Kyoto Night Kiss

When Qu Yun got up in the morning, she made a point of observing the location of the study.

She also noticed that the old lady had a personal maid with her.

During breakfast, the old lady asked why Lu Jinxing hadn't come.

Lu Junhe stirred the noodles in his bowl and replaced the bowl in front of Qu Yun.

He said in a low voice, "He needs to go to school. I'll bring him over during the winter break."

The old lady shook her head: "No need. I'm getting old, and I don't even have time to copy Buddhist scriptures every day. I can't handle the children's antics."

Lu Junhe didn't insist, he just said, "He's very well-behaved."

For some reason, Qu Yun felt a pang of heartache.

The old lady said, "A child being too well-behaved isn't necessarily a good thing."

She placed a boneless chicken foot on Qu Yun's plate, saying, "I usually eat light food, so I asked the kitchen to steam this especially for you. Try it."

Qu Yun blushed slightly and said in her broken Cantonese, which she had been learning all night, "Thank you, Grandma."

This earned him a soft chuckle from Lu Junhe.

Qu Yun planned to go find the calligrapher immediately after finishing breakfast, but Lu Junhe pulled her to the ancestral hall.

She strongly resisted: "I won't go. This is your family ancestral hall; I'm not of a suitable status..."

The man held her wrist tightly, refusing to let go. "Come with me to pay respects to my grandfather."

Qu Yun froze for a moment, remembering things from the past.

At that time, she was still living in his house, waiting for him as usual.

Lu Junhe didn't return until almost midnight.

The moment the door was pushed open, he strode into the living room without saying a word and pulled her into his arms.

His voice, muffled against her neck, was hoarse like never before: "My grandfather has passed away."

"Qu Yun, the person I love most in this world is gone."

Later, Lu Junhe went to Hong Kong to attend a funeral. After returning, sadness took root on his face, and he always needed to rest his head on her lap to sleep peacefully for a while.

Qu Yun thought that it was probably around that time that she fell completely in love with Lu Junhe.

Because I witnessed his vulnerable side.

This vulnerability was only shown to her.

Inside the ancestral hall, the sandalwood incense smell was very faint.

On the altar were the ancestral tablets of the Lu family. Qu Yun stood quietly to the side, watching Lu Junhe walk to the altar and quietly light three incense sticks.

He placed the incense sticks into the incense burner, stood with his hands hanging down, a faint sense of melancholy in his eyes.

Qu Yun glanced at the time, thinking that the worship ceremony was over.

Unexpectedly, Lu Junhe spoke up again, "Grandpa, I've come to see you. I brought a girl I like today, someone I truly love and want to protect."

"May you bless her from heaven, granting her peace, good fortune, and a life free from worry."

Qu Yun spent the whole night learning Cantonese, but she hasn't gotten that deep yet.

She suspected that Lu Junhe was deliberately preventing her from understanding, so she stood on tiptoe and complained a little, "Speaking gibberish again."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lu Junhe tapped her on the forehead.

Lu Junhe chuckled helplessly, his tone tinged with indulgence: "Please don't blame her, she's just still immature."

After yesterday's heavy rain, the vegetation on the mountain is fresh and moist.

Qu Yun glanced at the intermittent navigation signal, then at Lu Junhe following behind her, and asked, "Are you that bored?"

The man didn't answer, but turned a corner with practiced ease, as if he had been there before, even avoiding the steep slope.

When Qu Yun finally saw the house she was looking for, she was truly shocked.

Lu Junhe was even more useful than a navigation system.

Standing outside the door, Qu Yun took a deep breath and went in alone to meet the calligrapher.

The room was filled with the elegant fragrance of ink, and Xuan paper was spread out on the table. The old man was holding a brush and hadn't even raised his eyelids since Qu Yun entered the room.

Qu Yun didn't find this neglect particularly embarrassing.

She calmly said, "Mr. Yu, I'm sorry to bother you. I am the client manager of Lanting Hotel who was previously in contact with your secretary."

The relevant activity plan was sent to my email a long time ago.

Regardless of whether the old gentleman had seen it or not, he could recite the melody fluently, gave a brief introduction in the simplest terms, and even made a summary.

"In today's fast-paced world, everyone is caught up in a fast-paced life, restless and hurried, with few moments to calm down, appreciate nature, and settle their minds."

Your calligraphy, rooted in the mountains and forests and expressing your love for nature, perfectly aligns with our hotel's original aspirations. We hope you can give us the opportunity to let more people see this beauty.

Qu Yun noticed that the old man paused for a moment while writing.

She thought she had a chance, but to her surprise, the other person just looked up at her.

"No matter how eloquently you reason, you're still just an ordinary woman. When it comes to business, organizing events, and discussing the preservation of arts and culture, it's not a woman's place to step forward and get involved."

"I would never collaborate with a woman in my craft."

Qu Yun was stunned. She never imagined that the reason she was rejected was because—she was a woman?

Qu Yun's expression quickly returned to composure, and a gentle smile appeared on her lips.

She carefully took out a fine inkstone from her bag, held it with both hands, and placed it on the table. "Sir, I know you love calligraphy, so I specially prepared this inkstone for you."

"When I was a child, I studied calligraphy with a teacher for a few years. I know that for those who practice calligraphy, a good inkstone is a treasure. Nurturing the ink and putting pen to paper are both of utmost importance."

She really spent a lot of money to buy this inkstone.

Although she knew the other party might not lack anything, her feelings were absolutely genuine.

The old man glanced at him, his eyes still full of prejudice: "You don't need to flatter me!"

"Even the finest inkstone shouldn't be presented by a woman. Women should stay within their proper place; why should they meddle in calligraphy and these refined scholar's objects?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the inkstone on the table again, then got up and chased Qu Yun out.

Lu Junhe was waiting outside when he was surprised to see Qu Yun come out so quickly.

Just as he was about to ask, the people inside brought out a basin of cold water and were about to pour it directly on Qu Yun.

Before Qu Yun could react, she was hugged.

Lu Junhe held her protectively in his arms, and with a turn, the entire basin of cold water was poured onto his back.

His hair was dripping wet, but he only asked her, "Were you scared?"

Old Yu was surprised to find someone outside the door.

When he saw the man he had splashed water on raise his head, his heart skipped a beat.

His previous arrogance vanished, replaced by a polite smile. "You must be Mr. Lu's grandson. I've heard so much about you. I was rude earlier."

Lu Junhe's face was gloomy, and he didn't even bother to respond with a glance.

If he had been a step slower, the melody would be completely wet by now.

Feeling somewhat awkward from being left hanging, Old Yu finally looked at Qu Yun seriously, his expression a mix of probing and restraint. "I wonder what your relationship is with this young lady?"

Qu Yun was already seething with anger when she was asked the question.

The old man's behavior has changed so much; his snobbishness has spread to his ass.

She ran her tongue over her back molars.

Lu Junhe realized that this was a sign that Qu Yun was about to get angry, so he immediately took a step back silently.

He looked at the old man in front of him.

A hint of sympathy even appeared in his eyes.