13. The Calculating, Overbearing Young Heir

"I..."

Before Lin Yuejiao could refuse, Rong Yu curled his lips slightly. "To have one's bath peeked at and then be expected to gift the intruder a set of clothes—I am truly at a loss, young lady."

Lin Yuejiao felt powerless to argue that she had not peeked on purpose. Not wanting to speak with him any further, she stiffened her expression, curtsied, and said, "I apologize for the disturbance, Your Grace. I shall take my leave."

"Wait." Rong Yu arched an eyebrow and looked at her, his gaze sweeping over her. "I heard you came carrying a food box. Where are the contents?"

Lin Yuejiao looked puzzled. "The food box? Oh, those were just a few snacks for the Divine Physician Sai."

Rong Yu’s expression stiffened.

Very well. Everyone who came to visit him brought extravagant, precious gifts—not that he particularly cared for such things, and he knew Lin Yuejiao’s modest background meant she couldn't afford anything of great value. Still, the fact that she had made pastries by hand showed genuine thought.

Yet, this woman not only arrived empty-handed but had brought her only snacks for old man Sai, completely ignoring him, the loyal and righteous heir.

The heir’s mood soured instantly. His face grew as dark as if Lin Yuejiao owed him eight million taels of silver.

Li Moqian couldn't help but chuckle. "Fourth Young Lady, that is going too far. If the pastries are only for Divine Physician Sai, why is there no share for us?"

"Young Master Li jests," Lin Yuejiao replied with a faint smile. "My culinary skills are crude and unworthy of such company; I would not dare offer them."

Li Moqian gave a deliberate cough. "I don't know about His Grace, but I would certainly enjoy them."

"I shall make sure to prepare some pastries for you to taste, Young Master Li, if you would not mind," Lin Yuejiao immediately curtsied and promised.

Rong Yu’s expression darkened even further.

Excellent. This woman would give pastries to old man Sai and Li Moqian, but not to him. Does she have a death wish?

After a brief pause, Lin Yuejiao looked at Rong Yu and said softly, "Since you have gifted me this dress, it is only proper to offer a return gift. As my family is poor and I cannot afford anything grand, I can only offer these homemade snacks as a token of my appreciation. I hope you will accept them, Your Grace."

Rong Yu’s sullen mood instantly brightened, though his face remained expressionless, hiding his true feelings.

***

After Lin Yuejiao left the Yunsheng Water Pavilion, Li Moqian looked at Rong Yu and asked, "Your Grace, is it not too difficult to expect her to enter the Chaohuang Academy as the top student in Jiangnan?"

"If she cannot shine at the Chaohuang Academy, she is of no use to me," Rong Yu said, closing the book in his hand.

Li Moqian asked, puzzled, "But even if she does, what use could she possibly be?"

"Since ancient times, beauty has been the bane of empires. The Crown Prince loves beauty, Prince Mu loves fame, and Prince Huai loves conflict. Only a woman who possesses both exceptional talent and beauty can play this game." Rong Yu picked up a white stone and placed it on the board.

Li Moqian realized. "I understand. The Crown Prince loves beauty, Prince Mu favors women with scholarly reputations, and Prince Huai loves to fight for what everyone else desires. If Lin Yuejiao can gain a reputation for talent at the Chaohuang Academy, she could indeed incite conflict. However, her status is still too low. I fear that when the time comes..."

"There are no impossible tasks, only incapable people," Rong Yu placed another stone, his demeanor calm and detached.

He pointed across the board as if the entire world were contained within that single game.

Li Moqian opened his mouth to speak but remained silent.

Instead, he said, "I am still curious. Since you intend for her to do this, why allow her the choice? If she refuses in the end, hasn't all your effort been for nothing?"

"A person like Lin Yuejiao—if you force her to do something she truly opposes, even if she yields due to the threat of power, she will inevitably turn against her master. She is a person who values loyalty deeply. Treat her with sincerity, and she will not fail to repay a kindness." Rong Yu picked up another stone and placed it. "Rest assured, if she truly does not wish to do it, forcing her would be useless."

***

Lin Yuejiao stepped out of the Yunsheng Water Pavilion to find her maids, Yuanwei and Tumi, waiting anxiously. They were astonished to see her wearing such a precious and dazzling dress.

The group boarded the carriage and returned to the Lin manor.

"Miss, the heir is truly kind to you! Not only did he hire a divine physician to treat Young Master Yi and cover the medical expenses—I heard those are rare herbs—but now he has gifted you this dress. It is so beautiful; I have never seen anything like it," Yuanwei said with a smile.

Tumi nodded. "Indeed. Such a beautiful and unique dress; I haven't seen anyone else wear it. None of the clothes belonging to the other young ladies in our manor can compare. I've heard that others must bring gifts to visit the heir, yet our Miss is the one being gifted. The heir is truly good to you."

"What do you know?" Lin Yuejiao smiled faintly. "There is no such thing as kindness without a motive in this world. It must be for a purpose."

Just like Beitang Han in her past life. He had been so kind to her, whispered so many sweet words, yet he had destroyed her entire family and had her executed.

Therefore, Rong Yu’s help for Lin Yi could not put her at ease—not until today, when he candidly admitted that he needed her to do something. Only then did she feel truly reassured.

