How Could I Resist His Madness and Charm [Transmigration] - Chapter 11

Cui Wuyang dispatched his trusted aide to Cangxi to handle the aftermath, but they could not locate the young lady’s body. After some investigation, they concluded that she was still alive.

Several months later, they found traces of Luo Yan in Hanmei Town.

The aide secretly observed Physician Liu and Jia Yufang, confirming they were not malicious individuals, before revealing his identity.

To everyone’s surprise, the young lady had not ended up there by chance, she had never intended to go to the capital in the first place.

What could they do?

First, they sketched a portrait of the young lady enjoying herself in the town and sent it back to the capital.

Then, they slipped banknotes to Jia Yufang, asking her to relay a message to see if they could arrange a meeting with the young lady.

Luo Yan pondered for a moment and said, “A meeting is unnecessary.”

To her, anyone or anything related to the male lead was a harbinger of doom.

Jia Yufang felt the same way. However, with this unexpected windfall, even if they weren’t going to the capital, she thought it would be wise to buy a house in the county or prefecture and hire a tutor to continue teaching the young lady music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and needlework.

Otherwise, it would be a waste to let the talents of the renowned Miss Luo of Cangxi go to rust.

“Renowned for my talents? Me?”

Luo Yan blinked innocently. “You know how my needlework is. I can play the zither, but my calligraphy, painting, and chess skills are lacking. Perhaps this so-called reputation was just flattery from others out of respect for my parents.”

Ordinary servants wouldn’t know what skills their young lady excelled at, but when it came to needlework, it truly gave Jia Yufang a headache.

“Grandmother, don’t worry,” Luo Yan patiently reassured her. “I’ve been frail since childhood, and it’s hard to say how long I’ll live. Besides, if things ever get too difficult, I can always rely on my esteemed cousin in the capital.”

Though her words were blunt, Jia Yufang had to admit there was truth to them.

Her main concern was that the young lady’s lost reputation might affect her marriage prospects. But since her connection to the Crown Prince’s grandson couldn’t be severed, after much deliberation, she decided it was best to focus on nurturing the young lady’s health.

Moreover, there was another promising seedling in the household.

Zhu Yun, who had suddenly been gazed upon with affection: “?”

Luo Yan also asked in surprise, “Grandmother, why are you looking at him?”

“It’s nothing,” Jia Yufang said with a smile. “We’ll talk about it when Yan-Jie and Yun-Ge are older.”

The matter of going to the capital was set aside for the time being, but Luo Yan’s mood was still affected, leaving her listless all evening.

Zhu Yun poked her cheek and abruptly said, “I’m going down the mountain tomorrow.”

“I want to go too.”

“No.” He needed to exchange for a more suitable sword and retrieve a few secret manuals from Henghe Town. The journey would span multiple regions, and bringing Luo Yan along would only delay them indefinitely.

However, before he could explain, Luo Yan pouted angrily and stormed back to her room.

Zhu Yun picked up the utterly bewildered Sanmei and tossed her out the window, contemplating whether to take the little creature out of Qingyuan Village while he was at it.

But on second thought, someone would surely cry, so he dismissed the idea.

…

Luo Yan slept soundly and woke up having completely forgotten her worries.

After breakfast, she took the meat strips her grandmother had prepared and went to the shed to lure the big cat.

The big cat was grooming her kittens. When she saw Luo Yan, her pupils narrowed warily, but driven by instinct, she cautiously approached the scent of meat.

“Here you go.”

Luo Yan tossed the meat into the food bowl. The big cat swiftly snatched it and dashed away, even forgetting her kittens in the process.

Luo Yan took the opportunity to bring Sanmei back to the courtyard to bask in the sun.

Come to think of it, she had quite a bit to do today: practicing calligraphy, grading assignments, adjusting lesson plans, and reading the geographical records of the Great Li Kingdom.

Before she knew it, it was noon. After a simple meal of noodles, Luo Yan carried the kitten and went out to pick up her few remaining students.

First, she went to Changsheng’s home.

