Chapter 165: Surveillance, No Heart
No, this must be a joke. Or, Yu Se really had made it and brought it over, but had no idea what kind of meaning was within? What to do now? After panicking for a while, Bai Xiangxiu made up her mind and entered the kitchen.
Long Heng had been worrying over how Bai Xiangxiu would throw a tantrum, but it seemed she had actually entered the kitchen instead. Does she want to make some good things to eat to appease me? He was very happy and waited for Bai Xiangxiu to come express her apologies while he looked over the marriage gifts.
“Your Highness, what do you think of the frame? Should we use the normal one or one of brushed gold?”
“Brushed gold.”
“Then we’ll need a lot of time to prepare it.”
“Think of the way to just make it look like brushed gold.”
“&h.e.l.lip;” Just make it look like it? Just look like it? This marriage was truly rendering each one of them speechless. But, the master’s word was everything, so they ran off to ready things.
However, their master wasn’t happy. He’d waited for around six hours already, but Bai Xiangxiu still hadn’t come to find him. Something was amiss. He had someone look for Ye-mama before realizing that a Song family maid had caused trouble, and Bai Xiangxiu hadn’t entered the kitchens for him.
A man in love wasn’t the sort to remain calm. How come she doesn’t seem to care at all that I’m about to wed another woman? Although he hoped she would understand, he still wanted her to throw a tantrum or something to prove that she liked him. Just as he was feeling aggrieved, the old madame also felt that things were off. She felt that Bai Xiangxiu had to be overthinking things after hearing that her son called upon the Lin Manor. It would be bad if this harmed her yet to be born grandchild, so the old madame sent someone over to comfort her.
However, it was one thing for the old madame to offer comfort, and another for Long Heng to do the same. The mamasent by the old madame immediately started talking about how much Long Heng valued relations.h.i.+ps as soon as she took a seat, and how recent developments changed nothing. Her current status still wouldn’t be changed even with an official mistress of the household present.
Yeah right. I don’t even know if I’ll be alive after Miss Lin darkens the doorway. Besides, why did
she have to tolerate her husband marrying another woman? It was a good thing that the person that the old madame had sent was just here for show. No one seemed to feel that it was wrong for the prince to take an official wife, but Bai Xiangxiu’s mood just wouldn’t improve. It wasn’t until now that she finally understood how much empty daydreaming all those concubines who wanted to become a main wife were engaging in. This road was even tougher than a royal consort becoming the queen!
When Bai Xiangxiu thought about the snacks that she’d just sent out, she wondered if she should regret her actions. Just as she stood there conflicted, a pair of hands wrapped themselves around her. She immediately knew who the other was and decided to act ornery on pure impulse. She flung his hands off. “Go away.”
Long Heng could hear the anger and irritation in her voice. He frowned; why hadn’t he heard about her bad mood when she was making snacks for the Song girl? Or did she treat Song Jiaoyue differently? He snorted coldly when his thoughts reached that point, “Then you can spend some time calming yourself down.”
Long Heng really did want her to calm down, and he thought it’d all be the same if he came to back to explain everything after all this was taken care of. But who would’ve thought that not only would these betrothal gifts not meet with any resistance, but the Lin family was quite happy and immediately agree?. Could they not have? Things had cropped up as soon as Miss Lin returned to the manor. It was a right party in the Lin Manor these days. All sorts of demons, devils, and goblins came knocking, and their daughter had somehow gained a calligraphy teacher who was so beautiful that all the young maids in the residence were swooning over senseless.
Then came the female thieves and flying ones in the middle of the night. Lin Qianzi had been injured, but didn’t let anyone take a look at her. Minister Lin felt quite aggravated by this whole circus, and was itching to marry off his daughter as soon as possible, if only to make it all stop. This was how the wedding was set for the sixteenth of the first month of the year, a few days earlier than what’d originally been written in the novel.
Bai Xiangxiu was speechless for a while after she learned that particular piece of news. She knew she should’ve fallen into disarray, but she actually felt quite calm. Or rather, it was that she didn’t know what to think about so many things.
First of all, there was nothing she could do about Long Heng wanting to take a wife. She’d a.n.a.lyzed it calmly and knew that the male lead wouldn’t possibly like the female lead. Still, she remained a bit worried, but what was the point of being worried? The male lead had to come apologize for a matter like this, right?
But then she thought that it all just felt quite awkward. She had to watch her husband wed another woman! It made her sick no matter how she thought about it. Had this been in modern times, this would count as her boyfriend cheating on her! Then should she get him back, or was there nothing she could do about an arranged marriage?
Ai! And that Song Jiaoyue! He had no feelings for her when she was pursuing him, but now he was of the mind to after he’d turned her down? Wait, she didn’t know if he really felt anything for her at all! It’d be best if he didn’t. If he did&h.e.l.lip; things would be a complete mess if he did!. Her thoughts spun furiously as she stared at the cactus, and almost ran over to ask, “Huo’er, can you get in touch with your child? What’s happening to its master over there?”
Huo’er was naturally happy that its mistress had a favor to ask and immediately reached out. Before too long, it got word. “The master over there is sitting by himself and talking to himself, drinking wine and eating snacks.”
“Ah, what is he talking about?”
“No filling, no heart. Why? Haha, too late, it’s still too late. Will she&h.e.l.lip; look at me ever again?”
“Eh, the&h.e.l.lip;” h.e.l.l. He really does like me! No one would remain serene in the face of someone else liking them, particularly a relations.h.i.+p idiot like Bai Xiangxiu. But there was no point in being agitated now! She had a boyfriend now! Although the boyfriend was caught up in complicated relations.h.i.+ps to the point where she didn’t know what to do, of one thing she was certain—there was a tough year ahead of her.
Her thoughts were further validated when the old madame had her fast at a temple to pray for good fortune for her and the prince. The old madame actually wanted Bai Xiangxiu to lay low for a while so she wouldn’t be overly sad or throw a tantrum. This was actually the right decision to make, since it forced Bai Xiangxiu to remain calm. However, although Bai Xiangxiu was calm, Long Heng almost went off the deep end.
What was his wife doing in a temple while he was alone in the manor?! It’d be one thing if he’d never had a taste of&h.e.l.lip; that, but he was already quite dejected after one night of awkwardness, and now to hear that his woman had been sent to a temple?! How was he supposed to spend the rest of his days? But he couldn’t very well chase after her, so he could only wait for her to return after the new year. There were only a few days left, so it wouldn’t be too difficult to get through them. The old woman also summoned him over for a lecture, saying that Bai Xiangxiu was indisposed and that she hoped he wouldn’t agitate the poor lady too much, just in case her emotions really ran out of control.
That made sense. He did indeed want to give her s.p.a.ce, and hoped that she would treat him like she had before when she came back, and not be mad at him all the time. However, someone else quickly came to make trouble for him. Song Jiaoyue walked into his study, a bit tipsy and barely concealed anger on his face.
“What brings you here?” Long Heng felt it quite odd—what was with his good friend today?
