Bai Qingyan had changed into different clothes, wearing a fox fur cloak to conceal the mourning garments underneath. She brought no guards, only Chun Tao by her side.
“Master Qin…” She gave Qin Shangzhi a slight bow.
Qin Shangzhi quickly bowed deeply: “Miss.”
“Since you must leave, Bai Qingyan dare not detain you, so I’ve come to see you off!” She took a gray bundle from Chun Tao’s hands and offered it to Qin Shangzhi. “A fine horse, a fox fur cloak, and a dagger for protection. May you have smooth travels and a bright future ahead.”
Qin Shangzhi was moved in his heart, his lips trembling. Seeing the elegant and refined woman before him with her noble bearing yet gentle as jade, the words of refusal on his lips turned into a smile as he accepted Bai Qingyan’s kind gesture: “Thank you, Miss Bai!”
“Master Qin is too polite.”
Qin Shangzhi gripped the bundle in his hands, chuckled softly, and raised his head: “I won’t hide from Miss Bai that while recovering at the Bai mansion, observing Miss’s unparalleled wisdom and broad mind, I’ve more than once thought of entering your service to contribute my efforts.”
Her heart tightened, looking at Qin Shangzhi with slight surprise.
Yet in the end, Qin Shangzhi still chose to leave. If she insisted on keeping him today, it would only leave regrets in Qin Shangzhi’s heart.
“Master has great benevolence and the wisdom to assist the world. Bai Qingyan would never dare confine such a dragon in the small inner courtyard of the Duke’s mansion.” After saying this, she suddenly changed her tone and bowed to Qin Shangzhi with utmost solemnity: “But… if someday Bai Qingyan can shoulder the banner of my Bai family army and, as a woman, occupy a place in those lofty halls of power, I shall certainly sweep the seat clean in welcome. I earnestly hope you won’t disdain me, and that we might work hand in hand to support Great Jin’s myriad people.”
Qin Shangzhi felt tremendous waves in his chest. He hadn’t expected this composed and resolute woman to have such magnanimous aspirations. Despite her family’s sudden great calamity with all the men dead, she still harbored the ambition to support the Great Jin.
The Bai family, the backbone of Jin as the Duke’s house, truly had upright family traditions, understood great righteousness, shouldered responsibility, and possessed a character so noble that he could only look up in admiration.
Long-lost youthful passion couldn’t help but surge, and a heroic spirit suddenly overwhelmed him. Qin Shangzhi felt as if he had become young again.
Unable to contain his emotions, he raised his hand: “A gentleman’s promise!”
Bai Qingyan’s lips curved in a smile as she clapped hands with Qin Shangzhi: “A gentleman’s promise!”
She watched as Qin Shangzhi mounted the fine horse Chen Qingsheng had ridden over and departed with a crack of his whip.
She pulled her fox fur closer, her expression relaxed.
Now that Qin Shangzhi had left the capital, he could also avoid the fate of depression and unfulfilled ambitions from his previous life.
The wind in the suburbs was harsh. Chun Tao stepped forward and whispered, “Miss, let’s return!”
“Mm!”
She nodded and had just turned around when she heard someone call her.
“Miss Bai.”
She turned back to see Xiao Rongyan’s highly skilled guard bow respectfully to her: “My master requests Miss Bai for tea at Zheliu Pavilion.”
She looked up toward Zheliu Pavilion on the hill, where she saw Xiao Rongyan in white fox fur standing calmly within the pavilion, nodding slightly as their eyes met.
The day before yesterday at the south gate, Xiao Rongyan’s subordinate had split Prince Xin’s carriage. Today, when Fourth Aunt crashed into the coffin, it was also Xiao Rongyan’s subordinate who rescued her. She owed Xiao Rongyan two thanks. But thinking of that person’s sharpness hidden beneath his gentle scholarly appearance, and his boldness when their eyes met at Manjiang Tower that day, she still felt lingering fear.
