Bai Yuxiao was already used to Qin Xiaoyou's extremely conflicted expression. Seeing that she had rested enough, he urged her to get up and continue on her way. If they sat any longer, they would probably have to camp out in the wilderness again. Bai Yuxiao didn't mind camping out in the wilderness, but Qin Xiaoyou seemed to have some kind of constitution that kept attracting all sorts of insects. Bai Yuxiao felt sorry for her and wanted her to lean on him, but every time he approached, Qin Xiaoyou would jump three feet high and retreat hastily, as if she had encountered something terrible. As a result, Bai Yuxiao always kept a certain distance from her after that.
Hearing Bai Yuxiao urging her on, Qin Xiaoyou impatiently tugged at her hair and was about to get up and hurry on her way when she slipped and almost fell to the ground. Bai Yuxiao, who was standing nearby, saw this and naturally went to help her up, but Qin Xiaoyou, for some reason, pushed him away and ended up falling to the ground herself, twisting her ankle in the process.
This time, Bai Yuxiao was determined not to let Qin Xiaoyou run wild. His face darkened, and he took off Qin Xiaoyou's shoes and socks. After seeing that it was just a common sprain, he breathed a sigh of relief, applied the ointment he carried with him, and put Qin Xiaoyou's shoes and socks back on. Without waiting for her to object, he carried her on his back and used his lightness skill to head towards the small town not far ahead.
Qin Xiaoyou had initially intended to be coy and avoid physical contact between men and women, but she was startled by Bai Yuxiao's composed expression. She immediately lay obediently on Bai Yuxiao's back without saying a word.
Upon arriving in Qingshui Town, seeing so many people coming and going on the street, even Qin Xiaoyou, who always considered herself thick-skinned, couldn't help but feel a little shy. She quickly said to Bai Yuxiao, "Put me down, I can walk by myself."
Bai Yuxiao snorted, his expression turning even colder. Ignoring Qin Xiaoyou, he continued searching for a reasonably decent inn. Qin Xiaoyou, seeing his unfriendly expression, wondered what she had said that had offended this young master. She inwardly cursed Bai Yuxiao's pettiness and unreasonableness, but kept quiet. Bai Yuxiao's demeanor made her feel that if she dared to say another word, he would surely throw her out.
Bai Yuxiao was already exceptionally handsome, and his appearance in a small town like Qingshui Town, dressed in white, naturally attracted countless eyes. In addition, he was carrying a young woman on his back, and passersby of all ages couldn't help but stop and take a look.
Seeing the undisguised admiration in the girls' eyes, Qin Xiaoyou was furious. Throughout their journey, Bai Yuxiao had received countless flirtatious glances from girls, making Qin Xiaoyou's jealousy boil over time. However, Qin Xiaoyou's jealousy was particularly intense today because the people of Qingshui Town were known for their openness. They hadn't walked half a street before girls kept approaching Bai Yuxiao. Some shyly offered him handkerchiefs he had embroidered, while others were more direct, asking if he was married. Fortunately, Bai Yuxiao's face remained as cold as ice. Those girls who approached him, after just one look from him, covered their faces and ran away crying.
Even so, Qin Xiaoyou was still angry. After Bai Yuxiao carried her into the room, she seized the last opportunity while still clinging to his back and pinched Bai Yuxiao's ear. Bai Yuxiao frowned at her, and Qin Xiaoyou nudged his neck, saying, "You playboy who attracts all sorts of women." Knowing that she was referring to the girls crowding around him earlier, Bai Yuxiao was both amused and exasperated.
Chapter 56, A Cousin Appears Out of Nowhere
Although Qin Xiaoyou's sprained ankle wasn't a serious injury, it still made it difficult for her to move around. Despite Qin Xiaoyou's objections, Bai Yuxiao insisted on staying in Qingshui Town for a few more days until Qin Xiaoyou could walk again before continuing their journey.
That day, Bai Yuxiao went out for some unknown reason, leaving Qin Xiaoyou alone in the inn, bored to the point of being weary. Just as Qin Xiaoyou furtively got out of bed, intending to hop out on one foot for some fresh air, the innkeeper knocked on her door. Qin Xiaoyou said impatiently, "I don't need anything. You can leave." But the innkeeper persisted. Helpless, Qin Xiaoyou had no choice but to open the door, and to her surprise, besides the innkeeper, there was a beautiful young woman standing outside.
