Chapter 13 Holding Hands All the Way
As Bai Hua stepped out of the clothing store, she instantly attracted the attention of many passersby, with women expressing envy and men longing for her.
Seeing this, Bai Hua lowered her head uncomfortably, tucking her chin in even more subtly.
She obediently followed behind Ning Jue, step by step, without saying a word.
Even now, she still can't understand why the two of them went into the store to buy wedding gifts for Xiaohe, but in the end they only picked out one set for Xiaohe, while she bought three sets of dresses for herself.
They were all made of the finest materials and the latest styles, and were quite expensive. Only young ladies from ordinary households would dress like that. Given her current status as a maid, she shouldn't be dressed so extravagantly.
She secretly scolded herself for not being able to resist trying on two more items after the shopkeeper's enthusiastic introduction. Otherwise, Ning Jue wouldn't have found the opportunity to pay first, and naturally wouldn't have been so generous as to bring her along.
If things are already so unclear between the two regarding money, won't it be even harder to sort out other matters later?
Furthermore, after she finally tried on a peach-pink double butterfly and flower-patterned dress, Ning Jue looked at her for a long time without letting her take off the new dress and change.
After paying, he took her out, dressed in her new clothes. As they walked, countless eyes, some open and some subtle, were fixed on her, making it hard to ignore them.
Bai Hua sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Young master has gone to great lengths. A Peng is not used to wearing such fine clothes. It's a waste to buy them."
Ning Jue, who had been looking straight ahead, turned his head slightly upon hearing this and glanced at her: "Then you'll get used to it slowly. You look good dressed like this."
Bai Hua was stunned, her fingers hidden under her sleeves involuntarily clenched, and a slow, inexplicable tremor ran through her heart.
The streets became increasingly lively, with more and more pedestrians, shoulder to shoulder, weaving through the crowds.
Several times, Bai Hua's shoulder was bumped by passersby, causing her to lose her balance and almost fall. She had to slow down and try to avoid them.
Ning Jue noticed that her pace was getting slower and slower, and that she was having more and more difficulty walking, so he stopped and waited for her to catch up.
Once the two were side by side again, he turned to the side, raised his hand, and precisely grasped Bai Hua's slender wrist, leading her as they continued to weave through the crowd.
Before Bai Hua could react, she had already intertwined her fingers with his.
Ning Jue had been wielding a sword for many years, and thin calluses had formed on his palms and fingertips. He could feel them clearly when touched, and the way he rubbed against her was as if he were personally engraving some unique mark on her.
Lost in thought, Bai Hua's cheeks flushed, and she couldn't help but steal glances to see Ning Jue's reaction.
His expression remained unchanged, his face showing no emotion whatsoever, and his movements seemed to be subconscious and completely natural.
Bai Hua hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping herself, and finally pursed her lips in dejection.
Looking at their clasped hands, she couldn't help but doubt herself. Was it a bit pretentious to be so concerned about the boundaries between men and women at this moment? Right now, they were just holding hands to prevent each other from getting separated in a crowded place.
She shouldn't be so sensitive.
Ning Jue: "Why are your fingers so stiff?"
He seemed to pinch her lightly, the force was not obvious, making Bai Hua doubt that the force she just felt was just her imagination.
Not wanting to appear weak, Bai Hua feigned composure and said, "It's not stiff, it's just a normal state."
Ning Jue lowered his eyes and comforted her: "Don't worry about other people's eyes. Those women who glance at you are mostly doing so out of envy."
She did feel uncomfortable because of other people's stares just now, but compared to the close contact she was experiencing now, those feelings were long forgotten.
Bai Hua casually followed up on his words and asked, "Why did more of the passing men look at me?"
Ning Jue paused, a subtle emotion rising in his eyes, but he concealed it too quickly and well. Bai Hua had just caught a glimpse of the unusual expression when it vanished in an instant, and she had no time to investigate it.
"I don't know," Ning Jue said solemnly.
Bai Hua was puzzled, not understanding why the young master suddenly became serious, and why his friendly and warm demeanor instantly changed to awe-inspiring and cold, as if strangers should stay away.
She didn't realize that her words had offended him.
He fell silent, looking rather unhappy. Seeing this, Bai Hua became nervous and dared not casually strike up a conversation anymore.
