Love's Debt Comes Knocking - Chapter 1

“The rain beats on the yellow plum’s head, forty-five days without a sun’s light”—this saying perfectly captures the long, dreary plum rain season of the south.

Plum rain, also known as mold rain. Mold as in mildew, mold as in misfortune. To be caught on the road by the heavens during this season is truly the worst luck imaginable.

The sky was gloomy, the air thick and sticky with moisture. Silver threads of rain converged into fine lines, racing to strike the ground. Day after day, the sun remained unseen, while moss crept unchecked along the walls. Ordinary folk would take a break from their outdoor work during this season, huddling indoors and muttering, “It just never ends.”

Lu Yang was not from an ordinary family, so she had the misfortune of being caught by the heavens on her debt-collecting journey.

The carriage wheels rolled silently over the damp stone pavement. The grand procession of carriages wound its way through the deserted streets, a far cry from the imposing order they had displayed upon departure. Rain fell on straw hats, slanting with the wind into collars that the raincoats couldn’t fully cover, dampening even the inner layers of clothing.

The sound of wheels mingled with the ceaseless patter of rain, a scene that only deepened the growing irritation in everyone’s hearts.

“This weather is truly cursed—when will it ever end?” The speaker was the steward responsible for assisting the young master on this debt-collecting trip. Round-faced and sturdy, a native of the south, even his complaints carried the distinctive cadence of the southern dialect.

His words echoed the sentiments of the entire group. It was fine if they didn’t think about it, but upon reflection, ever since they entered Wuti City, it had been as if the sky had sprung a leak. For half a month straight, rain had poured down, pooling in the potholes and puddles, deep enough to submerge an ankle with a single step. It wasn’t that they couldn’t endure hardship, but this weather was truly draining.

Yet, on second thought, they had survived that torrential downpour in the depths of winter. What harm could a little rain do?

The steward set his worries aside. “Young Master, we’re almost at the Floating Life Inn.”

From behind the carriage curtain came a soft, gentle reply: “Watch your step. Once we’re inside the inn, everything will be fine.”

Hearing this, the group couldn’t help but smile faintly. As the heir to the Lu family, whose wealth rivaled that of nations, their young master was remarkably approachable.

Logically, the one who should have suffered the most on such a journey was this “precious egg” of the Lu family. Yet, here she was, having traveled for over half a year, noticeably thinner but never once showing a hint of fear.

Even now, with the sky seemingly falling apart, she could still comfort them in return. Truly, someone who had seen the wider world.

The carriage came to a steady stop outside the Floating Life Inn, where the innkeeper stood waiting under a large umbrella.

The carriage curtain, embroidered with white plum blossoms in wind and snow, was lifted. Without waiting for assistance, Lu Yang hopped down from the carriage.

Though her appearance was delicate, she stood tall and slender. Her dark hair was tied up with a red jade hairpin, and though she hadn’t bothered with elaborate attire for the journey, the simple, wide-sleeved robe she wore still exuded an air of grace and elegance.

Arriving at their lodging brought a collective sigh of relief. Lu Yang was ushered into the finest room in the inn. Before long, a waiter brought in a fragrant bath with water adjusted to the perfect temperature.

“Young Master Lu, please make yourself comfortable.”

Lu Yang rewarded him with a generous smile, leaving the waiter momentarily dazed as he stumbled downstairs.

Once the door was locked, Lu Yang allowed her straight posture to relax for a moment.

This long, arduous journey to collect debts had exposed her to hardships she had never experienced before. To uphold the dignity and honor befitting the “Lu family heir,” Lu Yang had lived without rest for over half a year—no, for all eighteen years of her life.

She didn’t need to push herself this hard, but she was fiercely determined, unwilling to let outsiders sneer and say, “The Lu family is about to die out.” The mere thought was unbearable.

Compared to that, she could endure any hardship.

Having endured until now, the warm bath before her felt all the more precious. Lu Yang shed her clothes and stepped into the half-person-high wooden tub. The water’s surface was dotted with seasonal flower petals. She loosened her hair, letting her cascading dark tresses fall over her jade-like slender back, shoulders, and the delicate curve of her collarbone. Below, her chest rose gently, the valley between them a soft, snowy expanse.

Further down, taut, defined lines traced the sides of her navel.

