Chapter 48. Chapter 48. The sister-in-law discovered it.
The teenager changed almost every day. His features became increasingly sharp and distinct, and his appearance was still excessively feminine, which could be described as gorgeous, but it also had a stern and intimidating quality that made people almost afraid to look directly at him.
Fortunately, his demeanor was restrained and calm, which softened the overall effect and reduced the sense of being overbearing.
"Huh?" Bai Xuerou subconsciously closed her eyes, almost thinking she was dreaming, until she heard the voices of the maids behind her greeting her, and then she realized that the scene in front of her was real.
She really saw Ling Xun.
"Your Highness? When did you return?" Bai Xuerou stepped forward, surprised. "How come we didn't hear a thing?"
Ling Xun's trip this time was quite grand, with a large entourage. If he returns, Bai Xuerou should have received a letter by now.
But she didn't receive a single letter.
"The carriage stopped in Yong County. I still need to go on an inspection tour to the east. I came back this time to see my sister-in-law. I heard that my sister-in-law came to Luoxian Temple, so I came straight here." Ling Xun stepped forward, and his expression, which was somewhat blurred in the morning mist, suddenly became clear.
His lips and brows were always smiling when he saw Bai Xuerou.
"Late at night? Didn't I tell you that riding a horse at night is dangerous and you should be careful? Also, you came to Luoxian Temple right away, didn't you get a proper rest?" Bai Xuerou was worried as soon as she heard this, her brows furrowed slightly, and she said disapprovingly.
Ling Xun smiled and said, "I just wanted to see you as soon as possible. It's been so long, I really wanted to see you."
Bai Xuerou's heart skipped a beat. Looking into the bright, eager eyes of the person before her, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind—
They were just uncle and sister-in-law.
Why do I have to miss you like this?
All those traces that had been dormant over the past year, like clouds and rain accumulating until they finally thundered, startling Bai Xuerou and causing her to feel a sudden sense of panic.
Her gaze trembled, and Bai Xuerou subconsciously lowered her eyes to hide it, but a slight change still couldn't help but appear in her eyes.
Sometimes, Bai Xuerou even wondered if she was overthinking things.
Ling Xun treated her with both tenderness and obedience, as if he genuinely regarded her as a close family member.
But it was only 'as if' they weren't real family; they weren't truly family, and it wasn't appropriate for them to express their reluctance and longing so openly. At least, she wouldn't.
She might worry, and she might miss him, but it wouldn't be to this extent.
They would go to great lengths, even staying up all night, just because they hadn't been apart for over a month...
Bai Xuerou was unsure and dared not think about it.
Her thoughts were in turmoil. Ling Xun continued, "Upon hearing about the beautiful scenery of Luoxian Temple, my sister-in-law was attracted to stay here for several days. Out of curiosity, I came here. To be honest, I've been in Chang'an for quite some time now and haven't seen it yet."
Bai Xuerou snapped out of her reverie, realizing he was trying to distract her. Putting aside her own thoughts, she insisted, "You can't do that again."
“You said it yourself, it’s such a short distance, you might as well rest and come back during the day. Your health is important. Even though you’re young, you can’t keep pushing yourself like this,” she said.
Forget everything else, let's focus on the present.
At night, you can't see the road clearly, and if you fall off a fast horse, it's no joke.
Seeing that he couldn't fool her anymore, Ling Xun had no choice but to admit his mistake and say, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I understand."
Bai Xuerou looked at him.
He said again, "Never again."
Actually, it wasn't that serious. He often launched surprise attacks under the cover of night during his marches, but there was no need to say it and worry Bai Xuerou, so Ling Xun obediently admitted his mistake.
Seeing his sincerity, Bai Xuerou finally felt relieved and stopped pressing the issue, saying, "Then you should go and get some rest. You haven't slept all night, or you'll have a headache later."
Ling Xun laughed and said, "It won't make a difference if we stay a little longer. Since we're already here, I'd like to take a good look at the scenery that my sister-in-law likes. Besides, it's better to have breakfast before resting, otherwise I won't be able to sleep well."
The offer of breakfast convinced Bai Xuerou, and she no longer refused, sighing, "Alright, let's go, I'll take you to see the mist of Luoxian Mountain."
"Please go first, sister-in-law." Ling Xun stepped aside, raised his hand, and struck a pose like a refined gentleman.
Bai Xuerou chuckled; Ling Xun seemed to be getting more and more lively as he got older.
"Please, Your Highness as well," she said cooperatively.
After much persuasion, the two finally walked side by side.
