"I..."
Luo Dingfang was momentarily stunned.
In truth, he had always been introverted since childhood.
His parents and teachers had taught him many things: to speak with care, to respect and bow to elders, never to contradict or defy them, to study diligently, and to pass the imperial examinations in the future, becoming a pillar of the nation.
The uncles and brothers of the Duke's Mansion had all grown up hearing these same principles, and their conversations were always filled with such teachings.
As a result, Luo Dingfang found it difficult to get close to them.
It wasn’t until the Guangyin Academy opened that he met Xue Chi.
This little troublemaker from the General's Mansion was different from everyone else.
On the very first day of school, he had argued with the teacher.
The teacher had said, "All professions are inferior, only studying is noble," but Xue Chi believed that leading troops into battle, defending the nation, and shedding blood were just as noble—like his father, Xue Kuang.
Xue Chi was two years younger than him, yet he was so sharp-tongued that he left the teacher speechless.
That day, the children of the Duke's Mansion looked at him with almost worshipful eyes.
For all of them, this was unimaginable.
Although that afternoon, the General's Mansion found out about the incident and took Xue Chi away, likely scolding him severely.
But that didn’t stop Luo Dingfang from being drawn to this "outsider."
Xue Chi's temperament was truly unique among the almost identical group.
Despite his young age, he was smart, playful, hot-tempered, and incredibly strong. If anyone upset him, it would be a disaster.
Even in fights, his brute strength made him nearly unbeatable.
Someone as frail as Luo Dingfang never even considered opposing Xue Chi.
Their friendship began thanks to the academy teacher: because Xue Chi was too much of a handful, the teacher moved him to the back of the classroom, out of sight and out of mind. This placed him right next to Luo Dingfang.
Sitting close, they naturally started talking.
One was introverted, the other extroverted; one was eager to connect, the other had no reason to refuse.
Soon, they became friends.
Xue Chi was Luo Dingfang's first friend, and his only friend.
He didn’t want to lose such a friend, nor did he want Xue Chi to suffer because of him.
Now, hearing Lu Jinxi's words, there wasn’t a hint of blame in her tone.
Her words were gentle and understanding.
For some reason, Luo Dingfang's eyes welled up, and tears began to form, threatening to spill over.
Lady Ye, seeing this, nearly laughed in exasperation.
No parent wants to see their child suffer.
Lady Ye’s heart was soft, and she didn’t want to force her child to apologize. But right and wrong had to be addressed.
What she didn’t expect was that after not seeing her for a while, Lu Jinxi had become so perceptive.
With a simple phrase, "Let the children handle their own affairs," she effortlessly diffused the awkward situation between the two families.
The children's feelings were understood, and the adults' pride was preserved.
One could even say she had a "heart of seven apertures."
Now that Lu Jinxi had provided the perfect way out, all Lady Ye and her son had to do was follow her lead. Yet here he was, crying in front of everyone!
Lady Ye tugged at him helplessly, "You little crybaby, wipe those tears before you scare your Aunt Lu. She’s asking you a question—why are you silent?"
"N-no, it's fine..."
Luo Dingfang quickly raised his sleeve, wiping his face haphazardly, leaving red streaks across his cheeks. He was determined not to cry.
He looked up at Lu Jinxi and bowed to her.
"Th-thank you, Aunt Lu, for your understanding."
"It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but I made a promise to Chi. The teacher taught us that a gentleman must keep his word, and that trust is worth a thousand gold."
"Even though I know you mean well, I can’t break my promise to Chi just because I like you."
"But I will listen to you, Aunt Lu. I’ll go apologize to Chi when school starts."
"Aunt Lu, the fault lies with me. Please don’t punish him."
His voice trembled, stumbling over his words, but his speech was clear and logical. There was a sense of responsibility in his words, and a glimpse of a gentleman’s grace.
Luo Dingfang’s moist black eyes gazed at Lu Jinxi.
In his timid gaze, there was gratitude, guilt, determination, and a sudden surge of courage.
Lu Jinxi, sitting on the kang, was momentarily taken aback.
She remembered that Luo Dingfang, the second son of the Duke's Mansion, had been raised on the Four Books and Five Classics, destined to take the imperial examinations and become an official.
Now, it seemed the child had been well-educated.
But...
Why was he still worried about Xue Chi?
That little rascal had just smashed a medicine jar and was as lively as ever!
Sighing, Lu Jinxi placed her hands on her knees and chuckled, "Young Master Luo, you can rest easy. Xue Chi is a little tyrant—I wouldn’t dare to lay a finger on him! I assure you, he’s more energetic than you are!"
"R-really?"
"Really."
As real as it could be.
Lu Jinxi gave him a firm answer.
But Luo Dingfang still seemed unsure.
