Lu Ji didn’t want to answer at first, but seeing Yu Xiaoman’s stance of not budging until he heard the answer, he finally said, “It doesn’t hurt.” After a pause, he added, “I can’t feel my legs.”
Yu Xiaoman blinked again, his expression shifting from surprise to realization and then dimming, his eyes changing faster than how he stood up before to open the door.
After inviting Lu Ji into the room , Yu Xiaoman became embarrassed. He first took out the foot-washing basin to empty it, then stored away the half-eaten apple from the afternoon, before rushing to the bed to straighten the bedding. Finally, he turned to Lu Ji and asked, “Shall we sleep now?”
After the hug at the door, Lu Ji felt much calmer. He casually opened a book on the table without looking up and said, “You sleep, I’m not sleepy.”
Yu Xiaoman wasn’t very sleepy either. He put on his shoes, took out the half-eaten apple, and sat on the bed, taking a bite and sneaking glances at Lu Ji.
At first, Lu Ji noticed someone staring at him and caught Yu Xiaoman in the act when he turned his head. Yu Xiaoman, not flustered, held up the apple and asked if he wanted some. Lu Ji refused and continued reading.
Later, as Lu Ji got absorbed in the book, he didn’t react no matter how openly Yu Xiaoman stared at him.
Lu Ji read with great focus, sitting upright with tightly pressed lips. In the flickering candlelight, his deep and chiseled features cast shadows on his face. Yu Xiaoman, leaning on the bed and cupping his cheeks, stared at him, eventually becoming entranced.
In the dead of night, with no disturbances outside and the assurance that Old Master Lu wouldn’t check in so late, both of them relaxed. One sat on the bed, the other dozed at the desk.
Yu Xiaoman was startled awake when his head hit the ground. After fumbling around the bed for a while without finding the seaweed, he opened his eyes and remembered where he was.
The bed was empty except for two pillows, with no signs of anyone having slept there. Rubbing his eyes, Yu Xiaoman looked up and saw Lu Ji still at the desk, with a book open in front of him, having not moved.
Afraid that Lu Ji might be uncomfortable sleeping like that, Yu Xiaoman decided to move him to the bed but didn’t want to wake him. After some thought, he covered Lu Ji with a blanket.
The heavy quilt made Lu Ji stir in his sleep, almost causing the blanket to fall off. Yu Xiaoman thought of a solution, dragging a small stool to sit beside him and holding onto the blanket’s edge to prevent it from slipping.
Sister Biyue said humans are fragile and can catch a cold from a bit of cold water. Although Yu Xiaoman had never experienced a cold, he imagined it must be unpleasant.
Determined not to let Lu Ji get sick, Yu Xiaoman stayed vigilant, clutching the blanket.
At first, he stared at Lu Ji’s face, but being so close made him embarrassed. His face burning, Yu Xiaoman lowered his gaze to Lu Ji’s legs.
Indeed, it was less stimulating. After a few yawns, he finally succumbed to sleep, holding the blanket.
The next morning, Lu Ji slowly woke up.
Having slept in the study for two nights, his back ached. Frowning, he lifted his head and immediately noticed the heavy quilt covering him.
And the person sprawled across his legs.
Perhaps from staying up too late, Yu Xiaoman was in a deep sleep, his body leaning on Lu Ji’s leg, his side face against his thigh, awkwardly clutching the blanket’s edge.
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.
Ktf jkxkjgv qbrlalbc kbeiv tjnf tega tlr yjmx lo cba obg atf tfluta vloofgfcmf qgbnlvfv ys atf rabbi.
Vlaalcu delfais obg j ktlif, rfflcu cb rluc bo Te Wljbwjc kjxlcu eq, Oe Al ugjyyfv tlr ifoa kglra atgbeut atf riffnf, agslcu ab qeii atf yijcxfa jkjs. Fcfzqfmafvis, fnfc lc tlr riffq, Te Wljbwjc tfiv bc alutais, cba ifaalcu ub. Oe Al kjr wbwfcajglis ja j ibrr.
Unwilling to sit idly, Lu Ji carefully observed before slowly pulling the blanket from the other end and placing it over the back of his wheelchair.
As he straightened up and prepared to move Yu Xiaoman to the table, the latter suddenly woke up, staring at Lu Ji in confusion before exclaiming, “Where’s the blanket?”
