Chapter 23: His Eyes Were Somewhat Light In Color, With A faint, Suppressed Anger Beneath The Surface

Liu Quan was red-faced and straining his neck, shouting incomprehensible insults, but was quickly dragged away by the guards.

Lu Shujin watched Liu Quan’s retreating figure, fully aware that he would likely embellish these words and report them to Xiao Jin.

This was exactly what she wanted. She needed this to verify a vague suspicion in her heart.

After carefully storing the ointment prescribed by the doctor, Lu Shujin couldn’t help but worry about Yang Peier. First, she went upstairs to the ruined, chaotic area and found a set of women’s clothing for her. She then gave the guards detailed instructions about Yang Peier’s address when sending her back to the main courtyard. To protect Yang Peier’s reputation, she repeatedly emphasized that if anyone inquired out of curiosity, the guards should not respond.

Only after these instructions did she feel slightly at ease. She thought there wouldn’t be enough time tonight to check on Yang Peier, so she planned to come back tomorrow. She could also buy her some nutritious food on the way.

Thinking this, Lu Shujin walked out. The moment she stepped outside, she saw Xiao Jin standing by the roadside, arms crossed.

A large group of guards and officials stood by the entrance, and the street vendors around the building had been cleared away, leaving the area much quieter than when she had arrived. In the distance, a curious crowd gathered, trying to see what had happened.

Behind Xiao Jin was an ink-black carriage, its body adorned with intricate, hollowed-out floral patterns. The roof was lined with golden tassels, and the wheels were nearly half a person tall. At the front was a sleek, muscular black horse with a glossy coat.

When he saw Lu Shujin step out, Xiao Jin immediately frowned and waved at her. “Where did you go? Why did you take so long to come out?”

Dazed, she walked over and asked, “Young Master Xiao, were you waiting for me?”

“I was waiting for the tables and chairs inside to come to life,” Xiao Jin retorted sarcastically.

Recognizing his deliberately sarcastic tone, Lu Shujin chose not to argue and simply said, “I thought you had already gone to the yamen.”

“The yamen and the academy aren’t on the same route. I won’t be traveling with you. Head back on your own.” Xiao Jin replied.

Lu Shujin nodded in response, feeling puzzled. Was he really waiting outside just to say this one sentence?

But just as she was about to walk forward, a guard opened the carriage door in front of her, lifted the gauze curtain, and said, “Young Master invites you in.”

Surprised, she widened her eyes slightly and turned to look at Xiao Jin. Just then, another guard led over a pure white horse with a magnificent saddle. Its long black tassels hung down over its beautiful coat, clearly a noble breed.

Xiao Jin took the reins, stepped onto the stirrup, and mounted the horse effortlessly. Now seated, he towered above her, and when Lu Shujin looked up, the movement tugged at her injury, causing a faint pain.

“Young Master,” the guard called out again, as a reminder.

Coming to her senses, she finally understood that this carriage was prepared for her by Xiao Jin. Taking the guard’s offered hand, she stepped onto the carriage.

Inside, the carriage was incredibly spacious, filled with a rich aroma of sandalwood. In the center was a four-cornered table holding an assortment of snacks, including sunflower seeds, dried fruits, and small portions of fresh fruits like grapes and pears. A complete tea set was also present.

The walls were intricately carved, and the seats were lined with soft bamboo mats. Each side had a small inward-opening window with golden gauze curtains.

The wealthy always knew how to enjoy life. Just this tiny carriage alone felt far more comfortable than any of the rooms she had lived in over the years.

Leaning against the window, she lifted the golden curtain and opened the window slightly. The noise from outside instantly poured in, and she saw Xiao Jin’s side profile, still conversing with the guards while seated on his horse.

Perhaps noticing the movement, Xiao Jin paused mid-conversation, turned his head, and caught sight of her peeking from behind the small window. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes were bright against the dim light. He paused briefly before saying, “Remember what I said. Stay in the dorm. Don’t go anywhere.”

Lu Shujin looked at his handsome face, gently illuminated by the lantern light, and replied, “I understand.”

She then closed the window. The carriage began to move slowly, while Xiao Jin turned his horse around and rode off in the opposite direction.

The carriage traveled at a leisurely pace, the ride smooth and steady. Inside, Lu Shujin grew bored, her gaze wandering around. She looked left and right, her eyes frequently sweeping over the snacks and fruits on the table in the middle, studying those she had never seen before and couldn’t name.

After swaying along for about half an hour, they finally arrived at Haizhou Academy. The guards at the entrance recognized the Xiao family’s carriage, and naturally, no one dared to stop them. They proceeded without hindrance directly to the dormitory area. One of the guards outside asked, “Young Master, may I know which room you stay in?”

Lu Shujin, who had been dozing off, snapped back to alertness. She lifted the curtain and saw that they had arrived. Not wanting to trouble anyone further, she stepped out of the carriage and said, “No need to trouble yourselves. I can walk over myself.”

“But the young master instructed that you must be escorted to the door,” the guard insisted firmly, hopping down from the driver’s seat.

Feeling utterly exhausted and eager to rest, Lu Shujin didn’t argue. She walked straight to her room, pulling out her key as she went. “Thank you,” she called out as she unlocked and opened the door.

Seeing her safely enter, the guard, satisfied that his task was complete, nodded in response before turning to leave.

Inside, Lu Shujin felt as though she had just run a grueling race, utterly drained. She wished for nothing more than to collapse into bed and sleep. Sitting for a moment to catch her breath, she forced herself to fetch some water. She heated it in the bathhouse and began carefully cleaning herself.

