Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 172

Chapter 172: Newcomer

After the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the capital city resumed its curfew. Although the city was still brightly lit, after nightfall, apart from the patrolling guards, night watchmen, and the occasional drunkard, there were no more bustling crowds and mountains of lanterns.

In contrast, the pleasure boat that slipped away from the dock and into the Jinshui River was bustling with activity.

Bai Li stood at the highest point, leaning on the railing and looking down. Through the atrium, she could see the graceful singing and dancing on the first floor and the extravagant revelry on the second floor.

She was watching the excitement, and amidst the excitement, some people were also looking at her.

“Look, that young lady, is she new? I haven’t seen her before.”

“Brother Sun, have you memorized every young lady in the pleasure house? You said you came here to find peace and inspiration for your new painting?”

“My new painting is ‘Hundred Beauties,’ of course I have to remember every beauty!”

“How is she new? Her clothes and appearance are the same as everyone else’s.”

“Brother Liu, do your eyes only see cards and nothing else? That young lady has an extra layer of pearl curtain covering her face, unlike the others.”

“Why is she covering her face?”

“Of course, it’s to make people long for a glimpse, only then can she be called a beauty.”

“Maybe she’s too ugly.”

As they discussed, they saw Shangguan Yue walk unsteadily toward the beauty, saying something with a smile on his face.

Although Shangguan Yue always prided himself on greeting guests with a smile, he was, after all, a prodigal son. His smile always carried a hint of smugness and a hint of provocation, making people afraid to get close to him.

At this moment, Shangguan Yue’s smile was bright and friendly.

The onlookers couldn’t help but stop Jixiang, a servant who happened to be passing by.

“Is she your Young Master’s new favorite?” they asked.

Someone else felt that this statement was incorrect: “Young Master Shangguan didn’t have an old favorite before.”

Jixiang coughed lightly: “That is a maid given to the Young Master by Princess Jinyu.”

That’s right, the current Shangguan Yue was no longer an illegitimate son. He had finally been acknowledged and could call Princess Jinyu his mother.

Now, Shangguan Yue, in public and in private, always referred to himself as the “son of the Princess.”

It was common for a princess mother to dote on her son and give him maids.

As they were talking, they saw Shangguan Yue hand a cup of wine to the new maid…

The new maid calmly accepted it, lifted the pearl veil and took a sip, shook her head, and handed it back to Shangguan Yue. Shangguan Yue hurriedly turned around, took two more cups from the tray held by the wine-serving maid at the top of the stairs, and hurriedly handed them to the new maid.

The new maid tasted each one, finally choosing one and nodding to Shangguan Yue.

A smile bloomed on Shangguan Yue’s face.

The people downstairs watched in a daze: “This service is really good.”

This compliment was naturally not directed at the maid, but at Shangguan Yue. It was not a real compliment but a mockery. Jixiang said angrily: “What’s it to you? A maid bestowed by the Princess, you wouldn’t even have the chance to serve her.”

Everyone burst into laughter. “Yes, yes, we don’t have that opportunity.” “Young Master Shangguan is so fortunate!”

Jixiang waved his hand. “Go back to your cards, don’t lose again.” After driving everyone away, he looked up at the third floor and frowned.

This new maid was certainly not given by Princess Jinyu. He didn’t even know where she came from. She suddenly appeared by the Young Master’s side today.

The Young Master didn’t explain her origin either. When asked, he just told them to treat her as a newcomer.

What newcomer?

Her behavior was not like a maid at all, more like someone who came to lord it over others.

What was her background? A fairy who fell from the sky?

…

…

“The wine I used to drink was not good.” Bai Li said, looking at the cup of wine she had chosen with interest.

Whether it was her father’s wine or Master Zhuang’s.

Shangguan Yue looked at her, sizing her up: “Used to? You drank alcohol when you were so young?”

Bai Li smiled at him: “I wasn’t a good child when I was little.”

Of course, her father wouldn’t allow her to drink, and Master Zhuang was also forbidden from drinking when he was sick. But since there was alcohol in the world, and she saw it, of course she had to secretly try it.

It was awful.

Thinking of this, she pursed her lips, as if she could still taste it and see her own wrinkled face.

She couldn’t help but smile, but the smile quickly faded.

“Maybe the wine I drank before wasn’t good.” She said, looking around the pleasure boat with admiration. “I thought the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence was already very luxurious, until I entered the Imperial Palace. I thought the Imperial Palace was already very luxurious, until I came to Young Master Shangguan’s pleasure boat. It’s truly impressive.”

Shangguan Yue laughed heartily: “Thank you for the praise.” He also looked around the pleasure boat, self-deprecatingly. “Luxurious but useless.”

