Knotting the Hair (IV)
"I was also wondering, how come the bride and groom have the same surname? And why did the groom actually go to the bride's house to get married... I've never heard of such a plot in any of the stories I've read before."
"It's a long story."
He Shuben didn't want to waste any more words explaining, but when he caught a glimpse of Qingshan walking in front of him, he saw that he seemed to tilt his head slightly, as if he wanted to look back. He was startled and hurriedly pulled Cangjue and quickly retreated to the moon cave door they had passed through when they came, and took cover behind the door frame.
After calming down a little, he cautiously peeked out again, only to find that Qingshan and Bai Ziming had already walked away, disappearing around the corner leading to the banquet hall.
He sighed in disappointment. Since he had already lost her, he didn't want to waste any more time chasing her and risking more. He gave up eavesdropping and answered Cang Jue's question seriously:
"The Bai family, whether main branch or side branch, has always had difficulty raising children, especially male offspring. Today's bride, Bai Qiaochun, is the only bloodline of this generation of the Bai family. Although she is the daughter of the second wife, her father died young and her mother was bedridden for years, unable to raise her. Therefore, she has been raised by the wife of the Bai family's first wife, the current mistress of the Bai Mansion."
He Shu paused as he spoke. He held a deep grudge against the Bai Mansion, though he didn't show it on his face. However, he couldn't help but complain in his heart:
Who knew whose slander he listened to, but the head of the Bai family thought that Qingshan, who was in trouble with his soul, had blocked his chance of having children. So he forced his wife to cruelly abandon the child, leaving the little boy to fend for himself in Luzhu Mountain.
Later, the two adopted Bai Qiaochun and Bai Ziming one after another, but they were not close to them.
Under the pressure of her husband and family, the mistress of the Bai family has been eager to give birth to a legitimate son to carry on the family line, but unfortunately she has not been able to do so yet.
He Shu later learned that since Mrs. Bai learned that Qingshan was adopted and survived, she had been secretly helping them. She couldn't bear to do this but was helpless. She was truly a pitiful and "hateful" mother.
Thinking of this, he shook his head, sighed softly, organized his words, and continued to explain:
"Years ago, the master of the Bai family, Miss Qiaochun's uncle, saw that his family business was vast but lacked a successor, and he feared that the family would fall into disarray after a hundred years. He searched the entire clan, even the side branches, and couldn't find a suitable male to adopt. In desperation, he found a distant nephew from his wife's family, a man with no parents and no one to rely on. He changed the surname to Bai and raised him in the mansion. He is today's groom, Bai Ziming. Therefore, they both share the same surname."
"So that's how it is..."
Cang Jue listened very seriously, his face full of concentration. He nodded, and then as if he had thought of something, his eyes revealed pure envy, and he chuckled softly:
"Then the two of them, growing up together in the mansion, keeping each other company, aren't they... isn't it just like the 'childhood sweethearts, inseparable' that they often see in the storybooks? And then, 'a talented man and a beautiful woman, finally becoming a couple'? Such a fate is truly enviable."
"Hmm... 'Childhood sweethearts, talented scholar and beautiful woman', that's a pretty good saying. It's very fitting for them..."
He Shu couldn't help but feel a little emotional when he heard this. For a love relationship to be so perfect is truly a beautiful thing.
Just then, two maids came out of the side room holding empty food boxes, chatting and laughing as they passed under the rose stand nearby.
They looked up and saw a stranger, obviously a man from outside the family, squatting stealthily near the entrance of the bride's courtyard. They couldn't help but startled. The timid ones among them were about to scream out in surprise -
In a split second, He Shu reacted extremely quickly. He gathered a trace of imperceptible immortal power at his fingertips and quickly pressed the two maids' mute acupoints through the air, forcibly blocking the scream that was about to burst out.
However, although he moved quickly, he was still a step too late. The sound of the empty lunch box falling to the ground had already alarmed the people in the yard.
Behind him, in the Qiluan Courtyard, the sound of the bridesmaid's hurried footsteps and dissatisfied scolding came immediately:
"What's going on out there? Can't you even hold up a few empty lunch boxes? You're so impatient, you've disturbed the young lady's rest. Watch out for yourselves!"
He Shu's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, this is not good. In a hurry, an idea flashed in his mind, and without thinking much, he quickly pushed the still dazed Cang Jue into the shadow of the wall next to the moon gate, signaling him to hide.
Then, in the corner, his immortal power flowed all over his body, and the pear-colored robe he was wearing instantly transformed into an apricot-yellow jacket and skirt exactly the same as those worn by the two maids, and even his hairstyle changed into a simple double hanging bun.
Taking advantage of the dim sky and the blurred light and shadows, he hunched his back as much as he could to hide the fact that he was a little taller than an ordinary woman. Then he stepped forward quickly and supported the two maids, who were acupunctured, frightened, and staggering with their eyes closed.
