Chapter 32

32 Apart from that overflowing chest, you have got nothing else Part II

“Did benwang interrupt you two?” He sat down and was sandwiched by the two beauties.

Xu Peipei immediately took a teapot to pour tea for Ouyang Mingxian. She smiled, pleased with herself for being faster than her opponent. She had been faster than Bai Yu in everything of late. Ever since she came to help at the village, every time the three of them were together, Xu Peipei was able to service Qin Wang with everything he did more than Bai Yu. Before, Bai Yu had never given her any opportunity to do so.

Ah...Just do as you wish, Xu Peipei

“You are not interrupting at all, Your Highness,” Bai Yu replied sweetly, trying to be polite.

Ouyang Mingxian lifted his brow. Where did the delighted reaction she had every time they met go?

“Wangye please drink this tea. Pei-er brought this tea from the capital to give it to you.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Thank you.” Ouyang Mingxian lifted the tea to his lips.

Xu Peipei followed suit while acting shy. Bai Yu lifted her teacup to hide as she skewed her mouth. This tea was mine, and you just arrived a moment ago, wasn’t it!

“Benwang came to inform you both that tomorrow morning, benwang will bring everyone back to the capital.”

.....

“Is that true?” Xu Peipei was openly happy.

“You two, please prepare accordingly.”

“It is a shame, Your Highness. I feel quite attached to this place already,” Xu Peipei said with a gloomy face.

Bai Yu lifted the teacup to hide her mouth again. Didn’t you just arrive here last week?!

“Father had already issued a royal decree to organize a banquet to celebrate those who have contributed to stop this epidemic. It might help Miss Xu feel better.”

“The Emperor is truly gracious, Your Highness.”

Xu Peipei beamed. And Bai Yu lifted her teacup for the third time.

“How about Miss Bai? Are you not glad?” Ouyang Mingxian turned to her.

“Ugh...”

Bai Yu choked on her tea. She was sitting quietly for a while, why was he picking this moment to talk to her?!

She took out a handkerchief to wipe away the spilled tea before answering. “Being able to return to my mother would of course make me glad, Your Highness.”

“Miss Bai truly loves her family,” Ouyang Mingxian said while gazing at a familiar-looking handkerchief. Bai Yu understood his line of sight and thought that he must be thinking about the handkerchief from last time.

She immediately put it back into her sleeve pocket.

“I am away from home for quite a while, so naturally, I miss my mother.”

Now Xu Peipei skewed her mouth without hiding behind any teacup.

“Pei-er is away from home for quite a while too. The cold weather like this makes Pei-er worry about her mother, Your Highness.”

This Peipei...really knew how to adapt.

“The two misses are both gracious. Benwang is glad to be assisted matter.” by you both in this

“Pei-er is always willing to lighten Wangye’s load.”

“Me too, Your Highness.”

Bai Yu blatantly copied Xu Peipei. She did not want to say anything too much. The matter could be resolved because everyone came together to help. Qin Wang himself also did so much for the villagers that lately he became quite haggard.

Ouyang Mingxian continued to converse with them for a little while. To be precise, it was him having a conversation with Xu Peipei, since Bai Yu said almost nothing except when prompted by Ouyang Mingxian. Even when her heart was pounding the whole time he was close, today she could conceal her reaction extremely well.

It would not be long before she could be completely cured of loving him. Bai Yu consoled herself by imagining that she was having a disease called ‘Loving Ouyang Mingxian’. And so, there was nothing much to think about other than focusing on taking medicine and resting. The symptoms would be gone in no time, and then she would be free...

“How is Miss Bai’s wound?”

“It had completely healed, Your Highness.” It had been this long, plus, she was treated by Ouyang Wenrou, there was no way it would not have healed. This person must have remembered it only just now and faked being worried about her. Hmph!

“Grandmother has entrusted benwang to take care of you. But benwang was too busy taking care of the patients and could not find the opportunity to come to see you. Benwang hopes Miss Bai does not take offense.”

“Yu-er does not dare.” Bai Yu bowed her head. “Wangye’s heart was full of concern for the citizen. I have seen how Wangye has worked hard for the villagers. How could Yu-er be offended?”

“Then benwang could feel more at ease.” Ouyang Mingxian looked at Bai Yu’s calmness. It seemed that she truly was not angry with him at all, which was different from before where she would find every opportunity to force him to be close. He hid the small surprise beneath his calm exterior as he excused himself from the two of them. Bai Yu and Xu Peipei stood up and curtsied to him according to tradition.

“Farewell to Wangye.”

“Seems like you have to really give up now,” Xu Peipei said as they were watching the tall figure walking further away. “Today Wangye talks to me a lot more than you. You should’ve realized that I’m the winner.”

