"Miss Bai, where did you get this tulip?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Yan suddenly remembered that Song Youcheng had said Li Yining liked tulips. Perhaps she could take this opportunity to ask him about the cultivation methods and "incidentally" inquire with Li Yining about whether he knew about A-Xuan.
With a quick change of thought, Bai Yan immediately put on a friendly smile and walked over, saying, "It was a gift from my friend. She said she got it from the far suburbs. Are you interested, Miss Li?"
Li Yining looked down at the flowers in her hand and didn't reply.
This is a packaging technique she is very familiar with.
White lace paper wrapped around the emerald green stems and tied with crimson ribbons made the tulips appear even more vibrant, as red as blood, as red as love.
Perhaps... it's just a resemblance?
Although Li Yining didn't speak, Bai Yan had already accurately sensed her desire.
It seems Miss Li really likes tulips. Thinking this, Bai Yan continued, "If Miss Li is interested in tulips, I can help you make some contact..."
Li Yining interrupted her: "Is your friend Fei Hua?"
Bai Yan was taken aback.
She suddenly remembered that Fei Hua had told her that Miss Li disliked her.
If that's the case, why was Li Yining able to recognize Fei Hua's flower?
Before Bai Yan could come to a conclusion, Li Yining asked, "How much does it cost to buy this flower?"
“What…” Bai Yan frowned and said decisively, “Not for sale.”
"Why? I'll give you whatever amount of money you want," Li Yining said urgently.
That's a rather vulgar statement. Bai Yan sneered, "Miss Li shouldn't know better than me that some things money can't buy?"
Bai Yan was getting impatient, but she still needed Li Yining's help.
She suspected that Mu Yuan was deliberately concealing information about A Xuan, but she couldn't be sure whether this concealment was directed at everyone or... only at her.
If we could use the flower to ask Li Yining to call Mu Yuan…
Changing the subject, she said, "I'm more curious, what do you want this flower for?"
Because it should have been mine, and she... Her remaining rationality restrained Li Yining's impulse, and she ultimately did not speak her mind.
Glancing at Bai Yan, who was clearly displeased, Li Yining's previously muddled mind cleared somewhat. She stopped dwelling on the flowers and instead looked around: "This is your and...Ah Xuan's... place?"
Sensing something was amiss, Bai Yan was about to speak when Li Yining interrupted, "Speaking of which, where is Ah Xuan?"
Bai Yan had originally planned to use the tulips to find out about Mu Xing from Li Yining, but she suddenly realized that she couldn't make her demands if she didn't tell the truth. After hesitating for a few seconds between pretending everything was normal and telling the truth, Bai Yan ultimately chose the truth.
Although this means that the initiative has been handed over to Li Yining.
“I haven’t been able to contact Ah Xuan for three days in a row,” Bai Yan said.
Unsurprisingly, Li Yining gave a mocking look: "Oh, really? I'm not surprised at all."
Bai Yan tried her best to maintain her composure and looked at Li Yining: "Have you contacted A-Xuan these past few days?"
Li Yining snorted coldly: "If I want to contact Ah Xuan, I can do so anytime."
"Is that so?" Bai Yan raised an eyebrow. "Judging from this, you haven't contacted A-Xuan for a long time either. Are you that confident? When I called, Mu Yuan said they were busy and couldn't talk. How do you know you're not on that 'unavailable' list?"
Frowning, Li Yining, clutching the tulip, strode over, picked up the phone, and quickly dialed Mu Yuan's number.
Staring at Li Yining's expression, Bai Yan quietly moved closer and heard the voice from the receiver say, "I'm sorry, Miss Li, you are not available to answer the phone at the moment."
Li Yining's face darkened instantly.
Bai Yan relaxed for a moment, then tensed up again.
She won't even answer Li Yining's calls, what on earth happened to Ah Xuan?!
After hanging up the phone, Li Yining looked at Bai Yan: "What exactly happened?"
Bai Yan shook her head: "I don't know either... I haven't been able to contact A-Xuan since the 16th."
"This isn't right." Li Yining finally started to worry. She had never been rejected when she called Ah Xuan in the past twenty years, not even once.
After a moment of silence, Bai Yan offered her bargaining chip: "Miss Li, you've known Ah Xuan for over a decade, I believe you must have a way to contact her. If you can help me get in touch with her..." She pointed to the tulip that Li Yining had never put down, "This flower is for you."
Li Yining scoffed and looked at Bai Yan mockingly: "Why do you think I would help you? If you're not stupid, you should be able to see that I wish this situation had happened sooner rather than later."
