Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo first arrived at the nearest Chunhe Hall.
As dusk approached, lamps were lit in the side chamber. He Shi and He Weiyu sat facing each other, cutting paper window decorations.
In He Shi’s hometown, pasting window decorations was particularly fashionable, and the local girls took great pride in their paper-cutting skills. Both He Shi and He Weiyu were experts in this craft, creating lifelike, delicate, and spirited designs.
“With such heavy snow, what brings the two of you here?” He Shi, sitting cross-legged on the heated platform bed, smiled at her son and daughter-in-law as they entered one after the other.
“Cousin, cousin-in-law, please take a seat.” He Weiyu stepped down from the bed, her almond-shaped eyes lingering on Lu Zhuo for a moment.
Lu Zhuo did not sit but stood beside Wei Rao, smiling at He Shi. “Mother, there’s a shop called Zhang’s in Yunwu Town known for their exceptional sugar-coated haws. Rao Rao specially bought several portions to share with everyone.”
Bitao brought over a food box. Wei Rao took out one portion of sugar-coated haws, arranged all five sticks on a plate, and presented it to He Shi with both hands, speaking in a sweet, gentle tone. “To be honest, I was the one craving them, but I was afraid the Young Lord would tease me, so I used you, the elders, and our younger cousin as an excuse. Still, Zhang’s sugar-coated haws are truly delicious. Mother and cousin, please try some?”
Touched by her daughter-in-law’s thoughtfulness, He Shi was overjoyed. She handed one stick to He Weiyu and took one herself, taking a small bite. The sweet-and-sour sugar coating was thin, crisp, and did not stick to her teeth, while the seeds had been removed. It was simply the best sugar-coated haws she had ever tasted.
“Mmm, indeed better than others.” After finishing one piece, He Shi asked Wei Rao, “Have the two of you tried them yet?”
Wei Rao smiled. “We had one on the way to the Secluded Manor. Any more, and my teeth would ache.”
He Shi glanced at her son.
Lu Zhuo replied, “I’ve also had some. Please enjoy them slowly, Mother and cousin. We still need to pay our respects to Grandfather and Grandmother.”
He Shi smiled. “Go ahead, especially to your Third Aunt—she loves these snacks the most.”
Lu Zhuo’s mind conjured an image of the stern-faced Third Madam scolding his younger cousins, making it difficult to imagine her indulging in snacks like Wei Rao.
The couple took their leave. As they exited the room, Lu Zhuo lifted the door curtain for Wei Rao to pass through.
He Shi remained seated, but He Weiyu, as the younger cousin, escorted her cousin and cousin-in-law all the way to the Hall. Watching the handsome pair huddled together under a single umbrella, gradually disappearing into the snowy landscape, He Weiyu’s heart felt like an unripe hawthorn berry—sour with envy.
Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo’s second stop was Zhongyi Hall.
The Duke of Yingguo and his wife, the Duchess, were playing chess. Since Lu Zhuo’s triumphant return to the capital, he had been recuperating from his illness. The Duke, who had only been granted leave for the New Year, seized the opportunity to spend quality time with his wife.
Entering the room and seeing their grandparents seated on either side of a low table, Lu Zhuo and Wei Rao repeated nearly the same explanation.
The Duke had no interest in sugar-coated haws, but acknowledging his granddaughter-in-law’s filial gesture, he smiled faintly and returned to studying the chessboard.
The Duchess, however, picked up a stick. She had a sweet tooth but dreaded sticky treats. To her delight, the sugar coating did not cling to her teeth at all. Beaming, she asked Wei Rao, “Is Zhang’s shop easy to find? If I crave these again, I’ll send someone to buy them.”
Wei Rao replied, “It’s quite easy to locate—right on the main street of Yunwu Town. Whenever you’d like some, Grandmother, just let me know, and I’ll send someone to get them for you.”
Hearing his wife’s enthusiastic chewing, the Duke snorted. “At your age, and still so fond of such treats.”Lu Zhuo took Wei Rao to bid their farewells. When they reached the courtyard, they heard the Duchess of Yingguo's raised voice from inside: "Put that down! You're older, what are you doing eating sugar-coated haws!"
Bitao couldn't help but chuckle.