“Don’t be too conceited. I’m not your only opponent.” Bai Yu glanced at the woman in red next to her as she coolly replied. Then, she turned and walked away without caring about Xu Peipei’s stomping her feet in anger.

She still had to plan for the next conflict in the series between her and Bai Hua that happened after arriving at the mansion. If that came true, then it would be a good thing that the story had not deviated too much from the original, and it would mean that she still knew the future.

—————————-

At dawn, Bai Yu went back to pray to the Buddhist statue at her ancestral temple for the last time. She told her maid that she wanted to return to the capital with a calm heart, so she chose to wear an all-white dress for women practicing Buddhism precepts. After returning from the temple, the royal cavalcade was ready to depart to the capital.

Bai Yu did not change before riding in her carriage. This was her intention.

Bai Yu and Bai Hua had to have an argument in public, in front of the Bai mansion. This was caused by Yue Mei’s plan that caused Bai Hua to hold a grudge and then tried to cause disturbances to get back at her. However, that plan had failed because of Bai Yu’s meddling, so she was unsure if the argument would still happen like in the series or not. Nevertheless, she still had to prepare for the worst.

It was late afternoon when the two carriages stopped in front of the Bai family’s mansion. One was an ornately decorated carriage, while another was a common one that was not too old or too new. Yue Mei’s maids who had been waiting knew at first glance which one belonged to the first miss.

The villagers in the area were gathering in hopes to see the two Bai beauties who were rising in popularity. The elder sister was intelligent and could figure out the cause of the disease, while the younger one was compassionate and exerted herself to help others until she fell ill.

It was Bai Hua who came out of the carriage first.

Xiao Zi came down and held out her hand to support the person inside. The surrounding people started singing praise as soon as they saw the delicate fingers that were like high-quality jade. Then, the bewitching beauty that could conquer cities of the gentle heroine appeared to the public. Astonishment and praises sounded when everyone witnessed her beauty and goodness; however, those soon turned into criticism when they saw that the beauty...was wearing ragged clothes!

The Bai family had one miss who was called useless, and that miss was right in front of them now. They never thought that the Bais would treat a young lady so poorly, even her clothes were of a maid’s.

“G...Greetings to third miss.” Yue Mei’s maid awkwardly curtsied to her. After receiving an order from first Furen, she had already prepared a plan to destroy the third miss’s reputation, preventing her from stealing the first miss’s spotlight.

But who would expect Bai Hua to return in a maid attire?!

Seeing this, the people would condemn the Bai family for being cruel and heartless to the woman who had saved numerous villagers’ life. The woman whom even the Emperor had complimented, but was neglected by the Bai family!

“Isn’t it this third miss that saved hundreds of people’s lives? Why is the Bai family so cruel to her?!”

“Her clothes are no different from a maid. How could they do this to their own daughter?”

“What a shame that third miss’s beauty and kindness were hidden by the Bai family for so long.”

“What a shame.”

“That’s right.”

“This isn’t fair at all.”

People’s gossip and criticism were the fastest way to spread news in this age. Bai Hua excellently took advantage of that fact. Even without the kidnapping incident, fate still pitted her against Bai Hua.

Bai Yu sighed at her foolishness. Out of all the ways to harass the heroine, she chose to take away her clothes. Like this, she only helped Bai Hua get back at Yue Mei like the original plan, only this time the target was not Yue Mei, but her!

Oh well, at least she had prepared herself for it.

“Greetings to first miss. Welcome back.” The cheerful voice sounded loudly by many in front of the chancellor’s mansion, attracting people’s attention.

Bai Yu gracefully stepped down from her own carriage. Even in the all-white clothes of a commoner, her beauty still shone through. The pretty face that was not touched by any cosmetics elevated her appearance into seeming like an immortal who had severed herself from worldly affairs.

“Look at the first miss’s clothes. That’s also commoner clothes!”

“That’s true.”

“It seems the Bai family wasn’t particularly cruel to third miss like we thought. Even the first miss did not wear anything fancy.”

“They probably live like a commoner while staying at that village. Commendable.”

“Look at the first miss, she’s beautiful even without any cosmetics.”

“As expected of the number one beauty!”

Bai Yu openly smiled with satisfaction.

Do not say that she was cruel. She had destroyed her mother’s plan already; her sister’s plan was nothing.

“First miss, this way.” Yue Mei’s maid smilingly led the first miss into the mansion. This time, her miss really did save the Bai family from being heavily criticized.

Bai Yu stepped through the front gate, dignified, before stopping when she saw her mother’s maid stop and turn back toward her.

“Third miss please enter through the side entrance.”

Ah...She forgot that there was also this scene in the series too!

In this world, children born from concubines, no matter how beautiful or capable they were, were forbidden from entering through the mansion’s front gate! Because the front gate was reserved only for her and her brother who were born from the first Furen.

This kind of thing...was surely Yue Mei’s scheme!