Lu Ji rushed over upon hearing the noise.
Yun Luo’s poor service due to resentment was something Lu Ji heard from Yu’s dowry maid during the day. Upon returning to the mansion, Lu Ji ordered Yun Luo to deliver hot water to the lady’s room, intending to remind her of the difference between master and servant. He also noticed hem of Yu Xiaoman’s skirt and trouser legs were dirty when they got off the carriage, likely from playing around in the palace.
Towards his young wife, a few years younger than himself, Lu Ji felt mostly guilty.
She was a beloved daughter who could have married someone her age with all four limbs intact, living a free and happy life. The Lu family’s inner residence was full of intrigue and dangers. Moreover, she had to endure ridicule and slander because of him, which was something Lu Ji didn’t want to see. This was why, despite the elders’ pressure and coercion, he refused to marry before.
Now that they were married, he felt responsible for her well-being. He couldn’t promise her utmost happiness, but at least she should live comfortably, without worrying about food or clothing, or living in fear in the mansion.
So, when Lu Ji heard the unusual sound of water splashing in the room, he didn’t think twice and immediately wheeled himself to the front of the room. The door wasn’t fully closed, and it opened with a touch. The screen inside wasn’t set up either, giving him a clear view of the bath barrel in the center and the person inside.
Before he could instinctively look away, Lu Ji caught an odd sight of Yu Xiaoman trying to cover the lower part of his body. Immediately, he saw something even stranger.
Everyone praised his wife for her beauty, saying she had the looks of a fairy. Even Duan Heng, who thought she was of lowly birth couldn’t criticize her looks. When they heard she was going to the palace banquet, they remarked, “At least now, people won’t spread rumors about the general marrying an ugly country girl who smells of fish.”
Since he never paid much attention, Lu Ji overlooked how “she” was overly tall compared to most women and had a slim, flat body.
It wasn’t her, but him.
Lu Ji suddenly understood. The meager dowry, the lack of feminine shyness, the naivety, and the complete acceptance of him—all made sense now.
Lu Ji suddenly felt like laughing, unsure if it was out of absurdity or anger. Over three years, he had learned to temper his anger and remain indifferent, but he couldn’t tolerate this ridiculous deception.
The person in front of him snapped back to reality, quickly sitting back in the water, hugging his chest, and timidly looking at him, saying, “I’m not…”
Before he could finish, Lu Ji, supporting himself on the door frame, turned his wheelchair around and left.
The next morning, Yu Xiaoman didn’t see Lu Ji at breakfast.
Even though they didn’t sleep in the same room recently, they usually had breakfast together to keep up appearances for Master Lu’s surprise inspections. Now that Lu Ji ignored even this, Yu Xiaoman felt distressed, and even his favorite vegetable buns tasted like wax.
Lu Ji was never seen during the day. According to Yu Tao’s inquiries, Lu Ji took up a job supervising the Imperial Guards’ training, diligently going to the training grounds outside the city every day, regardless of the weather. At night, he went straight to his study, not giving Yu Xiaoman any chance to meet him for several days in a row.
Unable to wait any longer, Yu Xiaoman brought a plate of cut apples to the study, only to be stopped at the door by Duan Heng: “The general is not seeing anyone.”
Yu Xiaoman: “I’m not just anyone.”
Duan Heng stood firm: “Whether you are or not, he’s seeing no one.”
Yu Xiaoman: “I’m not a person.”
Duan Heng: “…”
Thinking the new wife had gone mad, Duan Heng called Yun Luo and Yu Tao to take him back.
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.
Te Kjb atbeuta tf kjr gfjiis rlmx, kbggslcu jii atf kjs, “Qtja tjqqfcfv? Glvc’a sbe jvv jcbatfg delia sfrafgvjs?”
Tec Oeb, jikjsr ibbxlcu olfgmf jr lo rbwfbcf bkfv tfg wbcfs, rcjqqfv, “P abiv sbe atf ufcfgji vlvc’a kjca ab rff sbe, sfa sbe’gf ralii gecclcu jgbecv.”
Te Wljbwjc kjr mjgglfv yjmx ab tlr gbbw ys atf akb, rlaalcu bc atf yfv klat j qbea, ktlif atf mea jqqifr aegcfv sfiibk jcv kfgf jii fjafc ys Te Kjb.
“Weren’t things fine before? The eldest young master even took you to the palace.” After Yun Luo left, Yu Tao started asking, “Did you two have a quarrel?”
Yu Xiaoman slowly shook his head, mumbling, “Worse than a quarrel.”
Yu Tao was shocked: “Did he hit you?”
Lu Ji was a military man, his figure towering over Yu Xiaoman even when sitting, with an imposing aura. Rumor had it that men like him often had a habit of beating their wives.
