Chapter 9: Secret Talks

  Chapter 7: As Zhāng Nǎi Chūn followed Xīn Yuè past the outer house of Bái Yù Shū, she heard the clear and melodious sound of a guqin coming from inside. Just as she was about to ask who was playing, Xīn Yuè placed her index finger on her lips, making a silencing gesture, so Zhāng Nǎi Chūn swallowed back the question that was on the tip of her tongue and followed Xīn Yuè suspiciously to the next house.

  The person playing the piano might be Bai Yunnuan. If so, I missed the chance to see a beauty's face.

  He was taken aback as he walked into a side room, only to see Bai Yun sitting at the edge of the table, looking like a Bodhisattva of wonderful words, and he was instantly shocked beyond measure.

  Bai Yun thought that Nuan was a clever and resourceful person who could definitely handle the situation brought by Zhang Nai Chun, but she didn't expect Zhang Nai Chun to actually show up.

  "Miss..." Xīn Yuē called out to Bai Yunnuan, who waved her hand and said, "Go stand guard outside the door, don't let anyone in."

  Xin Yuan wanted to speak but stopped, seeing the white cloud warm his face and his expression solidified, he didn't dare ask more questions, responded with a "yes", and then went to wait outside the side room.

  The door closed, and Zhang Nai Chun was like a fish in water, bowing and greeting, his eyes shining brightly on the warm face of Bai Yun, his mouth full of honey as he said: "I am blessed to have accumulated good fortune over several lifetimes, and yet I have been invited by the young lady, and entered the young lady's boudoir?"

  "This is not a boudoir, it's a temple chamber. At the feet of the Buddha, all living beings are equal, so I don't bother with distinctions between men and women."

  Bai Yun's words shocked Zhang Nai Chun. The girl in front of her was clearly a young maiden, but the way she spoke seemed like someone who had experienced many things in life, with an air that was quite intimidating.

  The warm and gentle Baiyun made Zhang Nai more fascinated in spring.

  He said: "I don't know what Miss Bai wants to come down for?"

  Bai Yun Nuan remembered that in her previous life, her elder brother took her to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month. There, she met Zhang Nai Chun by chance in the lantern market and he fell deeply in love with her at first sight. He then began a crazy pursuit of her, no matter how difficult she made it for him, he would listen to her every word. Later, the Zhang family came to propose marriage, but her father set a condition of 100,000 taels of silver as betrothal gifts. The Zhang family's old master and mistress refused, so Zhang Nai Chun went on a hunger strike for three days. Then, the old lady of the Zhang family stepped in and severely scolded the old master and mistress, saying that since Zhang Nai Chun was the only son of the Zhang family, if something were to happen to him, what would be the use of leaving behind money? She then agreed to her father's condition and allocated 100,000 taels of silver as betrothal gifts to the Bai family, which finally led to the marriage.

  If it weren't for Zhang Siying's instigation, Zhang Naichun's early love for Bai Yunnuan could be considered true love.

  Bai Yun warmly gazed at Zhang Nai Chun in front of her, with past events and old grievances swirling in her mind that she couldn't shake off, but for the sake of her brother, she transformed all her worries and indignation into a warm smile.

  Thinking back to the encounter with Zhang Nai Chun in the inner temple corridor, it seems that this life he has taken a liking to himself at first sight. If he were to ask something of him, he would certainly not refuse.

  "The young lady invites Master Zhang to come to the side room for a chat, actually there is something she wants to ask of him. Please sit down, Master Zhang."

  Zhang Nai Chun Hehe sat down at another table, Bai Yunnuan poured him a cup of tea, he drank it all in one gulp, his eyes shining as he stared at Bai Yunnuan: "After drinking the tea personally poured by the young lady, I will surely serve the young lady with my life and die for her afterwards."

  "It's not that serious, Young Master Zhang can easily resolve Xiao Nu's urgent matter with just a lift of his hand..."

  Outside the boudoir, Xinyuan was very anxious, worried that someone would come and see a strange man entering and leaving Miss's room, which couldn't be explained clearly. She just wanted to quickly send Zhang Nai Spring away, but unexpectedly, Miss didn't know what to say to Young Master Zhang either, and before she knew it, a whole incense stick had passed.

