Princess of the Imperial Household

  "Oh, I see. Then I'll go ahead and move the table back, Yu Xiang ge, can you help me carry one too?" Lin Er looked at me with an awkward expression, I lowered my head to look at Xiao Bai, but I could still feel his puzzled gaze.

  Finally, I turned my head to take a look at Auntie, indicating that I was about to leave. Auntie chuckled twice and said she would see me out. At this time, Lin Er finally smiled and said to the host, who had already helped clear two tables.

  "Right, sister-in-law, you come over and help out later, anyway there's nothing to do at home. I'm in a bit of a rush, it's almost the end of the month and we need to finish up things at my house. It won't be long before my brother's daughter arrives. Tomorrow morning we'll be setting up for the banquet, and I'll bring my niece over to sit with you." Lin Er and the master were carrying a table out of Old Aunt's gate, and as they said their goodbyes, I heard a shout from not far away, and saw Lin Er stop in front of us.

  Of course, the niece he was referring to was me, standing in front of my aunt.

  "That's natural, that's natural, you go ahead and be busy." Auntie waved her hand at Lin Er with a smile all over her face. "This Lin Er family is going to marry off their daughter, they've invited everyone in the village to come and make merry."

  As I watched Lin Er disappear around the corner, I nodded thoughtfully.

  "By the way, young lady, if you're still here tomorrow, come and sit with us. It's been years since this village has had any good news, and we're thrilled to have guests from afar." Auntie was always so enthusiastic, but I, a stranger, was afraid it wouldn't be appropriate for me to join in, and was hesitating. Just then, Auntie seemed to notice my uncertainty and pointed out how happy everyone was to have guests from far away.

  "Then thank you, Auntie. We'll come over tomorrow." I was definitely referring to Uncle and me, but Auntie looked puzzled for a moment, glanced at Little White in my arms, and didn't say anything else.

  Until my aunt saw me out of the village, following Xiao Bai's guidance, I turned onto a small road. There were quite a few ridges in the fields. Seeing that the sun had already set, I stayed at my aunt's house for quite a long time. When I arrived at the wooden building pointed by Xiao Bai, the sky was almost completely dark.

  A two-story wooden building, with an ancient charm and a hint of sandalwood fragrance. I was looking down at Xiao Bai, his body becoming lighter and turning into a wisp of white smoke that drifted out of my hands. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Bai in a white robe stood before the wooden building, the moonlight shining on his snowy clothes, looking very handsome.

  "Hey, I can tell you, don't mess with me." I was stunned, but Xiao Bai seemed quite confident in his own good looks, always on guard against what I might do to him, warning me right to my face.

  "Who cares! Is it here?" I gave him a glance, who was staring at him, turned around and stepped forward, walking towards the wooden building.

  "You're the only one who doesn't seem to be moved by my appearance, except for the princess of the imperial family." Xiaobai followed me up to the wooden building, but what did he mean by that casual remark just now?

  "Which princess of the royal family?"

  "Hey, you should have told me to stop too." Along with this shout, Xiao Bai adjusted his clothes, and just now, I was puzzled and stood still waiting for him. Of course, Xiao Bai was so captivated by his own good looks that he bumped into me.

  "What is what?" Seeing me ask so formally at this time, he slightly frowned, apparently evading me.

  "Who is the royal princess? Or, does this world really have a royal family from over 2,000 years ago?" I don't know what I was thinking when I said that, but my nose started to ache and it seemed like tears were about to fall. The royal princess, if she's really a princess of the imperial family, should also be Liu Xijun, but Liu Xijun is dead, has been dead for over 2,000 years, a deceased person.

  Uncle Ah is in love with this dead person, isn't it true that Uncle Ah brought me to trek mountains and cross rivers, encountering ghosts and demons, just to find Liu Xiujun if she still exists? The enigma on Uncle Ah's body is so numerous, he is so infatuated, he has always loved the woman named Liu Xiujun.

  As for taking me out to travel, it's just because I'm his adopted daughter and he doesn't feel at ease with me being alone in Shanghai. Because I met a yinpo (a woman who has died in childbirth), I really wanted to cry, but I wouldn't cry in front of Xiao Bai, nor would I let Xiao Bai know that I've been eating Liu Xiujun's vinegar all along.

  Uncle, if it's really like that, even if you find Liu Xi Jun, you'll be together for all eternity. In the end, no matter how I fell in love with you, I'm just a foster daughter who spent twelve years with you.

  "What's wrong?" A gentle voice came from beside my ear, I looked up and saw Xiaobai in front of me, his expression was a bit heavy, looking at me with confusion.

  "It's nothing." I forced a smile from the corner of my mouth to reassure Xiao Bai, but I was just overthinking because of that princess.

  I entered the wooden building, and Xiao Bai took me to the second floor. This wooden building was hidden in darkness, unknown to anyone. I thought that if it weren't for the night, I wouldn't have noticed that there were more floors here either. It's not far from Luoluo Village, although the building is a bit strange, but I've seen stranger things before, so it's nothing surprising.

