Chapter 163: Instructions

Li Yu froze, her entire body stiffening.

For no reason she could name, her heart pounded wildly at those words, her mind going utterly blank.

For the first time, she turned her head instinctively to stare at Lu Fang.

Lu Fang blinked, a smile tugging at his lips, and snapped his fingers. "Is there something on my face?"

The moment he spoke.

Before Li Yu could react, the carriage unfolded like a blooming petal, soon transforming into a large bed surrounded by a sea of pink flowers.

Lu Fang sat down directly, propping his hands behind his head, gazing at the first rays of the rising sun. He patted the only empty spot beside him, signaling for Li Yu to sit.

Li Yu hesitated, then finally sat down, looking up at the sunrise. "The sunrise today is so beautiful—it feels like a dream."

"Are you hungry?"

Lu Fang asked, smiling at Lu Ling.

Lu Ling shook her head. "I'm not hungry…"

Before she could finish, Lu Fang snapped his fingers, summoning a cloud laden with petals, a flask of Bodhi fruit wine, and several appetizers.

"Do you like peach blossoms?"

Lu Fang smiled at Li Yu as peach blossoms drifted down from the sky, settling around them—ethereal, yet not obscuring the sunrise, adding to the romance.

Li Yu could no longer hold back; she covered her mouth and laughed uncontrollably. "This is truly a unique way to watch the sunrise."

"Thank you for liking it."

Lu Fang nodded, satisfied.

Li Yu sighed softly with a touch of happiness, stealing a glance at Lu Fang. Seeing him staring directly at her, she quickly looked away. "I heard you're being sent as envoy to Luo Sha? When are you leaving?"

Lu Fang poured two small cups of Bodhi fruit wine, clinked hers, and drank it down. "I expect to depart in the next couple of days—it's too rushed. If I hadn't invited you to watch the sunrise today, I might not see you for a long time."

Li Yu drank her cup, deliberately ignoring certain words. "My junior uncle must be very busy—writing another refined text, and now planning to adapt the refined version of Dream of the Red Chamber."

"On top of that, you'll need time to learn about Luo Sha."

"Should I thank you, then, for taking time out of your busy schedule to come watch the sunrise with me?"

Lu Fang blurted out: "Would you like to come with me to Luo Sha? I hear it's on the edge of a foreign land, with extraordinary sights even more beautiful than this sunrise."

This invitation was unexpected.

Before this, Lu Fang had never intended to say it—sending an envoy to Luo Sha carried real risks, and he feared Lu Ling might be hurt or overthink it.

But he simply couldn't help it.

In that moment, he only wanted to be with Li Yu.

"I don't want to go," Li Yu shook her head, then sighed. "Even if I wanted to, I can't—I already promised to attend the academy exchange. I won't have time."

Lu Fang exhaled in relief, then turned to Li Yu with a smile. "You understand my feelings now, don't you?"

"What feelings? I don't know."

Li Yu rose and walked to the edge of the cloud-bed. After a pause, she turned back to Lu Fang and smiled. "When you return from Luo Sha, I'll treat you to wine."

Then she leapt off the cloud-bed.

Lu Fang chuckled wryly. He wasn't worried about Li Yu—she was a fourth-rank Confucian scholar; this height posed no danger to her.

Besides, he never truly expected a definitive answer this time.

His goal was simply to make his feelings clear, and to let her feel she wasn't being ignored.

Li Yu was exactly as he'd imagined: if you pressured her or pushed too hard, she'd retreat—or push you away.

Her final words said more than enough. For Lu Fang, it was already more than enough.

…

In the back mountain of Wenyuan Academy, a quiet villa.

The Grand Confucian Wang Fu sat alone, sipping wine. He looked up at the sunrise atop Jiezi Mountain and frowned.

"It's Yu'er? I never expected this. I'd better not drink with Old Li anymore—what if I get drunk and let something slip?"

Creating illusions with righteous qi on Jiezi Mountain was beyond Lu Fang alone, so he'd asked his third senior brother, Wang Fu, for help.

Wang Fu found it strange himself—he'd watched Li Yu grow up since childhood; she was his disciple, almost like his own daughter.

But after glimpsing Lu Fang's surprise, Wang Fu could only wear the expression of a bemused uncle-in-law. He thought this pair of golden youth and jade maiden suited each other well.

…

The Marquis of Wenguan Mansion.

After confirming his departure date for Luo Sha, Lu Fang summoned Fang Chun to his study and gave her instructions, focusing on matters he cared about most.

First, Lu Ling and Li Yu.

"While I'm on mission to Luo Sha, Ling'er will surely come to visit Lady Li. Make sure they never stay alone together."

Lu Fang instructed.

Other matters were secondary; Lu Ling and Li Yu were what truly worried him—he feared their interaction might cause discomfort. If Fang Chun was always present, they'd likely avoid speaking of him.

"Huh?" Fang Chun froze.

She'd assumed Lu Fang was giving her some grave task—only to find it was this. She felt her sense of reality slipping.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Lu Fang asked.

Fang Chun waved her hands frantically. "Young Master, rest assured—I understand. I'll make sure Ling'er and Lady Li never stay alone."

"I trust your intelligence to handle this," Lu Fang approved, then continued. "Second, discuss the casting for the refined version of Dream of the Red Chamber with He Zixuan."

"By the way, have you read Dream of the Red Chamber?"

He suddenly remembered.

Fang Chun nodded eagerly. "I read a hand-copied version at Princess Jin Hong's—many times. I even remember the dialogues. No one could fail to love this book."

Lu Fang smiled. "Good. Third, you must regularly contact the Shen Family Auction House. I have enemies in the capital—I don't want my family harmed while I'm away."

Fang Chun whispered, "Young Master, I'm afraid I can't manage all this alone…"

Lu Fang cut her off. "Don't worry—I've arranged for my third senior brother to protect you covertly. Your job is only to identify potential threats and stop them in time. Better to err on the side of caution than to miss anything."

"Yes, Young Master."

Fang Chun replied.

Lu Fang paused. "Also, you're handling too much alone. You may hire assistants—but they must be thoroughly vetted, and preferably recruited secretly."