C14 This Man Was a Little Sly

The maids at the Banquet Night Courtyard didn't make any significant moves, but Nanny Cheung remained cautious. The only change was swapping the maid who served medicine to the Eldest Young Master with Mei'er. The maid who previously served medicine was reassigned to serve meals, and the one who served meals was now tasked with tending to flower pots by the Great Young Madam.

The maid looked at the flower pot in her hands, unsure whether to laugh or cry. The Great Young Madam had recently taken a liking to jasmine, and she had gathered all the jasmine she could find in the Luo Mansion, yet she still claimed it wasn't enough.

With the courtyard now filled with jasmine, the air was fragrant, replacing the previous medicinal smell and refreshing everyone.

Yan Li picked a flower bud that hadn't bloomed yet, and the maids sighed in disappointment—it hadn't even opened.

Mei'er walked by with the medicine, feeling as pleased as she had the other day. This time, though, she didn't openly provoke with words but kept her thoughts to herself.

"A farm girl is just a farm girl, no matter where she goes. Instead of caring for her husband's health, she's fussing over flowers? Her priorities are clearly misplaced."

Mei'er glanced around, thinking this was the perfect opportunity to showcase her strengths. She adjusted her clothes, put on a charming expression, and carried the medicine inside. Ayuv didn't stop her but followed closely behind.

Although Mei'er was displeased, her mood lifted when she saw the elegant man on the bed, lazily leaning back with a book in hand, basking in the spring sunshine. Her earlier annoyance quickly vanished.

Wow, he was incredibly handsome. She had never seen such a strikingly beautiful man before. Her heart pounded loudly, her cheeks flushed, and she swallowed hard. If the timing were right, she might have wanted to devour this handsome gentleman whole.

"Hey, what are you staring at? Put the medicine down and get out of here. The Great Young Madam said if you disturb the Eldest Young Master's peace, there'll be consequences."

Ayuv stepped forward, blocking Mei'er's infatuated and inappropriate gaze. The Eldest Young Master was indeed exceptionally handsome, but that didn't give someone of her status the right to stare so rudely.

Mei'er cleared her throat. She didn't dare disobey Yan Li's words, so she reluctantly set the medicine down and left, albeit with great reluctance. Ayuv, hands on hips, stood protectively, displaying loyalty. Mei'er muttered under her breath before finally turning away.

Luo Tingye watched Ayuv's protective stance and couldn't help but laugh. How had he never noticed Ayuv's commanding presence before? Yan Li certainly had a knack for turning a simple person into a "guardian."

His gaze shifted to the window, where he saw a woman picking flowers among the jasmine. Amidst the lush green and white blooms, she stood out, her every movement graceful and natural. Her presence among the jasmine created a picture of ethereal beauty.

Luo Tingye's eyes glimmered. "Ayuv, bring me the ink and paper."

Ayuv promptly obeyed, "Yes, Eldest Young Master."

With the paper spread out and the ink ready, Luo Tingye focused intently on his painting. The ink on his brush varied from dark to light, with broad strokes and delicate lines. Each stroke was confident, as if the image was already in his mind. Before long, the figure of a serene and elegant woman began to emerge on the paper.

Yan Li had no idea she had become the subject of a certain man's writings. Her only focus was to blend jasmine with tea leaves to create jasmine tea. Even if it couldn't cure Luo Tingye completely, it would at least bring him a sense of freshness and calm.

Time didn't drag on, and before she knew it, April had arrived.

Nanny Cheung was managing the courtyard affairs diligently, but Mei'er was persistent, always finding excuses to get close to Luo Tingye. Initially, Yan Li pretended nothing was happening and let it slide, until one night.

Luo Tingye suddenly complained of a headache, prompting her to quickly call Dr. Zhao.

Dr. Zhao said, "His pulse is steady; there's nothing wrong."

It dawned on Yan Li that his headache wasn't physical but rather mental. The next day, she made sure Mei'er was kept at a distance.

"Let Ayuv handle the medicine. You can oversee the kitchen," she instructed.

If Mei'er appeared in front of Luo Tingye again, it might lead to more than just a headache.

With a pale face, Mei'er retreated.

Since Mei'er stopped hovering around Luo Tingye, he hadn't mentioned a headache again. Yan Li couldn't help but smirk. This man, why couldn't he just say what he meant? Did he really need to go around in circles? Truly, her husband was a bit of an enigma.

Luo Tingye picked up the newly made jasmine tea, and from a vantage point where Yan Li couldn't see, a contented smile crept across his face.

As the weather warmed, Luo Tingye's condition hadn't worsened since that incident. Apart from looking a bit pale, he was fine. He had already consumed two tins of Yan Li's jasmine tea. While it hadn't shown any significant effects, the unique flavor of the tea was growing on him.

Lifting the teacup and removing the lid, a subtle aroma of tea mixed with jasmine filled the air, instantly refreshing the senses.

Taking advantage of the quiet in the yard, Yan Li brought in a few more pots of flowers. Unlike the pure white jasmine from before, this time she was tending to some wild daisies. Before the daisies could bloom, she boldly trimmed the lush branches and even snipped the tiny leaves on the flower stems.

Ayuv looked at the flower pots and felt a pang of regret. With the way they were growing, in less than a month, they would have been full of little daisies. Was the Great Young Madam losing her touch?

Yan Li remarked, "If all you want is for them to bloom, that's simple enough. But if you want them to bloom beautifully, to stand out, that's another story."

Even though they were just wild daisies, she wanted them in low, overflowing pots, each one with at least half a surface covered in blossoms, creating a small golden carpet effect. That's what she was aiming for.

Ayuv didn't quite understand, but he let out a long "Oh."

"Eldest Young Master, Great Young Madam, the Old Master is back," a maid reported.

Before the maid could leave, Old Master Luo's anxious voice came from outside the courtyard, "Ye, Ye, how are you?"

Yan Li looked up to see Old Master Luo, dusty from travel, striding over.

"The Old Master truly cares for the Eldest Young Master," she said.

Mrs. Lau might be a scoundrel, but the Old Master was different. His expression didn't seem fake at all.