"Perhaps the heir has taken a fancy to you, Miss?" Tumi teased playfully.

Lin Yuejiao nearly choked. "Don't speak such nonsense. If that gets out, it will cause a storm in the city."

"This servant understands and will never say such things in front of outsiders," Tumi said quickly. "The heir is the man every lady in the world wishes to marry. If anyone were to win his favor, they would surely become the enemy of all."

Yuanwei added, "Our Miss is so wonderful; it would only be natural for someone to like her."

"Watch your tongues," Lin Yuejiao shook her head with a smile.

How could Rong Yu possibly like her? Given his volatile personality, she had been doing her best to stay out of his way.

Reborn into this life, she knew that love was the very thing one could not trust. In her past life, she had been deceived by Beitang Han, blinded by love, and it had cost her family their lives. In this life, she would never make such a mistake again.

Returning to the manor, Lin Yuejiao changed out of the eye-catching fairy dress and had Tumi prepare ingredients to make snacks for the Yunsheng Water Pavilion.

A maid from the Relaxed Garden reported that something major had happened at the Cishou Hall, and Miss Lin Xueshu was still kneeling outside, crying.

Hearing there was trouble, Lin Yuejiao immediately sent Yuanwei and Tumi to scout the situation. They learned that early that morning, the second branch of the family had retaliated for Lin Qingxu being beaten the previous day.

The second madam, Yi Hanbing, had arranged a marriage for Lin Xueshu.

The suitor was Liu Lingbo, the legitimate son of the Liu family in Nanzhou.

"Miss, I heard that after Liu Lingbo became paralyzed, he played several of his concubines to death," Yuanwei said, shivering. "It's truly perverted. Though some say those concubines were beaten to death for cheating on him—I don't know if it's true."

In her past life, Lin Xueshu had not married Liu Lingbo. Things had changed in this life due to the incident with the hairpin. Lin Yuejiao had quite a few impressions of this Liu Lingbo.

"Miss, do you want to go to Cishou Hall to see what's happening?" Yuanwei asked.

Lin Yuejiao stretched. "No. Lin Xueshu deserves it. I will not plead for her, nor do I have any interest in kicking her while she is down. Why go? Marriage is a matter of parental decree and matchmaker’s words; I have no place to interfere. Let’s go to the kitchen and make the snacks."

"Miss is right, Lin Xueshu deserves it," Yuanwei agreed, carrying the ingredients as they headed to the kitchen.

Because these were to be tasted by the heir at the Yunsheng Water Pavilion, Lin Yuejiao put in extra effort.

She prepared eighteen delicate pastries before having Yuanwei deliver them to the Yunsheng Water Pavilion before dark.

At the Yunsheng Water Pavilion, Rong Yu and Li Moqian sat opposite each other, a delicate chessboard between them, the sound of chess pieces clicking against the board echoing in the lamp light.

The head of the black-clad guards, Yun Jian, arrived carrying two large food boxes. "Your Grace, these are the pastries sent by the Fourth Young Lady of the Lin family."

"Oh? Bring them here," Li Moqian laughed, moving the chessboard to the side. "Perfect. We’ve been playing for so long; it’s time to rest and have some snacks."

Yun Jian laid out the pastries from the boxes. Eighteen different kinds, each unique in color, shape, and flavor, looking and smelling exquisite.

"This is jade-steamed cake, begonia cake, emerald layered cake, Weizhou lamp cake, Nanzhou square cake, Baozhou peach biscuit... Wait, what is that one? I don't even recognize it." Li Moqian pointed in astonishment, realizing that even with his extensive knowledge, he couldn't identify them all.

A hint of surprise flickered in Rong Yu’s eyes; he hadn't expected Lin Yuejiao to give him another surprise.

"These are the Eighteen Famous Pastries," Rong Yu said.

"Ah, the Kings of Pastries, gathering eighteen top delicacies from across the land. I didn't realize the Fourth Young Lady was so skilled in the kitchen. I’m in for a treat today. Let me try one." Li Moqian reached out, but before his hand could touch the dish, Rong Yu flicked a white jade chess piece, striking the back of his hand with a 'swish.'

Li Moqian froze. "Why did you hit me?"

"Yun Jian, take them away. Put them in my room," Rong Yu ordered.

Yun Jian quickly gathered the eighteen plates.

Li Moqian’s mouth twitched. "Your Grace, the Fourth Young Lady said they were for me too. You—you should leave a few plates for me!"

Rong Yu’s lips curled upward. "Yun Jian, have the kitchen prepare eighteen plates of pastries for the Third Young Master Li."

"Yes," Yun Jian replied, carrying the two large boxes away.

Li Moqian was left speechless, his heart feeling as though it were crumbling.

"My chef is an imperial cook sent specifically by the Emperor; his skill is naturally better than hers. You don't need to be so polite. Who knows if hers are even edible?" Rong Yu pursed his lips, but despite his words, his eyes clearly showed the joy of having kept all the pastries for himself.

Li Moqian could only cup his hands in a gesture of defeat, laughing bitterly. "Right, right. Perhaps they would even cause a stomachache. I thank Your Grace for 'testing' them to save me from such a disaster."

The black-bellied heir remained perfectly calm, taking a sip of his tea, his mood exceptionally good.