“Oh, of course I know.” Bai Yan nodded. “Besides that, I also know… Fei Hua’s address in Beiping.” As she threw out this bargaining chip, sweat unconsciously seeped from Bai Yan’s palms.
But when she saw Li Yining's expression tense up instantly, she knew she had guessed correctly. Before Li Yining could bristle like a hedgehog, Bai Yan said, "You help me find Ah Xuan, I'll tell you Fei Hua's address, and I'll give you this flower too. A win-win situation, how about it?"
After gritting her teeth and thinking for a few seconds, Li Yining raised her eyes and stared at Bai Yan: "Deal." She was certain that her concern for A-Xuan was no less than that for Bai Yan. Even without Tulips, she would still go to see A-Xuan. Bringing Bai Yan along was just a side effect.
Bai Yan hurriedly asked, "How do you want to contact A-Xuan?"
Li Yining replied without hesitation, "I'll tell you after I eat." She couldn't go find Ah Xuan right now, and she also needed the energy to do so. She hadn't eaten all day, and her stomach was already growling.
Bai Yan: "...Okay." She got up and walked to the dining table. "I only made congee and salad."
Li Yining followed and placed the flowers on the table. She then naturally pulled out a chair and sat down: "What kind of rice is it? I won't eat it if it's not Wuchang rice."
The rice at home was purchased by Uncle Song, so it was naturally of good quality. However, upon hearing Li Yining's words, Bai Yan couldn't help but say, "I'm really sorry, but it's just ordinary millet. I'm afraid it won't suit Miss Li's palate. Miss Li doesn't need to force herself to eat it." After saying that, she sat down and started eating.
Li Yining had been instinctively going to mock her, assuming that Bai Yan, being a smooth talker and someone who needed her help, would probably hold back. She was taken aback by Bai Yan's words.
...If I don't want to eat, then I won't eat!
Frowning, Li Yining was about to get up and leave, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw the tulips beside her.
After a moment of silence, Li Yining raised her hand and picked up the spoon.
Noticing her actions, Bai Yan wanted to say something like, "Please don't force yourself," but she swallowed the words back.
They couldn't help but bicker like children, as if they had been infected by Ah-Xuan.
Thinking of this, Bai Yan couldn't help but want to laugh, but when she thought of Li Yining sitting opposite her, she had to awkwardly hold it back.
After finishing her meal in silence, Bai Yan had just put down her spoon when Li Yining, sitting opposite her, spoke up.
“We’ll go find Ah Xuan when it gets dark,” she said. “Go change into some comfortable clothes and flat shoes.”
Bai Yan asked, "How do we get there? If we go through the main gate, Mu Garden will definitely not let us in..."
“Of course I know,” Li Yining said seriously. “That’s why we crawled through the dog hole.”
Chapter 90
Bai Yan: "...A dog hole?"
Li Yining nodded: "Yes, the dog hole. That dog hole is behind the greenhouse in the Mu family's back garden. It was originally set up by Mu Garden for Aunt Fuxue's Pekingese dog to play outside, but later it was taken over by A-Xuan and given to us to use."
Bai Yan's attention completely wandered: "...I feel like there's something strange about what you said." Why did Ah Xuan use a dog hole?
Li Yining glanced at her and said meaningfully, "What's so strange about it? Ah Xuan and I grew up together since childhood, and we have many little secrets like this that only we know each other."
Bai Yan couldn't help but imagine what position Mu Xing would use to access the dog hole, but she didn't respond to her question. Instead, she said, "According to you, Ah Xuan's aunt passed away many years ago, and Ah Xuan is studying abroad. It's possible that the dog hole was sealed up long ago."
Li Yining clicked his tongue and said, "Back then, we were afraid the dog hole would be sealed up, so we dug another hole and had the carpenter seal it. Ah Xuan found a lot of vines to cover the original hole. Whenever Ah Xuan ran out while playing, we would catch her there. If it had been discovered in the past few years, Ah Xuan would definitely have told me, so it's clear that it has never been discovered."
Li Yining skillfully proposed a plan: "Here's what we'll do: set a time. When the time comes, I'll go to Mu Garden to visit her. If I see Ah Xuan there, I'll come out immediately. If I don't see her after the agreed time, you can climb through the dog hole to look for Ah Xuan's room. If I don't see Ah Xuan, she's not in her room either..."
Her expression turned serious: "Based on my understanding of Ah Xuan and the elders of the Mu family, something must have happened."
Although Bai Yan felt it was inappropriate, she had no other choice but to follow Li Yining's arrangements.
