"Fine, since you don’t wish to speak of it, let it be. I’m not oblivious—your meaning is already clear to me."
With that, Lu Chao raised his hand and gently placed the carefully calculated auspicious date on the table, sliding it toward Xiao Zheng with his fingertips resting on the edge.
"After the imperial decree arrived, I thought about how difficult your journey has been, and I wanted to make up for it by giving you a grand coming-of-age ceremony. I had my master calculate the date—the eighth day of the fourth month is most favorable. I even invited the highly respected Grand Princess to preside as the guest of honor."
"Her Highness was quite intrigued when she heard about you and has been eager to meet you. If you have the time, why not accompany me to Taoyuan Mountain? Consider it fulfilling my wish. Of course, if you truly don’t want the ceremony, that’s fine too. But at the very least, we should pay our respects to the princess and thank her for her kindness."
Lu Chao’s tone lifted slightly, trying to mask the disappointment in his heart.
Xiao Zheng stared at the black characters on the white paper, her voice hoarse.
"You… you attended that flower-viewing banquet just to meet the Grand Princess?"
Lu Chao nodded with a bitter smile.
"Yes. What else would an engaged man like me be doing there? So, what do you think about the ceremony?"
His light words struck Xiao Zheng’s heart like a hammer. For a moment, she nearly crumbled, her mind wandering to the thought of living an ordinary life like everyone else.
She glanced up at Lu Chao—the bright-eyed young man gazing at her with sincerity. She bit her tongue hard, forcing her mind back to reason.
"I’m deeply grateful for your thoughtfulness, but with no elders in the General’s Manor, hosting such a banquet would be..."
Lu Chao raised his hand, forcing a stiff smile.
"Don’t worry about that. I’ll ask my mother to oversee the arrangements. The guest list will be small—it won’t be too troublesome."
"Alright, thank—"
Lu Chao stood abruptly, cutting her off. He couldn’t bear to hear the words, "You’re such a good person."
"No need for thanks. We were once like brothers, after all. Well… I’ll take my leave now. The dishes here are quite good—since you rarely return, you should try them."
With that, he pushed open the private room’s door and left.
Liu Yao had just taken two bites of a chicken leg when he saw his master stride out with a dark expression. He shot a questioning look at Xi’er, who shook her head in equal surprise. Sighing, Liu Yao wiped his mouth, cast a longing glance at the feast, and reluctantly followed Lu Chao.
"Wait for me, young master!"
Lu Chao remained silent the entire way back. Once home, he collapsed onto his bed and let out a long, frustrated sigh.
"Young master, did you quarrel with General Xiao?" Liu Yao ventured cautiously.
"Not exactly," Lu Chao muttered, his voice muffled and drained.
"Tch. I just realized… I really like her."
Liu Yao scratched his head awkwardly at the blunt confession.
"But she already has that ‘white moonlight’ of hers. Liu Yao, your young master is about to be heartbroken before even getting started. Ah! And I even asked her who it was—how embarrassing!! I don’t want to live anymore!!"
Most of that rant went over Liu Yao’s head, but the last line alarmed him. He watched nervously as Lu Chao, hair disheveled, looked ready to bang his head against the wall.
"Young master, young master! How can you say that? You’re still young! There’s nothing you can’t overcome! If you’re in trouble, why not consult Master or—"
Lu Chao suddenly smacked his forehead.
"Right! At this age, it’d be considered puppy love where I’m from! How many men could she have even met?"
Then he remembered the diverse array of men in the military camp and shut his mouth. Well, she’d seen plenty.
But someone like him? She’d definitely encountered few!
"Liu Yao, how would you rate your young master’s looks?"
Liu Yao nodded vigorously—like a garlic pounder! Back in Yingchuan, Prince Kang had fended off hordes of admirers for the young master! And those flirtatious nobles? They’d barely gotten close before Prince Kang taught them a harsh lesson.
Bolstered, Lu Chao regained some confidence. Maybe he’d just suffered from the distance.
"I need a new strategy. ‘The early bird catches the worm.’ No matter how many eight-pack warriors there are, if I take it slow and steady, I’ll win her over! And if that fails… heh heh heh… with these looks… a little charm offensive wouldn’t hurt."
"First, draft a wife-chasing plan!"
Then he recalled his earlier words about stepping aside for her happiness and cursed his impulsiveness. Tch. Maybe Xiao Youcheng could delay his ascension to the throne?
Liu Yao watched as Lu Chao muttered to himself, suddenly smacked his forehead, stood up, grabbed a brush, and began scribbling wildly on paper. Bewildered, he rubbed his growling stomach. Was his master’s hunger making him delusional?
"So… are you hungry? Should I make you some noodle soup?"
"Yes!! And two pounds of beef—I need to bulk up!!"
"What chicken? You want beef or chicken?"
"..."
"Beef noodles. Thanks."
Meanwhile, at the Wanhua Pavilion.
Xi’er watched worriedly as her mistress mechanically ate bite after bite, her expression icy.
"General, what’s wrong? Did you quarrel with Young Master Lu? Or did he wrong you? I always said handsome men are no goo—"
Xiao Zheng’s sharp gaze cut her off like a blade, making Xi’er shiver and promptly shut her mouth.
"Who gave you the right to speak of Young Master Lu so carelessly?" Xiao Zheng’s voice was frosty, brooking no argument.
How could she bear to let him suffer even a whisper of slander?
This was for the best.
This way, the arrows of gossip wouldn’t pierce him, and the jeers of the world would stay far from his side. He could walk his path unburdened, toward the bright future meant for him.
Xiao Zheng carefully folded the paper with the auspicious date again and again before tucking it into her robes.
That same day, Li Tie limped out of the General’s Manor training grounds, clutching his face.
Sniffle… what set the General off this time? She’s never this rough!
Meanwhile, Lu Chao’s desk was buried under draft after draft of his plans. Only when a sneeze wracked him did he finally shiver, lock the notes away, and mutter,
"Tomorrow, I’ll use the coming-of-age ceremony as an excuse to visit the General’s Manor. With the imperial decree backing me, no one can accuse me of impropriety."
Then he tugged the blankets over himself and fell into a deep sleep.
But when he woke with a splitting headache, the familiar scent of medicine filled the room.
"Liu… Yao."
His own voice startled him—it sounded like a duck’s croak.
"Young master, you’re awake? Oh, you scared me! The physician just left—said you caught a chill and came down with a fever. How did that happen? I even tucked a warming pan into your bed last night!"
Liu Yao chattered endlessly as he brought the medicine to Lu Chao’s lips.
"Drink some medicine first to soothe your throat."
Lu Chao hadn’t expected his plans for the first day to fall apart so quickly. Swallowing his frustration along with the bitter medicine, he silently prayed for a swift recovery. The herbal brew spread its acrid taste across his tongue, and before long, a heavy drowsiness washed over him, pulling him back into sleep.
In his hazy half-conscious state, he faintly heard the door creak open and shut—perhaps it was Liu Yao or someone else. A gentle hand tucked the blankets around him, then brushed against his forehead to check his temperature. As the person leaned closer, a crisp, pine-like scent drifted into Lu Chao’s senses, sharp and refreshing. In his muddled thoughts, the fragrance carried him back to that secluded little courtyard in Yingchuan, where the crackling of charcoal fire filled the air.