Bai Xuerou doesn't always know where to look at the fog; she usually just goes wherever she happens to be.
However, when she went out yesterday, she happened to see an old pine tree shrouded in mist. The morning mist swirled around it, making it seem like a place where immortals roamed in a fantasy novel. She liked it very much and decided to go see it today, so her purpose was very clear.
As you walk up the stone steps, the morning mist begins to roll and spread from the foot of the mountain. By the time you reach the old pine tree, you have already climbed halfway up the mountain, enveloping a small part of Luoxian Temple in it.
The old pine tree was ancient and rustic. Bai Xuerou waited for Ling Xun to pass by, watching the mist gradually spread up and envelop her.
“Look, doesn’t it look like a fairyland?” Bai Xuerou turned around and looked at Ling Xun.
The fog was so thick that even at a distance of just one person, faces appeared somewhat blurry.
But Bai Xuerou still saw the smile on Ling Xun's face.
“Indeed, it’s like a fairyland,” Ling Xun agreed.
Bai Xuerou sat down, leaning on the stone table, and sighed, "It's a pity there's no guqin. If someone were to play a tune now, the melodious sound would perfectly complement this beautiful scenery."
“Sister-in-law, what difficulty is there in wanting to hear the guqin? Aqi, go find a guqin.” Ling Xun ordered, and the guards nearby responded. He then said to Bai Xuerou, “If sister-in-law doesn’t mind, I will play a tune for you.”
"I almost forgot, you study the piano, but you haven't practiced in a long time, so you're probably a bit rusty, right?" Bai Xuerou suddenly realized, and then asked with a smile.
Ling Xun had previously studied the zither under her father's tutelage and was quite good at it.
However, he has been busy with many things in the past two years, and Bai Xuerou had not heard him play for a long time, so she couldn't remember it for a moment.
The Taoist temple naturally had a zither, and soon the guards found one. The abbot said it was the best zither in Luoxian Temple.
Ling Xun took the instrument and gently stroked the strings, quite satisfied.
While not exceptionally good, it wasn't bad either; the tone was quite nice.
He then sat cross-legged beneath the ancient pine tree in the thick fog and leisurely played a tune.
The zither music was melodious, ethereal, profound, and otherworldly.
Bai Xuerou sat to the side listening, her eyes slightly closed, her mind seemingly drifting away with the music, echoing among the mountains, cleansing her soul.
After a long while, the song ended.
Bai Xue Rou opened her eyes again and found that the originally thick fog had thinned out considerably.
"Does sister-in-law feel any rustiness?" Ling Xun asked.
"Not at all," Bai Xuerou said with a smile. "My father is right. You have extraordinary talent. No matter what you do, you achieve twice the result with half the effort. You've only been learning the zither for a few years and you play it so well. It really makes me, someone who has been learning the pipa for more than ten years, feel ashamed."
"I'll take that as a compliment from my sister-in-law," Ling Xun said with a smile. "Your pipa playing is also excellent."
As he spoke, he beckoned to his personal guards and handed them the zither to be returned.
Bai Xuerou shook her head with a smile.
"Alright, let's go back," she said, so that Ling Xun could rest after breakfast.
Visibly, the fog was gradually dissipating, and the hazy mountains slowly became clear, as if they had returned from a celestial palace to the mortal world.
The bleak early winter is upon us once again.
Bai Xuerou couldn't help but wonder what kind of beautiful scenery would arrive in spring.
It turns out that you can't get distracted while walking.
Just then, Bai Xuerou suddenly felt her foot trip and involuntarily staggered forward.
"Be careful." Ling Xun reacted quickly and reached out to support her.
Bai Xuerou was startled, her heart pounding, and she steadied herself with Ling Xun's help.
But before I could think about what was happening at my feet, my thoughts were completely absorbed by the strong and steady hand on my arm.
She was preoccupied with something on her mind and was even more bothered by the touch, so she hurriedly tried to pull her hand away. However, before she could stand still, her haste caused her to sway, so Ling Xun had to reach out his other hand to support her shoulder.
“Sister-in-law, be careful, don’t rush, I’m here,” he said.
Bai Xuerou's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. She didn't even know why she was so flustered, but thankfully she still managed to stay rational and didn't make any rash moves.
She forced herself to ignore the sensation, steadied herself, and considered immediately summoning a maid, but felt it would be too deliberate, so she had to resist the urge.
"Are you alright?" Ling Xun asked nervously, even though he had already helped the person up.
"It's nothing." Bai Xuerou took a breath and came to her senses. "I was just startled. I was a little distracted just now."
