5. Rebirth · Reunion (3)

Bai Zhi paused for a moment; she truly had not thought about who her "heart belonged to." Having been confined in her boudoir for so long, where could she meet men? Was she to randomly accuse a man or pull a servant into the matter? This was indeed a significant issue. If it reached her father's ears, her "intended" would surely be investigated. When the lie was uncovered, her future would certainly not be pleasant.

Um. Bai Shao said little, and after lighting the lamp, she walked over to Liu's side and obediently sat down

Sitting in the carriage, Mu Tu Su slightly furrowed his brow, occasionally directing his gaze towards a corner of the carriage, where he discovered a piece of water-blue satin. It must have been left behind by Bai Zhi. Suddenly, Mu Tu Su unexpectedly smiled gently at the fabric, a smile imbued with a hint of intriguing meaning.

Finally, the Princess of the Prince Gong and Mu Tu Su arrived late. The entire Bai family welcomed them, bowing eagerly upon seeing the sedan chair. Mu Tu Su, who dismounted from his horse, arrived at the Bai family before the princess. He greeted Bai Yuanhan with great politeness, exchanging some pleasantries. Mu Tu Su's elongated phoenix eyes scanned the crowd, and his gaze fell upon the lowered head of Bai Zhi. He paused for a moment and said, "Miss Bai, the fabric you purchased last time is still with me. I will have Yantai deliver it to your courtyard later."

She is casting a long line to catch big fish

I have never known the heir, so what grievances could there be? The heir is overthinking. " After Bai Zhi finished speaking, she left the carriage. Qiu Chan and Qing He had to almost jog to catch up with Bai Zhi

Bai Zhi suddenly had a flash of inspiration, recalling a marriage engagement from her previous life

Bai Zhi was unaware of what Bai Shao had said to Liu Shi, but she generally understood that Bai Shao had tarnished her reputation, accusing her of being infatuated and disregarding the distinction between men and women, thus compromising her own integrity by being alone in a room with Mu Tu Su

She does not like beautiful flowers; she prefers steamed buns

As the carriage came to a stop, Bai Zhi was about to get off. Mu Tu Su, with a look of confusion on his face, asked: "Miss Bai, ever since our first encounter in the woods, you have harbored animosity towards me. I truly do not understand what grievances exist between us"

"Then who can you see on the vehicle?" Liu's gaze suddenly sharpened, carrying a hint of coldness

Bai Zhi does not know what kind of person Pei Jiu is now, and it does not matter whether others know or not; in any case, there is always such a person, which means she cannot be judged to be lying

Listening to Mu Tusu's words, Bai Zhi felt as if she were hearing a tremendous joke, "The heir is both talented and handsome, I cannot aspire to such heights." Bai Zhi did not wish to share the same carriage with him, and shouted to the coachman, "Stop the carriage."

Not long after returning to the Bai residence, Liu's personal maid came to the Linshui Pavilion to summon Bai Zhi to the Buddhist hall. Liu has been a vegetarian and reciting Buddhist scriptures for many years, rarely leaving the Buddhist hall of the Bai residence. As Bai Zhi followed the maid along the path to a separate courtyard, she noticed the young servants bustling about and casually asked the maid, "What is going on here?"

Bai Zhi trembled as she raised her finger, indignantly wanting to accuse him of talking nonsense, but her hand hung in the air, faltering midway, and she became so angry that she fainted...

It seems to be saying, what exactly do you want to do to me

Bai Zhi then knelt down, indicating to Liu Shi, but in fact, it was meant for Bai Shao who was standing nearby, "Zhi'er has someone in her heart, but it is not the heir."

Bai Zhi pretended to be shy, "Yes."

