Chapter Twelve: Comforting Emotions

  "There was no prior relationship, but didn't Father and the Abbot ask me to play a piece for the honored guest during the Lantern Festival? I've been practicing 'Du Xiang Zhuren' for several days now, but there's one difficult technique that I just can't seem to master. Coincidentally, the Zhang family's vow-taking ceremony is being held at Lingyun Temple, and they've invited the famous Jinxiu Troupe from Luoyang County. Not only are their plays excellent, but their guqin skills are also exceptional. So, I was thinking of asking Young Master Zhang to introduce me to the guqin master, so that I can learn a thing or two."

  Reasonable and reasonable, unstoppable. Everyone thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, but Bai Yushu suddenly said: "Xin Zhan has nothing to do with it, Yu Mo has something to do with it. Catching the wind and grasping the shadow, no wind rises, only fearing that the world is not chaotic, what benefit is there in leaving such a maid by Ah Nuan's side? It's better to drive her away, lest bigger troubles arise."

  "Master, spare my life! Mistress, spare my life! Miss, Rain Ink knows he was wrong, don't drive me away! Sister, sister save me!" Rain Ink kowtowed on the ground, begging for mercy nonstop.

  "Get her out of here quickly, it's better not to see her. Every time I look at this girl, my heart feels uneasy." Bai Jiangshi turned away in disgust, covering her chest with her hand, feeling a tightness in her chest.

  Heartfelt concern is visible in his eyes, anxiety is in his heart, yet he can't think of a way to save the person. All he hears is Bai Zhenxuan saying: "Father and mother, I'm afraid Yu Mo won't be able to drive it away."

  "Why? Is it so that she can stay at home and cause trouble, continuing to tarnish Anuan's reputation?" Bai Jiangshi looked at her son with a sullen expression.

  Bai Zhenxuan said calmly, "If we drive Rain Mo out of the White family, she will inevitably harbor resentment in her heart. If she encounters people, she will fabricate stories about Ah Nuan, which will be even more detrimental to Ah Nuan's reputation."

  Bai Yun said with a warm smile: "Brother is absolutely right, it's better for Yu Mo to stay under my eyelids and be safe first, so she won't go around slandering me everywhere."

  Bai Yushu and Bai Jiangshi both fell silent.

  Xin Yan hurriedly reminded Yu Mo Dao: "Yu Mo, don't you quickly kowtow to thank the old master, madam, young lady and young master?"

  The ink rain returns to calmness, only to feel a false alarm, the whole body is already covered in cold sweat, when knocking his head down, the whole body goes limp.

  The storm has finally passed.

  Only Baiyun and Nuanhe remained in the room.

  Tears like pearls kneeling in front of the warm white clouds.

  White clouds warmly held the hand warmer, sitting upright on a brocade stool. Her gaze was faintly cast on Heart Sutra's face, without anger or resentment. Yet, Heart Sutra felt like dying, overcome with remorse and regret.

  "I'm sorry, miss," said Xin Yue, crying.

  "I'm not blaming you, you've done a great job, taking care of both my face and Rain Ink, fulfilling your responsibilities as an elder sister."

  The whiter the clouds are, the lighter the breeze is, the more painful and self-reproaching my heart becomes.

  "I didn't expect Yumeng to be like this, she's still young and doesn't understand things, Miss, please don't blame her, it's all my fault, our parents passed away early, I didn't teach her well..."

  Bai Yunnuan looked at Xin Yu with a warm gaze, sighed and said softly: "Silly girl, you're only one year older than her, don't take all the responsibility on yourself. Some people are born with crooked hearts, while others are born with kind hearts, like you. Although you two sisters were born to the same parents, you are as different as heaven and earth, the gap is too big."

  Bai Yun helped Xie Yi up and said, "Miss, what about Yu Mo...?"

  "Don't worry, she won't die if she doesn't do it. Whether her days in the White family are good or bad depends on herself. If she can change her old ways and behave properly, I won't make things difficult for her."

  There is white cloud warmth in this sentence, and Xin Zhan finally put his heart at ease.

  "Thanks to your brother today, you should go thank him properly." Bai Yun warmed up Xiner's shoulder and gave her a comforting smile.

