Chapter 83: When Lover and Beloved Are of One Heart

After a night of sweet, unbroken sleep, he felt refreshed and clear-minded—he hadn’t rested so soundly in ages. Stretching languidly, Li Dong rose from bed, dressed, tied his shoes, and stepped out of the eastern wing with a contented heart.

How wonderful it was, this feeling of homecoming!

All the scheming, the battles, the blood and fire, the tangled bonds of enmity and gratitude—they were now far behind him. There was nothing to ponder, nothing that demanded his thoughts, and his heart was at peace. Today, he was no longer the hero caught in the fray, charging left and right. He was merely a son, frolicking at his parents’ knees—his truest self.

No sooner had he left his room than he encountered the lively Xing’er.

She was busy preparing breakfast and, spotting Li Dong awake, greeted him with a cheerful laugh. “How strange! It’s so late already, and Miss Lu Rou hasn’t come yet!”

Li Dong smiled, thinking to himself, “So even she knows about everything between Lu Rou and me—the whole town must be abuzz.” He asked, “Did she come by often before?”

“Every day, sometimes twice.” Xing’er bustled about as she spoke, “By the usual hour, she should be here already. How odd!”

Li Dong was touched.

During his absence, she had come every day—he didn’t need to ask why. She was the daughter of an official; what more could one expect from her? She couldn’t do heavy chores, and with Xing’er around, there was no need anyway.

She must have kept his mother company, chatting and passing the time. His father was occupied with duties at the county office, and with Xing’er’s status, she couldn’t speak freely. Mother Zheng must have been very lonely.

With Lu Rou to talk to, the situation improved greatly. In a way, she had helped him fulfill his filial duty, though he wondered what an old lady and a young girl found to talk about. Mother had even brought up his marriage to Lu Rou again yesterday; clearly, they got along well—his mother liked her. Yes, if he married her and the two women got along, it would be the talk of the neighborhood, a tale to be fondly repeated.

Then he realized: Lu Rou had used his mother’s loneliness to draw closer, narrowing the distance between their families. She was beautiful, gentle, and considerate. Even his mother wouldn’t approve if he didn’t marry her. She was, in her own way, pushing him forward.

Lu Rou was, indeed, formidable—her approach was extraordinary.

Just after breakfast, a house guard arrived to report that Miss Lu Rou was waiting at the gate.

Mother Zheng, beaming, hurriedly asked the guard to invite her in. Li Dong stood and said, “I’ll go meet her. She’s looked after Mother all this time; I owe her that much.” Xing’er laughed and replied, “As well you should.”

A curtained ox cart stood at the gate. Lu Rou alighted, handkerchief in hand, clearly out of sorts, her face set in a pout. Her maid stood by, quietly urging her not to be angry.

Li Dong approached with a broad smile. “Oh my, what fair breeze brings you here?” He greeted Lu Rou with a respectful bow, feeling she deserved nothing less after all she had done for his mother.

“Who are you? I don’t know you!” Lu Rou’s cheeks were tight with displeasure as she brushed past, refusing his courtesy. “I’m here to see Auntie—don’t get in my way.”

Her maid chimed in, “Look how upset you’ve made our Miss. Aren’t you going to apologize?”

Lu Rou was clearly upset that he hadn’t visited her since returning, though with her gentle nature, her anger wouldn’t last long. Li Dong smiled apologetically, “Please, come in, Miss. This way, please.”

With delicate steps, Lu Rou entered through the main doors, her maid following closely. The true master of the house was left standing awkwardly aside. Li Dong shook his head and smiled wryly, trailing after them at a distance.

When Lu Rou reached Mother Zheng, she nestled close, her manner affectionate and easy, more like a daughter returning home than a daughter-in-law greeting her mother-in-law.

Mother Zheng, noticing Lu Rou’s behavior and expression as she entered, and Li Dong’s awkward, sheepish smile from the side, immediately understood that the two had quarreled. Playing along with Lu Rou’s mood, she said, “Let’s have a little mother-daughter chat. Ignore that troublesome boy.”

Lu Rou blushed, flustered. “Mother, what are you saying…” Yet she clung to Zheng’s side, pointedly ignoring Li Dong all the more.

After chatting a while about household matters, Zheng excused herself. “Oh, I should check if the clothes are dry—it looks like rain.” With that, she rose and stepped outside.

Lu Rou’s maid, ever quick, said, “Let me help you, Madam!” And the two left together.

For a moment, Lu Rou was stunned. Then, blushing even deeper, she found it impossible to meet Li Dong’s gaze. He felt a touch awkward as well, but soon grew at ease, far more so than Lu Rou.

Both of them understood Zheng’s intention.

The sky was perfectly clear—how could it rain? Even if it did, with both Xing’er and Lu Rou’s maid around, there was no reason for an elderly woman to fetch clothes herself. Clearly, she was making an excuse to leave them alone.

With only the two of them left in the room, Lu Rou’s expression softened, though her tone remained sharp as she called out, “You there—are you just going to stand all day?”

Li Dong knelt beside her, his gaze lingering on her delicate, almost translucent face. “I’m admiring my beauty’s anger,” he teased.

“Go cool off somewhere! You come home and don’t even see me—who’s your beauty?” Though still a little upset, her anger had faded.

“But think about it,” Li Dong said gently, “I’ve been away so long—I had to see my family first. I hadn’t even had a chance to visit you, and you were already here. You’ve worked so hard these days…”

Lu Rou’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “At least you have some conscience, knowing I come every day to keep Auntie company.”

He reached out and drew her into his arms, her scent filling his senses. With a sigh, he said, “I know how you feel. But I truly have important matters to attend to…”

Lu Rou had only pretended to be angry. Hearing his words, which made so much sense, her anger melted away, and she leaned into his embrace. Yet when he mentioned important matters, she looked up suddenly, interrupting him with a playful scold, “What could be more important than our marriage?”

He gently patted her back, warmth spreading beneath his fingertips. For a while, he said nothing, lost in the sweetness between them.

After a moment, half sighing, half urging, Li Dong said, “I only came back to see you in passing. I’ll be gone at least a year, maybe longer. But next time I return, I promise I’ll marry you. I understand your heart completely.”

“What is it that keeps you so long?” Lu Rou asked, her face pressed against his chest, puzzled.

“It’s important,” Li Dong replied, gazing out the window at the sky. A bird glided silently past, soon vanishing from sight. He murmured to himself, “To accomplish great things, one must have great resolve. Otherwise, a lifetime of regret remains. I hope you can understand how I feel.”

“I do. Don’t worry,” Lu Rou reassured him gently. “I won’t hold you back.”

Suddenly, Li Dong lifted her to face him, looking into her clear, deep eyes. “There’s something I need you to do for me. Promise me you will.”

Surprised by his seriousness, Lu Rou asked, “What is it? Why the mystery?”

He told her that, while he was away, he hoped she would thoroughly study the classics of Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, and the School of Yin-Yang, for he would need her knowledge in the future.

Though she did not understand why he wanted her to study such things, if Li Dong needed it, she would do so—no matter how difficult, she would never hesitate.

They embraced tenderly for a while longer before Lu Rou gently pushed him away. “Let go—what if Auntie sees us?”

Li Dong laughed and released her, and they sat apart, properly composed. No sooner had they separated than voices sounded in the courtyard.