When clothed, the young mistress of the Lu family appeared delicate and fragile due to her gentle features. But without garments, she revealed a different sight—a flat abdomen without a trace of excess, fair and smooth skin, and a slender waist, all radiating the healthy beauty of youth.

At twelve, Lu Yang had been mocked by neighboring playmates for her lack of strength. Years of diligent cultivation had since sculpted a figure that would make even women blush.

She closed her eyes, resting her slender arms on the edge of the tub, pondering how long this rain would last and hoping it wouldn’t delay her journey further.

She wasn’t the only one worrying. Officials of Wuti City, large and small, were also anxiously watching this vexing downpour.

In just seven days, many had become trapped in inns, unable to venture out. Outside, the rainwater had risen high enough to submerge an adult’s calves. The innkeeper sighed daily at the counter, lamenting the heavens’ lack of mercy.

Wealthy guests, eager for news of the outside world, sent silver to hire scouts. Some, with fiery tempers, even clashed with others in heated arguments.

Lu Yang was no stranger to the myriad faces of humanity, but this rain truly felt unnatural. If it didn’t stop soon, she feared the city’s embankments might fail.

The more she dwelled on it, the heavier the unease in her heart grew.

“Young Mistress?”

Lu Yang snapped back to attention and glanced toward the door. “Uncle Lu, gather our things. We’re leaving the city in the rain.”

This place was no longer safe.

Rather than waiting helplessly, it was better to take action. The sooner they left, the better. If they stayed and the embankments failed to hold back the Xiang River’s flow…

A chill ran down her spine. “Hurry!”

The round-faced steward dared not question her and immediately instructed the others.

Though young—having just turned eighteen half a month ago—Lu Yang was seen by many as the epitome of “obedient and sensible.” Yet, despite her youth and gender, she was the undisputed heir of the Lu family. Raised amidst wealth and power, her words and actions were far from ordinary.

“Leaving in the rain?” The innkeeper leaned over the counter. “The rain is so heavy, Young Mistress Lu. Please reconsider!”

Wasn’t it better to stay at the inn? With good food, fine clothes, and servants attending to her needs, he could guess her worries. But Wuti City’s defenses were famously sturdy. Even if the heavens broke, how could such a vast city be flooded?

Native Wuti residents scoffed at outsiders’ “cowardice.”

A wealthy young man seated by the window, likely the pampered scion of some old-fashioned family, had long disapproved of a woman appearing in public and giving orders to men. He couldn’t resist meddling. “What a joke! Wuti’s stability has been tested through countless disasters. Innkeeper, don’t bother persuading her. Let her go seek her own doom.”

With rain this heavy, how could they even see the road?

Lu Yang had her plans. She restrained her attendants, unwilling to engage in arguments.

Trapped in the inn, even those with calm dispositions grew restless. She, who considered herself patient, had also bottled up a bellyful of frustration.

What’s the point of winning a momentary verbal victory? Staying alive is what truly matters. It doesn’t matter if people can’t see the road clearly—old horses know the way, and they could even lead you out of Wuti City with your eyes closed. Leaving Wuti City and staying far from any potential disaster is the smart way to survive.

As she thought this, lightning intertwined on the horizon, roaring and terrifying.

The wealthy young master had intended to say a few more words, but the sudden clap of thunder frightened him, turning his face pale.

“Young Mistress, everything is prepared. All the horses are top-tier, handpicked from thousands. We can leave at any time.”

“Good, let’s go.”

She acted decisively, and the Lu family’s servants rushed to clear the way for her.

“Long hair, short-sightedness—just wait, she’ll be back crying in no time!”

Although the innkeeper thought the same, he kept quiet.

That young master dared to act so recklessly only because he didn’t know who the Lu family’s young mistress was. How could someone running a business not understand the depth of the Lu family’s influence?

As the saying goes, money can make the devil turn the millstone, and the Lu family’s wealth could move even gods and ghosts.

Even if the Lu family now only consisted of an elderly matriarch and an eighteen-year-old young mistress, such a colossal entity was not something just anyone could provoke.

With nothing better to do, he fiddled with the abacus, suddenly recalling how the Lu family’s young mistress could perform dazzling tricks with a golden abacus even with her eyes closed at the age of eight.

