In the distance are towering mountains, and nearby are beauties on night boats.

The brush is used lightly and with wide opening and closing strokes, with only a few strokes, the shapes and spirits are lifelike and soul-stirring, leaving behind a sense of vastness and loneliness.

This painting has already made Luo Lingyu's eyes flash with surprise, and what made her fingertips tremble as she touched the painting was the title she saw on the corner of the painting -

Looking for plum hermit.

Xunmei Jushi was a famous scholar of the time. He had a broad mind and was an expert in calligraphy and painting. Whenever his paintings were released to the market, thousands of people would compete for them. Even a layman like Luo Lingyu admired his talent and painting style in her heart. In the past, Luo Lingyu had tried every means to collect Xunmei Jushi's paintings, but she was a poor orphan girl and had no way to find them. She felt very miserable.

Now, such a painting is right in front of her... and this painting is not only of Ms. Xunmei, it also gives her a sense of familiarity... It must be that the master and she have a tacit understanding and this painting is worthy of her collection.

Seeing Luo Lingyu staring at the painting intently, Jinyue thought that her husband's perfunctory attitude had been seen by this sharp-minded cousin. Her face flushed slightly, and she coughed, wanting to explain that although this painting was made by Lu Yun in recent days, Sanlang definitely did not paint it casually... Luo Lingyu quickly asked the maid to roll up the painting, and when she raised her eyes, her watery eyes were bright, dark and clear.

Luo Lingyu's face even turned red from the smoke. She said excitedly, "I see the good intentions of my third cousin. Please tell my third cousin that I will repay you double in the future. I know that you love and care for me, and I am grateful to you."

"Lingyu was ignorant before and misjudged my cousin's feelings. She even thought that he hated me... Lingxi, come quickly and bring the rare copy of the Ming Dynasty book that I treasured and give it to my third cousin."

Jin Yue: “…”

She was stunned. Luo Lingyu actually called herself "Lingyu" and put herself in a weak position to please Lu Sanlang. Lu Sanlang just gave her a painting, and Jinyue chose it herself... Jinyue opened her mouth several times to explain, but Luo Lingyu was afraid that she would take back the precious painting, so she didn't give Jinyue a chance to speak.

When Jinyue returned to "Qingyuan" and reported to Lu Yun, she showed Lu Sanlang the gift given by her cousin with a smile on her face.

"My cousin seems to have misunderstood something."

After Lu Yun asked Jin Yue what she had given him, his eyebrows twitched but he didn't say anything - forget it, maybe things that belong to her should be given to her.

That painting.

The painting was of her.

He just felt disgusted and didn't want to say it, but she didn't know.

…

Lu Yun was the only one living in the second room, and everyone knew his style of doing things over the years. When she heard that Lu Yun had not been to the academy to study after returning, Old Madam Lu sighed. The eldest lady of the Lu family was not in a position to intervene in the affairs of the second room and did not say anything. Only Lu Erlang, the eldest son in the mansion, frowned when he heard that his third brother had skipped classes again.

The eldest brother is like a father. Lu Erlang asked Lu Sanlang to come over to talk. No matter how unruly Lu Yun was, he controlled his temper and went over to listen to his second brother's lecture.

The two brothers talked, sitting around the stove in Lu Xian's house. The doors and windows on the sunny side were all open, and the long willows outside the window were drooping, swaying slowly in the wind. Several maids sat in the corridor, making tea for the two gentlemen in the house on the red clay stove. Lu Yun sat opposite his brother in the house, took a sip of the tea brought by the maid, and the tip of his tongue was bitter. He immediately knew that this was the tea sent by Luo Lingyu.

He has it there too.

Lu Yun brushed his fingers across the white porcelain teacup and said with a half-smile, "Cousin Luo is well prepared. She really sent good things everywhere."

Erlang Lu Xian had a calm face and stern eyes, staring at the young man sitting casually opposite him: "Cousin Luo is virtuous, virtuous, and quiet, beautiful and thoughtful. With such a thoughtful mind, everyone in the mansion praises her."

Lu Yun raised his eyebrows: "All of them are exaggerations? Not necessarily?"

Lu Xian immediately gave her a warning look: "Third brother, don't bully your new cousin. I heard about the visit to the garden that day. I don't know how much gossip you caused Cousin Luo to have, which led to her sending tea and cakes later."

Lu Yun smiled coldly, revealing his frivolous side to his brother. He said nonchalantly, "I don't mess with these girls. I hate them pestering me. I just teased her that day, but I was annoyed by her... Don't worry, second brother, I know my limits and I won't associate with her anymore."

Lu Xian sighed. After so many years, he naturally knew how much his third brother had attracted romantic interests. But when it comes to propriety, Lu Xian said, "How can you be propriety? You skipped all the classes at home, and after you came back, you stayed at home and didn't go out. I heard that you were injured. Where were you injured? Did you see a doctor? Who were you injured for?"

Lu Yun said casually: "It's nothing, just a personal matter."

Lu Xian: "...Okay, then I won't mention your 'private affairs'. Father wants to find you a position as a minister in the court, what do you think?"

Lu Yun looked at the teacup in his hand without raising his eyebrows, and said without hesitation: "I won't go."

Lu Xian's eyes were filled with anger, and his tone became a little stern: "Third brother, you are not a child anymore, you should do some serious work, don't play all day. Father wanted you to serve as an official in the court many times, but you refused, and you were injured today... Oh, even if you don't say it, I know that you are working for the third master again, killing people for him, right?"

Lu Yun raised his eyebrows: "Second brother, please don't say such nonsense."

Lu Xian's tone slowed down: "Sanlang, I know you have a good relationship with that young master. He saved you when you were young, and you want to repay him. But you have been doing so many things in private for so many years, and you have killed so many people... No matter how precious your life is, you have repaid the favor, right?"

"Are you going to sacrifice your entire future for him?"

Lu Yun: "Friends."

"I think you really don't repent, and you insist on going all the way. He is just a bastard, and he won't be the one to inherit the throne in the future. Because you are so close to him, your father has been unhappy for many years. My Lu family has never been involved in the matter of usurping the throne, and you are really making things difficult for us."

Lu Yun raised his eyes, his eyes were dark. He stared at Lu Xian, and Lu Xian was shocked, and his momentum was suppressed to the point that he couldn't speak. The pressure flashed away, and when he looked again, Lu Yun calmly drank a sip of tea and said, "I have always made my own decisions. You don't need to persuade me. Even if there are mountains of swords and seas of fire, or thunder and lightning from the sky, I will leave this way."