Chapter 226: Interested in You
Mr. Xie and Yu Hongxiu knew that Bai Ruozhu and Du Zhongshu were in business together, and weren’t surprised at this revelation. However, Du Zhongshu was acting really insecure and jittery, as if he thought Bai Ruozhu was going to eat him alive. That piqued Yu Hongxiu’s curiosity. She was intrigued by what could have transpired between Bai Ruozhu and this charming lad that had wiped the confident smirk right off his face.
Bai Ruozhu was too engrossed in her meal to notice Du Zhongshu’s reaction. If she knew that Yu Hongxiu had misunderstood his behavior, she’d protest vehemently. All she wanted was to hand over the new formula for toothpaste to Du Zhongshu. That was all!
This was part of the agreement they had made during their previous collaboration. She had actually prepared the new toothpaste batch a while back, but it had to be personally handed over to Du Zhongshu. Since he wasn’t in Anyuan Town, she’d to postpone the transfer. Then when Du Zhongshu suddenly returned, Bai Ruozhu got busy again, and the matter slipped from her mind.
She noted that Du Zhongshu hadn’t even bothered to remind her of the delay. Perhaps he was consumed by his studies, and let his business take a backseat? Upon spotting Du Zhongshu engrossed in his meal, she momentarily mulled over these thoughts.
Wouldn’t studying in Beiyu City be more convenient for Du Zhongshu? He could join the city’s Study Palace. Given his family’s ties with the Residence City, he wouldn’t face any trouble getting admission into a prestigious educational institution. What made him return to Anyuan Town? He didn’t seem too bothered about business matters either.
This was all very odd to her, but Bai Ruozhu chose not to dwell on it. It wasn’t her business to be meddling in other people’s affairs.
After their meal, Bai Ruozhu handed over the new batch of toothpaste to Du Zhongshu, along with the new formula and detailed instructions for its preparation.
Upon seeing the contents of the formula, Du Zhongshu superficially praised it. "An improved version indeed. Excellent, simply excellent!"
However, after his brief moment of praise, he quickly packed everything away and hurriedly bid farewell to Bai Ruozhu.
Bai Ruozhu mused to herself, perhaps Mr. Xie was piling on the homework. Maybe Du Zhongshu was afraid he wouldn’t be able to complete his assignments if he stayed any longer.
With not much to do during her day, Yu Hongxiu was starved for some immediate gossip. She dragged Bai Ruozhu back to her room, dismissed her maids, and then quietly asked her, "Did you do something to upset poor Master Du? He seems terrified of you."
"What?" Bai Ruozhu had no idea what Yu Hongxiu was getting at. She admitted to reprimanding Du Zhongshu once upon a time, but that was ages ago, and he hadn’t shown any signs of fear towards her ever since. However, with Yu Hongxiu’s provocation, she started to recall that he indeed seemed to be avoiding her lately.
Bai Ruozhu rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe he didn’t report the real accounts to me and gave me less than my share? Is that why he looked so guilty when he saw me?"
Yu Hongxiu stifled a laugh. "Haha, you only have money in your eyes now."
Bai Ruozhu chuckled. "Even if he did shortchange me, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care that much. Besides, I can’t really fight the Du family, can I?"
"I don’t think Master Du is feeling guilty though. It seems more like he’s scared of you. What did you do to him?" Yu Hongxiu playfully raised an eyebrow.
Bai Ruozhu widened her eyes in disbelief. "What are you talking about? It’s as if I were a seductress preying on innocent men! Ever since he got back from Beiyu City, he’s been acting weird. I’ve been trying to figure out why."
"An innocent man, huh? That’s an interesting way to put it." Yu Hongxiu giggled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "He’s probably just trying to avoid any unnecessary rumors."
When Bai Ruozhu thought it over, she felt there was some truth in it. Her being a jilted woman or a widow and being frequently seen with him could indeed tarnish his reputation.
"That makes sense. I should avoid seeing him alone from now on, just to prevent any idle gossip." Bai Ruozhu, not being old-fashioned, didn’t care much about her own reputation. What bothered her was the thought of her family being shamed due to false rumors.
"But...", Yu Hongxiu let her voice trail off, very much like she was teasing. Seeing Bai Ruozhu gaze at her with expectant eyes, she finally shared her piece of gossip, grinning, "I’ve noticed Master Du stealing glances at you several times. And once he notices that he’s been caught, he quickly looks away, appearing quite nervous."
"What?!" Bai Ruozhu gasped in surprise. What was Du Zhongshu up to, peeping at her while trying to avoid any rumors?
"I bet he’s quite conflicted. Could he be interested in you?" Yu Hongxiu, her eyes sparkling with mischief, was filled with a curiosity for all juicy gossip.
"Why on earth would he be? Dengdeng’s father hasn’t vanished forever, and even if he had, I’m a widow with a child. Who would have eyes for me?" Bai Ruozhu said, shrugging off the revelation with a laugh.
Yu Hongxiu’s mirth faded at this. She regretted pulling Bai Ruozhu’s leg. She didn’t intend to remind her of her untold pain.
Taking Bai Ruozhu’s hand, she comforted her. "A catch like you is hard to come by. If you decide to remarry, I’m positive there would be a long line of suitors."
Bai Ruozhu chuckled, "Regardless of how cordial we are, we have to be honest. You’re overdoing the flattery."
"What’s so exaggerated about it? Look at yourself. You know medicine, you’re a great cook, and even though you’re of marriageable age, you still have soft skin like a young maiden. And your figure! If I were a man, I’d be totally under your spell." As she spoke, Yu Hongxiu slyly brushed against Bai Ruozhu’s chest, chuckling at her audacity.
Outraged, Bai Ruozhu swooped at her. "Watch yourself, you vixen! I ought to tell Mr. Xie to discipline you."
The two women burst into merry laughter, leaving the topic behind.
After all the fun and chaos, Bai Ruozhu decided to head back to the West Courtyard. She picked up Dengdeng to nurse him and whispered to the sweet, wide-eyed baby, "Dengdeng, do you know where your dad is? Do you think he’ll ever come back? Do you think he’s found another woman and will return to steal you away from me?"
Not knowing whether or not she was being heard, all Bai Ruozhu could see was Dengdeng passionately nursing, with no care in the world.
Pouting, Bai Ruozhu murmured. "If he doesn’t come back, should mommy find you a new dad?"
As soon as the words left her lips, there was a sharp pain. Ouch! It seemed that the little troublemaker had bitten her! Even though he had no teeth, his bite during feeding was pretty painful, considering how soft that part of the body was.
Annoyed, Bai Ruozhu gave his tiny butt a small smack. "Behave, little rascal, or mum’s gonna starve you for a day!"
After saying that, she switched Dengdeng, nursing him on the other side and examined her injury. Figures! It had begun bleeding a little. If she hadn’t seen Dengdeng’s birth with her own eyes, and knew there was no chance of a mix-up, she would’ve suspected that he was not her child. How could he bite her so viciously?
Bai Ruozhu sighed. It seemed like her little rascal didn’t want her to remarry. Poor her, she hadn’t even had her first kiss, and was she expected to wait for Chang Sheng, whose face she could barely recall?
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