Yu Xiaoman shook his head again: “No.”
Seeing he wasn’t lying and remembering it was Lu Ji who moved out, Yu Tao was alarmed: “Did you hit him?”
Yu Xiaoman, now listless, lowered his head, not even having the energy to shake it: “I couldn’t bear to.”
Sensing something else from the word “bear,” Yu Tao raised an eyebrow, teasing, “Oh, it seems you’ve started to care for your husband.”
Yu Xiaoman only had a vague idea of the word “care,” guessing it meant treating someone well.
Lu Ji treated him very well, giving him his room, assigning maids to take care of him, taking him to the palace to play, and even preparing bath water for him. Even after discovering he was an impostor, Lu Ji didn’t say anything, and for several days, the Lu household was peaceful, with no rumors about the new young mistress. Neither elders nor servants looked at him differently.
This showed that Lu Ji hadn’t told anyone, or else Yu Xiaoman might have already been executed.
Yu Xiaoman covered his neck and flopped onto the bed, burying his face in the bedding.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt like a scoundrel. Initially, he took on the bride’s identity to be with Lu Ji, claiming it was to repay a favor, but from Lu Ji’s perspective, it was clearly a deception.
The bride was not the girl named Yu Mengliu they had agreed upon but a small, flat-chested guy. Who could accept that?
Yu Xiaoman sighed, feeling he wasn’t a good fish at all.
Yu Tao thought he was still troubled by emotions: “Don’t overthink it. Couples fight at the head of the bed and reconcile at the end of it. A good sleep will solve everything.”
Yu Xiaoman shook his head, buried in the quilt. How could they sleep and reconcile if Lu Ji wouldn’t even get on the bed?
“Look outside, it’s a rare sunny day.” Yu Tao encouraged him, “Why not go out for a walk? It’ll lift your spirits.”
Staying indoors wasn’t a solution, so Yu Xiaoman went out with Yu Tao.
Mainly, he wanted to see if there was anything good to eat or fun to play with on the street. They said apologies should be sincere, and giving someone an apple from their own house was hardly sincere.
Even though the money in his pocket was from the Lu household’s allowance, Yu Xiaoman felt guilty spending it, buying just a string of candied hawthorn.
Unexpectedly, the hawthorn was sour despite its sweet coating. Yu Xiaoman regretted his choice, wondering why humans enjoyed such sour things.Using fish oil to light lamps was cruel enough, and eating such sour things, aren’t you afraid of getting your teeth soured? Wasn’t he better off buying a sugar figure?
In Yujia village, he once traded shells for a rabbit-shaped sugar figure from a child. It was both pretty and delicious. He didn’t finish it in one go, hiding half of it in the coral reef, only for a passing grouper to steal it. By the time he found the thief, only the bamboo stick remained.
Remembering this, he got angry and immediately found a sugar figure maker in the street, boldly saying, “Make one for me!”
When asked what kind he wanted, he hesitated, mumbling, “One that can cheer up an angry person immediately.”
The old man making sugar figures looked troubled: “That’s the first time I’ve heard such a request. You’re putting me in a tough spot.”
Yu Xiaoman couldn’t guess what Lu Ji might like, so the sugar figure master asked, “Who’s it for?”
“For… for…”
Yu Xiaoman struggled with what to say. They weren’t close enough to be friends, nor was it a master-servant relationship. Even their marriage was fake. Thinking none of the terms fit, he was at a loss.
Finally, Yu Tao couldn’t stand it and decided for him: “For his husband!”
The Lu household didn’t strictly control the inner residence. As long as one informed them and returned before curfew, it was fine.
Even so, Yu Xiaoman was in a hurry, rushing back to the mansion before finishing shopping on the street. Holding a sugar figurine in his left hand and shielding it from dust with his right, he walked without looking at his feet, eyes fixed on the figurine. If it weren’t for Yu Tao leading the way, he might have stepped into a ditch.
They arrived at the Lu residence just as dusk was falling. Yu Xiaoman stood at the gate and waved Yu Tao off, “You go back to the courtyard, I’ll wait for him here.”
Recently, the capital had a cold snap in early spring. The wind started to blow before nightfall. Yu Tao, shrinking her neck into her collar, blew into her hands to warm them and turned back repeatedly to persuade, “It’s the same if you wait inside.”
“It’s not the same.” Yu Xiaoman shook his head, eyes still fixed on the sugar figurine. “If I don’t wait here, I won’t see him.”
Unable to persuade him, Yu Tao left him be.
At three quarters of the hour of the rooster, lanterns were lit in the Lu residence.
