Chapter 64 Graceful and beautiful, infinitely luxurious…
Bai Hanwen saw clearly that what she said was indeed true, so he was relieved.
"That's enough, that's enough," he said.
It's enough if they're mutually interested.
Hearing that Bai Hanwen truly harbored no resentment, Bai Xuerou felt even more guilty and said, "Father, this matter was my fault. I was only worried that it would implicate the family. Please punish me, Father."
That's just how she is. If others say she's not right, she can't help but resist, but if they think of her completely, she feels guilty.
"Damage the family? Chunniang, you're overthinking it," Bai Hanwen laughed.
He certainly disdained to associate with the corrupt officials in the court, but that was because of the court's corruption, not because he was a pedantic scholar. Bai Xuerou and Ling Xun's relationship was indeed inappropriate, but since neither of them was married, their union hadn't harmed anyone; what was wrong with that?
Not to mention the beastly things Ling Zheng did.
Bai Hanwen, on the contrary, thought it was a good thing.
How could a beast like Ling Zheng be worthy of my daughter?
"With you here, if the Prince succeeds, the future of the Bai family will surely be bright. Your elders are not foolish; how could they not know this? Before I came here, your uncles and aunts all asked me to pass on their greetings to you."
Bai Xuerou felt completely relieved and couldn't help but smile.
"That's good, that's good," she said.
As long as I don't implicate my family, that's fine; as long as they don't blame me, that's fine too.
The three chatted about what had happened during their separation, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the villa where Bai Xuerou lived.
Bai Xuerou had already informed the two elders about the matter of the villa in a letter, so they were not surprised.
The mother and daughter went inside hand in hand. Bai Xuerou had already prepared a courtyard for them, and they settled in immediately.
Not long after they had settled in, someone from the Prince of Zhenbei's residence came to deliver a letter, saying that Ling Xun knew the two elders were coming and would visit them that afternoon.
Seeing that the two elders did not object, Bai Xuerou agreed.
The family of three had lunch together after a long time. After the meal, as they were drinking tea, Ling Xun arrived at their door.
"He arrived quickly," Bai Hanwen snorted.
At that speed, it's obvious that Ling Xun was in a rush to get here.
Bai Xuerou felt a little embarrassed and hurriedly asked someone to invite her.
Before long, Ling Xun entered. As soon as he entered, before Bai Hanwen could get up to call him Your Highness, he cupped his hands and greeted him with a humble "Teacher".
She was also known as Mrs. Song, or "Teacher's Wife".
Bai Hanwen and Madam Song stepped aside, their hearts softening, but they couldn't show any displeasure. They quickly said, "Your Highness, please don't be so polite."
"Of course," Ling Xun said with a smile, then looked at Bai Xuerou and called out again, "Sister."
Unexpectedly, Ling Xun called her that. The couple both glanced at their daughter. Bai Xue Rou blushed and turned her head slightly, giving Ling Xun a reproachful look.
The two saw each other clearly, exchanged a glance, and both had smiles in their eyes.
It seems the two have a good relationship.
After some pleasantries, Ling Xun humbly sat down at the lower end of the table, not taking the seat at the head of the table.
The Bai couple would not take the seat of honor, so they sat facing each other on either side.
No matter how dissatisfied the Bai couple were with Ling Xun, they maintained a look of surprise and suspicion on their faces, and were somewhat restrained.
On the other hand, Ling Xun was clearly reserved, showing none of the imposing and powerful demeanor of the Prince of Zhenbei.
Bai Xuerou sat down next to her mother and watched this scene with a smile in her eyes.
Seeing this, Bai's parents were satisfied, regardless of whether Ling Xun did it intentionally or not.
After a brief conversation, they first reminisced about the past, and then the conversation turned to the two of them. Ling Xun was well-prepared and responded appropriately to each question.
As they talked, Bai Hanwen calmed down.
Bai Xuerou, however, was a little restless and got up with her mother to leave first.
Ling Xun watched them go, feeling rather reluctant to part.
Bai Hanwen watched, a smile appearing in his eyes. In his opinion, in such a short time, Ling Xun's thoughts were almost entirely focused on Bai Xuerou.
His affection was evident in his words.
On the other side, Madam Song was also talking about this with Bai Xuerou, and said with a smile, "Now that I've seen it, I can finally rest assured."
Bai Xuerou couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, and said, "That's just how he is. But I think people's hearts are fickle, and who knows what the future holds."
She would never utter these words to outsiders, but she relied on her own mother and said them unconsciously.
Upon hearing this, Madam Song paused slightly. Throughout her life, her relationship with her husband had been smooth. Although she had experienced various worries, she only thought about them occasionally in her spare time.
In contrast, Bai Xuerou's life was quite bumpy.
But she didn't want her daughter to be so pessimistic, so she comforted her, saying, "Good child, I know you're worried. But life goes on, and we should try to live it happily. We can't let the filth of the past ruin our future. That's decades of life."
“We should just focus on living our own lives and face things calmly. On sunny days, we should enjoy the sunshine; if it’s cloudy or rainy, we should stay indoors or bring an umbrella,” Song said slowly to Bai Xuerou, her tone gentle and composed. “We should always try to live happily.”
“Mother, I know,” Bai Xuerou said with a smile. “I was just venting to you. I never intended to be a complaining woman. I’m happy every day now.”
"That's good, that's good." Madam Song couldn't help but smile.
Meanwhile, the conversation between Bai Hanwen and Ling Xun reached a crucial point.
“My Chunniang looks gentle and compliant, but she can’t tolerate any imperfections. She’s seen how my relationship with her mother is, so she always thinks about being with one person for life.”
