CHAPTER 137: CHAPTER 137: IS THE MALE LEAD FLIRTING WITH THE YOUNG LADY?

That person had a refined posture, a handsome face, and his eyes shone bright as if reflecting the sun when he smiled.

Standing in front of them, he seemed relaxed, showing not a hint of impatience or unwillingness even when faced with a conniving female antagonist.

If it weren’t for the male lead, Tang Xiaobai almost doubted he was just passing by.

"Go to the Yunji Pastry Shop and buy a pack of thousand-layered rouge cake, return within fifteen minutes!" The eldest miss raised her chin, commanding arrogantly.

Tang Xiaobai felt a pang in his chest.

Is it possible that his sister has always been attracting resentment in front of the male lead?

"Yunji Pastry Shop is in the West Market, it’s a bit far..." Li Xingyuan’s face showed difficulty.

"What? Can’t do it?" The eldest miss sneered disdainfully, "Since you’re not escorting the eldest young master to Hedong, and no one needs you here as a tutor, you can’t even run an errand. What’s the use of keeping you in Duke Yan Mansion?"

Tang Xiaobai hurriedly tugged at his sister’s sleeve.

Even if this is not the male lead, you can’t just chase people away when brother isn’t here!

Li Xingyuan’s eyes brightened and he became eager: "How about I teach the eldest miss martial arts?"

Tang Xiaobai: ...

Tang Jiaojiao sneered: "You think you’re qualified?"

Li Xingyuan grinned cheerfully: "If I can bring back the thousand-layered rouge cake within fifteen minutes, will the eldest miss agree to let me?"

Tang Jiaojiao laughed coldly: "Within half that time!"

"Deal!" Before the words were finished, he had already vanished.

Tang Xiaobai watched in a daze, finding his voice only after a long while: "Sis, are you going to learn martial arts from him?"

Oh my... How did the eldest miss and the male lead come to this development?

And it looks like Li Xingyuan’s plan...

"Pfft!" Tang Jiaojiao’s tone was clearly annoyed, "Who wants to learn martial arts from him!"

Tang Xiaobai turned to look at her, her face already devoid of the previous arrogance, evidently realizing she had fallen into a trap.

But how could Tang Jiaojiao admit defeat so easily?

"Keep track of the time!" She ordered viciously, "If he’s not back within half the time, hehe..."

"What if he comes back?"

"Impossible!" Tang Jiaojiao stated firmly, "It’s impossible to make a round trip between Duke Yan Mansion and the West Market within half the time! Besides, people queue up to buy at Yunji Pastry Shop, sometimes it takes more than half the time just to queue!"

Tang Xiaobai also thought it unlikely, but he’s the male lead!

Moreover, Li Xingyuan sounded so confident, not like someone without assurance.

But why is the male lead setting up such a trick for the eldest miss?

Tang Xiaobai looked thoughtfully at his attractive sister, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind—

Could it be Li Xingyuan has his eyes on their eldest miss?

No way!

He’s the male lead!

"Sis, how many times have you asked Master Yuan to buy things for you?" Tang Xiaobai asked gravely.

"Who keeps track of such things?" Tang Jiaojiao shot her a glance.

If she doesn’t remember, that means it wasn’t just once or twice.

Tang Xiaobai broke into a cold sweat: "Why do you hate Master Yuan...uh, so much?"

Tang Jiaojiao laughed coldly: "How could he deserve my dislike? He’s beneath my notice!"

Tang Xiaobai: ...

Tang Jiaojiao stared fixedly at the clepsydra brought by the maids, her expression becoming unconsciously anxious, though her mouth remained firm: "During this time, the thousand-layered rouge cake must have sold out. I don’t believe he can buy it!"

Tang Xiaobai: ...

"So knowing he can’t buy it, you sent him to go? And you say you don’t dislike..." Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but mutter.

"I just wanted to give him something to do. Our Duke Yan Mansion doesn’t support idlers!"

Tang Xiaobai shook her head.

By rights, Li Xingyuan has saved them sisters twice, even if he’s a bit annoying, it shouldn’t make the eldest miss resent him so much, right?

Unless there was some feud between Tang Jiaojiao and Li Xingyuan that she didn’t know about, causing Tang Jiaojiao to torment Li Xingyuan now?

And Li Xingyuan, having been tormented for these days, finally couldn’t contain his temper and set a trap for Tang Jiaojiao, to take revenge on her under the guise of teaching martial arts?

It has to be this way!

Tang Xiaobai nodded firmly in belief.

What else could it be? It’s unlikely that Li Xingyuan is flirting with Tang Jiaojiao, right?

While pondering, she leaned over to check the time on the clepsydra.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew in, knocking her off balance, sending her tumbling towards Tang Jiaojiao.

Tang Jiaojiao, already slightly unsteady from the wind, was bumped further, causing the sisters to fall backwards with a scream.

The cry had just escaped when the gust halted abruptly.

An arm supported Tang Jiaojiao’s back, simultaneously holding back the sisters, while the other hand dangled an oil paper package before Tang Jiaojiao’s eyes.

Li Xingyuan grinned widely, flashing his neat, white teeth, his eyes gleaming: "Eldest miss, thousand-layered rouge cake!"

Observing the entire process from the eldest miss’s embrace, Tang Xiaobai expressed—

Her eyes were going blind...

...

The precious face of the eldest miss couldn’t allow her to go back on her word, so...

She truly started learning!

The next morning, while leaving for school, Tang Xiaobai saw her sister had changed into men’s clothing suitable for movement, reluctantly heading towards the martial arts grounds.

Tang Xiaobai frowned and hesitated for a moment, called over the maid Ah Song to give some instructions, then left with an uneasy mind.

Despite being somewhat unimaginable, Tang Xiaobai felt the male lead might indeed be flirting with her family’s conniving female antagonist.

Estimating conservatively, the probability was already over seventy-five percent.

From a seasoned reader’s perspective, this book seemed to be falling apart.

Tang Xiaobai, however, wasn’t bothered about her sister snatching the female lead’s man, nor cared about the plot collapsing.

Her concern was, the plot hadn’t collapsed!

It’s troublesome if the male lead gets infatuated with her sister now, only for his feelings to return to the original storyline with the female lead once she appears.

To prevent this unexpected situation, Tang Xiaobai felt she should interfere slightly.

At least wait until the female lead appears and assess then.

But given the parties involved are the eldest miss and the male lead, she dared not interfere rashly and could only send someone to observe.

After school that day, Tang Xiaobai ran out without stopping, ignoring Wei Sui’s calls from behind.

Once back home, Tang Xiaobai immediately called Ah Song to inquire about the situation.

Ah Song was a somewhat stubborn girl, once asked to watch, she didn’t miss a single detail: "When the eldest miss arrived at the martial arts grounds, Master Yuan was already there, and without bowing to the eldest miss, she got very angry—"

"Focus on the main points!" Tang Xiaobai held her forehead.

Ah Song looked confused.

"What did they say?" Tang Xiaobai prompted.

"Eldest miss said, ’Presumptuous, who allowed you to stare at me like that!’" Ah Song recounted with great detail, even mimicking the tone.

Tang Xiaobai furrowed her brows.

Stare? Li Xingyuan indeed has designs on her sister!

"What did Master Yuan say?" Tang Xiaobai asked.

"Master Yuan said, ’Isn’t that little girl under the Second Miss’s watch?’"

Tang Xiaobai: ...

"So you were discovered so soon?"