Perfect Match – CH 021

Chapter 21

Teng Yue walked over.

He noticed her gaze was fixed on him with such urgency for the first time, but he simply ignored her and walked towards her maternal grandmother and Aunt Juan, bowing respectfully to the two elders.

Aunt Juan stepped aside, while the old grandmother tilted her head, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“General…” she called him again, her voice now tinged with hesitation compared to her previous aloofness.

Teng Yue glanced back at her but instructed the gatekeeper, “Go and fetch someone to take Grandmother and Aunt Juan to Liumingxuan to rest.”

The gatekeeper blinked, but under Teng Yue’s gaze, he dared not utter a word of doubt and quickly went to fetch someone.

As the gatekeeper left, Teng Yue noticed from the corner of his eye that she seemed somewhat uneasy.

“General,” she spoke directly this time, “I appreciate your kindness, but Grandmother and Aunt Juan are just passing through and need to go home now, so there’s no need for such a fuss.”

Passing through… she certainly knew how to find excuses.

If he had not overheard a few more words, would he have believed her?

“It’s no trouble at all,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Just rest a bit, have some tea; even if you stay for a few days, what trouble could it be?”

Before Deng Ruyun could say anything more, he suddenly asked her:

“Does Yunniang think I would not be happy? Or is Yunniang unhappy?”

The wind rustled through the bamboo grove, and sunlight dappled the leaves, reflecting off his handsome brows. His gaze, fixed on her face, seemed to see right through her.

Deng Ruyun’s heart skipped a beat.

Deng Ruyun could not explain it to him and pursed her lips.

He just kept staring at her, and at that very moment, Nanny Wei arrived with the maids.

As soon as she arrived, Xiuniang shielded her grandmother and Linglang behind her.

Deng Ruyun’s eyelids twitched as well.

Guessing that Teng Yue’s decision to have Linglang stay in the west wing might have already offended Nanny Wei, bringing the whole family to Liumingxuan now would likely only fuel Nanny Wei’s grudge.

Deng Ruyun’s injuries had not fully healed, and she had not been able to finish making medicine today. She did not have time to play along with this old nanny. Just as she was about to find another excuse to send her grandmother and the others away, Nanny Wei spoke up with a smile.

“Madam, really! Your grandmother is here; she should leave through the front door, not the back!”

This prompted Teng Yue to nod in agreement, while Nanny Wei quickly called to her maids, “Hurry and help the old lady and the aunt inside!”

Teng Yue was confused, and Deng Ruyun did not want to talk to him, but what was Nanny Wei’s intention?

Aunt Juan gave Deng Ruyun a puzzled look, and Deng Ruyun was secretly alarmed.

Unfortunately, Teng Yue was right there, and even though Nanny Wei had already “agreed” with him, she resolutely refused to bring anyone in, fearing it would arouse Teng Yue’s suspicion.

Since she had agreed to the contract, she wanted to fulfill it conscientiously.

Deng Ruyun had no choice but to remain silent for the time being.

*

Upon returning to Liumingxuan, Linglang was overjoyed. She would cling to her great-grandmother, then hold her great-aunt’s hand, wanting to show them her room in the west wing of Liumingxuan.

However, Aunt Juan secretly glanced at Deng Ruyun’s expression a few times. Deng Ruyun could not explain in detail, and beside her stood a general who insisted on entertaining.

He shielded her from the wind in the corridor, first inquiring about her maternal grandmother and Aunt Juan, who had not eaten lunch and had rushed over upon hearing the rumors. However, everyone in the Teng family had already eaten, so he had someone prepare a simple meal, saying that in the evening, “a banquet will be set up, and my mother and younger sister can come and have a family feast with the two elders.”

Deng Ruyun wanted to rub her forehead in exasperation.

But this man, seemingly oblivious to her refusal, lowered his head and whispered to her, “Is Grandmother sometimes a little confused?”

He had seen her grandmother ask little Linglang if she had run away from school.

Teng Yue did not know Linglang had ever attended school, and indeed, her grandmother was confused. Sometimes she would mistake strangers for Aunt Juan, and if she was seriously ill, she would ask if Linglang was a boy or a girl.

Deng Ruyun’s biggest fear was that one day her grandmother would not even recognize her. She would not know what to do then.

At this moment, she simply replied to Teng Yue dismissively, “Grandmother is confused,” she said, then added, “So, it’s better for her to go home.”

However, the man pretended not to understand her meaning and whispered again, “Is Aunt Juan your mother-in-law’s cousin?”

Deng Ruyun was secretly annoyed but had no choice but to continue answering.

“They were neighbors, close friends. But my mother always treated Aunt Juan like her own sister.”

