So when she heard Xu Jingan had come to find her, Bai Ci already had this plan in mind—to have him help her investigate a few things.
However, asking him to investigate was quite different from him volunteering to do so.
The latter required far fewer explanations.
And when it came to lies, the fewer words spoken, the better. The more one said, the easier it was to slip up.
Only when people filled in the gaps and rationalized the logic themselves would they believe a lie without a shadow of a doubt.
Thus, Bai Ci took a gamble, betting on her grasp of Xu Jingan's character.
Instead of answering Xu Jingan directly, Bai Ci looked up at the clear sky outside the courtyard and said, “Go out more. Meet up and chat with your friends in the city.”
Xu Jingan froze slightly, failing to grasp the deeper meaning for a moment.
Before he could ask, Bai Ci explained, “Some things cannot be completely covered up by Mother alone. There must be other connections behind them.”
It was fine to play the riddle-monger, but she couldn't just ignore everything and let the boy go completely off track.
Enlightenment instantly washed over Xu Jingan. “I understand.”
He bowed solemnly, without saying another unnecessary word, and turned to leave.
The youth's posture was straight, his steps steady. Amidst the gathering storm, he seemed to have gained a sense of resolve to face the coming winds and waves.
Silence returned to the courtyard once more.
Bai Ci stood under the corridor. She waited until Xu Jingan's figure had completely disappeared beyond the courtyard gate, and then waited a bit longer before calling Jinghong over.
“Xiaohong.”
“Go to the main courtyard and ask if Mother is free right now. I would like to pay my respects.”
Bai Ci deliberately left some time to distance Xu Jingan from any potential scrutiny from Madame Xu.
“Yes, this servant will go right away.”
That strange yet familiar Young Madam had appeared again. Jinghong complied and quickly withdrew, but she couldn't help but let her mind wander.
Bai Ci sat quietly under the corridor. In just a short moment, the figure who had left in a hurry returned. The entire trip had been extremely brief, not even long enough to walk to the main courtyard and back.
Feeling a bit suspicious about what had happened, Bai Ci deliberately switched back to her own persona before Jinghong approached, preparing to handle whatever was to come.
Her main angle was to act completely clueless. After all, what could a simple country girl possibly know?
“Jinghong, why are you so out of breath? Has something happened?”
Jinghong hurried forward and bowed as she reported, “Young Madam, before I even reached the main courtyard, I ran into a maid sent by Madame.”
“Madame specifically dispatched someone to ask you to head to the front hall immediately.”
“Ah? You went to the main courtyard... No, it's nothing.” Bai Ci let a trace of timidity show on her face. “Jinghong, do you know why Mother wants to see me? I have no idea what to expect, and I'm a little scared.”
“I quietly asked that older sister,” Jinghong whispered, answering honestly.
“Madame is currently hosting a guest in the front hall. It's the same doctor who took your pulse and wrote a prescription for you yesterday. This time, he even brought his apprentice along.”
“Madame summoned you over specifically. It should still be related to conditioning your body.”
This was truly...
The herbal bath had been ruined yesterday, interrupting their plans for a day, yet Madame Xu refused to delay even a single moment. By the very next morning, she had already rushed to summon the doctor again.
She was indeed a decisive and resolute matriarch of the household, never wasting any time.
Pressing so relentlessly, she refused to grant even the slightest breathing room.
“Alright, I'll go right away.” What else could Bai Ci do?
She could only brace herself and walk straight into the trap that had already been set.
She didn't know if the cult had some way of inspecting her. If she roleplayed as Xu Qinghe and ended up exposing herself, it would be extremely difficult to talk her way out of it.
Facing them as herself made things slightly easier to handle. After all, Xu Qinghe's soul was physically inside her body.
If they checked her and found that, based on the results, the young master wasn't supposed to have awakened yet, then so be it.
What did that have to do with her, a clueless, unlucky scapegoat?
She would just leave everything to be explained away as a miracle.
She followed Jinghong all the way to the front hall.
The moment she stepped into the front hall, Bai Ci's gaze swept over the room discreetly, taking in the entire scene.
Seated beside the main host's seat was indeed that strange doctor from yesterday, the one with the cloudy eyes and bizarre medical practices.
Dressed in simple, plain cloth robes, he sat on the chair with a forced composure, putting on the arrogant air of an otherworldly master as he accepted Madame Xu's hospitality.
Beside the doctor stood a young man, who was likely the apprentice Jinghong had mentioned.
The young man was exceptionally good-looking, with sharp, clean-cut facial features. Setting everything else aside, his facial structure alone easily scored a seven or eight out of ten.
But the problem was, those other things couldn't be set aside.
His brow and eyes were clean and sharp; his looks clearly fell into the cool and aloof category.
Yet right now, his face wore an overly eager, flattering, and obsequious smile.
A tall, well-built man was rushing around ahead of all the maids and servants, pouring tea, serving water, and tidying up the tables. He took over all the chores that should have been done by the servants, his every move dripping with servility.
This completely ruined his naturally aloof aura, making him look incredibly comical, awkward, and out of place.
Consequently, even giving his looks a five out of ten felt like a stretch.
It was a neat little trick to make an attractive person look less conspicuous.
Note: This trick does not work on exceptionally good-looking people.
From the moment Bai Ci slowly entered the hall, Madame Xu's gaze locked onto her. Seeing that timid posture once again, her gentle and dignified facade nearly crumbled.
“My child, come here.”
Bai Ci stepped forward as bidden, lowering her head and bowing, paying her respects with an awkward demeanor.
Madame Xu pointed at the doctor beside her. “Yesterday, A'yue acted recklessly and accidentally knocked over the herbal bath formula the doctor had prepared for you.”
“The ingredients for those doses are rare and precious. Many of the herbs must be harvested from dangerous lands according to the seasons, so they cannot be replaced in a short time.”
“I sought him out today and pleaded with him in all sincerity. Only then did I learn that he possesses another secret conditioning method.”
“This secret art is a trump card passed down through his family for generations. It is kept highly confidential and is rarely used for outsiders.”
“I went to great lengths to obtain this opportunity for you. You must cooperate fully and not let my painstaking efforts go to waste.”
As her words fell, the doctor sitting nearby set down his teacup at just the right moment, putting on the calm, indifferent facade of an otherworldly master.
But then his sycophantic apprentice immediately caught the teacup, instantly shattering that very same masterly aura.
Unfortunately, the doctor himself was unaware. Still pretending to be profound, he spoke with a touch of feigned, helpless nobility, “Madame, you flatter me.”
“I have rarely employed this secret art in my lifetime. This method drains my own cultivation and shortens my lifespan. Had I not been moved by Madame's sincerity, I would never have agreed to perform it so easily.”
The two put on a perfectly coordinated show, their chemistry flawless.
Bai Ci lowered her eyes, pretending to be ignorant and docile, while her mind remained crystal clear.
Just as she was contemplating with lowered eyes, her peripheral vision caught the young apprentice's movements.
Standing beside the doctor, while everyone's attention was focused on Bai Ci and Madame Xu, he took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to him to blink his eyes in a rhythmic pattern.
Once, a pause, twice, another pause.
Rate on N.U.