He Shu pinched his throat, deliberately raised the tone, imitated the girl's clear voice, and shouted back to the courtyard:
"Madam, please forgive me! Nothing happened here! It was just that the two sisters tripped over the threshold of the moon-shaped door and didn't hold the food box firmly, so they made a little noise!"
There was silence in the courtyard for a while, and then the bridesmaid's rebuke, still filled with displeasure, came, but her voice did not get closer:
"Hmph! What do you all do? You can't even do such a small thing! Today is the master's wedding day, so it's not appropriate to punish you. I'll forgive you this time! Why don't you retreat quickly? Don't stand here, you're an eyesore and disturbing the peace!"
"Yes, Madam, we will withdraw now and will not disturb the young lady's rest. You can continue to take care of the bride with peace of mind!"
Hearing the footsteps of the matchmaker seeming to go back, and the sound of the wooden door being closed with a "creak", He Shu quietly raised his eyelids a little, confirming that the crisis was temporarily over. His heart finally settled down a little, but a thin layer of sweat broke out on his back due to fright.
"Alas... one wrong step, then another..."
He sighed deeply, feeling extremely regretful.
If I had known that this would cause trouble, I shouldn't have been impulsive and followed Qingshan to this inner courtyard to eavesdrop!
Now, not only did they fail to follow the person, nor did they listen to all the words, but they also created such a mess. What should they do with these two maids who were beaten?
If his actions were discovered, it would definitely affect Qingshan!
If he used immortal magic to directly erase the two mortal maids' memories of that confusing moment just now, it would be the most efficient way.
But... but using magic directly on mortals and interfering with their minds will definitely attract the supervision of the border patrol officers.
Thinking of the last time he accidentally met the ruthless patrol officer at Yuguan Posthouse, He Shu couldn't help but shudder.
At least the previous incident had a reason and was excusable, so it could be barely explained away. But if he used magic on two mortal servants for no reason on someone's wedding day... then he would never be able to clear himself from the blame. He would definitely be questioned and even reported to the higher authorities for severe punishment!
What should I do?
He Shu looked at the two little maids in front of him who were still standing stiffly in place, their faces pale with fear and tears welling up in their eyes. He was suddenly in trouble, and his brows furrowed tighter and tighter, almost twisted into a knot.
Just as he was scratching his head, almost ready to throw the jar into chaos, and had already unlocked the two mute gates, wondering whether to risk casting a spell, a familiar voice, with a hint of doubt, sounded behind him:
"Huh? What are you all doing blocking the entrance to Qiluanyuan?"
It’s Bai Ziming!
He Shu's heart suddenly tightened, and the blood in his body seemed to run cold.
He was still wearing that awkward apricot-yellow maid's uniform, and his hair was in a girlish bun. If someone he knew saw him like this, especially Qingshan...
The scene was simply unimaginable! He didn't dare to breathe, and bent even lower, almost burying his head in his chest, praying desperately that the other party didn't recognize him, or simply ignored him, a "little maid."
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.
A familiar breath, gentle yet a little bit clear, approached from behind him and finally stopped just one step behind him.
He Shu felt Qingshan's gaze, which almost penetrated him. He could only bite his lower lip tightly, thinking of a countermeasure quickly in his mind, but it was a blank.
"Sir, you came to the banquet and then turned back. Who are you looking for?"
Bai Ziming asked with concern.
"I've found the person."
Qingshan's voice sounded steady, and seemed to carry a hint of a smile.
"I'd like to trouble Brother Ziming. Please take this Young Master Cang to the banquet hall and settle him down. He's blind and unfamiliar with the paths through the mansion. He probably got separated from us and accidentally got lost here."
As he spoke, his eyes swept over Cang Jue who was hiding in the shadows at the base of the wall.
He Shu felt a sense of despair. Qingshan must have recognized him!
Not only did he recognize me, but he also "sold" Cang Jue as well. It's really one thing after another. I'm so unlucky today!
He wailed helplessly in his heart, but he could do nothing but bury his head lower, wishing he could dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it.
"Oh, I see. Okay, okay."
Bai Ziming agreed readily.
"Then I'll take Master Cang there right away. Sir, you..."
"I have a few more words to say to...this waitress."
Qingshan's voice was still gentle, and no emotion could be heard.
"Okay, then I'll take my leave. You're busy, sir."
Bai Ziming said, walking towards Cang Jue in the corner, and said gently:
"Master Cang, the banquet is not far ahead. Please come this way."
“I…I…”
Cangjue was a little afraid of strangers, and was trembling as he tried to get closer to Heshu.
"Follow him!"
He Shu didn't dare to look back, he could only lower his voice and grit his teeth to push away. He stretched out his elbow and with a little force slowly pushed Cang Jue who was getting closer to him away, while quickly sending a message to comfort him.
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