Bai Mo Got Drunk

Shen Qing had not acted on impulse. He had thought about many things...

Bai Mo appeared calm, but how could he not know how much she was hurting inside?

But he could not. He could not ruin her life. How could he stay by her side with a body as broken as his?

While they were not yet betrothed...

While so little time had passed...

It was best to leave it at that!

That person had destroyed him so completely that he could not let go of his hatred. Even if it cost him his life, he would have his revenge.

"Eldest Miss Bai, you are free to propose marriage, but the Grand Preceptor's Residence will not agree. For the sake of the debt I owe you for saving my life, I have said all I can."

The more Bai Mo heard, the angrier she grew. She stepped forward and seized Shen Qing by the chin, gripping him hard. "I went to such trouble to save you, and now you want to leave me? In your dreams!

"Whether you want to marry me or not, you will. If even Elder Xiao's visit won't change things, I'll have my mother take the imperial iron decree to the empress and request the marriage. Shen Qing, give up all thought of separating from me."

Pain spread through his chin, and waves surged in Shen Qing's heart. He desperately wanted to agree.

But he bore a heavy grudge and had no hope of having children. She was so clever, and a brilliant future lay ahead of her...

"Bai Mo, we have at least known each other for some time. I hope you will not stand in the way of my future, Eldest Miss Bai. If your family insists on using the imperial iron decree to force me, I can only repay you with my life."

Bai Mo stiffened slightly. Her heart turned cold at once. Was he really threatening her with his life?

Shen Qing loved glory and riches? She did not believe a single word of it.

But such heartlessness truly chilled her.

"Eldest Miss, please let go first. You've squeezed Young Master's chin red."

Seeing Shen Qing and Bai Mo quarrel like this, Yun Wu felt terrible.

Young Master was not someone who cared about power. Yun Wu had seen all his joys and sorrows over the past few days, and fearing the quarrel would only grow uglier, he could only step forward and separate them.

Bai Mo let go, and when she saw how red she had squeezed Shen Qing's chin, damn it, her heart still ached for him a little...

She dug her nails fiercely into her palm.

"Yun Wu, see the guest out."

With that, Shen Qing turned away and said nothing more.

Bai Mo laughed in anger.

"You think I can't live without you? You treat me like this because you know I like you. Shen Qing, you're really something..."

She no longer wanted to keep entangling herself with him either.

Whatever made you change your heart, this is utterly pointless!

Bai Mo left the Grand Preceptor's Residence in great haste.

But her eyes still stung a little.

She could not understand it, and there was nothing she could investigate...

Once she was clear of the Grand Preceptor's Residence, she suddenly felt a little lonely, and all sorts of emotions came surging over her.

She was also troubled, unsure what to say when she got home.

Someone suddenly appeared before her, blocking her path.

"Sister Bai, why are you alone on the street? I've been calling you for ages, but you didn't hear me."

It was Xiao Yiliu.

Bai Mo was in no mood to chat, and replied listlessly, "Hello, Sister Xiao. I was just going home. There's something I need to attend to there, so let's catch up another time."

Then she went around Xiao Yiliu and walked past her.

Seeing that something was wrong with Bai Mo and that she seemed weighed down by worries, Xiao Yiliu could not feel at ease letting her leave like that. She blocked her path again and said with concern, "You don't look well. My younger brother and I are having tea at the newly opened South Bank of the Yangtze teahouse. Come upstairs and sit with us for a while. You can discuss anything with me, and if there's any way we can help, the Xiao family certainly won't stand by and do nothing."

Bai Mo could see Xiao Yiliu meant well, and her own mind was a mess.

"South Bank of the Yangtze? Do they have good wine here?"

Xiao Yiliu was momentarily taken aback. It was not yet five in the afternoon, and dinnertime was still some way off, yet she wanted to drink? It seemed she really had encountered something unpleasant.

"They do. South Bank of the Yangtze is famous for its fine tea, but it also has a wine called Black Du Wine. You can give it a try, Sister Bai."

As they talked, the two entered South Bank of the Yangtze and went to a window seat on the second floor, where Xiao Muzhi sat on a couch with a gentle smile.

