Chapter 6 wanted her to please him, to beg him...
Upon hearing this, Bai Xuerou's sorrow immediately dissipated, and she even couldn't help but smile.
"No need. Changing orders every now and then isn't good. Just stick to the plan." She said gently, but couldn't help thinking about the guards.
Bai Xue Rou had many servants around her, and her family sent many servants with her when she became a nun, but few of them were truly useful. A master like Bai Shan was one of a kind.
Now that he's leaving, she's really feeling a bit constrained.
Bai Shan had also thought of this matter and said, "I do have some servants. If you trust me, I will arrange for someone to replace me."
"Then I'll have to trouble Guard Bai." Bai Xuerou agreed without hesitation.
Right now, the person she trusts most is Bai Shan.
Putting everything else aside, the fact that he never gave up on her in that novel, and was ultimately dragged down by Ling Zheng and tortured to death, was enough to move Bai Xue Rou.
With Bai Shan's skills, he would have plenty of opportunities to escape.
Ultimately, he was caught because he refused to give up on her.
Bai Xuerou deeply appreciated this point, and upon reflection, she felt increasingly guilty.
Saving him was just a casual act; why did it have to come to this?
All these thoughts were but a breath away. Bai Shan was unaware of what she was thinking and was still grateful for her trust.
He felt an impulse to look at her, yet he dared not—
Such timidity stems from the fear that those feelings he dares not show to others will be discovered, especially by Bai Xuerou.
She'll be scared, and might even distance herself from him.
Falling in love with Bai Xuerou was much easier than I imagined.
Who wouldn't love such a gentle, considerate, beautiful, and charming person with a sense of humor? He was attracted to her without realizing it, and looking back, he realized it was the most normal and reasonable thing in the world.
Both had their own thoughts, but neither showed them.
Bai Shan quickly excused himself and left, only glancing at Bai Xue Rou out of the corner of his eye as he turned away.
That night, Aunt Ge waited for a reply, but she remained awake until the rooster crowed, and there was still no news.
All day long, she had been thinking about this matter, hoping to find more information through the other party's reply, but to her surprise, the other party did not reply.
Her heart felt as if it were being pulled by an invisible thread; Aunt Ge tossed and turned, growing increasingly uneasy.
Could it be that the other party has lost patience and is preparing to attack her?
All of this led to Bai Xuerou being startled when she saw Aunt Ge again after paying her respects in the morning, as she was struck by the latter's haggard appearance and increasing weakness.
Not to mention her, everyone in the room was on tenterhooks, worried that Aunt Ge might collapse here. Even Madam Wu couldn't help but ask a few questions.
In order to train the anti-drug operative, Aunt Ge suffered a great loss of vitality and her physical condition was mostly ruined. If it were an ordinary person, they would probably not be able to get up long ago. The reason why she can still move around every day is only because she has gotten used to forcing herself to stay awake.
Even now, when Madam Wu asked, she only said that nothing was wrong.
Bai Xuerou had a guess in her heart, and was both surprised and helpless.
It seems that Aunt Ge was a bit impatient, or perhaps her health was just too poor; she simply didn't reply to the letter last night, and this is how it happened.
She hesitated for a moment, thinking that maybe she shouldn't delay any longer.
Firstly, I was genuinely worried about her health, and secondly, I was afraid that this incident would worsen her condition, and if anything happened, she might resent me.
Bai Xuerou doesn't want to make any more enemies now.
Thinking this to herself, she subconsciously glanced at Ling Xun, only to see him looking at her birth mother with concern. But for some reason, she felt uneasy; that concern seemed somewhat insincere, like it was painted on…
You're overthinking it.
She thought.
In a brief moment of distraction, Bai Xuerou suddenly heard the Prince of Zhenbei speak, and immediately focused her attention, turning her head to look.
"If you're not feeling well, call a doctor. Your Highness means well; don't be ungrateful."
The Prince of Zhenbei frowned slightly, his tone clearly displeased.
Bai Xuerou was immediately startled. She had known the Prince of Zhenbei since childhood and had met him many times, but this was the first time she had heard him speak in such a terrible tone.
Even though the other party was never satisfied with her as a daughter-in-law, they only spoke to her in a somewhat indifferent tone.
She subconsciously looked at Aunt Ge and saw that the other woman's expression was even colder. Bai Xue Rou's heart tightened, almost thinking that the other woman would talk back. After all, regardless of the other woman's background or her understanding of her, this Aunt Ge was actually quite unruly and did not know or care about the so-called rules.
When their love was at its peak, the Prince of Zhenbei might not have cared, but things are different now...
"I have been impolite, Your Highness. Please punish me." Aunt Ge stood up and bowed her head in apology.
