The next morning, the village head’s family left. Yu Xiaoman pushed Lu Ji to the door, and the village head’s wife pretended to hold his hand and advised him not to be willful after marriage. Yu Xiaoman agreed but struggled to shed a single tear of farewell, knowing she wasn’t his real mother.
The next night, Yu Mengliu was still dissatisfied. She kept stealing glances at Lu Ji during conversations, feeling reluctant to give away someone who should have been hers.
Finally finding a moment alone, Yu Xiaoman asked, “Does he always have such a stern face? He looks so fierce.”
Thinking for a moment, Yu Xiaoman admitted, “Yes, he usually does.”
This eased Yu Mengliu’s mind a bit. She lifted her chin and said, “No matter how good-looking someone is, a bad temper is unacceptable. My husband must be gentle and yield to me everywhere.”
Yu Xiaoman wanted to mention that Lu Ji was gentle in private too, but fearing Yu Mengliu’s feelings, he remained silent.
“What does he call you normally?” Yu Mengliu, curious about married life and worried about her name being replaced, asked, “Does he call you Mengliu ?”
“No, he doesn’t.” Remembering what happened after blowing out the candle last night, Yu Xiaoman blushed, “He calls me… Xiaoman.”
Yu Mengliu scoffed at his common name and then asked, “What do you call him? Do you use his name too?”
This puzzled Yu Xiaoman. “Young Master, General Lu, or Lord…” they all sound distant. He hadn’t used any other address, so he just mumbled in response.
Yu Mengliu frowned, “Aren’t you two too distant?”
Feeling unsure, Yu Xiaoman asked, “Then how should I address him?”
Feeling guilty for making him shoulder this burden, Yu Mengliu leaned in and whispered something to Yu Xiaoman.
At first, Yu Xiaoman didn’t hear clearly and blinked in confusion. When Yu Mengliu repeated it, he blushed instantly.
The next morning, Yu Xiaoman sat by the pond, feeding fish and muttering the new address he had just learned. After repeating it twice, he grew shy and asked the two carps fighting for food:, “If I call him this way, will he get angry?”
The two fish, busy eating, advised him to give it a try.
Yu Xiaoman shook his head, “I dare not. What if it makes him unhappy? Blades and swords have no eyes; I want to return safely to the East Sea.”
The fish bubbled as if laughing at his timidity.
“Besides, he already has someone in his heart.” Yu Xiaoman lowered his eyes and voice, “Miss Shen is beautiful and more literate than me. All the poems recently read by Yu Tao were written by her… What can I compare with her?”
The two fat fish splashed around, offering ideas.
“Taller? I am a few inches taller than her, but that’s not an advantage.”
Thinking about his physique, Yu Xiaoman hugged his flat chest, recalling the embarrassing scene during a bath. He sighed, “I’m not even a girl!”
Apart from struggling to please Lu Ji, many troubles of not being a girl had become apparent recently. For instance, as spring arrived and clothes became thinner, Yu Xiaoman noticed strange looks from Madam.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
One day, the ladies of the house gathered in the hall for casual chatter. Madam specifically instructed the servants to brew wild kudzu root tea for Yu Xiaoman, saying it was good for health. Yu Xiaoman sensed mockery in the gazes of those present but didn’t understand until Yu Tao explained the private effects of wild kudzu root.
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“Meeting Sister-in-law here is truly fate.” The libertine spoke impertinently, blocking Yu Xiaoman’s path, “Don’t rush. The garden is beautiful in spring. Let’s appreciate it together and exchange poems.”
Yu Xiaoman replied bluntly, “I can’t read.”.
Lu Yue was initially taken aback, then burst into laughter, “No wonder big brother doesn’t look at you.” He leaned closer, covering his lips with the fan, “I’m different. I don’t have those lofty thoughts of elegance and grace. I only fancy Sister-in-law’s appearance, admiring your bright eyes and beautiful skin. I just… oh!”
No matter how many times he suffered setbacks, Lu Yue still fell into Yu Xiaoman’s hands. This time, it was grass tied to his feet. Before he could move, he was pulled down.
“You ignorant village shrew!” Lu Yue spat out some mud, sitting on the ground and cursing, “How am I worse than Lu Ji, that cripple? You dare reject me again and again!”
Yu Xiaoman had taken a few steps outside but couldn’t hold back when he heard Lu Ji’s name. He turned back and kicked Lu Yue, hitting his shoulder squarely, causing him to fall back again before he could get up.
