Chapter 51: The Naivety of My Second Brother
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
[Why didn’t you take more drastic measures?] Lu Chao Chao, overwhelmed with anger, scratched the wall in sheer frustration.
In the previous narrative, Lu Zheng Yue had dramatically thrown himself forward in a desperate attempt to stop Su Zhi Qing from leaving. The result was that he injured himself and bled heavily.
The sound of Lu Chao Chao furiously grinding her teeth caught Lu Zheng Yue’s attention. He cautiously looked around and took a deep breath.
“What’s that noise?” he wondered aloud. “In these times, do ghosts and supernatural entities take pleasure in our suffering?”
With deliberate motion, Lu Chao Chao gestured towards an osmanthus tree nearby and mimed a kicking action.
Deng Zhi, confused, asked, “Are you suggesting we should kick the tree?”
Lu Chao Chao nodded firmly.
“Let’s kick together,” said the little girl, her face resembling an animated doll. She displayed a mischievous smile full of small teeth, hinting at a potential tantrum in the snowy landscape if her request was ignored.
Deng Zhi’s disbelief was evident in her facial expression, her eyelids twitching.
Despite their reservations, the two maids reluctantly prepared themselves to kick.
Unexpectedly, Lu Chao Chao unleashed a surge of spiritual energy, significantly enhancing the impact of their supposed kick against the tree. The well-maintained osmanthus tree, adorned with a blanket of snow, trembled intensely from the force of the spiritual energy, causing a flurry of snowflakes to fall.
“Ow, ow, ow!” Lu Zheng Yue and Su Zhi Qing exclaimed as they were engulfed by the falling snow, completely covered in white. Su Zhi Qing, who was inadequately dressed to appear more vulnerable, started to shiver uncontrollably due to the cold.
[Perhaps this chill will snap you out of your foolish lovestruckness…] Lu Chao Chao thought to herself with an eye roll as she surveyed the chaos she had caused.
Seeing the young miss’s behavior, Deng Zhi understood that she was acting out on behalf of the lady of the house. With a resigned sigh, she decided to bring the child back to the warmth of the courtyard.
“Madam, please forgive me. It was my lack of foresight that led to the second master catching a cold,” Deng Zhi humbly apologized to the lady of the house before escorting Chao Chao inside.
Meanwhile, Lu Zheng Yue tenderly brushed the snow off Su Zhi Qing, his eyes softening with affection as he watched Lu Chao Chao, admiring the spirited young girl.
“Mama…” Chao Chao uttered in her childlike voice.
“This is your sister, Chao Chao,” Madam Xu said, introducing the infant with a tone of lingering frustration.
She had often regaled Lu Zheng Yue with tales of Chao Chao, including charming stories of how she would offer her saliva-coated finger to those she was particularly fond of. In person, however, Chao Chao was even more captivating than he had imagined.
“Chao Chao, I’m your second brother…” he declared, kneeling in the snow, his voice filled with hope.
Looking up, Lu Chao Chao’s reply was straightforward: “Dumb… dumb.”
[Only fools would consider themselves related to me… Is stupidity contagious?]
The unmistakable look of disdain on the ten-month-old’s face left Lu Zheng Yue feeling unexpectedly disheartened.
“Zheng Yue, after you fell off the cliff, the servants found no sign of you within a quarter of an hour. It’s hard not to be suspicious,” Madam Xu said, casting a doubtful look toward Su Zhi Qing.
Standing with poise, Su Zhi Qing earnestly replied, “I was just collecting herbs at the foot of the mountain.”
Lu Chao Chao mentally sneered at the ridiculousness of the claim. [How entertaining. She stayed at the base of the mountain for three days and got her face swollen with mosquito bites just to see my second brother’s misfortune…]
As Lu Zheng Yue mulled over this new information, he struggled to understand its implications. Yet, he could not ignore his memory of that day—upon waking, he saw Qing Qing’s face dotted with numerous small, red marks, which puzzled him.
“Enough. Since you’ve saved Zheng Yue’s life, you may stay in the Marquis Mansion. But let’s not discuss any engagement,” Madam Xu stated, dismissing Su Zhi Qing’s pretense with a wave of her hand.
Yet, her son was still unaware of the deception.
