She Was With Me the Whole Time

"Please watch your words, attendant. A man cannot trample his own reputation like this, much less when you are the third princess's attendant and represent her dignity as well. You were alone in the room, and your clothes were in good order. There was no sign of Eldest Miss Bai at all. I saw it just now: the doors and windows were shut tight, and there was no other way in or out. How could there have been an illicit affair?"

The attendant's mind was still in a muddle. After hearing Xiao Yiliu's words, he had no answer ready and could only lower his head and sob.

The third princess glared viciously at the man. This useless thing couldn't even take his clothes off?

Not wanting to get into a prolonged dispute with Xiao Yiliu, she pronounced Bai Mo guilty on the spot. "How dare Bai Mo lay a hand on my man! This wretch must have opened a window and let her escape. Search! If Bai Mo isn't found, I won't let this rest today. I'll demand an explanation before the imperial mother, too."

This is bad, Bai Mo thought. "I have to find a way out and draw them away. Yun Wu, help me look after Shen Qing. Neither of you should go out for now."

After a moment's thought, she handed Shen Qing a bottle of low-grade potion.

"Your constitution is too weak. You mustn't suffer shock again and again. Leave as soon as you can. Drink this medicine as soon as you get home, then rest."

She added meaningfully, "Remember to bathe when you wake up."

Shen Qing asked no questions. He took the bottle and clutched it tightly in his hand.

"Yun Wu, I'm counting on you."

Yun Wu nodded. "Rest assured, my lady. I'll protect him with my life."

Yun Wu never forgot a kindness. Seeing how worried Bai Mo was about this young master, he understood a few things.

The hurried footsteps of maids sounded outside. Bai Mo began looking for a way out. Glancing up, she saw a route to the top of the rockery and hurriedly used the vines to climb.

The two of them saw Bai Mo fling out a whip and climb up in an incredible fashion.

Once at the top, Bai Mo used skills beyond those of an ordinary person to wrap her whip around the roof opposite as quickly as she could. In that instant, the people below noticed nothing.

With a few swift movements across the rooftops, she returned to the garden where she had started. It was deserted. Bai Mo had intended to sit down and pretend to be drinking tea alone while she waited for everyone to arrive.

Just then, Xiao Muzhi came running over. Both of them froze when they saw each other.

Xiao Muzhi hurriedly took Bai Mo by the hand. "Come with me. We'll go to the pavilion in the middle of the lake. You can say you were admiring the lotuses with me and never left. We were together the whole time."

Bai Mo understood the Xiao siblings' kindness. After a moment's hesitation, she offered no resistance.

Seeing that the searchers were drawing close, Bai Mo picked Xiao Muzhi up and reached the pavilion in a few leaps.

Xiao Muzhi was startled. She even knew martial arts...

He looked down at the hand around his waist. His heart involuntarily beat a little faster, and the tips of his ears turned faintly red.

"Sorry. It was urgent."

"It's all right."

Bai Mo set him down and straightened her hem, her expression unchanged.

Before long, the third princess approached with groups of maids searching everywhere ahead of her and the crowd following behind, all bearing down on them menacingly.

"Huh? Isn't that Eldest Miss Bai in the pavilion?"

"Look at what she's wearing. It's her."

"There's a man beside her."

"It's Muzhi. How did they end up in the pavilion?"

Princess Ping'an and the third princess exchanged a glance, each seeing bewilderment in the other's eyes.

"Go over there."

The third princess swept out her arm and led everyone toward them.

Xiao Muzhi looked startled and moved a little farther behind Bai Mo.

"Bai Mo, you dared lay a hand on my attendant. Tell me, just what did you mean by it? If you don't give me an explanation today, don't even think about leaving."

Bai Yuanshuang stood behind the third princess and recognized the man behind Bai Mo. Wasn't that Young Master Xiao, whom she could never forget? Greatly aggrieved, she blurted out a question without thinking.

"How are you two together again?"

"Again?"

Could Bai Mo and the Xiao family's young master have already known each other?

Everyone turned their gossip-hungry gazes on the two people in the pavilion again.

Bai Mo looked at the crowd in bewilderment, as if she had no idea what the third princess was talking about.

"Your Highness's attendant? What does he have to do with me? When did I ever lay a hand on him? I'm very picky..."

Bai Mo sounded both puzzled and aggrieved.

Several of the young men at the selection laughed softly.

The third princess grew even angrier. She dragged the attendant out from behind her and threw him to the ground.

"Wretched servant, tell them yourself."

The man looked up at Bai Mo, astonishment at her beauty flashing in his eyes. Then he hurriedly lowered his head and sobbed, crying pitifully, "My lady, save me. If you heartlessly abandon me, the princess will kill me. Please, just beg the princess to let you take me."

Bai Mo hastily took several steps back, as if something filthy lay before her.

"Who are you? Who's your lady? Don't talk nonsense.

"Why would I ask the third princess to let me take you? Do I look like someone with such poor taste?"

Everyone was taken aback.

Several young men couldn't help laughing again.

The third princess's face darkened further.

"Bai Mo, you touched my man. You dared conduct a secret affair, but you don't dare admit it?"

Bai Mo hurriedly waved her hands. "Don't say that. I, Bai Mo, may not be a good person, but I know where to draw the line. I don't touch other people's men."

"Besides, you keep talking about secret affairs and laying hands on him, but what exactly did I do? To catch an adulterer, you have to catch both parties. Your Highness just opens and closes her mouth, and I almost feel as though I've done something that offends heaven and earth."

"You..."

The fifth princess stepped forward, her face full of indignation, and stood in front of Bai Mo. She said bluntly to the third princess, "Third Sister, this really isn't proper. You've decided Sister Bai did something filthy based on a wretched servant's word alone. Where's the evidence?"

"They met in secret at the princess's residence. Isn't that evidence? My attendant admitted it himself."

Bai Mo looked at the man on the ground and asked softly, "Oh? When did I meet you in secret?"

The man gazed pitifully at Bai Mo, his heart and mind in turmoil. If this woman really did take him, it would be far better than following the tyrannical princess. After this, he surely couldn't stay at the princess's residence. He might as well latch on to this young lady. With his skills, it probably wouldn't be hard to secure a place in her household.

"How can you be so heartless, my lady? We met in the room, and when you heard someone coming, you hurried away. If you refuse to admit it now, aren't you condemning me to death? Please, my lady, show some mercy and save me."

The man gazed at Bai Mo, his eyes full of longing.

"What room? I never went there. I can't save you."

Bai Mo snorted. How utterly revolting. Something like him wanted to latch on to her?

Xiao Muzhi stepped forward and interrupted the man's tearful plea. "Eldest Miss Bai and I have been in this pavilion the whole time. She never left."

Seeing Xiao Muzhi step forward to testify for Bai Mo, everyone began to waver. Xiao Muzhi was a young master of the Xiao family and Great Master Xiao's most beloved grandchild. And if a man was willing to disregard his own reputation to testify for a woman, he must surely be fond of her. Second Miss Bai had just said they were together "again"; perhaps they were lovers already.

With a young man like Xiao Muzhi, would Bai Mo take a fancy to the wretched servant on the ground?