Chapter Twelve: An Unexpected Encounter with Su Mingxiu

At Lanyue Abode, Lu Xuanheng had just returned and was in the middle of changing his clothes. Upon hearing that Lu Yunzhu had once again stirred up trouble by falsely accusing Jiang You'an of theft, his expression darkened. Because of the incident at the banquet, he had severely reprimanded Lu Yunzhu; yet, only a few days had passed, and she was already causing chaos again. As Lu Yunzhu belonged to the second branch of the family, it was not easy for him to constantly discipline her, and he could not help but worry about how Jiang You'an was faring after being wronged.

Just as he was considering sending his attendant, Xiuzhu, to summon her, Xiuzhu entered to report that the cousin had arrived. She rarely came to see him on her own initiative, and he assumed she must have come to vent her grievances. A faint, silent smile touched his lips as he ordered her to be let in.

As Jiang You'an walked in, she passed Xiuzhu, who was heading out, and cast a fleeting glance at him.

"I have heard about today's events. Lu Yunzhu’s behavior is truly outrageous. Do not take it to heart; I shall find an opportunity to teach her a lesson in a few days," Lu Xuanheng said, taking Jiang You'an’s hand and squeezing her palm gently.

Meeting his gaze, Jiang You'an replied in a calm tone, "Lu Yunzhu accused me of stealing money. I told her I did not, as the money I have was earned from selling my paintings."

Lu Xuanheng nodded, seemingly pleasantly surprised. "Then you are quite capable."

"The owner of the calligraphy and painting shop told me that someone has been coming by frequently to buy my work, and they are quite generous with their payment."

"That is a good thing."

"Who do you think that person could be?"

Lu Xuanheng raised an eyebrow. "How would I know?"

Seeing him play dumb, Jiang You'an pulled her hand away, walked straight to the cabinet behind his desk, and began to rummage through it. Lu Xuanheng froze for a moment, suddenly realizing what was happening. It was clear she had discovered he was the one who had sent Xiuzhu to purchase her paintings. He did not stop her, letting her search as she pleased.

Sure enough, Jiang You'an found several of her own paintings inside the cabinet. Looking at Lu Xuanheng with dissatisfaction, she demanded, "Why did you buy my paintings?"

Lu Xuanheng chuckled. "You consigned your paintings to Moyun Pavilion for sale, did you not? Why shouldn't I be allowed to buy them?"

Clutching the paintings, Jiang You'an’s hands trembled slightly. All this time, living under the Lu family’s roof, she had been forced to read the expressions of others and tread carefully, with the only protection she received being the scraps of charity from Lu Xuanheng. She had once been a young lady of noble birth, accustomed to pride—how could she lack self-respect?

She had wanted to live without bowing to others, to earn her own way with her own hands. That was why she had tried to sell her art. But now, learning that her paintings were all bought by Lu Xuanheng meant that the money she had earned was merely more of his charity. In that moment of truth, the small shred of dignity she possessed was shattered.

With reddened eyes, she shouted at him, "Who gave you permission to buy them? If I had known it was you behind it all along, I never would have sold them to you!"

Lu Xuanheng’s face changed as well. "I patronized your business and gave you a way to earn money, and now I am the villain?"

"You are good, you are very good! You, the eldest young master Lu, are so noble and kind—thank you for your charity!"

"You should thank me. Who else would buy your paintings besides me?"

Jiang You'an suddenly froze, lowering her head as she clutched her paintings tightly. It seemed to be true; previously, when Lu Xuanheng was away from the capital on business, her paintings had remained in the shop unsold. It was only after he returned that they were purchased. Perhaps her work was truly terrible, and no one would buy it if not for Lu Xuanheng taking pity on her.

A tear slid down her cheek, landing on the scroll and striking Lu Xuanheng’s heart. Realizing he had spoken too harshly, he immediately felt a pang of regret. Seeing her weep in silence, he became flustered and clumsily reached out to wipe the tears from her face.

Jiang You'an calmly dodged his hand, wiped her face with her sleeve, and walked out in silence. Lu Xuanheng chased after her, explaining, "That is not what I meant. I was just speaking in anger; please do not take it to heart."

Jiang You'an ignored him, continuing to walk away. Panic surged in Lu Xuanheng at her avoidant attitude. He did not like this and grabbed her arm, insisting, "Give the paintings back to me; I paid for those."

Jiang You'an paused and pulled out a banknote from her pocket. It was the money Shen Heping had given her; fortunately, she had money now. She pulled out one note, threw it at Lu Xuanheng, and walked away quickly. As the banknote fluttered to the floor, Lu Xuanheng stood frozen, his throat constricted as if blocked by something. He could not speak, his face pale and defeated.

...

Back in her room, Jiang You'an unfolded the paintings one by one, her fingers tracing the strokes. She had painted these piece by piece, until her neck ached and her hands grew frostbitten. Her skills had been taught to her by her mother; although her mother was a lady of the inner chambers, she was renowned as a master of ink and wash. Jiang You'an had thought she inherited that talent and could rely on it to survive, but it turned out she was not good at it at all. She sighed, and tears welled up again.

She blinked hard, forcing the tears back. Even if her work was not good, it was still her heart and soul; it should not have been trampled upon by Lu Xuanheng. She remembered there was one more piece, a snowy landscape, still hanging at Moyun Pavilion. She needed to retrieve it immediately before it, too, fell into Lu Xuanheng’s hands.

Filled with a surge of indignation, she rushed out. Upon reaching Moyun Pavilion, she did not see Manager Liu at the counter, so she wandered through the shop. After searching for a while, she could not find her painting. Just as she was beginning to worry, she saw a young gentleman in spring-blue robes standing before a bookshelf, admiring a painting in his hands. As she passed behind him, she caught a glimpse—it was her snowy landscape.

It seemed there was someone who appreciated her work after all. The gentleman happened to turn his head, and Jiang You'an met his gaze, stunned. She had seen this man not long ago; he was the Fourth Young Master of the Yong'an Marquis's estate. She hadn't recognized him from behind because he was standing, and she had always seen him in a wheelchair.

Seeing her, Su Mingxiu smiled with pleasant surprise. "Miss Jiang, what a coincidence."

Jiang You'an looked at his legs, her voice faltering. "Young Master... Su."

Su Mingxiu noticed her confusion and explained with a smile, "I am merely physically weak and cannot stand for long, so I use a wheelchair at times. I am not a cripple."

So that was it. Jiang You'an took another look at him and then focused on the painting in his hands. "Do you like this piece, Young Master Su?"

Su Mingxiu nodded. "Yes, this work is extraordinary. The composition is balanced and the use of ink is subtle and refined. It has a wonderful atmosphere, and one can tell the artist has a solid foundation."

Having just suffered a blow to her confidence, hearing someone praise her work felt like rain after a long drought. As she listened to Su Mingxiu’s critique, she gazed at her own painting, lost in thought.

When Su Mingxiu finished, he noticed her staring blankly at the painting. He tilted his head, leaning in to look at her. "Miss Jiang?"

Jiang You'an snapped out of it, suddenly meeting those gentle, peach-blossom eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.

Su Mingxiu smiled at her. "Miss Jiang, since you also like this painting, would you like me to buy it and gift it to you?"