Chapter 42 -

Chapter 42: Chapter

By the time Yimei finished reviewing her recipe notes and ensuring the third-floor kitchen was left spotless, darkness had fully settled over the capital. Lanterns flickered to life along the bustling streets outside Wenlong Tea House, casting long shadows across the cobblestones.

As Yimei, Qinqin, and Lin Fang descended the stairs, they found Xiao Jun leaning casually against the railing near the main entrance, his arms crossed over his chest. Ah Hei stood a short distance behind him, silent as a shadow.

When Xiao Jun spotted Yimei, his lips curved into his signature lazy smirk.

"Leaving so late, Young Madame Bai?" Xiao Jun asked, stepping forward to block her path slightly. "The night air is cold, and the streets are hardly safe for three women traveling alone after dark."

Yimei stopped, her face unreadable. "Our carriage is waiting outside."

"That old carriage?" Xiao Jun chuckled, gesturing toward the street where his own lavish, velvet-curtained carriage stood waiting with two sleek horses. "My carriage is far more comfortable, and it will get you back to the Bai Manor in half the time. Allow me to escort you home."

He stepped closer, his eyes glinting with amusement as he teased her. "Or are you afraid that being seen in my carriage will spark rumors about us?"

Yimei did not flinch, nor did her expression soften. She looked directly into his eyes, her response cold and straightforward as always.

"I am not afraid of rumors, Partner Xiao," Yimei said evenly. "I simply prefer not to waste time on unnecessary pleasantries."

Xiao Jun raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying her sharp tongue.

Before he could offer another witty reply, Yimei glanced over at Lin Fang, who was standing quietly beside Qinqin. Lin Fang’s home was located in a rougher district on the outskirts of the capital—a much longer and far more dangerous journey at night than the route to the Bai Manor.

"If your carriage is so spacious and your heart so generous," Yimei added, her tone cool and practical, "then take Lin Fang home instead. Her house is far from here, and the roads in her neighborhood are dark."

Xiao Jun blinked, caught entirely off guard by the request. He looked from Yimei to the startled Lin Fang, who immediately froze, wide-eyed.

"Miss!" Lin Fang gasped in shock. "I couldn’t possibly—"

"You can," Yimei said firmly, turning to look at Lin Fang. "It is late, and I will not have you walking through the dark alleys alone."

She turned back to Xiao Jun, her dark eyes steady. "Since you are so concerned about safety tonight, Young Master Xiao, I assume you won’t refuse."

Xiao Jun stared at Yimei for a brief moment before a low laugh escaped his lips. He shook his head in disbelief at how easily she had turned his teasing back on him.

"You truly never lose an argument, do you?" Xiao Jun said, his smile widening. He gestured toward his driver outside. "Very well. Ah Hei will ensure Miss Lin arrives safely at her doorstep."

"Thank you, Partner Xiao," Yimei said, giving him a curt nod. She turned on her heel and walked straight out the door toward her own carriage, with a thoroughly impressed Qinqin following close behind her.

Standing by the entrance, Xiao Jun watched her carriage roll away into the night, the faint smile still lingering on his face.

Yimei and Qinqin climbed into their carriage, and the heavy wooden door shut behind them with a thump. As the carriage wheels started rolling over the cobblestones, Qinqin leaned in close, her eyes bright with excitement.

She opened her mouth, eager to talk about Xiao Jun’s teasing and his fancy carriage, but Yimei gave her a sharp look.

The warning in Yimei’s eyes was clear.

Qinqin shut her mouth right away and swallowed her words. She leaned back against the seat, her lip sticking out in a pout. She looked deeply hurt that her mistress had silenced her so quickly.

Yimei looked at the emotional girl and shook her head with a quiet sigh. Qinqin was deeply loyal, but she showed her feelings far too easily.

The carriage moved smoothly through the dark streets, swaying gently until it finally stopped near their home.

Yimei stepped out first, with Qinqin following quietly behind her. Yimei turned to the old driver and bowed politely.

"Thank you, Uncle Su," Yimei said softly.

"You’re very welcome, Young Madame," the old man replied, bowing his head. He pulled the reins, turning the carriage around, and drove away into the night.

Once the sound of the horses disappeared and they were completely alone in the quiet street, Yimei turned back to her maid.

"We do not talk about Young Master Xiao near that carriage," Yimei said in a low, guarded whisper. "The driver belongs to the Bai zhengyu ."

