Chapter Eighty-One: The Circle

Lu Ying pondered for a moment before saying, “We’ll talk about this later.”

Her thoughts wandered again to the journey to Chengdu. From the way that nobleman spoke, it seemed he had no intention of taking her with him; rather, he wanted them to make their own way there.

But with her brother’s apprenticeship still not settled, she decided there was no hurry to consider this matter—two more days would make no difference.

Barely a day had passed when Lu Ying received another invitation from the Ping family.

She had expected as much—after all, she had just met that nobleman face to face. In a small place like this, even the most trivial matter could end up in the eyes of someone with an agenda, and from there, gossip would spread everywhere.

After some thought, Lu Ying declined the Ping family’s invitation. She wanted to make it clear to them that she, Lu Ying, was not someone who could be summoned at their beck and call. With families like the Pings, she knew well enough that if you grew too close, they would look down on you and take you for granted; if you kept your distance, they’d resort to petty schemes. A measured distance, along with a hint of warning, was necessary.

What Lu Ying did not expect was that as soon as the Ping family’s messenger left, another carriage stopped at the entrance of the alley. This time, it was Ati who had come for her.

The moment Ati stepped into Lu Ying’s courtyard, she looked around with curiosity. After a circle about the yard, she pouted and said, “A Ying, your house is really small.”

Lu Ying smiled but didn’t reply.

Ati circled her again, then mumbled, “Everyone says you’re beautiful, but you’re just so-so.”

Lu Ying ignored her.

Propping her chin on her hand, Ati stared at Lu Ying for a while before saying, “A Ying, why do you think Wang Lang doesn’t like me?”

Why didn’t Wang Shang like her? Lu Ying looked up at the strikingly pretty Ati, then smiled. “Who can say? Some people are close friends at first meeting, others remain strangers even after years. Relationships between people are always the hardest to explain.”

After a pause, Lu Ying asked, “Is your family insisting you marry him?”

Ati shook her head. “Not at all.” Her eyes reddened and her voice grew husky. “It’s me who likes him. I’ve liked him since I was a child.”

At this, Ati added, “A Ying, you’re such a coward.”

Seeing Lu Ying look at her in surprise, Ati wrinkled her nose in disdain. “You told me that day that if I made such a fuss, people would gossip. But I’ve always made a fuss in Chengdu, and no one has ever said a word.”

Lu Ying was momentarily taken aback. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Ati, is your family very influential in Chengdu?”

“Of course.”

Lu Ying nodded. “I see.”

Lately, reading the histories had taught her something: this world is, after all, a place where the strong make the rules—whether in drawing lines between good and evil or in setting the laws, it is always the strong who decide. As long as Ati’s family was powerful enough, no one would dare gossip about what their daughter did in public—no one would be so foolish as to offend people they could not afford to cross. People rarely risk offending those above them.

And for this reason, it was always the middling families and those of the highest ranks who were most bound by rules. Rules were made for them; they could bend or play with them. The common folk at the very bottom didn’t know the rules and were likely to break them without even realizing it.

Ati was restless by nature. After circling the small yard a couple more times and studying Lu Ying again, she suddenly reached out, took Lu Ying by the wrist, and said, “A Ying, let’s go out and have some fun.”

“Where to?”

Ati blinked her large eyes, thought for a moment, then exclaimed happily, “Let’s go to the Wang residence!”

Seeing Lu Ying about to refuse, Ati’s eyes spun craftily, and she said in earnest, “A Ying, honestly, you look very good when you’re dressed up—not like some country girl at all. Listen, Wang Shang’s house is huge, and his sisters are all delightful. It would do you good to meet more people. And your brother, isn’t he studying? He should get out and about more, too, so he won’t freeze up like last time when Wang Lang said nothing and your brother was too scared to move.”

This touched Lu Ying’s heart.

Her brother had grown more confident of late, but years of poverty and being bullied had left him timid in his dealings with others. She wanted him to make something of himself, and to do so, he needed training in manner and bearing.

When Yin Che was still around, Lu Yun had a role model. Now that Yin Che was gone, that kind of learning could not be neglected.

Noticing Lu Ying’s wavering, Ati tugged on her arm and insisted, “Come on, let’s go together! The Wang sisters are the most interesting people. Oh, have I told you? There’s a banquet at the Wang’s tomorrow, and today, many distinguished guests have arrived. That’s why I rushed here from Chengdu—for the banquet.”

Hearing this, Lu Ying nodded with a smile. “All right.”

Ati cheered, leaping to her feet. “Then you’d better get ready right away!”

