Chengguo Mansion.
In the East Courtyard Hall, several exquisite dishes were already placed on the table.
There are more dishes that have already been cooked in the kitchen.
Because it was cold and the guests had not arrived yet, the food was temporarily kept warm in another large pot nearby, ready to be served at any time.
The hall was empty, no one was there.
Under the eaves outside, Luo Yu, dressed in a white robe, stood there with his hands behind his back, staring silently at the snow scene outside with a blank expression, and no one knew what he was thinking about.
At this time, the sound of footsteps on the snow came from outside the door.
The maids held umbrellas and escorted Wang in through the gate.
Luo Yu came back to her senses, a gentle smile appeared on her face, and she walked up to greet him: "Mom, why are you here?"
Madam Wang glanced at her son, said nothing, and walked into the house.
Looking at the dishes on the table, she was silent for a long time, and then she said softly, "Yu'er, is it worth wasting time on this?"
Luo Yu also looked at the dishes on the table, with a gentle smile on his face: "Nothing special, I haven't seen Qingzhou for a long time, just want to have a meal and chat."
Wang looked at him, her eyes showing the doting that only a mother can have: "Yu'er, he is not qualified."
After a pause, he said softly, “Of course, if you like it, no one will say anything.”
Luo Yu avoided her gaze and looked at the snowflakes falling outside.
Wang turned around and stood side by side with him, also looking outside. After a moment of silence, she whispered, "Yu'er, I'm sorry... Mother knows about that matter... But don't worry, a lowly thing that crawled out of the mud is not qualified to enjoy what originally belonged to you..."
The gentle smile on Luo Yu's face disappeared without a trace: "Mom, he has enjoyed it."
The muscles at the corners of Wang's eyes twitched, and she slowly raised her hand, wanting to touch his face or his back like she did when she was a child.
When he was wronged as a child, she always caressed him and comforted him so gently.
But at this moment, she raised her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then dropped it.
She looked at the familiar yet strange face in front of her, was silent for a moment, and whispered: "Yu'er, don't worry, no one can take away what belongs to you... Mother will definitely make the decision for you, just like when we were little..."
Luo Yu looked outside and said nothing.
Wang stood there for a while, then turned to look at the maid next to her, her face returning to its calm state: "Go and call the Second Madam."
"Yes, ma'am."
The maid left in a hurry.
Silence returned to the room.
Neither the mother nor the son spoke any more.
Soon, the graceful Second Madam Yang, wearing a purple dress, hurried over. She first called him "Second Young Master" with a big smile on her face, and then called him "Madam" in a flattering manner, saying, "Madam, you are looking for me. What can I do for you?"
In front of the servants, she is the second wife.
But in front of Wang, she was just a servant.
Wang stared at her beautiful face expressionlessly for a while, then said calmly, "You should know that he will be coming over later. You stay here and talk to him for a while."
After a pause, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Let him say everything he needs to say, understand?"
Yang lowered her head and smiled, "Madam, rest assured. I understand. I will make that little thing tell you everything that happened in the Qin Mansion."
Wang stared at her for a while and suddenly asked, "Where's Xiaolou? Why haven't I seen her for a long time?"
Yang lowered her head even lower, smiling, "That girl hides in the house all day long, reading books and painting, and rarely comes out."
Wang thought for a moment and said, "Calculating his age, Xiaolou must be about eleven or twelve years old, right?"
Yang smiled and said, "This year, I will be twelve years old during the Chinese New Year."
Wang nodded slightly, was silent for a moment, looked at her and said, "I remember that Xiaolou used to have a very good relationship with him. Since he entered the mansion, Xiaolou especially liked to play with him, right?"
Yang's face changed, and she said hurriedly, "Madam, you misunderstood. Xiaolou actually hates that little guy. Every time they meet, he scolds him and even throws stones at him. It's not that he likes to play with that little guy, but he thinks that little guy is lowly and easy to bully, so he treats him as a toy."
Her voice began to tremble.
