How Could I Resist His Madness and Charm [Transmigration] - Chapter 19

Grandma’s hands were strong, and after her massage, Luo Yan felt completely relaxed, so she gave up any thought of slacking off.

Thus, her days were spent following Zhu Yun into the mountains to practice archery, teaching Gu Yu and the others about the laws of Da Li at noon, and busily copying books whenever she had a spare moment.

By the time her archery skills had noticeably improved and the copied manuscripts were delivered on schedule, Zhu Yun’s fourteenth birthday had arrived.

As it was also the Mid-Autumn Festival, the younger generations had all returned to show their filial piety, and the usually spacious Qingyuan Village was packed with people. They gathered by the roadside or under trees, chatting about everything from the harvest to their children, eventually landing on the topic of the Jia family’s eldest grandson.

At a quarter past seven in the morning, Zhu Yun descended from the eastern hills. With every few steps, he encountered villagers, some of whom he didn’t even recognize, yet they all seemed to know him, cheerfully wishing him, “Happy birthday!”

A greeting or two was fine, but after hearing it repeatedly, his ears began to burn. By the end, he was dodging the crowd in embarrassment, taking a shortcut back home.

In the courtyard, Luo Yan, who had claimed to be unwell, was sitting calmly combing her hair. Seeing the birthday boy covered in wild grass with dew clinging to his hair, she exclaimed in surprise, “Were you off stealing something?”

“…”

Pretty much.

Zhu Yun uncomfortably turned his face away, then abruptly swiveled back, giving her a head-to-toe inspection.

The girl was dressed festively, in a lotus-colored dress paired with a vermilion outer robe, a pomegranate-red sachet tied at her waist, and even her hair ribbon in a matching shade. She looked like a vibrant mountain flower in full bloom.

Her temperament was just as lively. As soon as she finished styling her hair, she eagerly pulled him toward the table, saying, “Open your gifts first!”

The villagers loved a celebration, and upon learning it was Zhu Yun’s birthday, word spread like wildfire. Before dawn, they had taken turns visiting with gifts, rice, flour, pastries, all sorts of homemade delicacies.

Luo Yan picked up a sour jujube and fed it to him. “Try it, sour with a hint of sweet. It’s really delicious.”

Just then, Zhou Meixiang entered carrying a bamboo rat, stammering slightly but with firm determination: “Brother Yun, may your happiness be as vast as the Eastern Sea, and your life as long as the Southern Mountains.”

It was clear she had just learned this auspicious phrase from Gu Yu.

“Thank you, Aunt Meixiang.” Luo Yan had intended to step forward to greet her, but after a glance at the squirming little creature, she veered off and hid behind Zhu Yun.

Zhou Meixiang laughed heartily. “Don’t be scared, don’t be scared! I’ll just put it in the east kitchen.”

Luo Yan breathed a sigh of relief and led Zhu Yun inside. The gifts she and Grandma had prepared were placed at the head of the bed.

He picked up the brand-new sword tassel and raised an eyebrow. “So this was for me.”

“Touched, aren’t you?” She was immensely proud. “I worked for almost half a month, earned my very first wages, and spent all of it on your gift!”

The sword tassel was one Zhu Yun had chosen himself.

A few days earlier, Luo Yan had dragged him to the market, looking at everything but buying nothing, insisting he help her pick out styles. The sword tassel was among the items.

At the time, Zhu Yun had been quite impatient, but now he understood her scheme.

The corners of his lips curled, and his eyes sparkled with delight. “It’s very beautiful.”

With that, he handed her his sword, signaling for her to tie it on herself.

Luo Yan pouted. “You really know how to boss people around.”

Authentic sword tassels weren’t available in Hanmei Town, this one was actually meant for tying round fans. Fortunately, Grandma was skilled with her hands and, after some adjustments, it matched the long sword perfectly.

The more she looked at it, the more pleased she felt. She lifted her face and declared, “Such good taste.”

Zhu Yun gently stroked the tassel a few times, then, after a moment, began to untie it with a flick of his finger.