  Xin Yan was pacing back and forth in the corridor, sighing and lamenting in front of the tightly closed door, when he suddenly saw Yu Mo carrying a tray walking over.

  "Sister—"

  Xin Yan's surprise was not trivial, she quickly stepped forward to meet Yu Mo, pretending to be calm and saying: "Yu Mo, where are you going?"

  Yu Mo lifted a stew pot from the tray and said, "Here's silver ear lotus seed porridge."

  "How come you're only delivering it to the young master now? Didn't I tell you to deliver it early in the morning?" Xin Yu's tone was somewhat urgent as he thought of ways to get rid of Yu Mo.

  Yu Mo said unhappily, "Although my sister is not as capable as you, she's not clumsy to this extent, right? The young master had already sent his portion early in the morning, this is for Miss. Isn't it because Miss has been having trouble sleeping at night these past few days due to internal heat and fire? It just so happens that she can also drink some silver ear lotus seed soup to clear the fire."

  Xin Yan's expression immediately eased, and he smiled: "So that's how it is. Sister misunderstood you, so I'll give it to Miss on your behalf!"

  As he spoke, he was about to take the tray from Yuemo's hand, but Yuemo dodged and Heart Suan ended up with nothing.

  "Sister, can you give Rain Mo a chance to please the young lady just this once? Rain Mo isn't trying to compete with sister for favor, it's just that the young lady has had a misunderstanding about Rain Mo because of the hairpin incident. Isn't Rain Mo just thinking of behaving a bit better in front of the young lady?"

  Yu Mo pouted and said pitifully.

  "Rain Ink, I'm afraid it's not possible for you today. This silver lotus seed porridge is still to be delivered to the young lady's room."

  "Why?" Yu Mo stared at Xin Zhu tightly, her hands holding the tray clenched.

  "Miss is in a bad mood today, if you go, you might not get a good reception and will be scolded again."

  "Miss, you're not in a good mood? Didn't the old master and mistress let her go have some fun? And she's still not in a good mood?" Yu Mo raised an eyebrow, completely out of sync with the rhythm of the night.

  Suddenly, Yu Mo thought of a way to get out of the situation and said: "Indeed, our mood is not good, we as servants can't see through the master's heart. You want to please the young lady, you can find another opportunity, but it must not be today. I'll take this silver lotus seed porridge in for you, and I'll tell the young lady that you sent it to her as a token of your filial piety. You wanted to go to the front to watch the excitement, didn't you? Go ahead! If the young lady asks for you, I'll say I sent you on an errand."

  Yu Mo heard that she could go ahead and watch the excitement, her eyes immediately lit up, but she was also afraid of being blamed by Bai Yun Nuan, so she said timidly: "But if Miss finds out..."

  "Sister won't tell her."

  Yu Mo hurriedly handed the tray in his hand to Xin Yan, and trotted through the corridor, walking out of the garden.

  Watching the rain ink walk away, the tightly strung heartstrings finally relaxed. She carried a silver lotus seed porridge back to the door of the house, just as Zhang Nai Chun was walking out.

  She hastily bowed and said, "Thank you, good sister, for taking care of our young mistress. From now on, please take even better care of her." And with that, she left.

  Watching Zhang Nai Chun's back, Xin Zhen Er and the monk were at a loss. Taking care of their family's young lady was her duty, why bother an outsider to thank her?

  Yu Mo had just walked to the garden gate when he saw Si Er standing by the door, which gave him a good scare.

  "Whose little servant are you, sneaking around and standing here for?" Yu Mo's eyebrows were upside down.

  Fourth Son hastily said: "I'm waiting for our family's young master!"

  Yu Mo Hu turned back to look at the garden, but saw a strange man standing at the door of the young lady's boudoir. Xin Tong was kneeling and paying his respects to him. This was a shocking discovery: no wonder she wasn't allowed into the young lady's room! It turned out that there was a man hiding in the house! Such a big thing couldn't be hidden from Master and Mistress!