Chapter 29
Yu Le wasn’t drunk; he was tipsy.
What’s worth mentioning is that even after finishing two glasses of Deep Blue Realm, he still didn’t taste any aftertaste.
Wen Yuan was almost unable to watch, but the little white rabbit was his friend, and the old meat was too—being caught in the middle was truly difficult.
“Let’s go.” Lu Yao helped Yu Le up and said to Wen Yuan, “I’ll transfer the money to you later.”
Wen Yuan: “No need! I said I’d treat you.”
Lu Yao: “It’s just these two months in a year. I can’t take advantage of you.”
Wen Yuan laughed. “Alright, alright. I know Boss Lu is wealthy. Just covering the cost of the drinks isn’t enough. I’ve been drinking with you all night; you’ll need to tip me too.”
Lu Yao picked up Yu Le’s phone. “Okay, I’ll transfer the tip along with the bill.”
Yu Le, quietly led to the door, suddenly turned to Lu Yao and asked, “You need to find a drinking buddy and give a tip too?”
Lu Yao couldn’t help but laugh. “Is that not acceptable?”
Yu Le frowned seriously. “It’s not acceptable!”
Lu Yao: “Why?”
Yu Le: “Isn’t my company enough? Do you need to spend money on others?”
“Hmm, that makes sense.” Lu Yao still couldn’t stop laughing and wrapped Yu Le’s whole hand in his palm. “My mistake. I won’t ask Wen Yuan to join us next time.”
Yu Le was satisfied and lowered his head, continuing to walk seriously.
Back at the inn, everyone else was already asleep. Shui Cai was also asleep, and only a large yellow dog was jumping around in the yard, chasing grasshoppers.
Yu Le watched for a while before following Lu Yao upstairs. While walking, he said, “I almost forgot. I need to make clothes for the dog. I only cut half the fabric last time, so I need to find it when we get back.”
“No rush.” Lu Yao said, “Winter is still far off.”
“Actually, it doesn’t have to be winter. The temperature drops quickly in the mountains; maybe it can be worn in the fall.” Yu Le said, “I want to make it a blue one, with white fur trim, and add a hat for rainy days. What do you think?”
Lu Yao walked Yu Le to the door of his room and helped him open it. “I don’t think much of it.”
“?” Yu Le was about to go in but stopped upon hearing this. “Why not? Do you have any opinions?”
Lu Yao teased him, “You care more about the cat than about people. Even the cat has clothes you’re planning to make for it.”
“Isn’t that because I’m bored?” Yu Le suddenly realized something and looked at him suspiciously. “Lu Yao, are you jealous of the cat?”
Lu Yao nodded, embarrassed. “You could say that.”
Yu Le fell silent, lost in thought, then decisively pulled Lu Yao into the room by his collar.
As soon as the light was on, Yu Le’s first words were, “Take off your top.”
Lu Yao paused for two seconds. “For what?”
Yu Le crouched down and started rummaging through drawers. “Just take it off.”
Lu Yao, though reluctant, complied and removed his top, draping it over his arm.
“Strange, did I forget to bring it?” Yu Le muttered to himself.
Lu Yao: “Forget what?”
“A soft measuring tape.” Yu Le rummaged through the drawer a bit more, but finding none, he gave up and returned to Lu Yao. “It’s okay; I can measure without it.”
He lifted Lu Yao’s chin with his hand. “Straighten your back.”
Then, using the maximum distance between his right hand’s index and thumb as a makeshift ruler, Yu Le measured from Lu Yao’s left shoulder to his right shoulder, then from the center of his collarbone to his abdomen.
His fingers were soft and cool, as if he was treating Lu Yao’s body like a musical instrument, using his deep breaths as chords, gently strumming to create a melody.
Lu Yao’s eyes darkened, his muscles tensed.
Yet Yu Le didn’t realize how excessive his behavior was. When measuring the waist, he was unsure and decided to use his arm for reference.
He wrapped his arms around Lu Yao, his forearm pressing against Lu Yao’s waist, noted the approximate range, and was about to release him when Lu Yao suddenly pressed down on his lower back.
Lu Yao pinched his chin to force him to look up. Their gazes met—Yu Le’s was confused, Lu Yao’s was deep.