With no mirror in the room, she couldn’t see her wound, so she had to be extremely cautious while washing. But somehow, while using the warm water, she aggravated the injury, and fresh blood soon seeped out, staining the basin with a crimson hue.

She winced from the pain, hissing as she dabbed at the fresh blood.

After carefully washing, she wrapped her chest with clean white cloth, layer by layer. She then changed into fresh clothes and pressed a piece of coarse cloth against the wound until the bleeding stopped. Finally, she retrieved the ointment, fumbling to apply it to the painful area.

Unable to see clearly, she inevitably missed the spot several times. Worried about wasting the precious ointment, she moved her fingers carefully, taking a long time to finish applying the medicine. She then cut the cloth used for binding her chest into strips and wrapped it around the wound, securing it with a small knot by her neck.

Next, she went out to wash her dirty clothes and hung them on the bamboo rod by the door. She even took the time to wash the brocade handkerchief Xiao Jin had given her, only to discover that the bloodstains had dried and wouldn’t wash out no matter how hard she scrubbed. Eventually, she gave up.

By the time she finished all this, it was already late. After locking the door and blowing out the lamp, she finally crawled into bed.

Moments earlier, she had been yawning non-stop, but now that she lay down, she found herself wide awake. Closing her eyes, her mind immediately replayed the events of the day at the Yuhua Pavilion.

She remembered the moment she fell to the ground, her neck injured, her whole body aching. It wasn’t a new experience for her.

Back at her aunt’s house, she was always just a step above the servants — an outsider that her cousins looked down on, never speaking to her willingly. No matter what banquets or gatherings were held in the household, she was never a part of them.

But as she grew older and began to blossom, her aunt had the idea of marrying her off quickly. She even dressed her in new clothes for her second cousin’s wedding banquet and assigned a maid to do her hair. Lu Shujin remembered it clearly — that day, she wore a pale yellow gown with an apricot blossom hairpin gifted by her aunt. She had loved that outfit.

The wedding banquet was crowded. Lu Shujin stood with her cousins, and although no one spoke to her, she was quietly happy, eager to catch a glimpse of the bride in her red bridal attire.

Unexpectedly, a young man among the guests praised her looks aloud, causing her third cousin’s face to turn red with anger and tears before she stormed off.

Lu Shujin didn’t understand what had happened, but she was soon summoned to the backyard. There, she was met with her aunt’s cold, furious glare and her tearful third cousin.

She never got to see the bride. Instead, she was forced to kneel by the garden rocks in the backyard, her aunt and her cousins leaving her behind. Busy servants bustled back and forth, occasionally casting her a glance, but none stopped to help. The festive noise of drums and gongs continued in the front courtyard until dusk. Lu Shujin knelt there until evening. When she finally stood, her legs were in such agony that she barely managed two steps before collapsing onto the stone path, lying there for a long time without the strength to rise.

She lowered her head, watching pairs of feet walk past her one by one, but not a single pair stopped.

That night, when she returned, she smashed the apricot blossom hairpin. She didn’t feel sad — she had long since stopped expecting kindness or care from others.

So when she fell to the ground at Yuhua Pavilion today, the experience was like that festive noon from years ago. In her bitterness, she even joked to herself — at least this time, it wasn’t so bad. At least she wouldn’t be left lying on the ground for too long.

What she hadn’t expected was for a pair of black boots to suddenly appear in her line of sight, followed by a strong force lifting her up. And then she saw Xiao Jin’s eyes.

Despite his reputation for visiting brothels, skipping classes, fighting with classmates, cheating on exams, and spending his days reading erotic novels, with handwriting that was barely legible, almost like a chicken’s scratchings — Lu Shujin couldn’t help but feel that his eyes did not belong to a bad person. His eyes were a light shade, holding a faint, restrained anger beneath the surface.

Lu Shujin couldn’t quite remember if there was any trace of concern in that anger. But every time she recalled that moment, an indistinct, elusive emotion would rise in her heart.

She lay quietly in her dorm room, listening to the wind rustling the leaves outside, her thoughts gradually drifting until she fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, she was suddenly awakened by the sound of knocking.

Her sleep was always light, so by the third knock, she was already sitting up in bed, listening carefully. Outside, someone seemed to be asking in a low voice, “Young Master Lu, could you please open the door?”

Getting out of bed, she lit the lamp, pulled on her outer robe, and cautiously approached the door. “Who is it?” she asked.

“My young master, arranged by Master Qiao, will be staying in this room tonight. Please open the door so we can bring in his belongings,” replied the voice outside.

Utterly confused, Lu Shujin hesitated but eventually opened the door.

After all, Wu Chengyun had already told her before that this dormitory was meant for two people. It was only because some of the local young masters were unwilling to stay here that some rooms remained empty.

Now that someone was coming to stay, she had no reason to turn them away.

As soon as the door opened, the man at the front bowed slightly to her before signaling the others to bring in various items. Since it was the middle of the night, they were careful not to disturb the other students, moving quietly yet swiftly. Luxurious furnishings — a soft couch, cushioned mats, tea sets, long lanterns, and other clearly valuable items — were brought in and neatly arranged.

Lu Shujin, too anxious to go back to sleep, sat on the edge of her bed, watching the group shuttle in and out. It took them nearly half an hour to finish setting everything up.

“Young Master, everything is in place,” one of them reported.

“Mm,” a voice replied from outside. A moment later, Xiao Jin entered, stifling a yawn, his expression drowsy. “Is the water ready?” he mumbled.

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