"That's because you forced me to do it," Qiao Qiu retorted.

"Does that mean I can just push you a little?" Bai Shu laughed.

Qiao Qiu rolled her eyes. "Stop forcing a smile. You've been faking it the whole way here. Aren't you tired?"

"Not tired," Bai Shu continued to smile.

"what ever."

The two returned to the Qiao family home. Qiao's father had already returned, and Qiao Qiu led Bai Shu to see him.

Qiao's father was, after all, a kind and benevolent man. Although Bai Shu's clothes were quite different from those in their area, he did not look at him with the same eyes.

In addition, Bai Shu was very polite to Qiao's father and properly behaved as a junior. Qiao's father seemed to like him, so he kept Bai Shu with him.

"You seem to understand very well what it means to be a wise person who knows when to yield."

On the rooftop, Qiao Qiu and Bai Shu sat, each holding a jar of wine.

"If you don't know what's good for you, why stay?" Bai Shu raised an eyebrow, his slightly tipsy face flushed with a hint of pink on his fair skin.

"You're really scheming." Qiao Qiu's drinking posture was quite dashing.

Bai Shu looked at her and smiled, "You have a good capacity for alcohol."

Qiao Qiu tapped her fingers on the edge of the wine jar. She had a good tolerance for alcohol, but not in this body.

"This wine belongs to your father. You just took it like that. Aren't you afraid he'll be furious when he wakes up tomorrow morning?" Bai Shu asked.

"Don't talk like it's none of your business. If you hadn't threatened me, would I have gone and gotten two jars of wine?"

Bai Shu lowered his head and chuckled softly, "You're really interesting."

"You've said that so many times today, my ears are practically calloused," Qiao Qiu said.

"Besides that, I have something else. Do you want to hear it?" Bai Shu looked at her with a suggestive smile.

"No."

"Master, why are you wasting your time with him here? You have more important things to do, have you forgotten?" the ring reminded him.

"I haven't forgotten. Cultivating seedlings takes time, after all. What else do we need to pass the time?" Qiao Qiu answered in her mind.

“It’s not just that. Of course, I’m not afraid at all when facing Gu Youying. Have you forgotten the person next to you? He’s trying to kill Ji Rufeng,” the ring said.

"Can he kill him?" Qiao Qiu asked rhetorically, always confident in Ru Feng. Thinking of him, a warm smile touched her lips, and her heart melted.

Bai Shu was momentarily stunned by her smile.

He had never seen such a smile before, and found it quite beautiful.

What are you laughing at?

Qiao Qiu snapped out of her daze and stopped smiling. "It's nothing."

"Then why did you stop smiling? Is it because of me?" Bai Shu felt a surge of irritation at the thought of this possibility.

"You're right, it's all because of you." Who can laugh so happily after being interrupted?

"Sigh, you really hurt me. Can't you comfort me?" Bai Shu feigned sadness.

"Forget it, you're not convincing enough."

"You saw through me." Bai Shu smiled, but he felt quite uncomfortable inside.

Qiao Qiu finished the last sip of wine and said to him, "Have you finished drinking? If you have, give it to me. I still need to pretend so my father can't find out anything."

"Right away." Bai Shu tilted his head back, finished drinking, and handed the wine jar to her.

Qiao Qiu leaped down, crouched down and entered the warehouse. She scooped up a ladle of water and sprinkled it on the ground, then scooped up a little wine from a jar and sprinkled it on the ground as well. She picked up a stone and smashed two empty wine jars.

Sounds were heard inside the main house, and soon the sound of people getting up could be heard.

Qiao Qiu lightly tapped her feet and flew away.

Mr. Qiao came out carrying a stick, followed by Mrs. Qiao carrying an oil lamp. The two of them went into the warehouse.

Qiao Qiu imitated the squeaking of a mouse at the door.

Mr. Qiao's heart skipped a beat. He took Mrs. Qiao's oil lamp and shone it inside. He gasped and couldn't catch his breath.

Seeing him like this, Qiao's mother patted his back anxiously, "Master, what's wrong, Master?"

"My wine!" After recovering, Mr. Qiao cried.

Qiao Qiu silently apologized to her father and then leaped onto the roof.

Bai Shu was still waiting there. He heard Qiao's father's voice and was smiling at her.

Qiao Qiu glared at him and whispered, "Hurry up and leave."

"Alright, let's go." Bai Shu followed behind her, jumped down, and left the Qiao family.

In the early hours of the morning, as the sky began to lighten, revealing a pale, fish-belly white glow, the sky began

After a night of drinking, Bai Shu and Qiao Qiu returned to their respective rooms.

Everyone got up early in the morning.

Xiao Hui also came to do Qiao Qiu's hair and makeup.

"Miss, do you know? The mouse knocked over the master's wine jar, and he's still heartbroken."

"Huh? What kind of rat is so nasty?"

"Exactly. Two whole jars! The master was heartbroken. That damned rat."

Achoo!

"Miss, what's wrong? Did you catch a chill last night?" Xiao Hui asked anxiously.

Qiao Qiu waved her hand guiltily, "No, no."

"That's good. Your hairstyle, which I just braided, is all messed up. Miss, please wait a moment, I'll braid it for you again."

"good."

It took Qiao Qiu a whole morning to braid her hair. When she went out for lunch, she saw her father's face, which looked like he was about to cry, and he kept sighing.

The fact that he didn't utter a curse was somewhat unexpected for Qiao Qiu.

But thinking about it, it doesn't seem like a big deal; her father has always been kind-hearted.

"Qiu'er, do you know how to make a poison that can kill rats?"

Qiao Qiu...

Snap snap snap—

Dad, dear father, do you think it's appropriate to slap your own daughter in the face like this?

"……meeting."

After breakfast, Qiao Qiu embarked on her journey to find medicinal herbs again.

Bai Shu followed them out without missing a step, completely disregarding what the villagers thought.

Qiao Qiu was full of questions. Hadn't Bai Shu already met Gu Youying? According to the original plot, shouldn't he be pestering Gu Youying? Why was he still bothering her?

Hearing her series of questions, the ring replied, "Because he has feelings. After seeing you, and then comparing you to the sharp-tongued Gu Youying, the difference in their abilities becomes immediately apparent."

"Could it really be my fault? I've been rejecting him all along, and I haven't done anything to give him any misunderstandings or misconceptions."

"Master, have you forgotten? It was you who proposed to marry him. Although you like to show off, I really like your contradictory nature. If you had said you wanted to marry me, I might have jumped from the ground to the sky. Unfortunately, you are already taken." The ring sighed.

Are you belittling me or praising me?

"Of course I'm praising you. How many masters have I had before? None of them were as cute as you?"

Qiao Qiu couldn't help but chuckle. Those previous owners had a deep-seated hatred for you; how could you possibly like them?

"Miss, what are you laughing at?" Xiao Hui asked when she heard her laughter.

Qiao Qiu's smile faded. "It's nothing, let's keep going. We still have a lot of herbs to find today. Give me the hoe too, some herbs I have to dig up myself."

"Yes, Miss." Xiao Hui handed the hoe to her.