Chapter 48

48 No matter how strong or dignified, she still needed someone to protect her Part II

“Lately Miss Bai is injured often. It’d be good to have followers who know martial arts.” He still had not given up on worrying about her.

Bai Yu sighed again. Could this man stop acting like her type?

“Thank you, Wangye, for the concern. I will be more careful.” Bai Yu vaguely answered.

Still stubborn to the very end. So Miss Bai did not only have the sweet and amiable side. Ouyang Wenrou thought to himself, amused. He noticed the cloak that he used to wrap her on the way here, and his thoughts wandered: She must also be this stubborn when she refused to eat, otherwise she would not be this fragile.

“Wangye, the two maids have woken up. They requested your audience.”

“Let them in,” he promptly gave permission when he saw the frail frame that was trembling before now sat up straight the moment she heard about her maids. She must be quite worried about them, yet she could keep calm so well. As expected of Miss Bai Yu.

When the door opened, Xiao Xi and Xiao Chang first went to greet the owner of the palace who they were indebted to before turning toward their young miss. They were full of worry, but when they met the eyes that reflected strange emotions, they kept quiet and did not ask anything more even though they were still concerned.

In order to avoid being conspicuous, the three got on a plain carriage that did not have an emblem of Wei Wang palace or the Bai family. Even though it was already late, Ouyang Wenrou was still generous. He sent men to guard her carriage since her mansion and his palace were in the opposite direction.

From saying farewell to the prince to getting inside the carriage, Bai Yu did not dare to lift her face once. She still kept her head low, thanking the noblewomen tradition that greatly benefited her in hiding her eyes. She knew what made her heart pound.

.....

It was not because Ouyang Wenrou looked similar to Li Wenrou. But because in her head, she kept obsessing over the same question. Was this Wei Wang kind toward every woman?

Every time she thought of his face, his smile, or his warm hands, she would continue to imagine that everything she had seen was also shared with Bai Hua. In her heart, there was a feeling that was not quite jealousy, but also not entirely hurt, or maybe it was a pity. She could not answer herself.

Now Bai Yu was certain that the two Wenrou were the same person, only in different lives. If this gentleness was carried over throughout every life, then Bai Yu could not help but think that the warmth he had given her during the nine years together was also shared with Song Lianhua as well.

At that thought, a painful pang washed over her heart. Bai Yu had to lower her face to hide her expression again. Not intending to show it even to her personal maid.

The carriage continued until it reached the Bai mansion. It seemed people from Wei Wang palace had already come to inform them with some kind of reason that she was going to be late. She did not know what excuse he used, but at least it made everything calm. There was no huge fuss about waiting for her return.

Bai Yu strode toward her residence while her maid went to inform her mother that she had come back. She did not want to go herself as she had changed her clothes at Wei Wang palace. The new dress may raise suspicion even though she was wearing a large cloak on top of it. Bai Yu thought that not being seen at all was a much better alternative.

“First miss, there is...”

“Get out!” Bai Yu ignored the maids in her building that were trying to report something to her the moment she stepped into Jiu Yu residence.

Right now Bai Yu wanted peaceful and quiet time to think...About the thieves that were ordered to harm her, about her weakness that she could not accept, about the prince’s worry and care that made her heart waver. The current Bai Yu was not ready to see or do anything.

“But in the building there’s miss...”

“I said get out!” Bai Yu yelled.

“I just want to talk with first sister for a bit, and then I’ll hurry off.”

A clear voice sounded from inside the parlor room. The heroine walked out, appearing in Bai Yu’s sight. It was Bai Hua who had been waiting in the room, but the maid did not have the chance to tell her miss about it.

Bai Yu glared at the woman who looked almost identical to Song Lianhua, frustration formed in her chest. Could she show her face some other time? She did not want to see that wanton woman right now.

“That multiplication table that the Emperor talked about...what does it mean?”

“And what do you want it to mean?” Bai Yu took a deep breath to suppress her emotions running wild inside. Still, at the same time, she intentionally provoked Bai Hua.