“Deng Zhi, please take Miss Su to Mingxin Garden,” she directed. Su Zhi Qing, casting lingering glances back at Lu Zheng Yue and seeing his nod, followed Deng Zhi with reluctance.
After Su Zhi Qing had left, Madam Xu chose not to scold her son but instead signaled for him to get up.
“Mother, I knew you wouldn’t want to see me suffer,” Lu Zheng Yue said, his voice carrying a trace of sorrow as he stood, his legs numb from kneeling in the cold.
Ying Xue quickly offered him hot tea, advising, “Please, warm yourself and be careful of the cold, Second Young Master.”
The Lu siblings were known for their striking appearance, and Lu Zheng Yue was no exception. He displayed an elegant demeanor despite his slight limp as he entered the room.
“Mother, the love between Qing Qing and me is real,” he stated with deep conviction.
Madam Xu, clearly annoyed, sharply responded, “Have you lost your senses? I see her merely as a schemer.”
Lu Zheng Yue couldn’t help but laugh. “The world is filled with wealthy people; why would she target me specifically?”
He chuckled again, adding, “If she chooses to deceive only me, doesn’t that show her true feelings?”
This only served to increase Madam Xu’s frustration. It was only now that she truly understood the blinding nature of love.
[Indeed, her willingness to wait at the base of the mountain for three days speaks volumes.]
At this, Lu Zheng Yue’s smile disappeared.
“Why did you go up the mountain?” Madam Xu pressed, her expression one of concern.
After a moment’s hesitation, Lu Zheng Yue answered, “I was persuaded by my friend Jing Huai, who told me about the spectacular sunrises seen from the mountain. My decision to go there was made on a whim.”
The mention of Lu Jing Huai caused Madam Xu to bite her lip, knowing well about the supposed strong friendship between Zheng Yue and Jing Huai.
[It appears Jing Huai could barely contain his anticipation for your downfall…]
Filled with confusion, Lu Zheng Yue mulled over the strange voice of his sister that kept popping up. Jing Huai had been a trusted companion for many years; the thought of doubting their friendship seemed absurd.
As such, the following conversation with his mother left the young man visibly disheartened as he stepped outside.
“How could this happen? Our parents’ marriage was once the envy of the capital, celebrated for its love and harmony. Why, Father?” he cried out, his heart breaking.
He had once looked upon his classmates from troubled families with a sense of pity, feeling blessed for his own seemingly perfect family background.
Now, his world seemed to be falling apart.
He learned that his father had kept a mistress for seventeen years, with whom he had another son, the same age as his brother.
But the revelation that shook him to his core was… his best friend turned out to be his father’s secret child!
Reflecting on their first encounter, Lu Zheng Yue remembered it was his father who had introduced Lu Jing Huai, praising his abilities and suggesting Zheng Yue should watch over him. Jing Huai, from time to time, would ask about his parents, a gesture that now seemed fraught with hidden meanings.
This realization hit Lu Zheng Yue with the force of a thunderclap.
The shock was compounded for Lu Zheng Yue when he learned that there had been an attempt on his sister’s life right after her birth. This heinous act was perpetrated to ensure that Lu Jing Huai’s sister could secure a position within their family. The weight of this revelation left him reeling, especially as he observed his mother, her eyes swollen and red from the tears she had shed, embodying the depth of the family’s internal strife and betrayal.
In an attempt to escape the suffocating atmosphere of betrayal and deception that filled his home, Lu Zheng Yue found himself aimlessly wandering. His mind churned with memories that, under the light of recent revelations, took on dark and twisted meanings he had never before considered.
He found himself drawn to Mingxin Garden, yearning for the comfort and solace he associated with Su Zhi Qing. Approaching her door, he knocked gently, seeking her presence as a source of clarity and sincerity amidst the complexity of his familial relationships.
In his heart, Su Zhi Qing stood out as a pillar of genuine understanding and compassion, a stark contrast to the cunning and manipulation he had come to associate with Lu Jing Huai.
From the shadows, Lu Chao Chao watched, her thoughts a mixture of scorn and pity for her brother. [My second brother is truly naïve. Not only is he close friends with Lu Jing Huai, but his beloved Su Zhi Qing is also in league with Jing Huai.] Her internal monologue was laced with a blend of pity and disdain for her brother’s inability to see the reality of his situation.