Chapter 181: Possessive Streak
For some reason, Long Heng was actually a bit happy, though he was supposed to be in a towering fury at the moment. So it turned out that he hadnât gone to all this effort for nothing. This woman did like him! Heâd thought that she liked Song Jiaoyue, since her previous actions had expressed her good feelings towards his friend. But now she was clearly indicating that she liked him and didnât want to give him over to Miss Lin.
And truth be told, he had absolutely no interest in Miss Lin now that he knew everything sheâd done, particularly after making this kind of request. Did she take him for a fool?
Miss Lin had planned on humbling herself to beg Bai Xiangxiu, because she knew that the latter was a favored concubine of the prince. Even if she had done things to Miss Lin that went against oneâs good conscience, Miss Lin still wanted to maintain good relations since she had to live in the manor in the future.
But who wouldâve thought that this concubine would deny her so much face?! âNĂ©e Bai, I only came to beg you because youâre Prince Liâs favored concubine! But you seem to think too much of yourself. Youâre just a concubine, do you really think youâll be able to lock down the princeâs favor forever with a child?â
Just like mother had said, she could do whatever she wanted to this concubine once she entered the manor. But Lin Qianzi had felt that it was difficult enough being a woman and hadnât wanted to do anything to Bai Xiangxiu. But this concubine was truly too arrogant and cocky! She wasnât giving the official wife the proper amount of respect at all!
âAnd what business is it of yours? You may go now, Miss Lin!â
âI have some words to speak to you before I go.â Miss Lin paused before she spat. âHow long will a tongue-waggler who likes to gossip and a woman who likes to sow discord hold someoneâs favor?â
âEh? Miss Lin, I donât think Iâve done anything to you?â Bai Xiangxiu distinctly recalled that sheâd actually helped Miss Lin a few times. Why was she now someone who waggled her tongue and liked to create drama?
âYou were the one who told the prince when I ran away before and about Red Maple Mountain Manor, werenât you? You just didnât want me to marry into the manor! I trusted you so much before, but youâre just the same as all other women!â Lin Qianzi had indeed grown angry by the time she finished; sheâd never spoken so loudly before.
Bai Xiangxiu didnât back down either, glaring right back at Miss Lin. âIâve never raised your issue with anyone, but donât you treat others as fools either!â
Particularly Long Heng. He might be a man, but his mind is conscientious, and heâs a general in charge of a large army. Itâs not easy to hide things from him. Is this Miss Lin treating others as idiots or thinking that theyâre all brainless fools?
âYouâre no fool, I was. I trusted you so much.â
âMiss Lin, I donât recall ever begging you to believe me.â
âYouâŠ!â Lin Qianzi had been too well protected since youth and had been the female lead of a type of novel that spoiled its female leads. As a result, she had no verbal sparring abilities at all. However, she was well skilled with looking pitiful, and would always cry when she lost an argument. She sobbed heartbrokenly and turned to run off.
The hell. Wouldnât her reputation be ruined again if she ran off crying? Bai Xiangxiu was quite conflicted. Should she faint again? But she didnât have the time to fall down before she heard a voice come in from outside. Upon careful listening, it was Long Heng!
âMiss Lin, please stay peacefully in the Lin residence before you marry. Or are you in that much of a hurry to see this prince?â That cold tone that didnât hide its disdain made Lin Qianzi cry even harder. She turned and ran off, while Long Heng shouted out from behind her, âHave two mamas send Miss Lin back!â
âUnderstood!â The servants were quick to send someone over.
Bai Xiangxiu shouldâve been less angry after hearing them speak, but for some reason she was still enraged. She swept her arm across the table and sent a cup crashing onto the floor next to Long Hengâs foot. Feeling odd that her temper had become so large, Long Heng frowned. âWhy are you in such a temper?â
âNo reason!â Bai Xiangxiu plopped down on a chair to sulk. She too was baffled why she was suddenly in such a mood.
Long Heng didnât know how to comfort others either. He only knew to sit by her side. The two of them sat together silently, and he looked over after a while to see Bai Xiangxiu still staring off into space. âI wonât let her bully you in the future.â
After that only resulted in an awkward silence, he shuffled to his feet and left. Long Heng didnât easily make promises, but this was an exception. And so Bai Xiangxiu was unexpectedly not angry anymore. She rested a while and went to see her brother with Xiaoshi. Bai Xiangxiu prepared some food and daily necessities for him, then had someone send him back to the academy.
The new year was a very busy time, and it was even busier this year as Long Heng was about to marry. The old madame was quite thoughtful in this regard. She had Long Shuting take care of every aspect of the wedding in order to spare Bai Xiangxiu the irritation that would surely come. Long Heng had to offer up new year greetings at multiple places, so he was very busy during this time as well. So even though the two lived together, they had noticeably less time to talk.
However, she was likely tired by recent events, because nowadays she spent more time asleep than awake. Long Heng didnât notice it in his preoccupation, so the day of the wedding arrived before they knew it. Bai Xiangxiu also felt quite depressed. How had she slept her way to the day her husband was to take another woman as his wife? What a tragic feeling. But she didnât feel very energetic at the moment and didnât want to pay attention to anything. The most baffling thing was, Long Heng still spent nights in her room, and she suspected that he would come again tonight.
This was because it was the rhythm of torturing the female lead!
This was how all the novels were written. The next thing that would happen would be that the female lead would become a transmigrator or be reborn, and then they would proceed down the path of destroying the concubine and re-seducing the male lead.
Alright, she understood that The Princeâs Escaped Consort had completely deviated from the plot line, but the real trouble wouldnât start until after the wedding. Just as she was mystified as to what she would do that day, Shuâer came by to invite her to observe the ceremony in the front yard.
âIâm not feeling too well. Besides, a concubine isnât appropriate for such an occasion.â Bai Xiangxiu didnât want to participate in her own husbandâs wedding, and so instantly turned Shuâer down.
Shuâer however, smiled. âThe prince has said that heâll be quite sad if you donât attend, and that he has a present for you.â
What is this Long Heng doing? Bai Xiangxiu knew that she would hear no end of things if she didnât go after heâd sent someone for her. She dressed herself up a bit and had Xiaoshi and her other servants accompany her to the front yard.
A veritable ocean of guests greeted her as she walked in. Prince Li and the Lin family were both notable families. When those two great families met in marriage, how could there be no guests to celebrate? Bai Xiangxiu felt that she shouldnât push her way to the front. She was just a concubine. She didnât want to cause trouble for the Prince Li Manor, but she soon saw that Shuâer had already arranged a seat for her. It was in the corner and none too conspicuous, but the entire ceremony hall was visible from that vantage point. She was baffled, and oddly, nervous.