Chapter 1, Lu Ying

I am very well," Lu Ying smiled and said as she lifted the quilt and put on her wooden shoes, "I truly am very well.

With a glance, the young woman, dressed in exquisite brocade and adorned with delicate makeup, smiled slightly and said to the man: "Zeng Lang, your Aying has arrived"

Looking at the exquisitely made-up face of the other party, along with her splendid attire and the dowry prepared for her by her wealthy parents, and the fact that such a rich girl is infatuated with him... In contrast, there is Lu Ying, who has nothing and is practically a burden, Sang Lang can only feel a deep sense of discomfort in his heart

The back of the head had been treated with medication by the doctor and was now bandaged, feeling swollen, and any touch would elicit a sharp pain. After a sharp intake of breath, Lu Ying recalled the events of the morning, and could not help but furrow her brows slightly

Looking up at the ceiling, Lu Ying blinked her eyes, and then blinked again

The stone steps were both treacherous and slippery; her fall was quite serious. Amidst a scream of despair, Lu Ying tumbled down like a ball, sliding down six or seven steps. With a loud "bang!" in an instant, the back of Lu Ying's head struck heavily against the edge of the rocky mountain, and then her body flipped over, becoming completely motionless. Meanwhile, a stream of bright red blood quickly stained the rocks, dripping onto the steps.

Reflecting on this, Zeng Lang turned to look at the young girl Ain, thinking: Ain comes from a wealthy family and is beautiful; only she is worthy of me. As for Aying, if I find an opportunity to possess her, she will have no way out and will thus submit to my arrangements. At that time, I will prepare a generous betrothal gift and formally welcome her into my home; even though she will be a concubine, it will not bring shame upon her.

While speaking, Ain stared at Lu Ying's face, secretly resenting: Why didn't I hit her face?

Seeing Lu Ying's discomfort, Ai Yin chuckled and warmly said, "Just now, your cousin Zeng Lang was talking about you. He said you are beautiful, kind-hearted, and particularly capable." As she teased, Lu Ying's head lowered more and more. She did not notice that at that moment, her closest and most trusted fifth cousin was raising her head and glaring fiercely at Zeng Lang, who was looking at Lu Ying with tenderness. With this action, Zeng Lang immediately retracted the tenderness that had inadvertently shown, turning his head to look expressionlessly into the distance. Lu Ying's head continued to lower, and she remained unaware that at that moment, her closest and most trusted fifth cousin was raising her head and glaring fiercely at Zeng Lang, who was looking at Lu Ying with tenderness. With this action, Zeng Lang immediately retracted the tenderness that had inadvertently shown, turning his head to look expressionlessly into the distance.

Ayin withdrew her gaze, and with a playful smile, she swayed her waist and walked to the right side of Lu Ying. "Why are you still lowering your head shyly? Hmph, go on to your beloved quickly." As she spoke, she forcefully pushed Lu Ying towards Zeng Lang. The push was so strong that Lu Ying, caught off guard, leaned to the left. Recently, the continuous spring rain had caused a lot of moss to grow on the stone steps. Lu Ying slipped underfoot, stepping on a patch of moss, and fell heavily backward with a thud onto the ground. The push was so strong that Lu Ying, caught off guard, leaned to the left. Recently, the continuous spring rain had caused a lot of moss to grow on the stone steps. Lu Ying slipped underfoot, stepping on a patch of moss, and fell heavily backward with a thud onto the ground.

It was not until now that Lu Ying thought about it; when she was ten years old, her mother also passed away. Now, the siblings are living in their grandfather's house. On the other hand, Zeng Lang's father achieved military merit in a battle and became a school lieutenant. Although their family did not become extraordinarily wealthy from that point on, their life was much better compared to the Lu Ying siblings, who were living under someone else's roof. Especially recently, his father mentioned that he had gained the favor of a noble, and there was a possibility of being promoted again.

Zeng Lang and Lu Ying's family were neighbors. Lu Ying was a beauty from a young age, both well-behaved and understanding, which endeared her to Zeng Lang's parents. Therefore, when they were both five years old, a marriage contract was established under the insistence of both sets of parents.

Before long, a Taoist temple with the three large characters "Xuan Yuan Guan" appeared before my eyes

Slowly turning her head, Lu Ying looked around her side for a while. After observing for some time, she finally propped herself up with difficulty and pulled aside the burlap blanket draped over her. Lu Ying reached out to touch the back of her head.

After a moment, Lu Yun furrowed his brows and asked, "Sister, what is wrong with you?"

Perhaps hearing the commotion in the room, a pair of footsteps approached, and soon after, a boy of about thirteen or fourteen appeared before Lu Ying. The boy bore a resemblance to Lu Ying, with clear and handsome features, but he was so thin that he seemed to have hardly any flesh on him. He held a medicine bowl in his hands, and upon seeing Lu Ying sit up, he raised his head, furrowed his brows, and said, "Awake?" His tone carried a hint of impatience

As Lu Ying walked slowly towards the Taoist temple, she did not notice that, just two hundred steps to her left, beneath a cluster of pear trees on the stone steps, two young men and women had stopped their conversation and turned to look in her direction

The young girl spoke somewhat slowly, accompanied by a crisp tone, which gave a particularly elegant impression during the early Eastern Han period, when "Confucianism was at its peak and the atmosphere was most refined"

The back of her head was still throbbing with pain, yet strangely, she felt that the air before her was imbued with a refreshing novelty, as if something had awakened, and as if the world around had been washed anew, even a speck of dust or a glimmer of light had become clear and distinct

Although elegant, the tone of the young girl carried a hint of jealousy to some extent

As she spoke these words, Lu Ying did so with extreme slowness; this was not a deliberate affectation on her part, but rather because she was contemplating how to choose her words and how to express her feelings. It can be said that the moment she laid eyes on A Yun, she understood his changing thoughts completely; they were so clear and left her with no doubt, as if she had witnessed them before.

