CHAPTER 161: CHAPTER 161: NIGHT MEETING

"How is that possible!" Tang Xiaobai immediately put away her smile, "How could I be that kind of person? She’s afraid to tell anyone, so she uses me as a shield. I hate these deep scheming people the most!"

Tang Jiaojiao sneered, "Such shrewdness, I underestimated her! Today was truly an eye-opener!"

Tang Xiaobai nodded in agreement, she was also taken aback.

Because Ye Qingrong painted her, a wave of competition over beauty was laughed off, and because of that painting, she received unanimous praise from various talented scholars, successfully overshadowing Yan Jingjing.

Not only did she steal the spotlight, but she also maintained a surface demeanor of modesty and low-key temperament, as refreshing and unique as a cup of top-grade Longjing.

Speaking of which, this kind of talent really runs in her family’s little ancestor.

However, Ye Qingrong is secondary.

Taking advantage of the gap when the eldest miss was scolding Ye Qingrong, Tang Xiaobai said viciously, "Prince Jin and those other people are blind, can’t even see through such a little scheming, ugh!" She was determined to secure hatred for Li Shu!

Tang Jiaojiao fell silent, looked at her, and "hmph" sounded, unclear what she was thinking.

It was just then they arrived home.

Tang Xiaobai, as usual, jumped off the carriage herself, the momentum making her head spin, causing her to fall towards Tang Jiaojiao.

Tang Jiaojiao hurriedly supported her, frowning, "Are you drunk? Only half a cup..."

"I’m fine..." Tang Xiaobai murmured.

She was a bit dizzy in the carriage, but coming out and being blown by the night wind cleared her up a lot.

"Still pretending... go back and rest early!" Tang Jiaojiao instructed the maid to let the Duke and Madam know, then supported her sister inside.

Tang Xiaobai hung onto her arm conveniently.

The little beauty had a fragrant scent on her, intoxicating.

"Give me some of this scent, sister."

"I offered it to you last time, and you didn’t want it."

"I didn’t know it smelled so good then..."

"This scent doesn’t match your usual clothes, I’ll mix a different one for you tomorrow."

"Oh..."

They chatted idly as they walked.

When they were about to reach the inner house door, Tang Xiaobai suddenly let go of Tang Jiaojiao’s arm and stood up straight.

"Oh!" She patted her forehead, her eyes immediately becoming bright, "I just remembered, I still need to go to the Book Collection Pavilion to find a book! Sister, you go back first!"

Tang Jiaojiao frowned, "What book? I’ll find it for you!"

"Tomorrow I need to give a lecture on ’University,’ I want to find a few books explaining ’University’ to bring along, I’d better find them myself!" Tang Xiaobai said.

This indeed was not convenient to find for her.

Tang Jiaojiao saw that her gaze was clearer and instructed the accompanying maid with a few words, letting her go.

After watching her sister walk away, she was about to continue walking inside—

"The eldest miss is back..." A lazy voice with a smile sounded behind her.

Tang Jiaojiao turned around.

The man leaned against the tree with arms folded, his face was obscured by the shadow of the tree, only a pair of eyes were as bright as torches.

Tang Jiaojiao sneered, "Stealing the master’s property, how do you still have the face to stay here?"

Li Xingyuan bared his teeth, "The young master rewarded me with twenty strokes, letting me stay to make up for it!"

These twenty strokes were indeed real, and Tang Ziqian really did it.

If it weren’t for him needing to run errands for the Crown Prince, it might not have been just twenty strokes!

"Eldest miss sees me—" he spread his hands, "I can’t even stand; willing to drive me away?"

Tang Jiaojiao sneered, "I saw Miss Ye again today, your sweetheart made quite a sensation tonight, not only was Prince Jin smitten, even the recent top scholar Xue Tenth Son praised her greatly, wishing he could become her confidant."

Li Xingyuan smiled, folding his arms again, "Miss Ye is not my sweetheart—"

Tang Jiaojiao frowned, instinctively stepping back.

The man who claimed "couldn’t stand" straightened and walked two steps towards her, out of the shadows.

The lamplight shone from the side, casting a deep shadow on his face.

He curled his lips, leisurely said, "My sweetheart is—"

"What does who your sweetheart is have to do with me!" Tang Jiaojiao suddenly interrupted him, staring at him fiercely, "Who allowed you to look at me like that! Simply, simply presumptuous!" After saying that, she hastily left, her sleeves fluttering...

...

On the other side, Tang Xiaobai had already reached the Book Collection Pavilion.

After nightfall, the inside of the Book Collection Pavilion wasn’t lit, only two lanterns were hung at intervals at the entrance to prevent accidental fire from spreading to the books.

So Tang Xiaobai stopped at the light and didn’t go inside.

By the light, she could see a figure hidden in the darkness further inside, the green jade appearing cold and eerie under the moonlight, but it only felt familiar and close to her.

Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but smile, pulling Tao Zi, who was about to get someone to light a lamp and open the door, and whispered, "You take people over there to wait for me, I’ll have a word with Ah Xiao."

Tao Zi widened her eyes in disapproval.

Tang Xiaobai patted her shoulder, "Good girl, listen."

Tao Zi reluctantly walked away.

Tang Xiaobai chuckled, stepping forward.

After just one step, the young man hidden in the shadows came out on his own, "What does the second miss call for me?"

This time it was Tang Xiaobai who made an appointment with him.

When entering earlier, seeing the little ancestor watching her from the roadside, Tang Xiaobai used the excuse of going to the Book Collection Pavilion to find books to give him a signal.

They were classmates, whether ’University’ was taught tomorrow, the little ancestor knew best.

Tang Xiaobai beckoned him to come closer, stood on tiptoes, took off his mask, and rubbed the spot pressed by the mask, saying, "There’s a guard by the Prince Jin’s side, a Fifth Rank, about forty or fifty years old, short beard..." She described the middle-aged guard she saw at the gate of Pingyang Temple, "Have you noticed him?"

Li Mu nodded, "He’s the Vice Palace Commander of Prince Jin Mansion, Feng Pu—" his face not hiding the surprise, "How does the second miss notice this person?"

Tang Xiaobai was also surprised, "You really know?" She recounted what happened at the gate of Pingyang Temple today, and continued, "Didn’t Mo Huan say Ye Qingrong knows martial arts? I just felt she was deliberately getting close to that Feng Pu!"

Li Mu nodded silently.

Ye Qingrong was indeed getting close to Feng Pu...

"Can you find a more detailed background on this person?" Tang Xiaobai asked again.

"Feng Pu, originally named Feng Tong, a person from Changshe of Xu Prefecture, previously served as City Gate Officer, Lantian Officer... promoted to the host of Qilian City... In the spring of the second year of Taixing, the Western Turks broke Qilian City, Feng Tong abandoned the city and fled, returned to the capital to report the news... was later exiled... pardoned and called back, joined the Left Guard..."

He narrated little by little, slowly.

Tang Xiaobai went from surprise to astonishment, finally listening and feeling a bit sleepy.

She covered her mouth and yawned, found a flat stone behind her, intending to sit down—

"Wait!" Li Mu stopped his introduction, quickly took off his outer garment, folded it, and laid it on the stone.

When he looked up again, his gaze met the girl’s round, bright eyes, and for some reason, his face heated up. He took a step to the side, lightly coughing, "I heard girls are afraid of the cold..."