Xiao Yiliu pulled Bai Mo down to sit and ordered the server to bring a jar of Black Du Wine.

"Eldest Miss Bai, what a coincidence."

"I was only passing by. Sorry to intrude on your pleasant outing."

As soon as the server brought the wine, Bai Mo poured herself a cup and drank. The fiery wine went down her throat, and the ache in her heart eased considerably.

She drank cup after cup without a word.

The siblings exchanged a glance, both feeling that something was very wrong with Bai Mo today.

Xiao Yiliu patted her. "Sister Bai, if you keep drinking like this, you'll get drunk. Have a pastry. What exactly happened? Why don't you tell me about it?"

Seeing the concern in Xiao Yiliu's eyes, Bai Mo gave a self-mocking smile.

With the wine giving her courage, she did feel like confiding a little.

"Sister Xiao, did you know Elder Xiao has arrived in the Capital?"

"Of course we knew Great Grandmother had come to the Capital. We went to the vice minister of war's residence to fetch her this morning, but she said she wouldn't return to the Xiao residence until she had finished helping her student tomorrow."

"She came to be my matchmaker..."

The Xiao siblings were both startled.

She was going to take a husband?

"I didn't know. Great Grandmother didn't tell me much. Which family's young master are you proposing to, Sister Bai? Congratulations."

Bai Mo waved a hand. "No need for congratulations. I doubt there's any need for them now."

"Why do you say that?"

"He told me he looked down on me and that his feelings for me were nothing but gratitude. He wants to marry into the imperial family and told me not to make a fool of myself."

Bai Mo gulped down another cup of wine. Her eyes began to sting uncontrollably, and she looked up at the eaves and got it under control.

"This..."

Seeing her like this, Xiao Yiliu did not know how to comfort her and could only pat her gently on the back.

"Tell me, are glory and riches really so important? I don't believe it. If he really likes them, why couldn't he give me a little more time? I've already washed my heart clean and turned over a new leaf for him."

Bai Mo sneered again. "He wanted my bedchamber to be free of other men. As it happens, I never intended to take concubines. I only wanted to devote myself to him alone.

"Men's lives are short to begin with. If he passed away, I could even spend the rest of my life alone.

"But then he changed his mind again and said my family's standing was too low.

"I said that if the Grand Preceptor's Residence truly refused, I would have my mother bring out the imperial iron decree and ask the empress for a favor. I certainly wouldn't let him be treated unfairly.

"But he wouldn't agree. He threatened me with his life?

"Threatened me with his life? Why?"

The Xiao siblings were both shocked...

Xiao Muzhi could not help asking, "Eldest Miss Bai, is the young master you're proposing to the Shen family's Young Master Qingya?"

Bai Mo nodded and casually brushed the corner of her eye.

Xiao Yiliu felt somewhat indignant.

"A great woman need not worry about finding a husband. Don't be like this, Sister Bai. If he won't marry you, let it be. A melon twisted off the vine by force isn't sweet."

"But it quenches your thirst."

Xiao Yiliu: "..."

The two sat with Bai Mo for a long time, and she drank herself into a stupor.

The Xiao siblings escorted her back to the Residence of the Earl Who Protects the State.

Bai Mo muttered to herself throughout the carriage ride. In the end, she grabbed Xiao Muzhi, called him Shen Qing, and held him as she poured out her feelings.

"How could you do this? This is the first time I've ever liked someone, and you just trampled on my heart like that."

"How am I supposed to deal with this? My family's courtyard is full of betrothal gifts, and there are so many elders."

"You just dust off your backside and say we're breaking up. Tomorrow is the day of the proposal. How am I supposed to face them?"

"Can't you choose not to marry into the imperial family? If you want power, I'll work hard to gain it. If you love money, I'm very rich."

Held in her arms, Xiao Muzhi went rigid.

Although there was much in what Bai Mo said that he did not understand, he could still grasp what she meant overall.

Xiao Muzhi felt his heart pounding. Xiao Yiliu tried to pull Bai Mo away, but he stopped her.

"Elder sister, let her cry for a while. She'll feel better that way."

Bai Mo cried for a while, then pleaded, "Please, can we not break up?"

She kissed him.