As Lord Lu's gaze grew increasingly icy, Lu Yuanyi grew more and more flustered. The more anxious he became, the blanker his mind went, his face turning paler by the second.
Lady Lu, unable to bear seeing her younger son in such distress, was about to plead on his behalf.
"Husband—"
Lord Lu shot his wife a cold glance. "Don't you dare spoil him again—"
"A thousand-pound fur coat isn’t made from a single fox’s pelt; the silk-clad elite are not those who raise silkworms."
Lu Yuanyi's crisp voice cut through Lord Lu’s reprimand. Lady Lu exhaled in relief, glancing at her husband, whose pride now seemed slightly wounded, and quickly stepped in to mediate.
"The tutor said Yuanyi has been performing adequately lately. If he makes a mistake, I certainly won’t let him off lightly."
Lord Lu seized the opportunity to add sternly, "You must work harder. When your elder brother was your age, he had already begun studying Confucius."
Lu Yuanyi lowered his head in acknowledgment, saying nothing.
Lu Chao frowned as he watched his so-called father leave the table in a huff. So full of patriarchal pride, isn’t he?
Once Lord Lu was gone, Lu Yuanyi shot Lu Chao an awkward glance, his expression oddly bashful, like a shy bride.
"Second Brother, why are you staring at me? Keep eating!"
Lu Yuanyi fumed inwardly. Eat, eat, all you ever think about is eating! He viciously scooped a mouthful of rice and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing with exaggerated ferocity—as if he could grind Lu Chao to bits between his teeth. His theatrics left Lady Lu utterly bewildered.
"Hey, wait up!"
Lu Chao was leisurely rubbing his full belly after the meal when Lu Yuanyi suddenly popped out at the crossroads.
"Second Brother, did you need something?" Lu Chao asked, surprised.
"You… you were the one who reminded me earlier, weren’t you? You knew the source of that quote," Lu Yuanyi stammered.
"Second Brother, have you forgotten? I haven’t even started my studies yet," Lu Chao replied with a fox-like grin.
"Then why did you… scratch just then—"
Lu Chao feigned sudden realization. "Oh! My armpit just happened to itch, so I scratched it."
Lu Yuanyi was skeptical. Was it really just a coincidence? Am I supposed to thank him for having an itchy armpit? Ugh! The mere mention of "armpit" made him recoil. How vulgar!
"You—you must never say those words again! It’s disgraceful! People will laugh at you!"
Lu Chao nearly burst out laughing. This little prig is adorable—stiff yet endearing. So fun to tease. Of course, he conveniently forgot that he, too, was just a child.
"But you’re my Second Brother. You wouldn’t laugh at me, right?"
Lu Yuanyi puffed out his chest. "Of course not! I’m no petty villain!"
Then, like a wilted eggplant, he hesitantly mumbled, "But… would you laugh at me? Elder Brother was already reading Confucius at seven."
Lu Chao’s tiny brows scrunched together like wriggling caterpillars. "Huh? Second Brother, I can’t even read yet—I’m practically illiterate! How could I laugh at you? You’re amazing! You even know phrases like 'the fragrance of sibling harmony.' I admire you so much!"
"Really?" Lu Yuanyi was momentarily stunned by the sheer admiration in his younger brother’s eyes. A flicker of pride swelled in his chest.
Lu Chao nodded earnestly. "You’re my role model! I’ll need your guidance once I start school."
"The tutor can be strict, but if you don’t understand anything, you can come to me. I’ll teach you," Lu Yuanyi declared magnanimously.
Lu Chao agreed cheerfully. This little tyrant has a good heart—just a bit tsundere. Our stepmother raised both of them well. I really lucked out!
Unbeknownst to them, Lady Lu—who had been hiding in a side room, worried her youngest might be tricked—found the whole exchange amusing. She emerged with Nanny Mei only after the boys had gone their separate ways.
"Nanny, do you think Chao truly hasn’t begun his studies?"
Nanny Mei shook her head. "This servant wouldn’t know, but the Rose Courtyard has never purchased paper or brushes. It’s likely he hasn’t."
Lady Lu rubbed her temples. Lu Chao baffled her—he was both naive and mature, innocent yet sly. She knew he was clever, yet today he had deliberately played dumb in front of Lord Lu while helping Yuanyi.
Why? He could have seized the chance to impress his father. The master’s favor far outweighed hers as a stepmother. Surely he understood that.
Giving up, Lady Lu turned to Nanny Mei. "How goes the selection of the bookboy I mentioned earlier?"
Nanny Mei bowed. "It’s settled. We chose a boy from the estate’s farm."
"Have him taught the proper manners before bringing him into the manor."
Night fell.
In this era without phones, Lu Chao’s life had become remarkably routine. Waking at dawn was no longer a struggle.
After paying respects to Lady Lu and finishing breakfast, he returned to his courtyard to "read"—though most of the time, he could only recognize simpler traditional characters. The lack of punctuation gave him headaches, so he mostly practiced calligraphy instead.
He made no effort to hide this. After all, he had no grand ambitions. It was just a way to pass the time.
Days slipped by peacefully. Lu Chao, always smiling, even grew a little rounder in the face.
Then came the day.
"Chao, I’ve spoken with the tutor. You’ll start school tomorrow. Since maids aren’t allowed in the academy, I’ve picked a bookboy to attend to you. Is that alright?"
Lu Chao nodded knowingly. "Thank you, Mother!"
Ironically, Lu Yuanyi was the most thrilled about Lu Chao’s enrollment. Now I won’t be the only one suffering during Father’s quizzes! Hah!
"Lu Chao! You’re finally joining! You’ll be in the Beginner’s Class, while I’m in the Advanced Class. If anyone bullies you, just come find me!"
Lu Yuanyi thumped his chest proudly.
Lady Lu glanced at her foolish son and sighed. His thoughts are written all over his face.
"Thank you, Second Brother. I was scared at first, but knowing you and Elder Brother are there puts me at ease."
Seeing his delicate, almost girlish younger brother, Lu Yuanyi’s masculinity surged. Forgetting his mother’s presence, he blurted, "Third Brother, let me tell you—in school, I once fought—mmph!"
Lu Chao swiftly clamped a hand over his mouth, grinning. "I know, I know! You’ve said before—if there’s a fight, we stay far away! Second Brother, even swallowing spit makes you choke? Here, drink some water!"
Only then did Lu Yuanyi remember his mother was watching.
He coughed theatrically and took a sip.
Lady Lu was well aware of her son’s schoolyard antics. Minor scuffles among children didn’t faze her—Lu Yuanyi wasn’t the unreasonable type—so she’d never intervened.
Just then, a maid ushered in a boy about Lu Chao’s age.
"This lowly one is Qingshan, paying respects to the Lady and young masters."
Lu Chao studied him—short hemp robes, sun-darkened face, clean but scarred hands. A hard worker.
"From now on, you’ll serve the Third Young Master. Know your place, attend to him well, and remember the rules of Lu Manor."
After Lady Lu’s admonishments, Lu Chao led his new bookboy back to his courtyard.