After a long pause, Ning Jue sighed and said somewhat awkwardly, "I should listen to you. Change into a plain dress before going out for a stroll. It's better to save these nice clothes for when we get up the mountain."
Bai Hua blinked, somewhat bewildered, unable to follow Ning Jue's train of thought.
After Ning Jue finished speaking, he quickened his pace and strode out of the East Market Cross Street. Bai Hua quickly followed behind, her clothes fluttering and her skirt swaying as she ran, her whole body feeling light and graceful.
To be honest, she wore linen clothes for half a month, which wasn't a long time, but immersed in it and seriously pretending to be a peasant girl, she unknowingly almost forgot the feeling of light silk and fine Shu brocade against her skin.
Now that she's dressed again, aside from many concerns, she's actually happy inside.
As her confidence slowly returned, she raised her head and tried to find her original self, not the cousin living in the Ji Lingrong Mansion, but the beloved eldest daughter of the Earl of Jingqi Mansion.
She was once as radiant as a bright pearl, accustomed to the endless stares and always responding with a smile.
The memories are from a long time ago, and the more I recall them, the sadder I become.
Fortunately, the considerable force on her wrist pulled her back to reality. Looking at the aloof figure in front of her, she felt not indifference, but rather a strange sense of intimacy.
Strangely, she had never felt this way with her cousin.
...
The two left the East Market and went to the North Market.
Taipei is mostly a trading center for agricultural products, with stalls arranged neatly from north to south, offering everything from fresh fish and meat to vegetables and fruits.
As you approach, you can clearly feel the warmth of everyday life. The people around you are all ordinary people in plain clothes, focused on making a living. While they are calling out to attract customers, no one is idly staring at whether the customers are wearing new clothes or old clothes.
Bai Hua walked among them, just one of the many people in the mortal world, unnoticed and unremarkable. She liked this ordinary feeling, and her body unconsciously relaxed.
Ning Jue loves to eat fish, so the two of them went to the fish stall first and bought a fresh, large carp. They then asked the vendor to remove the scales and prepare the fish. While waiting, they went to buy some green vegetables.
Two vegetable stall owners were hawking their wares side by side. Bai Hua stood in the middle, comparing prices and trying to figure out which stall had the lower and more affordable price.
Lacking experience, she was clearly clumsy when haggling, and as a result, she failed to get the price down. Instead, the vegetable vendor teased her, "Oh my, these two young people look like a newlywed couple who have just started living independently. Since you two are such a handsome couple and so pleasing to the eye, Aunt Wang will give you a discount, but remember to come back to my shop next time you buy vegetables."
The old man at the next stall also stood up, stroking his beard, and said, "Come and take a look at my stall. My vegetables are even fresher. Look at these garlic sprouts and leek shoots. They were just harvested this morning from the greenhouse. Once they're stir-fried, the aroma is irresistible. You'll miss out if you don't go for it. You're so lucky, young master, to have such a beautiful new wife who cooks for you so thoughtfully. When you get home and the dishes are served hot, it'll be so delicious and heartwarming, and you'll never forget the taste."
What newlyweds, what bride...
Bai Hua was embarrassed and had never dealt with such a situation before. Her cheeks turned red from the teasing, and she hurriedly waved her hands to try to explain the misunderstanding.
Ning Jue interrupted her, stepped forward and took the initiative to pick out some vegetables from the aunt and uncle's vegetable stalls, sharing the treat equally.
He was friendly, with a faint smile on his face, a stark contrast to his usual cold demeanor.
After paying, he took the food with one hand and naturally took her hand again with the other.
Bai Hua blushed even more.
After walking a little further away, she couldn't help but ask in a murmured voice, "Young master, why didn't you explain the misunderstanding just now? I'm just your maid..."
Ning Jue said casually, "We don't even know each other, why waste words?"
That seems to make sense.
The young master has always been a man of limited patience.
She was reluctantly persuaded, but when she was teased again about being a couple with Ning Jue while buying dried fruit, she simply smiled and let it go, mimicking his composed demeanor.
What she wasn't used to was that Ning Jue always made sure to hold her hand.
When paying, the two briefly let go of each other's hands, but he would then hold them together again, as if they were already used to being so intimate.
