Conquering the Male Supporting Character – CH 015

Chapter 15. Appointment

Lu Ming’s reaction was indeed swift; within two days, Lu Wan heard that the household’s account books and keys had been sent to Lady Zhou.

Of course, she also heard that many furnishings in the Old Madam’s room had been missing overnight, reduced to fragments, and cleared out.

When paying her respects early in the morning, she heard Lady Zhou complaining, “I did not want to deal with this nonsense, so why was it sent to me?”

Lu Wan and Lu Ling exchanged a glance, then smiled and advised, “If Mother were to manage the household, would things not be much more convenient?”

Lady Zhou gave her a disapproving look. “Do you think managing a household is easy? The Old Madam has managed it for years; it is hard to guarantee that everyone will truly obey me. Besides…”

She gestured to the nanny beside her, who understood and led the maids out of the room.

Suddenly, only the three of them remained in the room.

“Your father has been planning to separate us from the family all these years. Although he has too many concerns and has not been able to do it yet, he absolutely does not want to get entangled with them anymore.”

So that’s how it is. Lu Wan concealed her surprise, glancing at Lu Ling’s calm expression. It seemed she already knew.

How come she did not know before?

Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Lady Zhou tapped her forehead, saying irritably, “You used to always follow Lu Zhen around. If I told you, everyone in the mansion would probably know.”

So now she was telling her?

She truly had not expected her father to have such audacity. People in those times valued clan ties; separating from the family was almost impossible.

Unless one was expelled from the family and left to fend for themselves, even in death, they would be like a wandering ghost.

Lu Wan sensed something was amiss but remained silent.

Now that she had the reins of household management, Lady Zhou would likely be in charge for a while, and Lu Wan could take advantage of the situation.

“Mother, I want to replace the maids in my courtyard and get a new carriage, just for me to use when I go out,” Lu Wan pleaded softly, shaking Lady Zhou’s arm.

Just a few days ago, Lu Ming caught her red-handed as soon as she returned to the mansion. There might be spies in the courtyard; it was best to get rid of such treacherous people. And having her own carriage, with a coachman from her own side, would be even better.

“Do you even need to tell me?” Lady Zhou pointed at Lu Ling. “Even Ah Ling and Ah Xiao’s courtyard needs tidying up; I need to check even the lowest level of sweeping.”

She smiled helplessly. “This is a convenience delivered to my doorstep; I cannot be lazy this time.”

With this change, a few days later, when Lu Wan went out again, she rode in a new carriage. The new coachman was a strong, capable young man who could also act as a bodyguard.

Most importantly, his surname was Zhou, not Lu.

Lu Wan leaned back on the armchair, lazily lifting a corner of the carriage curtain, watching the lively scene outside.

It was clearly the wrong season; this snow came quickly and went quickly, melting almost completely in no time.

The Imperial Street was quite lively. With the year drawing to a close, the covered walkways on both sides of the street were bustling with people who had come from afar, bringing their best goods to the capital to fetch a good price. The sounds of oxen and horses, and the haggling of merchants, filled the air.

Suddenly, her gaze settled, and she saw a familiar figure not far away, exchanging pleasantries with someone. Tall and imposing, with an outstanding air, he was clearly the person she had arranged to meet today.

“Stop the carriage.”

A-Yun carefully helped her out of the carriage. Lu Wan lightly touched her hair and slowly walked towards Xie Yu.

“Greetings, My Lord.”

She gave a slight curtsy, her face displaying just the right amount of joy, making it clear to everyone that she was delighted to have met Xie Yu.

Xie Yu turned and saw a woman dressed elegantly in green and white and returned her greeting with a smile, “Ah Wan, it has been a long time.”

The young man who had just been speaking to him raised an eyebrow. “Greetings, is this the Fifth Young Lady of the Lu family?”

From Lu Wan’s unseen angle, Xie Yu’s eyes turned cold, carrying a hint of warning, but Xu Lin was a reckless brat and would not listen to him.

The handsome young man with peach blossom eyes smiled and bowed deeply. “Greetings, Young Lady Lu.”

“Xun’an is rather reserved; I hope Young Lady Lu will be understanding. Despite his appearance, he speaks highly of Young Lady Lu in private; he…”

Before he could finish, Xu Lin was shoved away by Xie-Jue, who had received a signal. “Hey, do not let him kick me out! I have not finished speaking…”

“That’s Supervisor Xu from the Court of Judicial Review. He’s always been outspoken; please do not take it to heart, Ah Wan,” Xie Yu explained with a light smile.

Lu Wan’s face flushed even more. She deliberately pretended not to care and changed the subject.

“Is My Lord busy with something? Did I disturb your conversation with Supervisor Xu?”

“How could I? Today was the day I invited you out; how could I allow others to disturb us?”

Xie Yu lowered his head slightly, patiently explaining, his voice carrying a hint of ambiguous intimacy.

Lu Wan’s heart skipped a beat. Had Xie Yu already learned to flirt after only a few days?

She steadied herself, pretending not to understand Xie Yu’s implication.

“Since My Lord has kept his word, I should return this item to its rightful owner.”

Lu Wan took an item from the maid, wrapped it in a snow-white silk handkerchief, and presented it to Xie Yu with a smile.

“Could you please open it after you return home?”

As Xie Yu reached for it, Lu Wan withdrew her hand, asking earnestly, her eyes full of expectation.

This was not his original purse; it was a new one Lu Wan had ordered.

She had deliberately instructed that the stitches be coarse, clearly made by someone unfamiliar with needlework, to make Xie Yu believe it was her own handiwork.

“Alright.” He readily agreed to this small matter.

