Chapter 281: Really Hurt, Dengdeng
Bai Ruozhu realized that she seemed a bit off, her face blushing. What was wrong with her? She was acting like a jealous wife. What was there for her to be jealous of? She didn’t need to be jealous of Du Fuling. After all, Jiang Yichun didn’t even touch her; he merely pulled her along with his sword scabbard.
"How could that be? She was just an annoying girl that wouldn’t let go of me," Bai Ruozhu responded, rolling her eyes.
"I understand. If we meet again, I’ll make things clear to her," Jiang Yichun said with a smile.
Bai Ruozhu felt uncomfortable with his sudden change in attitude. It seemed strange that he stopped being sarcastic. Could it be that she had a masochistic nature?
Then she brought up the issue of Madame Li’s poisoning.
"I am a coward and I hate bringing trouble upon myself, so I did not mention it when she was poisoned. I intended to tell you last time, fearing it may affect you, but I forgot when I was interrupted. A few days ago, I coincidentally met her again. She asked me to check her pulse, and to my surprise, I found no traces of chronic poisoning. I am not sure whether the poison had been eradicated or my medical skills are simply not proficient enough."
Jiang Yichun’s straight eyebrows furrowed slightly. Bai Ruozhu wanted to smooth out the furrow between his brows, but felt startled when she realized what she was thinking. Was she bewitched by him?
She was not being dramatic or indecisive. Unlike men, women in this era have more at stake. Jiang Yichun could disappear like a shadow without a trace, leaving her with what? She was afraid to invest all her heart, fearing the pain of having it torn apart.
In her previous life, her parents had a terrible relationship. Her father was a gambler and often beat her mother and herself for money. As a result, she was terrified of establishing a meaningful relationship, fearing she would end up like her mother.
Moreover, while Jiang Yichun had no commitments, she was not the same. She had family and a child to look after, and her husband was still missing. Was she truly suited to entrust herself to him?
Bai Ruozhu composed herself. She must not let herself be swayed by emotions. The most important thing for now was to ensure the wellbeing of her family. An emotional entanglement was not something she could afford.
Having come to this realization, Bai Ruozhu’s gaze firmed up. She looked at Jiang Yichun and said, "That’s all there is to it. Whether or not you decide to investigate is up to you. I will not leak a single word about it. It’s getting late, and it would be inappropriate if others saw you here. You should leave."
Jiang Yichun stared at Bai Ruozhu, sensing that a protective barrier had formed around her, distant and forbidding. Everything was fine a moment ago. What happened suddenly?
Bai Ruozhu shifted uneasily under Jiang Yichun’s gaze and turned towards the window, gently pushing it open - she was clearly trying to send him away.
The wrinkles on Jiang Yichun’s forehead deepened, and he wasn’t sure about the unease churning in his heart. He didn’t know what to say to Bai Ruozhu, and he was even sort of angry. How could Bai Ruozhu be so heartless? They hadn’t seen each other for so long, and she already wanted to send him away?
Just then, a small figure stirred on the bed - Little Dengdeng had woken up and was whimpering softly, sounding like a mewing kitten.
Bai Ruozhu was standing by the window, some distance away from the bed. Before she could reach halfway, Jiang Yichun had already rushed to the bedside, carefully lifting Dengdeng and beginning to soothe him softly.
Bai Ruozhu froze; Jiang Yichun had acted so hastily and was showing such tenderness towards Dengdeng. She was a very observant person. How could she not notice? Moreover, she studied the emotions flickering in his eyes, and realized he was genuinely concerned.
Furthermore, considering his cold and aloof personality, he would not stoop so low as to pretend to like Dengdeng just to win her favor.
Bai Ruozhu had considered finding a man who could truly care for Dengdeng. She knew Jiang Yichun liked Dengdeng and the child also seemed to favor him but... his unique status complicated things. Never mind, they would deal with these issues later on, Dengdeng was still quite young.
Jiang Yichun paced back and forth in the room, cradling Dengdeng as he tried to coax him back to sleep. Soon, however, his face changed and he turned to Bai Ruozhu, pleading, "He...he wet his nappy..."
Quickly, Bai Ruozhu took Dengdeng from him and noticed that the front of Jiang Yichun’s gown was soaked. Jiang Yichun gave an awkward smile, "It’s quite warm..."
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t hold back her laughter - a muted chuckle slipped past her lips.
Jiang Yichun was a martial artist, and he wasn’t wearing any extra layers, so his clothes were quite thin. Dengdeng had soaked right through to his chest. Bai Ruozhu smirked, barely suppressing her laughter. So that was why Jiang Yichun had looked so surprised just now – he was being "toasted" by the baby’s urine!
She placed Dengdeng back on the bed and started changing his diaper. "You little mischief-maker, causing trouble again!" she scolded gently. Inwardly, though, she was cheering: Good job, son!
Jiang Yichun was left standing there awkwardly, absolutely clueless about diaper-changing. Bai Ruozhu was impressively fast with her hands, besides, the little imp Dengdeng was hardly behaving himself, reaching out his tiny hand towards the wet spot on Jiang Yichun’s robe, giggling.
After Bai Ruozhu finished changing Dengdeng’s diaper and turned to look back at Jiang Yichun, the distance in her eyes had been replaced by mirth. When Jiang Yichun noticed the change in her eyes, he guessed that Bai Ruozhu still had reservations. Looking at Bai Ruozhu solemnly, he said, "I know you have your concerns, and maybe I was being too impulsive, but I can wait. It doesn’t matter, if it’s two years, ten years, or even eighteen, I will wait for you."
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Bai Ruozhu felt a warmth in her heart. "You don’t have to waste your time on me."
"It’s not a waste, choosing a wife is not something to be rushed." Jiang Yichun replied with a smile, dazzling Bai Ruozhu once again.
"If you can’t accept me now, it’s fine. Just as long as you don’t avoid or hide from me, I will prove my sincerity to you in time."
Bai Ruozhu felt the blush creeping up on her cheeks again. She glanced at the wet patch on Jiang Yichun’s robe and pointed at it. "Alright. I understand. You better go change your clothes before they begin to stink."
Jiang Yichun curled his mouth into a smirk, "It’s fine. Baby urine doesn’t smell."
"Do you want a drink of ’Baby Boy Soup?’ I heard it’s a universal antidote," Bai Ruozhu remarked, raising an eyebrow.
Jiang Yichun’s eyes widened. How dare she?! Just after confessing his feelings to her, she was teasing him! He realized he should always keep the upper hand in a relationship, just look at her already playing tricks on him.
He grumbled, but the corners of his mouth wouldn’t stop curling into a smile, revealing his good mood.
"I will be going then. You can keep the ’antidote’ for yourself," he said, vanishing out of the window in a flicker.
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Thank you dear book friends, Big Wei*, Meng, Baby, and I’m Crying Alone in the Corner, for your contributions. A kiss for each of you, mwah~