Ling Xun helped her to her feet and steady herself. The maids rushed over and took her hands to support her.
Bai Xuerou finally breathed a sigh of relief, her tense body slowly relaxing, and she even noticed some soreness.
Ling Xun calmly observed her relaxed demeanor, and the events that had just transpired before his eyes.
He almost immediately couldn't help but feel a little flustered.
My sister-in-law found out.
Have you discovered it?
Ling Xun looked at her quietly, feeling uneasy.
He only felt relieved and managed to regain his composure after seeing that Bai Xuerou had not reacted.
It seems that my sister-in-law had no intention of revealing it, or perhaps she wasn't even sure.
Almost in the blink of an eye, Ling Xun made up his mind to continue to cover up the truth.
"It's my fault. I was by my sister-in-law's side but didn't remind her," Ling Xun said gently, without mentioning Bai Xuerou, but rather expressing some self-reproach.
Bai Xuerou had expected him to give her some advice, but she was surprised when Ling Xun spoke in this way. She was slightly taken aback, but then smiled. She couldn't even care less about her previous concerns. She felt that Ling Xun was incredibly considerate.
"Don't talk nonsense. I was distracted. How can you be to blame me?" she said.
Ling Xun remained silent, then said, "Sister-in-law, take a look. Is your ankle injured?"
Bai Xuerou moved slightly, but felt some discomfort in her foot where she had tripped. With the help of her maid, she tried to take a couple of steps and said confidently, "I'm fine."
Ling Xun watched closely, and only when he saw that she was truly unharmed did he feel relieved.
Afterwards, the two returned to Bai Xuerou's courtyard, where servants brought breakfast for them to eat together.
At the table, Ling Xun naturally served food to Bai Xuerou, who paused slightly, looking a little awkward.
Some things are fine when you don't notice them, but once you do, everything seems deliberate.
After thinking about it, she silently picked out a few of Ling Xun's favorite dishes for him.
"After you've eaten, go get a good night's sleep." Bai Xuerou said, glancing at his face, but found that he looked healthy and not at all haggard, so she stopped talking.
I sigh at how young I was.
But that glance revealed something else.
Ling Xun doesn't seem to have grown any taller this year, but he's already quite tall. Bai Xuerou doesn't even reach his shoulder anymore, so she has to crane her neck to see him. However, his figure has become increasingly muscular and strong, transforming from his original somewhat thin and slender build. His shoulders have visibly broadened, making him more reliable and dependable.
Her facial features have become more defined, and even though her features are stunning, she will never be mistaken for a girl again as she was when she was a child.
Bai Xuerou hadn't looked at him so closely in a long time, and now, upon closer inspection, she was surprised to realize that he had unknowingly grown into an adult.
Bai Xuerou's subtle and unobtrusive observation was crystal clear to Ling Xun.
He didn't move, pretending not to notice, but his ears couldn't help but feel hot.
“Okay.” Ling Xun replied, feeling uneasy about the strange behavior he had shown. But Bai Xue Rou was distracted at the moment, and after only glancing at him, she looked away and didn’t notice.
"How long will you be gone this time?" Bai Xuerou asked.
“Those powerful families have been making quite a few moves lately, so I’ll be making more of a trip,” Ling Xun said.
To sow discord, to alienate, to scheme.
Although the war on the surface has stopped, it continues in secret, with those people trying every means to disrupt the situation and constantly making small moves.
Ling Xun had sensed and dealt with a lot over the past six months, but he had a feeling that there were still things going on in secret, so he decided to go and see.
To avoid problems arising when war breaks out in the future.
"Then be careful." Bai Xuerou's heart tightened immediately upon hearing this. How many heroes and great men have died because of trivial matters they didn't care about?
She was really worried.
Bai Xuerou knew very well that she had not had a peaceful time in recent years, and there were only more people who wanted Ling Xun dead.
Because of this concern, Bai Xuerou looked at Ling Xun again, and Ling Xun happened to be looking at her as well, and said seriously, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I know."
"Don't say 'don't worry'," Bai Xuerou interrupted, "I don't know when it started, but the more I hear 'don't worry,' the more uneasy I become."
Ling Xun paused, then laughed.
Ultimately, the reason for this is that Bai Xuerou cares about him.
After laughing, he looked at Bai Xuerou's somewhat bewildered and angry expression and said earnestly, "Sister-in-law, I will be fine."
"If you like it here, stay a few more days. But it's getting colder, so you should go back to Chang'an soon and have the mansion have a heating system installed. Don't be stingy," Ling Xun instructed.
"I'll only feel at ease if my sister-in-law is doing well," he said.
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