The red candle burned behind the embroidered curtain.
Yu Xiaoman sat by the bedside, mending a tassel, while Lu Ji stayed in his usual spot at the desk. The lantern’s light swayed through the window, and only the faint sounds of fabric rubbing and pages turning could be heard.
With a few deft twists and a final knot to secure it, the tassel was neatly finished.
Taking advantage of the moment, he adjusted the thread that had become uneven from long use. The plum blossom was restored to its full, three-dimensional shape. Yu Xiaoman stood up, brought it to the desk, and slightly raised his chin as if seeking praise: “Look, how is this?”
Lu Ji put down his book, took the tassel from his hand, glanced at it, and said, “It’s fine, thank you.”
Although he didn’t receive any explicit praise, Yu Xiaoman could tell from Lu Ji’s expression that he was satisfied. As long as he could do something for him, Yu Xiaoman felt content.
His cheeks blushed involuntarily. Thankfully, the dim candlelight hid it. Feeling a bit shy, Yu Xiaoman mumbled, “You already thanked me earlier…”
Lu Ji didn’t reply. He put down the tassel and turned his attention back to the book.
It was clear he didn’t want to continue the conversation.
But Yu Xiaoman wanted to stay a bit longer, so he aimlessly wandered around the desk, leafing through Lu Ji’s collection of ancient books and poking at the wolf hair brushes Lu Ji used.
When Lu Ji wasn’t around, he strictly followed the rules and never touched these things. But now that the owner was present, he felt bolder. His curiosity was piqued, and he wanted to look at and touch everything.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t very literate. He was afraid of embarrassing himself if he tried to write, and he couldn’t fully understand the books. After lingering for a while, he picked up the plum blossom tassel again and admired it.
The more he looked at it, the more curious he became. Who had made this tassel that made the indifferent Lu Ji search high and low, even going so far as to ask people he disliked?
Without much hope, Yu Xiaoman asked, “This tassel is quite exquisite. Do you know which famous artisan made it?”
This time, Lu Ji responded: “Not a famous artisan.”
“Then who…”
Lu Ji didn’t even lift his eyelids: “An old friend.”
It was as good as not answering.
Seeing that Lu Ji was unwilling to say more, Yu Xiaoman didn’t press further. Instead, he secretly wondered in his heart, when do plum blossoms bloom?
As a resident of the underwater world, Yu Xiaoman wasn’t sure. He searched his memory for poems about plum blossoms and suddenly thought of the line “blooming alone in the cold.” He realized that plum blossoms bloom in winter.
In the freezing cold, amidst heavy snow.
Snow… Shen Muxue.
When this name suddenly popped into his head, Yu Xiaoman’s heart skipped a beat, followed by an inexplicable sense of loss.
So it was made by her, which made sense.
He carefully tidied the tassel, placed it back on the desk, and turned away with a downcast expression, thinking to himself that the merfolk were skilled at weaving, and his work wasn’t bad either.
But would Lu Ji accept it if he really made one?
The next morning, Yu Xiaoman saw the plum blossom tassel tied to Lu Ji’s sword.
An item worn so close to the body carried significant meaning. Yu Xiaoman stared at it for a long time, then stuffed the unfinished silk he was working on deep into the quilt, fearing it might be dismissed and thrown to the ground again.
However, after that night they spent together, Lu Ji’s attitude toward him had changed considerably. Though still cold and aloof, at least he no longer openly rejected him. During the days when Master Lu returned home early from court, Lu Ji would even come to Yu Xiaoman’s room to stay the night without being asked.
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.
At first, Yu Xiaoman was filled with apprehension, fearing that Lu Ji might reveal his true identity if he got upset. But over time, he noticed that Lu Ji kept to himself and was close to no one, not even his bodyguard Duan Heng, who was unaware of the truth. It seemed that after injuring his leg, Lu Ji had grown accustomed to such a solitary life—not because he was at peace with the world, but because he no longer cared.
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One day, guests arrived at the house to discuss a marriage proposal for Lu Yue. Yu Xiaoman recalled the girl from the Liu family who had visited several times, and how Feng Manying didn’t take her seriously, always scheming to marry into a prestigious family in the capital. Sitting at the table to fill a seat, Yu Xiaoman felt angry on behalf of the Liu girl.