Seeing that Qin Xiaoyou had finally opened the door, the waiter said with a smile, "Miss Qin, I'm sorry to disturb your rest. But I had no choice. This young lady specifically asked for Young Master Bai, and even though I told her he was out, she insisted on waiting for him. I had no other option, and since you and Young Master Bai are together, it would be fine for you to come, so I brought this young lady here. Well, I have something to attend to, so I'll go downstairs now. You two can continue your conversation." With that, the waiter quickly ran downstairs. Qin Xiaoyou couldn't even ask him to take what he brought back with him.
The girl was quite generous. She introduced herself, saying that her surname was Bai and her given name was Qianqian, and that she needed to see Bai Yuxiao for some private matters. Then she called her "Sister Qin" very warmly, making Qin Xiaoyou feel awkward about sending her away, but she also didn't want to let her into the room.
While Qin Xiaoyou was struggling with her decision, Bai Qianqian said in a very familiar way, "Sister Qin, I think your leg seems a little weak. It might not be good for you to stand like this for so long. Come on, let me help you inside to rest." After saying that, she helped Qin Xiaoyou into the house without waiting for her consent.
Qin Xiaoyou was furious. She thought to herself, "Where did Bai Yuxiao find this vixen? And to make matters worse, she came knocking on his door while he wasn't there, leaving me to clean up this mess." Looking at the woman, she was clearly two or three years older than her. She couldn't understand how the woman could call her "Sister Qin" so casually; didn't she find it disgusting?
After sitting down inside, Bai Qianqian enthusiastically took Qin Xiaoyou's hand and bombarded her with questions, mostly about Bai Yuxiao. For example, when did they meet? Was Bai Yuxiao settling in well along the way? Was Bai Yuxiao doing well and sleeping soundly at night? Qin Xiaoyou was so annoyed by the questions that she wanted to flip the table and yell, "I'm not his mother! How would I know so much?" But Bai Qianqian was all smiles, and it would seem beneath her to show a cold shoulder, so Qin Xiaoyou forced a smile and answered with phrases like "I don't know," "I don't know," and "maybe." Eventually, Bai Qianqian got bored, but it would be too strange for the two of them to just stare at each other without saying anything. So, she even brought up trivial questions like where Qin Xiaoyou bought her hairpin.
Just when the two of them felt they couldn't continue their conversation, Bai Yuxiao finally returned. As usual, he was carrying various snacks he had bought for Qin Xiaoyou, but when he saw that it was a strange girl who opened the door, he was stunned and looked at Qin Xiaoyou questioningly, but Qin Xiaoyou ignored him.
When Bai Qianqian saw Bai Yuxiao return, her eyes lit up and her smile became even sweeter. She called out, "Cousin," and went forward to take the things from Bai Yuxiao's hands and put them on the table.
However, when Bai Qianqian called him "cousin," Qin Xiaoyou and Bai Yuxiao were both stunned. Qin Xiaoyou's eyes blazed with anger: "Where did this cousin of yours come from?" Bai Yuxiao looked bewildered: "I don't know when I got a cousin."
Seeing that Bai Yuxiao was only focused on glaring at Qin Xiaoyou and completely ignoring her presence, Bai Qianqian quickly smiled and stood between Bai Yuxiao and Qin Xiaoyou, blocking their eye contact. Then, she asked Bai Yuxiao with a smile, "Cousin, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? What would you like to eat? I'll make it for you."
Bai Yuxiao frowned: "You can cook?"
Bai Qianqian smiled modestly: "I know a little bit, but my cooking skills are not good."
"Alright then." With that, Bai Yuxiao actually named a few dishes for Bai Qianqian to cook. Bai Qianqian clearly hadn't expected Bai Yuxiao to actually ask her to cook. After a moment of surprise, she gave an extremely awkward smile and then turned and left Qin Xiaoyou's room.
