Bai Liuyue was drinking tea, and upon hearing these words, she waved her hands repeatedly.
"I'm not angry."
"And I might not necessarily become your sister-in-law."
Xie Manyu revealed a curious look and leaned forward on her own accord.
She was here today to test the waters for her brother.
"Why is that? We went to visit Grandpa Bai again later, but he refused to see my brother."
Bai Liuyue curled her lips and joked,
"Because he wants to sell me for a higher price."
"Ah...?" Xie Manyu was dumbfounded.
Bai Liuyue raised her hand, rubbed the top of her head, and said,
"I'm just joking, teasing you."
"However, the political situation is unstable now. You and Young Marshal Xie should return to the Northwest as soon as possible."
"It's not safe to stay in Jinzhong."
Xie Manyu nodded her head and said,
"Yes, a few days ago we went to Marshal Pei's mansion to see our aunt, and she also told us to go home early."
"But my brother..."
She hesitated to speak, her eyes darting around.
"What's wrong with Young Marshal Xie?" Bai Liuyue pretended not to know.
"Could he see you one more time? After seeing you, he will go back."
Xie Manyu stuffed the small slip of paper she was carrying into her palm.
After speaking, she held her breath and watched nervously.
"Alright." She nodded.
...
A private room in the teahouse.
Knock, knock, knock—
Just as Bai Liuyue knocked on the door, it was opened from the inside.
The man inside stood upright in a crisp military uniform, looking handsome with his long, slightly upturned phoenix eyes. The icy frost on his face melted like snow the moment he saw her.
"Brother-in-law, ah no, does Young Marshal Xie have something important to discuss with me today?"
Bai Liuyue, wearing a light blue qipao with a green bamboo pattern, took a seat on her own accord.
Xie Chengxiao's gaze lingered on her for a moment before quickly shifting away, and he took a seat opposite her.
"Manyu and I are leaving Jinzhong tomorrow."
"Mhm."
"But there is still one thing left undone."
"What is it?" Bai Liuyue rested her chin on her hand and looked at him.
"Liuyue, I..." Xie Chengxiao just started to speak but did not know how to phrase it better. He turned his head away uncomfortably.
Pausing for a moment, he added, "The qipao looks beautiful."
Bai Liuyue curled her lips, pointed at the dress she was wearing, and said,
"It is very beautiful, because you gave it to me."
The corners of Xie Chengxiao's lips could not help but turn up slightly.
But then he heard her continue,
"But I am probably getting married soon, so it will no longer be appropriate to wear the qipaos gifted by Young Marshal Xie in the future."
Upon hearing this, Xie Chengxiao instantly stood up, resting both hands on the table.
Looking tense, he pressed,
"Getting married? To whom?"
Bai Liuyue lowered her eyes.
"The second son of the Presidential Palace."
"My grandfather favors him more."
A subtle change flashed across Xie Chengxiao's face. In fact, from the very first time he entered the Bai family's old residence, he could vaguely sense it from Bai Wenshan's attitude.
That old fox must have had other plans.
Even though, even though he had already started treating the little lady of the Bai family as his future wife.
A hint of gloom flashed through Xie Chengxiao's eyes.
"What about you?"
"What are your thoughts?"
Bai Liuyue's eyes curved as she smiled innocently.
"I don't have any thoughts. I will marry whoever my grandfather tells me to marry."
"It was the same when I went to the Northwest back then."
Xie Chengxiao felt as if his chest had been heavily punched. Watching the person in front of him speak the truth without a second thought was exceptionally devastating.
It meant that from the very beginning to the end, he was the only one who harbored feelings and affection for Bai Liuyue.
While she felt absolutely nothing.
She was merely obeying her family's orders!
A familiar electronic voice rang in Bai Liuyue's ears.
System: "Congratulations Host, the affection level of the target Xie Chengxiao is at 85%!"
As expected.
A kite string must be alternately pulled tight and let loose to be properly controlled.
"Does Young Marshal Xie have anything else? If not, then I will take my leave first."
"Second Young Master Jiang also invited me to Qujiang Pavilion to watch an opera."
Bai Liuyue smiled brightly, preparing to get up and leave.
Xie Chengxiao reacted even faster, taking a few quick strides forward to block the door.
His long phoenix eyes were tinged with a faint red as he stared straight at her.
"Don't marry Jiang Yunshen, okay?"
Bai Liuyue was taken aback, furrowing her brows in distress.
"Young Marshal Xie, what you're saying is very strange. I don't understand."
A trace of embarrassment and shyness flashed across Xie Chengxiao's cold face, but he forced himself to confront it.
His magnetic, hoarse voice sounded.
"Liuyue, I... I..."
"Could it be that Young Marshal Xie also likes Second Young Master Jiang? Is that why you won't let me marry him?" Bai Liuyue tilted her head and looked at him jokingly.
She waited until the embarrassment on Xie Chengxiao's face grew even more intense.
Only then did she smile, her eyes curving into crescents.
"Alright, I won't joke with Young Marshal Xie anymore."
"I really have to go. If I'm late, I won't make it in time."
She took a small step forward, but her wrist was suddenly pulled tightly by a strong force.
Looking over, she saw that Xie Chengxiao had subconsciously grabbed her hand.
"Young Marshal Xie, what are you..."
The words that had been stuck in his throat earlier finally gathered enough courage and resolve.
Gripping her wrist, Xie Chengxiao took a half step forward, leaned down, and stared straight at her.
He enunciated each word clearly:
"Bai Liuyue, listen to me! I like you!"
"You are not allowed to marry Jiang Yunshen, or else I will go to the Presidential Palace and snatch the bride!"
The distance between the two was very close.
So close that if Bai Liuyue just tilted her head up slightly, the tip of her nose would touch his jaw.
She slowly blinked her long, feathery eyelashes.
"Brother... in-law... likes me?"
"Yes!" Xie Chengxiao nodded.
"But I don't like you." Bai Liuyue frowned slightly in extreme innocence, appearing somewhat bewildered.
Bang—!
This sentence was like a bullet, hitting Xie Chengxiao right between the eyebrows.
And it was a fatal strike.
She, she doesn't like me.
All the courage Xie Chengxiao had just gathered vanished into thin air, leaving only panic and helplessness.
"I... you..."
"Um, how about you let go? I really don't have time, and it wouldn't be good to be late."
Bai Liuyue pointed in distress at her captured wrist.
A few bitter laughs escaped from Xie Chengxiao's throat.
It turned out that from beginning to end, it was just his own unrequited affection. That made sense; Bai Liuyue had only come to the Northwest on her family's orders to marry him in place of Bai Baozhu.
But now the situation had changed. It was perfectly normal for her to marry someone else, wasn't it?
But why did his heart feel so sad, so unwilling?
Xie Chengxiao lowered his eyes, looking somewhat desolate.
The grip on her hand loosened.
"Are you really going to abandon me..." his voice was deep.
Surprisingly, he changed his previously domineering aura and started playing pitiful instead.
Bai Liuyue flipped her hand to hold his palm, giving it a gentle shake.
"Don't be sad. Even if Grandpa doesn't plan to marry me off to you, in my heart, I still consider you a good brother-in-law, a good older brother."
"But I don't want to be a good brother-in-law, nor do I want to be a good older brother. I only want to be your man."
Xie Chengxiao still kept his head down, but his tone shifted subtly.
"Even if I have to snatch you!"
