DTBCF Chapter 24

The Old Madam never expected that she would offer her entire fortune. This girl is quite honest. Well, this way, there won’t be any other thoughts in the future.

Lin Qianzi bowed her head as low as it could go and said, “No, no, there’s no need. It was just an accident, wasn’t it, Mother?”

Madam Lin could see that this concubine had a weak personality, though the price she paid was steep.

That little wretch from the prince’s household had said something so outrageous. If she said anything else now, it would only ruin her daughter’s reputation, so she added, “Forget it. The Lin family isn’t short on money, and besides, the eldest daughter already said it was just an accident. Our eldest is kind-hearted, even to the servants.”

She waved it off, only as a show, but to her surprise, the Old Madam from the prince’s household played along, smiling, “Madam Lin and Miss Lin are truly generous. If we kept talking about compensation, it would only hurt the harmony between us. How about this, Bai?”

The Old Madam is devious, but I like what she said here.

But the next thing she said? Not so much. The Old Madam continued, “Bai, you did make a mistake, after all. Acting so clumsily in such a formal setting is improper. Go to the small Buddha hall in the courtyard and copy scriptures as punishment. No need for dinner, and come out in the morning.”

“Yes.” Copying scriptures wasn’t a heavy punishment, so Bai Xiangxiu, already frightened, was helped up by her maid Xiaoshi, and the two headed to the small Buddha hall together.

Now that it was getting dark, Bai Xiangxiu took a deep breath of cold air and whispered to Xiaoshi, “Sneak some pastries over tonight. We can eat them secretly so we won’t starve.”

Xiaoshi gave her mistress a deep look, thinking: You’re being punished, how can you still be so sly?

Seeing that her mistress showed no fear as if she wasn’t bothered by what just happened, Xiaoshi shook her head. Her mistress had a mind that could hold eight horses.

Nevertheless, Xiaoshi went back and sneaked a few pieces of pastry before sending her mistress into the Buddha hall. Only Bai Xiangxiu was to be punished, so Xiaoshi had to wait outside.

After a while, it grew dark and cold. Bai Xiangxiu felt sorry for her and said, “Xiaoshi, go back inside. You’ll still hear me if I call, and nothing will happen here. It’s a temple, after all.”

Xiaoshi was reluctant at first, but the cold eventually got to her, and after much persuasion, she left.

Inside the Buddha hall, Bai Xiangxiu copied the scriptures earnestly. The Old Madam had even sent someone to check on her, and seeing that she was diligently writing, they left.

After copying for a while, Bai Xiangxiu got tired and thought she’d take a nap on the table. Just as she was settling down, the door creaked open. A small figure slipped in, bringing with it a faint fragrance.

“Who…who are you?” Bai Xiangxiu saw hair, so it wasn’t a monk. But the person was wearing monk robes and had a man’s hairstyle.

“Are you Madam Xiu? I’m Lin Qianzi,” the figure whispered.

What? It’s the female lead!

Bai Xiangxiu quickly stood up and went over to greet her. “Miss Lin, why are you here?”

The female lead had come to see her in person, so Bai Xiangxiu welcomed her warmly, completely ignoring her odd attire.

Under the lamp, Miss Lin looked even more beautiful, but Bai Xiangxiu’s kind smile nearly blinded her. Bai Xiangxiu’s attitude was so friendly, with no jealousy or hatred, that Lin Qianzi was taken aback.

I’m her fiancé’s betrothed, yet even that little cousin has looked at me with hostility. But she…she’s so magnanimous. Compared to her, Lin Qianzi felt that she and her mother were small-minded.

“I’m sorry for what happened today. It’s my fault you were punished,” Lin Qianzi said apologetically.

“It’s nothing. I was careless, not your fault,” Bai Xiangxiu replied, knowing exactly what Lin Qianzi meant. She must have felt her mother went too far, which is why she was apologizing. But Bai Xiangxiu didn’t want to comment further, as one shouldn’t speak ill of another’s mother.

Lin Qianzi, seeing Bai Xiangxiu’s beautiful face and kind heart, felt even more ashamed.

In a soft, troubled voice, she muttered, “The prince must treat you well, right? I…even though I’m his fiancée, I don’t like him. But my family refuses to let me break off the engagement. I have no choice but to leave. I hope you and he will be happy.”

Huh?

Is the female lead planning to run away today?

But if she’s leaving, why did she come here to tell me?

Ah, she just came to apologize.

Bai Xiangxiu didn’t dislike Lin Qianzi, but she did think she was too easily swayed.

If she stayed, maybe the prince wouldn’t come to see her (Bai Xiangxiu) as often. It’d be best if Lin Qianzi showed her dissatisfaction early on, and then maybe he’d go after her instead.

Bai Xiangxiu decided to act more graciously, to make sure Lin Qianzi knew that even if she entered the prince’s household, she wouldn’t be a threat.

Holding her hand, Bai Xiangxiu said, “You’re not believing the servants’ gossip, are you? They’re just making things up.”

“What? You—you figured out that I was the servant boy from that day?” Lin Qianzi stammered, panicking. If this got out, her mother would probably kill her.

Bai Xiangxiu gently held her hand and continued, “Don’t worry. I haven’t told anyone, not even the prince. Really, how many people care enough to disguise themselves as a servant just to check on him? I suspected it was you, but I only knew for sure when I saw you today.”

“Thank you for keeping my secret, but I wasn’t spying on your prince!” Lin Qianzi said, her face darkening.

The two young women, deep in conversation, had no idea their words were being overheard by two men outside—none other than the male lead and the second male lead, who had come after hearing some news from the Old Madam.

It wasn’t the Old Madam who told them, though, as she believed men should know as little as possible about the inner courtyard.

However, after they left, Nanny Ye, feeling sorry for her mistress, decided to bring up Bai Xiangxiu’s punishment in front of the prince. Although Prince Li didn’t show much reaction, he fully understood the situation.

Song Jiaoyue, walking beside him, had also caught on and joked, “I’ve heard Miss Lin is quite the talented woman, but I didn’t expect they’d resort to such schemes.”

“Mhm,” Long Heng muttered, continuing to walk.

Song Jiaoyue had no choice but to follow. They were supposed to be taking a post-dinner walk, but where were they going?

Before long, they found themselves outside a small Buddha hall, where, from under the trees, they could see two slender figures sitting inside.

It turned out Long Heng had come to check on his concubine. Just as Song Jiaoyue was about to leave, he overheard the conversation inside.

Both men, being martial artists with keen hearing, caught every word. To their surprise, Miss Lin had come secretly to meet Bai Xiangxiu. Was this the rightful wife and the concubine preparing for a showdown?

But to their shock, there was no fight. Instead, the conversation was sincere. Bai Xiangxiu, in particular, had already guessed Miss Lin’s identity that day. Originally, only three people had recognized that the servant boy who jumped into the lake was Miss Lin: Prince Li, her brother, and Song Jiaoyue himself. Who would have thought this concubine was so sharp?

Despite her intelligence, Bai Xiangxiu wasn’t malicious. She even helped cover for her future mistress. This woman—was she truly generous and free from jealousy, or was there something more going on?