To be honest, two years ago Bai Yuan said that once he turned sixteen and entered Chang’an, he would be free. And in the end, he really did set him free.
Even now, Bai Zhao still found it hard to believe.
“Sixteen years! I’m free all at once now, and I actually kind of don’t even feel used to it, hehe.
No, no, no! Something’s wrong. Could it be that Dad has some scheme waiting for me in Chang’an that I don’t know about?
Hmph, whatever plot you’ve got, this young master just wants to be a layabout now. If I don’t take the bait, that’s that!”
Chuntao, kneeling to the side, watched Bai Zhao’s expression shift from grinning to suspiciously gloomy, and then finally into a trace of smugness.
Pouting her rosy cherry lips, she asked coquettishly, “Young master, what are you thinking about again? Why are you smiling in such a… slightly sleazy way?”
Her tone was curious, as if she were wondering what kind of wicked thing Bai Zhao was thinking about in broad daylight.
“What are you talking about, you little brat? Who’s sleazy? This young master is called being in high spirits!
Besides, this young master is dashing and elegant, handsome and refined. Call me sleazy and you deserve a beating!”
Bai Zhao came back to himself and put on a fierce expression as he spoke to Chuntao. He even raised a hand as if he were about to strike her.
But Chuntao wasn’t frightened at all.
Although she had not seen His Highness the Heir for two years, she knew he doted on her. She and the Heir often joked and roughhoused like this.
Chuntao rolled her pretty eyes and said, “Yes, yes, yes. My young master really is peerlessly handsome.
But young master, after two years traveling the martial world, did you meet any woman you liked? Madam told me to ask when she sent me to meet you outside the city.”
Bai Zhao froze at that. A flicker of guilt appeared on his handsome, cool face. After his mouth twitched twice, he awkwardly lowered his hand and said:
“What woman I like? Although this young master is dashing and elegant, I’m still very proper!
Sure, many beauties in the martial world have been drooling over this young master, but I’ve walked through a garden of flowers without a leaf sticking to me, all right?”
After saying that, he muttered under his breath, “I wonder whether that woman who kept chasing me for challenges will come after me once she learns my identity! And that demon woman too… tsk, headache. Though I guess those probably don’t count…”
Seeing Bai Zhao act like this, Chuntao narrowed her clear almond eyes and asked with a hint of suspicion, “Really? Young master mustn’t lie to your servant. Madam said that if there is someone, you should bring her back to Chang’an so Madam can have a look. Young master is already sixteen this year; it’s time to think about settling down.
Although a woman from the martial world can’t be young master’s principal wife, being a concubine is still fine. The Prince’s Residence can afford it!”
Sure enough, the pressure to get married was late, but it still arrived! But in this life I’m only sixteen! I’m still just a child.
And I don’t even have a principal wife yet, and they’re already talking about concubines? Isn’t that moving too fast?
I’ve only just gotten my freedom. How could I let marriage tie me down!!
Hearing this, Bai Zhao’s eyelids twitched.
In his heart, he complained about his mother, but out loud he teased:
“What? Is Chuntao in a hurry for this young master to eat you up? You’re still young. Wait two more years. No rush, no rush~”
Hearing that, Chuntao’s fair little face instantly flushed with two red clouds. She said shyly and anxiously, “Young master! Why are you so bad? Your servant isn’t in a hurry at all!
Besides, your servant is just a servant, your young master’s personal maid. I don’t even dare to hope for concubine status. Young master, don’t say things like that!”
With that, she turned her head away and refused to look at Bai Zhao anymore. She knew full well that her status did not match Bai Zhao’s.
Although Bai Zhao had grown up with her and Qiulan, and the prince and princess consort had never treated her like a servant, instead caring for her deeply, she still could not rely on that favor and become arrogant. In private, it was fine for her to joke and bicker with Bai Zhao, but the Heir’s marriage was the face of the entire Prince’s Residence.
Even if the princess consort and the Heir both agreed, how would outsiders view a mere servant becoming a concubine of the heir to the Prince of Zhenbei?
In this life, as long as she could stay by the Heir’s side, and the Heir would occasionally dote on her when he wanted to, that would already be enough.
Hearing Chuntao’s words, Bai Zhao frowned, his straight sword-like brows tightening, and he turned Chuntao’s head back.
With a pair of slightly narrow yet deeply tender peach blossom eyes, he looked seriously into Chuntao’s beautiful eyes and said warmly, “Nonsense! Who says my Chuntao isn’t qualified?
What status or position? You grew up with me since childhood. Don’t you know I’ve never cared about that?
I know how you feel. For you, I naturally have affection in my heart.
I’ll ask Mother myself for a proper status for you. Don’t say things like that again. Be good~”
Chuntao stared blankly into Bai Zhao’s radiant, affectionate peach blossom eyes. Listening to his gentle, loving words, she suddenly felt a tiny warm current rising in her heart, and her round, pretty almond eyes immediately grew misty.
Then she threw herself into Bai Zhao’s arms, burying her head against his chest, her little hands clutching his waist tightly, and said with a slightly choked voice, “Young master only knows how to use sweet words to bully Chuntao and make Chuntao cry. So mean!”
Bai Zhao laughed helplessly, watching the little girl call him mean while still clinging tightly to his waist.
Feeling the warmth against his chest, Bai Zhao placed his hands behind Chuntao and gently patted her.
“There, there, don’t cry. If you turn into a little flower cat, you won’t be pretty anymore. Chuntao? Let this young master ask you: do you know why my dad told me to return to the capital?”
Chuntao had just been grumbling and rubbing her head against him at the first half of the sentence, but when she suddenly heard Bai Zhao ask that, her delicate body stiffened involuntarily. She stammered, a little falteringly:
“I… I don’t know. I… I didn’t hear Madam say anything.”
At the same time, Chuntao silently convinced herself: “Young master, I’m sorry!
Madam told me not to say anything. She’s afraid that if you find out you were called to the capital to be introduced to your betrothal partner, you’ll turn around and run away!
I’m doing this for young master’s own good! Yes! Young master should settle down.”
Bai Zhao heard the unnatural note in Chuntao’s voice and naturally understood that she had been ordered into silence by his mother.
He felt helpless.
As expected! Mom and Dad really do have a scheme waiting for me. Fine, this young master won’t take the bait. Anyway, both of you already said that once I enter the capital at sixteen, I’ll be free.
Thinking this, he did not press Chuntao any further. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her slender willow-like waist and said indulgently, “You, even when you lie it’s this obvious. If Mother won’t let you tell me, then forget it. I’ll know once I get back to the residence.”
Without waiting for Chuntao to answer, he called out to Old Mo outside the carriage, “Old Mo, go faster. This young master misses my mother. Let’s return to the residence early.”
“Right away, young master. Sit tight.” Old Mo, seated on the carriage, straightened his hunched back, snapped the reins, and called out loudly.
Dark Cloud Stepping on Snow finally got to speed up and dashed ahead joyfully!
The carriage suddenly picked up speed. Bai Zhao also let go of Chuntao, leaned against the carriage window, and looked at the lush roadside scenery of grass growing and orioles flying. He softly hummed, “In March, the road is filled with rosy clouds and orioles in flight, with tall grass everywhere; amid drifting willow catkins, I catch sight of home…”
“Young master, what song is that? I’ve never heard you sing it before, and it sounds really nice!”
“Haha.”
Listening to the master and servant chatting and laughing inside the carriage, Old Mo’s wrinkled face beamed like a chrysanthemum. The carriage, carried along by the song, slowly approached Chang’an, the ancient imperial capital of Great Qian…