Qinqin’s eyes widened as she finally understood, all her sadness instantly gone.

"Miss, why are you..." Qinqin paused, quickly lowering her voice. "...why are you being so careful around the driver? Has he been spying on us?"

"I do not trust anyone from the Bai family," Yimei answered coldly, adjusting her sleeves as they walked toward the side gate. "Not even my husband. Every word said inside that carriage gets passed around. If they find out what I am doing with Xiao Jun, it will only bring unnecessary trouble."

Qinqin gasped and covered her chest with her hand. "Then... all those times I wanted to talk..."

"That is why you must learn to stay quiet until we are safely inside our own room," Yimei said, looking at her firmly. "In this house, even the walls have ears."

Qinqin nodded hard, her face serious. "I understand, Miss! I won’t say a single word about Partner Xiao unless we are alone!"

Yimei gave a small nod as they reached the gate. "Good. We rest tonight. Tomorrow morning, we go back to Wenlong Tea House and give everyone what they’ve been waiting for."

Yimei and Qinqin pushed open the side gate and stepped into the quiet estate, their footsteps making faint crunching sounds on the frozen snow.

They made their way down the long, winding corridor leading to the Northern Courtyard. But just as they reached the central garden intersection, four silhouettes appeared under the faint light of the paper lanterns.

An Yulan was walking alongside her sisters-in-law Bai Wenxiu and Bai Shishi, with Madame Zhao’s daughter, Bai Shu, following behind them. The four of them were coming back from dinner at the main hall, laughing and chatting among themselves.

When An Yulan spotted Yimei, her eyes lit up, and a spiteful smirk instantly spread across her face. She wouldn’t miss a chance like this for the world.

"Oh? Look who finally decided to crawl back home," An Yulan said in a loud, mocking voice, stopping right in the middle of the walkway to block their path.

Bai Wenxiu and Bai Shishi giggled, covering their mouths with their silk handkerchiefs, while Bai Shu stood quietly behind them, watching with a nervous expression.

"Sister Yimei," An Yulan continued, taking a slow step forward and looking Yimei up and down with fake pity. "We all heard the tragic news at breakfast. Your grand tea house burned straight to the ground on its very first day! How truly embarrassing."

"It isn’t just embarrassing, it’s a curse," Bai Wenxiu chimed in, tossing her head back with a sharp sneer. "A fire in the middle of a heavy snowstorm? You must be pure bad luck! To bring such a terrible jinx into our Bai family... tsk, tsk."

"I heard the villagers in the market were all saying the exact same thing," Bai Shishi added, her voice full of spite. "They say wherever you go, disaster follows! If I were you, I would lock myself in the Northern Courtyard and never show my face again."

The four girls crowded closer, their mean giggles echoing through the cold night air as they hurled one insult after another, eager to drag Yimei into the mud.

Qinqin’s hands balled into tight fists at her sides, her face flushing red with anger, but Yimei’s expression remained as still as a frozen lake. She didn’t flinch, nor did her dark eyes show a single trace of hurt.

Yimei slowly adjusted the sleeves of her cloak, waiting for their laughter to die down before she spoke.

"Are you finished?" Yimei asked, her voice smooth, direct, and completely devoid of emotion.

An Yulan’s smirk wavered for a second, annoyed that her cruel words hadn’t produced a single tear. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you were finished talking," Yimei repeated calmly, looking straight into An Yulan’s eyes. "My tea house is made of timber and stone. It can be rebuilt in a month. But a bad mouth that spreads petty gossip in the dark... I’m afraid no amount of money can fix that."

Bai Wenxiu gasped in shock. "You—how dare you speak to us like that?!"

"I am the First Young Madame of this household," Yimei said smoothly, taking a single step forward. Her posture was straight and firm, her cold authority naturally pressing down on the younger girls. "If you have time to stand in the freezing wind making fun of family misfortunes, perhaps I should ask Grandmother tomorrow if your daily etiquette lessons need to be doubled."

An Yulan’s face turned red with frustration. She opened her mouth to snap back, but the sharp, cold glare in Yimei’s eyes made the words catch in her throat.

Without giving them another second to respond, Yimei walked right past the four girls, her deep-blue cloak brushing against An Yulan’s sleeve. Qinqin quickly followed behind her mistress, holding her head high.

Leaving the stunned, angry girls behind in the snow, Yimei walked straight into the Northern Courtyard, ready to see what her husband was up to.