Chapter 7 It seems like Chunniang isn't as concerned as she used to be...

Ling Xun frowned, looking puzzled yet thoughtful.

“To please,” he repeated in a low voice.

Bai Xuerou looked at the apricot tree outside the pavilion without saying a word.

Yes, to please.

As the master of this palace, the Prince of Zhenbei had the power to hold the lives of everyone inside in his hands. Therefore, when he was dissatisfied with the attitude of his concubines, he was reluctant to show them any tenderness. Instead, he used his power to pressure them into "behaving themselves".

Only by being sensible can one live well and continue to enjoy a life of luxury and happiness.

Otherwise, like now, if you get sick and there's no doctor to see you, your son will also be affected and neglected by me.

Bai Xuerou thought Aunt Ge understood this, but she was unwilling to accept it.

Just like her in that novel.

She didn't want to, so no matter how much Ling Zheng forced her, she refused, until she finally lost her memory...

Bai Xuerou closed her eyes, not wanting to think about it anymore.

Beside him, Ling Xun carefully considered Bai Xue Rou's words, and vaguely gained some understanding.

He is an extremely intelligent child, quick to learn and able to grasp concepts immediately.

Therefore, he understood why Bai Xuerou had said it was useless before.

Even if Ling Xun knew, he couldn't possibly persuade Aunt Ge to submit to the Prince of Zhenbei.

Not to mention, he didn't even have that idea.

His previous behavior was all an act to deceive Bai Xuerou. In reality, he didn't care why the Prince of Zhenbei and Aunt Ge were like this, nor did he care whether the two could reconcile.

None of that matters.

Ling Xun asked simply to clarify this doubt.

Now that he understood, Ling Xun felt a sense of relief and joy.

He looked up and saw Bai Xuerou's absent-minded profile, surrounded by a chilling aura.

Like this...

Did her third brother do something to wrong her?

Ling Xun was briefly curious, then quickly forgot about it, stood up to thank him, and took his leave.

Bai Xue Rou snapped out of her daze, her expression returning to its gentle smile. After watching him leave, she also got up and left with her maids.

After returning to Zhiwei Courtyard, she asked Ling Zheng about the matter after he and the Prince of Zhenbei returned from their meeting, curious about what she had said to Ling Xun.

Bai Xuerou lowered her eyes slightly, concealing the darkness within them.

It seems she'll have to be more careful with her actions from now on.

This is the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, and everyone here is the eyes and ears of the Ling family father and son. Bai Xuerou has no doubt that when she has a conflict with Ling Zheng, these people will listen to Ling Zheng without hesitation.

Really...

It's not something I like.

She smiled and brushed it off, saying that they met by chance and chatted for a few minutes.

Ling Zheng didn't think much of it, and with a smile, he pulled her to sit down, saying, "You're kind-hearted, and that kid is clever, so naturally he'd like to talk to you a bit more."

In his memory, Ling Xun was mostly quiet and reserved. The fact that he was willing to chat with Bai Xuerou today must be because Bai Xuerou had asked her maid to say a few words to him at the pharmacy yesterday.

Bai Xuerou listened with a smile, her eyes gentle, filled only with the person in front of her.

Ling Zheng was tempted, and his voice softened as he reminded him, "However, it's best to keep your distance from Father. He dislikes them, and if you get too close, you might incur his wrath."

Bai Xuerou could tell that Ling Zheng's words were indeed for her sake, but precisely because of this, her feelings became even more complicated.

"I understand. I only did this because I felt sorry for the child..." She seemed to suddenly realize something, and looked at Ling Zheng with some concern, saying, "Will this affect you? If so, I'll stay away from him in the future."

"No, it won't happen." Ling Zheng was touched and smiled as he pulled her into his arms, saying, "Father isn't that demanding. As long as you don't go near him and attract his attention, it'll be fine."

"It's just right. You must be getting a bit bored in the manor. It'll be good to have someone to talk to and pass the time."

Ling Zheng's words were not perfunctory; he was clearly thinking deeply about what he was saying.

He had noticed the strangeness in his father's attitude towards Consort Ge, and naturally knew that his dislike for Consort Ge and her son was not merely what he outwardly showed.

Although I don't understand why this is the case, it wouldn't be a problem if it could create a positive connection.

Ling Zheng understands the Prince of Zhenbei. Just as he said, as long as you don't attract attention in front of him, he won't care about these things.

