Chapter 25 The Double-Pupiled Beauty in the Backyard of the Deep Mansion 7
Two more days passed. Luo Shu had been living a very comfortable life these past two days. The newly moved courtyard had beautiful scenery and good lighting. The kitchen in the backyard would also send her some snacks from time to time. It was like living in paradise.
That day, Luo Shu was lying under a tree, half asleep, when a little maidservant next to her was reading a storybook to her.
This little girl was assigned to her by her mother. She was born into a family, and her parents worked as stewards in the household. She had learned to read and write quite a few words, which was a rare blessing.
Her parents placed her with Madam Luo in order to secure a good future for her. Now that she's with Luo Shu, it's hard to say whether it's bad luck or a stroke of good fortune. It all depends on how her master plans things now.
The little girl's name was chosen for its auspiciousness; she was called Wufu (五福).
Her voice was crisp and clear, like that of a nightingale. When she read aloud, her voice was melodious and pleasant to listen to. Luo Shu's eyelids closed tighter and tighter, and she gradually fell into a deep sleep.
While reading, Wu Fu glanced down at the languid woman lying in front of her. Compared to Miss Yun Yao, whom she had met before, the woman in front of her was a violation of etiquette and upbringing. However, she was also unrestrained and carefree. She was already incredibly beautiful, a rare beauty in the world, and she also had a free and easy demeanor. No one could help but be attracted to her.
Even if she was sent by the madam to monitor Miss Luo Shu, Miss Luo hadn't done anything wrong; she just needed to report truthfully to the madam. As for how she treated Miss Luo Shu...
She was a servant girl, and Miss Luo was her mistress. It was only right that she served her respectfully.
A sly glint flashed in Wu Fu's eyes. She thought this Miss Luo was a person with great fortune. Even as servants, they had to choose a good master.
Even though she had a lot on her mind, she didn't show it on her face at all, only appearing to be focused on her studies and cautious. It has to be said that anyone who can follow behind the mistress of the Grand Tutor's mansion must have some skills.
A gentle knock was made on the door of the courtyard, and the brass door knocker made a crisp sound.
Chun'er opened the courtyard gate, and there stood a middle-aged man, dressed neatly and presentably. Chun'er had seen him once before; he was the steward who served the master.
Steward Zhou's status far surpassed that of Chun'er and the others. After Chun'er finished paying her respects to him, he said, "Master has an urgent matter and asked this old servant to invite the Second Miss over. Please tell your young lady to come with this old servant to the front hall to meet the distinguished guests."
Chun'er's expression changed slightly. Her young lady was lazy and never left the courtyard. If she were asked to go to the front to greet guests now, she might not be able to get her to do it.
"Sir, Miss is sunbathing in the courtyard. Why don't you talk to her yourself?"
Butler Qian gave the burly maid in front of him a sharp look. She seemed honest, but he didn't expect her to be so cunning and shrewd.
He shouted angrily, "Where is the Second Miss?"
Chun'er led the person to a shady spot in the courtyard, where, sure enough, a woman in red was lying on a rattan chair.
As he drew closer, Qian Li's expression grew increasingly shocked. He had thought that Miss Luo, who had been pampered in the inner quarters for many years, was at most of average appearance. But now, seeing her exquisite figure and crystal-clear, snow-white skin, he guessed that she must be a beauty.
Wu Fu was still reading when Qian Li approached. She stopped reading, curtsied, and Qian Li gave her a wink, signaling her to wake Luo Shu.
Luo Shu's face was covered with an embroidered handkerchief, and she looked like she was sleeping soundly.
Wu Fu stepped forward and gently nudged Luo Shu's shoulder, saying softly, "Miss, wake up. Butler Qian is here. He says Grandpa has something important to discuss with you."
After calling several times, the person on the chair stirred slightly. The embroidered handkerchief was knocked off by the owner's movement, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face. No amount of imagination could describe the full beauty of the person before him. When those beautiful and elegant double pupils looked at Qian Li, he couldn't help but stop breathing.
Is this second young lady a fairy descended from heaven?
Qian Li snapped out of his daze and dared not look at the stunningly beautiful woman before him. He lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, "Second Miss, a distinguished guest has arrived. Master wants you to go to the front hall to receive the guest."
Luo Shu casually tidied her hair, showing no interest in what was happening in front of her, and directly refused, "I'm not going."
Qian Li was getting anxious. The guests in the front hall were all important people, and the master had asked him to bring the second young lady over as soon as possible. What should he do?
"Second Miss, this is what Master wants you to do. Why don't you come with me? Master and the others are waiting for you in the front hall."
Qian Li's voice was somewhat urgent, and a few beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. The woman in front of him was exceptionally beautiful and might have great fortune in the future. How could he, a mere steward, dare to offend her? He couldn't use force, so he could only plead softly.
