Chapter 13: Admire Whole-Heartedly

Later, Lu Hong left Ji Province and went to the Capital to attend the examination.

Lu Qian’s courage grew bigger and bigger. He actually ran to her and confessed. She was shocked and angry. She scolded him without mercy and rejected him, and chased him away.

Lu Qian behaved like he had lost his soul as he left her place. Because his thoughts were too heavy and he also was drenched in rain, he started to have a high fever. For three days, his high fever never retreated. Madam Ling was so afraid, she kept crying beside his bed all day.

When Lu Qian was in coma, he kept calling Ling Jing Shu’s name, Madam Ling natural heard it as well.

Madam Ling was filled with anger, but when looked at Lu Qian’s life was in danger, she did not have the heart to find Ling Jing Shu’s trouble.

After Lu Qian’s high fever retreated, his whole person was lying on the bed, refused to eat, and refused to speak.

Madam Ling kept her anger in her heart and softly begged Ling Jing Shu to take care of Lu Qian for a few days, “You are Ah Qian’s cousin and also his sister-in-law. Do you want to watch him lost his life? You take it as I beg you, please go and take care of him for a few days, coax him for a bit. When he is all better, you want to avoid him is all up to you.”

Although she was reluctant, she could not stand Madam Ling’s crying and begging, so she forced herself to agree to it.

With her care, Lu Qian’s condition really improved quickly. He obediently ate his medicine and meals and he soon recovered. But she also got into trouble with this. The people in the residence began to spread rumors about her and Lu Qian. Madam Ling’s eyes when looked at her were getting more and more unfriendly.

Very soon, Lu Hong’s news of getting top score in examination was reported back. She was ecstatic and full of hope that Lu Hong would return soon, bringing her and their son leave this Lu Residence.

But in the end, it’s a pity that the news she waited was Lu Hong hugging another woman.

She was sad and desperate, washing her face with tears in the house. Lu Qian actually rushed into her house during daytime, in front of all the maid servants, he said out loud, “Big Brother betrayed you and is hugging another woman now. Since he doesn’t want you, I will marry you!”

The maid servants were stunned and couldn’t speak.

Madam Ling rushed in and was very angry. She asked someone to tie Lu Qian up and brought him down.

Before she left, Madam Ling squinted at her, like a poisonous snake, sending chills down her spine.

The distant memories of the past were flashing in her mind.

Lu Qian’s white and clean face was full of smiles, which coincides with the desperate teenager face in her memory.

Ling Jing’s heart was filled with unspeakable taste. If it wasn’t because of Lu Qian, Madam Ling would not use such sinister and insidious means to harm her, she would not fall into such a situation.

In the painful days of being under house arrest for several years in Lu Residence, the only one who dared to visit her was Lu Qian. When she was suffering from humiliation and wanted to escape to her family home, Lu Qian secretly helped her escape from Lu Residence.

After all, Lu Qian was just a stubborn boy who couldn’t help but love her deeply. She hated Lu family, but she didn’t have much hatred for Lu Qian and she didn’t have good impression of him as well.

Ling Jing Shu’s thoughts were in a mess, her look was a bit absent-minded.

Lu Qian had been paying close attention to Ling Jing Shu’s expression so naturally, he did not miss the slightest sorrow that was on her face and his heart ached when he saw it. But he couldn’t reveal any bit of it and he even need to squeeze out a cheerful smile, “Cousin Shu, in this garden only Luoyang Brocade has bloomed, the last time I came here, I had no time to appreciate it carefully. Today I want to look at it very carefully. Cousin Shu please give me some pointers on how to grow it and hope that you won’t hide it.”

Ling Jing Shu hesitated because it was hard to reject him, so in the end she nodded.

Lu Qian’s eyes lit up, and his right hand that was in his sleeve trembled with excitement. Fortunately, it was well covered and no one noticed it.

When Lu Hong saw this scene, his heart became more and more unsatisfied.

Ling Jing Shu’s gentle care for Ling Xiao did not have to be elaborated, and towards Lu Qian it was also considered to be polite. Only when facing him, her eyes were cold and full of disgust.

Lu Hong was also a very stubborn person. The more Ling Jing Shu behaved like this, the more he wanted to get close to her.

It’s obviously not a good idea to keep coming up to her with a thick skin.

Lu Hong’s heart flashed, and soon he had an idea. He deliberately walked faster, and walk along side with Ling Xiao, intimately talked with him, “Cousin Xiao, I saw you yesterday at the home school, I also went to the home school to listen. Can you understand what the teacher had taught about the righteousness?”

Ling Xiao shook his head a little blankly, “I only understand a small half of it, and most of them I don’t understand.”

“This cannot blame you.” Lu Hong comforted with a smile, “You rarely go to the home school. You only listen to your little servant read to you so you have to try and understand on your own, so naturally it won’t be better than having a teacher to teach you. If you don’t mind my clumsiness, I can explain in detail what the teacher had taught yesterday.”