When she was little, her mother did not have enough milk, and the wet nurse they hired always made her vomit. Around that time, Aunt Juan lost her own child and was kicked out of her husband’s family.

Her mother simply took Aunt Juan back into their home, and Aunt Juan nursed her. From then on, Aunt Juan only treated her like her own child…

But she did not need to tell Teng Yue these things.

She hinted at it, but he did not seem to care, asking about her grandmother and Aunt Juan’s favorite dishes and dietary restrictions.

Deng Ruyun did not want to tell him, glancing up at the geese flying by in the courtyard and randomly picking a few.

How could Teng Yue not notice her negative attitude?

But compared to her previous dullness or feigned gentleness, she finally revealed her true emotions.

So, she had a temper after all.

Teng Yue turned his head and saw her eyelids slightly open, her gaze fixed on the wild geese in the sky. Her lips were pursed tightly, a gesture that suggested she wanted to remain silent.

But the way her lips were slightly pursed actually drew his attention a few more times.

Having gauged her temperament, he felt his efforts today had not been in vain.

Teng Yue was not angry at all; instead, he cheerfully called for a maid.

“It’s windy in the corridor; go and get Madam a cloak.”

As he spoke, he gently instructed her in her ear, “You are still not well; wear more clothes.”

Deng Ruyun did not want to say a word, only nodding blankly.

Seeing her like this, Teng Yue felt a strange urge to laugh, but the thought that she did not want to tell him anything and only wanted to appease him made him unable to laugh.

He simply reached out and took her hand in his.

She finally turned her gaze away from the wild geese, giving him a slightly wary look. But Teng Yue was merely testing her temperature. Seeing her almond-shaped eyes widen, his gaze softened even more.

“You need to change into a thicker cloak.”

He then had a maid bring a thicker cloak and personally draped it over her shoulders.

Deng Ruyun was at a loss for words. Just then, Tang Zuo came to announce that soldiers from Ningxia had come to visit him.

Teng Yue nodded.

A few days ago, a colleague from Ningxia, who was on good terms with him, had asked him to settle several soldiers who had offended someone in the garrison of Xi’an Prefecture. He had not expected them to arrive so soon.

Teng Yue could not refuse to see them. Hearing this, he said to the person beside him, “Then Yunniang, please stay with Grandmother and the others. I will go to the front courtyard.”

Upon hearing this, she said, “General, please go quickly.”

Teng Yue: “…”

So soon?

The man was speechless and had no choice but to go.

After he left, Deng Ruyun finally felt a sense of relief and had time to carefully consider the day’s events.

She specifically went to ask Aunt Juan, “How did you hear about my injury, Aunt?”

Aunt Juan had sensed something was amiss and immediately pulled her aside.

“It’s quite a coincidence,” Aunt Juan said. “I was feeling restless because of my leg injury, so I sat by the door to get some fresh air, thinking about our business in Xi’an Prefecture. Then a young, unfamiliar girl came along, dressed very attractively. She chatted with people at the street corner, and then the conversation turned to you. I overheard everything…”

Aunt Juan had not received much formal education, but in the past few years, helping Deng Ruyun support the family business, she had seen and experienced a lot.

She quickly asked Deng Ruyun, “Could that girl be lying? But your injury is real! Why would someone tell us such things?”

Deng Ruyun did not know how to answer, but she thought of Nanny Wei’s unusual behavior. Nanny Wei knew about the contract and was the one who ensured it was upheld. Why would she want her to bring her maternal grandmother and the others into the mansion?

Deng Ruyun thought for a moment and asked Xiuniang to look after Aunt Juan and the others first.

“I’m going to Canglang Pavilion.”

*

At Canglang Pavilion.

Nanny Wei helped Old Madam Lin change her clothes. There was no one else in the room.

“You see, originally, you had settled Deng’s family outside, but now, after all these events, they’ve all come to our mansion. Second Master does not know about these things, yet he treats them as proper elders according to etiquette and even wants to host a family banquet tonight.”

“It’s just a meal, nothing much,” Old Madam Lin said indifferently.

Nanny Wei, seeing her still so unmoved, could not help but say, “You are truly a magnanimous person. Although Deng Ruyun has not done anything outrageous, Second Master is a man of deep affection. They spend every day together, and she’s injured; how could he not care?”

As she spoke, she added fuel to the fire: “I heard Second Master is even planning to have a spacious courtyard prepared so the Deng family can stay there and be cared for nearby. He never cared about these things before, but now he’s thinking of Deng Ruyun in every way.”

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Lin raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Is that so?”