Yun Luo entered, seeing the two of them crowded around the table, with Lu Ji’s hands on Yu Xiaoman’s shoulders and Yu Xiaoman insistently covering Lu Ji with the blanket. Their disheveled hair and clothes made them look like a couple flirting and playing
Calling out “Young Master,” Yun Luo then began tidying the bed, ignoring Yu Xiaoman completely.
Learning the house rules, Yu Xiaoman wondered if he had done something wrong. He sheepishly took the blanket back to the bed, greeted Yun Luo with a cheerful “Good morning,” but Yun Luo remained aloof.
While fetching water for washing, Yu Xiaoman thought of Lu Ji’s limited mobility and decided to wash him first. Halfway there, Yun Luo took the basin, skillfully soaked a towel, wrung it out, and handed it to Lu Ji. Yu Xiaoman awkwardly scratched his nose and took another basin outside.
There was a well in the yard. After drawing half a bucket of water, Yu Xiaoman washed his face with soapberries, closing his eyes and thinking about the hassle of big households. In Yu’s village, it was always the wife who washed her husband’s face.
Since Yun Luo had served Lu Ji for years, even after being assigned to Yu Xiaoman, he didn’t have the courage to order her around or question her methods.
He had noticed Yun Luo’s hostility but couldn’t figure out what he had done to offend her.
A girl’s mind might be hard to guess, but a young man’s was simpler. For instance, Lu Ji’s bodyguard, Duan Heng, who led the welcoming party, seemed to disdain him, and it didn’t take long for Yu Xiaoman to figure out why.
According to Yu Tao, when the Lu family proposed marriage, they offered a dowry befitting nobility in the capital. However, the village head, thinking it wasn’t his own daughter being married off, skimped on the bridal gifts, providing a scanty dowry.
Duan Heng, leading the welcoming party, was the first to know and couldn’t accept such stinginess from them.
Yu Xiaoman felt wronged, unaware of the village head’s miserly actions. If he had known the head wouldn’t prepare a proper dowry despite accepting a lavish betrothal gift, he would have protested.
This made him even less confident in the Lu household. When called to drink tea with the First Madam, he always sat in the corner, hoping no one would notice him.
But as a newcomer and the legitimately wedded daughter-in-law, he couldn’t avoid attention. Not only the two madams , even any relatives visiting them wanted to see him.
“Where’s Mengliu?”
Today, the First Madam called him. It took Yu Xiaoman a moment to realize that he was now using Yu Mengliu’s name and quickly stood up: “Here, here.”
Today’s visitors were relatives from the First Madam Feng Manying’s family, bringing along a young girl just of age, presumably intended for Lu Yue.Feng Manying, now the head of the Lu household’s back residence, treated her relatives with indifference, lazily reclining on her official chair.
She briefly introduced her new daughter-in-law, “Just married, from the Yu family.
“The visiting woman, wearing a phoenix-tail bun, unaware of the situation, eagerly introduced the young girl to Yu Xiaoman, “Call her sister-in-law, you might be family soon.”
By tradition, elders would give a small gift upon meeting younger relatives for the first time, usually jewellery or money. However, Yu Xiaoman, having brought little dowry and disliking adornments, found himself with only a handful of shells.These shells were the currency of the merfolk, something Yu Xiaoman cherished. After a mental struggle, he reluctantly opened his palm, saying, “Pick a few you like.”
If he had known offering his most precious item would result in scolding, he would have feigned ignorance, claiming he came in a hurry and brought nothing.
After sending the guests away, Feng Manying had Yu Xiaoman stay while she went to rest.
Yu Xiaoman stood in the hall for over an hour before Feng Manying, either annoyed by waking up or something else, started criticizing him: “Why are you still standing there?”
Standing with a sore back, Yu Xiaoman replied: “Didn’t you ask me to stay?”
Waiting for this response, the maid Shen Momo immediately scolded: “How dare you talk back to the First Madam!”
Feng Manying sneered, “It’s bad enough you have nothing presentable, but you can’t even learn proper manners. Indeed, someone from a humble background is worthless.”
Knowing that offending the First Madam would make life difficult for Lu Ji, Yu Xiaoman endured the criticism, letting it go in one ear and out the other.
However, if Lu Ji was insulted, he couldn’t tolerate it.
“I thought you’d be easygoing coming from the countryside.” Feng Manying sipped tea, saying slowly, “But now I see you’re quite good-looking, at least fit for a local rich man. It’s a pity you’re stuck with Qi Zhi who has cold and eccentric personality, which makes it difficult for you.”.”
