Chapter 63

63 Please continue to lie to her Part I

Because there was no prior preparation for the party, Bai Yu took longer than usual to get dressed. She had Xiao Chang hurry to the anonymous master’s shop to get her dress. Luckily, most of her designs were already finished, including men’s clothes that she took the opportunity to reveal to the public by making Bai He wear them.

It was expected that guests at Xu Peipei’s birthday party would be young ladies from various families. It would be a more casual occasion since the guests were not seniors or adults. To put it simply, this was a teenager’s party.

This world was similar to her old one in many ways. The first thing was intimacy between men and women. Though it was forbidden for the opposite sexes to meet in private, the society was at least open enough to allow them to mingle in public events. The clearest evidence was birthday parties of misses or masters from major families or the contest for flower ladies in each season where most participants were young people.

Today’s party was held in a garden, and so Bai Yu wore her clothes with the cold weather in mind. In case she would have to endure the harsh winter wind like the last time.

Bai Yu’s inner dress was dark red made with light fabric sewn in several layers to protect her from the cold, but, at the same time still maintaining the flowing quality. Over it was another strapless dress, this time was a white fabric with red plum blossoms pattern. The skirt was floor length with a slit in the front to show the red inner dress beneath. Her waist ribbon was also white with plum blossoms embroidery, cinched to show off the curve of her waist.

The outermost layer was a thick white coat with plum blossoms pattern, Bai Yu’s signature flower. Today she wore it differently by not tying it with a waistband like a normal dress. The back of her coat was a long red cloak that trailed along the floor as she walked, making her look more graceful. The shoulders were padded with white fur fox for both warmth and elegance. A must for this dress she had designed for the cold weather.

There were few jewels or accessories in her outfit today because Bai Yu wanted to achieve the sense of magnificence in simplicity. Her dress was as beautiful as the black dress to the banquet. Her hair was tied half up and decorated with small, red-toned pieces of jewelry to not seem overly indulgent, especially when she also wore a large fur shawl.

“Did you just prepare all this?”

“Of course.”

.....

Bai He shook his head with a loving smile. His sister was extremely competitive when it came to beauty. Despite the sudden notice, she still could look this impeccable. She even prepared him his clothes.

Bai He changed from the dark green clothes he wore to a dark ones that Bai Yu gave to him. His attire was sewn together all in one piece, embroidered with silver threads in simple patterns. To not make the outfit look too boring, a belt with golden beads hanging around the waist was added. It could be said that he looked refined but not too overdressed unlike men’s wear of this era that always involved several layers.

On top of those simplicities was a burgundy cloak adorned with dark threads all over it. His shoulder was decorated with black fox fur similar to Bai Yu’s and tassels made of real silver, enhancing the graceful slope of his broad shoulder.

The brother was simple but more elegant and dashing than anyone else.

The sister was simple, but most beautiful and refined above all.

And so, Bai Yu and Bai He were the center of everyone’s eyes the moment they stepped into Xu family’s mansion.

“I wish you a healthy body like this every year.”

“Thank you so much,” Xu Peipei gritted her teeth as she replied to Bai Yu. The other person drew all the attention to herself ever since she arrived, stealing the spotlight from the host who was dressing especially luxuriously today.

“I and big brother prepared the present together, so there’s only one. I hope Miss Xu won’t mind.”

“No, I don’t mind, not at all.” Today Xu Peipei was dressed in green, her favorite color. Despite the weather, her chest was still the most revealing and prominent part of her outfit as ever, uncaring of the jealousy from her guests. “And your brother...”

“Oh. It seems he met a friend, so he told me to come and congratulate you first,” Bai Yu immediately answered before the woman in front of her would crane her neck to look for her brother even more than this. “The present is with my brother. You should wait a little.” Actually, she did not prepare anything. Her brother was the only one that came with a present.

“I’ve invited your third sister too, but I haven’t even seen her shadow.” Xu Peipei changed her gesture and expression the moment their conversation shifted from Bai He to Bai Hua.

“She’s grounded. I’m not sure she’ll come.” It would be better if she did not. Bai Yu would hate to see her.

“How can that be?! I, a young lady of a major family, sent her an invitation. How dare a concubine’s child like your sister refuse to come?”

Bai Yu sighed. Do you understand the word ‘grounded’, Xu Peipei?

“A lowly person such as her is no match for this place. There’s no reason for you to invite her.”

“Obviously, I’m going to show her that even if she has magic, she’s still not on the same level as someone like me!”

The bewitching face was twisted by her hateful heart. Xu Peipei must have known about Bai Hua and Ouyang Mingxian’s relationship. And so, she did not waste her time on taunting Bai Yu but instead intentionally invited Bai Hua to teach her a lesson.

