Chapter 23 Heart Racing

  The weather after snow is very refreshing and won't be sticky or damp.

  Bai Zhenxuan walked back from Jingyi Zhai to Meixiang Valley, with the moonlight shining along the way, and the entire White Mansion was bathed in a misty silver light.

  Today he and Wen Luoming were strangers at first sight, but they were like old friends. During the day, they were busy together in Zhi Lan Tang. When Wen Luoming couldn't get into Qiang Jin Ge, she waited for him by the side of Qiang Jin Chi. He watched as his family members bustled about inside Qiang Jin Ge. The cleaning work at Qiang Jin Ge had only been done recently, so it wasn't too much trouble. Xi Bo and Qin Ou were always steady in their work, so he came down from Qiang Jin Ge and accompanied Wen Luoming to Jing Yi Zhai for a chat.

  Ya Tou has already cleaned up a room in Jing Yi Zhai for Wen Lu Ming to live in.

  Wen Luoming was a learned man who had a pleasant conversation with Bai Zhenxuan about astronomy and geography. As the conversation reached its climax, he also asked his servant to heat up some wine, and they toasted each other repeatedly.

  Song Ta came to urge him several times, and then Bai Zhenxuan let him go to sleep first.

  It was already late at night, the moon was slanted, he insisted on not letting Wen Lu Ming send him off, and walked alone in the moonlight, strolling back to Mei Xiang Valley. Although the weather was extremely cold, he relied on the wine to keep warm, and didn't feel the chill, instead loosening the tight cloak strap, removing his wind hat, and thoroughly enjoying the cool night breeze.

  As I walked near the Listening Rain Pavilion, I suddenly heard a sobbing sound.

  Bai Zhenxuan felt a sense of doubt in his heart, the Bai family was known for their poetic and courteous nature, they had always been kind to their servants, he didn't know which maid would be so arrogant at such a late hour.

  Following the sound and walking to a plum blossom tree, it turned out to be Xin Yu.

  "Xīn yuàn, nǐ zěn me..."

  Translation: "Xinyuan, how are you...?"

  Bai Zhenxuan hadn't finished speaking when Xin Ye hastily stood up, using the back of his hand to wipe his face randomly, sniffling once before awkwardly saying: "Y-young master... why are you here so late?"

  "This question should be asked to you instead. So late, what are you doing here? And still crying here? Your family's young lady has always been kind to you, no need to get angry!"

  "Not Miss, it's..." Heart Suan wanted to speak but stopped. Could she say that it was because Yu Mo scolded her for being powerless to protect her younger sister as an older sister, which made her sad? After all, it was her own younger sister, and she couldn't tarnish her sister's reputation in front of outsiders. Moreover, even if she told Master about it, what could he do? It was the mistress' decision, how could Master help her?

  Bai Zhenxuan was slightly drunk and his eyes were blurry, the heart-shaped pear blossom in his eyes was very touching, she wore a cotton-padded jacket but shivered with her body shrunk, a gentle and elegant demeanor, instantly triggered Bai Zhenxuan's protective desire.

  He took off the cloak from his body and wrapped it around Xīn Yuàn's body. Xīn Yuàn was delighted and said: "Young master, you can't do this." However, Bái Zhèn Xuān had a strong grip and stubbornly grasped the cloak's strap, refusing to let go, so she could only accept it.

  Bai Zhenxuan's slightly wine-scented breath warmed He Xuan's face, causing his heart to skip a beat and a layer of fragrant sweat to break out all over his body.

  "Tell me, is it because of Yu Mo's matter that you're worried?" Bai Zhenxuan's voice was extremely seductive in the midnight garden.

  His heart skipped a beat, how did Young Master know?

  Bai Zhenxuan continued: "You're not saying anything, does that mean I've guessed it right?"

  Then she smiled and said: "Ah Nuan is the apple of her parents' eyes, her mother loves her like a treasure, if Ah Nuan doesn't like something, her mother certainly won't like it either. The power in this White Manor is entirely in her mother's hands, and there aren't many sisters-in-law fighting for favor, so her mother can naturally create a comfortable environment for Ah Nuan at any time and place. However, Yu Mo staying in Ting Yu Xuan, Ah Nuan won't be comfortable."

  Bai Zhenxuan's analysis is reasonable sentence by sentence, and Xin Yan's tears are welling up again.

  Yu Mo has been with me in the Bai family since childhood, thanks to the care of the young master and miss, she has never suffered any hardship, she doesn't want to go to Jingyi Building and live with those rough servant women together.

  "There's nothing wrong with Jingyi Zhai, look at Mr. Wen and young master Wen also live in Jingyi Zhai."

  "It's different, Mr. Wen and Master Wen are guests of the Bai family, no need to do rough work like a servant girl, I'm just worried that Yu Mo can't finish the rough work in Jing Yi Zhai." Xīn yuè said, secretly wiping away tears.

