As she stepped into the courtyard of the Tinglyun Residence, Aisthe's expression was subtle.
She had clearly told the maidservant that she was coming to see Bai Yu, so why did the maidservant bring her to Tinglyun's small courtyard?
Calculating the time, it was still early. Coupled with the maidservant's mischievous smile as she said, "The young general just woke up not long ago," Aisthe, who had gotten up early on purpose, meticulously followed the beauty and fashion tutorials posted on the Star Network by the members of the Pure Beauty Knights, and had excitedly left the space station to visit Bai Yu in Luofu, now felt her beautiful mood completely disappear.
Upon entering the courtyard, before seeing Tinglyun or Bai Yu, Aisthe immediately noticed Susang, who was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, idly tapping her feet, her small boots rhythmically clicking on the flagstone floor.
"Miss Susang?"
"Ah!" Susang, who was constantly glancing at the door to the nearby house, was startled by the sudden voice. She hurriedly turned her head, saw it was Aisthe, and let out a sigh of relief, patting her chest. "You scared me! It's... it's..."
"Aisthe."
"Oh, oh! Yes! Miss Aisthe! I'm a bit slow-witted, please forgive me!"
Susang stood up, bowed to Aisthe, and then smiled with her teeth showing.
"Miss Aisthe, don't be so formal with me. Didn't I say yesterday? Just call me Shangshang, like Xiaobai and Tinglyun jie!"
"Then Shangshang can just call me by my name too." Aisthe went along with it, drawing closer to Susang.
She had initially harbored a faint sense of rejection toward this girl who had suddenly appeared in her perception and yet had a close relationship with Bai Yu.
But after their interaction yesterday, Susang's innocent cheerfulness had sparked a sense of fondness in Aisthe, who had grown up in a family full of scheming and rivalry, and she couldn't bring herself to dislike her.
Sitting down beside Susang, following her gaze towards Tinglyun's boudoir, Aisthe's expression shifted slightly. She subtly asked, "Shangshang, why are you here?"
"I came to find Xiaobai!" Susang didn't think much of it, and didn't even bother asking why Aisthe was here so early. "But when I went to Xiaobai's courtyard, he wasn't there. I asked around, and found out that Xiaobai was actually in Tinglyun jie's courtyard."
Aisthe: "..."
Ugh! The thing she least wanted to face was happening!
"Isn't this what the old saying in the Xianzhou goes: 'The closer you are to the water, the quicker you get the moon'?"
"What? What what?" Susang was completely confused. "Well water near a tower is idle?"
Ah this...
Aisthe opened her mouth, unable to help but laugh and cry as she extended her index finger to point at Susang's brow between her eyes, as if she were looking at a troublesome little sister—though theoretically, Susang was much older than her.
"It's 'The closer you are to the water, the quicker you get the moon'. Shangshang, if you don't mind, this 'alien' can tell you about the 'Xianzhou Common Sayings'."
Aisthe was full of confidence. Not to mention that as a lady of a prominent family, she had received elite education since she was a child, and because of Bai Yu, she had diligently studied Xianzhou culture!
Her words, which were full of loopholes in every sense, caused Susang to blush, realizing she had messed up again.
As they chatted back and forth, their relationship grew closer. When the door opened from the inside and Tinglyun and Bai Yu appeared together, having finished their morning ablutions, the two girls were almost like best friends.
"Xiaobai!"
Susang, who had been chatting enthusiastically with Aisthe, jumped up like a little rabbit upon hearing the sound of the door opening. Before Aisthe could react, she turned into a streak of apricot yellow light, rushing towards Bai Yu.
Boom—!
Bai Yu only felt something like a cannonball hit his chest, and then he was propelled backward by the immense force.
Tinglyun and Aisthe exchanged glances, then both fell silent as they watched the interior of the room, which had been thrown into disarray by the impact.
At the end of their line of sight, a screen that had collapsed lay on the ground. Bai Yu was sitting there, constantly tapping Susang's forehead, which was buried in his arms.
"How old are you? Ah? How old are you? Is it fun to ram yourself into people like a cannonball?"
"It's just me. If it were someone else, your bones would have broken if they got hit like that. Your bones are so tough, why don't you go perform chest-breaking stones? I'll introduce you to a street performer later and have her take you to perform that!"
The apricot yellow girl, burying her head in Bai Yu's arms, simply giggled foolishly. Then she mumbled softly, "Other people wouldn't do that..."
Bai Yu's expression softened involuntarily.
He sensed the faint, subdued emotions coming from the girl. Obviously, this girl, who seemed silly and carefree, wasn't truly indifferent to everything.
Coming to find him early in the morning, only to discover that he was at Tinglyun jie's courtyard, she could only have known that he had stayed overnight. Therefore, Susang was sulking.
It's just that this girl's way of venting her annoyance... was a bit too silly.
Leading Susang out of the inner room and having the maidservants go in to clean up, Bai Yu finally waved to Aisthe. "Yo, Da Bao! Have you eaten?"
Don't, don't think that calling me so intimately will make me forgive you!
—Although that was what she thought in her heart, Aisthe couldn't help but blush. All the questions she had planned to ask Bai Yu disappeared in the face of the situation, leaving only a simple, "…Not yet."
"Well, that's a coincidence."
Tinglyun's smile disappeared. She unfolded and then folded her folding fan in her hand.
"I was planning to have the Chamber of Commerce's people bring over some good chefs from Yaogqing to prepare things at home, knowing Shangshang would be coming to Luofu these days."
"Knowing that Little Sister Aisthe had arrived yesterday, I also had people hold back some good ingredients that were originally going to be sold to other realms. I think it will surely satisfy Little Sister Aisthe."
"But, good sister, you've been used to mountain delicacies and ocean treasures. Don't dislike sister's simple fare, eh~"
"Speaking of which, what kind of fragrant oil did you use today? What kind of rouge did you put on? Why are you so sweet and fragrant? This figure and this outfit are even more charming. Even I can't help but want to take a bite."
Her words were seamless, taking care of Susang while also considering Aisthe. Combined with the fact that Tinglyun already had a good relationship with her, Aisthe finally shifted her gaze, able only to fix her resentful eyes on Bai Yu.
Bai Yu secretly gave Tinglyun a thumbs up.
Look at this skillful, smooth talker. She looks like Wang Xifeng from "Dream of the Red Chamber," who held sway in the Rongguo Mansion.
Compared to Tinglyun jie, Fu Taibu, while adept at strategy, is truly worlds apart in terms of social graces!
Taibu Office.
Fu Xuan, who had just clocked in for the day, sneezed violently. He rubbed his small, cute nose and mumbled, "Who's talking bad about me? Damn it, I'll perform a divination... Good grief! Que Que! You're slacking off again!"
Qing Que, who was organizing the files, had a confused, large question mark on top of his small head. "Taibu sir! Why do you call me the same way the young general does!? No, no! I'm not slacking off!"
"Don't be so chatty! The results of the divination I performed are accurate. If I say you're slacking off, you are! Subordinates cannot kiss their superiors' mouths!"
Qing Que: "..."
Eat shit! Fu Fu!
Three hundred years in the east, three hundred years in the west! Don't bully poor Que Que!
If I get revenge someday, I'll stain the door of the Taibu Office with blood—no, I'm going to make you call me Qing Zong respectfully, and I'm going to call you Little Xuanzi!