Pei Yu was filled with despair.
Just moments ago, he had told Xie Chengxiao about maintaining proper distance between men and women to avoid gossip. Now, it was perfect—Dr. Gu had suggested he should also keep a distance from Sister Liuyue.
Xie Chengxiao didn't want Bai Liuyue to sit in the passenger seat, but he certainly didn't want her sitting in the back with another man either.
By comparison, the solitary passenger seat seemed the better option.
"Mhm." He nodded in agreement.
Gu Qinghuai, ever the gentleman, stepped out from the driver's seat again, opened the passenger door for her, and thoughtfully shielded the door frame to prevent any bumps.
"Thank you, Dr. Gu." Bai Liuyue looked up, meeting his gentle gaze.
The smile at the corner of Gu Qinghuai's lips deepened.
A fit of coughing sounded from behind.
Pei Yu asked, puzzled, "Cousin, have you also caught the Young Marshal's wife's cold?"
Xie Chengxiao's face was dark as he muttered, "No."
Once everyone was seated in the car, it drove smoothly towards the Marshal's residence.
Bai Liuyue examined the car's interior and asked curiously,
"Did you study in Germany, Dr. Gu?"
Gu Qinghuai didn't turn his head, keeping both hands on the steering wheel and his eyes on the road ahead, replying softly, "Yes, how did you guess?"
Bai Liuyue also smiled.
"This is the first German-made car I've seen in the Northwest."
The conspicuous Pei Yu, sitting in the back, couldn't resist leaning his head into the middle gap, saying,
"Sister Liuyue, do you like cars? My family has several German cars back in Jinzhong. When we return, I'll give them all to you."
"Ouch—"
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pinch on his injured arm.
Pei Yu turned his head angrily, only to meet Xie Chengxiao's expressionless face.
"Cousin, why did you pinch me?"
Xie Chengxiao said calmly, "I wasn't pinching you. The car jolted just now, and I was afraid you'd fall, so I reached out to steady you."
"Then you shouldn't grab my injured arm."
"Oh, I forgot."
Pei Yu: "..." So infuriating.
This interruption nearly made him forget what he had just said.
He also didn't think further about his mention of returning to Jinzhong.
From the driver's seat, Gu Qinghuai watched this scene quietly through the rearview mirror, then lowered his eyes without a word.
...
Marshal's Residence.
Xie Zhenning had already received news of their vehicle being ambushed.
He sat on the sofa with a grave expression, while Second Concubine Lan Yingniang comforted him from the side:
"Marshal, please rest assured. The Young Marshal is a clever boy; he will surely return safe and sound."
Xie Manyu was anxiously pacing back and forth in place.
The two Bai brothers also sat diagonally across on another sofa. Bai Baocheng seemed to ask casually of the servant nearby, Nanny Wu,
"Did Young Marshal Xie have important business when he went out today?"
Nanny Wu shook her head and replied, "No, he was taking Second Miss Bai to the department store."
Bai Baozhu seized the opportunity to add,
"That child Xiaoyue is really too thoughtless. If she hadn't asked the Young Marshal to have a qipao tailored for her, such a thing wouldn't have happened."
After speaking, she stole a subtle glance at Marshal Xie's reaction.
He, however, didn't seem to pay it any mind.
Bai Baozhu then glanced at Xie Manyu and said with concern,
"Manyu, come sit down and rest for a while. Don't worry; your brother will surely be fine."
"Ah, when I get back, I must properly scold Xiaoyue. She actually put both young marshals in such danger."
Xie Manyu, who had been pacing, stopped upon hearing this and cast a puzzled look at Bai Baozhu.
???
The vehicle was attacked by villains—what does that have to do with taking Bai Liuyue to the department store to pick up a qipao?
If someone truly wants to harm you, even if you hadn't gone out today, going out for a meal tomorrow could also lead to trouble.
Why would Bai Baozhu say such a thing?
Xie Manyu realized that once she shed her sister-in-law's bias and observed from an outsider's perspective, she noticed many suspicious points.
Bai Baozhu was also not quite the heroic, high-spirited woman described in the New Nation newspaper articles.
It was quite clear just now.
She was jealous.
Seeing that Xie Manyu didn't respond, Bai Baozhu felt snubbed for the second time.
The first time had been with Xie Chengxiao.
Tap, tap, tap.
Footsteps sounded from outside the door.
Xie Manyu didn't care about anything else and hurried towards the entrance.
The moment she saw Xie Chengxiao safe and sound, she couldn't help but rush into her brother's arms.
Crying and exclaiming, she said,
"Brother, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you before."
"I know I was wrong. From now on, I'll always put your feelings first and won't neglect you because of others."
"As long as you can stay alive, I promise I'll be obedient."
The first few sentences moved Xie Chengxiao deeply.
But the last line, 'as long as you can stay alive'—why did it sound a bit strange?
Seeing Xie Manyu's unusually disheveled crying face, Pei Yu couldn't resist teasing her, saying,
"Oh! So you only care about your brother, what about me, your cousin?"
"Your brother is completely unharmed, but me? I took a bullet in the arm."
Xie Manyu pulled back from her brother's embrace, wiping her nose and tears.
She didn't even spare him an extra glance.
Her gaze shifted to the graceful Bai Liuyue standing not far away. She pursed her lips and asked softly,
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm not concerned about you. I'm just afraid that if you're injured, it'll be troublesome. I won't take care of you."
The corners of Bai Liuyue's mouth curved upward.
Her smile was very warm.
"Thank you for your 'lack of concern.' I'm not injured."
Xie Manyu looked her over from head to toe, confirming she seemed fine, before finally shifting her gaze away.
Only then did she notice Gu Qinghuai had come with them.
"Dr. Gu, why are you here?"
Gu Qinghuai replied with a smile, "I just finished treating Young Marshal Pei's gunshot wound. Then, following Young Marshal Xie's instructions, I came to check the Young Marshal's wife's pulse."
They were just stepping into the living room as they spoke.
From the sofa in the distance, a flicker of joy passed over Bai Baozhu's face.
She knew it!
Xie Chengxiao was just cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He might say he doesn't care about her, but deep down he was actually very worried.
See, he specifically invited Gu Qinghuai to the Marshal's residence to check her pulse.
Seeing his son and nephew return safely, Xie Zhenning felt considerably more at ease.
"Father."
"Uncle."
The two of them walked to the center of the living room and first paid their respects to Xie Zhenning.
Bai Liuyue keenly noticed that Gu Qinghuai did not move.
Strange.
He's just a doctor. Why doesn't he need to bow to Marshal Xie?
Moreover, it's said that Xie Zhenning specifically appointed him as the Marshal's residence family doctor. The two of them should be quite familiar.
Xie Zhenning nodded at them and asked,
"Your car was followed shortly after you set off. Any idea whose people were behind the attack?"
Xie Chengxiao shot a subtle glance at Bai Baocheng, but the other man remained perfectly composed.
Pei Yu, however, couldn't hold back.
"Uncle, I have a guess."
"Whose people were they?" Xie Zhenning pressed.
Just as Xie Chengxiao was about to tell him not to act rashly and alert the enemy, he heard Pei Yu say,
"My illegitimate half-brothers back home. It seems I'll need to clean house when I return to Jinzhong."
