Chapter 45 What's wrong with this kid? Why is he like this today...?
The group started joking around and quickly decided on two candidates.
Unsurprisingly, they were Gao, the eldest granddaughter-in-law of the Lang family, and Fu Erniangzi from the Qingguo Duke's Mansion.
The Lang family spans five generations, a large extended family. The youngest generation is still young and not many people, but going back to the fourth generation, the Lang family alone numbered over thirty people, making it a large and prosperous family.
But in such families, the eldest son is always different from the rest.
As for why she was chosen as the eldest grandson's wife, it's because the previous two generations were too old to connect with the younger generation.
Relatively speaking, the population of the Duke of Qing's mansion is relatively simple. The Duke of Qing only has three sons and two daughters, all of whom are married and have children. His second daughter is his youngest daughter. She returned home after becoming a widow, and her parents love her very much.
Bai Xuerou and the others took their seats. She glanced at them and smiled slightly.
There were four people at the table, three of whom were widows.
However, the three widows all lived much more comfortably than the married woman.
Not only are there many people in the Lang family, but Gao also has two mothers-in-law who have strict rules, so life is not easy for them.
The four of them would sit down and play mahjong for most of the day, and they would have lunch at the Princess's residence.
The participants changed several times during the event, and Bai Xuerou also took several breaks. It wasn't until evening that they all reluctantly parted ways.
Bai Xuerou had been sitting for most of the day, and her body was inevitably a little stiff, but mahjong is something that gets more and more addictive the longer you play, so she was very excited.
But this is only temporary; once you calm down, your spirit will also become weary.
She breathed a sigh of relief and decided to take a nice bath and get a massage when she got home.
Over the next few days, Bai Xuerou went to play mahjong with Princess Yucheng almost every day. Both of them were rich and had plenty of free time, and their mahjong partners were not fixed, except for one person, Fu Erniangzi, who came frequently.
Five days had passed since Bai Xuerou arrived at the villa. On another day, she arrived at the Princess's residence and met a familiar person.
Fu Wei.
He was following behind Madam Fu, and after Bai Xuerou and the others greeted him, he smiled brightly and said.
Princess Yucheng and the other girls exchanged smiles. They didn't care about the others, but Madam Fu the Second didn't seem to care at all, and looked like she was watching the show.
"Madam Bai, you're late today," she said with a smile, glancing around with a teasing tone. "Someone has been looking at the door countless times, almost waiting with bated breath."
Bai Xuerou smiled slightly, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fu Wei looking at her expectantly. The young man was tall and upright, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and had an excellent figure. He looked at her expectantly, full of undisguised admiration.
She had long noticed Fu Wei's affection for her, but she had tried to hide it last year, only looking at him secretly. However, ever since he took the initiative to come to her during the New Year's Eve sword dance, he seemed to have abandoned all restraint and become more and more direct.
But she had no intention of provoking the people of the Duke of Qing's mansion.
Fu Erniangzi thought it was a romantic affair while laughing and talking, but Bai Xuerou didn't want to get involved in this trouble.
There are plenty of eligible bachelors, the Fu family is no exception.
Therefore, Bai Xuerou simply smiled slightly, pretending not to understand the meaning behind Fu Erniangzi's words, and said with a smile, "The prince sent some things before I left, which caused the delay."
"Oh, I wonder what good things His Highness has sent this time?" Princess Yucheng noticed that Bai Xuerou had no intention of talking about the Fu family, so she naturally chimed in, though she was genuinely curious.
Everyone knows that the Prince of Zhenbei values Bai Xuerou. He doesn't enjoy life himself, but he diligently collects rare treasures and delicacies, sending them to Bai Xuerou as soon as he gets them.
Bai Xuerou smiled, sat down and said, "They are some pigment minerals. I've been playing with them recently, and when he found out, he collected some."
"The Prince of Zhenbei is so thoughtful and considerate; his future wife is sure to be blessed," Princess Yucheng said with a smile.
Bai Xuerou is now quite frightening. When the topic of Ling Xun's marriage came up, she laughed and hurriedly said, "Don't mention that. I'm already tired of being asked about it. The prince can decide his own marriage."
Princess Yucheng smiled at her avoidance, but Madam Fu really wanted to say something.
To be precise, there is no one in Chang'an, or even the entire world, who is not concerned about the marriage of this Prince of Zhenbei.
This young king, regardless of whether he will ascend to the highest position in the future, currently wields undeniable power.
The best part is that he is not interested in women and has no women around him. If one could marry him, the benefits would be obvious.
Unfortunately, Ling Xun had no interest in the matter, saying that the world was not yet settled and there was no reason for him to settle down. No one dared to disturb him, so they tried to find a way to ask Bai Xuerou.
But Bai Xuerou made it clear that she didn't want to mention it anymore, so Madam Fu had no choice but to give up. While thinking, she glanced at her dejected nephew beside her, feeling a little helpless.
The Fu family didn't care about Fu Wei's thoughts; in fact, they were happy to see them come to fruition.