Bai Hua's heart had been pounding like a deer countless times. At this moment, her palms were sweaty and her ear tips were burning hot. She really couldn't pretend to be indifferent.
After hesitating for a long time, they finally decided to set things right.
She strained her wrist, trying to break free, and said, "Young master, we..."
Ning Jue noticed and gripped his hand tighter, continuing on his way: "There are so many people, I'm afraid you'll get lost."
Bai Hua quickly assured her, "No, I'll stay close to you. It's inconvenient for you to carry things if you hold my hand like this."
Ning Jue asked her expressionlessly, his tone serious and somewhat stubborn: "You know I'm not available?"
Bai Hua pursed her lips, sensing the subtle displeasure in his tone, and instantly didn't know what to do.
What's bothering him?
Before they could figure it out, the two happened to walk to the fish stall and picked up the big carp they had just bought, preparing to return to Xianyang Mountain.
Before leaving, Ning Juezheng asked her, "You're not letting me hold your hand anymore?"
He stood in front of the fish stall and asked without any restraint. The fishmonger's gaze lingered between the two of them with an ambiguous look, as if he wanted to see the young couple arguing in the street.
Bai Hua was stunned, and her words were not fluent: "Dong, there are a lot of things, it will be difficult to carry them if we hold hands."
Ning Jue offered to distribute the vegetables: "The vegetables are light, you take this bag, and I'll take the rest."
Bai Hua picked it up easily and replied, "Okay."
There were still quite a few things left. She thought Ning Jue had agreed to carry them with both hands, but he picked them all up with one hand and then tried to touch her with his free palm.
Bai Hua felt flustered and quickly took two steps forward.
But no matter how fast you go, you can't outrun him.
Ning Jue took a long stride and easily caught up with her in just two steps. His large hand enveloped her slender hand, and his body heat warmed her.
Bai Hua blushed and lowered her head, at a loss.
As their fingers clasped tightly together, her heart pounded with each beat.
...
Not far away.
Rong Linyan, who had been following the two all the way, cautiously stopped to rest on the second floor of a teahouse.
The view from above is expansive and almost unobstructed.
He watched from afar as his cousin and Ning Jue stood side by side, inseparable. He felt a mix of emotions—worry, jealousy, and envy—and forcibly suppressed the turbulent feelings surging within him.
Fu Wei sat opposite him, observing as he spoke, "I told you Miss Bai had guts. It seems that blocking the knife last time was useful. She must have successfully gained Ning Jue's trust. Buying clothes and holding hands, their relationship is progressing quite rapidly. I think it won't be long before Miss Bai discovers the secret of Ning Jue's second-stage sword technique and goes down the mountain to report back."
The current situation is indeed improving.
But Fu Wei's words did not make Rong Linyan happy at all; on the contrary, they made him irritated.
Ning Jue has dirtied my cousin's hands. I will find an opportunity to chop off his hands myself to vent my anger!
Rong Linyan instructed: "Take your men and prepare in advance at the foot of the mountain. If Hua'er intends to evacuate, be sure to meet her immediately."
Fu Wei replied, "Don't worry, Master."
Rong Linyan looked away, clutching the porcelain cup tightly in his hand, comforting himself that everything his cousin was doing was for their shared future. This temporary separation would be exchanged for his career advancement and their long-term companionship in the future.
He needs to be able to wait.
Seeing that the two figures were getting further and further away, and there was no longer any need to monitor them, Rong Linyan and Fu Wei carefully concealed their presence at the corner of the teahouse.
Almost simultaneously, Ning Jue glanced sideways at the spot where Rong Linyan had just sat, and then raised the corner of his lips in disdain.
Bai Hua noticed this, turned around, and asked, "What are you looking at, young master?"
Ning Jue took another step, took her hand, and replied with a gentle smile, "It's nothing, let's go home. A-Peng promised to make chestnut cake, why don't we try it tonight?"
"Okay." Bai Hua didn't suspect anything, but seeing that there were fewer pedestrians on the roadside and they were no longer shoulder to shoulder, she hesitated and asked, "Now that we won't get lost, do we still need to hold hands?"
Ning Jue didn't explain his reasons or consider whether the situation was appropriate. He lowered his eyes and replied directly, "Yes, I want to hold your hand."
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