Yu Xiaoman stood under the porch inside the gate, craning his neck at any sound, hoping to see Lu Ji return. The Master Lu came back from his duties, the lady of the house returned from visiting friends, and even the drunken dandy Lu Yue was helped inside, but there was no sign of Lu Ji.
After a while, Lu Yue, having sobered up from his father’s scolding, was passing through the corridor with nothing to do. Seeing Yu Xiaoman, he couldn’t resist teasing, “Sister-in-law is waiting for my brother? Why not send someone to call him back early?”
Yu Xiaoman ignored him. Lu Yue laughed to himself, “I told you, my brother is so uptight and unromantic. I’m different—ow!”
Mid-sentence, he was hit in the knee by a small stone from who knows where. Almost falling to his knees, he clutched a pillar, cursed his bad luck, and hobbled away to avoid further embarrassment.
Finally, it was quiet. Yu Xiaoman stood at the gate, holding the sugar figurine he had carefully chosen, waiting single-mindedly.
Everyone thought Lu Ji was intentionally staying out late, but in fact, he was busy with various matters. At the end of his shift, he was cornered by old friend at the training grounds who wouldn’t let him leave. The friend dragged him all way to the Tianxiang Pavilion in carriage.
Despite its suggestive name, it was a legitimate restaurant, with only a few dancers performing downstairs to entertain guests. In the midst of male patrons ogling the stage, Lu Ji’s cold indifference stood out.
No one clinked glasses with him, leaving Shen Hanyun to drink alone. After a cup of wine, seeing Lu Ji still sitting quietly, indifferent to the clamor around him, Shen Hanyun joked, “I hear General Lu’s new wife is a great beauty, even praised by the Emperor. So, with a lovely wife at home, you don’t fancy these ordinary women anymore?”
Lu Ji remained silent. After a moment, he downed his drink.
Shen Hanyun, who grew up with Lu Ji, knew something was on his mind. If he had to ask, it would be the usual lament over missed fates. With a long sigh, he said, “Fate is unpredictable. You and my sister are not meant to be. Now that you’re married and she’s about to be, instead of wallowing in sorrow, why not be happy while you can?”
Lu Ji didn’t tell him he had said similar words to Shen Muxue.
He had heard such advice many times, feeling something initially, but now he was numb.
Leaving Tianxiang Pavilion, the carriage hurried back to the Lu residence.
When Shen Hanyun and Duan Heng helped him out of the carriage, he was as indifferent as usual. Only when Shen Hanyun returned to ride his horse, whip cracking, did Lu Ji seem to wake up, watching his friend ride away until the hoofbeats faded into the dark night.
Entering the gate, he was immediately blocked by someone jumping in front of him.
“You’re back.”
Yu Xiaoman’s voice was clear, with a slight roughness typical of boys, especially noticeable when he hesitated and dragged his words.
For instance, now, he hung his head as if embarrassed, his youthful voice turning shy. He raised the item in his hand to Lu Ji’s face, “This is for you. I saw it on the street and thought you might…like it.”
Lantern light hanging from the eaves was just enough to reveal the item—a sugar figurine shaped like a galloping horse on a thin bamboo stick.
That afternoon, Yu Xiaoman had carefully chosen it, watching the craftsman intently, reminding him to make the horse as dynamic as possible, to match the person it was meant for.
The craftsman had joked, “Love makes everything beautiful,” to which Yu Xiaoman had blushed and replied, “He really is great.”
Yu Xiaoman thus placed great hope in this gift, hoping Lu Ji would like it, hoping he would accept his apology.
But in the dim light, Yu Xiaoman hadn’t noticed Lu Ji’s depressed state or his suddenly darkened expression upon seeing the figurine.
“Sorry, last time, I didn’t mean to…” Yu Xiaoman said, “I’m not Yu Mengliu, but I really want to stay by your side and help you with your legs…”
Lu Ji had no intention of listening, turning to leave.
Having finally caught him, how could Yu Xiaoman let him go?
He quickly followed, offering the sugar figurine, “It’s a horse, an edible one. Try it; it’s very sweet. I know you don’t want to sit; you want to ride a horse. Give me a little more time, and I’ll definitely…”
Make you stand, make you as glorious as before, riding in fine clothes, renowned far and wide.
—His unfinished words were cut off by Lu Ji’s sweeping motion. The sugar figurine, protected in Yu Xiaoman’s hands for hours without a speck of dust, fell to the ground with a thud. The galloping horse was covered in dust, its legs broken.
Poor baby mermaid…
Thank you for the chapter 😍 ❤️ ❤️
Would it hurt you to listen for once lu ji 😩 this is not how you should treat the only one person who is sincere with you and not mocking or belittling you 😔