Having said that, he steeled himself and knelt down in front, much to the surprise of Chun'er and the others. This Steward Qian was usually quite arrogant; while he wouldn't make things difficult for them, he certainly wouldn't take them seriously. They never expected him to kneel down like that today.
Luo Shu frowned slightly. She disliked people kneeling down so readily, knowing it was a feudal society and unavoidable. But having experienced democratic self-governance, how could she continue to tolerate this feudal society?
Fine, let's just treat it as a walk. It's not far from the front hall, and in Luo Shu's memory, this Steward Qian wasn't a bad person. After her aunt left, the manor clerk withheld their allowances, and when Zhou Mama made a scene in front of him, he had everything compensated to Zhou Mama.
He wasn't exactly a great person, but at least he didn't kick someone when they were down. Luo Shu had this memory, so she had Chun'er help him up and said, "Let's go to the front hall."
Qian Li was overjoyed and quickly led the way, while Luo Shu followed slowly behind. Along the way, they encountered several young girls who stared at Luo Shu in disbelief and daze. Two of them even dropped what they were holding, as her beauty was truly captivating and mesmerizing.
Luo Shu's new courtyard is very close to the front hall; you can reach it by simply walking through the covered walkway.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the front hall was somewhat eerie.
Grand Tutor Luo sat at the head of the table, with the Second Prince Li Xuanshu sitting beside him. He wore a white jade crown, a blue robe with silver trim, and a double tassel belt around his waist. He was noble and elegant, with an air of refined taste, a true scholar-gentleman.
The person sitting below Li Xuanshu was Li Xuanwei. He had sword-like eyebrows that slanted upwards into his temples, a slightly dark complexion, a calm demeanor, and a carefree and unrestrained smile. People couldn't help but exclaim, "What a handsome young man!"
The person on the lower right is Li Yu, who is a little shy. Unlike the other two who are more composed, he has a slightly flushed face and delicate features. His illustrious family background gives him an air of nobility, and his carefree life has given him a touch of childishness, making him look like an adorable little puppy.
These three men are all famous and handsome young men in the capital, and the heartthrobs of many young ladies. Now they are gathered together in this small flower hall, making people marvel at the wonder of fate.
Even the Grand Tutor Luo, who sat at the head of the table, was a handsome and refined gentleman, making this scene truly a feast for the eyes.
However, the atmosphere among the four was somewhat subtle. As the saying goes, three women make a drama, and when three men get together, their back-and-forth banter is full of hidden wit and is no less exciting than a great show.
Li Xuanshu spoke first. Having immersed himself in books for many years, even his words carried the lingering fragrance of ink and books: "I am sorry to bother you today. I benefited greatly from my last conversation with Miss Luo. Miss is very knowledgeable. I have come to visit you today."
Upon hearing this, Li Xuanwei chuckled and then said in a carefree manner, "Brother, at the last banquet hosted by Miss Luo, my brother and I played a few games of chess with Miss Luo. Miss Luo's chess skills were superb, which impressed me greatly. Today, I would like to learn from her again."
He took a sip of tea and said slowly, "How come in your mouth, Your Majesty, you only seem to be quite familiar with you and the Second Miss? It seems Your Majesty doesn't even remember his younger brother."
Li Xuanshu's expression changed slightly, but he still spoke gently as always: "Fourth brother, when did I ever say that? You have misunderstood your elder brother's meaning."
After saying that, he stopped talking and simply sat there calmly sipping his tea.
Li Yu, sitting to the lower right, looked rather conflicted as he watched the verbal exchange between the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince.
They had all spoken with Miss Luo, but they had only met her once. Their presumptuous visit today was truly impolite.
But Li Yu could not bear the pain of unrequited love. Ever since he met Miss Luo the day he met her, he had been thinking about her every day and dreaming about her. Her beauty captivated all, and he was willing to be her devoted subject.
Just then, a figure entered through the side door, drawing everyone's attention; it was Luo Shu.
The woman was dressed in fiery red, her clothes fluttering gracefully. Her shoulders were sculpted, her waist slender, her skin like snow and her face like a flower. Her beauty was alluring, flamboyant, and unrestrained, unlike that of an ordinary person, but rather like a goddess from heaven. As she walked, her skirt fluttered like a butterfly in the wind, or like a fleeting glimpse of a blazing flame, burning the eyes of all who saw it.
The three men sitting down were breathing heavily, especially Li Yu, whose face turned red from his neck to his ears, looking like a young man experiencing his first love.
Although the other two remained calm on the surface, their tense limbs could not hide their nervousness and excitement. No man could remain calm in front of such a stunning beauty.
