DTBCF Chapter 17

He stormed back to his room angrily, only to hear that his mother had summoned him. With a frown, he headed to see her.

Noticing that her son’s expression was off, she smiled and said, “Didn’t you just go to see Lady Bai? Why are you back so soon?” She didn’t mind him visiting her now, but his quick return was unexpected.

Long Heng, though quite frustrated, found himself explaining, “It’s very cold and quiet there, and she’s unwell.” The implication was that he couldn’t exactly force himself on a sick person.

His mother gave a faint smile but said nothing. “Cold and quiet? You’re defending her now. Do you know that she’s the one who chose not to have many people around? A while back, she used her madness as an excuse to drive everyone away. It wasn’t me being harsh on her.”

The fact that he was already speaking in her favor without even staying with her amused the old lady. The tea table, along with the tea set her son had gifted, was quite useful, or she wouldn’t have been so calm.

Long Heng quickly replied, “Whatever you do, Mother, you have your reasons.” He didn’t say anything more, as if nothing had just happened.

The old lady sighed inwardly. Her son had always been overly cautious, but ever since his return from the battlefield, it had become impossible to read him. He had briefly let his true emotions show, only for her to push him back into his shell. Had she known, she wouldn’t have teased him.

She thought about other men his age—most had multiple wives and concubines by now.

For the sake of the family, he had joined the military at a young age, earning himself a noble title. But in the process, he had neglected more personal matters. Now, she couldn’t even send a woman to his quarters, as he refused to touch any of them.

He’d visited Lady Bai twice, but both times he’d left looking upset. She couldn’t imagine what Lady Bai had done to anger him, but she resolved to give her a few pointers tomorrow.

Young girls, especially concubines like hers, often didn’t understand how to properly care for a man. After all, she was brought here in a simple sedan chair, without any proper training from the older women of the house.

With that thought, she chatted with Long Heng a bit longer before sending him on his way.

The nanny nearby smiled and said, “I must say, our lord is upright, not one to cause trouble like those frivolous noblemen.”

“Too upright isn’t good either,” the old lady sighed. “At this rate, if that Lady Lin comes through the door, it’ll be a long time before I get to have a grandson.”

The nanny replied, “There are still four lovely girls in this household. Even if he’s cold as ice, half a year of warmth should be enough to melt him. Besides, hasn’t he been visiting Lady Xiu more frequently? I think it’s only a matter of time before he awakens to that side of things. Once that happens, your first grandchild won’t be far behind. If you’re impatient, you could always send a few more beauties his way—let’s see how long he can hold out.”

But the old lady knew her son too well and shook her head with a bitter smile. “My son is stubborn. If he’d learned about women when he was young, it might have been different. Now, after seeing so many harsh things on the battlefield, it’ll be hard for him to lower his guard.”

She sighed again and added, “Go find me a good, proper nanny—one who’s experienced in teaching women about how to manage men.”

The nanny was taken aback for a moment, then understood. “You want to give Lady Bai some pointers? She does seem a bit naive, but she’s not bad, and she’s quite pretty.”

And she certainly had the favor of both the lord and the old lady. The nanny, being sharp, quickly went to make arrangements.

The next day, Bai Xiangxiu was summoned by the old lady. Her heart pounded with anxiety. She hadn’t even managed to seduce the male lead yet, and now she was being called by the stern matriarch. What could this be about?

She nervously approached with her maid, Xiao Shi, waiting respectfully outside for permission to enter.

After a short wait, a nanny came to bring them inside. Bai Xiangxiu quickly performed a grand bow, looking terrified.

Both the old lady and her nanny were stunned. Such a formal greeting wasn’t necessary—it wasn’t a special occasion or anything.

The old lady, struggling to swallow her tea, said, “Get up!” She was trying to suppress a laugh. This cold and aloof persona was an act.

“Thank you, Old Madam.” Bai Xiangxiu let Xiao Shi help her up, but she kept her head down, standing to the side, not daring to sit.

However, her eyes caught sight of the tea table she had made, now placed in the old lady’s cozy sitting area, with a set of expensive-looking teaware on top. It was in regular use.

The old lady certainly had refined taste, befitting someone of her noble background.

“Sit,” the old lady instructed again. Only then did Bai Xiangxiu dare to sit.

The old lady frowned. She had intended to give Bai some advice, but this timid behavior wouldn’t help her.

She decided to test her and said, “The lord went to visit you yesterday and mentioned that Winter Garden feels a bit lonely. I think so too. You can’t just have two people there all the time. If others knew, they might think we’re mistreating you. I’ll send a few more people to your quarters later.”

What? She was trying to get closer to the male lead, and having more people around would just mean more eyes on her. How could she carry out her plans?

But declining the old lady’s offer seemed inappropriate, so she mustered all her “inner palace intrigue” skills and replied, “I deeply appreciate your kindness, Old Madam, but as you know, I’ve been feeling unwell and restless lately. If I were to have more lively girls around, I fear it might not be good for their spirits. Perhaps it would be better to send me a more stable, mature nanny instead?”

Was that an acceptable request?

The old lady nodded to herself. She wasn’t completely submissive, but she didn’t offend her either. Most importantly, her suggestion aligned with the old lady’s thoughts. It was a win-win.

Smiling, she said, “You do care about others. Very well, I’ll honor your request. As for the nanny, I’ve already found one. She’s from my own family, had a hard life, and has been married three times. But now she’s doing quite well.”

“Of course, I’ll leave it all to your wisdom,” Bai Xiangxiu said, though the whole thing sounded odd to her, and she couldn’t quite grasp the meaning.

The old lady knew she didn’t fully understand and elaborated, “She may have had bad luck in her marriages, but each of her husbands treated her very well. You could learn a thing or two from her.” She put down her teacup and added, “I heard the lord visited you yesterday?”

At the mention of the male lead, Bai Xiangxiu’s heart raced. “Yes, he did!” Oh, great, what was she going to say now?

The old lady continued, “What do women live for? All we want is to serve our men well and hold a place in their hearts. Don’t you agree, Lady Bai?”

“Yes, Old Madam, you’re right.” Right about what? Bai thought bitterly. Men didn’t matter at all! If it weren’t for the fear of death, she’d have left to travel freely and forget about men and women altogether.

“The Lord is your man. It’s not good for him to be running back and forth at night. Learn from the nanny, and you’ll know how to keep him.”

The old lady didn’t care whether Bai was embarrassed. After all, she would soon be her son’s woman, and such things couldn’t be avoided.

But Bai Xiangxiu felt mortified. What was the old lady trying to do—act as a matchmaker for her son?

It felt like she’d just swallowed a giant fly, leaving her nauseous. Her face flushed deeply, half from embarrassment and half from anger.

Still, thinking of the male lead, she bit her lip and nodded.

She could agree all she wanted—there was nothing the old lady could do if her son didn’t cooperate!

And soon, the plot would shift, and he’d be off chasing after his runaway bride. All she had to do was play her part as the background character and stay out of trouble.