Die, die, die. Was Bai Chen trying to curse Concubine Xi to death?
Bai Yue tilted her head and watched the scene unfold, not knowing how to react. Frankly, seeing Concubine Xi unconscious on the cold ground with no one helping brought her no joy. Instead, it only reminded her too much of the past.
Releasing a shaky breath, Bai Yue decided to step in. She came here to see a good show but the other party's action plummeted her good mood to the ground and below.
"Concubine Xi will be even sadder once she gets to know how useless her son can be without her to guide him," she commented in a nonchalant voice. When everyone's eyes landed on her, she shrugged and asked, "Did I say something wrong?"
Bai Yue's current appearance was rather appalling and scary. Combined with her white coat and Concubine Xi's unconscious body, many servants felt like they were in a cemetery. Behind them lay a corpse. In front of them stood a ghost.
Still, fear could be discarded. The fifth young miss of the Bai family was no feast to the eyes but she remained the beloved daughter of their mistress, wasn't she? Moreover, her full-blooded brother Bai Rui might have run away to the northern army, it didn't change the fact that he was Count Zhong's heir.
Why would they choose Bai Chen over Bai Yue.
Thus a few people dared to lift their head towards the ghostly Bai Yue and responded in earnest, "No, no, fifth young miss is naturally right."
Hn, even if she said the sky was green and earthworms could fly and sing, they would still say the same! Fifth young miss was right!
Bai Yue didn't stare away from Bai Chen.
"What do you think, second brother?"
In fact, Bai Chen had noticed this fifth sister of his some times ago already and to say he was surprised was not a lie. Going outside two days in a row, was Bai Yue trying to set a record?
Her arrival was unexpected. Not unwelcome though. Just... unexpected.
And not enough of course. Several key people were still lacking for his little show.
His eyes glinted. Because he was close enough, servant Dong was the only one who noticed. Yet, even he who had served his master for many years didn't know whether this was a good or a bad sign.
"How could fifth sister be wrong?" Bai Chen said in a faint voice, a lone tear trickling down his face and landing on his cold hand. For the sake of his own private show, he spent the night in the inner court despite having to go to the rites ministry in a few hours and he dressed lightly. His long black hair was also undone, thick black, slightly wavy hair flowing freely behind his back. He looked truly miserable. "After everything concubine mother did for me, I failed her. Concubine mother, please forgive this unfilial and useless son and wake up. Don't die."
His hands grasped Concubine Xi's icy, red fingers in a tight grip. So tight in fact that it almost cut off her blood circulation.
Bai Yue's eyebrows twitched. This man seemed stupider than in her past life. Thinking about Bai Hua's actions the day before, she started wondering whether she traveled back in time or in another dimension entirely.
"Second brother, are you trying to cut off Concubine Xi's fingers?" she asked as she went to stand above the two figures on the ground. Crouching down, she forced Bai Chen to loosen his grip and placed her palm over his mother's forehead. As expected, the skin was hot to the touch in spite of the cold weather.
Bai Yue pointed her fingers at a servant. "You, go find a doctor." Then at someone else, "Bring back my father. His concubine is ill. It would be bad for everyone if he is the last to know about it."
This time, no one dared to object and the two servants swiftly left.
For a very short while, Bai Chen's eyes sparkled in delight. Then he peeled his gaze off his hand and looked up with a hopeful expression.
"Fifth sister... moth-concubine mother... She is going to be fine, right? She really won't die?"
"Stop shaking her and cursing her to death and she might be."
"Sister is so clever."
A shudder crawled up her spine. Her second brother was still creepy. Just this was enough for her to know she wasn't in a different dimension. Perhaps she had simply not observed him enough in the past. Perhaps he had always been a little stupid.
That, or he was an amazing actor. But it didn't seem likely... Just look at these sparkling, gullible eyes... He was clearly not faking it!
"You overpraise me," she responded somewhat awkwardly before burying her face into the collar of her coat and pulling the hood up when a chilly breeze swept over them. "You should put something on Concubine Xi and carry her back to her room. Staying outside won't do her any good."
Unless second brother really planned to curse his birth mother to death.
"Good idea! Why didn't I think of it before?!" Bai Chen turned to the crowd around them and picked up the servant who looked the strongest. "You, you heard my fifth sister. Carry my concubine mother back."
This... this wasn't good at all! A man touching a married woman, even a concubine, wasn't this asking for punishment? And even that was the best outcome he could hope for.
"Second young master, I-" the man tried to say but Bai Chen cut him off, all but shouting in anger, "You don't want to?! Could it be that you are wishing for her death?!"
And here we go again.
Bai Yue rolled her eyes inside. This was getting ridiculous.
"Just go with it. Second brother will be responsible if anything happens."
"Yes, yes, I will be," Bai Chen nodded and confirmed earnestly, his anger already forgotten. "Just help me save my mother."
He said this but just as the servant was going to scoop up Concubine Xi with his shaky hands, Bai Chen stopped him. "Wait. Father's coat is cold. It is best to take it off."
And just like that, he lifted the coat off his birth mother's body. Any other day, this action would have been fine, if only slightly improper. Today, however, everyone couldn't help but wish to run away. Concubine Xi spent the night outside. And before that, she had received twenty hits with the plan. Forget about the blood on her back, her clothes right now were clinging to her body like a second skin and the front was slightly open, revealing an enticing collarbone.
Bai Yue didn't say anything. Saving the woman's life was one thing. As for her reputation, well, she didn't care much about it.
Having no choice, the poor servant carefully gathered the unconscious woman in his arms under Bai Chen's pleased smile. And because Bai Chen was such a good and caring son, he made sure to place his mother's head on the servant's shoulder, her soft, warm breath brushing against the man's neck.
"You did something good today. Expect a good reward," Bai Chen praised the servant, his concern seemingly put aside.
The servant felt very awkward yet he could only accept the words and head to Concubine Xi's courtyard with Bai Chen, Servant Dong and Bai Yue in tow.
The distance between the two places wasn't big but to the pitiful servant, it felt like an endless, perilous journey to the deep unknown. Heavy stones seemed to be tied to his feet and his back was painfully rigid. By the time he finally laid Concubine Xi down on her bed, he was sweating heavily and his back and armpits were drenched.
This was also the moment Count Zhong arrived, his eyes falling on the manservant laying his concubine on her bed.
No man wanted to see this and Bai Zhang Wei was no exception. A lowly slave dared to put his filthy hands on his woman. Did he take him, Count Zhong, as dead?
Seeing red, Bai Zhang Wei forgot all about Concubine Xi being ill and stomped into the room. The decoration inside was clear proof of how heavily favored Concubine Xi usually was. From the furniture to the mere porcelain cup, everything here was the finest a Count could get.
The bed especially was custom made and Bai Zhang Wei especially liked lying on it with his woman without any clothes on, his hands languidly caressing her soft skin which glistened with sweat.
And now another man laid his hands on Bai Zhang Wei's woman, on this particular bed.
Not waiting for his children to speak up, he grabbed the manservant by the throat and sneered, "What were you doing?!"