After a brief pause, Lu Ying continued, "By the way, did Zeng Lang give you some money, which you refused? Your hand has been brushing against your sleeve pocket just now. No need to worry, I have completely recovered and no longer need medication"

When Lu Ying awoke again, it was already evening, and a fragrance of medicine was wafting through the small wooden house.

Lu Ying kicked at her wooden shoes, using this action to remove the dirt accumulated from the journey. Glancing at a peach blossom in full bloom not far to her left, she quickened her pace a little more

... ...

Under the spring sunlight, two girls held hands, one delicate and the other rough. A young man glanced at them and slowly shifted his gaze away

Outside, it is the perfect season for blooming peach blossoms and fluttering butterflies. The patches of rosy red and delicate white render the entire world so splendid, bright, and transparent! This feeling of clarity, where everything is no longer chaotic and one can discern right from wrong, is truly wonderful, truly wonderful!

After calling out several times, Ain saw that Zeng Lang was startled and quickly reached out to push her, "Hurry, go find a doctor"

At the age of fifteen, Lu Ying's figure had already begun to show the graceful curves of a young woman. Although long-term malnutrition had left her complexion somewhat pale, her features were delicate, and her expression carried a hint of indifference. Even though she wore simple clothes and straw sandals, she did not give off the impression of an ordinary village girl.

Squinting at the sun, Lu Ying thought to herself: Finally made it just in time! She let out a sigh of relief and quickened her pace

Lu Yun slowly turned his head and looked in astonishment at his sister. He knew that after their parents passed away, she had taken on the heavy burden of their lives. The trials of life and the bullying from certain individuals in their grandmother's home had left her constantly worried about how to change the situation for the two of them. She had never had the leisure or the energy to pay attention to what others were thinking, let alone exhibit the kind of sensitivity she was showing now

The spring atmosphere is gradually deepening, and the expanse of greenery between heaven and earth has transitioned from light to rich.

Hearing the girl's words, Zeng Lang turned around, looking at her earnestly, and said in a low and gentle voice: "Ain, why must you say such things? You should know that I only like you now." He then turned to look at Lu Ying, who was raising her head and searching for someone, and inexplicably, a wave of restlessness and guilt surged in his heart

Seeing Lu Ying lower her head, Ain quickly stepped forward. She held Lu Ying's hands and giggled, "Ah Ying, Ah Ying, as soon as I saw Zeng Lang, I knew you would come here. Hehe, this time I've caught you, haven't I?" Her tone was filled with mischief, making Lu Ying's face turn red.

Lu Ying was still staring at him until the boy let out a heavy grunt, handed the medicine bowl to her, and turned to leave. Only then did she speak softly: "A Yun, your eyes have a hint of red in them, it's not from smoke, it's because you've cried not long ago. You are worried about me, aren't you? When you first saw me just now, the corners of your mouth lifted up; it turns out you are so happy to see me awake."

Lu Ying pushed open the broken door and walked into the courtyard, while standing there in a daze, she looked at her younger brother with a worried expression and smiled faintly.

At that moment, Lu Ying finally saw the two individuals. She smiled gently, and a hint of warmth rippled in her indifferent eyes. Hastily lifting her skirt, Lu Ying jogged over, and before she got close, she joyfully called out to the young girl: "Cousin Wu."

This sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. It was only when Zeng Lang heard Lu Ying's cry that he hurriedly turned his head. At that moment, his face turned pale, and he stumbled as he slid towards Lu Ying. ... He reached out and embraced her, but half of his blue shirt was soaked with blood ...

Just when Zeng Lang was so frightened that he couldn't stand up, Ain let out a sharp scream and hurried over, anxiously asking with a sobbing tone: "How is it? Is Aying okay?"

As the days of their family improved, Zeng Lang's mother began to feel dissatisfied with Lu Ying, the fiancée chosen for him in childhood. As for Zeng Lang himself, with the wedding date approaching, he also started to feel restless, especially after getting to know Lu Ying's close friend and fifth cousin.

After saying these two words, the boy noticed that Lu Ying was still staring at him, and his brows furrowed even deeper. He, feeling a bit embarrassed and annoyed, said in a low voice: "What are you staring at me for?"

Reminded by Ain, Zeng Lang woke up and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, yes, find a doctor, quickly find a doctor." While speaking, he rushed down the mountain with Lu Ying in his arms.

He and Lu Ying met in their childhood. Lu Ying's father had heard rumors about the offspring of powerful families, but that was merely gossip. In any case, the neighbors saw Lu's father as just an ordinary, somewhat pedantic scholar, and he had never been in good health. Lu Ying passed away when she was seven. Moreover, Lu Ying's mother had also been in poor health since giving birth to her younger brother.

Yes, she is truly wonderful; this feeling of everything in the world becoming clear, of having a complete understanding, is so beautiful

At this moment, she had already approached, turned her head, and with a gentle and joyful glance at the handsome and tall Zeng Lang, she softly called out: "Zeng Lang..."