Chapter 4

He stared at me, a little distracted.

I turned and left in excellent spirits.

Since he had not died, he could study himself to death.

His mother needed to recover too. Sick and listless, she gave us a rare few days of peace.

She seemed to have realized that she was no longer Madam Ling, surrounded by servants, and that she would never have the respectable daughter-in-law she wanted in Su Yuyan.

She was just a countrywoman who could not even cook, who had nearly killed herself and her son.

The light in her eyes dimmed.

I was quite pleased. She had quieted down.

With Ling Yan recovering in his room, it was even easier to ask him about characters I did not know.

But with two people ill, I had to manage everything alone. My lower back ached and tingled as though it might snap.

At the sight of Ling Yan’s profile as he studied, I thought how handsome he was and found a little more energy.

Working this hard, how could he fail to make the honors list?

His grip on his book tightened slightly. His lashes trembled, but his eyes remained on the page. “Why are you looking at me?”

I came to myself and realized I had been staring for some time. I rubbed the tip of my nose, then waved a hand vaguely over his hair. “Something fell onto your head.”

Suddenly, he caught my wrist.

His black eyes held mine, making my heart stumble.

“It’s… it’s gone now.”

The corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly, though his expression scarcely changed.

“Thank you, Yushu.”

I managed a strained smile and pulled my wrist from his hand.

His mother had become quieter, but Ling Yan had begun acting strangely.

He used to keep three paces between us. Once he recovered, he was willing to stand beside me and lend a hand while I worked.

Unfortunately, he was clearly used to being a pampered young master. He was clumsy and always in the way. I had to choose my words carefully to send him off without hurting his feelings.

Sometimes, on his way home from school, he bought me hair ribbons and lip rouge from the peddler.

I leaned over the table, staring at the things he had bought, my brows drawn in bewilderment.

Had his whole nature changed?

Wind and snow blew the window open. As I went to close it, I remembered that Ling Yan had not taken an umbrella to school.

So I opened one umbrella, took another, and trudged out into the snow, my feet sinking unevenly.

The wind and snow turned my hands red with cold.

No one had expected such a heavy snowfall.

At the school gate, I tucked the umbrella under my arm and breathed on my hands.

My clothes were not very warm. I had bundled myself up like a radish dumpling, yet the wind still whistled straight into my bones.

Fortunately, I did not have to wait long. The children began trickling out.

Ling Yan came last. Amid the wind and snow, his fine features stood out sharply.

He looked a little startled to see me.

I hunched my neck into my clothes and went over to give him the umbrella.

I could hardly let this precious treasure catch his death of cold. Mother’s future and mine depended on him.

His lips moved, but he said nothing. He took the umbrella, his palm brushing my fingers.

“Don’t bring one next time.”

I murmured my agreement. I was used to his cold manner.

Then I saw Scholar Li, his neck hunched just like mine, his face white and his nose red with cold.

I could not help laughing. Now that was how a normal person looked when they were freezing.

Scholar Li was in poor health. I had heard that he spent all his school wages on books and could not bear to buy medicine.

After a moment’s thought, I gave him the umbrella I was holding.

He looked at me in surprise. “Women are more delicate. Keep it for yourself.”

I pushed the handle into his hand. “Your home is farther away. Take it.”

He was about to refuse again, but his gaze passed over me to Ling Yan, who stood behind me beneath his umbrella.

At last, he accepted it. “I’ll return it another day and thank you properly.”

Scholar Li spoke gently. The children at school were hardly afraid of him at all.

He walked away under the umbrella. I turned to glance at Ling Yan. There was still room beneath his.

He stood without moving. After a moment’s thought, I decided against shamelessly making a nuisance of myself. “Go home soon. The road will be difficult after dark.”

I turned away. The wind tossed my hair into a tangle, and I brushed it from my face.

Suddenly, my collar tightened, and I was pulled backward.

My back came up against a solid wall of a man.

Ling Yan looked down at me, his gaze deep and his expression unreadable. “How generous. Handing out umbrellas to anyone.”