Seeing the elders accept her thoughtful gifts with laughter filled Wei Rao with deep satisfaction.
Their third stop was the Second Household.
The Second Household had the largest number of members among the four branches of the Lu Family. Second Madam and Third Madam jointly managed the household affairs and were currently sitting together discussing the post-New Year banquets and the gifts to be sent when visiting relatives and friends. Lu Changning had been instructed by Second Madam to sit nearby and learn, looking quite sullen. When Wei Rao and the others arrived, Lu Changning was the most delighted.
"So many sugar-coated haws! Second Brother and the others have gone to the garden to drink. I'll bring these to them."
Lu Changning took a bundle of sugar-coated haws—just enough to share—and ran off cheerfully.
Second Madam sighed as she watched her daughter's retreating figure: "She'll be fifteen right after the New Year. With this kind of temperament, how will she ever get married?"
Lu Zhuo smiled and said, "Changning is the only younger sister in our family. It would be good to keep her home for a few more years. There's no need for Second Aunt to worry."
Third Madam agreed, saying that a young lady from the Duke of Yingguo's household wouldn't have trouble finding a marriage even if she remained until eighteen.
Since both madams were busy, Lu Zhuo didn't linger and took Wei Rao to continue to the Fourth Household.
The First, Second, and Third Households lived relatively close together, but the Fourth Household was located in the northwest corner of the Duke of Yingguo's residential complex—the most remote area.
Lu Zhuo quietly reminded Wei Rao: "Fourth Uncle has a solitary temperament. We'll just deliver the gifts and leave quickly. Don't stay too long."
Though Wei Rao had been married into the family for some time, she had only briefly seen Fourth Master two or three times. Rationally speaking, Fourth Master was the same age as Han Liao, the heir to the Marquis of Xiting. While Han Liao carried himself with the spirited confidence of a young man in his twenties, Fourth Master of the Lu Family sported a full beard, his eyes lonely and still as stagnant water, making him appear a generation older than Han Liao.
From what Wei Rao knew, Fourth Master had begun military campaigns in his youth. At eighteen, an enemy general had severed one of his legs. After returning to the capital, he never left the Duke's Manor again. The Duchess of Yingguo had coaxed him for years, finally persuading him to marry at the advanced age of twenty-four, wedding the current Fourth Madam.
Yet after eight years of marriage, Fourth Master and his wife had not produced any children, making theirs the quietest and loneliest household in the Duke of Yingguo's estate.
On Wei Rao's wedding day, it was Fourth Madam who had received her. Among the three aunts, Wei Rao felt closest to Fourth Madam in her heart—though this might also be because Fourth Madam was the youngest, more like an elder sister.
"How thoughtful of you, Raorao, to make the trip personally in such heavy snow. Are your feet cold?"
After the maids announced them, Fourth Madam arrived a bit late but warmly welcomed the young couple.
Fourth Master did not make an appearance.
Wei Rao noticed that Fourth Madam had applied a thick layer of powder, and her eyes were slightly bloodshot, as if she had been crying recently.
Wei Rao glanced at Lu Zhuo.
Lu Zhuo lowered his gaze to his tea, whether genuinely unaware or feigning ignorance, it was unclear.
Given their still-shallow acquaintance, Wei Rao felt it inappropriate to ask too much. After a brief conversation, she used the darkening sky as an excuse to take their leave.
As they left the Fourth Household, snowflakes continued to fall softly.
Their feet crunched rhythmically on the accumulated snow. Heeding Bitao's earlier reminder, Wei Rao walked very close to Lu Zhuo. Her hands tucked inside the fox-fur hand warmer, she lowered her lashes, watching the footprints the three of them had left on their way there, and quietly asked Lu Zhuo, "Fourth Madam had been crying. Did you notice?"Lu Zhuo's expression remained unchanged, but his voice carried a chill: "Do not pry into matters that are none of your concern."
Wei Rao was so infuriated by his retort she nearly choked: "She is your aunt! If she's crying, there must be a reason. As her nephew, how can you pretend not to see it? Act as if nothing happened without even asking?"
Lu Zhuo frowned.
