DTBCF Chapter 10

Actually, Bai Xiangxiu only fainted for a short while before waking up. At that moment, she was being pinned down and watched closely. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the intense masculine aura, so hot that it nearly made her heart stop.

She was so frightened that she didn’t dare to move. She couldn’t understand why the male lead was acting so differently from the script!

According to the script, he hadn’t even held hands with the concubines before meeting the female lead. So why was he suddenly pressing down and staring at her?

After a while, once she heard him leave, she took deep breaths & muttered, “Oh no, that scared me to death. Is the male lead out of his mind?”

Wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, she thought that the male lead was indeed the most terrifying. She should continue pursuing the male supporting character instead.

But lately, she had been expending too much energy, and her blood sugar was low. This was already the umpteenth time she had fainted suddenly. Just as she was thinking this, Xiao Shi arrived with a doctor.

She noticed that the prince had already left, which was a relief, but then she realized she should have hoped for him to stay. After all, as his concubine, her happiness depended on his affection.

However, seeing her soft and weak self on the bed made her heartache. The prince, with his impressive and martial talents, might be too much for her…

Thinking of this, her face flushed red and then went pale.

After Bai Xiangxiu recovered, she began thinking about what gift to give the old lady for her birthday. She couldn’t paint, but she was skilled in gardening.

After pondering for a long time, she asked Xiao Shi, “Where can we find tree roots in our estate?”

“Ah, tree roots? What do you need them for, Lady Xiangxiu?” Xiao Shi thought her mistress had become increasingly strange lately and wondered if her illness still wasn’t cured.

Bai Xiangxiu replied mysteriously, “It’s a secret.”

Xiao Shi said, “Perhaps only the kitchen has them, for use in firewood.”

“Let’s go see,” Bai Xiangxiu said, setting down her cup and heading out with Xiao Shi. She had been staying in the small courtyard since she arrived and rarely went out.

As soon as she stepped out, she attracted attention, not only because of her appearance but also because of her attire.

Being a modern person, Bai Xiangxiu had added some contemporary elements to her clothing, whether it was makeup or accessories, setting her apart from others.

This blend of old and new made her appearance quite lively. However, she had long forgotten her extraordinary beauty and happily went to the kitchen.

The kitchen staff were all stunned to see the charming Lady Xiangxiu in such a smoky place.

Xiao Shi saw her mistress charging forward and quickly stopped her, saying, “Lady Xiangxiu, be careful not to bump into anyone. Please sit in the pavilion and I will call someone to assist you.”

Bai Xiangxiu had no choice but to sit in the pavilion. Shortly after, a middle-aged woman came over, greeted her with a smile, and asked, “Lady Xiangxiu, what brings you to this smoky place?”

There were very few masters in the back courtyard of the Wang residence, and since they were all new, the staff treated them with great care, as they were still figuring out their personalities.

Seeing the woman’s attitude was good, Bai Xiangxiu smiled and said, “I’m looking for some tree roots, the stranger the better. Could you arrange this for me?”

The woman was surprised but said, “That’s possible. However, the firewood area is quite dirty and messy. Would you like me to have someone bring some options for you to choose from?”

“You don’t know what I need, so I’d prefer to choose it myself. Just find someone to guide me.”

Bai Xiangxiu was very polite, and her smile was enchanting. The woman had a good impression of her despite her strange request. She said, “Then I’ll take you there, Lady Xiangxiu.”

Xiao Shi helped her to the outside of the firewood area. After picking and choosing, Bai Xiangxiu finally found a suitable tree root and had it moved to her Winter Garden.

Satisfied, she also instructed the kitchen to prepare her favorite dishes before returning.

The servants were puzzled. Why would a beautiful lady need such rough materials? But as servants, they couldn’t ask too much and simply carried the items over.

By coincidence, they ran into the Prince, Long Heng. Seeing the servants carrying a tree root, he frowned and asked, “What are you doing with this kind of thing?”

“Replying to the Prince, Lady Xiangxiu personally selected this for us to deliver. We don’t know its purpose.” They knelt and answered.

Long Heng was curious. What could a girl who fainted from taking a few steps want with such a heavy object? Though curious, he didn’t stop them and said, “Then just take it over.”

He was on his way to select a birthday gift for his mother and was struggling to decide what to give her. The tree root looked somewhat like a table, and since his mother loved tea, a tea set might be a good choice.

After the bulky tree root was brought back, the place that was once full of paper was now covered with wood shavings. Xiao Shi watched as her mistress, who seemed used to handling such tools, worked on it with various carpentry tools.

Xiao Shi was worried, fearing that her mistress might hurt herself with those heavy tools. But thankfully, her mistress seemed adept and didn’t get injured.

As she worked, Bai Xiangxiu muttered, “This is root carving.”

“Lady Xiangxiu, who are you talking to?” Xiao Shi asked curiously.

“No one, just talking to myself,” she was talking to a cactus named Fire, who was always asking questions.

Normally, she didn’t like to answer to avoid looking strange, but sometimes she would respond. She had only forgotten to notice Xiao Shi bringing tea, which is why she overheard.

“What is root carving?” Xiao Shi asked, echoing Fire’s question.

Bai Xiangxiu smiled and said, “You’ll know once I finish.”

“Oh,” Xiao Shi nodded, wondering who the “you” was. Could it be the prince?

It seemed her mistress still had some feelings for the prince, which made Xiao Shi’s heart ache a little.

“By the way, how many days until the old lady’s birthday?” She had been preparing for so long, it must be a grand event!

“There are three days left,” Xiao Shi replied.

“Hmm, that’s enough time.” Although making a root carving took a long time, the piece of wood she chose already had some shape, so it didn’t need much adjustment.

She just needed to apply some lacquer later, which she could handle herself.