“You don’t like it?” Luo Yan pressed her hand over his, her tone fierce, as if she would pounce and bite him the moment he nodded.

“I like it.”

His eyes curved into crescents. “That’s why I wanted to put it away.”

He used his sword daily, but the tassel remained clean and elegant. Whether it was touched by raindrops or mud, he would feel regretful.

After hearing his explanation, Luo Yan’s furrowed brows relaxed. “This isn’t expensive. If it gets dirty or damaged, I’ll buy you another one. In the future, I’ll buy you many more, even better ones.”

Zhu Yun was persuaded and solemnly placed the sword on the desk before picking up her right hand to examine it.

“The calluses are from holding a bow.”

His warm breath sprayed against her palm, making her ears itch as well. She mumbled, “Even if I weren’t copying books, I’d still practice writing. Don’t overthink it.”

He remained silent, and the atmosphere subtly shifted.

But Luo Yan couldn’t pinpoint why it felt strange or how it had changed, so she raised the small wooden sword and made conversation. “You give me something, I give you something, how nice.”

The old and new tassels lay side by side, like the present and the past.

Without hesitation, Zhu Yun seized the present, letting the other red tassel slowly slip away until it was caught in Luo Yan’s palm.

A faint ripple stirred in his eyes as he straightened up. “What did Grandmother give you?”

“New shoes, two pairs.”

Luo Yan’s tone turned slightly sour. “She only made one pair for me.”

Besides that, there were congratulatory cards from her friends. Of course, she had assigned the task as their teacher, requiring each of them to write at least fifty words.

Guyu’s card was on top. Zhu Yun skimmed it, the writing was eloquent, likely copied from some book.

Next was Changsheng’s. The characters started large and grew smaller, clearly because he realized he was running out of space and had to squeeze them in.

Below were Changyi and Qinglian’s cards. The first two lines were auspicious phrases, but from the third line onward, every sentence mentioned Luo Yan, making it unclear whose birthday was being celebrated.

“And Qingcao,” she said, fetching a pair of pouches and telling Zhu Yun, “Aunt Cui slipped these to me last night.”

Qingcao had now gone with her aunt to the Sheng family, working in a shop under a temporary contract. Perhaps she had heard the news from her mother and specially sent a gift.

Luo Yan eagerly changed into the new shoes and admired herself in the bronze mirror.

“Save the admiring for later,” he said, half-pushing and half-carrying her out the door, warning, “I need to change clothes. Don’t come in without permission.”

“You’ve changed, ”

Bang. The door closed, followed by the sound of the bolt sliding into place.

Luo Yan choked back the word “so,” swallowing it down.

Has he hit his rebellious phase? Why has he been so sensitive and suspicious lately, as if someone would peek at him changing?

She had no time to dwell on it. Tying up her wide sleeves with a hair ribbon, she went outside to draw grids in the courtyard.

Soon, guests began to arrive.

Luo Yan directed Guyu to arrange the prizes according to her notes. They would play ring toss, arrow throwing, and hopscotch later.

Qinglian glanced at the notes and asked with a pained expression, “Sister Yan, am I too stupid? I don’t recognize a single word.”

The notes were deliberately written in pinyin to keep the birthday boy from seeing and spoiling the surprise. She pinched Qinglian’s chubby cheek. “I was just doodling, not writing anything.”

“You scared me.”

Nearby, Changyi had taken a liking to a clay whistle and bowed to his older brother. “You have to win this for me no matter what.”

Liu Changsheng was dumbfounded. “Me?”

He asked the wrong person.

Luo Yan laughed until her stomach hurt. “If your brother can’t win it, I’ll just give it to you as today’s payment.”

Changyi nodded happily, vowing to draw the grids perfectly.

When the birthday boy emerged, dressed in new clothes, wearing new boots, and sporting a fresh pouch and a tassel at his waist, Liu Changsheng went over to congratulate him and added, “Big brother, you’re so lucky.”