“What kind of plan do you have?”

“Hmph!” Xu Peipei did not answer, but her alluring eyes glinted malice.

Uh...so it’s time for the secondary villainess to show off?

“Yu-er” Bai Yu and Xu Peipei turned towards a call from behind them. It was Bai He who finally broke away from his friends. The gazes and faces of the two beauties then instantly became honeyed sweet.

“Greetings from Pei-er to lieutenant-general Bai.” Xu Peipei mannerly curtsied to Bai He. Her full cleavage appeared to the man in front of her.

Bai He turned his eyes away from the image in front of him as he cleared his throat to call back his wits. On his face was a polite smile while his ears were bright red. Bai Yu had to support Xu Peipei to stand up, saying to her fake best friend that there was no need to be so formal with her brother.

“Brother, what about the present?” The clear voice from his sister pulled Bai He out of his imagination that still lingered even after turning his gaze the other way.

“Here, for Miss Xu.” In his large hand was a jewelry box that he had bought from afar for his sister’s friend.

“Thank you very much, lieutenant-general Bai,” Xu Peipei said in a sugary tone. Her face was tinted with a slight red that Bai Yu was unsure if she was truly shy or was faking. “Lieutenant-general Bai is a brother of my dear friend, you can call me Pei-er. I don’t mind.”

“Alright...” Bai He accepted easily without a second thought. “...Anyway, I have to thank Pei-er for taking care of Yu-er all this time.”

“She is my closest friend. Naturally, we’d take care of each other.” Xu Peipei smiled at the brother of her ‘closest friend’.

Bai Yu looked at Xu Peipei’s seductive smile and discreetly rolled her eyes. She was not faking it. She was seducing him for real! Wasn’t your heart already with Qin Wang, Xu Peipei?!

“Brother, I’m thirsty. Let’s find a place to sit and drink tea.” Before this well-endowed cow could successfully capture him. Bai Yu dragged Bai He away by the arm as soon as she finished speaking.

“Guess the rumor that you’re close is true,” He chatted while being dragged by his sister, uncaring that there were many misses and masters that wanted to come and talk to them. Bai He rarely returned to the capital, so he did not know much about Bai Yu and Xu Peipei’s relationship.

“In other’s eyes...Miss Xu and Miss Bai are friends.” Bai Yu stopped walking after they had escaped into a garden that was empty. The story between her and Xu Peipei was merely a small, silly play that did not deserve to be mentioned, so she did not tell him the truth between two ‘closest friends’.

In high society, beautiful lotuses are all-over, talking flowers are hard to find*. It took ten times more effort to find one good friend than to train with her grandfather.

“Then why don’t you stay and talk to Pei-er a little longer?”

“Because I don’t want to hear rumors that Miss Xu was the future first daughter-in-law of Bai family, obviously.”

“Hahahaha. You’re overthinking.” Bai He laughed at his sister’s imagination. How could he marry before his sister could achieve her dream? All along, he had thought that he was the overprotective brother. Who would have thought that his sister was the same as well?

“I’m not overthinking. Back there you’re staring so hard your ears are all red.” Bai Yu stabbed her finger at his ears that were still red. “Why are you such a womanizer?!”

If Xu Peipei really became her sister-in-law in the future...Bai Yu did not want to think about it, or see it at all!

“Come one, dear sister. I’m a man, and when there’s a...a...woman in front of me, it’s only natural that I’d look.” Bai He softly grabbed his sister’s finger while giving himself an excuse.

“But your eyes did not say the same, brother.” Bai Yu glared at him.

“Then what did my eyes say, hm?”

“Your eyes when you called her ‘Pei-er’ seemed to be saying something to her.” Bai Yu twisted her mouth.

“And what was that something?”

Bai Yu took a deep breath then made her voice lower to sound more like a man. “I’ve always thought my heart was on the left side but turns out it’s actually on the right, besides you.”

“...”

Bai He was speechless.

“...”

“Make way for Qin Wang.”

Two siblings went to welcome the royalty in silence. Bai He and Bai Yu’s arrival piqued others’ interest because of their unique clothes and the rare opportunity to see Master Bai at a party. However, Ouyang Mingxian’s arrival was no less interesting.

First, because Qin Wang was not one of the princes who would normally attend parties.

Second, because today, he appeared together with a young woman. She was the Bai family’s useless third miss...Bai Hua.

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*Beautiful lotuses are all-over, talking flowers are hard to find: Women with attractive appearances are everywhere, but women that you can enjoy conversations and have a deeper relationship with are hard to find.