At dinner time, Yun Manxia went to the dining room filled with anticipation.
Bai Hedu had promised her—he would eat with her!
The dining room was empty. He hadn’t come down yet, so Yun Manxia sat and began to wait patiently.
But even when it was time to eat, Bai Hedu still didn’t appear.
She couldn’t help glancing upstairs. “Where is Ninth Master?”
Aunt Wu replied indifferently, “Ninth Master has something to do.”
“He promised to eat with me. Did you call him just now?”
“I did. Ninth Master has no time. Madam should eat first.”
Yun Manxia looked at her, said nothing more, and stood up to head upstairs.
Aunt Wu’s expression darkened as she tried to stop her, but Yun Manxia moved swiftly, avoiding her and going upstairs.
At the study door, she knocked twice. Lin Shen came to open it, surprised. “Madam?”
Yun Manxia looked inside. “Is Ninth Master still busy?”
Before Lin Shen could answer, the man’s deep voice came from inside—
“What is it?”
Lin Shen tactfully stepped aside.
With nothing blocking her view, Yun Manxia immediately saw the man at the large desk.
He had just put down a document and turned his head toward the door. His profile was handsome and captivating, his bearing noble and refined, with a naturally imposing aura.
Her heart suddenly pounded heavily.
She couldn’t help but think—how had she failed to notice his charm in her previous life?
“It’s dinner time,” she reminded him gently, holding onto the doorframe.
Bai Hedu glanced at the time and finally remembered what he had promised her.
“I forgot. Sorry.”
“It’s okay! That’s why I came to call you!” Yun Manxia hurried over before Lin Shen could move, pushing his wheelchair.
Lin Shen had intended to step forward, but seeing Ninth Master say nothing, he quietly withdrew his foot.
Dining room.
When Aunt Wu saw that Yun Manxia had actually brought Ninth Master down, her expression changed slightly.
Seeing the dishes already laid out, Bai Hedu said, “Next time, you don’t need to go upstairs to call me yourself. You can eat first and let the servants do it.”
Yun Manxia glanced at Aunt Wu. “I did ask Aunt Wu to call you, but she said she already had—that you were busy and wouldn’t eat.”
Aunt Wu’s heart skipped a beat.
Feeling Ninth Master’s gaze fall on her, she hurriedly said, “I thought I did call… perhaps I remembered wrong. I’m getting old, my memory isn’t good…”
“It seems I overlooked this. In the future, Aunt Wu should let others handle this kind of thing,” the girl said in a clear, pleasant voice. “Otherwise, it’ll be like today—I almost didn’t get to eat with Ninth Master!”
As she spoke, she took Bai Hedu’s hand and gently shook it, speaking softly and coquettishly, “Husband, don’t you agree?”
The sudden intimacy made Bai Hedu pause slightly. But looking at the delicate hand on his arm, he didn’t pull away.
For a moment, he seemed distracted and didn’t even look at Aunt Wu, only responding, “Mm, that’s right.”
Aunt Wu: “…”
She almost choked on her breath.
It was such a small matter, yet she acted as if she had suffered a great injustice! And Ninth Master actually indulged her!
Seeing Aunt Wu’s expression, Yun Manxia smiled with satisfaction.
After dinner, Ning Fei came again.
Aside from being Bai Hedu’s subordinate, he also served as his doctor.
When Yun Manxia returned to her room, she ran into him and Wu Xiaoya standing at the master bedroom door. Wu Xiaoya was holding a medical kit.
He was explaining to Wu Xiaoya what to pay attention to when changing Bai Hedu’s dressing.
Yun Manxia’s eyes narrowed.
Changing his medicine?
It wasn’t like Bai Hedu didn’t have a wife—was there any need for someone else when she was here?
Seeing her approach, Wu Xiaoya smiled provocatively, deliberately showing off the medical kit in her hand, straightening her posture.
“Madam, if you have something to say, you’ll have to wait. I’m busy going to change Ninth Master’s dressing.”
With that, she was about to enter.
But suddenly, her hands felt empty—
The box was now in Yun Manxia’s hands.
“What are you doing?!” Wu Xiaoya’s smile disappeared.
Yun Manxia said, “I appreciate your concern, but there’s no need for you to do something like changing his dressing. I’ll do it.”
“Why should you?!”
“Why?” Yun Manxia smiled. Good question. “Because of my relationship with Ninth Master. With me here, is there any need for you?”
Ignoring Wu Xiaoya’s ugly expression, she walked inside calmly.
Inside the room, Bai Hedu had just come out of the bathroom. He was wearing a bathrobe, faintly revealing his firm, well-shaped chest.
With just one glance, Yun Manxia’s mind reflexively recalled last night’s scene, and her ears turned red uncontrollably.
“Why is it you?” Bai Hedu asked, somewhat surprised.
That short sentence instantly wiped away all her wandering thoughts.
Her mood sank.
Why couldn’t it be her? Who did he want to see—Wu Xiaoya?
Thinking that if she hadn’t happened to run into them just now, Wu Xiaoya would have come in, her mood worsened.
“…I came to change your dressing.”
Bai Hedu paused. “There’s no need for you to do this. Go rest. Let someone else handle it.”
“Which someone else?” Yun Manxia blurted out. Realizing her tone sounded like a challenge, she quickly softened her expression.
“I’m your wife. Who could be more suitable than me?” Although they hadn’t officially registered their marriage yet due to his leg injury, it was only a matter of time. She spoke with confidence. “I insist on doing it!”
Bai Hedu fell silent.
He had only refused because the wound didn’t look pleasant and he didn’t want to frighten her. But seeing her stubbornness, he felt a rare trace of helplessness.
“Then come over.”
His injury was on his right lower leg. When the gauze was removed, the wound looked quite gruesome.
Yun Manxia’s hand trembled slightly.
Bai Hedu lowered his gaze at the girl crouching before him, his expression unreadable. He asked softly, “Scared?”
“No.” Yun Manxia lowered her head, taking the medicine, her voice slightly muffled. “I just think… it must hurt a lot.”
She had seen far worse wounds before and wasn’t afraid—she just felt heartache.
For a moment, Bai Hedu was stunned. He had never expected her to say such a thing.
“It doesn’t hurt,” he said hoarsely.
Yun Manxia didn’t believe him.
She carefully treated his wound, wrapping it with fresh gauze before finally letting out a breath.
“It’s done. Go rest,” Bai Hedu said gently.
Yun Manxia responded, tidied up the medical kit, and then left.
When she stepped out, she found Wu Xiaoya still outside. Seeing her come out, Wu Xiaoya shot her an unwilling glare.
Yun Manxia’s mood soured again. “Why are you still here?”
“Ninth Master clearly asked me to change his dressing!” Wu Xiaoya said.
Yun Manxia paused. “He asked you?”
“Of course! Hmph!” Wu Xiaoya looked very pleased. “So what if you stole my chance? Didn’t Ninth Master send you out just as quickly?”
Yun Manxia lowered her eyes slightly, ignored her, and returned to her room.
The next morning, Bai Hedu appeared in the dining room—rare for him.
But Yun Manxia was still a bit down.
From beginning to end, she looked listless, completely different from her previous lively self, and Bai Hedu immediately noticed something was off.