Inlaid With Jade - Chapter 20
Chapter 20
I am indeed waiting for you
According to etiquette, ordinary people should present a visiting card in advance. Still, when Lin Yu knocked on the tightly closed door of Li Mansion, the servant who opened the door seemed to know that she was coming and invited her to enter directly.
Compared with the mansions of high-ranking officials and famous families, Li Mansion was desolated. Although it had a scenic landscape, it was so quiet that even birds couldn’t be heard.
Lin Yu wore a hat on her head, and gauze covered her face. She walked in silently, with the servant leading the way. After a while, Old Chen, who led the way, stopped before a moon-shaped door: “Miss, we are here.”
Lin Yu looked up and saw a clear lake surrounding a quiet courtyard. A stone path led to the lake, and at the end of the path was the courtyard gate.
Lin Yu came to Li Mansion for the first time. She didn’t know the way and didn’t know where this place led to. But looking at the layout in front of the courtyard, it was not where ordinary people lived. She thanked Old Chen, stood before the moon-shaped door for a while, and then went in alone, looking like she was in danger.
Before Lin Yu entered the courtyard, she smelled a faint plum fragrance. She saw a tall plum tree extending sturdy brown branches from the courtyard wall. There were a few deep red plum buds on the branch. Because they had not yet bloomed, the fragrance was light. Plum and wintersweet were similar, but they were not the same species. Lin Yu left in a hurry, so Madam Yang was still in the mansion when she left. When she saw the plum tree, she couldn’t help but think of the wintersweet Madam Yang had given her and wondered in her heart whether her mother had returned.
As she was thinking, a man’s voice suddenly came behind her: “I heard that the Yang family moved a precious sandalwood plum to the Lin Mansion.”
Lin Yu was lost in thought when she suddenly heard someone else’s voice. She was caught off guard, startled, and almost cried out. She turned around and looked through the gauze.
He wore an embroidered sword and flying fish suit, was tall, and had a handsome face. Who else could it be but Li Heming?
Since they parted on the street that day, Lin Yu had not seen him for half a month. She only occasionally heard his name from her father and brother at home, mostly in connection with Wang Changzhong’s case.
Wang Changzhong’s case was not yet closed, and Li Heming should be very busy. When Lin Yu visited the mansion today, she hoped he would be there. Unexpectedly, he was indeed here. When she knocked on the door, she had planned to go to the Northern Office if he was not there.
Lin Yu came with a request. She was startled but didn’t say much. He swallowed the heartbeat in her chest and bowed: “Lord Li.”
A white gauze was hanging in front of her. Li Heming looked through the gauze and felt that her skin was so white that he could not see the blood, but her lips were moist and red like plum blossoms. He walked around her and headed for the courtyard: “Miss Lin, why are you here in my Li Mansion instead of at home admiring the flowers?”
Lin Yu followed him. His steps were big, so she had to take two steps for every one he took. He didn’t wait for her but went into the courtyard and sat at the stone table under the plum tree. He picked up the hot teapot on the stove next to him and poured himself a cup.
Lin Yu was inevitably shocked when she heard him talk about Madam Yang. She said, “The Imperial Guards are eagle-eyed and sharp-eared. Madam Yang was still in the Lin Mansion, and Lord Li already got the news.”
“The Imperial Guards should have been abolished long ago if they have bad eyes and ears.” Li Heming said. He took an upside-down teacup from the tray and asked her, “Do you want to drink?”
Lin Yu thought about it and said, ‘Hmm.’ She sat down slowly, took off her veil, put it on the table, and took the hot tea from Li Heming: “Thank you.”
It was just boiled and hot in the mouth. Lin Yu drank slowly, blowing for a long time before siping.
Li Heming did not rush her. After she moistened her throat and put down the teacup, he asked, “Miss Lin hasn’t answered what you want to do today?”
Lin Yu felt that he did it on purpose. When she came to the door, Old Chen led her in without asking who she was looking for. Obviously, he knew she was coming.
She said, “Lord Li, don’t you know? Then why did your servant lead me directly to this courtyard?”
Li Heming glanced at her and said, “When entering my house, no matter who the guest is, they will be led to this courtyard.”
Lin Yu was puzzled: “Don’t you ask about the visitor’s identity? If the visitor is not kind, will you welcome them in?”
Li Heming said indifferently, “The Imperial Guards have a bad reputation. Who dares to come to my house to cause trouble?”
Indeed, Lin Yu thought: Which official dares to mess with him?
Lin Yu asked, “What if they come to see your sister-in-law? Will Lord Li also welcome them on her behalf?”
Li Heming sipped tea: “She has moved out.”
Lin Yu was stunned when she heard this, and then she remembered the tranquility she had felt along the way. If there had been a woman in this house, it would probably not have been so cold.
Li Heming responded to her several times. Lin Yu realized that she was sentimental and mistakenly thought Li Heming was waiting for her visit. She was about to apologize, but Li Heming suddenly became aware of this and looked up at her: “Miss Lin, do you think I deliberately waited for you in the mansion?”
Having her thoughts exposed, Lin Yu blushed. She blinked uncomfortably, lowered her head, and said, “I am rude.”
There was nothing more embarrassing than this in the world. Lin Yu’s ears turned red for a while, but after she finished speaking, she heard Li Heming say: “It’s not rude. I am indeed waiting for you.”