From the elders’ conversation, Yu Xiaoman learned that arranging a marriage for Lu Ji was intended to expedite Lu Yue’s own marriage plans. According to tradition, the elder brother had to marry before the younger brother could propose. This only fueled Yu Xiaoman’s anger further.
It seemed that the whole family considered Lu Ji dispensable, only doing something for him when it served their purpose. No wonder he had grown so cold and distant.
At fifteen, Lu Ji hadn’t been this way. Back then, he was enthusiastic and kind, filled with the fearless pride of youth, eagerly looking forward to his future. His amber eyes had constantly shone with a brilliant light.
That was the image Yu Xiaoman had cherished in his heart for seven years, the one he pursued and longed for.
Now, it had been shattered by these heartless people.
Yu Xiaoman crushed a longan shell in his hand and glared fiercely at Lu Yue.
Perhaps he was too obvious, for Lu Yue noticed. He smirked and said to the matchmaker, “As for looks, the requirements aren’t high. She just needs to be as beautiful as my sister-in-law.”
He had interrupted the discussion about marriage requirements, taking the opportunity to mock his sister-in-law.
Yu Xiaoman was furious, but couldn’t lash out in front of the elders. He silently grabbed a handful of longans, planning to collect seven pits and then, when Lu Yue was off guard, knock him out.
Before he could gather five, another guest arrived.
It was someone important, as even the matriarch, leaning on her cane, went out to greet them. Yu Xiaoman, confused, followed to the door. Only when the two women and one man kept signaling him did he finally slap his forehead and realize: “Ah, Village…Father, Mother, why are you here!”
Village Chief Yu and his wife didn’t come empty-handed. They brought with them a friend who was both familiar and unfamiliar to Yu Xiaoman.
Once inside, the real Yu Mengliu grabbed the fake Yu Mengliu’s hand and tried to communicate her new identity through writing. But Yu Xiaoman, being ticklish, couldn’t help but laugh and almost curled up on the floor.
Fortunately, Yu Tao was quick-witted. She stepped forward, grabbed Yu Mengliu’s hand, and exclaimed, “Liu Lu, why did you come along too!”
Yu Mengliu hadn’t expected this. The new name she had pondered on the way was useless, and she had to use the rustic name Liu Lu, pairing with Tao Hong to pose as a maid from Yu Xiaoman’s hometown.
While the elders talked in the front hall, Lu Yue slipped away, and the younger ones moved to the garden behind the main hall to play.
It was Yu Mengliu’s first time in the capital, and she was awed by the grand mansion, with its fierce stone lions guarding the entrance, pavilions, water features, and elaborately carved buildings. As she looked around, she couldn’t help but glance at Yu Xiaoman and say, “I refused to marry, but you got all the benefits.”
Despite her sour tone, Yu Xiaoman had to agree, nodding repeatedly because she was right—he had indeed gained a lot.
Yu Mengliu snorted, still dissatisfied, and asked, “What does the General really look like? Is it true that children cry at the sight of him?”
Yu Xiaoman was about to answer when Yu Tao beat him to it.
“Ugly, extremely ugly. He scared us both to death on the wedding night,” Yu Tao lied without hesitation, worried that the capricious young lady might change her mind. “Luckily you didn’t marry him, or you’d probably faint on the spot!”
The village chief’s family had come to the capital ostensibly to visit relatives and friends, but Yu Xiaoman knew their real intention was to check on him for peace of mind.
Seeing that his impersonation hadn’t been discovered, the three of them breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The matriarch was courteous in her hospitality, especially warm towards her in-laws. During their casual conversation, it turned out that she shared a love of tea brewing with Madam Yu. The two chatted endlessly and decided to stay overnight at the mansion and leave the next day.
Upon returning to the front hall and hearing this “bad news,” Yu Xiaoman felt both panicked and relieved that it wasn’t the first or fifteenth of the month, so the whole family didn’t have to gather and make a fuss.
Later, when the elders talked about Young Master Lu, Yu Xiaoman was glad that Lu Ji never participated in these activities and didn’t show up to greet guests. Otherwise, no matter how many explanations he gave, he wouldn’t be able to justify why the newlyweds were so distant.
Yu Xiaoman felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, praying to every deity he could think of. But alas, the gods only cared for humans, not fish, and eventually, the topic he feared most came up.