Lu Ying’s preparations were simple. She put on a newly made pale lavender spring dress, combed her glossy black hair into a maiden’s chignon, and kept her look elegant yet understated. Thus attired, she climbed into Ati’s carriage.

Though the Wang family had only recently moved in, they had taken over the estates of two prominent households in Hanyang and renovated them into one large compound. The grounds were vast, and the landscaping—flowers, trees, and artificial hills—was all artfully arranged.

No sooner had Lu Ying and Ati stepped out of the carriage than they heard a delighted girl’s voice call, “Ati!”

Ati turned to see a dignified young woman and dashed over to her, laughing as she threw her arms around her friend.

Clearly, the two had not seen each other in some time, for once together, they could not stop talking. Now that her friend had arrived, Ati lost all interest in Lu Ying, giving her only a brief introduction before returning to her happy chatter with the other girl.

Watching the two girls walk ahead, chattering nonstop, Lu Ying felt no awkwardness. Few things made her uneasy these days.

She strolled through the garden with a faint smile, surrounded by falling petals, bees, and butterflies—a scene of incomparable beauty.

As she walked, she suddenly heard a voice, surprised and incredulous, call out, “Lu Yun—no, Lu Ying?”

She turned.

By the little lake some fifty paces away approached six or seven young men, all in long robes and expensive attire. At the head of the group was Wang Shang, looking at her with a complicated expression. Next to him, eyes wide with amazement, was none other than Mo Yuan—the youth who always accompanied Wang Shang and Yin Che.

Judging by their clothing and bearing, every one of these young men was of wealth or rank. When Mo Yuan called out, the others all turned to look at her.

Meeting Mo Yuan’s astonished gaze, Lu Ying lowered her eyes, then offered him a graceful curtsy. “Greetings, Young Master Mo.” Turning to Wang Shang, she bowed again. “Greetings, Young Master Wang.”

Mo Yuan did not reply immediately but instead cried out in astonishment, “You—you really are a girl?”

He strode over and circled her once, exclaiming, “It’s unbelievable.”

At this, a round-faced youth asked in puzzlement, “What’s going on? Who is this young lady?”

He directed his question at Wang Shang, but it was Mo Yuan who replied, “Oh, she’s a crafty one. She’s dressed as a boy the last two times we met. I knew it! Where would Hanyang ever get such an extraordinary youth? Turns out she was a girl in disguise all along.” He paused, then grinned. “A Ying actually looks better in men’s clothes, doesn’t she, A Shang?”

Wang Shang stared at Lu Ying with a deep, inscrutable expression, but said nothing.

Then a tall, well-built youth stepped forward, circled Lu Ying, and drawled, “Extraordinary, you say?” After repeating the word with disdain, he sneered, “But what does a country girl from a backwater like Hanyang have to do with such praise?” He raised his voice theatrically. “A Shang, A Yuan, are you both blind?”

His tone was blunt, and as soon as he finished, several young men and women burst out laughing.

In their laughter was the scorn of the privileged for a girl from the provinces. After all, “extraordinary” was a rare compliment, reserved for those with poise, talent, and background—who among them would bestow it on someone so unremarkable?

Lu Ying raised her head.

She gazed calmly at the insolent youth, and after a moment, a faint, cold smile appeared on her face.

The others were still laughing, but within that laughter, Lu Ying nodded slightly and said coolly, “If moonlight is one’s bones and white jade one’s skin, then one might be called extraordinary. By that measure, I am not.”

With that, she paid them no further heed and turned to leave.

There was always a subtle, indefinable ease in Lu Ying’s aloofness—a kind of poise that, paired with her detachment, bordered on disdain.

Now, as she turned away, her elegant figure and untroubled manner made the assembled youths seem all the more childish by contrast. For a moment, the laughter died away.

In the brief silence that followed, one of the young men said quietly, “You don’t know, but this girl is something else. Even the residents of Yiyuan treat her differently. It’s said that the nobleman honored her with two sets of robes made by Fang Kong, and she gave him three hundred taels of gold in return, saying their debts were settled. The nobleman accepted without a word.”

At this, the group fell silent.

The young man turned to Wang Shang, smiling. “A Shang, I heard that Yin Che was quite taken with her and even made a fuss about proposing marriage, isn’t that so?”

At these words, the others erupted into startled exclamations.

Every social circle forms its own world, and the one to which these youths belonged had influence not only in Chengdu but even in Luoyang. They had all been exposed to much from a young age, and their standards were high.

In their eyes, a country girl like Lu Ying, no matter how pretty, was at most a plaything—not even worth mentioning. Yet now, this girl was connected to both that nobleman and Yin Che—a fact that could not help but astonish them.