Qi Zhi was Lu Ji’s courtesy name, which Yu Xiaoman learned today. But now, his focus was on the term “cold and eccentric,” which made him angry.
“I heard he’s been sleeping in the study these days, not visiting your room?” Feng Manying laughed, “Yes, it’s useless for him to go to your room. I forgot his legs are disabled, unlike normal men.”
Yu Xiaoman took a deep breath and said, “The Young Master is fine, He is more majestic and powerful than any ordinary man.”
He meant Lu Ji’s prowess on the battlefield, but Feng Manying seemed to misunderstand, looking him over incredulously.
After a while, Feng Manying took another sip of tea as if to cover up, and said, “Since you two are still getting along well, Qizhi is going to the palace for a banquet tonight, why didn’t he bring you along?”
Yu Xiaoman hadn’t heard about it, pondering how to respond when there was a noise at the door.
Lu Ji, sitting in the wheel chair , was pushed by Duan Heng to the doorstep but showed no intention of entering.
“Mother must have scolded enough by now.” Lu Ji’s face remained calm and emotionless, his voice devoid of any sentiment. “The carriage has been waiting outside for a while. Can you return Meng Liu to me first?”
After sitting in the carriage, Yu Xiaoman couldn’t help but notice that the space inside didn’t seem suitable for two people. Combining it with Yu Tao’s wink before they left, Yu Xiaoman suddenly understood.
“I’m sorry, Xiao Tao always acts on her own.” Yu Xiaoman shuffled to the corner, afraid of squeezing Lu Ji, and said, “Or you can stay here, and I’ll go back on my own.”
Lu Ji replied, “It’s okay. The Emperor invited both of us.” After a moment of contemplation, he added, “I should be the one apologizing.”
Yu Xiaoman couldn’t bear to hear him say that and quickly said, “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have defied Mother-in-law, nor should I have given such a tacky thing like shells… as a gift.”
Lu Ji had heard about the shells from Yun Luo. Seeing Yu Xiaoman’s downcast face, Lu Ji moved his lips as if to say something, but then swallowed his words and said something else instead, “Your hair is loose.”
Rarely did Yu Xiaoman engage in conversation with Lu Ji. No matter what Lu Ji said, Yu Xiaoman reacted as if receiving an imperial decree. After looking around for a while, not remembering where he had put the hairband, Yu Xiaoman heard Lu Ji say, “Turn around.”
Following the command, Yu Xiaoman obediently turned around. As his disheveled hair was lifted by one hand and the water grass tied around his wrist was removed by the other, he suddenly remembered that he had dismantled the water grass, originally meant to be used as a “weapon,” to give Feng Manying a lesson in the main hall.
Lu Ji had actually noticed.
Perhaps he had already seen through it during the incident where he tripped Lu Yue.
“You don’t have to save face for me in front of others,” Lu Ji whispered from behind, “and you don’t have to stand up for me.”
Still shocked, Yu Xiaoman murmured, “Why?”
After a long pause, Lu Ji replied, “It’s not worth it.”
Yu Xiaoman was stunned for a moment, his confusion fleeting in his eyes, replaced by clarity.
So, Lu Ji’s indifference was simply because it was unnecessary. He had long separated himself from those around him and didn’t care how they viewed him.
But even though he was accustomed to indifference, Yu Xiaoman could still find the same sincerity and straightforwardness in Lu Ji’s words and actions as before.
For example, Lu Ji’s deliberate avoidance of eye contact when they entered the room, the careful movement of his hands that never touched Yu Xiaoman, and the gentle gesture of tying his hair now… all of this was to avoid being intrusive.
Because marrying a disabled person who couldn’t walk had caused him immense grievance.
Because on the day of their marriage, he had promised to give him freedom.
Yu Xiaoman’s heart warmed, and his eyes became hot.
He mumbled something, but Lu Ji didn’t catch it.
Just as he was about to ask, Yu Xiaoman suddenly turned his head, looking straight into Lu Ji’s eyes and said firmly, “You are worth it.”
For a moment, Lu Ji didn’t understand, and Yu Xiaoman continued spiritedly, “Don’t worry, I’ll work harder. I’ll make you recover as soon as possible and regain your glory!”
—
Thanks for the chapter!
This is a good novel. Thanks for translation.
Can’t wait for lu ji to discover yu xiaoman’s true identity >w<