“Any parent would be reluctant to see their beloved daughter marry far away,” Lady Yu said, fully immersed in her role, her expression so poignant it didn’t seem fake. “A parent’s greatest wish is for their daughter to find a considerate husband and live a comfortable and happy life.”
This must have touched upon the matriarch’s own sadness about marrying off her daughter. The elderly woman wiped her tears with a handkerchief and then waved her hand, saying, “Quickly, call the young master here, so the in-laws can see if he is trustworthy.”
Yu Xiaoman’s heart leapt to his throat. He wished he could trade a century of his life to ensure that Lu Ji was still at court or in a bad mood and refused to come.
But it seemed his luck had run out today. Not long after, he heard the familiar sound of wheels approaching, followed by a cold voice entering his ears: “This son-in-law greets Father-in-law and Mother-in-law.”
Yu Xiaoman raised his head with difficulty and saw Lu Ji sitting upright in the main hall, and Yu Mengliu, whose eyes were nearly popping out of her head upon seeing his true appearance.
Later, after seeing the elders off to rest in their respective rooms, Yu Xiaoman still couldn’t relax. He stayed in the garden to comfort the disheartened young lady.
It wasn’t a big deal, really. Yu Mengliu had seen Lu Ji in person, her heart was stirred, and she regretted her earlier decision. She even suggested that Yu Xiaoman leave with her parents the next day and that she stay behind.
“You deceived me!” Yu Mengliu stomped her foot in anger. “He is clearly so handsome, and there’s no scar on his face. You actually told me he was so ugly he could scare someone unconscious!”
Yu Tao feigned ignorance: “Is he really that handsome? I thought books always described handsome men with eyes like bright stars. I didn’t see any stars in his eyes.”
Yu Mengliu, no longer a child, wasn’t fooled by this weak excuse.
Yu Tao had to take a different approach, talking about the strict rules of the Lu family and the vicious and demanding mother-in-law. She exaggerated the incidents of Yu Xiaoman being bullied by the servants, with Yu Xiaoman nodding in agreement. This frightened the pampered Yu Mengliu.
Moreover, despite Lu Ji’s handsome face, he was a cripple who couldn’t walk. After weighing the options, Yu Mengliu decided she couldn’t bear such grievances and reluctantly gave up.
Having finally pacified the young lady, Yu Tao returned to the courtyard. She received a plate of apple slices, peeled and cut by Yu Xiaoman himself, and slumped in a chair, exhausted. “I’m doing this for myself. If we really swapped back, I couldn’t stand Miss Yu’s domineering nature,” she said, waving her hand. “Don’t mind me, go spend the night with your handsome husband.”
Because of this comment, when Yu Xiaoman entered the room and saw Lu Ji sitting at the table, his face inexplicably flushed.
Lu Ji didn’t know what he was thinking and had no time to ask. Hearing Yu Xiaoman say that he had settled everyone, he only nodded.
Yu Xiaoman couldn’t keep things to himself. He pulled up a chair and sat next to Lu Ji, waiting for him to turn a page before saying, “That girl, the one named Liu Lu, is actually Yu Mengliu.”
Lu Ji said, “I know.”
Yu Xiaoman was initially surprised but then quickly understood. The clues were obvious. Yu Mengliu’s arrogance practically screamed, “I am a lady,” with no trace of a maid’s demeanor.
Seeing Lu Ji’s calm demeanor, it seemed he had no interest in the real Yu Mengliu, which made Yu Xiaoman sigh in relief. He continued, “Also, the nanny sent by Master yesterday noticed that we sleep separately. I said I had a backache and you gave up the bed for me, but from her expression, I think she didn’t believe it.”
“No matter,” Lu Ji was still unconcerned. “From tomorrow, mess up the bedding after you get up. That should suffice.”
Yu Xiaoman tilted his head in confusion and asked, “Why should I mess up the bedding?”
Lu Ji looked at Yu Xiaoman, his eyelashes fluttering slightly, as if trying to determine whether he was pretending to be clueless or genuinely didn’t understand.
While contemplating how to explain the significance of messing up the bed, suddenly a woman’s loud voice came from outside, “Why haven’t the young master and young madam rested yet? Today, the in-laws are here at the mansion. If they find out that you two are sleeping separately, one on the table and one on the bed, they will surely be heartbroken and devastated!”
This nearly made Yu Xiaoman choke, patting his chest and saying, “Is she not planning to leave?”