Seeing that the girl had finally left, Qin Xiaoyou rubbed her back, which was a little sore from sitting up straight, and said, "Your cousin has gone to cook for you, aren't you going down to keep her company?"
Bai Yuxiao nodded and said, "These are all local specialties of Qingshui Town. Just have these to tide you over, and I'll have the waiter bring you the main course later." With that, he turned and left.
Seeing that Bai Yuxiao had actually left, Qin Xiaoyou was furious. She had only said it casually. Looking at the pastries on the table, and imagining Bai Yuxiao and Bai Qianqian chatting and laughing downstairs, she instantly lost her appetite. Qin Xiaoyou was incredibly annoyed that she had twisted her ankle because of her impulsiveness; otherwise, she could have gone downstairs to check on them. Moreover, judging from Bai Yuxiao's tone, it meant he didn't plan to come up and have dinner with her. Although she didn't necessarily need Bai Yuxiao to accompany her to eat, the thought that Bai Yuxiao wasn't eating with her because of that Bai Qianqian amplified her displeasure several times over.
"Cousins are the worst! It's obvious they're having an affair," Qin Xiaoyou thought bitterly. Even the elegantly crafted pastry in front of her suffered because of her, being poked and mashed beyond recognition.
"Xiaoyou, are you asleep?" Just as Qin Xiaoyou had completely destroyed the pastries Bai Yuxiao had bought, almost turning them into powder, Bai Yuxiao's voice rang out from outside the door. Qin Xiaoyou was overjoyed and, forgetting that she was still arguing with Bai Yuxiao, happily replied, "Not yet."
Bai Yuxiao paused, seemingly speaking to the person outside the door, but he lowered his voice so Qin Xiaoyou couldn't hear him clearly. After a while, Bai Yuxiao continued, "I just came to tell you to rest early. I'm going to take Qianqian out for a stroll in Qingshui Town. It's her first time going out, and I'm taking her to have some fun."
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiaoyou, disregarding her still-injured foot, hurriedly went to open the door, but it was too late; Bai Yuxiao and Bai Qianqian were already gone. "Hmph, it hasn't been long. They said they didn't know each other before, and now they're calling each other Qianqian! They said there was no affair! That damned Bai Yuxiao, that stinky Bai Yuxiao, go for a stroll! Hopefully, he won't come back!" Though she muttered these words, two lines of tears involuntarily slid down her cheeks. Qin Xiaoyou touched her wet face, a self-deprecating smile on her face: "So, I can still shed tears for someone else. I always thought my heart was made of iron."
Chapter 57, Jealousy Sparks Waves
"Qianqian, don't just eat vegetables, come on, have some meat."
"Qianqian, this soup is good, would you like some?"
"Shallowly..."
"Bang!" Qin Xiaoyou slammed down her chopsticks, her face contorted with anger. She didn't know what kind of spell Bai Qianqian had cast on Bai Yuxiao, but ever since that night they went for a stroll, their relationship had progressed by leaps and bounds. Bai Yuxiao's attitude towards Bai Qianqian was incredibly intimate and attentive. Whenever they ate together, Bai Yuxiao would constantly put food on Bai Qianqian's plate—something he used to only do for Qin Xiaoyou.
Perhaps sensing Qin Xiaoyou's displeasure, Bai Qianqian looked at Bai Yuxiao awkwardly and said with a smile, "Cousin, don't just keep putting food on my plate. Miss Qin is still here. This braised pork knuckle is quite good. Why don't you put some on Miss Qin's plate?"
"Pork knuckle?" Bai Yuxiao frowned, gave Qin Xiaoyou a look of utter disdain, then picked up a piece of green vegetable and put it in her bowl, saying, "Xiaoyou, don't just eat meat, you need to eat more vegetables. Do you know that you've gotten so fat that I can hardly carry you anymore?"
Qin Xiaoyou was already in a bad mood, and hearing Bai Yuxiao's words only fueled her anger. Seeing Qin Xiaoyou's displeasure, Bai Qianqian guessed she was truly furious, so she quickly tugged at Bai Yuxiao's sleeve under the table to stop him from saying anything that would further anger Qin Xiaoyou.