Changyi had recently been learning double-sided embroidery. When she saw Luo Yan, she weakly called out, “Sister.”

Liu Changsheng, on the other hand, was quite relaxed. Rubbing his slightly rounded belly, he stepped out holding a martial arts storybook, with unfamiliar words circled on the pages. As he walked, he asked her for explanations.

The two then went to Guyu’s home.

Guyu’s mother was handling wild boar entrails, her movements swift and precise, as dashing as a female knight.

Luo Yan greeted her proactively, “Aunt Meixiang.”

Zhou Meixiang immediately softened her demeanor, looking somewhat flustered at the fair-skinned young girl outside the courtyard. “Are you here for Guyu?”

Hearing the voices, Guyu poked his head out from behind the window and waved enthusiastically, “You’re here!”

He shared a room with his older brother, Gufeng, and younger brother, Guyang. The room was furnished with a desk and bookshelves, giving off an atmosphere of diligent study.

Guyu stood on tiptoe and retrieved a letter from a wooden box on the top shelf. “My brother wrote back to me.”

In the past, when he was illiterate and the academy was far from Hanmei Town, he could only rely on fellow villagers to pass on messages. Now that Guyu could read and write, Luo Yan had encouraged him to send his first letter. His older brother, equally delighted, had replied with a full four pages.

“If my brother passes the autumn imperial exams this time, we’re moving to town.”

Luo Yan praised enthusiastically, “Haven’t you always wanted to be an accountant? Once your parents move to town and open a shop, your dream will come true!”

Guyu flushed with excitement, his eyes sparkling.

Liu Changsheng, however, remained silent. Upon closer look, his eyes were red.

The two boys exchanged glances, vaguely sensing a bittersweet feeling, though they didn’t yet know it was called “parting.”

Luo Yan, having experienced it before, wiped her tears with the back of her hand and comforted them, “It’s just the town, it’s not far. When Guyu makes it big, he’ll invite us all over.”

Guyu nodded emphatically.

Liu Changsheng, snapping out of it, laughed through his tears, “It’s not even a sure thing yet.”

The three children and the kitten then made their way to Qinglian’s home.

A thin, elderly man sat in the courtyard. Guyu went up to ask and learned that Qingcao and her sister had gone to the fields with Aunt Cui.

Luo Yan was disheartened. “She said yesterday she’d come to study.”

Hearing this, Liu Changsheng looked up from his storybook, hopeful. “So, do we still have to study today?”

“Yes,” Luo Yan whispered like a demon. “Even if the sky falls, we study.”

…

As for Zhu Yun, he woke at the first watch of Yin hour.

Boldly striding into Luo Yan’s room, he found the girl sound asleep and couldn’t resist teasing her.

He rummaged for weapons he intended to pawn: a dagger, sleeve arrows, and a nine-section whip, and gently piled them on Luo Yan’s stomach. Yet, she didn’t stir at all.

Zhu Yun chuckled to himself for a while, then packed the items into a bundle. Turning back, he pinched her cheek before using his lightness skill to leisurely descend the mountain.

Along the way, he spotted several farmers with horses. He chose the most handsome one, cut its reins, and rode off without a second thought.

Arriving in Henghe Town,

He leaped up and removed several roof tiles, then retrieved two boxes from the rafters. In the dim light, he examined their contents. In the end, he kept the Shangguan family’s Shecheng Heart Sutra and the Qin family’s Qingshan Medical Canon, tossing the remaining books and boxes into a fire.

The secret manuals fought over so fiercely in the martial world gradually turned to ashes. Zhu Yun dusted off his sleeves and headed to the next destination.

…

Long County, White Cloud Temple.

Zhu Yun slipped into the pawnshop under cover of darkness and dropped his bundle over the head of a dozing old monk. “Permanent pawn.”

The old monk was startled awake and instinctively glanced toward the gatekeepers, only to find them sprawled unconscious on the ground. Unable to call for help, he whispered hoarsely, “Spare me, noble warrior.”