Wang's face showed a faint smile for the first time. "Ping'er, I don't have any other intentions. I just think that since he has finally come back, he should naturally find a few people who can talk to him to accompany him. Otherwise, wouldn't it seem that I am not hospitable to guests in Chengguo Mansion? Go, call Xiaolou over to accompany him together."
Yang's face turned pale and she said in a trembling voice: "Madam, Xiaolou...she is reading..."
Wang turned her head and looked at the maid next to her and said, "Go and bring Xiaolou over."
"Yes, ma'am."
The maid hurried away.
Yang lowered her head, looking unhappy, and dared not say a word.
Wang turned around and looked outside where heavy snow was beginning to fall, without saying anything else.
After a while.
Luo Yu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up: "Mom, did you say that he came alone this time?"
Wang was silent for a moment, then said, "He is just a lowly son-in-law, and at most he is accompanied by a maid."
At this time, a servant came in hurriedly and reported: "Madam, Second Young Master, the carriage has arrived at the door."
Wang's face was calm: "He's alone?"
The servant bowed and said, "And that... the maid who killed Guardian Wang last time."
Wang's eyelids twitched a few times before she slowly said, "I know."
The servants withdrew.
The room fell into silence.
After a while, Wang said softly, "Yu'er, I'm leaving first. I'll ask Uncle Zhang and the others to come over and watch over you in the yard."
Luo Yu shook his head: "No, it's not necessary."
Wang looked at him, moved her lips, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself. In the end, she said nothing more. She nodded slightly and left surrounded by servants.
Not until she disappeared out the door did Yang, who had been bowing her head, slowly raise her head, her face slightly pale.
Soon, the maid brought a young girl in red clothes into the courtyard.
The girl was petite and pretty, with a pair of particularly large eyes that looked watery, lively and cute.
When she saw Yang, she immediately ran over the maid happily and came in, her young face full of excitement: "Mother, I heard from Sister Dong'er that Brother Qingzhou is coming back, right? Last time when Brother Qingzhou came back, you wouldn't let me go out, and I didn't get to see him. This time I can finally see him!"
Yang's face changed, she glanced at the second young master next to her, and quickly scolded with a stern face: "What brother Qingzhou? How many times have I told you that he is a cheap thing, a lowly thing, not your brother! If you yell at me again in the future, I will tear your mouth apart!"
Then he pointed at Luo Yu next to him and said with a smile on his face: "This is your real brother, call him second brother."
The excited smile on Luo Xiaolou's face faded, he frowned, stopped, stood in front of Luo Yu, bowed his head, and timidly called out: "Second Brother."
Luo Yu showed a gentle smile on her face, looked at her and said: "Xiao Lou is innocent and naive, it's right to call her that. Second Mother, don't scold her like this next time."
Yang smiled and said, "Second Young Master, please don't spoil this girl. She is just stupid and can't bend. She should be taught a lesson often. That lowly little thing respects him by calling him by his name. How can he be worthy of calling him brother? I feel disgusted just by looking at his stinky face! He has no respect for elders and doesn't know the rules. After being married for so many days, he didn't even come back to pay his respects to the master and the mistress, as well as you, the Second Young Master. You even have to send someone to call him in person. Humph, today I have to teach that ungrateful bastard a lesson!"
Luo Xiaolou stood aside with his head down, not daring to say another word. The excitement he had just felt when he arrived turned into coldness in an instant.
Luo Yu had a smile on his face and didn't say anything else.
Not long.
There were footsteps outside.
A maid led a young man in from the main gate.
Behind the young man, there was a pretty girl holding a sword.
As soon as the girl appeared, the wind and snow outside seemed to become even colder.
Luo Yu felt an itch on his neck unconsciously.
Looking at the sword-wielding girl, her pretty and cold appearance, thinking of the sword that killed him that day, and thinking of the beautiful figure like a fairy, his heart, which had originally calmed down, suddenly tightened again, as if it was pricked by a needle.
These originally belonged to him.