Yu Youyao sized up her cousin seriously. She saw that his thin body was no longer as weak as before, but it looked sharp and dangerous.
His eyebrows were as sharp as a knife, exuding an intimidating aura. His eyes were as black as ink, like a vortex that could suck people in. However, the vastness of the universe and the stars were hidden in his eyes.
Yu Youyao choked. “Cousin, you’re back!”
Her cousin was still the cousin in her heart. Although he had changed a lot, the moment she saw him, the familiar and intimate feeling in her heart would not lie.
Zhou Linghuai smiled. “Why are you crying when you see me? Do you not welcome me back?”
“No.” Yu Youyao wiped her tears with her hand and said in a hoarse voice, “I’m crying tears of joy. I’m too happy. I haven’t seen Cousin for so long. I…”
As she spoke, her tears could not help but flow out. There was a huge lump in her throat, and she could not even speak in the end. A soft whimper sounded in the closed carriage.
Zhou Linghuai looked at the young lady.
She clearly wanted to hold back her tears, but the tears seemed to not listen to her. They kept rushing out of her eyes. She clearly had a lot to say to him, but when they reached her mouth, they turned into soft, suppressed whimpers.
It had been four months since they last met, and the young lady’s figure had grown a little. Her mouth was covered in bright red lipstick, pure and soft, charming and alluring.
He was a martial artist, so his sense of smell was naturally sharp.
As he got closer, he could smell it. That faint sweetness was like a freshly picked rose. Strands of fragrance lingered in his nose and lungs, tugging at his heartstrings.
Previously in Shandong, he had seen the Pingyin roses bloom beautifully, so he had sent a cart of them into the capital.
The young lady had liked it very much. In the letter, she mentioned that she used the Pingyin Rose as lipstick and applied it for him to see when he came back.
Indeed, her red lips were reminiscent of pear blossoms still wet with rain, and the freshly dewed crabapples. It was extremely beautiful.
Zhou Linghuai suddenly leaned forward and pulled the girl sitting in front of him into his arms. “Don’t cry. I brought you a gift.”
Her cousin’s embrace was not tight, but it was so firm.
Yu Youyao stopped crying. “Did I cry because of the gift?! It’s obvious that I haven’t seen Cousin for too long and missed him. That’s why I cried!” After saying that, she pushed him away and looked at him with red eyes. She asked hesitantly, “Cousin, did you miss me?
The young lady’s sleepy phoenix eyes made her look delicate.
However, her eyes were like peach blossoms. Her eye sockets were very shallow, and when her emotions rose, it was as if there was a peach blossom miasma around her eyes in a thin layer of red, which looked very fresh.
Zhou Linghuai chuckled. “The lipstick made from the Pingyin Rose is very beautiful.”
Yu Youyao smiled through her tears. Although her cousin had given her a large cart of Pingyin roses,
However, after making all kinds of things, she did not make much lipstick) and usually could not bear to use it.
This morning, after she received news that her cousin had returned to the residence, she had specially applied lipstick made from the Pingyin Rose to welcome her cousin. Since her cousin still remembered this matter, he must have missed her.
Yu Youyao held the teacup with both hands and took small sips of water. Gradually, she calmed down. “Cousin has just returned to the residence and should go to An Shou Hall to visit Grandmother first. Let’s go over quickly!”
After not seeing her cousin for so long, Yu Youyao had a lot to say to him, but now was not a good time.
Zhou Linghuai nodded. “Then let’s go. It’s not good to keep Grandaunt waiting either.”
Yu Youyao was the first to get out of the carriage. Only then did Chang An get into the carriage and escorted Zhou Linghuai down.
The two of them went to An Shou Hall together.
Yu Youyao, who had been chattering non-stop the entire way, finally stopped and followed her cousin to pay their respects to their grandmother.
Zhou Linghuai had been gone for more than four months. Now that he was back, not only was Old Madam Yu happy, even Madam Yao brought her family to An Shou Hall to see them.
When Zhou Linghuai had just entered the residence, although Madam Yao did not look down on this nephew from You Prefecture, in the end he was only here to take advantage of the family’s prestige, and she did not think much of him.
Due to his family’s misfortunes and his childhood illnesses, she more or less felt pity for him. However, she treated him indifferently and had no intention of getting close to him.
It was not until Zhou Linghuai gave his brothers some pointers in school that she realized that this nephew from You Prefecture was not a simple person, and then she got closer to him.
Later on, Sir Xian Yun specially came to visit Zhou Linghuai.
Only then did she realize that ne was not here to take advantage of the situation. It was clearly the Yu Residence who had burned good incense and welcomed a great Buddha into the house.
She was more than happy for Zhou Linghuai to stay in the residence.
After greeting the elders, Zhou Linghuai smiled. “I’ve made Grandaunt worried these few months.”
“We’re family. It’s good that you’re back.” Old Madam Yu was relieved that Zhou Linghuai had returned safely and could finally take the weight off her mind.
Upon closer inspection, she saw that Zhou Linghuai looked good; his face looked weary, but he was much more energetic than when he first entered the residence. How could he not be happy?
Madam Yao also smiled. “Yes, yes, yes. It’s good that you’re back. You’ve been gone for three to four months. The family misses you. Thinking that You Prefecture isn’t peaceful either, I was also on tenterhooks. Now, you’re finally back.”
Zhou Linghuai nodded. “I had no choice but to worry my family when I went to You Prefecture this time.” At this point, he changed the topic and smiled. “When I returned from You Prefecture, I brought some specialties from all over the Northern Region. The Northern Region produces silver fungus of high quality. It nourishes the blood and qi, the skin, and the face. I also brought gastrodia, an herb that circulates qi, and revives the blood. It’s quite effective in treating head diseases…”
Old Madam Yu waved her hand. “Thank you.” At this point, she changed the topic. “Have you settled the matters in You Prefecture? Did the Zhou clan make things difficult for you?
It turned out that they had cut ties. With Zhou Linghuai’s intelligence, no matter how many schemes the Zhou family had, they probably wouldn’t fall on him.
Speaking of which, the Zhou Family was really short-sighted.
They saw that Zhou Linghuai’s lineage was in dire straits, and he was young and sickly. Not only did they not help him, they actually schemed for his money, family business, and even exterminated him. They did not even care about the fact that they were from the same lineage and ended the matter.
It was better to bully the old man than the young man. Zhou Linghuai i s talent was a loss to the Zhou family.
Zhou Linghuai shook his head. “After the third division’s trial, the emperor
ordered people to go to You Prefecture at full speed. Those who were implicated in King You’s case back then have all been cleared of their grievances. The Zhou family is the same. The emperor’s kindness is vast and mighty. He is grateful for the Zhou family’s loyalty for generations. Still, in this rare occasion, he made an exception and allowed me to participate in the compilation of the Documentary Collection.”
Old Madam Yu immediately sat up straight with a surprised expression. “Ever since the compilation of the ‘Law and Order’ was completed, the previous emperor had proposed the concept of the ‘Collection of Documents’. This book is a collection of ancient books from the previous dynasties. It took several years to prepare the early stages..”