DTBCF Chapter 12

Bai Xiangxiu frowned slightly. She had never been very good at handling relationships, but she wasn’t the type to attack others with hostility. People like that tend to be disliked, regardless of their reasons.

She averted her gaze, but by chance, she caught the male lead’s eyes. Wait, wait, wait—was he looking at her?

Startled, she almost slid off her chair. She quickly lowered her head, staring at her feet, too scared to look up again for quite a while. It wasn’t until both Madam Chun and Madam Xia had finished presenting their gifts, and the group had given their comments, that she dared to sneak a glance at the male supporting character.

Ah, as expected from the first male supporting role—his looks and aura were truly remarkable. On top of that, he was deeply affectionate, and his status was nearly on par with the male lead’s. If only he could take notice of her, maybe she could avoid being beaten to death.

But… would he even like her gift? Could she possibly outshine the female lead, even just a little?

Just thinking about how the female lead had already won both the male lead and the male supporting character’s hearts without even appearing made her feel discouraged. Would fighting the female lead lead to a miserable end?

“Madam Xiu, it’s your turn, Madam Xiu…” Just a moment ago, everything was fine—how did she get so distracted? Xiao Shi, anxious and covered in sweat, jabbed her mistress hard in frustration.

“Ouch!” Bai Xiangxiu yelped, turning her head in confusion and rubbing her shoulder as she looked at Xiao Shi.

What’s with this girl poking her so hard? Then she noticed Xiao Shi gesturing toward the Old Madam. Bai Xiangxiu broke out in a cold sweat, suddenly realizing it was her turn—not just her turn to present, but to offer her a gift!

She had prepared well enough, but now that it was time, her mind had wandered. Flustered, she stood up, only to realize that all the eloquent words she had rehearsed had vanished into thin air.

All she could manage was, “I wish the Old Madam longevity as vast as the East Sea, and a life as long as the Southern Mountains.” The phrase was so overused—surely the male supporting character would ignore her now. She felt like crying; what should she do?

Bai Xiangxiu had a habit of bowing her head when she was nervous, never daring to lift it. Her hands would fidget with anything in her grasp, and today, it happened to be a handkerchief, which she twisted and turned. Even her curtsy looked a bit awkward.

However, she was a beauty, and such shy movements only made her appear all the more endearing. To everyone watching, Bai Xiangxiu was the picture of bashful loveliness, to the point where they felt that making her speak more would be almost cruel.

The Old Madam’s fingers trembled slightly. This woman was indeed too beautiful—so much so that even she felt a twinge of pity.

She furrowed her brow briefly and stole a glance at her son, relieved to see that he was showing no reaction. He was so much like his father, unaffected by beauty. “Such thoughtfulness,” she remarked.

Only then did Bai Xiangxiu dare to stand up, saying, “I’ve prepared a gift for the Old Madam. Xiao Shi, have them bring it in!”

Bring it in?

Song Jiaoyue was taken aback. Everyone else had presented their gifts by hand—why was hers being carried in?

This beautiful lady was certainly interesting. Her poetry was amusing, and she was intriguing. With a slight smile, Song Jiaoyue placed her teacup down and turned toward the entrance, curious to see what was being brought in.

At that moment, Long Heng thought of that broken tree root. Surely she wasn’t mad enough to present a tree root as a gift to his mother? With all these esteemed guests here, he was already thinking of how to cover for her.

Just as everyone’s thoughts began to diverge, a large object draped in red silk was carried into the room.

Even the Old Madam felt a spark of curiosity. Most gifts from young ladies or wives were embroidered scriptures or calligraphy; what exactly was this large item?

Bai Xiangxiu walked over, pulled down the red silk herself, and then stepped aside. She didn’t enjoy being the center of attention, but she did love having her artwork admired.

When the tea table was revealed to everyone, she quietly retreated to a corner, clutching the red silk in her hands.

“This…” The Old Madam’s eyes lit up. She loved tea, especially fine tea sets and tea tables, but this unique and auspicious table was unlike anything she had ever seen.

It was made from a tree root, with three rough yet elegant legs supporting it. The surface was smooth, and though not a perfect circle, the shape vaguely resembled the character for “longevity.”

And next to the “longevity” character stood a carved crane, carrying a peach on its back. The whole table looked like a piece of art—both beautiful and functional.

The Old Madam hadn’t expected the young lady to have such insight. It was clear she wanted to please her.

She turned her gaze toward Bai Xiangxiu, expecting her to be brimming with pride at having her gift well received. At the very least, she should look delighted.

However, the young lady had already shrunk back into a corner, her face flushed, nervously twisting her handkerchief as if she was ready to flee at any moment.

Something wasn’t right. The Old Madam, with her sharp eyes, noticed her hand and frowned slightly. “Such thoughtfulness, but you must be careful with your hands. Nanny, bring Bai a jar of the Dew Ointment.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the nanny replied.

Already feeling nervous under the scrutiny, Bai Xiangxiu became even more flustered when the Old Madam noticed her injured hands. She quickly hid them, saying in a delicate, anxious voice, “It’s nothing.”

Her nervousness was half real, half an act.

Readers of the story would know that the Old Madam favored gentle, understanding girls and disliked those with wild ambitions. Bai Xiangxiu feared the Old Madam, so she naturally wanted to make a good impression by playing along.

She glanced over at the male supporting character, only to see his gaze fixed on the table. She was momentarily stunned.

Was this male supporting character so hard to seduce? Couldn’t he at least look at the creator of the table? That was her whole point!

But no, Song Jiaoyue never once looked her way. To better inspect the table, he even stood up and walked over to it. “Huh?” he murmured.

“What’s wrong?” Long Heng asked. Was there something wrong with the gift? He thought it was fine—she hadn’t completely lost her mind and brought a tree root, after all.

“How did you carve such small characters?” Song Jiaoyue pointed to the crane’s wings, this time finally looking directly at Bai Xiangxiu.

Thrilled to have caught the male supporting character’s attention, Bai Xiangxiu was momentarily overjoyed. But she felt a bit off-topic—she had hoped to get his attention with a poem, not a question about craftsmanship.

Should she answer his question?

Of course, she should. She knew that Song Jiaoyue admired the female lead’s intelligence and wit, along with a touch of delicate charm. In a soft voice, she replied, “I carved it using a needle.”

“A needle?” Song Jiaoyue looked at Bai Xiangxiu’s hands. To make such a sacrifice for the Old Madam’s birthday, it was clear she was trying to impress King Li.

Having seen many inner-court schemes, he smiled faintly and said nothing more.