The warmth on her wrist made Tian Yao freeze all over.
To be fair, He Huaibi was by no means a bad man. He was a gentleman, kind and gentle to others, but he was only unkind to the original owner.
It was useless to talk to such a man. The best thing to do was to run away quickly!
"Second Young Master," she softened her voice, with a touch of resignation and sorrow. "This servant is unworthy of your kindness. I only beg for a way out. I hope the Second Young Master will grant my wish."
"Sister Bixi is deeply in love with you. The Second Young Master should cherish the one in front of him."
Tian Yao: Sorry, I only read novels with pure - love plots. No impure relationships for me.
These words left He Huaibi stunned.
Bixi? She was just a woman he had casually taken in. There was no real love involved.
Taking advantage of his momentary daze, Tian Yao suddenly withdrew her hand, lifted her skirt, and almost fled out of the bamboo forest, not daring to look back.
"Second Young Master, this servant takes her leave!"
Her voice drifted far away, trembling with a sense of relief after a narrow escape.
He Huaibi stood alone on the spot, with the mottled bamboo shadows and the desolate fallen leaves.
He raised his hand. The fingertips that had just grasped her wrist still seemed to retain a delicate and smooth touch, and a faint, sweet milky fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose.
It was not the fragrance of any flower or incense, but the unique scent on her body.
He recalled her words just now and the calm look in her eyes when she mentioned Bixi. Suddenly, an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.
This Tian Yao was different from any woman he had ever imagined.
He turned around and looked at the path where she had disappeared. His eyes gradually darkened.
Tian Yao ran all the way back to her room and only dared to stop when she was inside.
She would rather face ten Bixis than these men.
Just as she was feeling upset, Xiaocui came in with a basin of hot water. Seeing her pale face, Xiaocui was startled. "Sister Tian Yao, what's wrong with you? Did something happen on your way to get the birthday gift?"
"Nothing... nothing." Tian Yao forced a smile and took the basin. "I just walked too fast."
She didn't dare to say a word. In this place, the more people who knew, the more dangerous it would be.
On the other hand, He Ciyuan's face was extremely cold.
The scene of the two of them tugging at each other in the bamboo forest, a handsome man and a beautiful woman. Wasn't it obvious that it was intentional?
His gentle and jade - like second brother, it seemed, was not a gentleman to everyone.
Really... very good.
"Humph."
A very soft sneer escaped from his throat, like the sound of ice shattering, which made Mo Chen's heart skip a beat.
"Eldest Young Master..."
He Ciyuan finally turned around. There was no expression on his extremely handsome face, but his eyes were terrifyingly cold. "Go and find out what He Huaibi has been doing recently."
His original trip to the military camp outside the city was cancelled temporarily.
"Yes." Mo Chen immediately took the order.
He Ciyuan's fingertips tapped gently on the armrest of the wheelchair, one after another, only the sound of "da da" could be heard.
"Also," he said lightly. "Go and tell Tian Yao to come and serve me with writing materials."
"Yes."
Watching Mo Chen's retreating back, He Ciyuan's gaze fell out of the window, his eyes dark.
His things, even if he was tired of them and wanted to destroy them with his own hands, he would never allow anyone to covet them.
That disobedient little thing deserved a little lesson to make her remember clearly whose property she was.
As night fell, in He Huaibi's courtyard.
Bixi calculated the time and personally brought in a cup of ginseng tea. She saw He Huaibi sitting by the window, looking a bit dazed, not as gentle and clear as usual.
"Second Young Master, it's getting late. Have a cup of ginseng tea to warm your body." She spoke softly and handed the teacup to his hand.
He Huaibi came back to his senses, took the teacup, but didn't drink it. He just held it to warm his hands.
Bixi walked behind him and skillfully untied the belt of his outer robe, ready to serve him to change clothes. But the moment she got close to him, her movements suddenly froze.
A very faint but extremely familiar milky fragrance wafted out from his lapel.
It was Tian Yao!
The smell on that bitch!
Bixi's fingernails instantly dug deeply into her palm. A sharp pain came, which barely allowed her to maintain the gentle smile on her face.
She took a half - step back calmly, took the outer robe stained with someone else's breath, and when folding it, she casually asked, "Did the Second Young Master go anywhere special today? There seems to be a smell of plants on this clothes."
He Huaibi didn't notice her strangeness. He just gave a faint "hmm" and the panicked but stubborn little face in the bamboo forest appeared in his mind again.
Looking at his absent - minded appearance, Bixi hated him deeply in her heart.
Tian Yao, the punishment given to you was too light. How dare you deceive me...
Bixi prepared some pastries for him. They were sweet and fragrant.
"Sir, a pastry shop opened in the south of the city. Their cheese pastries are superb. Did you pass by there when you went out today?"
He Huaibi lifted his eyes from the scroll and then calmly shifted his gaze. His voice was gentle but distant. "No. I went to the military camp to handle some things today and didn't stay on the street."
This statement was flawless, but Bixi keenly caught his momentary hesitation.
He clearly wanted to protect that bitch Tian Yao.
"It's Bixi who is being talkative." Bixi regained her former appearance.
After staying to serve him for a while, Bixi finally left smoothly.
As soon as she left the courtyard, the smile on her face disappeared immediately. She definitely couldn't get any information from He Huaibi.
She quickly found the servant who had followed He Huaibi that day. With a little bribe, she got the information.
It turned out that He Huaibi had really tugged at Tian Yao, and she hadn't refused. Moreover, she had asked a lot of questions.
"...The Second Young Master also told me that the girl was much more interesting than before." After the servant finished speaking, he smacked his lips in relish.
Tian Yao couldn't stay any longer. Otherwise, Bixi's position would be unstable.
As a concubine, in essence, she had no real power. If she wanted to do something, she had to rely on others.
Only the tactic of killing with a borrowed knife was useful.
Within a few days, some rumors began to spread secretly among the servants in the mansion.
"Have you heard? That Tian Yao is very restless."
"What do you mean by restless? Isn't she the one taken by the Eldest Young Master? He's a living demon. How dare she cause trouble?"
"Actually, she thinks the Eldest Young Master is a cripple and is psychologically unbalanced, so she wants to climb up the social ladder."
The rumors spread like wildfire, becoming more and more unpleasant and with more and more versions.
Some said that she couldn't bear the loneliness, so she secretly ran out to seduce people. With such a coquettish appearance, no one knew how many men she had been involved with.
How could Tian Yao not know about these rumors? She just didn't bother to care about these gossips.
However, days of being bullied still came at any time.
Several maids were in the laundry room, talking very rudely.
She stopped and looked at them coldly. "Are you so full and idle that you have so much energy? Why don't you chop more firewood? That would be your loyalty."