  Xin Yuan blessed Fu and his son, then left the room.

  Looking at the back of Xīn Yuè, Bái Yún frowned slightly with a thoughtful expression. This girl, although still in her golden hairpin years, had somehow grown up to be so slender and elegant.

  Xin Yan came out of the warm house with white clouds, saw Bai Zhenxuan standing beside a stem of bamboo in the garden with a faint smile, tall and slender like a crane, his white robe fluttering.

  Xin Yue walked up to him and knelt down to kowtow.

  "What's wrong?" Bai Zhenxuan hurriedly went to support her.

  Xin Yan looked at the young master's hand stretched out in front of her, white and slender, warm as jade. Her own hand, which was originally going to rest on his, hesitated in mid-air before withdrawing back.

  Bai Zhenxuan pulled up the corners of his mouth and straightened up, no longer helping her.

  Xin Yan stood up straight and didn't dare to look directly at Bai Zhenxuan, but instead slightly turned his body, speaking in a soft and gentle voice: "Thank you, young master, for saving my life."

  Bai Zhenxuan was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "What great merit is that?"

  Xin Yan shook his head and said seriously, "Young Master doesn't understand, if Rain Mo and I were driven out of the White family, we would probably end up on the streets, either starving to death or freezing to death. So Young Master helping us sisters get out of trouble and allowing us to continue staying in the White family is a lifesaving favor to us sisters."

  Bai Zhenxuan gazed at the maid in front of him, her bright eyes and gentle appearance made her look elegant and refined. Although she was dressed simply, it couldn't hide her beauty. What's more, she had a kind heart as clear as autumn water, which was the most touching thing about her.

  "With a hint of pity, Bai Zhenxuan said: 'Xin Yan, you must remember that you are your own savior. No matter when or where, as long as you don't give up, no one and no environment, no matter how harsh, can bring you down!'"

  She looked at her young master with a puzzled expression, his words seemed to make sense and yet didn't, she just stood there with her mouth agape, staring blankly at him.

  The young master's smile is a warm sun in winter.

  Because he lied in front of his father and mother, Bai Zhenxuan had no choice but to pretend to be true, letting Songta go ask Zhang Nai Chun to pull strings and introduce him to the official.

  Zhang Nai Chun did not disappoint, and after Qin Guan finished his play, he pulled him to the east garden to meet Bai Zhen Xuan.

  It was deep into the night, with a full moon hanging low in the sky.

  The Lantern Festival is approaching.

  The moonlight was too bright, so Zhang let the fourth son and Songtao extinguish the lanterns' fire, and walked quickly to the east garden under the silver moonlight.

  As soon as they entered the garden gate, they saw Bai Zhenxuan waiting at the door of the wing room, but there was no sign of Bai Yunnuan. He must have fallen asleep in the dead of night. Zhang Nai Chun felt empty and lost, as if he had lost something.

  Bai Zhenxuan took Songta, Si'er and Qinguan's book boy Huang Ji to have some snacks. He then had Zhang Nai Chun and Qinguan enter the side room, and as soon as the door closed, he shut out Liao Shuangchun.

  Inside the house, a brazier was lit, with charcoal burning bright red, and it heated up the room to a warm and cozy temperature.

  Two palace lanterns stood at the corner of the wall, illuminating the interior brightly.

  Qin Guan first helped Zhang Nai Chun remove the cloak from his body, then took off his own wind hat. Bai Zhenxuan hurriedly took over the two cloaks and hung them on a nearby crimson wooden coat rack with carved chicken wings.

  Turning back, he saw that Zhang Nanchun was born with a natural elegance, his slender figure and handsome face captivating the soul. He was indeed the young man who had appeared in a flash of lightning on the road to Lingyun Temple on New Year's Day, startling his horse. He also saw Qin Guan, wearing a lotus-colored velvet cloak, with remnants of last night's makeup still on his face, his starry eyes cast down, his fragrant lips slightly parted, and amidst his extremely pure demeanor, an extremely radiant aura emanated from him. He couldn't help but secretly sigh: What a beautiful creature! Unfortunately, he was born male; if he were female, he would surely be a beauty capable of toppling cities, either a Daji or a Concubine Qi.