OL CH51

51

Since his Xiao Bai had finally decided to sleep in, Chen Tian naturally had to seize the opportunity to perform well.

Thus, he was full of energy all morning, bustling about and finishing every chore he could do around the house at top speed before carefully preparing breakfast.

By the time breakfast was ready, Bai Su also emerged from his room.

Today, Bai Su wore a moon-white long gown, one of the new outfits they had bought in town. Because they had paid a premium, both the fabric and style were naturally far superior to his old clothes.

The well-fitted garment looked exceptionally elegant on Bai Su, its cuffs embroidered with green bamboo using matching thread—a subtle detail that went unnoticed unless examined closely.

In Chen Tian’s eyes, however, Bai Su always looked flawless; simply changing into new clothes was enough to leave him stunned.

Most importantly, he felt that Bai Su’s smile today was somehow more enticing than usual.

The look in his eyes when he glanced over seemed to hold a few more layers of meaning. Yet, Chen Tian couldn’t quite discern whether it was genuine or just an illusion born of his own infatuation.

The dishes were brought to the table one by one. Though simple, they were prepared with care: steamed white flour buns, shredded chicken congee, stir-fried seasonal greens, all paired with freshly pickled vegetables.

It wasn’t that Chen Tian didn’t want to make something more visually appealing, like soup dumplings, but he had been in a rush to finish all the chores and didn’t have the time for anything too complex this morning.

Still, the chicken was shredded exceptionally fine, the congee was soft and thick, and the vibrant green vegetables made the meal look highly appetizing.

When Bai Su first came out, he had intended to help, only to find there was absolutely nothing left to do. He hadn’t expected his sweetheart to be so efficient; just by coming out a bit later, he had become a “man of leisure.”

Feeling a deeper sense of happiness and comfort, he went to invite Mother Bai, who had already woken up, and the three of them sat around the table to eat.

Chen Tian diligently served the food as usual. Looking at the gentle smile on Bai Su’s face, he had absolutely no inkling of the pulse-racing actions Bai Su had taken upon waking, nor the irresistible thoughts hidden within him.

The pickled vegetables were brought over by Auntie Chunying from next door. They were refreshing, appetizing, and paired perfectly with the congee.

Bai Su ate half a bowl more than usual, feeling that having Zichen by his side made everything thoroughly comfortable.

Through his gradual testing over these past days, he could actually sense that Chen Tian had feelings for him. It was just uncertain whether those feelings were limited to brotherhood.

Moreover, Bai Su had his own pride. He didn’t think a mere Xiucai (scholar) was worthy of his sweetheart’s peerless appearance, so for the upcoming provincial exam, he resolved to no longer hide his brilliance.

However, the people who had suddenly appeared and attempted to harm them still required early precautions. He needed to figure out who was targeting them and deal with it as soon as possible; he absolutely couldn’t let his sweetheart be dragged into danger because of him.

With this in mind, Bai Su stayed at home for a few days, keeping a close eye on his surroundings. Seeing no unusual activity, he made a trip to town alone.

This time, he wasn’t going to buy supplies. Instead, he went straight to the bookstore to seek the old manager’s help.

Bai Su had collaborated with the bookstore for a long time. The old manager had always appreciated him and would lend a hand whenever needed.

Bai Su also knew that the old manager’s identity was likely not as simple as it seemed on the surface; asking him to handle this matter would yield far better results than trying to do it himself.

“What? You’re saying that shortly after you and your friend left the bookstore, you encountered a gang of thugs trying to harm you!”

The old manager certainly remembered that day. The friend Bai Su had brought along was none other than their Second Prince!

At the thought that his master had faced danger alongside Bai Su, the old manager broke into a cold sweat in terror. He could only thank the heavens that his master possessed formidable martial arts; otherwise, had it been anyone else, who knew what disaster might have struck.

“I leave everything in your hands, Manager Wang. I offer you my gratitude. To show my sincerity, I am willing to take a ten-percent cut on my manuscript fees.”

After explaining the whole situation, Bai Su bowed to the old manager in gratitude.

Seeing this, the old manager hastily supported him. “Scholar Bai, please rest assured. Leave this matter to me. As for your share, not only will it not be reduced, but this old man was actually planning to discuss increasing it by twenty percent! You don’t know this, but your storybooks are currently our bookstore’s biggest cash cow. Helping you is my duty; your share absolutely cannot be reduced!”

Seeing the other’s firm attitude and his unhesitating acceptance of the task, Bai Su felt deeply grateful.

Although merchants were known to prioritize profit, the bookstore had taken great care of him over the years, showing far more humanity than other places. This was exactly why he only collaborated with this bookstore for his writings.

Bai Su didn’t offer any more superfluous thanks. After all, pretty words meant nothing without action. He simply promised himself silently that when he achieved success one day, he would never mistreat those who had helped him.

After finishing his business, Bai Su left, entirely unaware that everything had been observed by Chen Tian, who was quietly following him. Even his conversation with the old manager had been heard loud and clear.

Once Bai Su was gone, Chen Tian immediately revealed himself.

The old manager was naturally delighted to see his master. Hearing Chen Tian instruct him to tell Bai Su that the matter was resolved next time he visited, so that he could be at ease, the manager saw even more clearly how special Bai Su was to his master.

“Your Highness seems to hold Young Master Bai in very high regard,” the old manager remarked.

Chen Tian nodded, saying matter-of-factly, “Indeed. Suzhi is not only my savior, but also my confidant. He possesses great talent, and I am certain he will become a pillar of Dongye in the future.”