After all, he's always busy with other things, so he doesn't have time for these little things.

Bai Xuerou thought to herself, "As expected, I can tell from Ling Shujun's situation that Ling Zheng is intentionally trying to build good relationships with these brothers and sisters."

They may not know what's in their hearts, but they must put on a harmonious facade.

Therefore, Ling Zheng might be more cautious about Ling Xun's matter, but he wouldn't deliberately distance himself from him.

"That puts my mind at ease." Bai Xuerou breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, but did not mention Ling Xun again.

That was the end of it.

After that, Bai Xuerou and Ling Xun's relationship naturally improved a lot. They weren't exactly close, but they would exchange a few words when they bumped into each other.

Bai Xuerou's birthday is quite coincidental; it falls on the second day of the third lunar month, and just one day later, it will be the Shangsi Festival on the third day of the third lunar month.

She couldn't go out, but Ling Zheng was invited by a friend to go out of town for a trip. He didn't return until evening. On his way back to the courtyard, he handed a peach blossom to Bai Xuerou.

Bai Xuerou's eyes widened in surprise. She happily accepted the gift and carefully had it kept in water. She teased Ling Zheng a few times and asked if any ladies would be inviting her.

Ling Zheng simply thought she was jealous; this had happened before, as he was never short of admirers due to his status.

Back then, Bai Xuerou would get jealous and throw a little tantrum, which he was used to. He even laughed when he heard this and quickly hugged her and coaxed her for a long time.

Bai Xuerou had indeed cared before, but after experiencing that dream, she felt a sense of unease and even a subtle aversion towards Ling Zheng. Her jealousy was gone.

She knew she couldn't let Ling Zheng notice, so she deliberately pretended.

Ling Zheng indeed didn't notice.

After the Shangsi Festival, spring becomes even more vibrant.

People from the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion often went out of the city to enjoy the spring scenery or to attend banquets at other people's homes. However, Bai Xue Rou stayed at home because she needed to recuperate.

The Bai family, however, visited her twice when they had the chance.

During this time, the steward personally delivered the deeds to the villa and estate promised by the Prince of Zhenbei. Ling Zheng only glanced at them before handing them over to Bai Xuerou, clearly not intending to inquire about them.

These two properties then became Bai Xuerou's private property.

The Bai family is a century-old family. Although it may not be the best, it is certainly not the worst. Bai Xue Rou's dowry is quite generous.

However, no one would dislike extra wealth, so they kept it safe and arranged for someone to take over and settle it.

Life went on peacefully, and before we knew it, it was late March.

In the past two weeks, despite her efforts to control the situation, Bai Xuerou exchanged five letters with Aunt Ge.

Just before Bai Xuerou made her final promise that they could no longer communicate, Aunt Ge finally relented and said she was willing to give it to her, but wanted to see what conditions she could propose.

Throughout their interactions, Bai Xuerou remained remarkably friendly, never uttering a single threatening word despite Aunt Ge's constant vigilance.

Both sides knew how much leverage Aunt Ge's actions had against them.

But Bai Xuerou never mentioned it.

Aunt Ge wouldn't say she was completely at ease, but half a month of silence was enough for her to soften her stance. Or perhaps, she didn't want to truly anger the mysterious person who wrote the letter.

As for Bai Xuerou, she wasn't so kind as to not even threaten anyone. The reason she had been proceeding slowly was because she was afraid of provoking Aunt Ge into a fight to the death, in which case no one would benefit.

Or what if the other party tampers with the medicine they give her?

It was through this mutual restraint and tug-of-war that the final reply was finally written.

Bai Xuerou watched and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

finally!

She held the letter and pondered for a long time. She had a lot to offer, but more importantly, she knew what Aunt Ge wanted.

Gold and silver treasures? All sorts of rare gems—no, these are meaningless to a dying man.

Ling Xun?

After careful consideration, Bai Xuerou wrote back, indicating that she would take care of her son in the future, and that she could also freely mention precious treasures and medicinal herbs.

This time, Bai Shan didn't wait and delivered the letter that very night.

Ge Lan waited patiently for the person to leave, then got up and sat down in front of the dressing table. She opened the letter, glanced at it, and suddenly paused, somewhat stunned.

Her son?

Looking out the window, Ge Lan looked towards the east courtyard, where Ling Xun lived.

“Abao…” she murmured softly, calling out the nickname she had carefully chosen when she was pregnant with the child.