  Bai Zhenxuan was blown by the night wind for a long time, and he sobered up a lot. He stared at Xin Yuandao: "Except for Jingyi Temple, where else can Yu Mo go?" As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly had an idea. His sister disliked Yu Mo, as long as Yu Mo didn't appear in Tingyu Xuan, it would be fine. Yu Mo could work at Jingyi Temple or anywhere else outside of Tingyu Xuan.

  Bai Zhenxuan felt a thrill at the thought and grasped Xin's shoulder, saying: "Silly girl, you go back to sleep, lest your young mistress wakes up in the middle of the night and can't find you. Leave Rain Mo's matter to me!"

  The young master's eyes sparkled, and the lamp on his heart was suddenly lit up. She looked up at her young master in a daze, and the young master's image instantly became majestic and towering, like a great mountain.

  "Thank you, young master, I'll leave Rain Ink's matter in your hands."

  Xin Yan said as she fell to the ground, Bai Zhenxuan hurriedly went to support her and said: "Just don't let An Nuan know that I'm helping you, lest she takes it out on you. You should know that An Nuan can't leave you alone, if she gets angry with you, she won't be willing to let you go either, at that time you'll be wandering around Listening Rain Pavilion every day, which would only add to her troubles!" Bai Zhenxuan said as his lips curled up and a dreamy smile emerged.

  Xin Yan was also teased by Bai Zhenxuan, she covered her mouth with her hand, feeling both shy and happy.

  "Alright, it's good that you can laugh, go to bed quickly, be careful of the cold wind at night." Bai Zhenxuan was just instructing Xin Yu, but unexpectedly he himself shivered with a chill.

  Xin Yan quickly took off the cloak on his body and put it on him without saying a word. As he tied the belt for him, he said: "Young master, please put on the cloak, if Xin Yan catches a chill, how can I be at ease?"

  Bai Zhenxuan lowered his head to look at Xin Yan's focused expression as she helped him tidy up his cloak, and he felt infinite love and affection for her. Xin Yan's small face and nose tip were slightly red from the cold, and Bai Zhenxuan instinctively opened his cloak and wrapped it around her.

  She was stunned and her mind went blank. She looked up at the young master of her house in disbelief, and his eyes were also staring intensely at her.

  Four eyes meet, as if there are silent autumn waves flowing quietly.

  At this time, a bird cry came from an unknown place in the garden, scaring Xin busy to retreat from Bai Zhenxuan's tent. She didn't dare look at Bai Zhenxuan again and ran away quickly.

  Bai Zhenxuan kept watching her back disappear at the gate of Tingyu Xuan, and he still couldn't come back to himself.

  It felt as if there was a hand scratching his heart, making it feel both itchy and numb, with a slight hint of pain.

  Under the plum tree, he stood for a long time, until his hands and feet were numb with cold, before Bai Zhenxuan remembered to return to Meixiang Valley.

  The next day at lunchtime, Bai Yunnuan kept staring at Xinzhan with her eyes, making Xinzhan feel uneasy and ask: "Miss, why are you looking at me like that?"

  "She's indeed a beauty, but brother has taken a liking to you, I wonder what Miss Wang will think." Bai Yun's expression remained unchanged as she picked up the tea cup and took a sip, rinsed her mouth with the tea water, spat it out into the spittoon handed over by Luoluo, and then used the handkerchief handed over by Hongyu to wipe her mouth.

  Jian Xin Yan was stunned by his own words and stood there like a wooden chicken. He then waved his hand at Qing Lüo and Hong Yu, "You two go down first."

  The green lotus and red jade were delighted, and they took down the tray with bowls and plates together.

  Lü Luo Hongyu walked away, and Xin Tong knelt down in front of Bai Yunnuan, saying anxiously: "Miss, I didn't understand what you just said."

  "I understand in my heart, and you do too; if Brother didn't like you, would he have helped you plead with Mother to take Rain Ink from Listening to the Rain Pavilion directly to Plum Fragrance Bay to be a servant?"; Bai Yunnuan was regretful, but her tone was calm, yet she was so choked up that she couldn't speak out the bitterness in her heart.

  She knelt on the ground, not daring to make another excuse, and let Bai Yun warm scold her.

  Bai Yun warmed up but didn't scold him, only sighed worriedly and muttered: "I don't know if that future sister-in-law will allow others to sleep peacefully by her side."

  His heart was deeply moved at this moment, and he looked at her with tears in his eyes, gazing at the quiet beauty of Miss Xia's face.

  Miss is truly caring for her, better than a close sister. It's just that she can't ignore Yuemo because of their blood relationship, after all, she has wronged Miss.

  The two masters and servants were each harboring their own thoughts when they heard Green Lotus and Red Jade whispering to each other under the eaves outside, vaguely mentioning the words "young master". Bai Yunnuan couldn't quite make out what they were saying, so she got up and pushed open the curtain to go out.

  "What are you two whispering about?"

  Green Lotus hastily knelt down on the ground and said: "Miss, I just heard Song Tower say that Young Master is ill."

  White clouds warm one surprise.