With Lord Ziyang indisposed, Ba Dezhong ng dared not neglect the situation. He glanced at Bai Zhuji ahead, furrowing his brow, deciding to inquire about the matter after the Lord had left.
“If Your Highness trusts Zhuji, then I naturally have no objections,” he said.
Cheng Xu smiled and bowed. “Thank you, Lord Bai.”
As Jiang Xuanjin was escorted by Huaiyu and the servants a few steps further, he seemed to ignore the exchange. But when Ba Dezhong ng looked up, he tilted his head slightly, giving a subtle nod.
Was that his way of acknowledging him? Ba Dezhong ng felt a bit puzzled, but upon closer inspection, Jiang Xuanjin had already continued forward, seemingly unaffected.
“My lord,” Lady Bai Mengshi stood beside him, frowning as she whispered, “What kind of statement was that? If Zhuji has acted out of line, according to the family rules, she should be punished.”
Ba Dezhong ng glanced at her. “Punish her? So you want to punish her for Lord Ziyang’s request for Zhuji to prepare medicine?”
Lady Bai Mengshi was momentarily speechless, clutching her handkerchief as she looked towards the distant figure of Lord Ziyang, still somewhat resentful. “Lord Ziyang should meet our Xuanji. Xuanji understands propriety much better.”
Shaking his head, Ba Dezhong ng didn’t want to discuss this with her further. He turned and headed back to his quarters to change.
Huaiyu walked alongside Jiang Xuanjin, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Jiang Xuanjin coughed softly and asked in a low voice, “What’s so amusing?”
“I find it amusing that you care about me so much. You even resort to drastic measures to save me,” Huaiyu teased, turning to look at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You’re so reluctant to let me go, could it be that you like me?”
Jiang Xuanjin raised his sleeve to cover his lips, his gaze cold. “I am merely repaying a debt of gratitude. There is no other connection between us.”
“Hahaha!” Huaiyu laughed joyfully, her eyes twinkling mischievously as she covered her mouth, spinning around his face. “I just love this tough exterior and soft interior of yours!”
Jiang Xuanjin stopped in his tracks, his eyes threatening as he glared at her, clearly indicating his desire to leave the Bai residence immediately.
“Hey, wait, I’m sorry!” Huaiyu immediately backed down, bowing repeatedly to him. “You are my benefactor now, and whatever you say goes! No strings attached!”
With a disdainful snort, Jiang Xuanjin turned away, adjusting his robes as he continued forward.
His temper was like that of a sulking child. Huaiyu watched his retreating figure, stifling a laugh for a while. But as she continued to smile, a sense of confusion clouded her eyes.
Was that person ahead of her still the same Jiang Xuanjin from the court, whose words were as sharp as a sword, driving her into a corner with every utterance?
After pondering for a moment with her head tilted, Huaiyu shook her head and followed after him.
The guest room in the eastern courtyard was neatly arranged. Jiang Xuanjin half leaned against the bed, closing his eyes to rest. Huaiyu brought a chair and sat by his bedside, propping her chin on her hand as she watched him.
“Bai Miss,” Cheng Xu spoke softly beside her, “You can go rest for a while. We have someone watching here.”
“I’m fine, not tired at all,” she blinked. “Rarely does your master not glare at me. I should take advantage and admire him a bit more.”
Cheng Xu paused, looking at her with some hesitation. “Miss Fourth still has pending marriage matters; it’s better to be cautious.”
At the mention of this, Jiang Xuanjin on the bed opened his eyes, his gaze deep as he looked at Li Huaiyu. “When did you regain your senses?”
Huaiyu honestly replied, “It was the day I ran into you.”
How coincidental? Jiang Xuanjin scrutinized her, finding her eyes clear but unreadable.
With a slight frown, he said, “Since you’ve regained your senses and are aware of your engagement, you should restrain yourself. Don’t say anything inappropriate in the future.”