Unfortunately, Bai Xue Rou was uninterested and didn't even intend to give any hope, so it seemed that everyone's plans were destined to fail.
After that, we played mahjong. Today, my partner was Mr. Gao.
She didn't come to the villa by herself; there was her mother-in-law, aunt, and a group of sisters-in-law living there. There wasn't much serious business to attend to; she spent most of her time being at her mother-in-law's house, fulfilling her filial duties.
However, Princess Yucheng had a good personal relationship with her, and whenever she invited her, the Lang family, regardless of what they thought in their hearts, would still give her face outwardly. Therefore, Gao would be able to come every three to five days.
Today is an example. She is dignified and virtuous, a traditional lady from a noble family. In the past, she seemed somewhat old-fashioned and taciturn, but all of this has subtly changed after playing mahjong...
Gao loved playing mahjong. After playing for a while, he would get carried away and reveal a lively and uninhibited side that he rarely showed.
Bai Xuerou sometimes thinks that this is probably her true nature, and that she has been suppressing herself in order to be a so-called aristocratic woman.
Amidst laughter and conversation, the four of them skillfully set up a stall and began playing mahjong.
No one mentioned Fu Wei. After a slight hesitation, he sat down behind Fu Er Niangzi at her prompting glance.
This play lasted for most of the day.
As evening fell, Bai Xuerou bid farewell before dinner and made an appointment for the next day.
Upon seeing their mistress return to the manor, the kitchen staff busied themselves, and Bai Xuerou immediately had her headdress removed.
She usually dresses simply at home, but when she goes out, she likes to dress up beautifully.
But the price of beauty is heavy.
The maids busied themselves removing the gold hairpins and silk flowers from her hair, as well as the necklaces and bracelets.
Bai Xue Rou immediately felt as if several pounds of burden had been lifted off her shoulders, and she felt instantly relaxed.
After washing up and changing into comfortable clothes, dinner was ready.
Bai Xuerou went to have her meal, and after that, she went to take a bath. There was a pool here with spring water, and the water was mixed to a perfect temperature, neither too hot nor too cold. After bathing, she got up, changed her clothes, lay on the couch, and had the maids dry her hair before combing it.
She lay on her side, drowsy.
After all this busy work, it was already dark. The moonlight was dim at the beginning of the month, but the stars were very bright, and it seemed that the next few days would be good weather again.
In the quiet night, the sounds of cicadas and frogs rose and fell, and the maids' voices were soft and gentle. Bai Xue Rou was almost asleep when she suddenly heard Jin Tao's voice, as if someone had arrived.
Bai Xuerou opened her eyes.
"Madam, the Prince has arrived." Jin Tao came to report. She was just thinking about how to wake Bai Xue Rou when she saw that she was already awake. She felt relieved and went up to her to whisper.
Bai Xuerou sat up straight, her slender eyebrows slightly raised, looking somewhat puzzled.
Why is Ling Xun here now?
But she didn't ask any more questions. Instead, she had someone help her change her clothes. She was dressed lightly in the room, and she couldn't go out like that to see people. As for her hair, she didn't care.
Combing her hair into a bun took too long, so Bai Xuerou simply let her hair down.
There's no need for her to have so many reservations about her relationship with Ling Xun.
Ling Xun stood in the courtyard, waiting, watching the mountains rise and fall under the night sky, but his thoughts were on Fu Wei.
He knew he didn't need to care, and he knew his sister-in-law had always neglected Fu Wei, but he just couldn't help wanting to see her—
He had wanted to come for a long time; he had wanted to come since the very first day his sister-in-law left.
I've been restraining myself all along, but now it feels like I've found a reason to indulge myself.
So Ling Xun came.
Hearing soft footsteps from the corridor beside him, Ling Xun subconsciously turned his head and saw Bai Xue Rou walking gracefully towards him in the bright night, dressed in a plain dress with her hair cascading down her back.
A gentle breeze stirred, causing her hair and dress to flutter and dance, making her appear ethereal like a fairy.
He was taken aback.
"Your Highness," Bai Xuerou said with a smile.
Ling Xun stood under the eaves, backlit, so she couldn't see his face clearly, but she noticed he hadn't called to her, which puzzled her somewhat.
In the past, every time they met, Ling Xun would call her name immediately.
Bai Xuerou felt a little uncomfortable for a moment, so she took the initiative to speak, thinking to herself that it really had become a habit.
No one said that Ling Xun had to call her first, and it wouldn't matter if he didn't.
"Sister-in-law, it seems I've come at an inopportune time and disturbed you." Ling Xun had already come to his senses. He turned slightly to the side, better concealing his expression in the night, and spoke apologetically, looking at the person in front of him with an almost greedy gaze.
Bai Xuerou didn't mind and smiled, "There's no disturbance at all. I just hope Your Highness won't find me rude."
She gently tucked the long hair that had fallen across her cheek behind her ear.
Ling Xun's gaze involuntarily followed those slender fingertips for a moment.