System 5283 watched as these three men gathered together, and its data stream trembled with excitement. This was a battleground! Ah, how exciting!
Luo Shu ignored them and sat down to Li Yu's left without even glancing at them.
Grand Tutor Luo appeared displeased and said sternly, "Shu'er, how can you be so presumptuous? You should at least bow to His Highness and the others."
Li Xuanshu's expression softened, and his voice became even gentler as he said, "It's alright. Miss Luo and I are close friends, so there's no need for formalities."
Li Xuanwei also spoke up, "Yes, Miss, you don't need to pay any more attention to it."
After saying that, he winked at Luo Shu, as if the two were very familiar with each other.
When Li Yu saw Luo Shu sit down next to him, his face turned even redder, like a boiled shrimp, and his body curled up, making him look even more like a shrimp, Luo Shu thought.
She picked up the teacup and found it was empty. The maid behind her was about to serve her tea, but Li Yu beat her to it and poured Luo Shu a cup of water himself. Luo Shu took a sip, nodded to him, and made him very happy. His eyes were full of spring water, and he looked at her with flirtatious glances.
Definitely a love-struck fool.
5283 gave this positive assessment of Li Yu.
Li Xuanshu and Li Xuanwei's expressions darkened. However, Li Yu wasn't much of a threat to them; the biggest threat was...
The two exchanged a glance, then calmly looked away, their composed expressions masking a turbulent undercurrent of emotions.
This time, Li Xuanwei spoke first: "Miss Luo, we didn't quite enjoy our last game of chess. Today is a beautiful day with a gentle breeze and bright sunshine. Would you do me the honor of playing a couple of games?"
He stared intently at Luo Shu, as if trying to etch her stunning beauty into his heart, his eyes burning with passion, making no attempt to hide his admiration for her.
Luo Shu met Li Xuanwei's gaze without flinching, and the unexpected look only excited him more, as if a tender feeling was spreading between them.
Li Xuanshu could no longer bear it and interrupted their staring contest, saying, "Since you are like this, I wonder if I would have the honor of learning from you?"
Li Yu didn't speak; his face was still flushed as he stared at Luo Shu with infatuation, as if he were in a daze.
Luo Shu thought back to the last time she played chess with them, and she had indeed had a lot of fun. Besides, the two of them had brought her quite a few delicious things, fun toys, and useful items recently, so she decided to play a few games with them.
Grand Tutor Luo observed the expressions of the crowd and became even more satisfied with his daughter, Luo Shu. She was a rare find, and this was certainly true.
Seeing this, he created an opportunity for everyone to get along, saying, "If you gentlemen wish to play a few games with my daughter, why don't we go to the garden? There's a pavilion there, quite quaint and interesting, a good place to play chess."
Since Luo Shu had no choice but to go, Grand Tutor Luo personally led the group to the Lanfang Pavilion.
The pavilion is nestled among green trees, its pillars are red, and its roof is covered with golden glazed tiles. The ceiling inside the pavilion is painted with many beautiful and exquisite patterns, and the surrounding flowers are in full bloom, making it a scene of poetic beauty.
But when the beautiful woman in red slowly emerged from the flowers, all the flowers became mere embellishments to her; her face shone brighter than the stars in the sky, an unparalleled treasure.
All three men had burning eyes, making no attempt to hide their love and admiration.
Grand Tutor Luo walked away consciously. With divine protection, having such a peerless beauty by his side, he was sure to advance even further.
Finally, he said to the steward beside him, "Have Yunqin come over later and let the two of them play together. Shuer might be a little scared by herself. It would be more appropriate for her to have her sister with her."
After saying that, he added, "Have Yunqin come over in about half an hour, don't come too early."
Qian Li replied earnestly.
Luo Yunqin is the daughter of Grand Tutor Luo's elder brother. Originally, the Luo family was to be inherited by her brother, but Grand Tutor Luo's elder brother was not as capable as Grand Tutor Luo, but he was smart and refused the right to inherit the Luo family. He said that he was not as good as his younger brother and that the Luo family could only be carried forward by his younger brother.
Therefore, Grand Tutor Luo was quite fond of this older brother, mainly because his brother obeyed his every command and was a very capable teammate.
Leaving aside Qian Li's mission to Luo Yunqin, the small Lanfang Pavilion was rife with intrigue and backstabbing.
The three men, like peacocks displaying their plumage, showcased their masculine charm while simultaneously striking their enemies.
Luo Shu had someone pour her water and serve her food. She wasn't even allowed to have maids serve her. She did everything herself. If it weren't for the strict separation between men and women, people would probably have fed her by hand.
Luo Shu looked languid, being waited on hand and foot, feeling very comfortable. She was clever, the scenery was beautiful, and playing chess was quite interesting. It was another wonderful day.
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