Her child, her treasure.

Ge Lan had mixed feelings about this son.

At first, when she was still immersed in that past relationship, seeing Ling Xun would make her angry and resentful, wondering why he couldn't be smarter and more capable enough to attract the Prince of Zhenbei. Later, she saw the man for who he was, but seeing Ling Xun would still remind her of his father, making her unable to suppress her anger.

In fact, she knew that Ling Xun was innocent, and that he had always been neglected by the Prince of Zhenbei because of her birth mother.

But human nature is strange; no matter how much she knew, she couldn't help herself.

Even when she doesn't see him, she misses him, feels guilty, and wants to treat him well. But when she sees him, she still can't help but get angry.

And now...

Ge Lan was lost in thought for a long time, a faint, gentle smile appearing at the corner of her lips.

She was certainly not a good mother, and this was probably the last thing she could do for her son.

Just as Bai Xuerou had guessed, Ge Lan no longer cared about material possessions. Her willingness to agree was merely out of fear that the other party would become angry and ruin her plans. Before this, she had even planned how to tamper with the medicine she was giving the other party.

But now, since the other party has shown such sincerity—

Of course, more than anything, the other party mentioned Ling Xun, which made Ge Lan worry that if there was a problem with the medicine, the other party would take their anger out on Ling Xun.

She's a terrible mother, so she shouldn't drag him down with her.

Forget it, it's just poison.

She has plenty.

Ge Lan changed his mind and wrote a reply.

She didn't expect the other party to actually help take care of Ling Xun; she just hoped they wouldn't target him.

In fact, because of this incident, Ge Lan's murderous intent intensified. She couldn't wait to get rid of the person who knew her secret, but that wouldn't do.

So she had no choice but to give in again.

I have no idea who this person is.

Ge Lan frowned as she thought about it. She looked up and saw herself in the mirror.

Her eyebrows were not the delicate willow-leaf eyebrows typical of women from the Central Plains; they were slightly thicker with a slight curve at the ends, adding a touch of heroic spirit to her beautiful face.

When their love was at its peak, the Prince of Zhenbei often praised her beauty, and even her untamed nature, which was different from that of women from the Central Plains, was captivating to Ling Ji'an.

But now, her unruliness has become a sin. The man who once praised her is now trying to break her spine, to make her obedient, docile, and just like his concubines.

Ge Lan stared blankly at herself in the mirror and blew out the candle.

The next day, Bai Xuerou smiled as she read the reply.

Aunt Ge agreed to her suggestion, and did not ask for any other treasures, and set a date for the medicine to be given.

Ten days later, just before the end of the month, Bai Shan received the poison from Aunt Ge.

He didn't give it to Bai Xuerou immediately. Instead, he chose a fleeing villain to test the poison on. Only after confirming that it was safe did he clean up the mess and leave.

Half a day later, Ling Xun passed by the area. The carriage moved slowly forward, and he could not help but secretly praise the other party's caution when he realized that the little guy he had sent out had not gained anything.

I just wonder if the other party will be able to discover the other trick my mother left on that medicine...

Bai Shan knew that the people of Miaojiang were cunning, so even though he hadn't found out anything, he didn't dare to be careless. After taking multiple layers of protection, he placed the item in a hidden and safe place and didn't rush to give it to Bai Xuerou.

Fortunately, Bai Xuerou was not in a hurry.

Although she couldn't see the medicine, finally getting it was still excellent news. After receiving the message from Bai Shan, she slowly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

More than a month has passed since she woke up from that nightmare, and she has finally achieved her goal.

With this medicine, if Ling Zheng really does what happened in that novel one day, she will have one last chance to fight back.

As for whether it will work, that depends on the person making the decision; it all comes down to her.

The next day, Bai Xuerou made an excuse to go back to the Bai family to visit her elders and went out for a while.

Half a month ago, she had taken the opportunity to leave the mansion. Everyone was a little worried, afraid that she might have something else happen to her before she was fully recovered. But they were relieved when they saw that she was safe and sound. After that, they had no more worries about going out.

There were only two elders in the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion: the Prince of Zhenbei, who rarely interfered in matters of the inner quarters, and Lady Wu, who never made things difficult for them in such trivial matters. Therefore, Bai Xuerou and her sisters-in-law were actually quite free when going out.

After having breakfast, she tidied up and set off.

The Bai family has a long tradition of scholarship, with four generations living together to this day.