Since her worries hadn't materialized, Bai Xuerou should have breathed a sigh of relief. However, looking at Aunt Ge, she couldn't help but freeze in shock—
What makes someone who doesn't know the rules tame?
Before this, had she suffered a lot of losses and hardships because of this unruly nature?
Just thinking about what lies hidden beneath the calm surface makes Bai Xuerou feel a pang of sadness.
This emotion didn't linger for long. In the blink of an eye, she was brought back to her senses by the voice of the Prince of Zhenbei. He seemed very dissatisfied with Aunt Ge. Even though there was no disrespect in her tone, he still found fault with her. In the end, it was only after Madam Wu calmed things down and let Aunt Ge sit down that the matter was settled.
Because of this incident, the atmosphere at breakfast was somewhat tense. The sisters-in-law and other women, who were usually quite relaxed, were all on edge, not daring to move their eyes too much. It wasn't until after breakfast, when the Prince of Zhenbei left, that they relaxed one by one and left.
Madam Wu didn't seem to be in a good mood either. She didn't keep Bai Xuerou to talk anymore, but just told her to take good care of herself.
Upon seeing this, Bai Xuerou's expression shifted slightly, and she looked at her with a hint of worry.
Judging from her expression, she seems to care a lot about the Prince of Zhenbei, which is not a good thing.
Putting aside everything else, just look at how the Prince of Zhenbei treated his former wives and concubines, and you'll know that he wasn't a very affectionate person; you could even say he was heartless.
But Bai Xuerou only thought about this in her heart. Although she got along well with Madam Wu, their relationship was not very deep, at least not to the point where they would say such intimate words.
She took her leave and, with her maids, walked through the garden and headed east back to Zhiwei Courtyard.
The Prince of Zhenbei's mansion was no different from other noble residences. After entering through the main gate, there was a straight line leading to the front courtyard, the main courtyard, the back courtyard, and the main courtyard. Concubines mostly lived in the west courtyard, while married men lived in the east courtyard.
The garden is on the east side, extending from the front yard to the back yard, running through most of the mansion.
Bai Xuerou had to walk through the garden to get back to Zhiwei Courtyard, but as she was walking, she saw Ling Xun again.
She thought to herself how clever he was, and then, remembering what had happened when she paid her respects that morning, she immediately realized that he had gone to fetch a doctor for Aunt Ge.
Although the Prince of Zhenbei was furious, he did not send anyone to fetch a doctor, and in the end, Aunt Ge and her son had to go by themselves.
But people always treat others differently based on their status. Aunt Ge is not favored, and the maids in the courtyard probably wouldn't be able to get anyone to go, so they had to send Ling Xun.
She thought it was a coincidence, but not for Ling Xun.
He had calculated the time and route precisely and waited here on purpose.
This was all because of the pity and sorrow on Bai Xuerou's face when the Prince of Zhenbei scolded Aunt Ge that morning.
"Third Sister-in-law," Ling Xun greeted her formally.
"No need for formalities, are you going to the pharmacy?" Bai Xuerou asked with a smile.
Ling Xun straightened up and replied that he had.
Bai Xuerou then offered a few perfunctory words of concern.
This was just basic politeness; she wasn't worried that Ling Xun would overthink it.
Ling Xun echoed in agreement.
Seeing that he hadn't said goodbye, Bai Xuerou figured it was probably because they were going to travel together for a while, and the maids behind them were following at a distance.
Unexpectedly, when they arrived at a garden, Ling Xun suddenly spoke up, saying, "Third Sister-in-law, I have some questions I'd like to ask you. Would it be convenient?"
He deliberately lowered his voice, clearly not wanting to disturb others.
Bai Xuerou was slightly surprised, turned her head to look at him, and glanced at the maids behind her out of the corner of her eye.
So cautious, I don't know what to say?
"If it's inconvenient, I'll pretend I didn't hear you. If you don't mind, you can tell me." Bai Xuerou smiled gently at Ling Xun, and also lowered her voice, making it soft, like a whisper.
Ling Xun silently watched her actions, confirming once again that this woman's gentleness, thoughtfulness, and meticulousness were ingrained in her very being, and would not change even when facing a neglected half-brother like him.
“When my father reprimanded my aunt today, I saw my sister-in-law’s expression.” He paused slightly, “My sister-in-law’s expression was different from others, as if she was somewhat moved. I was puzzled, so I came to find her without warning.”
He had always been puzzled, unable to understand why the man he called Father was so cold and harsh towards his mother—
Yes, it's demanding.
Of the five concubines in the Prince's mansion, the Prince of Zhenbei currently favors Lady Wu and treats the other concubines somewhat coldly, though his words and actions are generally mild. However, he is exceptionally harsh when dealing with Concubine Ge. He even ignores his son, as if he cannot see him.
