Chapter 55: Flaunting

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

There were many maidservants standing in the small courtyard, and there were also people standing in the house. However, when Bai Ling came in, it was silent.

Bai Ling looked into the courtyard and then into the house through the open window. She was stunned. Everyone was awkward.

Including her.

At this moment, the sister-in-law was actually in her brother-in-law’s room, standing so close to him. Moreover, she was holding a piece of ink stick in her hand. It was obvious that she had just finished grinding ink for her brother-in-law…

The maidservants blushed guiltily.

After all, the girl in front of them was none other than First Young Miss’ personal maidservant.

And the young man in the room was First Young Miss’ husband, who had just gotten married, but at this moment, their Young Miss…

Bai Ling was also very awkward.

If it were anyone else in the room, she would have gone up to question and reprimand them. She even called Xia Chan over, but the person in the room was the Second Young Miss…

She would rather not have seen it.

There was a moment of silence.

Qin Weimo put down the piece of ink stick in her hand and lowered her head slightly to the young man in front of her. She said gently, “Brother-in-law, sorry to disturb you. Have a good rest. I will take my leave now…”

Luo Qingzhou retracted his gaze and nodded at her.

Qin Weimo walked out with Zhu’er and Qiu’er’s help.

As soon as she left the house, she coughed again when the wind blew.

The maidservant at the door hurriedly held up an umbrella to block the wind for her.

Qin Weimo slowly removed the moon-white handkerchief covering her mouth.

The handkerchief was stained with blood.

When Qiu’er saw this, her expression changed and she said with a trembling voice, “Granny, Young Miss is coughing blood again…

The few grannies at the side immediately panicked and hurriedly urged, “Let’s go, let’s go. Hurry up and help Young Miss back. Hurry up and call Physician

Sun!”

A group of people surrounded the weak girl and hurried out of the small courtyard.

When she passed by Bai Ling, Qin Weimo looked at her timidly, as if she wanted to say something, but she was hurriedly taken away by the maidservant.

The small courtyard immediately fell silent.

Bai Ling frowned and retracted her gaze from the door to look into the house.

Luo Qingzhou stood in front of the window and looked at her.

Xiao Die stood behind him with her head lowered, like a child who had done something wrong and was facing her parents. She felt guilty and uneasy.

“Sir, you’re really bold.”

Bai Ling looked at him from outside the window with a complicated expression.

Luo Qingzhou said calmly, “I didn’t let the First Young Miss down, nor did I do anything to the Second Young Miss.”

Bai Ling was silent for a moment before she softened her tone. “Are you feeling better?”

Luo Qingzhou said, “I’m much better. Thank you for your concern, Miss Bai Ling.”

Bai Ling nodded slightly and turned around, preparing to leave.

After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned around and looked at him. Two shallow dimples appeared on her beautiful face under the moonlight. She said softly, “Sir, you might have misunderstood. I didn’t mean to blame you just now. Just go along with whatever Second Young Miss wants to do. First Young Miss also feels the same way as I do.”

With that, she left the small courtyard and disappeared into the night.

Luo Qingzhou stood in front of the window in a daze for a while before turning around and saying to Xiao Die, “In the future, if Qiu’er and Zhu’er ask about me, just say that I’m very busy and that I’m studying in the house. I don’t want anyone to disturb me, understand?”

Xiao Die froze for a bit before nodding. “Got it, Young Master.”

Then, she could not help but ask, “Young Master, you don’t want to see Second Young Miss anymore, right?”

Luo Qingzhou did not answer. He sat down in front of the desk and opened the book. However, his gaze was on the ink that was gradually condensing on the inkstone and the piece of ink stick that Qin Weimo had just held.

After a moment of silence, he said, “It’s bothersome.

Xiao Die did not dare to ask further. She left the room and closed the door for him.

Luo Qingzhou calmed down and continued reading.

“Those who cultivate do not understand the Great Dao at the beginning. Instead, they want to achieve it quickly. They look like withered trees, their hearts are like dead ashes, and their divine senses are guarded internally. Their wills will not dissipate. They are determined to produce a Yin God. They are ghosts with clear spirits, not Pure Yang immortals. With their will, they will not dissipate, so they are called Ghost Immortals. Although they are called immortals, they are ghosts…”

“Ghost Immortal?’

Luo Qingzhou muttered this word in his heart. That meant that if the Yin Soul was successful in cultivating, it could become immortal without needing a physical body.

However, according to the book, if he became an immortal like this, he would still be a ghost. It would be difficult for him to reach the Great Dao.

He continued to read but found another story on the next page.

The records in this book were intermittent and blurry. They could be true, but they also could be fake. Most of them were passed down from ancient times or made up based on certain stories.

Most of them could not be taken seriously.

Naturally, Luo Qingzhou did not believe everything.

He opened another book.

The lamp was dim, and the moonlight was bright.

The small courtyard was still silent.

Moonlight Rain Court.

The lakeside was still filled with lanterns.

In the middle of the lake, the elegant pavilion was also lit up.

At that moment, Song Ruyue had already led the noblewomen and maidservants up to the top floor of the pavilion. They sat at the table by the railing and ate melon seeds and snacks. They admired the moon and chatted, comparing and showing off.

As the young women chatted, they talked about Song Ruyue’s son-in-law.

