Tang Yin stared at Lu Yin Ze's back.
She then nudged Tang Xinyang's elbow.
"What?"
Tang Yin gestured to her. 'Talk to him.'
Tang Xinyang: ???
Tang Yin made a sad face, then a happy one: 'He looked down. Cheer him up.'
Tang Xinyang: ???
She looked at Lu Yin Ze's back before whispering to Tang Yin.
"He always looks like that."
The latter inched closer and whispered back. "Always like that? Like, 'the whole world turned its back on me' look?"
Her elder sister nodded. "You think this look is bad? Girl, if you met the Lu Yin Ze from three years ago, you'll know what's bad. He was more of a downer before. He's actually much better now."
Tang Xinyang had an inkling that Lu Yin Ze must had met a few setbacks in the past, but she dared not to ask before.
She was not close enough yet with Lu Yin Ze to rightfully pry about his past. Thankfully, this 'sentimental' prince had become much better after hanging out with Xiong Zhi for a few years.
Tang Yin could not believe it.
"Why do you say so?"
"Because this guy now is really different from the past, when he was like an emo-standing-under-the-rain type. Right, it's that feeling." She leaned closer. "Do you remember the rumors about Master Lu's ex-son-in-law?"
"Which one of those? There are many rumors about him, many of which I totally forgot."
"You know, the worst one. The rumors about killing his own wife."
Tang Yin remembered that particular rumor.
They were attending the funeral of Lu Yin Ze's mother back then when they were still very young. That was when the two of them heard those rumors, though it died down and was buried under the snow by another budding rumor. However, it left her a deep impression as she learned the word 'husband' and how it meant to choose a good husband.
But...
"Yeah, but I remember that the Lady of the Lu House died because of leukemia."
Tang Xinyang shook her head with a knowing look.
"Apparently, there is more to that."
The petite short-haired girl's eyes went wide and chided, "Don't say things carelessly. We are in the Lu mansion." Yet her heart skipped a beat in nervous curiosity.
Unable to bear her curiosity, she inched closer and asked, "Why do you say so?"
"Grandma's speculations."
"Then… Don't tell me, right now she is telling Master Lu about her speculations?"
"No, of course not. Grandma doubted it a long time ago, but she will never mention it to Master Lu. There's no concrete evidence after all, just Grandma noticing something, although I don't know the exact details. But that event is really unusual that it definitely is not simple, and it seems that the possibly of it being true is really high.
"Besides, if grandma had an inkling about it, what more of Master Lu? Maybe this matter wasn't as simple as it seems."
If she was not scolded yesterday of what might happen, Tang Xinyang would not understand why her grandmother kept this speculation hidden in her heart and never mentioned it to the Lu family. If this was really proven true, then hell would break loose.
Master Lu was already in a very advanced age. He was deeply hurt when his wife died that he treasured his daughter so much. His daughter's death had already hit him too hard and if ever he discovers that his daughter's death was not as simple as dying due to illness, then the consequences could only be imagined.
The Lu family would surely do its utmost to push Lu Yin Ze's father to hell.
Her grandmother never mentioned her speculations to Master Lu because there was no point in saying it.
First, because she had no decisive evidence. Second, because with Master Lu's experience and wisdom, there was no doubt that he also held suspicions about his daughter's death.
In fact, perhaps, Master Lu was hiding something too and was simply preparing for an all-out attack. It was also what her grandmother had guessed.
This was a bit difficult for Tang Xinyang to understand, but she promised to never mention it to any Lu family member. She was told this by her grandmother so that she would not accidentally touch porcelain when speaking with the Lu family, and she in turn also educated her little sister.
"...Let's say, if Master Lu had known about it but kept quiet, then does it mean that this ex-son-in-law of his had deep waters? Was he even mightier than us that even the Lu's couldn't handle him?" Tang Xinyang felt goosebumps on this possibility.
"I don't know. Older generations had complex minds than us. But as grandma said, we should not sets foot in deep waters of other families."
Tang Yin fell silent. But she felt the last sentence of her sister was kind of contradictory. They just pledge to assist Lu Yin Ze to secure his position as the sole heir of the Lu Empire, wasn't it dipping their foot in the Lu's rivers?
"No family would like to hear their dirty laundry being aired outside, so you must make sure to avoid touching onto this when you speak to them. Alright?" Tang Xinyang emphasized this part.
"I know."
Tang Xinyang sighed. She went back on describing Lu Yin Ze of the past.
"…At that time, he was just taken back by Master Lu from his father. Imagine what he looked like back then. "
Tang Yin fell silent once more. She understood.
There was no need to mention the rest of the story.
If that twisted story was really true, then Lu Yin Ze must have suffered a lot.
When it came to complex matters like this, Tang Yin was more of a brainer than Tang Xinyang. She understood and clearly saw the picture.
She sighed.
Every family truly had its own political war. It was just too sad that the next generation was the one bound to suffer. She looked at Lu Yin Ze's back.
This man was handsome to the point of beautiful, very charismatic, and was surnamed Lu. He was born with a golden spoon in his mouth, like her. He should be living a carefree life.
Based on her interaction with him, he was polite and charismatic, like a person who grew up surrounded by aristocratic parties and people with great influence. Not like a person who grew up in a twisted family, a pitiful prince who was locked up inside a tall castle.