“Inappropriate?” Huaiyu was perplexed. “What have I said that’s inappropriate?”
Jiang Xuanjin was about to repeat her words but then closed his lips with a dark expression.
Huaiyu grinned teasingly, nudging his arm with her elbow. “Well, why don’t you say it?”
Without a preamble, Jiang Xuanjin spoke in a low voice, “I’ll rest for two hours and then leave. Instead of wasting time with useless chatter, you should think about how to escape the family’s punishment after I’m gone.”
Huaiyu’s expression fell at the mention of this.
Old man Ba Dezhong ng was not easy to deal with, and what’s more, the mistress of the Bai family didn’t seem particularly kind to her either. Once Jiang Xuanjin left, she would likely face consequences.
With a sigh, Huaiyu relented and reached out to Cheng Xu. “Give me the medicine, I’ll go prepare it.”
When she reported to Lord Bai earlier, Cheng Xu had sent someone to fetch several sets of medicine from the carriage. Now, seeing her request, he silently chided himself for his forgetfulness and handed her the medicine.
With the medicine bag in her arms, Huaiyu skipped out.
Jiang Xuanjin watched her retreating figure, his gaze darkening.
“Is Master upset?” Cheng Xu asked, concerned.
“No,” Jiang Xuanjin replied, “I’m just a bit annoyed.”
The person who professed to like him turned out to be his future niece-in-law. While he hadn’t done anything inappropriate, he couldn’t help but feel guilty towards the Jiang family’s principles. If she were to enter the family in the future, he wasn’t sure if she could control her tongue. If she continued to speak so freely, it would be a mess.
Cheng Xu was astute and quickly understood his master’s thoughts. Half jokingly and half seriously, he said, “This Miss Bai may not necessarily marry Young Master.”
“Why?” Jiang Xuanjin was puzzled.
“Did Master not observe the attitude of the Bai family just now?” Cheng Xu explained. “Aside from Lord Bai, even the mistress of the Bai family and their servants have never looked favorably upon Miss Fourth. It seems she is not favored in this household. Moreover, considering Miss Bai’s reputation and Young Master’s lack of affection towards her, the bride might be replaced.”
Jiang Xuanjin frowned. “The marriage was arranged by Jiang Qishi before she died for Yan’er. How can it be casually replaced?”
Pausing for a moment, he added, “I will discuss it with Sir Bai.”
Cheng Xu was a bit surprised. “Master wants to marry Miss Four to the young master?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“…,” Cheng Xu rubbed his nose. He figured it was best not to argue with his master about these matters. After all, he wouldn’t win, so he might as well let him have his way.
Huaiyu went to the kitchen with the medicinal herbs, ignoring the heated gazes of the others, and began boiling the medicine as if nothing were amiss. The medicine jars in the Bai Mansion were subpar, so the resulting brew was barely passable. Therefore, she didn’t put much effort into it, but she did overhear the whispers around her.
“Is she not dumb anymore?”
“Seems like it, she’s even boiling medicine now, and quite skillfully too.”
“She was dumb for three years, and now suddenly she’s fine… huh, should we offer some help?”
“Now you’re thinking of flattering her? It’s a bit late for that. Besides, even if she’s not dumb anymore, so what? Madam still holds the highest position in this mansion. Whether she can rise in the Jiang family’s ranks is another matter altogether.”
Chatter continued incessantly.
Huaiyu sighed as she squatted in front of the small stove, fanning herself with a fan. Miss Bai seemed quite pitiable; even the servants in the mansion dared to mock her openly, indicating her lack of status. Back when she was the eldest princess, not to mention gossip, even the palace attendants dared not breathe loudly in her presence.
How dare they treat her like a fallen tiger being bullied by dogs!
Once the medicine was ready, Huaiyu filtered out the dregs and poured it into a bowl, preparing to take it to the East Courtyard. But just as she was about to pick it up, a hand reached over and took the bowl, placing it onto a tray.