A Talented Woman and a Beautiful Man Indeed

"I was admiring the lotuses with the Xiao family's young master and discussing today's poetry. I wonder if that counts as a crime?" Bai Mo gave the Third Princess a meaningful look.

"My attendant said that the two of you were in love. Whatever excuse you offer is useless."

Bai Mo shrugged and said unconcernedly, "Perhaps this young lady is simply too handsome, and even Your Highness's attendant has taken a fancy to me and started seeing things."

"You..."

The Third Princess was so angry she could have breathed fire. She was considering how to deal with Bai Mo, but before she could shout at her, Bai Mo said airily, "One look at the Third Princess's attendant and you can tell something's wrong. Why not have a physician examine him? His face is so red. Could he have eaten something he shouldn't have and really started hallucinating? If so, I've been terribly wronged."

Everyone looked at the man on the ground. They all came from noble families and had seen plenty of such tricks in their households. A glance was enough to tell them he had probably been drugged.

The Third Princess thought, This is bad.

Bai Yuanshuang cut in. "Eldest sister, how could you do such a thing? You even dared to drug one of the princess's people?"

Bai Mo: ???

Does Bai Yuanshuang think she's dying too slowly?

"He said we'd long been in love and had exchanged tokens in secret. If I were meeting him, why would I need to drug him? Second sister, did you bind your cerebellum?"

"You..." Bai Yuanshuang knew she had misspoken and was too angry to think of a retort.

Seeing that her third sister had stopped answering, the Fifth Princess decided to give her a way out and let the matter rest. She gave Bai Mo an apologetic look.

"Third sister must have been misled by this wretched attendant. I hope Sister Bai won't take offense. Let's put today's matter behind us."

"Little Five is right. This wretched attendant not only disrupted our cousin's poetry gathering, but also dared to disgrace the imperial family. Third sister, take him back and deal with him yourself."

The Fourth Princess also stepped forward to help. She knew her unreliable third imperial sister was behind this mess, but away from home, they were all imperial princesses, and they still had to uphold the imperial family's dignity.

Bai Mo nodded unconcernedly. "Since both princesses have said so, let's leave it at that. I won't hold it against a mere little man. I hope the Third Princess won't let a clown like this make a fool of her either."

The Third Princess knew there was no way to turn the matter around.

"Take this wretched attendant away. We're leaving."

She swept her sleeves and left.

Bai Mo and Xiao Muzhi exchanged a glance, both inwardly relieved.

"It was my mistake to misunderstand Eldest Miss Bai without first asking what happened. I hope you won't take it to heart, Eldest Miss Bai. I'll personally apologize to you in a little while."

Princess Ping'an looked annoyed with herself and lowered herself to apologize. In everyone's eyes, she was exceedingly gracious, as expected of a princess!!

Bai Mo sneered inwardly. As if no one knows you're the one moving the pieces behind the scenes, and the Third Princess is just a pawn. She didn't expose her to her face, instead hurrying forward with a smile. "Your Highness, you're too polite. I haven't taken it to heart. How could I dare accept an apology from you?"

"Eldest Miss Bai truly is magnanimous. With such magnanimity, you'd be more than fit to be the Xiao family's daughter-in-law. Eldest Miss Bai and the Xiao family's young master truly are a talented woman and a beautiful man, a perfect match."

A faint smile appeared on Princess Ping'an's lips.

Bai Mo: "..."

Hearing that, Bai Mo grew more wary, but she couldn't respond. The more she tried to clear things up, the worse they would look.

Xiao Muzhi's face instantly turned red, and after what had happened, he couldn't very well speak up to contradict her.

Xiao Yiliu, however, frowned slightly. She didn't understand why Princess Ping'an would tarnish her younger brother's reputation in front of everyone. "Please mind your words, Your Highness. This is only the second time my younger brother and Eldest Miss Bai have met. Eldest Miss Bai once helped my younger brother, and today she happened to become a disciple of our Xiao family. From now on, they'll be friends under the same tutelage, so it would be perfectly normal for them to see more of each other."

"Oh? A hero saving a beauty? That really would make a lovely tale. I meant nothing else by it, Lady Xiao. There's no need to take it to heart."

Princess Ping'an looked innocent and perfectly amiable.

"Everyone, please come this way. It's time for the evening banquet to begin. Today's spread is rather good, so please have a taste."

Everyone whispered among themselves, thinking that Bai Mo and the Xiao family's young master really were well matched. Their thoughts had all been led in that direction.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

Bai Mo looked at Xiao Muzhi apologetically.

"You've apologized to me twice today. There's no need at all. I'm not angry."

The tips of Xiao Muzhi's ears were slightly red as he walked beside Bai Mo with his eyes lowered.

Seeing her younger brother's expression, Xiao Yiliu felt as though she had suddenly caught hold of a thread that had slipped through her fingers before. Is my little brother... taken with Bai Mo??

After that whole farce, Bai Mo only ate a hasty meal. She didn't want to exchange flattery with the noble young ladies here anymore. All she could think about was Shen Qing, but she couldn't get away.

I'm never coming to another blasted banquet like this again. On second thought, she was glad she had come. The trouble had turned toward her; otherwise, Shen Qing would have been in danger today.

With great difficulty, Yun Wu supported Shen Qing to the Shen family's carriage. Xiaotian had been sent off somewhere, and only Xiaojing and the coachman were waiting by the carriage.

"What happened to you, young master? Why isn't Xiaotian attending you?"

Seeing how weak his young master looked, Xiaojing hurried forward in alarm to support him.

"Let's get in the carriage first. Tell the people at the gatehouse that I'm unwell and leaving early."

"Yes."

The master and servants hurriedly helped Shen Qing into the carriage. Yun Wu hesitated, unsure whether he should follow, feeling it would be presumptuous.

"Come aboard. Thank you for saving me today. Come out of the residence with me first. It may be dangerous for you to go back now."

Shen Qing's dark eyes were as deep as a cold pool, with no emotion in them.

Yun Wu's gaze shifted slightly, and he followed Shen Qing into the carriage.

Xiaojing informed the gatehouse and asked the people there to look for Xiaotian and tell him to hurry back to the residence. Then he left in haste.

The carriage was silent. No one spoke.

Shen Qing still felt quite unwell and only wanted to rest as soon as possible. Even the jolting of the carriage made his head swim.

Seeing how ill at ease Yun Wu was, he lifted his eyelids slightly and asked, "You're Yun Wu."

His voice held no emotion; it sounded like both a question and a statement.

"Yes."

"Are you close to Bai Mo?"

Yun Wu didn't know what relationship the person before him had with Bai Mo, though he had some idea. His heart was full of bitterness.

"We don't know each other well. Eldest Miss Bai saved me twice. She's my benefactor."

"She was the one who redeemed you."

"Mm..."

Seeing him look like a quail, Shen Qing no longer wanted to ask about his relationship with Bai Mo, so he asked about what had happened today instead.

"Why were you at the princess's residence today? And why did you happen to appear outside her courtyard?"

Yun Wu was still shaken when he thought of everything that had happened today.

He slowly recounted what had happened. "I'd only just returned to the Capital. Eldest Miss Bai once gave me a valuable item to help me, but I never used it, so I came to return it in person. I took it to the Residence of the Earl Who Protects the State, and the servant at the gatehouse told me I could just leave it there. Eldest Miss Bai had left a message for me with the gatehouse, saying there was no need to thank her again and that this was the end of it..."

When Shen Qing heard this, the corners of his lips curved up slightly.