Sure enough, after the hour of Hai passed, accompanied by a yawn, the voice came again, “Young master and young madam, please blow out the candle and rest. Even a golden house in books can’t endure being face to face like this!”
It turns out they knew even where they were sitting!
It seemed that someone saw their shadows on the window, and now they would be caught if they slept separately. Blowing out the candle directly would be too obvious… Yu Xiaoman complained about how loyal this old lady was, but he couldn’t think of a way to deal with it.
In the end, it was Lu Ji who came up with an idea.
He closed the book, glanced over at the ornate wooden bed in the room, and said, “This bed should be able to accommodate two men.”
In the neighboring room while cleaning up, Yu Xiaoman hummed a tune happily.
Was it because Lu Ji was willing to share a bed with him that he didn’t dislike him as much now?
But then he thought, Lu Ji was clearly just trying to avoid suspicion. Coincidentally, they were both men, so sleeping in the same bed wasn’t out of line or unusual. Yu Xiaoman’s joy faded.
Back in the room, Lu Ji had already laid down on the bed by himself, looking at the direction of the wheelchair, probably using his arms to move himself onto the bed. Yu Xiaoman felt a bitter mix of heartache and disappointment.
Didn’t they agree that he would help him up just now?
Although Lu Ji hadn’t spoken a word of agreement.
Fearing that Lu Ji might find it inconvenient, Yu Xiaoman said he would sleep on the inner side. At this moment, Lu Ji was lying on the outer side, eyes closed tightly, breathing steadily, seemingly asleep.
Yu Xiaoman blew out the candle at the head of the bed, removed his shoes, and cautiously climbed up, trying to gradually replace tension with anticipation as he lay down with his clothes on. His heart was pounding, and when he lifted one leg over Lu Ji, his toe accidentally bumped into the bedpost, causing him to sway for a moment before landing on all fours on Lu Ji.
The commotion was enough to startle even a dead person.
Lu Ji opened his eyes, and what he saw was Yu Xiaoman’s startled face right above him.
“Sorry… I woke you up.”
Yu Xiaoman spoke slowly, but his breath was urgent, and a few strands of hair fell onto Lu Ji’s face, carrying a clean soapy scent.
The moonlight outside was just enough to illuminate his lips as they moved slightly. Lu Ji remembered that these lips were red during the day; he didn’t like to use rouge, and they were naturally tender and rosy.
A layer of moist gloss covered them, especially after lightly biting his lower lip.
At this moment, Yu Xiaoman didn’t know what Lu Ji was thinking, only that his heart was beating fast. If they kept eye contact for a while longer, he might just jump out of his chest.
But Lu Ji was the first to avert his gaze and said softly, “It’s okay.”
As Yu Xiaoman settled in and lay flat with his clothes on, a sense of embarrassment slowly crept over him.
The atmosphere was somewhat tense, and he tried to lighten it by saying, “Thank you for coming to the front hall today. If you hadn’t come, Old Madam might have thought we weren’t getting along and sent someone to watch us.”
Lu Ji responded with a simple “Hmm.”
He answered lightly, but Yu Xiaoman couldn’t accept his care calmly.
The reason for this can be traced back to the incident with the drawn sword. Lu Ji said he was afraid of causing a disturbance, but in reality, the only beneficiary of that action was himself. Even if he heard something while passing by, he could have completely ignored it.
But he didn’t.
He still reached out to help, even though he knew it might cause trouble.
Seven years later, at their first meeting, he seemed to have changed a lot on the surface, but deep down, he was still the same. He was still the gentle young man who would return a stranded fish to the sea.
A surge of passion turned into strength spreading from his chest. Yu Xiaoman blurted out words he had kept hidden for a long time, “My name is Yu Xiaoman, you can call me… Xiaoman.”
Even though he spoke impulsively, he still lacked confidence. After saying this, Yu Xiaoman closed his eyes, as if pretending he hadn’t said anything.
He didn’t expect a response, after all, he was just a substitute bride, a worthless, forgettable fish even if they had met.
So when Lu Ji spoke up, Yu Xiaoman trembled suddenly, and his barely closed eyelids fluttered uncontrollably.
“Mmm.” Lu Ji acknowledged first, then gently called out, “Xiaoman.”
Thank you for the chapters 😍 ❤️ ❤️
I’m thinking it was xiaoman who weaved the plum blossom tassel? But he forgot? 🤔 Can’t wait to find out more!