“You call him by his name too?” Adjusting his skirt, Yu Xiaoman tucked one side into his waist and looked down at Lu Yue, “You ask what makes you worse than him? Let me tell you—he’s better than you in every aspect. Strong physique, excellent martial arts, knowledgeable, and even more handsome than you by a thousand times!”
Perhaps due to venting his anger, Yu Xiaoman had a good appetite that day, eating two bowls of rice for lunch. After putting down his chopsticks, he went to the courtyard and energetically performed a set of Five Animals exercise.
Feeling unsatisfied after that, Yu Xiaoman noticed a kite they had made together yesterday. Yu Tao mentioned that the glue had dried, so Yu Xiaoman rolled up his sleeves, took the kite, tied the string, and flew it.
The Lu family compound was vast. Even though there are countless pavilions and towers, it is still enough to fly a kite.
With Yu Xiaoman’s quick learning and mastery of new things, he was the leader among the young children in the village. Now, he flew the kite with confidence, making it soar high. Yu Tao clapped and cheered from the sidelines.
As he was about to hand the kite string to Yu Tao, the wind changed direction. The kite veered off course, and the string got tangled in a tall pine tree branch. The fish-shaped kite spun in the air before plummeting down.
Yu Xiaoman approached the troublesome tree and saw the kite had fallen outside the courtyard wall. Afraid it might be taken by passing children, he hurried out.
Outside the back gate of the Lu residence was alley called Jin Hua, where Yu Xiaoman took the sedan chair to enter the mansion first time.
The chill of early spring was evident, but the flowers in full bloom along the alley caught Yu Xiaoman’s attention.
He stopped by some fallen petals covered in mud, looked up, and not only saw the thousand-leaf peach on the wall but also a man in indigo robes sitting on a wheelchair not far ahead, holding a kite in his hand.
Today was a day off, and Lu Ji spent most of his time in the study.
Feeling a bit restless, he came out for a walk and heard joyful noises from outside the courtyard walls. He looked up and saw a fish-shaped kite flying overhead. He stared for a while until it got tangled in a tree branch and dropped to the ground.
Yu Xiaoman hurried forward, but when he reached Lu Ji, he hesitated and slowed down, mumbling, “Did you pick this up?”
Lu Ji nodded, “Did you make it?”
“Yes, I did.” Yu Xiaoman rarely heard him ask something, so he eagerly continued, “Yesterday, I got some bamboo and split it overnight to make the frame. Yu Tao, my maid, also helped.”
Lu Ji nodded again, looking down at the kite in his hand, and fell silent.
Although his expression was no different from usual, Yu Xiaoman sensed a hint of loneliness and thought about Lu Ji’s leg injury. He hadn’t flown a kite in at least three years.
You should be flying in the sky, but you are trapped in a small wheelchair. What’s the difference between you and a fish out of water?
So when Lu Ji offered the kite back, Yu Xiaoman didn’t take it. Instead, he cheerfully asked, “Do you want to fly the kite?”
Before dusk, the Jin Hua alley outside the Lu residence was lively.
Yu Xiaoman, bold and daring today, interpreted Lu Ji’s silence as consent. He reattached the broken string, handed it back to Lu Ji, and shouted, “Let’s fly the kite!” He then pushed the wheelchair and ran off.
Lu Ji didn’t expect this. As the wheels rolled quickly, he leaned back suddenly, his heart racing. He loosened his grip, and the kite flew off.
Lu Ji didn’t expect Yu Xiaoman to do this. As the wheels of the carriage rolled rapidly, his body suddenly leaned back, his heart racing along with it. When he loosened his grip, the kite brushed past and flew away.
Yu Xiaoman ran extremely fast, even having the extra energy to help Lu Ji with the kite string. The kite wobbled and swayed as it soared, the tail fluttering loudly in the wind, fluctuating between high and low, until it finally leaped into the sky, carried by the wind.
The alley wasn’t long, barely enough for one round trip to get the kite up in the sky. When Yu Xiaoman turned back, he sped up, afraid the kite might fall. He ran panting, almost losing his shoes along the way.
When Yu Tao and Duan Heng rushed over, they saw this scene—Yu Xiaoman pushing the wheelchair forward in a diving position, while Lu Ji sat on it pulling the kite string. The wooden wheels were spinning at an unprecedented speed, making creaking sounds that were nerve-wracking, fearing they might not bear the weight and break.
“General, are you okay?” Duan Heng drew his half-drawn sword, finding it useless, and pushed it back in, then angrily shouted at Yu Xiaoman, “Stop it now, don’t scare the General!”