At the moment Bai Zhi closed her eyes, her body was embraced by Mu Tu Su, and she heard Mu Tu Su say: "Pity the fragrant and cherish the jade? Wonderful"

Does the young lady not know? The princess will be temporarily residing at the Bai residence in a few days

Bai Zhi was not angry; this minor injury could not harm her at all. However, Bai Shao regarded her as a hypothetical rival, which was indeed a tricky matter. Before dealing with Mu Tu Su, having one more friend was far better than having one more enemy

Bai Zhi could not help but sigh. It seems that for these days, she will not be able to enjoy steaming hot buns.

Bai Zhi was taken aback, unable to fathom that Bai Shao would actually reveal the matter of Mu Tu Su being in the car. Did she not fear tarnishing her own reputation? Was she intent on dragging her down with her? The facts spoke louder than words, leaving Bai Zhi at a loss for words

"Have you really fallen for him like this?" Liu looked at Bai Zhi with a face full of disbelief

Bai Zhi arrived at the Buddhist hall and saw Bai Shao trimming the wick for Liu. Bai Zhi paused for a moment and gently smiled at Bai Shao, saying: "Sister, you have returned?"

Clever as Mu Tusu is, he must think, just like her father, that she is definitely doing this intentionally. Bai Zhi secretly raised her eyes to glance at Mu Tusu, and quite coincidentally, he was looking at her with a sly smile.

Bai Zhi shook her head, unable to endure any longer, and decided to endure once more from the beginning

Mother

Because of Qinghe's words, Baizhi stamped her foot and turned to Qinghe and Qiuchan, speaking each word clearly: "Regarding everything that happened between me and the Young Master in the carriage, you must forget it all and not mention a single word, do you understand?"

The white zhi's vital energy had not risen, and her lips were becoming increasingly pale. The misunderstanding was too great; she needed to clarify. However, her body began to sway unsteadily, and beside her, Bai Shao intended to support her, but was outpaced by the quick-witted Mu Tu Su who stepped in first

Both Liu and Bai Shao were taken aback. Liu asked, "What is that ... ... "

Angelica dahurica continuously reassured herself that it would be fine in just a little while

Bai Zhi said without a second thought: "He has round hands, fair skin, and a physique reminiscent of a bun. It makes Zhi'er unable to resist drooling.

Liu Shi finally opened her eyes and wanted to stand up. Bai Shao, being very considerate, supported Liu Shi and helped her sit on a nearby chair. Liu Shi said: "Shao'er, you mentioned that you had diarrhea today; are you feeling better now?"

Regarding the matter of the sunflower water, no one is aware. However, it is evident that there is pain in the stomach. Bai Yuan noticed that Bai Zhi had been standing at the door, occasionally clutching her stomach, and he unhappily asked, "What excuse are you trying to find this time?"

Bai Zhi raised her eyes to glance at Bai Shao, who smiled faintly at her in response. Bai Zhi scoffed inwardly, noting how quickly the report had been made. Bai Zhi inclined her body and said: "Much better"

Liu furrowed her brows and said, "I have not heard of this young master. How do you know this descendant of a general?"

Qiu Chan and Qing He finally caught up with Bai Zhi, who was walking briskly. Qing He murmured, "Miss, do not be upset. I will definitely report this matter to the master and restore your innocence."

Bai Zhi replied very seriously: "General Pei Yuan's ninth son, Pei Jiu"

Qinghe believed that Baizhi left in such a hurry out of anger. In Qinghe's eyes, it was inappropriate for a young lady to kiss a stranger on the carriage.

The imposing presence of Bai Zhi was quite intimidating, causing the two to nod as if their souls had left their bodies. Bai Zhi understood her father all too well; if he were to find out, he would undoubtedly beat drums and gongs to send her to Mu Tu Su's bed. She absolutely did not want to repeat the same mistake, not at all.

Bai Zhi began to ramble, "Zhi'er loves to eat buns. One day, the bun business was booming, and Zhi'er stood in line for half a day but couldn't even buy a crumb of a bun. Zhi'er felt sad, and it was at that moment that Young Master Pei Jiu came before me and handed me a fluffy, steaming bun."

