Xiaobai had seen many men who favored wearing white robes. Whether they were chivalrous knights or scholarly gentlemen, they all seemed to harbor a natural longing for pristine white garments—unstained by dust, ethereal as immortals.
Perhaps people always yearn to emerge untainted from the mud, only to eventually realize they are merely following trends for the sake of elegance.
Yet the man before her was truly worthy of wearing white. He gave an impression of transparency, freshness, and cleanliness. None of his facial features were exceptional on their own, but combined, they formed a pleasant and enduring appearance.
If one judged solely by his face, he appeared no older than seventeen or eighteen—a youth whose features had not fully matured, lending him a touch of androgynous beauty. His skin was like white jade, his hair as dark as ink, and when his deep, obsidian eyes gazed upon her, they shimmered with a gentle warmth.
Yet his demeanor was exceptionally mature, giving the impression of a worldly-wise elder who had seen through the vanities of life. This did not clash with his youthful appearance; instead, it created an indescribable charm that made him unforgettable at first sight.
Xiaobai could not discern his bone structure, nor could she gauge his martial prowess. She could not even guess his age. Although he treated her with great affection, her body showed no reaction to him—he felt entirely unfamiliar. Yet being with him was comfortable, especially in a physical sense of ease.
There was something about him that attracted her, making her relax.
His identity was not difficult to deduce. The sudden disappearance of the hidden guards was proof enough—he could only be—
“Xiaobai, don’t you remember your father?” He effortlessly picked her up and carried her toward the main hall.
Xiaobai remained silent. She knew that to develop the Pearl Trading House into its current scale in just twenty short years, support numerous factions, and grow the Shang family into a colossal entity, Old Master Shang was certainly no ordinary man. If he lacked martial skills to protect himself while traveling extensively for trade, he would have long perished in some remote corner. Thus, she had guessed earlier that Old Master Shang must possess martial abilities.
But she never imagined that Shang Ruling’s martial prowess would be so profound. In this martial world, not every master could achieve Eternal Youth, but those who possessed Eternal Youth were inevitably masters. Especially since Old Master Shang was not the type of woman who would deliberately seek out Youth-Preserving Secret Methods, it could only be due to a unique cultivation method or profound internal energy. Perhaps Shang Ruling was naturally youthful in appearance, but regardless, he was already past thirty and approaching forty—there was no reason for him to still look as fresh and tender as a young cabbage.
From this, it could be inferred that if this fellow wasn’t exceptionally skilled, then he must be exceedingly vain and meticulous about his appearance. Yet no matter how she looked at him, he didn’t seem like the latter…
But this young cabbage was indeed her father.
“Are you really my father? You look more like my older brother,” Xiaobai ventured cautiously. It had been four years since father and daughter last saw each other, so it was normal for a young girl not to remember his appearance—children were forgetful by nature.
At the same time, she began to struggle. After all, the original host was already eight years old and, thanks to good food and drink, was not short for her age. Being carried like a child felt utterly bizarre.
He chuckled softly. Seeing that she did not wish to be held, he did not insist. He gently bounced her in his arms to gauge her weight before setting her back down on the ground. “In the blink of an eye, Xiaobai has grown so much. It’s your father’s fault for being away for four years. From now on, I will stay in the Central Plains to accompany you. How does that sound?”
Xiaobai immediately stopped caring about why the original host’s father looked so young—perhaps he was truly blessed with a youthful appearance and skilled in preserving it—but that wasn’t the point! Her earlier suspicions were confirmed: Old Master Shang really intended to stay home and discipline her!
She instantly felt displeased. The Shang residence actually placed importance on the original host’s upbringing, having specially built a schoolroom for her in the estate and hired eight or nine female tutors to teach her. However, the original host’s body was just like that—even ordinary running and jumping felt uncomfortable, let alone sitting quietly in one place. So, the reason for hiring so many tutors wasn’t because the original host studied a lot, but because they took turns. A single person simply couldn’t handle the exhaustion of dealing with the original host.
Even so, the original host came and went as she pleased, attending classes very casually. At first, some strict female tutors tried to discipline her, but in the end, she kicked one so hard she broke her waist, and the tutor was carried home. Well-educated female tutors were already rare, and most had their own principles, so they resigned directly. Those who remained were mostly forced by circumstances and had no other choice. Seeing the Shang family’s little tyrant was so fierce, they no longer wanted to interfere with her. Usually, they kept to themselves, only assigning some homework, which Shang Yu completed for her.
Although Xiaobai also looked down on female tutors, thinking, “What could women possibly teach?” she had attended one class with the thought that she might learn something useful. After that, she never wanted to go again.
She had no interest in the Three Obediences and Four Virtues.
Let Shang Yu study those lessons on women’s virtues and morals. She, Xiaobai, was an iron-willed Eastern hero who could read and write. Though not as scholarly as the students in academies, after so many years of wandering the martial world, she had some knowledge in her belly. Why should she seek discomfort?
She even slapped her own palm a few times in advance. When Old Madame Shang arrived, Xiaobai cried and complained that the female tutor had hit her, shouting that since the family wasn’t lacking in embroiderers anyway, what was the use of learning needlework and embroidery? As for those lessons on how to manage a household—how could she, Xiaobai, not know how to discipline people? If those female tutors really knew how to manage a household, they wouldn’t be in such dire straits that they had to teach the original host for money.
