Chapter 249 - 229: Rendezvous
Chapter 249: Chapter 229: Rendezvous
In the dead of night, a door in the grand mansion opened quietly. Amidst the sound of soft footsteps, a slender figure moved along the corridor and quickly disappeared into the shadows. A moment later, a door was heard creaking, and then the figure was gone, leaving the corridor completely empty.
Inside the room, Yang Liu’er threw herself into Bai Junfan’s arms. The two embraced tightly as she couldn’t help but sob and whimper. Bai Junfan comforted her, "There, there, don’t cry. When I got back from the hospital, your room light was already off. I knew you would come, so I waited for you."
"I missed you so much!"
"Liu’er, I missed you too. Are you used to Beijing yet? Is everything going okay?"
"It’s not! They look down on me, ordering me around like a maid. If I refuse, they find fault with me. They’re bullying me!"
Bai Junfan chuckled. "Aunt Bai said you have a pretty sharp tongue and even get physical. She said they’re the ones who are scared of you and don’t dare to provoke you."
Yang Liu’er wriggled in his arms. "They started it! I have to fight back! If I had given in the moment I arrived and let them walk all over me, I’d never be able to hold my head high again!"
’This was a painful lesson paid for with a lifetime of blood and tears!’
"Okay, okay, you’re right to fight back." Bai Junfan patted her back. "But you’re strong from all that farm work in the countryside. They’re no match for you. Go a little easier on them, and try not to actually hurt anyone."
"I did manual labor in the countryside, but they worked on a farm. It’s not like they had it easy or were any less active. They’re strong too! You should see them when they gang up on me; I’m the one at a disadvantage! And what’s more, your aunt is dead set against me going to school. Brother Jun Fan, I think your aunt hates me and doesn’t want me to live here. Why don’t you just give me some money? I’ll go back to Pan Kou Village."
"No! How would you survive back in Pan Kou Village? Your parents are gone, and that cave dwelling is a wreck from years of neglect. It’s not safe to live there. Liu’er, listen to me. This is my home, which means it’s your home too!"
"But Aunt Bai..."
"Aunt Bai is just worried that you’re not used to things yet since you’re new here. Besides, you only finished two years of primary school, so she’s afraid you won’t be able to keep up. I just talked to her, and she agreed to arrange for you to go to night school first. That’s a good thing, right? You can work hard, improve your literacy, and then next year we’ll find a university for you to attend. After you graduate, you’ll be assigned a comfortable job. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?"
"...I’ll listen to you, Brother Jun Fan." Yang Liu’er lifted her head and, by the faint streetlight filtering through the window, carefully studied Bai Junfan’s handsome face. ’This is my man,’ she thought, ’the one I was obsessed with for decades. In my past life, when I first started living with the Bai Family, he protected me just like this, didn’t he? It was my own fault for not having any backbone, for letting Bai Qingyue order me around until I became the family’s maid. He was always away, busy with his own affairs, completely unaware of my bitter struggles.’
’The Bai Family hardly needed another maid. Bai Qingyue did it on purpose. She wanted to degrade me, to make sure everyone saw me as nothing more than a social inferior who was unworthy of Bai Junfan!’
Yang Liu’er couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to caress Bai Junfan’s face, letting out a soft sigh.
"What is it? Why the sigh, Liu’er?" Bai Junfan asked.
"Brother Jun Fan, once I graduate from university and have a good job... let’s get married, okay?"
With such a soft, warm beauty in his arms, Bai Junfan was already lost in desire. He was just about to lower his head and kiss her crimson lips when her words gave him pause. The arms holding her tightly suddenly went slack.
"You... What did you say?"
"I said, now that you’re back, and with so many people in the house, let’s go register our marriage!"
"Liu’er, don’t talk nonsense!"
"How is this nonsense? Our parents betrothed us long ago! Before my mom passed away, she specially called you back from the army, invited my uncle’s family and the village elders to a banquet, and had us... consummate our union. The only thing we’re missing is the certificate!"
Bai Junfan reached out and gently covered her mouth. "Liu’er, marriage is a major life event. We can’t be so rash. Besides, my grandfather is critically ill right now, and this is a crucial time for me to push forward in my career. I can’t consider marriage for at least the next four or five years. Don’t you ever mention this again, understand?"
In truth, Yang Liu’er had only been testing him, but his answer sent a chill through her heart.
’In my past life, when Bai Junfan came back to Beijing for a victory celebration, I had also snuck out to be with him in the middle of the night. But back then, we had only been swept up in our passion, never once talking about marriage. Two days after he left, Bai Qingyue arranged for me to start learning chores from Shun Ma. By the time Bai Junfan returned again, I was officially a maid. As the eldest grandson of the Bai Family, it was impossible for him to be seen openly having a serious conversation with a little maid. Even if he had been willing, others would have seen it as improper and intervened.’