Although Bai Linan had instructed Xie Shi to hold a grand coming-of-age ceremony, Xie Shi couldn't tolerate it. So, she feigned illness and stayed home for the past few days, completely ignoring the occasion. Her second aunt had no choice but to come and help, as entertaining guests and preparing food were both tedious and meticulous tasks. Xie Shi was still unwilling to accept her arrival, but she was too lazy to help Bai Chuxiao with the preparations, so she had no choice but to give in.
Bai Chuxiao's second aunt also brought over her mother's dowry list. Bai Chuxiao frowned as she looked at the list; it contained quite a few rare and precious items.
After all, the Murong family were founding heroes who fought on all sides, so they naturally had a lot of gold, silver, and rare treasures. Her mother's dowry was truly a magnificent procession.
But right now, she doesn't have any of these things in her yard. But no worries, they'll have to come back to them sooner or later. She put away the list, but then she heard Qingzhu's loud, boisterous voice outside the door.
"Miss, Miss, something terrible has happened!" Qingzhu rushed in, carrying a bunch of things, before even putting them down.
"What's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Miss, I just went out shopping with Qing Shuang, and we saw Prince Yan actually enter Chunfeng Pavilion! That's a brothel! I never imagined Prince Yan would be this kind of person," Qing Zhu said angrily.
Qing Shuang felt it necessary to uphold her former mistress's reputation, given that she had come from the Prince of Yan's residence. "Miss," she said, "I think the Prince of Yan might have something on his mind. After all, brothels are the easiest places to gather intelligence, perhaps..."
Qingzhu disagreed, saying, "Miss, we must be careful; men are all the same..."
Bai Chuxiao smiled faintly, "Alright, look how nervous you all are. If Chu Tianze really dares to do something, I'll break his legs..."
She naturally didn't believe Chu Tianze would do anything, but she was indeed curious to see the renowned Spring Breeze Pavilion.
After quickly disguising herself, she became another dashing young man in the capital. Instead of going directly to Chunfeng Pavilion, she first went to the Zhao family, intending to bring Zhao Sifang along.
This was Bai Chuxiao's first visit to the Zhao family, and her eye-catching red outfit naturally prompted her to come out and greet her, jokingly saying, "Oh, Zui'an, it's been a long time!"
Bai Chuxiao patted him with her folding fan in an annoyed tone, "I've been back for so long, and I haven't even paid a visit to your residence yet. Why aren't you welcoming me?"
"How could that be? I'm naturally happy that you've come, Zui'an."
Upon entering the mansion, Bai Chuxiao was filled with amazement; it truly was a place where the wealthy lived.
"How about that? Not bad, right? Look at you, so pathetic. Why don't you give up on that other guy and come with me? From now on, you can sleep on a mountain of money."
"Get lost, do you think I'm such a shallow person..."
"Big brother, who is this?" a girl's voice came from inside.
Bai Chuxiao secretly shook her head as she looked at the woman's attire. The Zhao family at least had some reputation, yet this woman dressed like a nouveau riche.
"This is my good brother, Su Zuian. What do you want?"
The young woman ignored Zhao Sifang's words and instead curtsied to Bai Chuxiao, smiling, "So it's Young Master Su. Xin'er is very polite."
Seeing the girl's eyes gleaming with excitement, Bai Chuxiao felt a chill run down her spine; she certainly didn't have that kind of fetish…
"Ahem...ahem...hello, Miss Xin'er."
Zhao Xin'er became even more enthusiastic, "Young Master Su, is your home in the capital? And you, brother, you've never mentioned it before. Why don't you stay at the Zhao family home for a few more days? Xin'er will certainly treat you well."
Zhao Sifang looked at his younger sister, speechless, and stared at the sky. His infatuation had flared up again. Why did Zui An have to make himself look so handsome? Now his sister had her eye on him, and it would be hard to shake her off later.
"Alright, Xin'er, I still need to take Zui'an to visit Grandfather, we can't delay, we'll talk about it later."
Upon hearing the word "grandfather," Zhao Xin'er dared not say another word. The old man held great prestige in the household, and she dared not be presumptuous. As for Young Master Su, there would be plenty of opportunities to come.
After leaving under Zhao Xin'er's gleaming gaze, Bai Chuxiao finally asked, "Is this your own sister? What happened to her..."
Zhao Sifang said somewhat helplessly, "Unfortunately, this is indeed my younger sister. She probably has her eye on you. After all, you're so handsome, and she's always liked good-looking people..."
Zhao Xin'er wasn't young anymore. As the legitimate daughter of the Zhao family head, she shouldn't have trouble finding a husband. However, Zhao Xin'er had always loved gold and silver jewelry, wanting to be adorned from head to toe. This was the capital, and powerful families avoided her because of her behavior. No one dared to marry her as their principal wife, and the Zhao family head naturally wouldn't allow her to be a concubine. The marriage was thus delayed. However, Zhao Xin'er didn't care. She didn't value social status; she only cared about looks. Her idea was to find a good-looking man to marry into the family; the Zhao family could afford to support him…
Bai Chuxiao shuddered. "She wouldn't be trying to make me marry into her family, would she?"
Zhao Sifang shrugged. "This... is obvious."
As they spoke, they unknowingly arrived at a secluded courtyard. "Your grandfather lives here?"
This tranquil and secluded courtyard is quite different from the overall style of the Zhao family.
"Yes, after Grandpa retired, he moved here to recuperate, saying he didn't want to deal with those mundane matters anymore. But I still often bother him with things, and he'll see me. I was able to take over the Zhao family so quickly thanks to Grandpa's guidance behind the scenes..."
Bai Chuxiao nodded. "Your grandfather treated you well."
The current head of the Zhao family isn't good at business, so he doesn't get involved in business matters much. He merely holds the title of family head, and everything in the Zhao family is basically in Zhao Sifang's hands. At such a young age, Zhao Sifang is hardly capable of managing his subordinates. Fortunately, the Zhao family patriarch is willing to guide him and delegate authority, which is how Zhao Sifang built his reputation.
Old Master Zhao was playing chess in the courtyard, with only a servant boy following behind him.
"Greetings, Grandpa...Greetings, Old Master..." Zhao Sifang led Bai Chuxiao in and greeted them.
Old Master Zhao didn't look up. "And who is this?"
Bai Chuxiao quickly smiled and said, "My name is Su Zuian. I have long heard of Old Master Zhao's name and have come to pay my respects today."
Zhao Sifang also laughed and said, "Grandpa, Zui An is my friend. I've mentioned him to you before, the one who saved my life."
Holding a chess piece, Old Master Zhao looked up at Bai Chuxiao, scrutinized her for a while, and then smiled with narrowed eyes, "Many thanks to Young Master Su for saving my grandson's life back then. Young Master Su, since you have some free time today, why don't you sit down and play a game with this old man?"
Bai Chuxiao always felt that the old man's glances at her held a deeper meaning, as if he had seen through her disguise. However, upon closer reflection, she thought it was impossible; even if the old man was capable, it was only in business... It couldn't be, could it?
"I cannot refuse your kind invitation, but I am not skilled in chess, and I'm afraid..."
Old Master Zhao smiled kindly, "It's alright."
Bai Chuxiao then sat down and started playing chess with Old Master Zhao, taking turns playing. Zhao Sifang, standing behind her, couldn't help but purse her lips in disapproval.
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