Qin Xiaoyou silently pushed the vegetables aside in her bowl, coldly finished her rice, and stared at Bai Yuxiao and Bai Qianqian for several seconds with the look of someone watching adulterers. Then, she bluntly uttered, "First love is wonderful, but it ends too soon!" Without waiting for their reactions, she turned and left with a flourish. Unfortunately, this elegant turn marked the beginning of a tragedy. In her haste to strike a pose, Qin Xiaoyou hadn't paid attention to her footing. As she turned and walked forward, she tripped over the corner of the table, lost her balance, and fell, knocking over a bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup.
Even without looking in a mirror, Qin Xiaoyou knew how pathetic she looked with several egg droplets on her head. And to make matters worse, she had to fall in front of these two people. Qin Xiaoyou really wanted to dig a hole and bury herself.
Seeing Qin Xiaoyou fall, Bai Yuxiao quickly squatted down and asked, "Xiaoyou, are you alright?" He tried to help her up, but Qin Xiaoyou didn't appreciate it at all, and took it for granted that Bai Yuxiao was laughing at her. Ignoring the seaweed and egg drop soup still stuck in her hair, she pushed Bai Yuxiao away and ran outside.
This girl, her legs aren't fully healed yet, and she's already running outside. Isn't she afraid of twisting them again? Bai Yuxiao shook his head helplessly. Although he thought this to himself, he still hurriedly chased after her.
Watching the two figures disappear one after the other, Bai Qianqian's sweet smile vanished, her expression turned cold, and she turned and walked back to her room.
"Xiaoyou, wait for me! Don't run so fast, what if you fall again?" Bai Yuxiao called out to Qin Xiaoyou as he chased after her.
Qin Xiaoyou was initially secretly pleased to see Bai Yuxiao chasing after her, but his words infuriated her again. He really knew how to rub salt in the wound! If it weren't for him, would she have twisted her ankle? Would she have fallen like that today? It was all Bai Yuxiao's fault!
Qin Xiaoyou was so angry that she stopped running, turned around, and looked at Bai Yuxiao with an extremely cold expression, saying, "You just want me to fall a few more times, don't you?"
Bai Yuxiao frowned and stepped forward: "Xiao You, what do you mean by that?"
Qin Xiaoyou snorted coldly, "What do I mean? I'm just saying what you really think. You'd love for me to fall a few more times, and it would be best if I died, so you could avoid seeing me and getting annoyed."
Bai Yuxiao was completely baffled by Qin Xiaoyou's outburst. If she was jealous of Bai Qianqian, there was no need for it, since Qianqian didn't even like her. So Bai Yuxiao patiently persuaded her, "Alright, Xiaoyou, stop being childish. Come back with me. I'm worried about leaving Qianqian alone at the inn."
"Don't you trust her?" Qin Xiaoyou sneered, but her heart grew even colder, and a look of sorrow appeared on her face. "Since you're so worried about her, why did you chase after her? Why don't you go back and keep a close eye on your dear cousin? If something happens to her, your heart will break."
Seeing that Qin Xiaoyou was completely uncooperative, Bai Yuxiao lost interest in arguing with her and thought that taking her back quickly was the most important thing. So he stopped talking and planned to take Qin Xiaoyou back by force.
Seeing him approach, Qin Xiaoyou guessed his intentions and immediately turned to run. However, as if she were cursed with bad luck today, she hadn't run two steps before she fell into a trap and was caught in a net, hanging in mid-air. "Wanting to cry but having no tears" perfectly described Qin Xiaoyou's current mood.
Seeing Qin Xiaoyou captured, Bai Yuxiao hurriedly drew his soft sword from his waist, intending to cut the net and rescue her. However, before he could get close, several men in black suddenly leaped down from the tree. Without a word, the men in black drew their weapons and began to fight Bai Yuxiao.
After only about ten moves, the men in black began to falter. They exchanged glances, three of them going to block Bai Yuxiao, while the other two lowered the net to take Qin Xiaoyou away. Seeing this, Bai Yuxiao panicked, pulled out three pearls from his robes, and launched them as hidden weapons, felling the three men. The other two, realizing the situation was dire, scattered smoke bombs and took the opportunity to retreat.
