coobybook Chapter 239 Have we met somewhere?
Chapter 239 Have we met somewhere?
The first rays of dawn illuminate the first room; it's a new day.
Lu Xue woke up slowly with a yawn and rubbed her sore shoulders.
The stool by the bed was long gone. Lu Xue was unusually relaxed. A faint scent of sandalwood wafted through the room. She looked around and finally fixed her gaze on the portrait in the room.
In the portrait, a beautiful woman in theatrical costume sits gracefully in the center of the stage, exuding a charm that is both alluring and veiled.
Lu Xue was so mesmerized that she didn't even notice when the man had walked up behind her.
The man didn't want to disturb her, but the clear sound of the plate hitting the table still startled Lu Xue.
Lu Xue snapped out of her daze and turned to look.
“Ping’er.” The man’s voice carried a hint of guilt. “I didn’t disturb you, did I? This is your mother’s performance of ‘The Peony Pavilion’ for her eighteenth birthday.”
The man would launch into a long, detailed explanation whenever the woman in the painting was mentioned.
"You wouldn't believe it, but back then she was a famous opera singer, and the day we first met was truly wonderful."
Lu Xue didn't feel much, only that the man's behavior was a little too deliberate, as if he was trying to create an image of someone who loved the original owner's mother very much.
Seeing that Lu Xue didn't speak, the man had no choice but to shut up awkwardly and take the initiative to start another topic.
"You must be hungry after a good night's sleep. This is pigeon soup that your father made himself. Take a sip and once you're full, I'll have Shutong take you out for a walk."
Lu Xue immediately beamed with joy. The aroma of the pigeon soup made her stomach rumble, so she began to drink it in large gulps.
Seeing Lu Xue wolfing down her food, the man felt another pang of heartache and immediately comforted her, "You must be starving. Drink slowly, no one will take it from you. Be careful not to choke."
The man's seemingly caring words inadvertently revealed hidden information.
She wasn't quite used to this identity yet, so she had to refer to herself as the original owner of the body.
The original owner of this body probably didn't know where her next meal would come from in this family, otherwise, how could she be so hungry?
Therefore, unexpected acts of kindness rarely lead to anything good.
Clearly, the answer is now obvious.
Lu Xue lowered her eyes and stared at the amber-colored soup in the cup. The pigeon was stewed until tender, but it was covered with a layer of greasy oil.
The man tapped his knuckles on the rosewood tabletop, the sandalwood beads on his wrist swaying gently with the movement: "Back when we first met at Qingyun Tower, she sang 'The flowers are in full bloom,' and amidst the cheers of the entire hall, her gaze fell solely on me..."
“Father,” Lu Xue suddenly interrupted, the silver spoon stirring the soup making a soft rustling sound, “it’s so stuffy in the room.”
It's not like she said it; somehow, without realizing it, she started talking about women's stories again.
She tilted her head back and drank the last mouthful of soup, oil glistening on the corner of her mouth.
Afterwards, Lu Xue wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, disregarding her image, and said, "I'm full, can I go out for a walk now?"
The man nodded firmly, then immediately became serious, exuding an air of authority without being angry.
"Shutong, come and take the Fourth Miss out for a walk. If anything happens to the Fourth Miss, I will hold you responsible."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a meek and obedient maidservant entered through the door.
Shu Tong bowed and replied softly, "Yes, sir."
Unexpectedly, the man's gaze sent chills down her spine.
Lu Xue was finally able to escape the room that made her feel uncomfortable in every way. The corridors were winding and twisting, and even the maid who led the way was a little at a loss.
Before they knew it, they had been wandering around for about half an hour.
It's really not her fault; the mansion is just too big.
She had only been here for a short time and was not yet familiar with the roads, which really stumped her.
Ge Xue didn't mind, so she didn't urge her.
However, she had a vague suspicion in her heart, but it still needed to be verified.
No matter which way they went, they were always under the shade of the locust tree.
The cold, eerie atmosphere made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Suddenly, a man came running from the distant covered walkway, shouting, "Good news! The young master is back!"
Behind him followed a tall young man, who looked to be about 1.9 meters tall, exuding a strong sense of intimidation.