Zhu Yun cast him a faint glance.

Liu Changsheng continued with a sigh, “We both have younger sisters, yet only yours is so considerate.”

He curled his lips into a smile. “Your sister thinks the same of you.”

“What?” Liu Changsheng pondered for a moment before catching on. “Damn it, the two of you siblings are worse than each other.”

–

That night, the female guests and children still stayed at the Jia residence.

Jia Yufang had prepared a jar of osmanthus wine, setting aside half a pot for Luo Yan to entertain her friends, while also cutting a few strips of meat for the eagerly waiting Third Sister.

Luo Yan dipped her chopsticks in the wine and took a taste, it smelled fragrant but was bitter on the tongue, so sharp it made her brows scrunch up like tadpoles. Seeing this, Zhu Yun snatched the cup from her and drank it down without batting an eye.

In contrast, Guyu smacked his lips and said, “Good wine.”

“Stop pretending to be an adult,” she couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you going to turn into a drunkard when you grow up?”

Guyu was taken aback. “But I’ve already grown up.”

He was about the same age as Zhu Yun and, come spring, would officially start looking for work while his family gradually arranged his marriage. In Guyu’s eyes, he was already ninety percent an adult, only a tiny bit younger than his elder brother and father.

Mention of marriage made Changyi, who had just turned eleven, equally anxious. “My mother even said she’s going to cut fabric to sew my wedding dress.”

Though she knew people in ancient times married early, hearing it firsthand was still a shock. What’s more, everyone from stature to appearance still carried a childlike innocence; even Zhu Yun had the distinctive leanness of youth.

Luo Yan sighed. “My worldview is shattered.”

“Sister Yan,” Qinglian motioned for her to lean closer. “I heard from Mother that Cousin and Second Sister are going to get engaged.”

She added dreamily, “I want to marry into the town in the future too. What about you, Sister Yan?”

Luo Yan replied, “I haven’t thought about it.”

But after saying so, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander along that train of thought.

As the hour grew late and guests began to leave one after another, she remained lost in thought. Zhu Yun pinched her plump earlobe between two fingers, rubbing it back and forth.

After who knows how long, Luo Yan snapped out of it and turned to scold him, “Aren’t you annoying?”

Zhu Yun shrugged. “What were you thinking about?”

At that, a blush spread across her cheeks, and she stammered, “Just… randomly thinking about breakfast and lunch.”

“Who’d believe that?” Zhu Yun leaned in closer, trying to read the emotions in her eyes.

For a moment, their breaths were clearly audible.

Her gaze had nowhere to settle, her long lashes fluttering incessantly until she finally hunched her shoulders and leaned back to avoid him.

“Careful.” Zhu Yun reached out an arm to pull her back, his nose just brushing past her lips. Instantly, his eyes widened, and his Adam’s apple bobbed once.

Adam’s apple.

Luo Yan found herself inexplicably thinking, A-Yun is about to become an adult too. Her face grew even redder, the flush spreading down to her neck.

The evening breeze shifted from a gentle caress to whipping their hair into a wild dance. She raised a hand to press it down, cleared her throat, and said, “Let’s go back inside.”

The young man hastily retreated two steps, half his body hidden in the darkness, his expression unclear, but his voice sounded muffled as he said, “You go in first.”

“Oh…”

Luo Yan’s steps were hurried, almost fleeing as she left.

Once she had closed the door, drawn the curtains, and hidden under the covers, she covered her face and let out a long “ah.”

It was all that Zhu guy’s fault. Clearly, he hadn’t even awakened to such feelings, yet he had the nerve to declare he wanted to marry her.

So much so that when Qinglian asked about the “future,” a concrete answer had actually surfaced from the depths of her heart.

Even her ears were filled with that certain someone’s words,

“Let’s be a family and stay together forever,”

“You can marry me,”

“I hope you live a long life.”

If she could live past fifteen and completely escape the plot, she might actually consider marriage.

As for whom she would consider, it goes without saying.