Like a cage.

He looked at Bai Li.

“It’s not as good as your childhood in the mountains and forests, traveling around with Master Zhuang and his wife, seeing the vast world, free and unrestrained.”

Bai Li told him that she was not a ghost, she was not dead. Because she was considered unlucky since childhood, she stayed away from neighbors and roamed the mountains and forests. Later, she was taken in as a disciple by Master Zhuang and his wife, and traveled with them across mountains and rivers, so she escaped the disaster.

Speaking of this, Shangguan Yue gave another wry smile.

“But now you also have to be confined here.”

✿✿✿

Bai Li smiled: “If I am free, it has nothing to do with where I am. Whether it’s mountains and forests or a pleasure boat, it’s all the same.”

Shangguan Yue looked at the woman in front of him. In fact, when he said she was free in her childhood, it was just a euphemism. He actually understood that she was disliked since childhood and had to live in isolation. Then she encountered the disaster of her family’s extermination, completely lost her home, took on a false identity to seek refuge, and finally faked her death to escape. It was truly tragic.

But there was no trace of sadness, despair, or resentment on Bai Li’s face. She held the wine cup, her eyes serene, clear, and distant.

Noticing that he was silent, Bai Li looked at him and smiled: “Should I act more sad?”

Like a delicate and pitiful young lady.

“I know, you’re not not sad, it’s just that sadness is useless.” Shangguan Yue looked at her and said softly.

Yes, sadness was useless. Bai Li lowered her eyes. She had known since childhood that sadness and resentment couldn’t change anything.

It was better to think about how to avoid the next sadness.

When she was a child, the way to avoid it was to scare away those who made her cry. Now…

Bai Li turned and looked out of the boat.

She originally lived in seclusion, away from the world. But first, it was her family’s disaster, and then she was used as a vessel for someone else by Shen Qing and Master Zhuang, dragged here.

Besides her, Zhou Jingyun and his entire family were also implicated, their peaceful lives changed.

This couldn’t just be left alone.

Since they dragged her here, they had to bear the consequences.

Bai Li looked at the brightly lit city ahead and finished her wine in one gulp.

Shangguan Yue watched her from behind and said softly: “I still say the same thing, if you need anything, I’ll help you.”

Bai Li smiled and turned to look at him: “You haven’t said it yet, what are your wishes and desires?”

Shangguan Yue smiled. Before, when Bai Li said she wanted to repay him and asked him what his wishes and desires were, it was too sudden, and he didn’t answer.

“As for me…”

“It’s hard to say what my big wishes are. Since you promised, I need to think carefully.”

“But I do have a small wish at the moment.”

Bai Li asked: “What small wish?”

Shangguan Yue smiled: “I want to have a good sleep.” He sighed with distress. “To be honest, I haven’t been sleeping well these days, I wake up in shock every time I fall asleep.”

After experiencing so much, it was impossible to be unaffected. Bai Li nodded: “No problem, making people sleep is what I’m best at.”

Shangguan Yue breathed a sigh of relief: “That’s great.” He finished his wine in one gulp and stood beside Bai Li, looking at the Jinshui River in the night.

Bai Li suddenly pointed to the shore.

“You know what?” she said, “Actually, I saw you when I first entered the capital.”

That was the first or second time she transformed into a dream and traveled a little further, then she saw this pleasure boat.

She stood in the darkness on the shore, gazing at the young master standing by the railing on the boat.

That was the first time she saw Shangguan Yue.

But at that time, she never thought that one day she would stand side by side with him on this pleasure boat.

Thinking back to that time, it felt like a dream.

She looked at the streets gradually disappearing into the night.

She wondered what that family was doing now, whether they had already fallen asleep.

✿✿✿

✿✿✿

The night lamp flickered. The festive lanterns had been taken down, and the white lanterns for mourning had also been removed. The courtyard became even more desolate.

The maid on night duty sat indoors, staring at the lamplight in a daze.

“The Marquis’s Heir has returned.”

The voice of a servant woman announcing from outside.

The maid abruptly stood up and turned her head excitedly towards the inner rooms: “Young Madam, the Marquis’s Heir has retu—”

The lights were on in both the inner room and the east side room, but there was no woman sitting at the desk reading or writing, nor was there a woman in the bedroom tidying up the bed.

It was empty.

Zhou Jingyun strode in and saw Chun Yue’s dazed expression. The next moment, she lowered her head and gave him a somewhat flustered curtsy.

“Marquis’s Heir.” she said, her voice choked with sobs.

Obviously, she had been crying again.

Zhou Jingyun was silent for a moment: “Go down, I’ll wash up myself.”