"How could that be?" he said with a smile. "It's just that I haven't seen you for quite some time and missed you, so I came."
As she spoke, Bai Xuerou lifted the hem of her skirt and walked down the corridor to Ling Xun's side. When she looked up, she met his calm and gentle eyes, which could almost be described as tender.
Caught completely off guard, her heart skipped a beat.
These eyes and brows are so beautiful, so exquisite and profound that words cannot describe them. When they gaze tenderly at someone, it gives the illusion that they are deeply in love with you.
And there's also the so-called longing...
But how could that be?
Bai Xuerou blinked, suppressing her unease. She took a deep breath to even out her missed breath and smiled, "Is it because the Prince's mansion is empty and the Prince feels lonely?"
She thought of this possibility almost immediately.
"Of course not," Ling Xun immediately retorted. It's just that his sister-in-law is missing. He can do without anyone else, but he can't do without his sister-in-law.
Without her, he felt as if his heart was empty, and when he was busy with things, he always felt lost and adrift, as if he had lost his support.
He paused for a moment, knowing he couldn't say this to Bai Xuerou, but Ling Xun suddenly had a bold idea and looked at the person in front of him, saying, "I'm just not used to not having my sister-in-law."
He spoke up boldly.
Ling Xun was always cautious, always feeling that there was still a long time to spend together, but the short separation suddenly made him somewhat impatient.
Since it's bound to happen sooner or later, let's start testing the waters carefully now.
"As for other people, what do they have to do with me?" he said nonchalantly, revealing the indifference he usually concealed beneath his calm demeanor.
Bai Xuerou's heart raced again at his words.
She felt for a moment that she shouldn't have overthought things, but then she felt that she couldn't be blamed either, since Ling Xun's words were too easy for people to overthink.
What do you mean by feeling very unaccustomed to not having her?
Bai Xuerou understood very well that the meaning behind those words had nothing to do with love; it was simply that the two of them had spent too much time together, which was why they were suddenly separated.
"You," she sighed softly, telling herself that Ling Xun was only seventeen, and this was normal.
Teenagers are always impulsive and more direct.
"What's there to be unaccustomed to? Before, when you went out to lead troops into battle, we couldn't see each other either," Bai Xuerou said with a smile.
Seeing that she didn't think much of it, Ling Xun was slightly disappointed, but told himself not to rush and said, "I also missed my sister-in-law back then, but there was nothing I could do. But now I can come to see you, so I came."
Bai Xuerou chuckled.
“But you’ll have to get used to it eventually, Bao.” Only at times like this would Bai Xuerou call Ling Xun by his childhood name and say, “No one stays together forever; we all have to get used to short separations.”
Ling Xun's expression remained unchanged, but he thought to himself—
He would then strive to ensure that nothing in the world could separate him from his sister-in-law.
As he was thinking this, about to reply, Bai Xuerou continued speaking.
She didn't like to preach, and she got used to separation after experiencing it many times, so she just said, "The most important thing is that it's too unsafe for you to leave the city so rashly, especially riding a fast horse at night."
"If you miss me next time, just write to me and I'll come back to see you. I don't have anything else to do anyway."
“I have my personal guards with me, and I’ve marched at night quite a few times, so I’ll be fine,” Ling Xun explained. “You’re having fun here, why go back? It’s too much of a hassle to travel back and forth.”
My sister-in-law is delicate; she gets tired just from riding in a carriage, unlike him who is thick-skinned and can march for days on end without any problems.
Hearing his thoughtfulness, Bai Xuerou's heart softened even more.
No wonder she likes Ling Xun so much; his thoughtful and considerate nature is something everyone would like.
"Your safety is the most important thing." Bai Xuerou said very seriously.
She has survived several assassination attempts during this time. Although Ling Xun always reports good news and not bad news, she knows without a doubt that there must be more.
“Sister-in-law, you seem to be worrying too much.” Ling Xun had been aware of this all along, but he hadn’t said much because he was enjoying Bai Xue Rou’s attention. But now he had to say something, so he spoke seriously.
"Too much?" Bai Xuerou raised her voice slightly, clearly disagreeing, but she did not refute rashly, leaving room for Ling Xun to explain.
“In my position, assassination attempts are inevitable, but I can’t just do nothing and stay home because there’s a possibility of assassination. Wouldn’t that be throwing the baby out with the bathwater?” Ling Xun said.
"Does this mean I'm going to stay in Chang'an for the rest of my life?" he asked with a smile.
Bai Xuerou seemed to be deep in thought. Ling Xun's words made sense, but she still felt that:
“Of course not. It’s just that even when it comes to doing things, there’s a distinction between whether it’s necessary and not. If it’s necessary, I’ll do it even if the sky falls and the earth collapses. But if it’s not necessary, I won’t take the risk,” she said.
“But for me, visiting my sister-in-law is the most important thing,” Ling Xun retorted almost immediately.
Bai Xuerou's heart skipped a beat again.
What's wrong with this kid? Why is he saying such misunderstanding things tonight? Her mind was in turmoil, and she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself down.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