“Yu Le.” Lu Yao’s fingertip brushed against his lips, pressing at the corner of his mouth, with increasing pressure. “Your habit is really bad.”
Yu Le didn’t understand. “What habit?”
Lu Yao leaned in, inhaling his scent, his nose almost touching Yu Le’s. “Forgetting things after drinking.”
He wiped out all the thoughts Yu Le had of taking advantage of him cleanly.
Yu Le made Lu Yao a piece of clothing, well-tailored and meticulously crafted, with sharp angles, and with dark patterns of locust flowers on the cuffs and hem.
He looked at it from every angle, satisfied, and excitedly wanted to show it to Lu Yao. But as soon as he stepped out, he tripped over the door sill, jolted awake with wide eyes.
It was a dream.
Yet the image of the clothing remained vividly in Yu Le’s mind.
The exhilarating impulse from the dream had not faded. Yu Le quickly got out of bed and, with the fastest speed, drew the design of the clothing.
Habitually, he tried to annotate the dimensions next to the drawing, but he couldn’t remember the measurements from the night before.
He gestured in the air for a while, but without the feel of it, he couldn’t recall.
Shui Cai was barking, and Yu Le’s stomach was growling. He had to put down his computer, prepare to go downstairs to eat, and then ask Lu Yao or measure again.
However, he didn’t find Lu Yao in the dining hall. Instead, he ran into Lu Qin, who had arrived early in the morning.
“Are you looking for Lu Yao?” Yu Le asked. “He’s not here; it seems he went out.”
“No, no need.”
Lu Qin stuttered and smiled sheepishly when he saw Yu Le. “I just came to drop something off and will leave right away.”
He hurried over and placed several wooden carved ornaments on the counter.
Yu Le asked, “Did Grandpa Lu carve these too?”
Lu Qin scratched his head. “No, I carved them. I thought of giving a few to Boss Lu; they’d look nice in the shop.”
Yu Le was amazed. “You carved these? Impressive!”
“Not, not really.” Lu Qin blushed from the praise. “If you like them, I have many more. There’s also an unfinished Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea. Do you want to come and see?”
Since he had nothing else to do and was genuinely interested in seeing how wood carving was done, Yu Le nodded and agreed.
When they went out, they found that the prototype of the ice jelly stall was already set up at the door, but there were no materials or tools, and Zhao Xiaosong was absent. There was no one around.
Lu Qin’s house was right next to the inn; just a turn and a few steps away.
Yu Le followed Lu Qin into the backyard, and the first thing he saw was an elderly woman sitting leisurely on a rocking chair under a vine of Boston ivy, slowly fanning herself with a fan.
She was wearing an old, almost faded light blue cotton qipao, her white hair styled into a bun at the back of her head. Her entire presence exuded an elegance that age couldn’t diminish. Even just sitting there with her eyes closed, she gave off a sense of serene, timeless beauty.
Yu Le stared in a daze. “This is my grandmother. You can call her Grandma Lu.”
Lu Qin introduced quietly, “But she’s not feeling well and doesn’t like to interact much, so don’t take it personally.”
Of course, Yu Le wouldn’t take it personally; he was just struck by her grace. Sitting there, she made the small courtyard look like a painting.
Lu Qin’s wooden carvings were piled up in the corner on the other side. He led Yu Le over, displayed the finished carvings for him, and then returned to his long table to continue working on the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea.
Lu Qin was a man of few words, and it seemed like he would remain silent unless spoken to. To avoid the atmosphere becoming too quiet, Yu Le politely started a few light, inconsequential topics.
The two of them chatted intermittently. When Lu Yao arrived, Yu Le was enthusiastically taking pictures of some small wooden carvings in his hand.
“Why are you here?” Lu Yao asked.
“To see the artwork.” Yu Le held up a small wooden sheep in front of Lu Yao. “Look, these are all carved by Lu Qin. Aren’t they lifelike?”
Lu Yao responded with an “Mm.”
“Not bad.”
Seeing Lu Yao, Lu Qin stood up, brushing the sawdust from his clothes. “Boss Lu, I brought a few pieces for you to use as decorations. They’re on your counter.”