“I know,” Ling Xun said, about to assure him, when he saw Bai Hanwen shake his head slightly and say, “Please listen to me first.”
"Your Highness need not make any guarantees. People's hearts are fickle, especially when it comes to words. I'm not bringing this up for your guarantees, but simply because I hope that if your relationship with Chunniang changes in the future, I can be lenient and set her free, considering the care and concern she once showed you. Don't let her wither away in this mansion."
“My heart is not a stone, it cannot be turned.” Ling Xun said calmly, while Bai Hanwen remained unmoved, simply looking at him.
Under that gaze, Ling Xun pursed his lips, his expression stubborn, "That day will never come."
Bai Hanwen looked at him and thought the young man before him was a hero of the age, speaking with unwavering conviction, and he truly believed it.
But it's a bit naive; when it comes to feelings, who can say for sure?
"I believe in Your Highness. But please, just to put my mind at ease, is that alright?" Bai Hanwen's expression held a hint of pleading.
Ling Xun looked at him, his expression turning cold.
His dissatisfaction was palpable, and he even unconsciously revealed the imposing presence befitting the title of Prince of Zhenbei, but Bai Hanwei did not back down.
After a moment, Ling Xun closed his eyes, his face cold, and said reluctantly, almost reluctantly, "I agree."
"If that day ever comes, I will give my sister her freedom."
"But I would never do that. I would rather die than hurt her," Ling Xun said softly, his expression softening as he thought of Bai Xue Rou.
Bai Hanwen was relieved to have gotten what he wanted, and seeing Ling Xun's expression, he couldn't help but smile.
“Then let’s wait and see,” he said.
Ling Xun looked directly at him and said, "Then we'll wait and see."
Afterwards, Ling Xun stayed at the Bai residence for dinner before leaving.
Bai Hanwen didn't tell Bai Xuerou about his conversation with Ling Xun, since it would be somewhat disheartening to bring it up before the two were even married.
He smiled and looked at his daughter gently.
Chunniang was his only daughter. He loved her dearly and wanted her to live a happy and healthy life, but he could never have his wish fulfilled.
Some say that with her looks, she was destined for greatness. Bai Hanwen understands this, but doesn't agree. To be moved by a woman's beauty is a sin for a man.
Bai Xue Rou was completely unaware until Ling Xun secretly came to see her that evening.
She playfully hit him, "How dare you come here when my parents are here?"
"Master and Mistress won't find out," Ling Xun said, holding her in his arms like a precious treasure, unwilling to let go.
Bai Xuerou asked him irritably, "You wasted an entire afternoon, you must be very busy when you get back, why did you come again?"
She was prepared that Ling Xun wouldn't come.
"I miss you," Ling Xun said. "Don't worry, sister, everything in the manor has been resolved."
"What happened today?" The two lay down in each other's arms. It was getting colder and colder, especially in the mornings and evenings. They had changed to thick blankets, but they were still not as warm as Ling Xun's embrace. She unconsciously leaned closer to him.
Talking about the Prince's mansion has become a habit for the two of them lately; they always try to find something to talk about. Ling Xun also intends to let Bai Xue Rou get involved in the affairs of the mansion.
Ling Xun explained it all.
Bai Xuerou listened attentively at first, but as she talked, she gradually became sleepy and asked in a daze, "Did someone upset you? You seem a bit down."
Ling Xun's eyes flickered slightly. He thought he had concealed it very well, but he didn't expect Bai Xuerou to still notice. He couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, which immediately dispelled the previous gloom.
From the afternoon until now, Ling Xun has been preoccupied with Bai Hanwen's words, not because of the doubt in his words, but because of the assumption that the two might separate.
Just thinking about it made him extremely sad.
"It's just that Wu is being unruly, it's nothing serious," Ling Xun said in a low voice.
Bai Xuerou believed him without question.
"It's okay, we'll take it slow. You're so capable, there won't be any problems." She patted Ling Xun and mumbled comforting words.
Ling Xun gave a soft "hmm," patted her, and said, "That's enough, go to sleep."
Bai Xuerou didn't say anything more and let herself drift off to sleep.
The arrival of Bai's parents had little impact on the people of Chang'an, but it was a completely different story for Bai Xuerou.
She became much happier every day, and even became more enthusiastic about preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ling Xun visited again to celebrate the festival with Bai Xuerou and her family of three.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, there were only two weeks left until the wedding, and the household immediately began to get busy.
The wedding attire was prepared by the people of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, and Bai Xuerou's dowry was already prepared and had been ready in recent days. Ling Xun even added a lot more.
The items may not seem numerous, but each one is a rare treasure, and they were all included in Bai Xuerou's dowry list.
Bai Xuerou didn't care about these things. To her, treasures were nice, but not essential. As long as she had enough to eat and wear, these things were more for show.
However, more than these things, she was grateful for Ling Xun's kindness.
The Song family took full control of the preparations, and Bai Xuerou didn't have to worry about anything; she just needed to be a bride-to-be.
Before we knew it, it was already the fifth day of the ninth lunar month.
Looking at her beautiful daughter, Mrs. Song felt a deep reluctance to part with her.
Bai Xuerou is twenty-three years old this year, the prime of her life. She is like a peony in full bloom, elegant and beautiful, so magnificent that it is almost impossible to look directly at her.
This is her second marriage; who knows where her life will lead from now on?
"Chunniang, I'll sleep with you tonight," said Madam Song, wanting to spend as much of her last moments with her daughter as possible.
Bai Xuerou was naturally happy to sense her mother's feelings, but she was also more flustered.
She is now three months pregnant. It looks fine when she is dressed, but if she takes off her clothes, you can vaguely see the bulge.
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