Chapter Thirty-One: Making Things Difficult

  It was New Year's Eve, and Anu had a dream. In the dream, she saw a god who told her that her brother was in trouble and asked her to save him for the sake of their sibling relationship. Anu was frightened and asked what kind of trouble her brother was in. The god said that on the first day of the new year, their father would take the whole family to Lingyun Temple to burn incense and stay overnight, and would also ask Master Huize to introduce her brother to a noble guest on the Lantern Festival. The god warned Anu that she must prevent her brother from meeting this noble guest, or else their ancestors would be shamed and the White family's reputation would be ruined in an instant. Anu asked how she could stop her brother when it was their father's order, and the god taught her a method. He said that near the Lantern Festival, there would be a big play at Lingyun Temple, and Anu only needed to contact the young master of a wealthy family who came to perform the play, and he could help her brother turn danger into safety. After the god finished speaking, he disappeared, and Anu was about to look for him when she was woken up by her mother. She learned that her father indeed planned to take the whole family to Lingyun Temple to burn incense and stay overnight, so Anu did not dare to disbelieve the god's words in her dream and followed his instructions one by one.

  Bai Yun warmed up one side of the scarf's strap while opening her innocent eyes to look at her father.

  Bai Yu Shu apparently believed Bai Yun Nuan's words, and thoughtfully asked: "Did the immortal really say in your dream that if you don't stop your brother from meeting that noble guest, it will shame our ancestors and destroy the White family's reputation in an instant?"

  "Hmm." Bai Yun nodded heavily, seeing that her father was worried, she thought to scare him again, so she continued: "Moreover, I think that immortal's demeanor and bones are quite elegant, with white hair and a youthful face, somewhat resembling the portrait of our ancestor Bai Xuan hanging in the study..."

  Bai Yu's book was so thrilling that it left him somewhat traumatized. After a while, his pale face regained some color, and he weakly said to Bai Yun: "Annu, you did a great job this time."

  "Just you, Father, said that Master Xiang has a cut sleeve habit, what is a cut sleeve habit?"

  White clouds warm one word, white jade book one black line.

  His daughter's innocent and pure gaze stared at him, making him extremely embarrassed. He had just heard his daughter's explanation, thinking that she didn't understand the habit of cutting sleeves, and he had actually mentioned this dirty word in front of her, it was really shameful.

  Bai Yushu was grieving, while on the other side, Bai Zhenxuan waved his hand in greeting from a distance.

  "Anu, come and have some fun."

  Bai Yun was warm and her father mentioned "cut sleeve habit", she originally wanted to find a seam to drill into, but instead had to pretend to be calm and innocent, hearing her brother's summons was like hearing the rescue horn, but Bai Yu Shu didn't let her leave, so she could only stand still waiting for her father's instructions.

  Bai Yu Shu heard Bai Zhen Xuan calling out to Bai Yun Nuan, and coincidentally found her at the foot of the stairs. She hastily waved her hand and said: "Don't waste this fine spring day, hurry up and go play with your brother and the others!"

  White clouds warm as if hearing a great amnesty, busy three steps and make two steps, jumping and running, didn't run out of two steps, father called her back again.

  "Ah Nuan——"

  Bai Yun Nuan stopped in her tracks, turned around and looked at her father with a nervous expression, wondering if he had found any flaws in her recent fabrications. She focused all her attention on preparing to respond to her father's interrogation, but unexpectedly, he spoke warmly: "Nuan, don't be so fierce towards Lu Ming, he's a pitiful child who is already timid and shrinking away from others. Can you please not use your haughty tone? After all, his father is your brother's teacher, and our White family is a family of poetry and etiquette. As the saying goes, 'a family of poetry and etiquette will never decline'."

  Bai Yun's heart, which had just been lifted by the warmth, sank again. She bowed her head to Bai Yu Shu and muttered, "Ai Nuan obeys father's teachings."

  Bai Zhenxuan stood on the lush green grass, his snow-white cloak fluttering gently in the spring breeze. The green background set off his white robe, making him look exceptionally elegant and refined, warm and jade-like.