“Milk brother, you and Chen Qingsheng wait here.” She turned to instruct Xiao Ruohai and Chen Qingsheng, then took Chun Tao’s hand and followed Xiao Rongyan’s subordinate toward Zheliu Pavilion.
Chen Qingsheng’s palms couldn’t help but tighten. He knew exactly who that gentleman in the pavilion was. He hadn’t handled the matter Miss had entrusted to him well, instead leaving her with trouble – this was his fault.
Chen Qingsheng watched Miss Bai Qingyan’s retreating figure, then looked toward the elegant gentleman in the pavilion, secretly resolving to be more careful in future tasks and clean up properly, never again leaving anyone any leverage.
Seeing Bai Qingyan enter the pavilion, Xiao Rongyan nodded and bowed to her with very elegant manners, his eyes containing warm, deep laughter: “Miss Bai.”
She released Chun Tao’s hand and bowed solemnly: “Bai Qingyan owes Master Xiao two thanks – first for your intervention the day before yesterday at the south of the city that caused Prince Xin’s carriage axle to break, and second for rescuing my Fourth Aunt today. Bai Qingyan does not fail to repay kindness. Should you encounter difficulties in the future, the Bai family will certainly not refuse to help within our capabilities.”
“Miss Bai, please…” Xiao Rongyan gestured for her to sit, taking the lead to kneel at the small table.
The world’s richest merchant, coming to this Zheliu Pavilion, brought gold-embroidered cushions, a sandalwood small table, a small fire for brewing tea, and used a complete set of white jade tea implements with exquisite pastries from the capital’s Tianxiang Pavilion – truly the airs of a wastrel.
Chun Tao and Xiao Rongyan’s subordinates stood several steps away from the pavilion, not close enough to overhear their conversation, but not too far to keep watch.
She knelt opposite Xiao Rongyan, watching as his extremely long, pale, clean fingers lifted the teapot from the fire, personally pouring tea for her. He pushed the white jade teacup before her and withdrew his hands before speaking with a smile: “If Miss Bai speaks of thanks and repayment to me, then… regarding the reminder at the palace banquet that day, how should I repay that?”
The extremely handsome and elegant Xiao Rongyan had a gentle voice and laughing eyes, but beneath his seemingly warm and peaceful bearing, sharpness and depth were hard to conceal.
Her hands, hidden in her sleeves, quietly tightened. Through the winter mist rising from the teacup, she gazed at the composed and gentle man opposite her. He was like a dragon that had been dormant in winter, suddenly awakening, staring fixedly at his prey and waiting to pounce, giving off an extremely strong sense of oppression.
Even Xiao Rongyan’s highly skilled guard had just now faintly revealed killing intent – this was also a kind of intimidation from Xiao Rongyan toward her.
In her previous life, she had understood Xiao Rongyan quite well. His gentleness was only superficial. In his bones, he was vicious and cold-blooded, and the ruthlessness in his heart matched his ambition for the world. Yet deep down, he stubbornly retained some openness and integrity; otherwise, in her previous life, he wouldn’t have given her the jade cicada pendant and given her a chance to escape.
Thinking of her previous life, her heart inevitably held mixed feelings.
Outside Zheliu Pavilion, snowflakes were falling, the withered willows swaying and rustling in the harsh winter wind.
Though there was a fire basin in the pavilion, being open on all sides, it still couldn’t be warmed up.
She nodded slightly: “It was a small effort, no need for you to worry about it. For me and the Bai family, your two interventions truly constitute deep kindness.”
Already knowing Xiao Rongyan was formidable, even if discovered… rather than deny it and wait for Xiao Rongyan to find solid evidence and suspect her of ulterior motives, better to acknowledge it openly.
Looking at the frank and open woman across from him, the laughter in Xiao Rongyan’s eyes deepened: “Miss Bai, since you dared send that message, you must… already know my identity?”
She didn’t answer directly, her tone unchanged, neither startled nor afraid: “Whatever your identity, since you have a chivalrous heart and have shown kindness to the Bai family, I shall consider you a knight-errant.”