Chapter 108

The study fell into silence for a moment, and Luo Shenyuan asked, "What did you say?"

"It's all because of that bastard Lin Mao..." Lin Hairu said, "I talked to Yining about it, but she didn't say anything. I don't know what she meant..."

Lin Hairu looked up, only to find Luo Shenyuan's expression odd. It wasn't strange, but in the candlelight, the lines from his straight nose to his chin seemed to be pursed.

But then he reached for the teacup and drank from it, saying, "Duke Ying has long been interested in Yining's marriage, so please don't interfere in their affairs. As for Lin Mao, I think he's too casual and really not a man worth entrusting. If he gets the urge to become an alchemist, a monk, or a Taoist priest, what will you do with Yining?"

Lin Hairu, hearing his words, recalled how Lin Mao had burned down half a street of shops in Yangzhou, and felt he had a point. But she couldn't help but wonder, "The Duke of Ying's family is a distinguished family, and I think Wei Ling seems to be interested in Yi Ning. Who has he chosen?"

Luo Shenyuan looked up at his mother and said, "Aren't you going back to accompany Nan Ge'er?"

Why is he so secretive!

Lin Hairu felt a little regretful. If the elders in Yining had already made plans, then Lin Mao would be taking on too much responsibility.

After Lin Hairu left, Luo Shenyuan sat down, leaned back in his chair, and looked out the window at the night scene in silence.

With the arrival of summer, the weather grew hotter. The chirping of cicadas and crickets outside made the stillness of the open-air hall particularly hushed. Even the sound of the wind rustling the leaves was audible. In the pitch-black night, he suddenly remembered his childhood, when an old maid had taken care of him. The side room where he lived ran out of lamp oil, and the maid had groped in the dark to fetch him food. She fell at the door, and the fall left her side numb and unable to move. She passed away a few days later.

He was a child, alone, with no one to take care of him. A maid carried him to Old Lady Luo's house, where he watched the lights flicker brightly. His tiny, pink-ball-like little sister sat in Old Lady Luo's arms, being fed mouthful by mouthful of goat's milk porridge. Old Lady Luo didn't ask if she wanted to see him. He stood outside the lattice, watching the night fall, feeling increasingly lonely.

The old nanny who raised him is gone too, and it seems like no one wants him.

Even if his father and Xu Wei valued him now, who actually liked him? Luo Shenyuan knew it all too well. Luo Chengzhang wanted a son who could support the family, and the Qingliu faction was weak. Xu Wei needed someone as ruthless and unscrupulous as him. Otherwise, how could he compete with Wang Yuan and the others?

Yi Ning certainly didn't know how much she had clung to him when they were little. He was so happy in his heart. Although he seemed impatient with her closeness, the loneliness was gradually filled. That's why he wanted to hold her tightly, as if he had nothing else besides her.

If she were to get married, she would definitely devote herself to taking care of her husband and children, and be good to her husband, and would not even care about her brother.

Luo Shenyuan closed his eyes.

His hands tightly gripped the teacup, and for a moment his expression was so cold that he couldn't hide it.

A few maids were chattering outside. Yi Ning frowned and called them in. They were still young, newly bought into the mansion, and hadn't learned much about etiquette. When they heard that it was the young lady who called them in, they all lowered their heads.

Yi Ning scolded them for a few words before letting them go. She was drinking her soup when she heard Zhenzhu say with a smile, "Miss, I think that cousin from the Lin family is quite casual."

Luo Yining said, "He's a rebellious person. There may not be any deep meaning behind his behavior, but he's best at causing trouble for others."

She felt that she should not think too much about Lin Qingtian's actions, otherwise she would inevitably be angry to death by him.

Luo Yining stopped thinking about Lin Mao. She asked Songzhi to bring her a pen and paper so she could write a letter to Wei Ling. She wondered how he was doing in Xuanfu. Marching and fighting were the hardest things, requiring shelter wherever they went. Furthermore, as the commander-in-chief, Wei Ling bore even greater pressure.

Letters to and from the border had to be inspected by the post station before they could be sent out. Yi Ning did not write much about her own affairs, but only asked about his recent situation. Hearing footsteps coming in, Yi Ning said, "Zhenzhu, you've come at the right time. Hand me the envelope on the table."

A hand stretched out in front of her, and the envelope lay in his palm.

Yi Ning looked up in surprise when she saw the hand, and saw that it was Luo Shenyuan standing in front of her. She took the envelope and folded the letter while saying, "Third brother, why didn't you let me know when you came to see me?"

"So as not to disturb you." Luo Shenyuan took a few steps forward and sat opposite her.

Yi Ning looked up and saw a cold look between his eyebrows, his handsome features becoming even more profound in the night. Even though he didn't say much, he had a certain imposing presence just sitting there. Yi Ning suddenly felt a little envious of her future sister-in-law. Third Brother was indeed an exceptional figure.

Luo Yining handed him the letter: "You've arrived just in time. Please help me deliver the letter." She went out and asked the maid to serve tea to Luo Shenyuan. When she came back, she saw Luo Shenyuan took the chess cup she had placed next to the small table. "It's been a long time since I played chess with you. Let's play a few games and see if your chess skills have improved in the past two years."

Luo Yining was actually a little sleepy, but seeing that he didn't seem to be feeling sleepy at all, she took the black chess cup and asked, "How's the case going on with you? I heard the man you arrested is dead." Thinking of the man's tragic condition, and seeing her third brother's slender hand holding the chess piece and gently putting it down, Yining was still stunned.

This man was not only her third brother, but also Luo Shenyuan. It was then that she realized his absolute ruthlessness and coldness. What she knew in her heart was completely different from what she saw with her own eyes.

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