Since this was merely for money, Zhu Yun had no fear of the monk escaping. He casually settled back into the shadows.

Anything solvable with silver was trivial. The old monk’s face brightened, and he rotated a scroll painting to reveal a hidden cabinet storing gold and silver. Unlocking it, he inquired, “Will this suffice?”

Zhu Yun didn’t bother to reply. He grabbed a few gold ingots, knocked the monk unconscious, and slipped out through the temple’s rear gate.

By the hour of Wei, he had returned to Hanmei Town.

He had changed horses twice along the way, and the fine steed from Long County he now rode was far superior to the farmer’s horse. He had considered keeping it but feared Luo Yan would pester him to learn riding. With the weather growing increasingly hot, he worried exertion and sweat might harm her health.

After some thought, he left the horse with the farmer as compensation.

Back in Qingyuan Village, he first headed to the eastern hills to practice merging his sword techniques with the newly acquired inner energy method. Engrossed in his training, he lost track of time until dusk began to fall, reluctantly making his way back.

Night had deepened. Doors were tightly shut in every household, lamps lit inside, casting shifting shadows on paper windows like scenes from a puppet show.

Only the Jia residence hung two lanterns outside their courtyard, resembling the North Star, guiding latecomers home.

It suddenly struck him, among the myriad lights, one now belonged to him.

His steps slowed briefly, then quickened.

Pushing open the half-ajar wooden gate, Zhu Yun first spotted Liu Changsheng, his mouth glistening with grease. The latter grinned and said to Luo Yan, “Your brother is back.”

Luo Yan, engrossed in weaving a flower crown, nearly retorted, “What nonsense?” Realizing he meant Zhu Yun, she sprang up: “Why were you gone so long?”

Though her tone was complaining, her eyes sparkled with joy.

Zhu Yun smirked. “Come with me.”

The siblings strode openly into the house, leaving the thoroughly ignored Liu Changsheng behind: “…”

Zhu Yun unfolded the bundle, revealing scattered copper coins, broken silver, a few banknotes, two books, and a packet of peach blossom pastries.

Luo Yan picked up a piece to taste, sweet but not cloying, and immediately thought of sharing it with her friends.

“Don’t give any to others,” he warned. “I waited a full half-hour to buy these.”

“Fine.”

Worried her younger sister might sneak a bite, she rewrapped the pastries and placed them on the upper shelf of the antique display rack.

Turning back, she saw Zhu Yun spin the nosy Liu Changsheng around and shove him out, growling, “Stay out of my room.”

No sharing, no entering.

Who knew he had such strong territorial instincts?

Liu Changsheng’s attention was caught by the whip coiled at Zhu Yun’s waist and he shamelessly inquired about it. Luo Yan was equally curious but didn’t hold back, reaching out to touch it. “Smooth,” she remarked.

Zhu Yun: “…”

More concerned about the uninvited guest, he asked sharply, “What’s Liu Changsheng doing here?”

Luo Yan, still tugging at the whip to figure out its material, replied without looking up, “Changsheng chopped today’s firewood.”

“Just a small favor,” Liu Changsheng rubbed his hands together. “Can I touch it too?”

Zhu Yun sneered, “Go ahead and try.”

Just then, Jia Yufang brought out the meal and, seeing the three youngsters chasing each other playfully, teased, “So you’re not angry with Brother Yun anymore?”

Luo Yan: “…”

She had honestly forgotten.

Equally carefree was Liu Changsheng. He packed his rice down firmly, picked out the plumpest piece of chicken thigh, and suggested, “How about I come back tomorrow to help you chop firewood?”

Zhu Yun couldn’t take it anymore. “Can’t even eating shut you up?”

Just as Luo Yan was about to mediate, she saw Changsheng’s mother arriving with a lantern to pick him up. Jia Yufang stood to greet her, and the two women stood outside talking.

Faintly, she could hear words like “carpenter” and “poor thing.”

Luo Yan thought it over, wasn’t the carpenter Qingcao’s father? Could something have happened to Qingcao?