Lu Yao smiled. “I saw them, thank you.”
Lu Qin: “It’s nothing, Boss Lu. You’ve helped us so much; I can’t repay you enough. You don’t need to be polite.”
Lu Yao said it was fine and casually asked about Grandma Lu’s recent condition, then turned to Yu Le. “Xiaosong’s ice jelly stall is all set up. He wants you to be the first to try it. Want to go back and check it out?”
“Sure.” Yu Le put down the small sheep carving. “But how did he set it up so quickly? When I left just now, there was only an umbrella and a table.”
“Moving things doesn’t take long. Let’s go.” Lu Yao turned and walked outside.
Yu Le declined Lu Qin’s offer to gift him the small sheep carving and caught up with Lu Yao. “Did you see Grandma Lu just now?”
Lu Yao nodded. “Yes, I did. Why?”
Yu Le said, “I was really surprised. I’ve never seen an elderly person like that before. Time really doesn’t fade beauty. Grandma Lu really resembles a distinguished young lady.”
Lu Yao stepped out of the doorway and corrected him. “It’s not just a resemblance; Grandma Lu actually was a distinguished young lady.”
Yu Le was a bit surprised. “How so?”
Lu Yao explained, “Grandma Lu was the daughter of a landowner. Grandpa Lu was a long-term servant of her family. Later, when the landowner was persecuted and fell from grace, everyone scattered. Grandpa Lu couldn’t bear to see Grandma Lu left wandering, so he secretly took her back to his hometown.”
Yu Le asked in astonishment, “Is this place where he took her?”
“Yes.” Lu Yao said, “Grandma Lu was well-educated and familiar with etiquette from a young age, so her demeanor was naturally outstanding. Back then, servants didn’t have personal names and were called according to the family’s order, so Grandpa Lu’s surname and name were given by Grandma Lu.”
Yu Le inquired, “What was Grandpa Lu’s name?”
“Lu Zhuanxi.”
Yu Le asked, “And Grandma Lu?”
“Lu Qiaoqiao.”
Yu Le repeated the names twice and couldn’t help but sigh. “So it’s a story of a servant and a young lady ending up together. How romantic.”
“Not quite.” Lu Yao said.
Yu Le: “Hmm?”
Lu Yao explained, “They never married.”
Yu Le was confused.
“But Lu Qin is their grandson…”
Oh, Yu Le remembered now. Lu Yao had told him that Lu Qin was actually their adopted son, not their biological grandson.
Lu Yao continued, “Since the time they escaped, Grandma Lu has had some mental issues. She is sometimes clear-headed, sometimes confused, and her memory is stuck at the age of 18, when she was still the favored young lady of the landowner’s family, and Grandpa Lu was the youngest and most honest servant beside her.”
Yu Le was stunned. “So Grandpa Lu has been taking care of Grandma Lu alone all this time, in the role of a servant?”
Lu Yao nodded. “Yes.”
For fifty years, from the age of 18 to 68, he remained by the side of the person he loved, in the role of a servant.
Yu Le felt a mix of emotions and didn’t notice the ice jelly stall, which was still empty, as they arrived at the inn.
“Grandma Lu must have had feelings for Grandpa Lu too, right?”
He asked Lu Yao as if seeking confirmation. “Otherwise, she wouldn’t have given him that name, would she?”
“Not sure, maybe.” Lu Yao stopped and turned to Yu Le. “Have you asked all the questions you wanted?”
Yu Le, not understanding fully, nodded. “Yes.”
Lu Yao said, “Good, then it’s my turn.”
“?” Yu Le was puzzled.
“What do you want to ask?”
Lu Yao: “Why did you follow Lu Qin to his house?”
Yu Le answered, “Because he said he had many wooden carvings and invited me to see them.”
Lu Yao raised an eyebrow. “So you just went because he invited you?”
Yu Le was about to reply with a “yes” when he felt his face being pinched on one side.
“Yu Le, your safety awareness is too low.”
Lu Yao squinted his eyes, sounding like he wanted to give Yu Le a thorough safety lesson, but he didn’t want to apply too much pressure.
“Is it so easy for others to deceive you and lead you away?”