Lady Ye, sitting across from Lu Jinxi, immediately understood what he was thinking and scolded him, "Would your Aunt Lu lie to you? Stop worrying and calm down."
With that, she gestured for him to come over and sit on the edge of the kang.
Luo Dingfang’s face still bore tear stains, and his frail frame made him look like a little kitten.
He glanced shyly at Lu Jinxi.
Lu Jinxi winked at him.
Embarrassed, he blushed and lowered his head.
The atmosphere in the room instantly lightened.
The maidservants, who had been holding their breath, quietly wiped their sweat and sighed in relief, thankful that no conflict had erupted.
Bai Lu, who had witnessed the entire scene, could hardly believe her eyes.
Before coming, she had expected a fierce confrontation, and if things went poorly, they might have been humiliated by Wei Xian.
But who would have thought that in such a short time, with just a few words, the dark clouds had parted, the sun had come out, and everything was fine!
For a moment, Bai Lu looked at Lu Jinxi, sitting by the south window, as if she were bathed in golden light, glowing brilliantly.
Lu Jinxi, unaware of Bai Lu’s admiring gaze, looked up as two young maids approached.
Each carried a lacquered tea tray with a small white porcelain cup, offering tea.
She took one, lifted the lid, and saw the deep red color of the tea—likely Wuyi black tea.
In the south, tea was brewed lightly, but in the capital, it was brewed strong to suit local tastes.
Lu Jinxi herself wasn’t fond of such strong tea, but the original owner of this body must have been accustomed to it.
So she showed no reaction and took a slow sip.
Lady Ye also picked up her tea but, as she was about to drink, caught sight of Lu Jinxi across from her.
This was a sight to behold.
Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest!
The beauty before her, with her lowered gaze, looked like a bewitching spirit from a temple! Her lips, lightly touching the rim of the porcelain cup, were like sweet white glaze and cherry blossoms.
This wasn’t just tea—it was enchantment!
No wonder she was one of the capital’s three great beauties...
While others faded with age, she seemed to grow more radiant.
Any lingering doubts Lady Ye had about the ranking vanished in that moment.
It took great effort for Lady Ye to calm her racing heart.
By then, Lu Jinxi had set down her cup and started a casual conversation with Lady Ye, which somehow turned to the snow outside.
This reminded Lady Ye of something: "Spring has just begun, but it’s still cold. Your family has long-standing ties with the Grand Preceptor's Mansion. Have you heard? The Grand Preceptor’s leg ailment has flared up again..."
The Grand Preceptor?
The top-ranking civil official of the court?
If Lu Jinxi remembered correctly, his name was Gu Chengqian. She had heard of his leg ailment, but...
"I've been ill recently, so news from outside hasn't reached me. Is there something unusual going on?"
"Not necessarily," Lady Ye shook her head and smiled. "It's just that I heard Grand Preceptor Gu went out last night, seemingly to Dazhao Temple. Whether it's true or not, I don't know. But he fell ill as soon as he returned..."
Dazhao Temple.
Lu Jinxi was startled. She had just returned from Dazhao Temple this afternoon. What a coincidence.
Lady Ye glanced at her but didn't notice anything unusual on her face, so she continued, "I was thinking that since Princess Yongning is close to Grand Preceptor Gu, and that person is also at Dazhao Temple, and you happened to visit Dazhao Temple today, you might know something. If I could get some information from you, it would give me an advantage in preparing for the upcoming birthday banquet in ten days. But alas, it seems I'm out of luck and will have to find out on my own..."
Princess Yongning, Lu Jinxi's aunt, was the elder sister of the current Emperor Qing'an.
Thirteen years ago, during the palace coup, it was Princess Yongning and Grand Preceptor Gu who worked together from within and without to help Emperor Qing'an ascend to the throne. Thus, it wasn't the General's Mansion that was close to Grand Preceptor Gu, but Princess Yongning.
Lu Jinxi had already looked into this thoroughly.
She also knew a bit about Grand Preceptor Gu. After helping the emperor secure the throne, he became the most powerful figure in the court.
Except for the three years he spent in mourning after the death of his father six years ago, he had always been the one calling the shots in the court, and no one dared to oppose him.
Emperor Qing'an trusted this old man deeply.
However, Gu Chengqian was very shrewd and never did anything improper in private. He rarely even held birthday banquets, usually just having a simple meal with his family.
Lady Ye was saying that she wanted to prepare for Grand Preceptor Gu's birthday banquet.
Could it be that this time, it would be a grand affair?
And...
"That person"?
Lu Jinxi felt that these three words were too vague and couldn't immediately grasp their meaning. A hint of confusion appeared in her expression.
She murmured, "That person?"
Upon hearing this, Lady Ye was thoroughly shocked, almost disbelieving. "You... he's such a renowned figure, and he even had some connection with you. Don't tell me you've forgotten?"
