The frown on the man's face on the terrace gradually smoothed out, though his gaze shifted with displeasure toward Pei Yu, who was trailing behind her like a nuisance.
How clueless could he be?
A grown man with nothing better to do than follow a young girl around like a lost puppy.
What an eyesore.
A complete eyesore.
On the other side, Pei Yu followed the line of sight and spotted Xie Chengxiao.
Instead of feeling any embarrassment at being caught, he raised his hand and waved vigorously toward him, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Cousin!"
Xie Chengxiao didn't even bother to give him a second glance.
"Huh? Maybe we’re too far away, and Cousin can’t hear or see us clearly. Look, he didn't even respond when I waved," Pei Yu scratched his head and turned to look at Bai Liuyue.
He said in a lighthearted tone, "Well, we’ve paid our respects, so the etiquette is satisfied. Let’s keep walking and stop disturbing Cousin’s work."
"Okay," Bai Liuyue nodded, appearing obedient and gentle.
On the distant balcony, Xie Chengxiao watched this scene, so furious he wanted to rush down and give Pei Yu a beating. He finally understood why Manyu fought with him every time they met.
If it were him, he wouldn't be able to hold back either.
Xie Chengxiao could only watch helplessly as the two figures in his sight grew smaller and smaller until they vanished completely.
Knock, knock—
There was a knock on his study door.
"Who is it?"
Xie Chengxiao returned to the room and asked from his office chair.
"Chengxiao, it's me," Bai Baozhu's voice came from outside.
Xie Chengxiao’s face instantly darkened. What was she doing, still haunting him like this?
Wasn't Bai Baocheng supposed to take her away?
"Young Marshal Xie, are we disturbing your work? I’ve asked my sister to come and apologize to you in person," another gentle male voice came from outside.
It was Bai Baocheng.
It seemed both siblings were standing at the study door.
Xie Chengxiao couldn't very well refuse, so he said, "Come in."
The study door was pushed open gently. Bai Baozhu’s face wore a look of sorrow and depression, as if she were distraught over her imminent departure.
Behind her, Bai Baocheng looked at his sister with a stern expression, which softened slightly when he turned to Xie Chengxiao.
He stepped forward and said:
"Young Marshal Xie, we only heard bits and pieces of what happened in the Northwest."
"Grandfather wasn't very clear on the details either, so he specifically instructed me to inquire properly this time. Just now, I had Baozhu tell me everything she did, point by point."
"Only then did I realize the trouble she caused here. It’s truly... too much! In any other family, she would have been kicked out long ago. Fortunately, she encountered such reasonable and kind-hearted future in-laws as the Marshal and Young Marshal Xie."
Bai Baocheng spoke with great courtesy.
Xie Chengxiao, of course, couldn't just blindly accept the praise, so he feigned politeness and demurred:
"Not at all. Whatever happened in the past is over. The Xie and Bai families have always been close. Young Master Bai, there's no need to take it to heart."
Bai Baocheng looked grief-stricken. "The more you say that, Young Marshal Xie, the more ashamed I feel."
He looked at Bai Baozhu and said sharply, "Kneel!"
Bai Baozhu seemed terrified by her brother and dropped to her knees with a thud.
However, Xie Chengxiao didn't feel much of anything. After all, this kneeling business had happened once before; seeing it again wasn't exactly surprising.
Just as he was absent-mindedly preparing to offer a few perfunctory words, Bai Baocheng suddenly dropped to his knees in front of the desk as well.
This actually startled Xie Chengxiao. He quickly stepped forward to pull him up, saying, "Young Master Bai, what are you doing?"
Bai Baocheng refused to rise, keeping his head low, his voice filled with grief.
"They say that if a child is not taught, it is the father's fault. My parents have always been busy, and Baozhu is my sister whom I raised myself."
"It is I who failed to teach her well, allowing her to grow into such a spoiled and willful person. She acts without thinking and is easily deceived by others, which led to the current situation."
"Therefore, I should be the one to kneel!"
"I ask for Young Marshal Xie’s magnanimity and tolerance."
Xie Chengxiao realized the man in front of him wasn't as simple as he seemed.
His movement to help him up paused, and he said coldly:
"Young Master Bai is too kind. In the future, there will naturally be others to tolerate Miss Bai Baozhu."
"I cannot accept such a grand gesture from you. Please, get up."
"I still have some official business to attend to, so I'm afraid it's inconvenient to continue hosting you."
As he spoke, he opened the study door, signaling for the Bai siblings to leave.
A look of guilt appeared on Bai Baocheng’s gentle face. He sighed and said, "Yes, it was my fault for not being more considerate. Then I shall not disturb Young Marshal Xie any further."
With that, he pulled Bai Baozhu and left.
After the door closed, Xie Chengxiao’s brow furrowed. He had originally thought Bai Baocheng was here to take Bai Baozhu away.
But from that conversation, it seemed he had other intentions.
It looked like things were going to be a bit troublesome!
...
After the Bai siblings left, they returned to the guest room. Once he was sure no one could overhear, the gentle smile faded from Bai Baocheng’s face. He slammed his hand down on the table, his voice thick with anger.
"What’s going on? Why didn't you tell me beforehand that Xie Chengxiao doesn't have a shred of affection left for you?"
"The scene we just performed was nothing more than winking at a blind man."
"It was like we were putting on a monkey show for him. Utterly ridiculous!"
Hearing her brother's scolding, Bai Baozhu kept her head down and didn't dare speak.
After all, she hadn't told him that the kneeling act wasn't the first time.
That was why it had been so ineffective.
"Why are you silent?" Bai Baocheng narrowed his eyes, a flash of sinister darkness crossing his gaze. He said coldly, "Before I came, Father gave me an ironclad order: I must leave you here in the Northwest."
Bai Baozhu shook her head slightly and said softly:
"Brother, can you find a way to bring Xu Yanci here?"
"What... do you mean?" Bai Baocheng was surprised.
"I know Xie Chengxiao has always had a knot in his heart, suspecting that my relationship with Xu Yanci is improper. If you bring him here, I will stab Xu Yanci right in front of him. That way, he might believe that I have truly repented."
She said this out of her own selfishness as well.
Bai Baozhu truly wanted to take revenge on that scumbag for abandoning her in her past life.
"This..."
Bai Baocheng hesitated. Although Xu Yanci didn't come from a prominent family, he was quite scholarly and was a well-known figure in Jinzhong.
Bai Baozhu suggested again, "Xu Yanci is very good at charming young girls. If he can handle Bai Liuyue, I’ll be able to win back Chengxiao’s heart in no time."
Originally, Bai Baocheng had thought so too.
But after seeing the calm and composed Bai Liuyue at the dinner table today, he suddenly felt she wasn't as simple as he had imagined.
Moreover, considering Young Marshal Pei's attitude...
He couldn't help but warn her:
"Don't you dare try your rotten schemes on Bai Liuyue."
Bai Baozhu was dissatisfied. "Are you defending our cousin?"
Bai Baocheng quickly shook his head. "What are you thinking? Bai Liuyue is the woman Young Marshal Pei has his eyes on."