Xie Yu reached out and took the purse, feeling the delicate, warm fingertips lightly brush against his skin. It was an unintentional, alluring temptation, yet upon closer examination, it was elusive.

If it were any other man, he might have become restless.

But Xie Yu’s expression remained unchanged, as if he had not just been seduced.

“Many shops have displayed their finest items at this time of year; shall we take a stroll?”

“Then I will do as you say, My Lord.” Lu Wan had no objections; a stroll would be pleasant.

“Heh.” A disdainful sneer rang out. Lu Wan instinctively turned her head and saw a young man in brocade robes riding on horseback across the vermilion-lacquered imperial road, glancing sideways at them.

It was Zhou Yan, casually flicking his gold-threaded riding whip.

He glanced at the two of them only once before spurring his horse away, as if the sneer she had just heard was merely Lu Wan’s imagination.

Lu Wan did not care who he was. Who cared who he was? Xie Yu was the most important person in the world now.

The two of them traveled south along the imperial street, passing by the shops along the black-lacquered railings under the imperial corridor.

This was the first time Lu Wan had traveled this route; she had only seen a general view from the carriage on her first day. This was the first time she had explored it thoroughly.

This Imperial Street ran south from the main gate of the palace. On both sides were imperial corridors where merchants were allowed to trade. In the center of the street, a narrow imperial path, marked by vermilion-lacquered railings, was reserved for imperial relatives and nobles entering and exiting the palace.

Outside the imperial corridors was a row of imperial moats, marked by black-lacquered railings. The moats were paved with bricks and stones, and some withered lotus leaves floated on the surface. Many pear, apricot, and peach trees were planted along the banks.

Thinking about the breathtakingly beautiful scene of blooming flowers along this Imperial Street in spring and summer, Lu Wan was suddenly dazzled by a hairpin displayed in a pearl shop.

While not an extremely valuable item, its craftsmanship was exquisite.

She had always enjoyed such material possessions; she believed no woman disliked something so sparkly and beautiful—just looking at it was a pleasure.

Xie Yu, having clearly followed her gaze, picked up the hairpin with his slender, jade-like fingers. “Would you like to try it on, Ah Wan?”

Lu Wan was somewhat tempted. Could it be that Xie Yu was offering her the hairpin as a gift?

The shopkeeper, with his sharp eyes, could tell from their appearance and attire that they were no ordinary people. Seeing Lu Wan’s unmarried hairstyle, he understood.

A gentleman trying to please his bride would not be stingy, would he?

“Oh! This gentleman has excellent taste! This hairpin is one of a kind! It was crafted by a twenty-year veteran, taking a full month to complete. Not to mention the precious jade inlaid in it! You see, a lady as beautiful as you deserves an exquisite hairpin!”

His words were quite eloquent, but Lu Wan ignored them. She stared at the hairpin in Xie Yu’s hand and nodded slightly. Today, she wore a light green brocade jacket with floral patterns, which contrasted beautifully with the translucent green of the jade hairpin, making her delicate skin appear even more fair and radiant.

“Oh! Look! This suits you perfectly! What do you say, my lord…”

Without further ado, Xie-Jue, behind her, readily paid the bill. His promptness pleased the shopkeeper, who then offered a complimentary gift.

“Thanks to you both, we were able to open for business today. This pair of love knots is a gift to you both. May you soon become a loving and harmonious couple!”

Lu Wan touched the hairpin in her hair, watching Xie Yu accept the red silk knot and politely thank him. The feeling of unreality grew stronger.

So, Xie Yu was really trying to win her favor?

Her entire scheme had only just begun, and she had already managed to win over this unattainable beauty that all the young ladies in Luoyang could not reach?

“Does Ah Wan like it?”

The young man before her smiled gently, his eyes soft and warm, his gaze shimmering like the spring waters of a river.

Lu Wan smiled, “Thank you, Lord Yu. I really like it.”

Never mind what he thinks; getting on his good side and getting home was the priority.

She made up her mind that once she got back, she would definitely drag the Xiao Bai dog, who was always sleeping soundly, out of bed and check Xie Yu’s current affection level.

The two of them, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, stood out like cranes among chickens, easily attracting attention.

Lin Yun, who had just stepped off the carriage, was gently nudged by her companion. “Look, is that not Lu Wan? Were you two not very close? How come she’s so familiar with Lord Xie Yu? They seem quite intimate.”

Seeing the familiar figure, Lin Yun’s pupils suddenly contracted. She controlled her trembling hands and reluctantly agreed.

“After Ah Wan fell into the water, she rarely contacted me. I really know nothing about her.”

“I heard Young Master Xie Yu rescued her; she’s really lucky.”

The person saying this was practically dripping with sarcasm.

Lin Yun felt no envy whatsoever upon hearing this.

Seeing Lu Wan again seemed to remind her of this fact once more—Lu Wan was alive and well.

Lin Yun felt increasingly apprehensive, even uneasy, wondering if the person who killed Lu Wan had already discovered her lie.

Author’s Note:
The description of the Imperial Street is adapted from “Dongjing Menghualu”: ​​”The Imperial Street, with its lanes and alleys, stretches south from Xuande Tower for about two hundred paces. On both sides are imperial corridors, where people were once allowed to trade. However, during the Zhenghe period, the government prohibited this practice and installed black lacquered barriers. In the middle of the road, two rows of red lacquered barriers were installed. The central imperial road was off-limits to people and horses, and pedestrians had to stay outside the red barriers under the corridors. Inside the barriers were two imperial moats paved with bricks and stones. During the Xuanhe period, lotus and water lilies were planted everywhere, and peach, plum, pear, and apricot trees were planted near the banks, with various flowers interspersed. In spring and summer, it looked like an embroidery.”