CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

On the night of Lu Meng's death, the old furen made a collective decision to deny the existence of a servant by that name. Old marquiseness order servants to

To burned her slave contract.

the old furen also arranged for silver to be discreetly delivered to the member of Lou meng family.

In a noble households, it was not uncommon for servants to die without anyone batting an eye, especially if they had tarnished the household's reputation.

The old furen issued a strict order for everyone to keep silent about Lu Meng's claims regarding Bai Lang. Those who dared to repeat what had happened that day would face severe consequences, even to the point of losing their tongues.

The punishment may seem extreme, but it was not the harshest that had been dealt out. Other servants who had assisted Lu Meng met a gruesome fate, becoming a feast for wild dogs in the secluded mountains behind the temple.

The echoes of their screams, growls, and bones cracking were the only evidence of the savage feast that took place.

As the sun rose in the morning sky, casting its bright hues, indicating that it was already past the morning mealtime, Bai Lang sat in bed, fully dressed.

There were no visible traces of the previous evening's massacre. What was peculiar, however, was the unanimous agreement within the family. No questions were asked, and no explanations were given by Bai Lang.

Everyone believed it was best to leave things as they were. A tarnished reputation for the young misses of the family would be the end of their lives.

The Bai family was determined to secure good marriages for their daughters, and despite their disagreements, they all wanted to maintain the integrity of the Bai marquisate household. It was also one of the rare occasions when Bai Lang witnessed Su Rou Xue behaving like a mother to her.

Su Rou Xue meticulously arranged her hair, ensuring every strand was in place. She then proceeded to prepare a warm bowl of congee for Bai Lang, treating her with the utmost care and affection, like a true mother would. Su Rou Xue possessed the capacity to love deeply, but sometimes this love became a dangerous weapon in her hands.

At noon, Bai Lang sat on her bed, engrossed in a book. She had been excused from the temple's prayer and incense rituals. Instead, the nuns performed a cleansing ceremony for her later in the day, washing and purifying her body while singing and praying for her well-being. The Bai household had one more day before they would descend from the mountain and return home.

In the meantime, Bai Lang was under strict guard, with at least four servant girl allocated to her room. She couldn't even open the windows without encountering one of them. Bai Liu and Bai Nuo were also given a break, but Bai Liu, as the main protagonist of the trip, did not miss a single day, except for the first.

Bai Lang noticed that none of her siblings had questioned her about the ordeal. They did not go out of their way to visit her room.

Bai Lang didn't mind the lack of attention from her siblings; she actually welcomed some time alone. However, Su Rou Xue was different. It seemed as though she had an epiphany and realized that she could potentially lose her only daughter.

Su Rou Xue loved Bai Lang deeply, as she was the child of her beloved partner. However, she disliked Bai Lang's gentle nature and lack of vigilance. Despite this, she would never harm her daughter to such an extent.

Bai Lang was not accustomed to receiving such attention from Su Rou Xue, and she secretly wished that her mother would just leave her alone.

"Mother..."

Bai was about to express her frustration when the wooden window was pushed open, interrupting her thoughts.

Bai Nuo entered the room through the window, not expecting to find the frightened Bai Lang awake the space meant for visitors at the temple were bare but the quarters were large enough to house a lady and her servants. However, to her surprise, she discovered Bai Lang and Su Rou Xue occupying the room.

Bai Lang had never had the opportunity to be alone in a room with Bai Nuo. Qi Ru Li prayed for her sons' success in the upcoming imperial exam, while Bai Wen accompanied her to ensure her blessings for a good marriage. Meanwhile, Bai Liu was currently praying with the grand master at the temple.

But Bai Nuo entered the room stealthily, scanning every corner with her eyes, unaware that Bai Lang and Su Rou Xue were watching her. After acting like a thief, she straightened her dress before proceeding further into the room, where she came face to face with Bai Lang's gaze.

"Bai Lang," she hesitated and then forced a smile. "Haha, you're awake."

"Shouldn't I be? The sun is high in the sky. The birds are chirping," Bai Lang drawled. Su Rou Xue, with a scowl on her face, looked at Bai Nuo with disdain, disliking both Bai Nuo's mother and the child herself.

Bai Nuo realized that Bai Lang was not alone, as the concubine Sou was also present.

"Bai Nuo greets concubine Su." she said politely, ignoring Bai Nuo's presence. Su Rou Xue got up from her stool, placing the bowl congee she was about to feed Bai Lang on the table. She retrieved a handkerchief from her servant and wiped her hands clean, creating a silence in the room.

"Rest, Mother will go accompany your grandmother." Bai Lang's mother said, casting her gaze towards Bai Nuo.

"And don't let just any cat and mouse enter your room." With that, Su Rou Xue passed the handkerchief to her servant and left through the door, followed by her servants.

Bai Nuo clenched her teeth and fists in her dress. Bai Lang had never been so cheeky, and she knew that Su Rou Xue despised all of her father's children, including her.

But that didn't matter to Bai Nuo. She looked at Bai Lang, who was looking at her meaningfully, with her left eyebrow raised as if asking what was wrong.