"Mother, father has just passed away, and I have to learn the family business, so I don't plan on starting a family for now," said Bai Yunhan.
Lady Bai was still patiently persuading him, "Yunhan, if your father was still alive, he would also hope that you expand the Bai family tree as soon as possible! You can get to know these young ladies now, and once the mourning period is over, you should marry as soon as possible."
Bai Yunhan stood up, "Mother, I already promised you I will properly manage the Bai family business. Can you stop pressing me? I don't want to get married for now!"
Lady Bai was angered by Bai Yunhan's attitude.
"What do you mean I'm pressing you? Men should marry and women should marry out, this is the natural order of things! You don't want to get married? What if I arrange for you to marry Sang Li?!" shouted Lady Bai.
Bai Yunhan was stunned into silence for a moment.
"Hmph! I knew it, you have feelings for that girl. Yunhan, I will never allow you to be with her! You need to get over her as soon as possible!"
Bai Yunhan didn't say anything and directly left the pavilion.
Lady Bai was so angry that she smashed the teacup on the ground.
Now that she was the head of the Bai household, everyone should listen to her!
Bai Yunhan returned to his room feeling a bit distracted, but found Bai Yunxin waiting for him inside.
"Brother, you're finally back!" said Bai Yunxin with red-rimmed eyes, clearly from crying earlier.
"Yunxin? What happened?"
"Brother!" Bai Yunxin walked over to Bai Yunhan and knelt down before him.
Bai Yunhan was shocked by her actions and immediately went to help her stand up, "What are you doing? Get up quickly!"
But Bai Yunxin shook off his hands and started crying, "Brother, please don't throw me and my mother out!"
"Who said we're throwing you out?" asked a puzzled Bai Yunhan.
"The Lady wants me and my mother sent to Jing'an Temple!" cried Bai Yunxin.
"Why?"
"It's my fault, I believed Li Wenxuan's sweet words and gave myself to him, but he refuses to marry me!" said Bai Yunxin with her head lowered, crying bitterly.
"What did you just say?" Bai Yunhan was clearly very shocked.
Bai Yunxin had gone to find Li Wenxuan this afternoon, but not only did Li Wenxuan say he wouldn't marry her, he also hurt her with cruel words!
If Li Wenxuan didn't marry her, she and her mother would be kicked out of the Bai household, and she would never be able to marry out after this!
"I know what I did was wrong, I really know it was wrong now. Please help me, brother!" Bai Yunxin immediately grabbed Bai Yunhan's arm.
"Yunxin, how could you be so muddled?"
"Brother, if you're unwilling to help me, I will have no choice but to end my own life!" As Bai Yunxin spoke, she took out a dagger from within her clothes and slashed towards her own neck.
Seeing that, Bai Yunhan immediately grabbed her hand and said sternly, "What are you doing?! You're my sister, the daughter of the Bai family. Of course I will take care of your matter!"
Bai Yunxin wept sorrowfully as she threw herself into Bai Yunhan's arms, "I knew you were the best brother!"
Bai Yunhan closed his eyes for a moment, feeling like the whole Bai household had become different since his father's death...
At Qinglin Courtyard, the five people were sitting around a hot pot in the yard.
"Wow, it's been so long since we had hot pot! Miaomiao, your cooking skills are still so good, this is delicious!" exclaimed Su Mo.
Xia Miaomiao laughed, "The seasonings aren't as complete here after all, I'm afraid it's not as good as usual, please just make do."
Wu Ying looked at that pot of red soup, not knowing where to start, especially with all the dried chili peppers floating on top. He had tried that stuff before and did not find the taste agreeable.
"Wu Ying, have a taste, it will definitely open up new horizons for your palate!" said Su Mo as she picked up a slice of beef and brought it to his mouth, and it was beef topped with chopped chili.
Wu Ying frowned slightly at the sight of the chilies on the beef.
"Go on, eat it, it's really delicious!" urged Su Mo.
Seeing her expectant gaze, Wu Ying steeled himself and ate the beef.
"How is it?" Su Mo looked at him eagerly.
Not just her, the other three were also looking at him, waiting for this ancient man's verdict on his first hot pot experience.
Wu Ying chewed a few times. He found the taste quite novel, but his expression seemed a little off.
He immediately swallowed it down and took a gulp of tea from the cup beside him.
"Phew..." He couldn't help but let out a breath, feeling like there was a fire burning in his mouth.
His face was flushed red and tears were welling up in his eyes! He was a cold-blooded killer who had never shed a tear before, yet today he was reduced to tears by a piece of beef?
Su Mo leaned in to take a closer look at him, "Surely it can't be that exaggerated right, it's not even the spiciest kind of chili."
Xiao Han laughed, "It must be too spicy for his first time trying chili peppers, and you just had to give him beef topped with chopped chili!"
"But I think this is the tastiest, that's why I wanted him to try it! Don't you think it's tasty?" Su Mo asked Wu Ying.
"No," replied Wu Ying as he looked at her, "Just that the taste is a little stimulating, yet it also puts me in good spirits, a very peculiar feeling."
"Haha, exactly! Once you get used to it, you'll definitely grow to like it!" said Su Mo happily.
She picked up a piece of tofu for him, "This soft tofu in hot pot is also delicious, have another taste!"
After the initial assault on his taste buds earlier, Wu Ying's reaction was not as dramatic when eating the tofu this time. In fact, he even found the taste quite good and made him want to eat more and more.
"How about it?"
"Delicious," said Wu Ying with an upturned lip.
"There will be many more different delicious food for you to try when you're by my side!" beamed Su Mo.
Wu Ying's gaze softened as he looked at her. Will he really be able to stay by her side? He wished so too, but he didn't know if he could make it happen.
Ever since getting to know her, his whole world seemed to have changed. Being with someone you have feelings for can be so blissful after all.
"Mo," Wu Ying suddenly called her name.
"Yes? What's up?" Su Mo cooked another tender slice of beef and put it in his bowl.
Wu Ying looked at the meat in the bowl then back up at her, "Thank you."
"Aiyo, must you two be so mushy?" teased Xiao Han.
Xia Miaomiao and Sang Li beside him couldn't help but laugh too.
Su Mo glanced at Wu Ying and winked at him playfully, "If not for the fact that I just ate hot pot, I would really want to kiss you!"
"......"
Well, he still wasn't completely immune to her forthrightness after all.
"Come on, let's drink up!" Sang Li poured wine for everyone.
They each picked up their cup of wine.
"Hope we can... return home soon!" said Sang Li meaningfully.
Su Mo looked at Wu Ying beside her. If she really did go back, what would happen to Wu Ying? Ah, why think so much about what hasn't happened!
"Cheers! Hope we strike gold here!" said Su Mo.
"Cheers! May we four sisters never be separated!" said Xia Miaomiao.
"Cheers! May we never get imprisoned again!" laughed Xiao Han.
"Hahahahaha!"
Hearing Xiao Han's words, they couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Wu Ying's gaze remained fixed on Su Mo the whole time, watching her laugh put him in good spirits too. So a normal person's life could be this blissful. Being with someone you have feelings for could be this blissful.
While the group was making merry noises in the yard, a pair of eyes stared intently at them from the shadows not far away.