Chapter 231: One Man Tea Party
“Then... Master, do we send these individually or do we send them all at the same time?” Ming Lu understood that his master was determined to send all these invitation cards to Divine Physician Bai, hence, he asked after hesitating for a moment.
Pei Rumo’s hand paused for a second and he only replied after some time, “Deliver them individually. However, she might ask for them all after a few days.”
Bai Luochu had just finished her cultivation and she sneezed. She thought to herself, Is Cai Ling right? Did I catch a cold? It seems like I should be putting on more clothes.
Bai Luochu didn’t request for Cai Ling to look for her clothes for her. Instead, she opened her wardrobe and prepared to look for thicker clothes herself. Before she was able to find any, Cai Ling entered the room to give her report.
“Mistress, the First Prince's residence suddenly sent an invitation card for you. Do you want to take a look at it?” Cai Ling still didn’t know what happened the night before and naturally didn’t know the reason behind Pei Rumo’s invitation card. In the end, she decided to consult Bai Luochu before doing anything.
When Bai Luochu heard the name ‘Pei Rumo’, she felt her temples aching subtly as though she had not been sleeping for the past few nights. She cursed in her heart, Pei Rumo acts rather quickly huh? Delivering an invitation card so early in the morning... Is he afraid that I will reject him?
“Bring the invitation card over for me.” Bai Luochu really didn’t wish to accept this invitation card, but since Pei Rumo had already delivered it to her residence, she couldn’t possibly refuse and asked for it to be returned. Even if she returned the card, Pei Rumo might pay her a personal visit to make her accept the invitation card.
Bai Luochu read the invitation card and couldn’t see anything wrong with it. The only thing she didn’t know was what Pei Rumo wanted to discuss with her.
When Cai Ling saw that her mistress’ expression wasn’t pleasant, she became rather nervous and asked, “Mistress, what is going on? Is the First Prince trying to make things difficult for you?”
Bai Luochu shook her head and smiled in an attempt to ease Cai Ling. “Nothing much. He just mentioned that he hasn’t enjoyed tea with me for a long time and is asking me to join him for tea at his residence. You, on the other hand, need to relax. You are still a young lady. Why are you acting like an old woman?”
“Isn't it because Mistress is always cultivating without a care for other affairs?” Cai Ling muttered softly.
If someone else were to hear it, Cai Ling would be charged with disrespecting her superior. However, Bai Luochu wasn’t too particular about her behavior.
‘If it is a blessing, it isn’t a calamity. If it is a calamity, it will be unavoidable.’ Since she wasn’t able to escape, she prepared herself to attend Pei Rumo’s tea party.
...
“It has been days since we last saw each other. I have been plagued with political affairs while Divine Physician Bai has been having a great time. Not only did you progress in your cultivation, your complexion looks better than before. I am truly envious.” Pei Rumo was seated in the reception pavilion as he awaited Bai Luochu’s arrival. Now that she appeared before him, sarcastic greetings poured out of his mouth.
Bai Luochu’s expression remained unchanged as she replied, “Your First Highness, what are you trying to say? I am a mere carefree idler. How can I compare myself to Your First Highness who has the responsibility of taking care of the nation? Even though Your First Highness feels stressed out, it proves your worth as a capable person.”
Pei Rumo turned to look at Bai Luochu after hearing her words. He noticed that Bai Luochu’s expression didn’t change in the slightest and realized that he was dealing with an old fox like himself. Her face didn’t even change when dishing out praises for him… what an incredible person.
Bai Luochu sat down cheerfully and immediately got to the main topic, “I wonder what Your First Highness wants to speak to me about? You even set up a tea party for me. I am overwhelmed by your grace.”
Pei Rumo could clearly hear the sarcasm coming from Bai Luochu but the anger didn’t get to his head. Instead, he smiled and started to change the topic. “These tea leaves came from one of my vassals. There is a saying that goes, ‘For it to taste good, it has to be autumn’s white dew’. This autumn tea tastes mild and even if someone who doesn’t know how to steep it will be able to bring out the fragrance. Have a taste. I am only able to obtain about two portions of these leaves every year.”
How could Bai Luochu feel like drinking tea when facing Pei Rumo? She had no choice but to raise the cup to her lips in order to reluctantly take a sip.
Pei Rumo noticed that the current Bai Luochu wasn’t as sarcastic as when she just arrived, thus, he immediately spoke, “The general’s residence isn’t influential and you’re surrounded by tigers and wolves. Your uncle has been eyeing your residence for a long time. It was lucky your personality changed after escaping from the Bestial Battle Arena, otherwise, you would’ve been tortured to death by the few of them. On the topic of your external problems, you have humiliated the Phoenix King Valley in public previously and you’re both Divine Physician Bai and the Third Prince’s Fiancée. There are many people keeping their eyes on you now. Even though you are not experiencing any trouble for the time being, there might be some trouble in the long run. Are you not planning to do something about it?”
Bai Luochu listened to Pei Rumo’s words before downing the tea in a single gulp. She then placed the teacup on the table heavily. As the table emitted a loud ‘thud’, Bai Luochu spoke up. “Your First Highness does have a thorough understanding of me. It’s a pity I am a short-sighted person. I will play it by ear no matter what happens.”
Pei Rumo’s smile froze after hearing her reply. He already knew that Bai Luochu was an expert in taichi and from the looks of it, she wasn’t going to move by force or persuasion. Pei Rumo originally thought that she would take the initiative to speak, but it ended up with him asking the question. “My intention is for you to do things like before. I will still provide you with cultivation resources and if you encounter any trouble, I will help you out. No one will be able to touch you.”
“I appreciate First Prince’s kind intentions. However, I am used to doing things alone and will feel annoyed if someone tries to interfere with my life. I feel happy when I see those people unable to do a thing to me. Moreover, it is beneficial for my cultivation.” Bai Luochu immediately rejected Pei Rumo’s ‘kind intention’, making it hard for Pei Rumo to say anything in response..