Bai Xuerou's father, Bai Hanwen, was the youngest of five brothers, but he was the most talented and had outstanding literary skills. He once served as a Hanlin Academician in the imperial court. Although he had little real power, he was extremely noble and a close minister of the emperor. Later, he resigned and returned home because of the corruption in the court.

Further up, the old master and mistress are still alive. Although they are not young and their hair has turned gray, they are good at taking care of themselves and are still in good health.

Bai Xuerou had already sent the letter back. Upon entering the house, she first went to pay her respects to her grandparents. Her mother, several aunts, sisters-in-law, and sisters were already waiting there. They sat and chatted for a while before returning to their own courtyard with her parents. Along the way, she chatted and laughed with her sister-in-law.

The Bai family is a large and prosperous family, but not many people. Bai Xue Rou's parents were childhood sweethearts, betrothed since childhood, and were even more loving after marriage. They did not have a single concubine or maid.

The couple had two sons and one daughter, with Bai Xuerou being the middle one.

The elder brother is already married; he married the daughter of one of my father's friends, surnamed Qiu. The younger brother is just as talented as my father and has studied under a renowned teacher since childhood; he is currently traveling and studying with his teacher.

Sister-in-law Qiu was a gentle and refined person. Knowing that the group hadn't seen each other for a long time, she said goodbye and returned to her own courtyard.

When Bai Xuerou had a moment to herself, she talked with her parents for a while and comforted them, taking into account their concerns about her situation in the Prince's mansion.

Even though they were still worried, they both pretended to be relieved for their daughter's sake.

Afterwards, the family had lunch. In the afternoon, before Bai Xuerou could set off, someone came to report that Ling Zheng had come to pick her up.

After Ling Zheng came in and greeted the elders, it took him quite a while before he took Bai Xuerou back to the mansion.

The guards who escorted Bai Xuerou back to the Bai family mingled with the guards who came with Ling Zheng and followed behind. Among the crowd, Bai Shan, with a big beard, was quite conspicuous, but no one knew that this Bai Shan was no longer the same Bai Shan.

This person is Bai Shan's confidant; his skills and temperament are all top-notch. Otherwise, Bai Shan would not have chosen him to replace him.

Bai Xue Rou doesn't really trust this person, and she doesn't plan to entrust him with truly confidential matters. Instead, she has agreed with Bai Shan that if needed, she will replace him.

Bai Shan couldn't ask for more, so he naturally agreed.

"Chunniang," Ling Zheng's voice rang in her ears, bringing Bai Xuerou back to her senses. She turned her head and responded with a smile, "Hmm?"

"You've been seeming distracted lately, is something on your mind?" Ling Zheng asked softly, looking at his lover.

The two were newly married and deeply in love. Even though Bai Xuerou disguised it well, Ling Zheng still vaguely sensed something amiss. The feeling was so faint that he always wondered if he was overthinking things, yet it lingered and eventually turned into a feeling of unease.

He felt that Chunniang didn't care about him or like him as much as before.

The moment this idea surfaced, it left him both puzzled and unwilling.

Bai Xuerou felt a slight tightness in her heart. She knew Ling Zheng was clever, so she had been pretending all along, but she didn't expect that even so, he would still notice.

"Really?" she asked, feigning doubt.

Ling Zheng observed her expression and for a moment couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.

He was filled with mixed feelings. If it was true, that would be good, but if it was false... The thought that Bai Xuerou would deceive him made him feel even worse.

Let's just assume it's true then.

After all, she is his wife, and even if something is wrong, they have a very long time to resolve it.

Despite thinking this, Ling Zheng's words were somewhat aggressive: "Of course, Chunniang. When you were with me before, we always had so much to talk about, but now, you're always daydreaming."

He pointed this out bluntly, observing Bai Xuerou's reaction with a single glance.

Bai Xuerou's expression shifted slightly, seemingly in surprise, before she began to reminisce.

"I didn't notice." She decided to shirk responsibility and said with some doubt, "I feel like we're still the same as before, talking a lot every day."

Ling Zheng fell silent for a moment, unsure of what to say.

This was simply his feeling; there was no evidence to back it up. And feelings are quite mysterious, composed of countless details from everyday life. Even if he were to list them all, it would only seem like making a mountain out of a molehill, and even he himself found it laughable.

Therefore, it became impossible to say it.

But he still felt there was something there.