"During the day, maids work at the four corner gates surrounding Mu Garden, and at night, security guards patrol. Nine o'clock is the shift change time. Uncle Si at the east corner gate has been late for over a decade, so we'll take advantage of that. I'll take you to the place first, then we'll visit you through the main gate. If I haven't come out after ten minutes, you can crawl in through the dog hole yourself. This is the route from the back garden to Ah Xuan's room; I'll draw it for you to remember..."
Li Yining picked up the paper, about to start working, when she suddenly thought, "Wait, what will you do if we find Ah Xuan?"
Bai Yan said, "I just want to know if she's alright. If she's fine, I'll go back the way I came and won't cause you any trouble."
Li Yining wanted to ask what if they couldn't find it, but then she thought that she shouldn't spread panic, so she didn't say anything more and quickly drew a route map.
Watching her draw, Bai Yan suddenly realized, "Wait a minute, how come I remember Ah Xuan's room is on the second floor?"
“Yeah.” Glancing at her, Li Yining said, “What? A two-story house is too much for you?”
After recalling the structure of the Mu family residence, Bai Yan gritted her teeth and said, "I understand. I'll figure something out when the time comes."
With her plan in place, Bai Yan went back to her room and rummaged around for a while. She finally found a set of clothes left by Mu Xing, folded and refolded the corners, and managed to put them on.
Bai Yan came out after changing her clothes. Li Yining was leaning against the window, twirling the flowers in her hand. Hearing the sound, she looked up and, when she saw Bai Yan's clothes, she narrowed her eyes, snorted coldly, and turned her head back.
Not wanting to argue with her, Bai Yan rummaged through the walls and cabinets, finding a pair of scissors and a watch, and also packed a handful of matches. Once everything was ready, the two stepped out the door.
The rickshaw sped into the British concession, and the massive outline of Mu Garden gradually emerged from the darkness. The towering, sharp iron fences, like the fangs of a ferocious beast, held the villas that stretched for miles around, appearing like a lurking monster ready to pounce in the night, a truly terrifying sight.
How similar it was to that day when Ah Xuan was injured and she took Ah Xuan home. Her uneasy heart, the uncertainty of the future, and her deep love and worry for Ah Xuan.
The two got out of the car some distance from Mu Garden. Under the cover of night, Li Yining led Bai Yan around to the vicinity of the east corner gate of Mu Garden.
The two kept their distance. Li Yining pointed to Bai Yan and said, "See that bougainvillea in the corner? Count 15 fence posts from here to that side. The base of the 16th fence post is loose. You can push it forward to bend the fence, clear away the vines, and squeeze in. The path there is blocked by the greenhouse. Find a way around it and just follow the route."
Clutching the bag containing the small tools in her hand, Bai Yan nodded.
Li Yining glanced at her, paused, and then said, "Aren't you afraid I'll harm you? Once you're inside, I'll have someone arrest you. You'll still be wearing Ah Xuan's clothes, so we'll catch you red-handed."
Bai Yan chuckled and shook her head: "You won't."
Li Yining sneered: "Where do you get your confidence from?"
Bai Yan looked at her: "Because if that happens, Ah Xuan will definitely be heartbroken. Can you bear to see Ah Xuan heartbroken?"
Frowning, Li Yining glared at Bai Yan before turning her head away.
"Thanks."
Li Yining turned around, somewhat surprised.
Bai Yan looked at her earnestly: "Thank you for being willing to help me."
Looking at Bai Yan with a complicated expression, Li Yining suddenly said, "Have you thought this through? Even if you really go in and find A-Xuan this time, can you still climb through the dog hole every day? You're already helpless after just a few days apart. What will you and A-Xuan do in the future?"
Bai Yan didn't say anything.
Li Yining continued, "You're not so stupid as to think you and A-Xuan can keep this a secret for long, are you? Even I can easily get your remittance address from your editor with just a phone call. Do you think it will be even more difficult for the Mu family? I haven't used those underhanded methods to make things difficult for you because I disdain them, but for the Mu family, you've touched their most important person. With just a single word from the Mu family, you'll have no place to stand in Wenjiang."
After a moment of silence, Bai Yan slowly said, "If I hadn't met Ah Xuan, how I lived would have made no difference to me. But I met her, so how can I give up before I've even tried?"
Li Yining sneered: "You dare to say you're fighting for it only because you have nothing to give up. But Ah Xuan is different. She clearly has a stable life, a respected status, and her ideals, but because of you, all of these things could collapse at any moment!"