Hearing this, the old manager’s respect for Bai Su deepened immensely. He decided that if Scholar Bai ever came to him for help again, he would definitely put forth even more effort.

Afterward, the old manager reported some outside news. Hearing the recent updates and confirming that everything was stable at both the borders and the capital, Chen Tian took his leave.

Through 009, Chen Tian already knew that Li Ergou was well aware that the mastermind behind the scenes was Li Zixiu.

However, back then, to extort another sum from Li Zixiu—and figuring he was going to take a beating whether he spoke or not—Li Ergou had gritted his teeth and refused to reveal the culprit’s identity.

Of course, Li Ergou had been beaten terribly by those thugs that day, and they had even robbed him of the tiny bit of silver left in his house. However, he had recouped all of it from Li Zixiu.

Li Zixiu was currently still just a Tongsheng (child scholar). Even though he knew his literary skills were lacking, he still wanted to pass the Xiucai exam just like in his past life. Moreover, to pursue Li Xiaochan, he couldn’t afford a bad reputation.

Therefore, when the heavily bruised Li Ergou showed up at his door demanding money, Li Zixiu, though furious, knew this was not the time to be stingy.

He spent quite a bit more silver to finally send Li Ergou away.

While inwardly cursing Li Ergou’s greed, Li Zixiu was also horrified to discover that the beauty accompanying Bai Su possessed such formidable martial arts.

This actually kept him quiet for a while. Knowing he could no longer carelessly hire thugs to teach Bai Su a lesson as originally planned, he shifted all his energy into courting Li Xiaochan.

Yet, no matter what Li Zixiu did, Li Xiaochan didn’t seem to buy it, making him increasingly impatient.

Li Zixiu considered himself a scholar, and his family’s circumstances were among the best in Li Family Village; otherwise, they wouldn’t have the money for him to study.

Now, this mere village girl was completely ignoring him. He felt it must solely be because he was still only a Tongsheng and not a Xiucai yet.

After all, over these past days, he had also noticed Li Xiaochan’s distinctly different attitude toward the village’s only Xiucai, Bai Su, leading him to conclude that the woman was just a snob.

He hadn’t expected that even after being reborn, Bai Su would still be such an eyesore. Li Zixiu’s heart was filled with jealousy and hatred.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He believed that without Bai Su acting as a stumbling block, Li Xiaochan would have definitely chosen a scholar like him.

Thus, when one plan failed, another was hatched. If the hard way didn’t work, he would try the soft way!

With this in mind, Li Zixiu found an opportunity to arrange a meeting with his cousin, Li Cuiliu.

At dusk, by the bamboo grove on the back mountain, Li Zixiu waited for quite a while before seeing a slender woman swaying her hips as she walked toward him. It was his cousin, Li Cuiliu.

“Cousin, why did it take you so long to remember me? I missed you so much!”

Saying this, Li Cuiliu threw herself into Li Zixiu’s embrace.

Li Zixiu didn’t refuse. He hugged Li Cuiliu directly, and the two embraced like dry wood meeting a blazing fire.

Truth be told, they had been having an affair for a long time. However, to Li Zixiu, Li Cuiliu was nothing more than a plaything.

Li Cuiliu was no pure maiden. She had originally been married off early to a family in the neighboring He Family Village.

Although Li Cuiliu’s looks couldn’t compare to a pampered young lady from a wealthy family, they were considered quite decent in the village.

The family had taken a liking to her appearance and, genuinely fond of her, had given a generous betrothal gift.

However, after she married into the family, they discovered that aside from her looks, the woman was utterly useless. She was far from easy to deal with and had no genuine intention of living a proper life with him.

Li Cuiliu was usually lazy and gluttonous. Being greedy for petty gains was one thing, but she even stole property from her husband’s older brother. Taking advantage of her husband and brother-in-law being away for work, she maliciously mistreated her parents-in-law, had an ambiguous relationship with a widower next door, and committed numerous disgusting acts, infuriating her husband into divorcing her and sending her back.

Even so, Li Cuiliu remained restless and was habitually promiscuous.

Li Zixiu was also frivolous. When Li Cuiliu threw herself at him, he gladly accepted, and the two occasionally met secretly in the back mountain.

“Cousin, you finally remembered to call me out. I thought you had your soul snatched away by that Li Xiaochan recently and completely forgot about your little cousin!”

After finishing their business, the two pressed against each other, whispering sweet nothings.

Hearing this, Li Zixiu didn’t take it to heart, but instead said, “Of course I miss my cousin, but most importantly, I came to tell you some good news!”

“Oh? What good news made Cousin think of me?” Hearing this, Li Cuiliu perked up.

Li Zixiu gave a wicked smile. “That depends on whether my good cousin wants to marry the only Xiucai in Li Family Village!”

Hearing this, Li Cuiliu instantly paid full attention.

Never mind the fact that Scholar Bai was a handsome and thoroughly pleasing man. To pass the Xiucai exam meant he truly had knowledge in his belly; who knows, he might even become an official lord in the future. If she could marry him, she would definitely be destined for a life of luxury.

Moreover, he only had a blind old mother at home. Whoever married him would be able to run the household and have the final say!

However, out of all the girls from the surrounding villages, no matter how good their character or family background, none had caught Bai Su’s eye. Matchmakers had hit a brick wall at his door countless times.

How could such a good thing possibly fall into her lap?

—
Author’s Note:

Chen Tian: At least you know your place. Such a good thing can naturally only fall into my lap!