Chapter 662 - 664: The Unsuitable Duo
"Second Brother, when did you become such a stubborn person? I’m your sister, can’t I see what’s on your mind? Do you really have no feelings for Tu Ying? I don’t want you to miss such a wonderful girl because of your hesitation, nor do I want you to regret your indecision later in life!" exclaimed Bai Ruozhu, slightly angry.
Bai Zepei didn’t react much. He just lifted his eyes and gave her a cold look, saying, "This is where I’m calmer than you. If two people aren’t compatible, no matter how passionate they might be in the beginning, can they really have a good life together in the future?"
Bai Ruozhu was stunned. She thought her second brother was just being obstinate, overthinking things, and worrying too much about their family. She didn’t expect him to be so calm and rational, to a point where it was quite terrifying.
Upon careful thinking, his feelings towards Tu Ying might have sprung from the novelty of meeting a woman like her. But as time passes, would that affection fade? Could they truly support each other when needed?
For instance, he enjoyed poetry, but discussing it with Tu Ying was like playing music to a cow. And Tu Ying enjoyed martial arts, a topic he could not contribute to. He couldn’t even spar with her. Would they have anything to talk about after a while?
She couldn’t help but think about herself and Jiang Yichun. While he was skilled in martial arts, she was not, and there was a gulf of time and space between them. Would they also run out of common ground in the future?
She quickly dismissed her baseless worries. She and Jiang Yichun both knew medical skills; they had a common interest. Further, she thought her second brother was referring more to their personalities than to their hobbies.
His personality distinctly differed from Tu Ying’s. Add to that the contrasting backgrounds of their families, and the path ahead would be fraught with difficulties.
She felt a bittersweet pain in her heart. If her second brother’s feelings were momentary, that would be fine. But if he truly had feelings for her, yet suppressed them out of rational consideration, it would be heart-wrenching to see him sacrifice his emotions for maturity.
Having thought it out, she didn’t press her second brother further. With a subtle nod, she left his room.
Seeing Bai Ruozhu coming out alone, Tu Ying couldn’t help but display disappointment on her face, yet still clung onto a strand of hope, asking, "Is your second brother not coming?"
Bai Ruozhu nodded, "He said he has something to do later, so he won’t be coming."
"Oh," said Tu Ying, dejected, "Alright then."
Bai Ruozhu sighed inwardly, figuring her second brother’s feelings perhaps hadn’t reached an unfathomable depth yet. Otherwise, his rational considerations wouldn’t have been an obstacle in his path.
Upon hearing that Tu Ying wanted to compete with the second young master, Xiaosi, quite excited, said, "Sis, I want to go watch too. Can I?" Then he hurriedly turned to Tu Ying, "Sister Tu, can I cheer you on?"
Tu Ying laughed, "Are you going to cheer for your second young master? No matter, I have Ruozhu to back me up anyway!"
Caught off guard, Xiaosi chuckled shyly.
Bai Ruozhu was happy that Xiaosi had taken the initiative to speak with Tu Ying. It was significant progress for him as it showed his willingness to communicate with others. With Xiaosi’s improvement, how could she not let him go and watch?
"Alright, let’s go together," she said with a smile, causing Xiaosi to laugh heartily.
Jiang Yichun had been giving Tu Ying the cold shoulder ever since she disrupted his good mood. However, as Bai Ruozhu and Tu Ying set off, he followed with the child in his arms, planning for Xu Huilin to lose deliberately to Tu Ying so that he could take Ruozhu to Hot Spring Mansion to enjoy their time.
Since Tu Ying had arrived on horseback, Jiang Yichun also refrained from riding his and instead joined Bai Ruozhu and Xiaosi in the horse carriage. It was then that Tu Ying noticed the presence of another man and asked out of curiosity, "Ruozhu, is he your husband?"
"Yes, we might get married this year," Bai Ruozhu replied, nodding.
"Then you must invite me to your wedding!" Tu Ying, once despondent, was now full of energy.
The carriage started moving, with Tu Ying riding ahead, her red dress billowing. Bai Ruozhu watched her with envy. Jiang Yichun leaned over, pulling the curtain of the carriage, and said, "If you want to learn horse riding, I can teach you. You don’t have to envy others."
"Even if I knew how to ride, I wouldn’t be able to match Tu Ying’s flair. I envy her freedom," Bai Ruozhu sighed.
Jiang Yichun smirked, silently labeling Tu Ying as a tomboy in his mind.
Soon, the party arrived at the appointed location where Xu Huilin already waited astride his horse, his face gloomy. By his side was another woman on horseback, Du Fuling, who had been clinging to him relentlessly.
"Oh, Young Master Xu, you’ve also brought a cheerleader, huh?" Tu Ying glanced at Du Fuling and couldn’t help but laugh. She remembered this woman and did not have a particularly favorable impression of her.
Upon seeing Du Fuling, Bai Ruozhu also felt like laughing. No wonder Xu Huilin looked as though he’d been smeared with excrement.
Clearing his throat, Xu Huilin remarked, "We just happened to meet on the road."
Du Fuling pouted as Xu Huilin purposefully clarified their association. "I’m here to support Young Master Xu. He will certainly win with my backing," she declared, looking disappointed.
Xu Huilin almost choked. Bai Ruozhu, with a sardonic smile, gave him a glance that seemed to say, "If I were you, I’d rather die than win."
Both parties were straightforward people, so the contest began quickly. To Bai Ruozhu’s surprise, Tu Ying’s martial arts skills were better than she imagined. She had always thought that Tu Ying was merely stronger than the young men from the aristocratic families and couldn’t compare to Xu Huilin from the Tongzheng Division. But looking at the fight now, the two seemed equally matched.
Dengdeng was just there to enjoy the spectacle, clapping her tiny hands excitedly, amusing both Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun. Drawing closer to Bai Ruozhu, Jiang Yichun whispered, "Tu Ying’s martial arts skills are impressive, suited for leading troops on the battlefield, which gives her an advantage in a direct contest. As for Xu Huilin, he specializes in swift and ruthless assassinations and is not suited for head-on confrontations, allowing Tu Ying to gain the upper hand."
Turning to look at him in surprise, Bai Ruozhu asked, "Are you saying Tu Ying will win?"
Before Jiang Yichun could respond, Du Fuling interrupted with a taunting remark, "If you don’t know anything, stop talking. Tu Ying is no match for Young Master Xu!" A different sparkle flickered in her eyes when she mentioned Xu Huilin. The soft affection and charm she showed were quite sickening.
Apparently, Du Fuling had been eavesdropping on their conversation. A displeased Bai Ruozhu glared at her to find that Du Fuling was not paying attention to Jiang Yichun. It seemed she still did not know the identity of her actual benefactor.
Jiang Yichun cast an annoyed glance at Du Fuling, then turned back to Bai Ruozhu, dismissing Du Fuling’s existence.
"It’s not that Tu Ying will necessarily beat him, but she does have an edge. But remember, Xu Huilin is indeed a cunning fox," he said.
Bai Ruozhu looked again at the dueling pair and decided that even if Xu Huilin lost, he probably did so deliberately to let Tu Ying win.