Bai Lingzhi had no objection, but her father's concern for Chu Yuqi went beyond simply valuing talent.
As a daughter, she shouldn't have said too much, after all, her birth mother had been dead for many years.
Chu Yuqi was only eighteen or nineteen years old, too far in age to pose any threat to her.
"Dad, when you sent Tang Jin to pick up Chu Yuqi, was it really just because she said she could make prophecies and avert a catastrophe?"
Bai Tingtao paused for a moment, then said unhappily, "Otherwise, what do you think it's for?"
Bai Lingzhi: "Chu Yuqi has been cleared of suspicion. The Xuanmen will not issue a warrant for her arrest, and the official departments have also intervened and will search for her whereabouts. Actually, there is no need for our family to go the extra mile and send people to look for her..."
Bai Tingtao: "That won't do. We must send people to find her and protect her once we find her."
"On what grounds are we fighting with the authorities and the Xuanmen for the right to protect her?" Bai Lingzhi took a deep breath. "On the grounds of family?"
Bai Tingtao: "..."
He looked at his daughter with some shock, then looked away after a moment. "Since you've already found out, I won't hide it from you anymore."
He thought for a moment and said, "If you don't want to be trapped in a marriage and don't have any children, I think Xiao Chu is a good choice. Let her inherit the Bai family business in the future."
Just as I expected! Bai Lingzhi had anticipated this, so she wasn't saddened.
She just couldn't understand why her old-fashioned father, instead of remarrying, secretly had a child with a woman who was only older than his daughter.
They abandoned that mother and daughter for nineteen years without ever caring about them, and only now are they thinking of taking them home.
Those who cultivate themselves naturally have higher standards for themselves, let alone Bai Tingtao, who is one of the four elders.
If this gets out, the Bai family's century-old reputation will definitely be damaged, and they may even become a laughing stock in the Xuanmen (Taoist sect).
Bai Lingzhi: "Dad, if you want to acknowledge her back, I have no objection. But what about the Xuanmen sect..."
"I will resign from my position as one of the four elders, go into seclusion to cultivate, and remain aloof from worldly affairs." Bai Tingtao's mind was made up.
Bai Lingzhi walked out of the door in a daze, only to find that the old housekeeper was still waiting in the courtyard.
"Miss, have you spoken to the master?"
Bai Lingzhi paused for a moment, then shook her head. "I didn't have time to say it."
The old butler noticed her unusual expression: "Miss, has something happened?"
Bai Lingzhi: "Uncle, our Bai family has found our long-lost relatives. But it has nothing to do with Ruan Mingzhuo."
The old butler was overjoyed upon hearing the first half of the sentence, but was dumbfounded upon hearing the second half.
He took a few steps forward, leaning shakily on his cane. "How could it be nothing? That little girl's words and actions are just like a young lady from a wealthy family."
Bai Lingzhi had only seen that great-aunt in a family portrait; no photograph of her was ever taken during her lifetime.
The old housekeeper was older than Bai Tingtao, but he had served that old lady before, so when Bai Lingzhi heard that he looked like her, she became suspicious.
But after looking at the portrait, she hesitated, feeling that it looked somewhat like the portrait, but also that it didn't look that much like it.
Only the old steward kept saying that Zhuo's appearance was exactly like his great-aunt.
She had originally intended to ask Bai Tingtao, but she forgot after being interrupted.
But since Bai Tingtao didn't say it was similar, it probably wasn't that similar.
Bai Lingzhi didn't want to disappoint the old housekeeper, after all, he had served the Bai family for generations and was already like her own family.
“Uncle, even if she is a descendant of my great-aunt, she must be from a different generation. Even if we ask her, she won’t know. How about this, I’ll inquire about her elders first.”
The old butler was somewhat saddened. "Back then, the eldest young lady raised four children: Tingtao, Tingchao, Qingwan, and Wanzhen. I never expected it to end like this."
At that time, Tingtao was the most talented but also had a bad temper, while Tingchao and Qingwan were the other incapable of talent and had an unstable temperament.
Wanzhen was originally a fox, but later she was inspired to take human form, and she had a very good personality and talent.
Later, the eldest daughter left the Bai family, taking her two children, Qingwan and Wanzhen, with her.
Wanzhen is a fox spirit. Although she was raised as a child, the Bai family is, after all, a prestigious family of the Xuanmen sect. How could others be as kind as the young lady and not distinguish between humans and demons?
Qingwan, being an orphan, always acted like a young lady of the Bai family and competed with the two young masters for everything, so she was not suitable to stay.
I originally thought that the two of them could understand each other's situation and get along peacefully, but I never expected that they would turn against each other.
The old steward, missing his deceased friend, shed two streams of clear tears from his cloudy eyes.
Bai Lingzhi was also heartbroken. She walked over and said, "Uncle, don't worry, I will hold a Buddhist ceremony for Aunt Wanzhen so that she can be reborn into a better life."
The old butler nodded.
——
On Monday, the results of the final round of mock exams were released.
As expected, Mingzhuo got first place in the grade, and his homeroom teacher and other subject teachers were visibly overjoyed and walked with a swagger.
The way Li Huili looks at Mingzhuo now is almost like worship.
A true master is a master; the idea that missing half a year's worth of lessons will cause them to fall behind is simply not an issue for them.
Moreover, not only did she return to her peak, she also inspired those around her to learn and improve.
The most typical example is Pei Di. He has a very positive attitude towards learning, but he can't be taught or learned by anyone. In short, he has caused all the teachers in the subject to worry.
Pei Di's parents were nouveau riche business owners who had no expectations of their son.
During a parent-teacher meeting, the teacher even said, "Teacher, I know my son's IQ. Just let it be. As long as he doesn't squander money, it doesn't matter whether he goes to university or not."
I used to think he was a hopeless blockhead, but this time he actually managed to squeeze into the top 100 in the grade!
Li Huili was worried that her score would be questioned, so she specifically checked the exam room surveillance footage.
The people in the same exam room as Pei Di were all at the bottom of the school, with terrible grades, so there was no possibility of them cheating.
This delighted Li Huili, and her attitude towards Pei Di changed from a gentle autumn breeze to a warm spring breeze.
Pei Di couldn't handle the attention and came back to complain to Ming Zhuo.
"I always felt that my teacher looked at me like he wanted to fatten up a pig before slaughtering it."
Mingzhuo: "...I never expected you to have such a self-awareness. It's really unexpected."
Pei Di: "No, I didn't say I was a pig!"
Xie Xiao, who was listening in: "..."
How come he did so well on the test, yet he still looks so silly?
This is what they call "fools are lucky."
——
Standing in front of the school bulletin board, Cheng Jingru looked up at the rankings.
This is the last mock exam for the senior year of high school. Basically, the results are considered stable and will not fluctuate much.
Most of the people looking at the list are high school seniors, and they are discussing it enthusiastically.
"Ruan Mingzhuo is YYDS, I'm betting on her to return to her peak!"
"Look, Pei Di is already in the top 100 of the grade! My goodness, were they really just rebellious kids before?"
Speaking of the once rampant "Shamate" subculture that no one dared to mess with on campus, it feels like a dream.
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