Chapter 23: Has He Married?

“He Shun, I heard from my father that you went to Pingzhou to help find Xun Gong’s family. Any leads?” Bai Shu asked as soon as she opened her mouth.

He Shun hadn’t intentionally hidden anything from the villagers. Yesterday, when he went to the village head to rent a carriage, he told the truth.

“There are no leads, but I have a friend who works at the Pingzhou government office. This time I asked him to inquire, as long as A Xun is from Pingzhou, we should be able to find something out.”

“Yeah, Xun Gong must be from a wealthy family, very precious. If he’s missing, his family will surely be looking for him. Your wife, concubines, and side rooms must be worried and heartbroken.” Bai Shu said, her tone laced with some genuine concern.

When He Miao heard this, her heart sank, and she unconsciously clenched the bundle in her hands, lowering her head and saying nothing.

He Xiangxiang rolled her eyes and, hearing her mention “Xun Gong” in such a manner, felt a sudden chill down her spine. She responded with a tone full of disdain, saying, “What, do you think everyone is like you and your Qi Shao, with three or four wives?”

Bai Shu, however, calmly replied, “Xiangxiang, you’ve never been there, so it’s understandable you wouldn’t know. Look at Xun Gong, he must be over twenty, from a rich family. At thirteen or fourteen, young masters of wealthy families already have side rooms, and by eighteen or nineteen, they marry. By the time they’re in their twenties, they may already have children.”

He Miao’s heart sank even further. Though she had suspected that he might already be married, she had still held on to a sliver of hope. But hearing Bai Shu speak like this, it felt like her hopes had been shattered.

He Miao’s thin frame trembled slightly. She bit her lip and tried to hold back tears.

Though He Shun thought Bai Shu’s words were too blunt, it was something he had suspected. While it might hurt He Miao, he felt it might be a good thing to shake her out of her illusions, so he just sighed heavily from the side.

He Xiangxiang noticed He Miao’s mood and grabbed her hand, squeezing it in comfort, and then turned to Bai Shu, saying, “I don’t think A Xun is married. There’s always an exception. A Xun must be that exception!”

Bai Shu sneered inwardly. She was full of disdain for He Xiangxiang’s naive words. It was clear that the village girl was fantasizing about climbing the social ladder and that He Miao had her own delusions about marrying A Xun.

Both of them were so naïve and out of touch with reality.

When it came to marriage in wealthy families, family background was paramount. Bai Shu herself had never dared to dream of becoming the legitimate wife of Qi Shao. She wished she could shatter their dreams immediately, but on the surface, she remained calm and friendly, saying, “Xiangxiang, you don’t understand. I’ve worked as a servant in the Qi family for five years. I’ve seen this kind of thing too many times. A young master from a rich family, who’s over twenty and still a virgin, probably has some secret issues. That kind of situation is only found in the romantic novels.”

She thought that He Miao probably didn’t want to become a concubine, so she turned to her, pretending to advise, “Miao’er, don’t set your sights too high. For someone like A Xun, if you can become a mistress, that would be good enough…”

“Miss Bai,” before Bai Shu could finish, A Xun, who had been driving ahead, spoke coldly, his voice low and terrifying.

“Whether or not I’ve married is my personal matter. I ask the young lady to show respect and not make assumptions.” After a pause, he added, “I will not let Miao’er suffer.”

The person involved had spoken, and Bai Shu’s expression stiffened. She couldn’t say anything more. After all, what she said was the truth. Sooner or later, He Miao would have to face this reality, and she was just waiting to see the drama unfold.

Bai Shu quickly shifted the topic, saying, “Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Since you went to Pingzhou, the truth will probably be revealed soon.” Then she turned back to He Miao, “By the way, Miao’er, did you know that Wu Cheng is also in Pingzhou? Aren’t you going to see him? I heard from my mother that after he broke off the engagement with you, you were so sad that you cried for several days. I felt really sorry for you.”

He Miao didn’t usually interact much with Bai Shu, and she had no prejudice against her at first, but after spending time with her today, she realized that although Bai Shu hadn’t said anything particularly mean or cruel, she still made people uncomfortable. All in all, Bai Shu was just annoying.

“Miss Bai, I know about that. However, Wu Cheng and I broke off our engagement a long time ago. I don’t want to talk about him and certainly don’t need to see him.”

“That’s true.” Bai Shu, intent on causing trouble, persisted, “But I thought about it—his current wife is the daughter of the governor. You could ask him to help you inquire about Xun Gong’s situation through the governor. After all, you two were once betrothed, and you must have a deep connection. He would surely help.”

“There’s no need for that. Miss Bai should mind her own business.” A Xun’s voice, cold and stern, came from the front.

“Hey! What’s wrong with you?” He Xiangxiang could no longer hold back. This woman had crossed the line, so she raised her hand and pointed at Bai Shu, shouting, “You’re really something! Why do you always bring up things that have nothing to do with you? Are you trying to show off? Can’t you stand it when others do better than you?”

He Xiangxiang was hot-tempered, and in the past, when conflicts were about to break out, He Miao would try to stop it. But today, she didn’t feel like stopping it because she didn’t want to endure it either.

“Miao’er, I heard from Aunt Bai that after Qi Shao takes over the family business, he plans to take you as a concubine. Is that true?” He Xiangxiang asked, her voice sharp.

“That’s natural. My young master treats me very well.” Bai Shu didn’t back down.

“But I heard that right now, most of the business in the Qi family is being managed by the second young master.” He Miao continued to expose her lies.