  Seeing Bai Yun warm and lazy walking over with his head down, he curiously asked: "What's wrong? Did Father scold you?"

  Bai Yun nodded and shook her head again.

  "Has he been trained or not?"

  "Half-trained and half-untrained." Bai Yunnu glared at Wen Luoming, who was helping his mother supervise the family members arranging the cooking utensils in the distance, with a very dissatisfied expression.

  Bai Zhenxuan turned his head and caught sight of Wen Luoming's figure, and suddenly understood. "Father scolded you because of your attitude towards Wen Xian, right?"

  "It's not about training, just reminding Ah Nuan not to be too harsh on your Wen Xian Di." Bai Yun Nuan poked her brother's chest with her finger, and her brother's affection towards Wen Lu Ming really made her jealous, calling him Wen Xian Di in every sentence.

  Bai Zhenxuan grasped his sister's fingers, smiling: "Right, brother thinks father's words are correct, your attitude towards Wen Xian-di is indeed a bit too harsh, not just ordinary harshness... as the saying goes, 'a family of poetry and propriety, propriety does not decline...'".

  Bai Yun covered her ears again, and it was a poetic and polite family that did not decline in etiquette. Her brother was actually preaching like their father, which was really annoying.

  Bai Zhenxuan saw his sister's small face flush red, and he couldn't help but chuckle. He took down the hand that was covering her ear and said gently, "Brother truly feels that with Wen Xian's character, you shouldn't be treating him like this, Ah Nuan. Wen Xian...

  "He's a poor kid, living under someone else's roof, already timid. Can't you, Nuan, not use your haughty tone on him? His father is also Brother's teacher, and our White family is a family of poetry and etiquette... it's said that in families of poetry and etiquette, etiquette never declines..." White Yunnuo shook her head and recited her father's words, then glanced sideways at her brother.

  Only to see Bai Zhenxuan holding back a smile, reaching out to pinch her nose, saying: "I said so, Ah Nuan is an intelligent and clever child, not foolish to the point of being like that! Since you already know all these reasons, why..."

  "Alright, alright, from now on I'll follow Father's and Brother's teachings. Will you be satisfied if I'm gentle and pleasant to your Wen Xian Di?" Bai Yun Nuan brushed away her brother's hand that was pinching her nose and gave him a bright smile. In her heart, she thought "a gentleman takes revenge in clever ways", she wanted to give Wen Lu Ming some color to see, there were many methods, no need to be so obvious, making herself the target of everyone's criticism, earning a reputation for being unvirtuous.

  Dark dog, bite people to death. Wen Xian Di, you're ready to take it, aren't you?

  In this life, I'll see how you can still work with Zhang Siying and ruin my reputation!

  After a busy half-day, the cooking pot and barbecue rack were all set up, and the slaves began to prepare lunch. Qin Ai led Songta, Sier and other small servants into two teams, one team cooked large pots of rice, and the other team was responsible for grilling food for the masters. Zhen Niang led Luoluo, Hongyu and other maidservants running back and forth on both sides, supervising and lending a hand.

  Bai Yushu and Bai Jiangshi reminded the young masters and misses to pay attention to their safety, then went to a relatively distant place to appreciate the vibrant spring flowers and the pleasant lake water, quietly enjoying their own little world, without joining in the activities of the young masters and misses.

  Bai Zhenxuan, taking advantage of the fact that he would not be scolded by his father today, was incited by Zhang Nai Chun and boldly pulled Wen Lu Ming and Bai Yunnuan to play cards.

  Xin Yue and Yu Mo spread a crimson velvet blanket with golden flowers on the lawn, and several people sat around the blanket to start playing cards.

  Everyone agreed not to bet money, and if they lost, they would only stick paper on their face. After playing several rounds, Bai Yunnuan had already been stuck with a full face of paper, while the other three people, except for Wen Luoming who had only a few pieces of paper stuck on him, were all big winners, including her brother and Zhang Nai Chun.

