CHAPTER 618: 238 OUTSMARTING ONESELF WITH EXCESSIVE CUNNING_3

Lady Mei forced a smile.

In her heart, she muttered to herself, "It’s not like you’ve spent every waking moment with that girl."

"Let me tell you, there’s no need to be afraid of her. Once she marries into the Mei family, she’s part of our family. Assert your position as her mother-in-law—if she dares disrespect you, remember there’s still Grandmother, the ultimate authority."

Lady Mei sighed, "Miss Yu is the treasured pearl of the Yu family, and the Old Madam adores her. I fear she wouldn’t agree...."

"What do you know? Don’t worry, Grandmother will consent."

Mei Qingdai curled her lips in smug satisfaction.

Mei Junzhe wandered aimlessly and soon found himself lost. His eyes were drawn to a grove of plum blossoms, where sunlight glittered on their pink petals, giving the scene an ethereal, almost otherworldly beauty.

Behind one plum tree came the sound of rustling. Mei Junzhe cautiously stepped forward.

A small rabbit was curled up, looking frightened and vulnerable.

Mei Junzhe bent down, causing the rabbit to cower slightly.

"Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you."

The outdoors were freezing. Mei Junzhe removed his coat and wrapped it around the rabbit, leaving only its tiny head exposed.

It was only at this moment that he noticed the blood on the rabbit’s right hind leg.

"So you’re injured," he murmured.

Perhaps sensing his kindness, the rabbit gradually calmed, staring at him with its bright red eyes.

Looking around to assess his surroundings, Mei Junzhe sighed lightly, "I got lost. If I weren’t, I’d be able to help you treat your wound."

"You really are hopeless," a voice teased from behind.

Mei Junzhe instinctively turned his head to find a petite girl with a round face walking toward him.

He recognized her from the banquet, but he didn’t know her name.

Quickly, he lowered his head in embarrassment.

The girl boldly grabbed the rabbit from him. Alarmed, Mei Junzhe looked up and stammered, "What are you...?"

Without hesitation, the girl removed the red ribbon from her hair and deftly tied it around the rabbit’s injured leg, finishing with a delicate bow.

"You have to stop the bleeding first—if it keeps losing blood, even the Daluo Golden Immortal couldn’t save it."

With her hair freed from the ribbon, her silky, jet-black locks cascaded down, framing her cheeks. The sunlight accentuated her fair complexion and playful, radiant features.

At that moment, she glanced up, catching him stealing a look at her.

Flustered, he quickly averted his gaze, his ears burning crimson.

She stepped closer, her shadow falling over him while a faint fragrance carried by the breeze tickled his nose. His hands, hanging by his sides, clenched tightly. Startled, he stumbled backward abruptly, landing on the ground, as though she were some terrifying beast.

Yan Lu initially intended to tease him, but seeing his exaggerated response, she pursed her lips in mild amusement.

"You’re really something. What, afraid I’ll eat you up?"

"No... no, that’s not it," he stammered, waving his hands awkwardly.

"Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. You must fear girls because Yu Ruohuan bullied you a lot when you were young, right?"

His head shot up abruptly, as if stunned by how she knew this.

Yan Lu clicked her tongue, leaning closer while reaching out instinctively to touch his face. Her eyes narrowed in curiosity. "Are you really a boy? How is your skin better than mine? It’s making me, a girl, feel utterly defeated!"

Mei Junzhe’s face flushed in alternating shades of red and white as he froze in place.

"Haha, you’re too amusing. Relax, I’m not like Yu Ruohuan, who takes pleasure in bullying people."

In the distance, the voice of a maid called out, "Mr. Mei, where are you?"

Yan Lu raised her brows, "I’m Yan Lu, from Chunzhou. If you visit Chunzhou, be sure to find me—I’d make the perfect guide. I love making new friends."

When the maid finally arrived, she saw Mei Junzhe sitting dazed under a plum tree with a rabbit nestled at his feet, its injured leg wrapped in a red cloth ribbon.

In the endless grove of plum blossoms, the boy sitting there looked as ethereal as a mischievous spirit.

"Mr. Mei, there you are," the maid said softly, careful not to disturb him.

The boy bent down, lifting the rabbit into his arms.

"This is one of the rabbits we keep free-range near the kitchens. It probably wandered out by accident. Mr. Mei, would you let me take it back to avoid dirtying your clothes?"

The old lady loved rabbit stew, so the estate raised quite a few of them.

"No need," Mei Junzhe replied, clutching the rabbit even tighter.

The maid chuckled, understanding his fondness, "If Mr. Mei likes it, you’re welcome to keep it."

"Second Lady instructed me to take you straight to the Old Madam once I found you," the maid added.

Looking down at the rabbit in his arms, Mei Junzhe said, "Help treat its injury first."

This time, he willingly handed the rabbit over to her.

After all, meeting the Old Madam couldn’t wait.

Pausing briefly, his gaze lingered on the tightly bound ribbon around the rabbit’s hind leg. "Don’t throw away the ribbon. Make sure you hand it to me personally."

The maid’s eyes flickered in surprise—it seemed like a young lady’s accessory. But wisely, she chose to say nothing.