Oh, how fast it is. Bai Zhi felt distressed in her heart. It seems that her father has meticulously planned for her to marry Mu Tu Su. If she wants to leave Ling Shui Xuan, she must pass through this courtyard, which greatly increases the chances of encountering Mu Tu Su.

Liu spoke to Bai Zhi with a serious and heartfelt tone: "Zhi'er, fortunately, there are no outsiders here. I understand the thoughts of girls; it is natural for a young lady to be moved by a refined gentleman. However, you should..." Liu paused, seemingly reluctant to say something unpleasant, and filtered her words, "As a young lady, you should understand some boundaries"

Liu was choked with emotion, and after a long pause, she finally said: "It truly is a fateful encounter, just like a bun... it is also good."

Bai Shao secretly covered her mouth and laughed. Bai Zhi sincerely sighed in her heart. She deliberately distorted her aesthetic views, simply to make Bai Shao understand that she would not compete with her for Mu Tu Su, as he was not her type.

Now reflecting on it, Bai Zhi feels that rather than being a lovesick and unloved concubine, it is better to be the legitimate wife of a libertine, sharing her husband's affection. At least in this way, she would not feel too empty or too sorrowful.

Bai Zhi has a habit of experiencing stomach pain. However, she has never felt this way before, unable to stand upright today. It is supposed to be early spring, slightly chilly, yet she is sweating from the pain. Bai Shao, standing nearby, seems to have noticed Bai Zhi's discomfort and approaches to ask: "Sister, what... is wrong with you?"

Sometimes Bai Zhi truly admires Bai Shao's endurance, as she often accompanies Liu under the dim light of the lamp, yet does not feel weary or bored. Her biological daughter is not even half as capable as her adopted daughter.

In her previous life, Bai Zhi had never met Pei Jiu, who almost became her husband. She only knew him to be a spendthrift with a penchant for visiting brothels and lacking any scholarly accomplishments. Pei Jiu had a notoriously bad reputation in the capital; his infamy was so widespread that even in the small city of Su, which was a considerable distance of over one hundred thousand li from the capital, respectable officials were aware of his name. In her previous life, her marriage to Pei Jiu occurred after her father, Bai Yuan, became an official in the capital. At that time, she vehemently opposed marrying such a man, throwing tantrums and even threatening to hang herself. Bai Yuan, at his wit's end, devised a plan to send her to Mu Tu Su's bed, making her his concubine.

It is likely that Master Pei Jiu is also a person who enjoys food. Standing in line to buy buns on a hot day. What exactly do you find appealing about him

Bai Zhi paused, unsure of how to respond to him. The grievances between them did not exist in this lifetime. Since they had returned to the starting point, they were naturally unrelated. What she resisted was merely him as a person. He was the lover she could never attain in her previous life. She did not want to subject herself to further pain, so she had to exercise strict control over herself

Today is a grand occasion, as the Princess of Prince Gong graces our humble abode, bringing brilliance to the Bai residence. Over thirty members of the Bai family stand at the entrance, waiting respectfully for a considerable time. Originally, Bai Zhi intended to feign a stomach ache to avoid participating in this event. However, her father's formidable glare intimidated her, causing her to arrive at Kui Shui earlier than expected, but she truly does have a stomach ache now

"Zhi'er." Liu Shi gently closed her eyes, kneeling before the Buddha, her hands continuously rolling the prayer beads.

Bai Zhi endured the pain and slightly leaned forward, "Thank you, Young Master." She casually glanced around, and Bai Yuan was smiling at her with satisfaction, nodding his head... Heaven and earth can bear witness, she truly had no intention of leaving that piece of cloth with Mu Tu Su, but the look in Bai Yuan's eyes conveyed to her that...

"It's nothing." She felt as if she didn't even have the strength to speak, and could only painfully bite her lip, managing to utter a couple of words.