  Bai Yun felt embarrassed by everyone's teasing, so he threw away the rotten cards in his hand and wiped the paper on his face clean, saying: "I'm not playing anymore, it's no fun."

  Zhang Nai Chun saw Bai Yun's annoyed expression and hastily put down the cards in her hand, smiling obsequiously: "Miss Bai doesn't like playing cards, then let's play something else. What does Miss Bai like to play?" With a fawning smile on her face.

  White clouds warm in sight, hatred in heart, but expressionless on face.

  If it weren't for her past experiences, she would have been deceived by Zhang Nai Chun's devoted appearance. Thinking back to the past, Zhang Nai Chun had also used every means to pursue her at first. Although she resented her father for selling her off as a bride and felt quite repulsed by it, she still had some willingness to marry Zhang Nai Chun after all. After all, Zhang Nai Chun was so infatuated with her that she thought she had married someone who understood and cherished her. Who would have thought that they were actually star-crossed lovers? The things you can't get in this life are always the best; once you get them, you discard them like worn-out shoes.

  "Let's play the nine linked rings!" Bai Yunnuan gave Zhang Nai Chun a charming and captivating smile.

  Zhang Nai Chun couldn't help but be mesmerized by it and muttered: "Nine Linked Rings? What kind of thing is that?"

  Bai Yun saw Wen Lu Ming's mouth twitching, seemingly suppressing a smile, and was shocked in her heart. The nine-linked ring was a trick of the boudoir, and Chapter Nai Chun, who was used to enticing bees and butterflies, unexpectedly didn't know it. Could it be that the refined and introverted Wen Lu Ming actually knew about it?

  At the moment, Yu Meng called out Yu Mo and Xin Yan to demonstrate. Xin Yan untied a red ribbon from her hair, tied two dead knots at both ends, formed a circle with it, and held it open with both hands. With her fingers hooked left and right, she flipped out a new pattern. Yu Mo followed suit, taking the red ribbon from Xin Yan's hand, and with her own fingers hooked left and right, another new pattern emerged when she received the ribbon.

  Two sisters came and went, that small red ribbon in their hands was like a spirit, constantly pushing out new ones, making everyone stunned.

  At this moment, eight or nine different patterns had already appeared. Bai Yun took the red ribbon from Nangong and handed it to Zhang Nai Chun, saying: "Here, play with this, Nine Linked Rings."

  Zhang Nai Chun took the red ribbon and said with great interest: "Great, great! Let me accompany Miss Bai to play the nine linked rings."

  Bai Yun Wan gave him an innocent smile, but said in a gloomy tone: "You're still a novice, I've already mastered this game to the point of being out of this world. Tell me, how can a rookie like you play with a master like me? You'd better find someone else to practice with first, and then come back to challenge me!"

  Bai Zhenxuan felt that his sister's words were too severe and called out in a slightly reproachful tone: "Anuan..."

  Who would have thought that Zhang Nai Chun was infatuated with Bai Yun Nu, and he took Bai Zhen Xuan's teasing as a sign of favor. He waved his hand to interrupt Bai Zhen Xuan's words and said to Bai Yun Nu: "I'll start practicing now. Which one of you two sisters is willing to teach me?"

  Zhang Nai Chun looked at Xin Yue and Yu Mo with pleading eyes, but Bai Yun Nuan covered his line of sight with her hand, saying: "Those two won't do, they're going to learn chess from their brother, no time to be your free teachers."

  "Anu!" Bai Zhenxuan really couldn't bear it anymore. His sister was indeed a bit spoiled.

  "Brother, when we were staying at the Lingyun Temple, you promised to teach Xin Yu and Yu Mo how to play chess. Have you forgotten? Rather than choosing a good day, let's just take advantage of today's auspicious timing. You're also free now." Bai Yun Nuan said as she asked Xin Yu to fetch the Go board from the carriage.

  Yu Mo was overjoyed when he heard that Young Master could teach him how to play chess and happily followed Xin Yu.