What Does It Have to Do with Me?

"Why wear it there?"

Bai Jingyao was immensely curious.

Seeing her uncle so curious, Bai Mo couldn't help finding it funny, and she also wanted to show off a little. "Uncle, this is another belief that came from the West. There's a blood vessel in the ring finger of the left hand that leads straight to the heart. Wearing a ring there means two hearts beat as one, and it lets both people feel each other's love and heartbeat."

"Two hearts beat as one? That's just how your aunt and I are. How beautifully put."

Bai Mo's heart suddenly clenched, and her expression changed.

"Momo, what's wrong?"

For an instant, Bai Mo felt as though she had lost control of her features, and her heart ached terribly.

What's going on? Could I have heart disease?

No, it's Shen Qing. What happened to him?

Bai Mo came back to herself, a hint of anxiety appearing on her face. "Uncle, I'm fine. I have to go out for a while. Sorry to trouble you with looking after things here."

Without waiting for Bai Jingyao to say anything, she rose and headed for the door.

"Momo, are you all right? You looked terribly pale just now..."

Bai Mo didn't hear what Bai Jingyao said after that.

Bai Mo didn't take a horse. She found a secluded route and used vines to help propel herself toward the Grand Preceptor's Residence at tremendous speed.

There was a subtle connection between their hearts and minds, though ordinarily they didn't feel much of it. Whenever one of them experienced an extreme emotional upheaval, the other could sense a trace of it.

The Grand Preceptor's Residence was still heavily guarded during the day.

And in broad daylight, it was even harder to stay hidden.

Bai Mo carefully climbed over one courtyard wall after another and arrived outside Shen Qing's rear window.

As though sensing something, Shen Qing opened his eyes.

"Yun Wu, go open the rear window."

Yun Wu thought his young master felt stifled, so he went to open the window as instructed.

The moment he opened it, he met Bai Mo's eyes, and both of them froze...

Bai Mo was also surprised to see Yun Wu in Shen Qing's room, but she had no mind to ask questions. She immediately climbed through the window.

Yun Wu stuck his head out and looked around. Seeing no one else, he immediately closed the window.

Watching Bai Mo hurry to the bedside, he didn't know what to feel. There was bitterness and joy, relief and a sense of inferiority.

She truly was the best of women.

"Shen Qing, how are you?"

Bai Mo saw that his face was pale, his whole person cold and expressionless, as though he were keeping everyone a thousand miles away...

The moment Shen Qing heard Bai Mo's voice, he felt as though an invisible hand had gripped his heart, leaving him terribly breathless. His whole body was like a dead branch swaying in the autumn wind, his mind went blank, and he fell into despair.

He wanted to see her, yet didn't want to see her. She was like a ray of warm sunshine, such a wonderful woman. With flowers to gather from morning till evening, why should she pick up a dead leaf?

Bai Mo paid no heed to anything else. She immediately stepped forward and took Shen Qing's hand, sending a wisp of her Wood-Element Ability into his body.

Shen Qing's hand was icy and trembling slightly. His body, improved by the primary potion, was slowly healing, and his once terribly fragile meridians were recovering bit by bit. The poison in his body had also been completely cleared. As long as he rested and recuperated, he would be fine.

If it isn't a problem with his body, what on earth is wrong?

Seeing how distressed he was, Bai Mo gently reassured him. "What happened? I sensed something was wrong with you at home, so I hurried over. Whatever it is, tell me. I'm here."

Shen Qing opened his eyes at that moment and gazed deeply at Bai Mo for a while. Then he pulled his hand from hers, his face cold. "Eldest Miss Bai, please conduct yourself with propriety. Men and women should not touch. Don't turn your wanton ways on me. Barging into my room in broad daylight, are you trying to ruin my virtue, Eldest Miss Bai?"

Bai Mo was utterly baffled by his words...

Yun Wu was also astonished to hear Shen Qing speak this way.

"Young master, you mustn't say such things. Since the eldest miss is here, why won't you have a proper talk with her?"

Before Yun Wu could finish, Shen Qing looked at Bai Mo, his eyes utterly calm.

"Yes, we should talk. Since you're here, I won't have to send a servant to deliver a letter to you. I've discussed it with my maternal grandmother. Now that my health has recovered, with my family background and talents, I'm bound to marry into the imperial family. The gap between our Grand Preceptor's Residence and the Residence of the Earl Who Protects the State is too great, and so is the gap between you and me. So let's forget about tomorrow's proposal, lest we become a laughingstock."

His voice was low and pleasant, but also merciless.

Bai Mo understood every word he said, yet somehow couldn't make sense of them together.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said."

"You're telling me not to come propose tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Our hearts are connected. I sensed how much your heart was hurting and hurried over. Why are you saying these things to me? What happened?"

Shen Qing closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a trace of pain showed in them. He glanced at Yun Wu, and his voice softened a little. "I did have feelings for you, Eldest Miss Bai, but I've thought it over, and it was gratitude. Yesterday, I went to my maternal grandmother's courtyard and confessed everything to her, though I didn't tell her you were the one who saved me. I hope you'll forgive me.

"My maternal grandmother told me about the rumors in the Capital and comforted and advised me, and I came to understand. I don't want to be with you. I've suffered too much, and I want a better life. I also want to marry into the imperial family and bring honor to our Grand Preceptor's Residence, and..."

"And what?"

The more Bai Mo heard, the colder her heart grew.

"And my heart wasn't hurting because of you. An imperial physician came to take my pulse today and said the poison had ruined my body and would likely shorten my life considerably. I was only feeling sorry for myself."

"..."

The room fell silent.

Shen Qing stared fixedly at Bai Mo, but he couldn't make out any expression on her face.

Yun Wu opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"Shen Qing, you're not that kind of person."

"Heh... You probably don't know me very well. If you cared to ask around, you'd find out what kind of person I am. I spend all my time going from one gathering to another, socializing with the noble ladies of the imperial family..."

"Stop."

Bai Mo felt a little tightness in her chest.

She didn't need to ask what he meant anymore... She understood.

Nothing showed on her face, but the feeling of being betrayed and abandoned was truly awful!!

No wonder people said you had to get to know someone before falling in love. A month or so really wasn't enough. When she'd sensed how miserable he was just now, she'd thought he was in some kind of danger...

Bai Mo's face remained composed, but her expression was deadly serious. "Are you saying all this because you want to part ways with me?"

"We were never together."

"Heh... We were never together?"

"Shen Qing, do you know that my family was going to come and propose tomorrow? For this proposal, my aunt went to great lengths to bring Elder Xiao from Ru'an Commandery to act as matchmaker. My uncle and mother happily prepared the betrothal gifts, and I devoted myself to preparing for the proposal. And you're telling me we were never together? How utterly ridiculous."

Shen Qing said, "What does it have to do with me?"

Yun Wu said, "..."