Chapter 518: Chapter 518: Brazenly
When Yu Xia returned home, Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao were not there. Yu Xia wandered around the house but didn’t see them, so she ran to Housekeeper Zhao and asked, "Grandpa Zhao, Grandpa Zhao, where are my sister and brother-in-law? Why aren’t they here today? Aren’t they usually off work by now? Did they work overtime?"
Housekeeper Zhao gave Yu Xia a kindly smile and replied, "Not at all. Today is Bai Family’s Elder Bai’s sixtieth birthday, and the Family Head and Lady were invited to attend the banquet."
By this time, Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao had already arrived at the Bai Family. Seeing people at the banquet hall, whether familiar or unfamiliar, Lin Mengyao was no longer as nervous as she was at her first banquet. Now, she seems more relaxed and at ease, embodying the demeanor of the Xu Family’s Lady more fully.
Those who did not know about Lin Mengyao’s background respected her to some extent because of the Xu Family’s reputation. Some with lower status, hoping to elevate their family and eager to gain a powerful ally, treated Lin Mengyao with flattery.
However, those who knew Lin Mengyao came from a small place like Luocheng, and whose family was not particularly strong, did not look at her as kindly. Though they said nothing in Xu Ke’s presence, their eyes betrayed disdain and a sense of superiority when Xu Ke was not looking.
"Having President Xu attend truly brings glory to the Bai Mansion," Elder Bai said with a smile, walking towards Xu Ke.
Despite being sixty years old, Elder Bai had a vigorous stride and a rosy complexion, looking very energetic. Because of his slight obesity, his face had fewer wrinkles, and when he smiled, he somewhat resembled Maitreya Buddha, giving off a sense of kindness that made it hard for anyone to be rude to him.
"Not at all. A while ago, my wife and I went on a sea trip, and for that reason, we missed Miss Bai’s eighteenth birthday party. I’m really sorry for that. This time, my wife and I brought along a birthday gift. I hope Miss Bai won’t be upset about the belated gift." With those words, Xu Ke took a black velvet gift box from Lin Mengyao’s hand and handed it to Miss Bai.
Bai Xin, who stood next to Elder Bai, blushed slightly, shyly accepted it, and whispered to Xu Ke, "Thank you, I really like the gift."
Bai Xin was the illegitimate daughter of Elder Bai’s youngest son, who was brought back to the Bai Family just a few days ago, which is why Xu Ke couldn’t attend her eighteenth birthday banquet. The event happened so suddenly that families like theirs would otherwise have prepared gifts and schedules long in advance, never finding themselves without either.
Given her status as an illegitimate daughter, there was no obligation to buy a gift. However, Xu Ke heard that Elder Bai had brought her to his side to teach, demonstrating his importance to this granddaughter, so considering the cooperation between the two families, despite his dislike for her status, he still prepared a gift.
As for Bai Xin claiming to like the gift without having seen it, Xu Ke merely smiled and said nothing, shifting to chatting with Elder Bai instead.
Yet Bai Xin, not getting a response from Xu Ke, saw her smile fade a bit.
Though she had just returned to the Bai Family and was not very familiar with Shangjing, she knew quite a bit about Xu Ke. She knew everything about this man, knew he was competent and resourceful, and because she knew this, she did not oppose when her grandfather proposed marrying her to him. In fact, she secretly felt a hint of joy.
She admired strong men and didn’t care that he already had a wife. As long as her grandfather negotiated with Xu Ke, his wife would be insignificant. They had no children, and Lin Mengyao’s influence wasn’t strong enough. Even if she was unwilling, she could do nothing against Bai Xin.
Bai Xin never considered that Xu Ke might refuse because she was at least as beautiful as Lin Mengyao and far better in terms of family background. Any smart person would know whom to choose, and only she could be the best choice for Xu Ke and help him.
Thinking of herself in a wedding dress made Bai Xin’s cheeks blush an even deeper shade of red, looking at Xu Ke with more tender affection, prompting Lin Mengyao’s face to turn somewhat unsightly.
Lin Mengyao tightened her grip unconsciously on Xu Ke’s arm, interrupting his conversation with Elder Bai.
Xu Ke gave Elder Bai an apologetic smile, turned his head, and looked at Lin Mengyao with concern, asking, "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Seeing that Xu Ke didn’t notice Bai Xin’s increasingly passionate gaze, Lin Mengyao felt relieved inside and nodded when she saw Xu Ke’s worried expression, "I am feeling a bit unwell; my head hurts."
"Is it serious? Should I take you to see a doctor?" Xu Ke asked with concern.
Seeing Xu Ke looking a bit anxious, Lin Mengyao felt sweet inside, "No need, perhaps I didn’t rest well last night, and it will be okay after a while. It’s not serious enough to see a doctor." Lin Mengyao said with a smile.
Having observed everything and glanced at his granddaughter beside him, Elder Bai, after sixty years of life, understood completely.
"Since you’re not feeling well, you should get some rest. There are a few guest rooms upstairs, and the staff keeps them clean. If you don’t mind, I can have Bai Xin take you upstairs to rest for a while," Elder Bai said with kindly intent.
Lin Mengyao wasn’t too good at refusing an elder, especially when that elder bore no malice towards her. Moreover, since Bai Xin would go upstairs with her, she wouldn’t continue to stay downstairs staring at Xu Ke with those intense eyes. Therefore, Lin Mengyao did not refuse.
Bai Xin looked at her grandfather, saw a hint of warning in his eyes, and scrapped her initial intention of wanting to stay behind angrily, now leading Lin Mengyao upstairs with a lukewarm smile.
Opening a guest room door casually, Bai Xin turned her head and said indifferently to Lin Mengyao behind her, "You can rest here now. I’ll go back down to entertain the guests. If you need anything, just call a servant."
"I can’t sleep. How about Miss Bai stays to chat with me, considering I am also a guest of the Bai Family, right?" Lin Mengyao said with a smile, though her tone was actually cold.
No one could expect a woman to treat another woman coveting her man too kindly.
Bai Xin originally didn’t want to pay any attention to Lin Mengyao, but recalling Elder Bai’s warning gaze, she restrained the urge to leave and stayed.