A thoughtful look appeared on her face. Nanny Wei thought to herself, “Finally, she’s taking it to heart. Second Master and Madam Deng cannot continue like this. Old Madam, you need to think of some ways. Perhaps place more people in Liumingxuan, or keep a closer eye on Deng Ruyun, or perhaps wait until she recovers and then find a pretext to send her far away.”

In short, as long as the old lady paid attention, things would be easy.

Nanny Wei felt a sense of relief and prepared to add a few more casual remarks to raise the old lady’s guard.

But then a messenger came from outside: “Old Madam, the madam has arrived.”

Upon hearing that Deng Ruyun had arrived, Old Madam Lin chuckled, “Speak of the devil, and he appears.”

She gestured to Nanny Wei. “Let’s see what the madam has to say first.”

With that, she slowly walked out of the inner room.

Nanny Wei had not expected Deng Ruyun to arrive at this time. Her eyelids twitched, and she could only follow.

Since Deng Ruyun had arrived, she had already prepared what she wanted to say.

She first recounted to Old Madam Lin the whole story of Linglang moving in.

“…The General dotes on children and brought some lanterns to amuse her. I did not want to spoil his fun or arouse his suspicion, so I just went along with it.”

She explained, and Old Madam Lin nodded. “Yu Chuan does indeed like children.”

Deng Ruyun felt slightly relieved and then recounted the unexpected arrival of her maternal grandmother and Aunt Juan that day.

As she spoke, she glanced at Nanny Wei. “Aunt Juan heard something from some brightly dressed young maid who appeared out of nowhere and thought something terrible had happened to me, which is why she rushed over, only to be caught by the General.”

She had previously been quite tolerant of Nanny Wei, knowing that she would be under Nanny Wei’s watchful eye for the next three years in the Teng family. She had not expected Nanny Wei to do her any favors; she was content with the status quo.

But this time, if it really was Nanny Wei who did it, she could not simply pretend not to know.

Deng Ruyun said this and also glanced at Nanny Wei.

Her eyes lit up, and Old Madam Lin immediately understood.

She glanced at Nanny Wei.

Nanny Wei had not expected Deng Ruyun to react so quickly, and her heart tightened.

But Deng Ruyun had not explicitly targeted her; for Nanny Wei to jump in and refute her now would only put her at a disadvantage.

Nanny Wei felt stifled and could only swallow her anger for the time being.

Old Madam Lin understood Nanny Wei’s attitude even more clearly, but seeing Deng Ruyun still injured and sweating profusely as she walked from Liumingxuan, she could not help but offer a few words of comfort.

“It’s just having a meal with your grandmother, nothing serious. Where you eat does not matter. Your injury has not healed yet; you should avoid going out too much. If anything happens, let Xiuniang come find me.”

Deng Ruyun thought to herself that Xiuniang had such a straightforward temper; if she did not explain things clearly, she might fall into Nanny Wei’s trap again after a few words. It was better for her to go herself.

She still wanted to fulfill the contract and secure the remaining money.

She carefully observed Old Madam Lin’s expression, and seeing her brow relax, she felt a slight sense of relief.

However, it was best to avoid having dinner together. Given Teng Yue’s recent erratic behavior, it might cause more trouble.

She said decisively, “Thank you, Old Madam. But my grandmother needs to rest, Aunt Juan is not very familiar with the customs of wealthy families, and Linglang’s illness has improved considerably, so it’s inconvenient for her to stay any longer. I think I also need to rest for a few days, and I cannot do much anyway. Perhaps I should take them back to the small courtyard in the east of the city for a while and then return later.”

She offered to temporarily leave Liumingxuan and stay in the east of the city.

If Nanny Wei had many reasons to suspect that she and Teng Yue had become closer than before, then her suggestion to temporarily leave Liumingxuan was a deliberate attempt to distance herself from Teng Yue.

Nanny Wei was immediately silenced, unable to say anything.

Old Madam Lin, however, looked at Deng Ruyun with a serious expression and nodded almost imperceptibly.

It was fate that she had chosen such a bright and intelligent girl who knew how to conduct herself.

Her attitude softened further, and without any hesitation or beating around the bush, she simply nodded and said yes.

“Then go ahead, take good care of your grandmother and niece, and take care of yourself too.”

Old Madam Lin’s directness left Nanny Wei speechless, and Deng Ruyun breathed a sigh of relief as she left Canglang Pavilion.

The prospect of staying with her grandmother and Aunt Juan for a while made Deng Ruyun’s spirits soar.

But when Teng Yue returned and heard that they were leaving, including her, his tall figure stood in the courtyard, his shadow and gaze falling on her in the sunlight, causing her heart to skip a beat.