My Lady Says She Wants to Marry Me - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Lu Youming led Su Wanrou and the others toward her home amidst a dense fragrance of fruit. The roads at the foot of Wangcheng Mountain were significantly better than those in other rural villages.

Looking at the distant, rolling mountains with layers of clouds swirling around them, Su Wanrou couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. No wonder people said Wangcheng Mountain was home to immortals.

“It’s only natural for immortals to reside in such a divine realm,” Su Wanrou remarked, her eyes fixed on the curtain of clouds descending from the sky to cover the mountain range.

Lu Youming looked up and saw it too. She agreed, “Our luck is good today. Scenery like this isn’t something you see every day.”

Su Wanrou leaned against the carriage window, mesmerized by the distant peaks. Seeing her fascination, Lu Youming ordered the procession to slow down so Su Wanrou could savor this rare sight.

Lu Youming swayed comfortably atop her horse as she admired the view. Once the carriage rounded a bend and the scenery vanished, Su Wanrou’s gaze was naturally drawn back to Lu Youming, who was bobbing her head and humming a little tune.

Propping her chin on one hand with a smile on her lips, Su Wanrou pricked up her ears to listen closely to the melody. She was curious.

What was Lu Youming humming? It was a modern song, “The Girl by the Bridge.” However, Lu Youming’s rendition didn’t carry the original’s sense of heartache; instead, it felt lighthearted and relaxed. Since she only hummed the tune without singing the lyrics, Su Wanrou couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Husband, what is that tune you’re humming?” Su Wanrou listened for a long while but remained stumped, so she finally raised her voice to ask.

“Hmm…” Lu Youming tilted her head, thinking for a few seconds. She suddenly turned around with a bright smile. “It’s a secret. I won’t tell you, just so you’ll keep thinking about it. Hahaha!”

Su Wanrou rolled her eyes speechlessly and dropped the carriage curtain, deciding to ignore the playful Lu Youming.

Seeing that she seemed annoyed, Lu Youming rubbed her nose sheepishly; she felt like she might have bullied the girl a little too much. She pulled the reins and guided her horse closer to the carriage. Through the bamboo curtain, she could see the silhouette of the beauty with her eyes closed, clearly choosing to ignore her.

Lu Youming cleared her throat. Seeing the thin plumes of cooking smoke in the distance, she knew they were almost at Apricot Blossom Village. She wondered if “Fortune” had missed her while she was away.

“We’re almost there. Does Madam want to see the outskirts of the village?” Lu Youming tapped gently on the curtain. Su Wanrou opened her eyes and lifted the curtain, giving Lu Youming a flat look. Lu Youming thought she was still unhappy, but then Su Wanrou leaned her head out to look around.

Lu Youming saw her tsundere little expression and almost couldn’t hold back a laugh. Both of them were making an effort to get to know each other, carefully maintaining a respectful distance while being friendly.

Seven or eight minutes later, Lu Youming brought them to her home. Her small courtyard covered about two to three mu of land (roughly 0.3 to 0.5 acres). To protect against wild beasts from the mountains, every household in Apricot Blossom Village had built courtyard walls, and Lu Youming’s home was no exception.

She dismounted and took out her keys to unlock the thick wooden door. Inside the yard, the large wolfhound, which had been resting with its eyes closed, snapped its eyes open. Its tail began to wag excitedly. It had clearly caught its master’s scent. As soon as Lu Youming pushed the door open, she saw the dog standing under the eaves, tail wagging non-stop. She nodded in satisfaction and invited everyone in.

The moment Su Wanrou entered the gate, she was captivated by the dog—its spirited large eyes, pointed ears, and glossy, smooth fur. “What a majestic hound!”

In contrast, Liu Qing turned pale with fright. She had to exert quite a bit of effort to hold back her mistress, who was eager to go up and pet the dog. Liu Qing was having a minor internal breakdown.

Seeing that the others were also afraid, Lu Youming stepped forward to lead “Fortune” to its kennel. There was a small shed in the yard that served as Fortune’s home.

“Be good, Fortune. We have many new friends today, and they don’t know you yet. They’re a bit scared because you look so mighty. Stay in your kennel for now, and I’ll introduce you to a great beauty later.”

After patting Fortune’s head and tethering it, Lu Youming led Su Wanrou into the house. Despite her being away for several days, the house remained as neat as a pin. Su Wanrou felt relieved as she looked at the layout of the small home, which felt simple yet elegant.

The other servants moved the luggage inside and were then sent back by Su Wanrou. She told them to return the day after tomorrow to take them back to the city. Since Su Shaojun was away, their formal “Return to the Bride’s Home” visit would be to Su Wanrou’s maternal grandparents’ house.

Once the others had left, Lu Youming and Su Wanrou were left alone, staring at each other. Lu Youming hadn’t expected Su Wanrou to send Liu Qing back as well. Liu Qing was genuinely terrified of dogs; every time Fortune barked, her legs would turn to jelly, and she would look ready to collapse.

Feeling sorry for her maid, Su Wanrou had insisted on sending her back despite Liu Qing’s protests, telling her to just come back in two days. Liu Qing had been in tears as she left, feeling she had failed her mistress. She sobbed, “Miss, when I go back, I’ll look at more dogs so I won’t be afraid anymore.”

“There’s really no need to torture yourself like that,” Su Wanrou said, touched but firm. “While I’m away, just go home and rest for two days.”

“Alright then.” Liu Qing looked at Lu Youming expectantly and bowed, entrusting her to take good care of the Miss.

Lu Youming nodded, telling her not to worry. She would treat this as bringing Su Wanrou to the countryside for a vacation.