“Ruyue, it’s not that I’m being nosy, but that son-in-law of yours is an illegitimate son that the Chengguo Residence doesn’t want. I heard that he might not even be Luo Yannian’s son. They threw this boy to you like trash, but you treat him like a treasure. How can a matrilocal son-in-law be so ignorant of the rules? He didn’t come when you called him over.”

“That’s right, Ruyue. Look at that son-in-law of the Zhou Mansion. He gets up before dawn every day and stands outside Zhou Lan’s courtyard with his head lowered, waiting to pay his respects. He goes there again every night. Every day, he does all kinds of dirty work. He’s diligent, sensible, and obedient. You treat your son-in-law so well, providing him with food and shelter, but he stays all day in his room to read. I don’t know what accomplishments he can achieve by that.”

“As for the poems you mentioned, do you think he really composed them? I think he prepared them in advance and specially used them to deceive you.

That’s most likely the case.”

“Ruyue, don’t tell me you expect that kid to become a High Scholar for you? If he has the ability, would the Chengguo Residence bear to let him marry into your family?”

The women were displeased that Song Ruyue had outdone them with her young beauty, good skin, and good figure. They could only target her unlucky son-in-law who had married into the family.

Song Ruyue’s face darkened when she heard their sarcastic remarks. She lowered her head and munched on her melon seeds without saying a word.

All the women pretended not to see her expression and continued mocking her.

A woman even smiled strangely and recited the poems that Luo Qingzhou had supposedly composed, causing a few people to laugh.

Song Ruyue was embarrassed and angry, but she had nowhere to vent her anger. Seeing that they were getting excited, she turned to Mei’er and yelled,

“From tomorrow onward, tell that kid to plant flowers for me in my backyard! What’s the use of staying in the house and studying all day? The Qin family doesn’t raise useless people!”

Mei’er lowered her head and agreed.

Seeing that she was angry, the women looked at each other and were about to stop teasing her. At this moment, a maidservant suddenly went upstairs and reported, “Miss Qingwan is here, Madam.”

One of the noblewomen asked curiously, “Didn’t that girl go to talk to Weimo? Why is she here again?”

Not long after, Su Qingwan went upstairs, panting. Excitement was written all over her face, and she was holding two pieces of paper.

“Qingwan, why are you so happy?

“Your face is red. Did you run up here? Did you compose a new poem?”

“Oh, the great talent of our MO City has a new work. I reckon that tomorrow, those scholars will be ashamed.”

When all the noblewomen saw the paper in her hand, they all laughed and teased her.

Su Qingwan stood in front of a few noblewomen and panted for a while before handing the paper in her hand to one of them. Her face was filled with excitement as she panted. “Aunt… Aunt, take a look…”

Su Qingwan’s aunt was a noblewoman born into a scholarly family and had studied since she was young. She was quite talented. When she heard this, she smiled and took the paper to read the first one.

On the first piece of paper was written a seven-word poem.

She thought that it was caused by her niece, so she smiled and read it out loud. “The plum blossoms and snow vie approaching spring; A poet knows not in whose praises he should sing. The plum blossoms are not so white as winter snow; In fragrance, snow can’t match plum blossoms when the wind blows.” When she read the last sentence, the smile on her face froze.

The other noblewomen were stunned when they heard this. One of them immediately snatched it away and said, “Let me take a look.”

Then, they could not help but read it again.

“Brilliant! Brilliant!”

“The plum blossoms are not so white as winter snow; In fragrance, snow can’t match plum blossoms when the wind blows… This sentence is really exquisite!

Qingwan, you’re indeed the most talented girl in MO City. You are indeed deserving of that title!”

The other noblewomen clicked their tongues in praise.

Su Qingwan’s aunt smiled brightly with a hint of smugness on her face. She looked at Song Ruyue and said with a smile, “Ruyue, have you seen this? Qingwan’s poem is even better than your son-in-law’s poems…”

“Aunt! I didn’t do this!”

Before she could finish speaking, Su Qingwan immediately panted and said, “It’s… Young Master Luo wrote it! These two poems were just written by Young Master Luo…”

As soon as she said this, everyone was astonished.

“Young Master Luo? Who’s Young Master Luo?”

Her aunt asked in surprise.

At this moment, Song Ruyue was stunned for a few seconds. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat and she became excited. Her face turned red from excitement.

Indeed, in the next second, she heard a familiar name!

“He’s Luo Qingzhou, Weimo’s brother-in-law. He’s the Young Master Luo you were discussing just now.”

Su Qingwan took a cup of tea from the table and took a few sips.

The pavilion instantly fell silent.

At this moment, Song Ruyue’s face was flushed with excitement. An extremely bright and exaggerated smile appeared on her face as she hurriedly said, “Next poem! Isn’t there another poem? Read it quickly, read it quickly!”

The woman came back to her senses and looked at the paper in her hand. She scanned it first and her expression changed. Her eyes lit up as she stared at the last few sentences.

“Xiangmei, read it quickly!”

A noblewoman beside her urged.

The woman took a deep breath. Her gaze was complicated as she slowly recited, “Outside the roadhouse by the Parted Bridge, In loneliness bloom wild blossoms. Sunset has arrived as I dwell in melancholy in solitude. Weathering wind and rain. I have no intention to spring hold onto, I’ll leave jealousy for various flowers to endure. As blossoms fall to the ground and dust turns into, There leaves only fragrance that doesn’t change.” The entire pavilion gradually fell silent.

They could only hear Su Qingwan’s panting..