“I just want to know, is the multiplication table...”

“Two times one is two. Two times two is four!”

Bai Hua’s eyes widened. Bai Yu drew in another breath. Did Li Wenrou like a woman who made a face like this?

What a stupid face!

“Can you recite it? If you can, then it’s as you thought!”

“How did you know?” When Bai Yu did not show friendliness to her, Bai Hua also saw no need to remain polite.

“And how did you know?!”

Bai Yu did not realize herself that the frustration she had been holding in was taking over her and making her show the aggressiveness from her old habit. Deep inside, she had always wanted to act like this toward Song Lianhua who dared to act like a media couple with her old lover. But because she considered that woman her older sister, she had to hold in it all along.

After those things happened, she did not have an opportunity to get close to that shameless woman again, even though her palm was so ready to hit that pretty face more than a dozen times.

Li Wenrou kept protecting and cherishing Song Lianhua and their child. He kept repeating that this homewrecker was a good person, that he could not leave her, that could she please forgive them. He said that Song Lianhua had always been guilty as he kept asking her to have sympathy. He said he could not abandon this good person and their child.

Bai Yu had listened to a thousand words, and she only wanted to ask back a few. While making love with her lover, Li Wenrou, did the good Song Lianhua feel remorse at all?!

“I’m tired. If there are no more questions, then leave.” Before this woman’s face would make Bai Yu even crazier than this. She pointed toward the door.

But Bai Hua still stood, unmoving. “You...where were you from, really?”

“What about you?” She raised a brow as she took an intimidating step toward her half-sister. Bai Hua had no choice but to step back. There was no one here except her and Bai Yu. Xiao Xi did a good job of shooing them out since the beginning.

Bai Yu stared at the peach blossom eyes that she so resented. She peered into those eyes, using her best skill to find the truth within. The normally sweet voice was lowered into the voice of a villainess that she often used while acting the role.

“Bai Hua, my sister, do you know the dear Song Lianhua? Have you ever seen the angelic Li Wenrou? Did you know how foolish Yoknapha was?” Names poured out of her in a flow of self-pity.

“What about you? Did you come from the same world as these people?”

Bai Hua stood in the same place, not answering the question and not retreating anymore. Bai Yu stopped her advance and gazed at the valiant heroine who used that hateful face to stare back at her, yet offering no answers. The look in Bai Hua’s eyes was filled with confusion and uncertainty. Seeing that, Bai Yu no longer cared about waiting for an answer.

Many times she tried to act according to her role, but the fate showed no interest. Many times she went out of the laid path, but the fate did not respond. The truth that was revealed today was novel. It was not dictated by the fate. And with that, she had chosen what she would do next.

Bai Yu stared into the eyes of someone who came from another life, just like her. Bai Hua’s confusion did not deter her determination. Bai Yu was tired of thinking, of enduring and not retaliating to create karma with anyone, of being careful whether her life will become like in the series or not.

Every day, every moment, she had to think about what would happen tomorrow and what to do to escape that fate. Knowing the future did not make her life better at all. This time, Bai Yu would do everything she wanted and no longer care what kind of life Bai Yu would have. She would not see Bai Yu as more or less fortunate than her.

“No matter where you and I came from, no matter what life you came from...now that we’re here, we’re on the opposite side.”

She would not be the only one who had to avoid that stupid karma and other nonsense. She had been patient, she had endured, and she had tried to stay quiet, yet trouble still found her like today. That meant the fate never helped her avoid anything at all. Instead, it led her back to fight with Bai Hua and those men, again and again.

Even though the secret came out today, it forced her and Bai Hua to take their own, separate path. Now she no longer had to be the only one avoiding the other person. It was worth it.

“Go back, and don’t involve me in anything anymore.”

Bai Yu was not born to be friendly with everyone in this world. Even those in her old life that she had thought were her true friends mercilessly betrayed her. Then why would she trust someone who was partially responsible for ruining her life?

If this was what the fate wanted, so be it...If they could not be allies, she would rather be enemies!