So friendly and enthusiastic, this let Ling Xiao’s heart became warm, and his beautiful face floated with joy, “How can I trouble Cousin Hong to teach me, it will be too troublesome for you.”

Lu Hong smiled slightly, “It is just a trivial matter, don’t mention it. Cousin Xiao is too polite, you have regarded me as an outsider.”

Lu Hong paused for a moment then he laughed, “This time we two brothers followed mother to Ling Residence as guests and we will be staying for a few months. I am older than you by two years and I have put in some effort in studying. Last year, I had taken the provincial examination, and now I have the title of a scholar. I have some experience in the four books and five classics. If you don’t understand anything about it, you can always come and discuss with me. Maybe it will be beneficial to you.”

Ling Xiao was quite surprised. However, he did not agree to it immediately. He pulled Ling Jing Shu’s sleeve and asked, “Ah Shu, it’s not so good to trouble Cousin Hong like this right?”

Ling Jing Shu knew of what Lu Hong was thinking of doing.

Ling Jing Shu was about to reject without thinking, but when she saw the excitement and expectation on Ling Xiao’s face, her heart suddenly softened.

Ling Xiao stayed in the house every day, and there were almost no teenage boys of the same age that he could play with. He had always been lonely. Since Lu Hong was so proactive and optimistic about it, Ling Xiao’s heart was so happy.

Forget it. As long as Ling Xiao was happy.

Although Lu Hong was a betrayer, he was still someone who had a lot of real talents. Since he was sincere in giving pointers, it would only benefit Ling Xiao.

Ling Jing Shu smiled at Ling Xiao and replied, “It indeed was troublesome for Cousin Lu. However, since Cousin Lu took the initiative to voice it out, he must be very sincere about it. You can just accept his suggestion!”

As soon as this statement came out, Ling Xiao and Lu Hong’s eyes lit up.

Lu Hong’s happy expression fell into Ling Jing Shu’s eyes, it was particularly prickly to the eye.

Ling Jing Shu secretly sneered.

Lu Hong intentionally trying to please Ling Xiao, his motive was nothing more than taking the opportunity to approach her. Unfortunately, her heart had long turned cold. Even if Lu Hong had lots of methods, it would be a total waste of time.

Everyone had their own minds, and the flower appreciation had become the second priority.

Today, Lu Qian talked a lot. He had been talking to Ling Jing Shu non-stop, “Cousin Shu, this Luoyang Brocade is using which two types of peony to graft out? The flowering period will last for how long? In addition to these two colors of flowers, can it bloom other colors of flower?”

“Cousin Shu, I am idling everyday. From now on I can accompany you to the Peony Garden to manage these peonies!”

“Cousin Shu, usually other than planting peony, what other hobbies do you have? Playing zither, drawing, or doing embroidery?”

“Cousin Shu”

He was just like a fly, kept flying around the ear and “weng weng” non-stop.

Even if Ling Jing Shu had a lot of patience, it had been killed by him mostly. She said with an unfriendly tone, “When appreciating the flowers, one have to be calm and quiet. If being like you so noisy, how to appreciate the flowers.”

Lu Qian was scolded but he wasn’t annoyed. He grinned and replied, “Yes, yes, yes, I will listen to you. I will stop talking from now on.”

After a while, he opened his mouth again, “Cousin Shu, can you teach me how to plant peony?”

Ling Jing Shu, “…”

He was still as annoying as previous life. Even if she put on a cold face and cold words, he would not hold it in his heart. He was just like a burning dog skin plaster, making people headache.

Lu Hong was patiently explaining to Ling Xiao about what was taught yesterday. He would occasionally looked up, and looked at Ling Jing Shu’s helplessness and Lu Qian’s joyful self. There were some unspeakable sour feelings in his heart.

When he realized that the sour feeling was from Lu Qian, he couldn’t help but smile at his own ridiculous self.

Lu Qian was still a child, and he still did not know what it means to love someone. It was ridiculous that he would be jealous of Lu Qian.

Then he looked at Ling Jing Shu’s beautiful breathtaking side face, Lu Hong’s heart was filled with strange awkward feeling, sweetness mixed with sorrow, and the sourness contained unlimited joy.

Was this the feeling of liking a person?

A heart seemed to float in the clouds, eager to see her. The heart would move with her every frown and every smile, and being sad for her cold treatment.

Lu Hong seemed like he had lost his spirit.

Ling Xiao waited for a long time, but still did not hear him continue his teaching, so he could not help but urged, “Cousin Hong, why did you stop talking halfway?”

Lu Hong came back to his senses and coughed with a guilty conscience, “It’s nothing, I was just thinking about how to say it so you can understand it better.”

A little servant hurriedly ran over and reported to Lu Hong and Lu Qian, “Big Lu young master and Second Lu young master, master’s ship has arrived at the dock. Madam had instructed both young masters to go to the dock now to pick up master.”

Previous | Table Of Contents | Next