Bai Yuxiao had no intention of chasing after her; he only wanted to know how Qin Xiaoyou was doing. He hurried over and rescued her from the net. Qin Xiaoyou still had seaweed and egg flowers in her hair, and after rolling on the ground, she was covered in dust and leaves, looking utterly disheveled. Qin Xiaoyou didn't want Bai Yuxiao to see her like this, waving her hands to tell him to stay a few steps away. Bai Yuxiao had no choice but to do as she said.
Just as Qin Xiaoyou was brushing the dust off her clothes, one of the men in black who had been knocked down by Bai Yuxiao suddenly got up from the ground, gripping a knife and intending to stab Qin Xiaoyou from behind. Although Bai Yuxiao wanted to help, there was a certain distance between them. In desperation, he pulled Qin Xiaoyou into his arms, blocked the knife with his arm, and then, with a swift stroke of his sword, mercilessly killed the man in black.
It all happened so fast, the beginning and end in the blink of an eye. By the time Qin Xiaoyou reacted, the man in black, with a red mark between his brows, had already fallen backward to the ground. Qin Xiaoyou looked up at Bai Yuxiao, trying to glean something from him, but Bai Yuxiao simply pursed his lips, sheathed his sword, picked up Qin Xiaoyou, and headed towards the inn.
After walking for a while, Qin Xiaoyou mumbled something in a barely audible voice. Bai Yuxiao didn't hear it clearly, so he stopped and looked at her. "Xiaoyou, what did you just say?"
Qin Xiaoyou looked up and glanced at Bai Yuxiao with a strange expression. Then, as if she had mustered up a lot of courage, her face flushed, and she said loudly, "Didn't you say I was fat and you couldn't even carry me on your back? Hurry up and put me down!"
Bai Yuxiao glanced at Qin Xiaoyou with a mixture of sigh and amusement, and said as he strode away, "It's alright, I don't care about this weight."
Qin Xiaoyou tugged at his collar with some concern and asked, "But you have an injury on your hand."
Bai Yuxiao smiled mischievously: "You're worried about me?"
Chapter 58, You Care About Me?
"Are you concerned about me?" This question made Qin Xiaoyou blush. She stammered for a long time without being able to say a complete sentence. Later, she simply buryed her head in Bai Yuxiao's chest like an ostrich.
Seeing someone's red ears, Bai Yuxiao suddenly felt great. As for what he was happy about, he didn't have time to think about it.
Seeing that Qin Xiaoyou didn't answer, Bai Yuxiao didn't ask any further questions and strode towards the inn carrying her. After returning to the room, Qin Xiaoyou was put down and immediately rushed forward with a worried expression to check Bai Yuxiao's injuries.
Phew, Qin Xiaoyou gasped as she looked at the long cut on his arm. Damn it, that guy was way too ruthless. Killing him would have been too easy for him. He should have made a few more cuts on his arm and thigh too.
Seeing Qin Xiaoyou's brows furrowed into a knot, Bai Yuxiao patted her shoulder and comforted her, "Xiaoyou, don't worry, this little injury is nothing to me."
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiaoyou glared at Bai Yuxiao and said angrily, "You're still saying you're fine even in this state? Do you even care about your own body?"
"But," Bai Yuxiao wanted to explain that the wound was only scary-looking, and as a descendant of Medicine King Valley, such a small injury could be easily treated with some medicine, but he was interrupted by Bai Qianqian outside the door. Bai Qianqian politely knocked on the door, "Miss Qin, are you back?"
Qin Xiaoyou's lips twitched. This was such a blatant question, she thought, and replied irritably, "I'm back."
Bai Qianqian continued, "You didn't eat much at noon, and I was worried you were hungry, so I specially went to the kitchen and made a bowl of egg noodles. Shall I bring it in for you?" Qin Xiaoyou had barely uttered a "No need" when Bai Qianqian pushed open the door and came in. Seeing the injury on Bai Yuxiao's arm, Bai Qianqian put the bowl of noodles she was carrying down in Qin Xiaoyou's hands and rushed over, looking at Bai Yuxiao with a pained expression, saying, "Cousin, what happened to you? How did you get hurt? Come with me to my room, I'll bandage your wound." After saying that, she pulled Bai Yuxiao to leave. Seeing her overly familiar manner, Qin Xiaoyou wished she could immediately shove the tomato and egg noodles over her head.