Yu Tao found it amusing and joined in the chase, running behind and teasing Duan Heng, “Is your General so fragile that he can’t even fly a kite?”
Yu Xiaoman pushed the wheelchair from behind, unable to see Lu Ji’s expression. He anxiously asked, “How is it? Is it fun?”
Lu Ji turned his head slightly at the sound and looked at the fish-shaped kite flying in the distance against the setting sun. His expression was not exactly pleasant, but at least there was no sign of anger.
Encouraged by this, Yu Xiaoman couldn’t help but ask again, “Is it beautiful?”
He was referring to the kite, but Lu Ji withdrew his gaze, and a slightly warmer look passed over his face.
With a gentle spring breeze brushing their faces and a deafening heartbeat, a soft “Hmm” floated into Yu Xiaoman’s ears. He wasn’t sure if he heard correctly, so he asked again. By then, Lu Ji had turned his head away, concealing any inadvertent emotions.
The bright day turned into a drizzling night.
Yu Xiaoman sat by the window, lost in thoughts, wondering if it was raining in the village. He didn’t like rain, but he always looked forward to clear skies after a storm.
Seven years ago, Lu Ji had saved him on a morning after a heavy rain. Besides, rain could immobilize one’s steps. At least tonight, Lu Ji wouldn’t leave his side.
Idle, he picked up a poetry collection and read, “Take advantage of the east wind to fly a kite.” Yu Xiaoman suddenly realized that kites might be called differently among commoners. The term “paper kite” added a poetic and picturesque feeling. He picked up a brush and filled the entire sheet of paper with these two characters, making sure to remember them before stopping.
Changing the paper, he couldn’t help but write Lu Ji’s name. From his given name to his courtesy name, and even the title he hadn’t spoken aloud, Yu Xiaoman’s thoughts and emotions poured into the writing. Unconsciously, he began to recite the words, and Lu Ji raised his head, looking at him with questioning eyes.
“I didn’t say anything.” Yu Xiaoman covered his mouth, explaining, “Just feeling a bit tasteless, craving something sweet, so I wrote a bit randomly.”
Not mentioning it would have been better. As soon as he mentioned sweetness, Yu Xiaoman suddenly remembered the sugar figurine he had buried under a tree in the courtyard, dirty but too precious to throw away.
Hurriedly running out, he returned dejectedly. Pouting, he complained, “Why is the Land God so greedy? He actually stole my sugar figurine.”
Lu Ji thought for a moment and said, “It might have been ants.”
Understanding what ants were, Yu Xiaoman scratched his head in embarrassment. “Of course, I know ants. It’s just that living by the seaside, I don’t see them often.”
The day off brought tiredness late. As Lu Ji closed the book, the rain outside had stopped.
Yu Xiaoman slept early today, lying properly on the bed. Lu Ji walked to the bedside, about to blow out the candle, when he noticed something on the side table. He picked it up, a bamboo stick covered in mud with a sugar figurine that looked like a horse.
That day, he impatiently waved it away, not realizing it would fall to the ground. As he walked away, he glanced back to see Yu Xiaoman still crouching on the corridor, looking at the sugar figurine that had rolled in the mud, tears in his eyes.
At that time, Lu Ji was impatient and couldn’t understand why a man like him loved to cry. Now he realized that perhaps he was hurt and genuinely sad.
Just as he was accustomed to hiding his emotions, while Yu Xiaoman was used to showing his feelings in public, he could wipe away tears, laugh out loud, and openly express likes and dislikes, even if it meant offending people.
Thinking back to the day when he inadvertently heard Yu Xiaoman’s bold words in front of Lu Yue, Lu Ji felt amused. His tightly pursed lips couldn’t help but curve upward, forming a faint smile.
Before he could find the source of this relaxed and pleasant feeling, Yu Xiaoman, lying on the bed, twisted his body and mumbled something with his lips parted.
There was a slight movement in Lu Ji’s heart.
Just now, when he heard Yu Xiaoman call him like that on the table, he thought he had misheard.
Now, Yu Xiaoman turned over to face outward, his eyes closed from start to finish. He seemed lost in thought during the day and had dreams at night, but his calling was clearer now.
“Lu Lang...“. One call wasn’t enough; he raised his soft hand and patted the empty bedding beside him. “Lu Lang, stop reading and come rest.”
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Author’s note:
Chapter ten, my son Xiaolu finally knows how to smile.
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Thank you for the chapter 😍 ❤️ ❤️
Aww look at him melting from yu xiaoman’s affections 🙈