger brother early on. She cared for me, and in doing so, her reputation was unfairly tarnished.”
“Mother, I cannot betray those who have shown me kindness.” Over the months they spent together, Lu Zheng Yue’s feelings for Su Zhi Qing naturally deepened. He admired her gentle and considerate nature, qualities he found remarkable given her simple upbringing in the mountains, which preserved her purity.
Madam Xu’s reaction was fierce, her anger palpable. She found it hard to believe Lu Zheng Yue’s account, especially since he was not alone during his studies but accompanied by two servants skilled in martial arts, who kept in regular contact with the family through letters. After his fall, despite their extensive search covering every nearby village—including the village where Su Zhi Qing resided—they failed to find him. This led Madam Xu to suspect someone intentionally concealed him.
“Mother, I was unconscious for three days. When I awoke, I was being cared for in Qing Qing’s home. During the search, Qing Qing might have been away gathering herbs in the mountains. Her home is impoverished, and my presence added to her burdens,” Lu Zheng Yue explained with a heavy sigh. He recounted his feverish state, the delirium that plagued him, and the moments of lucidity when he saw Qing Qing before him, her cheeks flushed with exertion and embarrassment, her eyes brimming with tears as she tended to him. Their unintentional physical contact startled him, yet it was clear from her reaction that her intentions were pure.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Zheng Yue affirmed his resolve to take responsibility for the situation. “Qing Qing’s actions were driven by her kind heart. She saved me without any thought for herself.”
Madam Xu remained skeptical. “Had she not saved you, the servants would have found you,” she retorted with a hint of sarcasm.
The conversation then took a turn as Madam Xu voiced her suspicions more directly, questioning Qing Qing’s motives. “Given your status and wealth, how can you be sure she didn’t rescue you with ulterior motives, perhaps eyeing the wealth you represent?” she challenged coldly.
The girl standing at the door, Su Zhi Qing, appeared deeply hurt by these accusations. Filled with a mix of shame and indignation, she cried out, “Madam, why must you insult me in such a manner?” Her plea underscored the depth of her distress, caught between defending her honor and the painful realization that her goodwill was being questioned.
“Despite my humble beginnings, I’ve always lived with integrity. Had Zheng Yue not insisted, I would never have chosen to come to the capital,” Su Zhi Qing declared, her voice a blend of dignity and resolve amidst her tears. She conveyed her stoicism and acceptance of her lot in life with poignant clarity. “I never intended to marry. If pushed to my limits, I was prepared to embrace a monastic life, seeking solace in the solitude and spiritual contemplation of a nun’s existence.”
“Being acquainted with Zheng Yue is the greatest blessing I could have imagined. To marry him would have been beyond my wildest dreams. My only wish was for Zheng Yue’s happiness.” With these heartfelt words, Su Zhi Qing broke down in tears and retreated, her departure marked by a profound sense of finality.
Witnessing this, Lu Zheng Yue’s eyes filled with tears, a silent testament to his emotions.
The unfolding drama elicited a palpable sense of exasperation from Madam Xu, who felt a headache coming on as tensions escalated.
“Don’t leave! Mother, if Qing Qing leaves, I have no choice but to follow her,” Lu Zheng Yue declared, the raw emotion evident in his reddened eyes as he clutched Su Zhi Qing’s wrist firmly but gently. Sensing her trembling, his heart ached even more profoundly.
With a heavy heart, he bit his lip and moved as if to demonstrate his resolve by colliding with a pillar.
However, his dramatic gesture was interrupted by a mischievous, childlike chant that echoed around them, “Bump into the wall, bump into the wall, bump into the wall…”
“Bump, come on, bump, lovebirds bumping into walls, look at the lovebirds bumping into walls…”
The voice, laden with a sense of mischief and perhaps a touch of mockery, halted Lu Zheng Yue’s desperate act.