Lu Xue and Shu Tong turned their backs to him in perfect unison.
The man walked very fast; a gust of wind swept by, and his large trench coat barely brushed against their legs.
He seemed to have some urgent business, not even sparing them a glance, his eyes filled with indifference.
Only after the overwhelming sense of oppression subsided did the two dare to leave.
Inside the side room, the frail young man had already woken up.
The woman stayed up until midnight, but she couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep.
The young man turned his head and was caught off guard when his eyes met a pair of clear, bright eyes.
A hint of amazement flashed in Lin Wanchu's eyes, and her heart pounded.
However, it wasn't that I was smitten; I just felt that the person in front of me was inexplicably familiar.
Especially his amber eyes; the young man was surprised by his own hoarse voice when he spoke.
"You...have we met somewhere before?"
It may sound questionable, but it is certainly true.
The two spoke in unison, both stunned.
The sound startled the sleeping woman awake, and she was overjoyed.
She was extremely excited, almost to the point of pressing her whole body against his.
The amnesiac youth was unusually aloof, subtly shifting an inch to the side.
"Oh, my poor son, you've finally woken up. It wasn't for nothing that I've been watching over you for so long. I was so worried about you."
Lin Wanchu rolled her eyes inwardly, feeling an urge to complain.
You always talk about your son this and that, but you never seem to care much about him. When he fainted in the rain, it was the servants who found him, and you didn't take any responsibility at all.
With tears in her eyes, the woman immediately got up and went out. A voice drifted back from afar, "Yuelin, spend some time with your second brother. I'll go get the medicine."
The rain outside had already stopped. Looking outside, Lin Wanchu couldn't help but sigh that today would be a good day.
The young man remained silent, then casually picked up a book and began to read.
Looking at him like this, his scholarly air perfectly balanced the sickly air about the young man.
For a moment, the only sound in the room was the young man turning the pages of his book.
Suddenly, the young man asked her.
Do you know my name?
Lin Wanchu said, "I only know my own name from what women say, how would I know your name?"
She didn't show it on her face, but honestly shook her head.
"Actually, I'm not too sure either. If you want to ask, you should ask our mothers."
Upon hearing this, the young man scoffed, and the two fell silent again.
Indeed, even she could tell that the woman was not a good person. Even though she was their mother on the surface, she didn't seem to care much about her.
The young man propped himself up slightly, shifting to a more comfortable position.
A copper bell jingled softly in the corner of the eaves. The young man, wrapped in a fox fur coat, leaned against the couch by the window. The snow-white collar around his neck made his face appear even paler.
He gazed at the locust flower petals that had been knocked down by the rain, and suddenly heard the grandfather clock strike seven.
"The young master has arrived—" The male servant's drawn-out announcement startled the sparrows nesting under the eaves.
The young man's fingertips trembled, and half of the scroll of "Shuyu Ci" fell onto the blue bricks.
Through the curtains, I saw the person stepping through the hanging flower gate in leather boots. The person looked travel-worn, even his breathing was disordered, as if he was afraid of losing something.
He took off his silver-rimmed glasses and wiped them in front of the young man: "My second brother's illness is more serious than what Father wrote in his letter."
The young man caught a faint scent of cedar perfume on the other person, mixed with the rusty smell unique to ocean cruise ships.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed an enamel lapel pin on the other person's suit lapel, with a blue and white pattern that clearly resembled the Tsinghua University emblem.
"Have we met somewhere before?"
This is the second time today that a young person has said something like this.
He coughed deliberately, but covered the note that the visitor had secretly slipped to him with a handkerchief in his sleeve.
When their fingertips touched, the thin calluses on the other person's palm rubbed against the web of his hand.
The other person laughed and opened the crocodile skin briefcase, taking out a bottle of sulfonamide tablets: "A new kind of Western medicine, more effective than the ginseng soup we make at home."
Sunlight suddenly pierced through the clouds, and the light reflected from the steel watch on his wrist swept across the young man's bloodless lips.
"Hey, you two brothers see each other all the time at home, how could you not have seen each other before?"
Six pairs of eyes turned to look at the woman, who was holding a steaming bowl of ginseng soup, her face showing confusion.