  What makes me feel even more at ease is that my uncle is here.

  "Ah Shu." He stood alone on the wooden balcony, hands behind his back, under the moonlight, a solitary and serene man. I stared at Ah Shu's back for a moment, but didn't feel an urge to rush up to him immediately, all because of that dead person named Liu Xi Jun.

  "You're back." Uncle Xu seemed to have heard my voice, his silhouette paused for a moment, turned around and smiled at me, beckoning me to come forward.

  Xiao Bai followed behind me, Uncle turned around and sat down at the wooden table, I turned my head, Xiao Bai stood beside me like a guardian god, he didn't sit down until I sat down with Uncle.

  "Master, this village is a bit strange." Xiaobai said seriously to Uncle Ah.

  Uncle seemed lost in thought, furrowed his brow tightly, and after a moment, looked up at me.

  "A Li, what do you think?"

  I thought Xiaobai would tell Uncle everything, but Uncle suddenly changed the subject, leaving me at a loss.

  "What?!" I was clearly taken aback.

  "This village."

  "Oh, Auntie only mentioned Ding San Ya's matter." He glanced at Xiao Bai, who didn't continue the conversation, his mind still stuck on Liu Xi Jun. Uncle asked in this way, since Xiao Bai didn't intend to continue the conversation, I could only respond casually to Uncle with such a sentence.

  "What's your view?" Uncle's expression was solemn, his eyes staring at me intensely, as if he must get an idea out of me.

  In the past, no matter what happened, Uncle was always the first to help me solve it, think for me, I was a person who could live a stable life without having to worry about anything, following Uncle's side, as long as he was there, I had nothing to worry about.

  But now, Uncle's expression looks so serious, this is not a joke.

  "Uncle, I..." I had no ideas, no thoughts at all. Uncle had spoiled me, whatever he said, I just followed and did it, where was my own thinking?

  "Luozhuo Village, there will be good news tomorrow." In the end, it was still Xiaobai who helped me out of this predicament. Perhaps seeing that I stuttered for a long time and couldn't say anything, Xiaobai lightly coughed and said to Uncle Ah, whose eyes were fixed on him seeking an answer.

  "When?" A hint of helplessness flashed across Uncle's face, and he withdrew his gaze from my face. In that instant, I suddenly felt so useless. Uncle had me go to gather information, but after I came back, I couldn't say anything. Uncle must have been disappointed in me.

  Uncle Ah finally asked Xiao Bai, his profile in the orange-red light had a hint of helplessness.

  "Tomorrow morning, on our way back with Ah Li, we saw a Taoist priest heading in the direction of Luo Zhuang Village." Xiaobai's expression turned serious, and the conversation between the two men seemed to be discussing something significant.

  It's just that the Taoist priest Xiao Bai mentioned, what kind of Taoist priest is he? I didn't see him on the way here.

  My idea was like that, but I saw Uncle looking at me with a helpless shake of his head. He didn't say anything, as if to say that I'm hopeless. Uncle seems to be disappointed in me.

  "En, tomorrow morning we'll go too." Uncle nodded thoughtfully and said in a low voice.

  "Uncle, that aunt also asked me to go over and sit for a while tomorrow." In order to redeem my foolish image in Uncle's heart, I suddenly remembered this matter. Didn't Aunt Huang say the same thing at dusk?

  Uncle Ke had already stood up at this time, and after hearing me speak, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he turned to leave.

  Dinner was prepared by Wei Jun'an. When I saw him, I was surprised that he would appear here. He smiled but didn't speak, only his facial expression and Uncle Ah were so similar.

  No wonder, he and Uncle look alike.

  "Sit back a bit." Tonight, I've been reflecting on my past twenty years. My memories before the age of six are already gone, and I don't know where I came from or where I'm going. It was that year that I met Uncle Ah, who sent me to be fostered in Qin Village. At eight years old, Uncle Ah took me to Shanghai.

  Everything in Shanghai is so prosperous, I am so afraid, at that time, I had already begun to rely on Uncle, everything had to rely on Uncle, what Uncle said, I would do, Uncle's opinions on things, I would listen to Uncle's opinions, until now, I have no own views, including anything.

  I once thought that maybe Uncle saw me as a useless piece of wood and brought me out to travel, see the world, gain knowledge, and strengthen my independence. But after being out for a month with Uncle, not only have I learned nothing, but I've also been daydreaming all day, going to eat at a dead man's vinegar shop - what's wrong with me?

  Just then, Xiao Bai appeared out of nowhere, squeezed in and knelt on one knee on the long wooden chair, gazing into the distance with me, and sat down beside me.

  "What are you doing awake at this late hour?" I rested my chin on the back of the wooden chair, muttering as I looked at Xiaobai.

  "A Li, I have something to tell you."

  Halfway through, Xiao Bai looked at me with a serious expression, I became more anxious, what's going on, you'd better say it, this damned fox.