However, before Qin Xiaoyou could make a move, Bai Yuxiao subtly pushed Bai Qianqian's hand away and smiled, "Qianqian, you should go back and rest. Xiaoyou can bandage my wound." Bai Qianqian looked at Qin Xiaoyou with distrust, "Miss Qin can bandage wounds too?"
Qin Xiaoyou was extremely annoyed. She had been calling her "Sister Qin" before, but now she was being called "Miss Qin." She didn't bother to give her a friendly look and said rudely, "It's just bandaging a wound. What's so difficult about that? You've already brought the noodles, please go back!"
Seeing that Qin Xiaoyou had given her the order to leave, Bai Qianqian looked embarrassed and glanced at Bai Yuxiao, but Bai Yuxiao showed no intention of stopping her. Bai Qianqian could only awkwardly say, "Then I'll go back to my room first."
Seeing Bai Qianqian leave, Qin Xiaoyou put down her bowl, walked to Bai Yuxiao, and stretched out her hand: "Give it to me!"
Bai Yuxiao looked puzzled. "Take what?"
Qin Xiaoyou's face darkened further. "Don't think I didn't see your dear cousin slip a handkerchief into your arms just now!"
Bai Yuxiao smiled faintly: "You really can't hide anything from me." As he spoke, he took out an old handkerchief that was already a little yellowed from his pocket.
Qin Xiaoyou muttered, "Bai Qianqian is really stingy, giving away an old handkerchief." But when she took the handkerchief and looked at it, Qin Xiaoyou was dumbfounded. This, this, isn't this the handkerchief she left on the bed when they first met at Chunfeng Yidu? How did it end up with Bai Yuxiao?
Seeing Qin Xiaoyou's confusion, Bai Yuxiao explained, "I always carry it with me."
"Uh." Qin Xiaoyou uttered this meaningless monosyllabic word, but a suspicious blush crept onto her face. After a moment of awkwardness, she noticed that Bai Yuxiao's sleeve was mostly stained with blood, and Qin Xiaoyou slapped her forehead: "Oh my god! I was so busy talking that I forgot to apply medicine and bandage your wound."
Bai Yuxiao rolled up his sleeves. "Thank you for your trouble." Qin Xiaoyou said shyly, "It's no trouble at all. You got injured while saving me."
One was bent over bandaging, while the other was staring intently at someone; for a moment, the room was unusually quiet. The candlelight flickered, casting a faint yellow hue on Qin Xiaoyou's profile. In the light and shadow, Qin Xiaoyou's face was blurred, creating an unreal feeling. Bai Yuxiao couldn't help but sigh, "It's like a dream."
"What did you say?" Qin Xiaoyou looked up. "Nothing." Bai Yuxiao touched her nose. Qin Xiaoyou looked at Bai Yuxiao suspiciously for a moment, then lowered her head to complete the final step, clapped her hands, stood up, and said, "It's wrapped up, you can go now."
"Where are you going?" Bai Yuxiao asked, puzzled. Why was she fine just now but now she's unhappy again?
Qin Xiaoyou turned her back. "Of course we're going to your dear cousin's room. If we don't go soon, she might come to my room to demand her back."
Bai Yuxiao chuckled, turned Qin Xiaoyou around, and stared intently into her eyes, asking, "Are you angry?"
Qin Xiaoyou looked up at the sky, "Why am I angry for no reason?"
Bai Yuxiao didn't believe it. "You don't seem to like Qianqian."
Bai Yuxiao used a statement of fact, but Qin Xiaoyou did not intend to deny it. She nodded and generously admitted, "It's not that I don't like her, it's that I hate her, I hate her very much!"
Bai Yuxiao pretended not to understand and asked innocently, "Qianqian is a good person. She's sensible, polite, and can cook. Why do you dislike her?"
"Because I can't do anything, I can't stand others being better than me, okay?" Qin Xiaoyou said, slapping away Bai Yuxiao's hand from her shoulder and pushing her towards the door.