Chapter 151: So That's How It Is

Stealing a moment of leisure from a busy life, snatching a brief respite amidst a chaotic age—having a tiny sliver of carefree comfort to leisurely and unhurriedly waste is, after all, the most pleasant time in one's life.

Unlike Ying'er and Hanyan, although Zhen Luo was younger than both of them, her social status and standing were right there, and her learning and talent were far beyond the reach of the other two girls.

At the same time, due to her age, while she possessed an increasingly mature and independent train of thought, she also held a feeling of absolute and unreserved trust toward Zhang Yu.

Staying with little loli Luo, listening to her recite her own poetry, Zhang Yu's heartstrings constantly rippled. This hazy, budding maidenly sentiment was like gazing at a gracefully slender woman plucking out moving masterpieces through a thin gauze curtain.

Listening to her voice, as delicate and clear as pearls and jade, and then chanting and singing poetry for her, Zhang Yu's internal pleasure and sense of fulfillment could easily climb to their peak.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days slipped away in a hurry, vanishing as silently as those long-ago winter and summer vacations. It was only when the elderly butler of the Zhen estate quietly complained in the early morning that that fellow Han Long ate far too much that Zhang Yu realized everyone had already stayed at the Zhen estate for quite a long time.

This could also be considered the old butler's wisdom. Though Zhang Yu and his hundred-odd men were scattered across various guesthouses throughout Wuji City, there were still twenty or thirty of them living right inside the Zhen mansion. Clearly wanting to say that bringing so many grown men here to freeload for long would be more than the Zhen family could bear, he instead casually mentioned Han Long—which served as a reminder without going overboard.

Zhang Yu smacked his lips and slipped away quietly, pretending not to have heard. His castles in the air had not yet been built; where was he supposed to go and hang out this early?

It had to be said that the Zhen household had nothing at all to complain about regarding this prospective son-in-law. Reputation was secondary; the heroic posture Zhang Yu displayed when he "coolly" put an end to Han Long last time was deeply engraved in everyone's minds. Once both families officially tied the knot, Zhang Yu's prestige probably wouldn't be much less than that of the two Zhen brothers.

During yet another late-night chat, Zhang Yu personally peeled grapes for little Zhen Luo, then delicately pinched one and brought it to her lips. Watching the little loli's facial features exquisitely knit together from the sweet-and-sour burst of flavor, Zhang Yu couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.

The Goddess of the Luo River, ah—this is going to be my, Zhang Yu's, future wife. As long as I don't kick the bucket... Her future is destined to be rewritten, and a woman of peerless talent and beauty will not fall into that miserable and desolate end of her original fate.

Then, besides Zhen Luo, what kind of shape will this world, this late Eastern Han dynasty, take because of my arrival? The Three Kingdoms, oh the Three Kingdoms—such an era should not be rendered and filled with blood and tears. With so many heroes and outstanding figures, if they could join forces into a single fist, they would surely shatter the cosmos and fill this era with kingship and glory.

His somewhat boiling blood returned to stillness. Zhang Yu looked at that flawless, slightly childish yet breathtakingly beautiful face, and softly sighed at the beauty of time. Fortunately, Zhen Luo was still young; if she grew any older, he was afraid the rebellious thoughts in his mind would begin to sprout bit by bit.

Come to think of it, having transmigrated to this late Han era for over a year and holding a rather high status, he was actually still a virgin. While other people's hardware was taking a holiday, he seemed to have directly graduated from it... Zhang Yu felt a sense of humiliation welling up from the depths of his soul.

Still, since he had already done plenty of things to embarrass the transmigrator community, a couple more didn't matter. Compared to those who transmigrated when they were already in their twenties or thirties, he was still young, and time wasn't too pressing. At present, very few warlords had gained power and formed their own factions; Sun Quan was probably younger than him, Liu Belt was his uncle, and Boss Cao should still be playing house with the Yellow Turbans—he could afford to bide his time.

"Yet what on earth can I do..." Zhang Yu habitually fell into entanglement. It seemed that unless he made a sudden, chūnibyō-inspired, brainless decision, he was prone to endless hesitation. "Primitive society was truly better. Aside from lacking in material conditions, at least you didn't have to use your brain."

Seeing Zhang Yu suddenly fall silent, little Zhen Luo obediently cuddled up beside him, not daring to move even slightly lest she disturb his train of thought. She always deliberately tried to appear mature, as if striving to make up for the age gap between them.

"Really now... If only I were the same age as Big Brother Yulang, wouldn't I be able to marry him right now?

Ah, no, that still wouldn't work. I heard that Big Brother Yulang was sickly and mentally muddled in his childhood; otherwise, the one betrothed to him would probably have... truly been Eldest Sister."

At this thought, little Zhen Luo suddenly spoke up, "Big Brother Yu..."

"Hmm?"

"Are you very close to Lord Yuan Shao?"

"Sort of. He's my homie."

"Well... there's something Luo'er wants to tell Big Brother Yu."

"There are no taboos between the two of us. Just say whatever's on your mind." Zhang Yu affectionately stroked her little head.

"Eldest Sister... seems to greatly admire you..." Zhen Luo glanced left and right, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"...Hmm." Zhang Yu didn't quite know how to respond for a moment, so he gave a hearty laugh to gloss it over: "Haha, as if your Second Sister and Third Sister don't admire me..."

"Really now!" Little Zhen Luo feigned annoyance. "This is a serious matter, Big Brother Yu, you mustn't brush it off!"

"Alright, alright, I was just teasing my little Luo'er. Tell me, how is it serious?"

"Actually, if not for Big Brother Yu's childhood condition, our two families—my Zhen family—should have had Eldest Sister betrothed to Big Brother Yu."

Well, nothing could be done about that; if not for my transmigration, grass on my grave would already be three feet tall... Zhang Yu shook his head. "Why dwell on those things? The fact of the matter is that the one betrothed to me, Zhang Yu, is you, this little girl."

"But Eldest Sister must know this too, so she might still hold some lingering thoughts in her heart..."

"Luo'er, those who hold lingering thoughts for your brother—"

"Luo'er knows! It's just that a few days ago, Lord Yuan Shao's eldest young master came to Wuji to discuss grain supplies with Eldest Brother, and then happened to catch sight of Eldest Sister."

"Yuan Tan?"

"Mm-hmm. Afterward, he proposed marriage to Mother, but Eldest Sister politely declined him on the grounds that her heart already belonged to another. I heard both sides were somewhat displeased at the time, though neither flared up."

Zhang Yu pondered Zhen Luo's words, quietly waiting for the rest.

"Later... the Eldest Young Master asked about my situation, seemingly wanting to propose on behalf of the Second Young Master."

"Yuan Xi! So this guy is the original match after all," Zhang Yu was slightly startled.

"Eldest Brother informed the Eldest Young Master that Luo'er was already promised to Big Brother Yu, and the Eldest Young Master left in anger upon hearing it. People say... he seemed to have spoken ill of Big Brother Yu behind your back. Such a person is no true gentleman; Big Brother Yu, you must be extra careful!"

"Understood." Zhang Yu had a sudden flash of insight.

That explained why Gao Lan dared to brave universal condemnation to target him. What a pity... he hadn't anticipated the extent to which Yuan Shao valued him.

Jizhou.

"Mr. Kongming, are we truly leaving?"

"Delays breed changes. Let us go."

"Then where are we heading?"

"To Zhongshan State. The aspirations of the Marquis of Wuji quite suit my ideals."

"Zhang Yu? But I've heard his relationship with Yuan Shao is extraordinary..."

"If that were truly the case, he would never have composed the *Ode to the Lotus*."