If Fourth Madam encountered any trouble, she could discuss it with Fourth Uncle or with Grandmother—it was never his place as a nephew to intervene. With only five years between them, their close age made any unsolicited involvement from him prone to gossip. Had Wei Rao been his true wife, he might have asked her to show concern on his behalf. But their marriage was merely an arrangement.
Since it was an arrangement, Lu Zhuo had no desire for Wei Rao to meddle in the private affairs of the Lu Family's various branches.
"Fourth Aunt used powder to conceal her tears, indicating she doesn't wish us to know. Why must you insist on probing?" Lu Zhuo replied indifferently, halting his steps while still holding the umbrella over Wei Rao's head.
Wei Rao felt nothing but heartache for Fourth Madam. When Lu Zhuo was hovering between life and death, Fourth Madam, along with Second and Third Madams, had shed countless tears. The moment Lu Zhuo awoke, the three aunts had rejoiced as if their own son had been revived. Yet Lu Zhuo, fully aware that Fourth Madam had been crying, could remain so detached, unwilling to offer even the slightest extra compassion.
"Some people are too reserved—they yearn for care but dare not show it," Wei Rao lifted her head, meeting Lu Zhuo's gaze directly. "Fourth Madam might be one of them. As a false Young Madam, I have no standing to comfort her. If you have any conscience, and find it inappropriate to approach her yourself, you should at least inform your mother and suggest she find an opportunity to ask."
Lu Zhuo countered, "What if Fourth Aunt doesn't want such concern? If Mother asks abruptly and embarrasses her, what then?"
Wei Rao snapped, "Then blame it on me! Say I was the one who spoke out of turn in front of your mother—it has nothing to do with you."
Fourth Madam was an elegant beauty, gentle and unbiased toward Wei Rao. Having witnessed her tears, Wei Rao felt compelled to intervene this once. If Fourth Madam truly needed familial comfort, Wei Rao would be glad to have helped. If, as Lu Zhuo feared, Fourth Madam viewed it as meddling, then Wei Rao would learn her lesson and refrain from future interference.
Lu Zhuo studied her blazing, indignant eyes and paused before saying, "If you wish to handle it, speak to Mother yourself."
Having spent eight years at the border, Lu Zhuo had grown distant even from his own mother. He cared about her health and tried to fulfill her requests, but when it came to Fourth Madam's affairs, he didn't know how to broach the subject with her. Even regarding his own troubles, big or small, Lu Zhuo preferred not to confide in his mother.
Wei Rao stared in disbelief at this Young Lord, rumored to be as gentle as jade.
"Let's go. It's getting dark," Lu Zhuo glanced around and remarked nonchalantly, the corners of his lips curling into that hypocritical smile once more.
Suddenly, Wei Rao realized that Lu Zhuo wasn't merely discourteous to her—he was equally cold and detached toward his own family.Now that she knew what kind of person he was, Wei Rao no longer made a fuss and followed Lu Zhuo for a while before saying, "Rather than having Mother ask, I might as well find an opportunity to speak with Fourth Madam alone. If Fourth Madam truly minds being probed, fewer people knowing would make it easier for her to save face. But this is your family affair. If you mind my involvement, I’ll ask Mother to step in."
Lu Zhuo did not reply immediately.
This matter might involve Fourth Madam’s secrets. What if Fourth Madam regarded Wei Rao as a niece-in-law and confided in her? Could Wei Rao keep the secret?
A snowflake drifted in from the side and landed on Lu Zhuo’s face.
He suddenly recalled the day of the hunt at Cloud Mist Mountain, when Wei Rao, upon realizing that both wild boars had been driven by him, decisively gave up the one she had hunted. And at the palace’s Dragon Boat Festival banquet, if Wei Rao hadn’t acted promptly to save Qi Zhongkai’s niece Qi Miaomiao, the little girl might not have survived until the Imperial Physician arrived.
Wei Rao seemed to be merely untamed in temperament, but her character was fairly upright.
Even in the matter of Fourth Madam, she could have chosen not to intervene, yet she would rather argue with him to find out why Fourth Madam was crying.
"You handle it. If Fourth Madam is unwilling to say more, do not press her," Lu Zhuo glanced at Wei Rao, his tone carrying a subtle warning.
Wei Rao sneered, "I have enough sense for that. No need for the heir to remind me."
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