Chapter 435: Du Fuling Clings to Her ’Benefactor
In the evening, Bai Ruozhu lulled Dengdeng to sleep, but she couldn’t fall asleep herself. She was about to depart, and although she was returning to Anyuan Town for only a few days, she wasn’t sure whether her timing would clash with Jiang Yichun’s. She wanted to speak with him but didn’t know if he could find this place.
Bai Ruozhu thought she was considering too much. The Inn’s owner and clerks knew that she and her brother were taken by the Meng Family’s steward, and they must have overheard their conversation with Meng Qiu. How could Jiang Yichun possibly not hear about it?
However, she dozed off and was awakened in the middle of the night by Dengdeng crying for his late-night milk feed, and she realized that Jiang Yichun had not come after all.
Perhaps he had to carry out some task at the last minute and could not just walk away, or maybe he has been temporarily transferred out of Beiyu City. If he could, he would definitely come to find her.
She believed this about him.
The next morning, Bai Zepei rushed out of the house again. Bai Ruozhu didn’t ask whether he was occupied with Mr. Xie’s instructions or some tasks arranged by Meng Liangshen. She didn’t want to know about these things that would only cause her a headache.
She tidied up and took Dengdeng out. She wanted to reserve the horse carriage in advance to avoid chaos when they set off. If they left early in the morning, a standard carriage drawn by ordinary horses could reach Anyuan Town before dinner, and they wouldn’t have to rush on the journey. Honestly, if the horse carriage ran too fast, she felt dizzy.
Soon she found a carriage and paid the deposit to the sincere middle-aged coachman, who took note of the time and address she mentioned.
Then Bai Ruozhu aimlessly wandered around. She went to a cloth shop to pick out some fashionable fabrics to take back to the women in her family. With the New Year approaching, they could each have a beautiful new dress.
She didn’t rush to prepare new clothes for the men. Anyway, they could get them in Beiyu City in due course.
As she strolled around the street after buying the fabrics, she saw a man wearing a mask approaching.
Bai Ruozhu’s heart leaped with joy, but considering her past experience of mistaking someone, she didn’t rush forward but waited to observe him closely as he approached. On close observation, she felt disappointed; the man wasn’t Jiang Yichun. Most likely, he was the younger Senior Fox.
Indeed, the Senior Fox stopped in front of her and asked jokingly, "Are you looking for someone? Do you want my help?"
Bai Ruozhu hastily replied, "You’re mistaken. I still have things to buy. I must take my leave now."
Due to Jiang Yichun’s warning and the ties between Senior Fox and the Meng Family, Bai Ruozhu felt it was better to avoid him so as not to get herself in trouble.
But the Senior Fox seemed amused and followed her, occasionally making comments like, "What are you looking to buy? I’m quite familiar with this place and can introduce you to some shops."
Bai Ruozhu didn’t want to engage him in conversation, especially given there were so many eyes in Beiyu City, and many probably knew he was from the Ministry of Public Relations. Was it really okay for him to talk to her like this?
Just when Bai Ruozhu was distressed, a woman in red suddenly appeared on the street. She glared at Bai Ruozhu and charged at her aggressively.
Her nose was turning a strange shade of blue and purple, creating a terrifying impression. Combined with her ferocious demeanor, many people on the street were frightened and backed away.
"Bai Ruozhu, confess honestly! Who can cure my tooth!" Du Fuling screamed, revealing the gap where her tooth had been knocked out which, coupled with the whistling sound as she spoke, made her look extremely awkward.
Suddenly, Du Fuling’s expression froze. Her fiery charge halted, and she stared straight ahead as if she had seen a rare creature, her face registering surprise, delight, and even a little shyness.
As if she realized something, Du Fuling screamed, quickly covering her nose and mouth. She stopped in her tracks and turned slightly, as if intending to run away. But a determined look flashed in her eyes, and she strode towards Bai Ruozhu.
Wasn’t this the man she had been seeking for so long? Her heart raced. Although she felt too ugly at the moment and wanted to run away, the thought of possibly not having another opportunity to see him made her abandon all other considerations.
Seeing the change in Du Fuling’s expression and following her gaze to Senior Fox, Bai Ruozhu instantly understood what was going on.
A tiny smile played at the corners of her mouth, which she quickly concealed when no one was looking.
As Du Fuling rushed up to them, she forgot about causing trouble for Bai Ruozhu. With one hand over her mouth and nose, she looked up at Senior Fox with puppy-dog eyes and said, "Dear sir, I’ve finally found you. Last time, it was thanks to you saving me that I survived. I have no way to repay you, but I wanted to express my gratitude in person. If it wasn’t for Miss Bai who refused to tell me your whereabouts, I would have found you to repay my debt of gratitude long ago."
It was as if Du Fuling had turned into a different person - looking up and blinking her watery eyes at her "savior". It was hard to associate her with the ferocious woman from a moment ago.
Seeing Du Fuling’s transformation, Bai Ruozhu almost burst into laughter. She tried hard to keep a straight face so that Du Fuling wouldn’t see any flaws.
However, she reevaluated Du Fuling. Despite her impulsiveness, she spoke with great finesse. First, she emphasized her gratitude to her "savior" before subtly blaming Bai Ruozhu for not letting her repay her debt, thereby subtly influencing Senior Fox’s impression of Bai Ruozhu.
Senior Fox, whose height was comparable to Jiang Yichun’s, had to lower his head to look at Du Fuling, who looked up at him, appearing innocent and cute. Of course, this was when one ignored her bruised nose that spoiled the overall effect.
However, her bruised nose added to the effect of her looking pitiful.
Xu Huilin (Senior Fox) looked rather surprised and told Du Fuling quietly, "Miss, you’ve got the wrong person. I didn’t save you."
Since Jiang Yichun hadn’t spoken to Du Fuling before, this was the first time she heard her "savior’s" voice. She was immediately taken aback, her face showing a mesmerized expression.
Xu Huilin’s voice was indeed pleasing to the ears. Even his own master had once commented that he had a good voice for singing. Du Fuling was already obsessed with her "savior". Now, hearing his pleasant voice, her heart pounded, and her gaze involuntarily fell on his neck.
She was sure her "savior" must be very handsome. Just by looking at his neck, she could guess as much, Du Fuling thought to herself.
Xu Huilin didn’t appreciate being scrutinized like this by Du Fuling and walked around her. Du Fuling came to her senses and hurriedly followed him, saying, "Dear sir, I know you save lives without expecting anything in return and don’t want to admit you saved me. But I can’t forget your kindness. Without your help, I would have long been dead. Please, stop avoiding me and let me repay your kindness!"