The inn was in chaos. After Lu Yang braved the rain to leave, several groups of people followed suit—at least by rushing out, they had a chance to escape if danger arose. Staying trapped here, waiting to be drowned, would leave them with nowhere to cry for help.

The wealthy young master remained unmoved, sitting by the window, mocking those who couldn’t withstand even the slightest storm: “Mark my words, just wait a little longer, they’ll definitely come back—”

The waiter’s lips trembled as he stared outside the door, taking two steps back: “Water… water is flooding in!”

In the torrential rain, a once-in-two-centuries downpour in Wuti City, Lu Yang led her debt-collecting team safely out of the city gates. Just as her tense nerves were about to relax, a series of rumbling sounds echoed from afar.

“What is that sound?!” the steward shouted, half his voice lost in the wind and rain.

Lu Yang sat on horseback, gripping the reins, and peered into the distance. Her small face suddenly drained of color: “The embankment has burst… head for the mountains!”

It seemed as though the heavens were playing a cruel joke on the people of Wuti City. The city’s defenses, once praised by all, finally revealed their frailty in the face of a true natural disaster. The Xiang River overflowed, the downpour poured in, water was everywhere, and cries for help and the sounds of frantic escape filled the air.

“Protect the Young Mistress!”

“Keep an eye on everyone, don’t get separated!”

“Run—”

On the eighth day after the embankment breach in Wuti City, the heavy rain still hadn’t let up.

Lu Yang and her entourage had been separated, forced to survive alone on an unknown mountain.

Her once-vibrant brocade clothes, soaked through and caked in mud, were now unrecognizable. The jade hairpin she once wore was long gone, and with disheveled hair and a grimy face, she looked like a delicate-skinned beggar who had suffered a great calamity—a level of destitution she had never experienced in her eighteen years.

No one would take a liking to a beggar.

Yet Lu Yang was still noticed.

A withered hand silently rested on the “beggar’s” shoulder. Startled, Lu Yang turned around to see an old woman grinning maliciously at her, her heart leaping into her throat.

“Little beggar, how about Granny bestowing upon you a heaven-sent fortune?”

Lu Yang shook her head.

No matter how vigorously she shook her head like a rattle-drum, it couldn’t stop the old woman from swiftly forming her plan.

“Down on your luck, lowly, rolling in the mud—oh my, and a young girl at that. Perfect, every detail fits.”

Her accent was so strange that Lu Yang couldn’t understand her. In an instant, the white-haired, wrinkled old woman put on a feigned expression of kindness and smiled at her: “A great beauty, at that. You’re not losing out.”

These words were spoken in the official dialect of the capital, which Lu Yang understood. She turned to flee, but the old woman effortlessly caught her and pulled her back. “Don’t run. Someone is waiting for you on the mountain ahead.”

The mountain ahead was called Peach Mountain. At its peak stood a dilapidated temple, battered by wind and rain. Lu Yang’s heart trembled just as unsteadily.

Having been captured and brought up the mountain during the day, she had witnessed the chaos below and guessed that her people wouldn’t have time to search for her anytime soon.

Upon reaching Peach Mountain, she stood before the creaky old wooden door of the temple. The sky had darkened, with no stars or moon in sight.

Inside the temple, only a faint glimmer of light was visible.

“Go in. I’ll keep watch for you at the foot of the mountain and make sure no one disturbs your… enjoyment.” The old woman sighed. “I took their money, so I must help them avoid disaster. Such is fate!”

With a seemingly light push, Lu Yang lost her balance and crashed against the dilapidated wooden door.

Though the door was old, it was surprisingly sturdy.

Once inside, she steadied herself and followed the candlelight to survey her surroundings. Her gaze suddenly met a pair of clear, vigilant eyes.

It was an exceptionally beautiful young woman—both stunning and cold. Her eyes gleamed with a frosty sharpness, as if they could transform into blades to cut someone down on the spot.

Afraid of causing offense, Lu Yang dared not approach further, feeling utterly at a loss.

“Who are you?”

The voice was icy, as if tempered by frost perhaps even colder than ice itself.

“I…”

Feeling ashamed in the presence of such beauty, Lu Yang lowered her head to straighten her torn clothes, which had been snagged by branches, and bowed respectfully. “Lu Yang, from Phoenix City.”