Otherwise, the people in the Prince's Mansion would not have treated them, mother and son, with such contempt and indifference.
Bai Xuerou was slightly taken aback, not expecting him to ask her this.
Looking at the young boy before her, she felt a little awkward, unsure whether to speak or how to speak.
Unexpectedly, Ling Xun noticed the subtle change in his expression.
"What are you wondering about?" she asked softly, wanting to see if there was any possibility of ambiguity or perfunctory response.
"I wonder why my father treats my mother and me this way."
Although Ling Xun was young, he was intelligent and saw through Bai Xue Rou's hesitation and difficulty, and spoke frankly.
Bai Xuerou paused again.
Logically, this shouldn't have been said by her, the daughter-in-law, but...
She looked around and saw that the two of them were in a winding path with paths on both sides. There was an octagonal pavilion hidden among the apricot trees, so she led Ling Xun toward it.
"Let's sit down in the pavilion and talk," she said with a gentle smile, sounding somewhat helpless.
The maids kept watch at a distance, while the two sat down in the pavilion. They could look around and see their surroundings clearly, making it a perfect place for conversation.
Ling Xun watched without showing any emotion.
"Your words put me in a difficult position. Your father and mother are both elders, and I shouldn't talk about their affairs in private. Why do you want to know?" She looked at Ling Xun gently, her gaze tolerant.
Ling Xun paused for a moment, but quickly made up his mind and lowered his head as if dejected.
"I just wanted to know. I wanted to see if I could find a way. My mother's health has always been poor. If we can improve our relationship with my father, she should get better."
Bai Xuerou's expression was inevitably moved.
Ling Xun glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and thought to himself, "Just as I suspected."
The man was in a difficult position but did not refuse. Instead, he called him over to inquire, entirely because he was soft-hearted.
"This... I'm afraid it's useless," Bai Xuerou whispered.
"I have to give it a try. Please help me, sister-in-law," Ling Xun said firmly.
He had always called Bai Xuerou "Third Sister-in-law," and was very sensible and polite. But now he had suddenly changed his address, which seemed to have a hint of coquetry in it.
Bai Xuerou chuckled softly upon hearing this, looking at the young boy in front of her, thinking to herself that he was still just a child.
That's all...
"Then I'll tell you secretly, but make this clear first, you can't let anyone else know that I said this." She warned jokingly, but with a hint of seriousness.
"I swear that no one else will know about our conversation today. If I break this oath, may I die a horrible death." Ling Xun immediately made the vow.
"Eh—" Bai Xuerou was surprised and subconsciously raised her hand, wanting to stop him, but then stopped, looking at Ling Xun with a helpless smile, not expecting him to do this.
She had modern memories and knew that oaths were superstitions and didn't care much about them. But the fact that Ling Xun, a native of ancient times, could make such a resolute oath was beyond her expectations.
Ling Xun felt slightly uncomfortable; Bai Xue Rou's helpless gaze actually made him feel a bit of affection.
It's like watching a naughty little child.
This was a truly rare experience. Over the years, Aunt Ge had been in poor health and in a bad mood, so she rarely gave him a kind look. Sometimes, when she was in a bad mood, she would even take it out on him, scolding and insulting him at the drop of a hat. It was common for her to tell him to get out of her sight.
Ling Xun hadn't felt such tenderness in a very, very long time.
After a while, his eyes inexplicably became sore.
"There's no need for that." Bai Xuerou smiled and said as she saw him put his hand down. Her gentleness was naturally tinged with a hint of cunning, making her appear somewhat playful.
"Even if you say it, I won't admit it." She said, half seriously and half teasing him.
Ling Xun, still with a serious expression, looked at Bai Xuerou and said, "Please enlighten me, Third Sister-in-law."
Then she can no longer be called sister-in-law.
Bai Xuerou said gently.
But seeing the faint expectation in Ling Xun's expression, Bai Xuerou also became serious and slowly began to speak.
If Ling Xun had asked her this question before, Bai Xuerou might not have been able to answer it. Back then, she hadn't had that dream, and therefore didn't know how despicable men could be—
It's clearly harmful, yet it's done in the name of 'love'.
This is more hateful and disgusting than pure evil.
However, if that were the case, Ling Xun wouldn't have come to ask her.
She wouldn't offer him an answer because of any lingering thoughts or desire to establish a familial bond with Ling Xun.
They will never cross paths.
Just like in that novel.
"It's actually very simple. Your father does this simply because he wants your mother to be obedient, to be gentle and considerate, to please him, and to beg him."
Bai Xuerou said calmly, her expression unconsciously turning indifferent.
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