The old lady wasn’t unaware of the truth, but she didn’t care. Holding Xiaobai, she couldn’t bear to see her darling suffer. So, glancing at Shang Yu standing nearby, she casually said, “Can’t you see my darling’s hand is swollen? Go copy two sets of lessons on women’s virtues and morals and hand them to the tutor tomorrow, apologizing to her on behalf of the young lady.”
Shang Yu had no particular thoughts about it. Ever since the young lady went through the incident with Yinyuan, she had matured a lot. Before, her way of tormenting people was physical punishment; now, she had more tricks up her sleeve, constantly finding new ways to make people copy lessons on women’s virtues and morals or hold hot tea on their heads while squatting in a horse stance. Shang Yu was already a man who had copied lessons on women’s morals over a dozen times and could recite them backward. By now, he wrote faster and faster, even spontaneously composing lessons on men’s virtues and morals to amuse the young lady.
As for Xiaobai, when she saw the lessons on men’s virtues and morals brought by the servant, she just wanted to laugh. What kind of nonsense was this? She initially intended to have Shang Yu take them away and burn them, lecturing the servant not to mess around with such messy things—he truly had no backbone as a man. But then it occurred to her: she was a girl now, and this was actually good stuff! If she were ever forced into an engagement in the future, she could just toss out a few copies of lessons on men’s virtues and morals and see if the man could tolerate it. If the other party took the initiative to break off the engagement, it wouldn’t be her fault.
She immediately rewarded him with ten gold leaves, encouraging Shang Yu to keep up the good work and strive to compile the male precepts and rules as well, promising to invest in publishing them for him.
But now the master had returned—her own father was coming back to deal with her! Old Master Shang appeared amiable, but having built the Shang family business from scratch, he was no pushover. Xiaobai immediately tried to signal Shang Yu to clear away the annotated copies of male precepts and virtues from her desk. Shang Yu gave her a blank look, then seemed to understand something, nodding and making a gesture of acknowledgment before finding an opportunity to slip away.
Did he really understand what I meant? Xiaobai felt a pang of panic. As for Old Master Shang, he smiled with refined grace, carrying himself more like a scholar than a merchant reeking of copper. He inquired in detail about Xiaobai’s daily life, forcing her to focus all her energy on dealing with him. She knew who the true master of the hidden guards around her was—the old master likely had a clear understanding of her usual conduct. Not daring to praise herself, she spoke in vague terms, inwardly grumbling that Old Master Shang truly lacked self-awareness. As the head of the household, how could he return without notifying anyone in advance for a proper welcome? Sneaking back like this was downright terrifying!
As she thought this, she realized something was off. Wait, this guy didn’t even visit his own mother first before coming to find his daughter. It seems I didn’t just run into him—he specifically came to intercept me. What does he want to take me to do? As they drew closer to the main hall, an inexplicable sense of foreboding washed over her.
He couldn’t have really brought back a new concubine, could he?
Please, not a younger brother, not a younger brother, not a younger brother… She silently chanted in her heart. When Xiaobai was still a man, she naturally believed the more lively the household, the better—preferably with a dozen wives and concubines bearing a whole brood of sons. That, to her, was true family harmony and a secure legacy.
But now, she thought being the only daughter was quite nice and had no desire for a younger brother. Though a younger sister wouldn’t be bad…
However, the situation differed from what she had imagined. Before even entering the hall, she saw eight people seated on either side, with dozens of stewards standing neatly behind them. Fortunately, the hall was spacious enough, and everyone remained silent, which, far from lowering the overall tone, instead created immense pressure.
Among the eight, Xiaobai recognized a few familiar faces: He Qiman, the head of Cloud-Weaving Atelier; Miao Sanxiao, who had brought her son to visit Xiaobai on her very first day—the man beside her was likely Chief Escort Guo Ding’an. As for the remaining few, the original host didn’t know them, but Xiaobai could more or less guess their identities.
The refined, fair-faced scholar was likely Song Wanting, the second-in-command of the Shark-Merfolk Gang. The smiling, short man was probably Dou Sheng, responsible for the martial arts tabloids. Additionally, there were the chief steward of Pearl Trading House and the head of Heavenly Art Workshop…
When they saw Shang Ruling leading her over, surprise flickered across their faces, but they quickly suppressed any unnecessary emotions, rising in unison to greet Shang Ruling.
Finally, the straightforward Miao Sanxiao couldn’t help but ask, “Master, why have you brought Miss Xiaobai here…?”
Shang Ruling smiled warmly at everyone. “Thank you all for coming today. Since we’ve gathered here so rarely, I thought it would be a good opportunity to announce something.”
“From this day forward, my Xiaobai shall be the young master of the Shang family. Should misfortune befall me in the future, you must honor her as your master and assist her in inheriting the family business.”
Author’s Note: Didn’t expect that, did you? Hahaha, Xiaobai thought she had gotten a script for a domestic drama, but Old Master Shang didn’t follow the script. And don’t try to guess the master’s age—he couldn’t have started a business right after birth. As mentioned in the text, he’s at least 35+, so don’t get any strange ideas! Emphasis!
【Mini Theater】The First One to Get Slapped in the Face Was Actually the Protagonist
Interview: How do you feel right now?
Xiaobai: Happiness came too fast; I’m at a loss.
Interview: Let’s review what you said earlier: “Just an illegitimate daughter,” “She’ll get married sooner or later,” “No stepmother, no little brother,” “That old geezer is probably coming back to discipline me.”
Xiaobai: Enough talk. Right now, it’s just sweet, so sweet. (Hugging Shang Ruling) Dad, you are my real father. Your child is here to take care of you.
Thank you all so much for your support. I will continue to work hard!