Chapter 250 - 229: Rendezvous (Part 2)
Chapter 250: Chapter 229: Rendezvous (Part 2)
They could only meet in the dead of night, when no one was around. Though everyone in the Bai family knew about their relationship, they all pretended not to see it, acting as if it were nothing.
Their relationship remained in that ambiguous state. Not only did Bai Junfan never bring up marriage, but even Yang Liu’er no longer dared to dream of it.
Now that she had deliberately brought it up, she was met with rejection.
Yang Liu’er lay in Bai Junfan’s arms, her face streaked with tears. She couldn’t stop herself from saying resentfully, "I get it now. I’m just a country girl. I’m not good enough for you, and you’ll never marry me! You’re going to marry some young lady from a prestigious family instead, that... that girl from the Tang family!"
Bai Junfan was taken aback. He lifted Yang Liu’er’s face and asked, "Liu’er, who told you this?"
’His aunt had only just mentioned the marriage alliance with the Tang family. How could Liu’er possibly know? Did someone in the Bai family have supernatural hearing and sight?’
"No one told me. I dreamed it! In my dream, you married Tang Yaxuan of the Tang family. She’s a vicious woman—she killed me and our son!"
"You’re... you’re talking nonsense again!"
"I’m not talking nonsense! Junfan, I just had this long, strange dream... It felt so real!"
In her panic, Yang Liu’er spun a lie. She claimed that in her dream, Miss Tang, Tang Yaxuan, was always pestering Bai Junfan. Aunt Bai, thinking they were a perfect match, proposed a marriage to the Tang family on Bai Junfan’s behalf. The Tang family agreed, and Tang Yaxuan really did marry Bai Junfan. But later, Tang Yaxuan couldn’t tolerate Yang Liu’er’s presence and killed both her and the son she had borne for Junfan!
Yang Liu’er didn’t dare reveal the entire dream. The truth was that Gu Shaojun would be severely injured and paralyzed, leading to his engagement with the Tang family being called off. Only then would Bai Junfan pursue Tang Yaxuan, and after they established a relationship, Bai Qingyue would propose the marriage. But how could the Yang Liu’er of today know anyone from the Gu family? How would she know about the marriage contract between the Gu and Tang families? So, she couldn’t mention anyone else. After all, the idea of being reborn was too strange and bizarre. She was afraid Bai Junfan wouldn’t be able to accept it and would think she was some kind of monster.
As for the name Tang Yaxuan, she had overheard it recently when Bai Qingyue mentioned it during phone calls or while speaking with Bai Lihua.
Seeing Yang Liu’er’s tear-streaked face, Bai Junfan’s heart ached for her. He pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing her and comforting her, "It’s just a dream. That Tang Yaxuan you heard about is engaged to someone from the Gu family. If she’s going to pester anyone, it’ll be that Gu boy, not me. Don’t worry!"
Lost in his kisses, Yang Liu’er grew flustered and spoke without thinking. "Gu Shaojun, wasn’t he seriously injured on the battlefield? He’s paralyzed, so he can’t get married. The Gu and Tang Families called off the engagement, and then Tang Yaxuan came after you!"
Bai Junfan froze. "Liu’er, was this in your dream, too?"
Yang Liu’er nodded.
Bai Junfan gently kissed and caressed Yang Liu’er. He truly did adore this charmingly innocent, pretty, and obedient girl. What was even rarer was that her heart was completely his—even her dreams were on his side! If he weren’t the eldest grandson of the Bai family, duty-bound to obey his elders and marry into a family of equal standing for the clan’s sake, he would be perfectly happy marrying Yang Liu’er.
"Liu’er, you know Gu Shaojun? And you even know about the marriage arrangement between the Gu and Tang Families?"
"Of course... He was in my dream, and I’ve heard Aunt Bai mention him!"
"Liu’er, what else was in your dream?"
"There was... a lot! We were deeply in love and had a son who looked just like you. But Aunt Bai wanted you to marry Tang Yaxuan because her eldest uncle is in power, and the Tang family doesn’t have many heirs. If you married her, the Bai family would basically... MMPH!"
"Liu’er, why Tang Yaxuan? The Tang family has other daughters!" Bai Junfan found her dream a little amusing—this insistence that he had to steal Gu Shaojun’s woman.
"I don’t know! My dream was only about Tang Yaxuan. Oh, and Doctor Jia mentioned the other day that the eldest uncle of the Tang family adopted a goddaughter... Junfan, there was one more thing in the dream. I think... your grandfather dies tomorrow!"
"What?" Bai Junfan was so shocked he immediately tried to pull away from her, but she held him tight. ’It’s just a dream,’ he thought, sighing in relief. ’Grandfather can’t have anything happen to him right now. The Bai family has only just begun to recover, and I’m at a critical juncture. Every extra day Grandfather holds on is incredibly significant!’
While waves of passion burned like fire inside the room, an eavesdropper was pressing an ear to the crack in the door. After hearing a few snippets, the person tiptoed away.
Crossing the courtyard, a streetlight revealed a woman of about fifty. Her name was Huama. Like Shun Ma, she had been a nanny for the Bai family since she was young. When the Bai family fell on hard times, she was forced to leave, but now that their fortunes had improved, she had returned.
The next morning, Bai Qingyue was combing her hair in front of the mirror while Huama reported what she had overheard the previous night. Bai Qingyue let out a cold sneer. "Ashun’s clan niece. What good could possibly come of her?"
Huama pursed her lips. "Exactly! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Just a slut who specializes in climbing into her master’s bed!"
Bai Qingyue said, "Let’s not talk about Ashun. I heard back then she was only allowed to serve the Old Master because my mother’s health was poor... Since this Liu’er wants to follow her example, then let her."
Huama was stunned. "Miss Bai, you’re not going to punish that girl? You’re actually going to tolerate her? Won’t that... corrupt the young master?"
"Junfan is an adult now, full of youthful vigor. He still has a few years before he can get married. I was actually worried he might get into trouble outside. Having this Liu’er around to warm his bed isn’t such a bad thing. At least our family won’t be raising her for nothing!"
At breakfast, Yang Liu’er ignored Shun Ma’s instructions to serve the food and set the table. Instead, she sat down directly next to Bai Junfan. The sisters Bai Yifang and Bai Yifen shot her looks of contempt. Bai Qingyue, however, wore a gentle smile as she handed a steamed bun to each of her two young nieces, telling everyone to eat properly and not misbehave, as their big brother had to go out on business soon.
But they had barely taken a few bites when a call came from the hospital. The Old Master was in critical condition. This time, it looked like he wasn’t going to make it.
The chopsticks slipped from Bai Qingyue’s hand. Bai Junfan instinctively glanced at Yang Liu’er. Lowering her gaze, Yang Liu’er whispered so softly that only the two of them could hear, "My dream... it felt so real! I think... he’ll be gone a little after three in the afternoon."