Chapter 90 — Nanmu Wood
Lord Bai Jiu never lacked for fine things. Of the gifts Guo Yizhen had sent, he only kept a few ginseng roots of significant age. As for the antiques, he added a few more pieces, filled a gift box, and sent the whole chest off to Bai Mingyu.
Although Bai Mingyu was born in Qinghe, he’d grown up in wealth and luxury. He had long since lost interest in such trinkets after playing with enough of them. As he glanced through the box, he found a diamond-inlaid ruby filigree brooch that wasn’t bad. He had originally thought of picking a few more pieces to make a set, but the rest were pearls or jade—too old-fashioned for his taste. After thinking for a moment, he decided to take only the brooch, then had someone fetch a small box made of Nanmu wood to place it in.
Kou Peifeng brought the box over and was about to set the brooch inside when he heard Bai Mingyu instruct, “Go get a piece of white silk handkerchief, fold it carefully, and use it as padding inside.”
Kou Peifeng immediately obeyed, arranged everything neatly, and handed it up for inspection. “Young Master, is this all right? If it’s for gifting, should I wrap another layer outside?”
Bai Mingyu flushed and glared at him. “Nonsense! Who said I’m giving it away?”
Though he said so, he snatched the small box and added, “I’m going out. No one’s allowed to follow me—understood?”
Outside, a fine drizzle was falling. The chill of early spring lingered in the air.
Bai Mingyu had his driver take him to the provincial carriage shop. He got off early, waiting by the gate, spending a long while rehearsing what he would say before finally raising his hand to knock.
After a few knocks, someone came to open the door. He was told Bai Hongqi had gone out on business and hadn’t yet returned.
Bai Mingyu didn’t go in, but neither was he willing to leave. He stood there under the drizzle, his brows furrowed in thought, letting his clothes soak through without noticing. When Bai Hongqi finally came back, she saw a drenched, stiff young man standing blankly by the gate of her garage, hands tucked into his sleeves like a lost goose. She couldn’t help laughing.
“Bai Er? You came to see me? Why not wait inside? Standing out here in the rain—aren’t you afraid of catching cold?”
Bai Mingyu froze for a moment, stammering, “Who said I came to see you? I was just passing by…”
His voice trailed off as Bai Hongqi walked ahead. He shuffled after her into the reception room, still mumbling under his breath, “I just heard you’d been traveling back and forth to Nanfang recently and wanted to ask if something happened. Oh—and this, for you.”
He finished the last words quickly and pulled the small box from his sleeve, thrusting it at her.
Bai Hongqi looked surprised but took it with a smile, “You’re giving me something? Then I ought to prepare a thank-you gift for you.”
Bai Mingyu blinked. “Huh?”
“I’ve heard about Yu Port,” Bai Hongqi said softly. “You handled it very well—better than I did, even. I underestimated you before. I also want to thank you on my grandmother’s behalf. Whatever happens, I owe you a favor.”
Bai Mingyu hadn’t expected her to say that. He waved his hands nervously, “N-no, I came to apologize! I didn’t know about your family matters before, and I said things I shouldn’t have. That was my fault. Please accept my apology.”
He even cupped his hands and bowed, which made Bai Hongqi laugh. She sat watching him for a while, then said with a teasing smile, “So you can be a decent person after all. I was too harsh before. I should apologize too.”
Bai Mingyu had never seen her so gentle before. For a moment, he was completely dazed by her smile, as if she’d bewitched him. Whatever she said after that, he just nodded along, unable to form a full sentence.
They shared a pot of tea and chatted for a while before Bai Hongqi said she had errands to run.
“There are a few new cars in the shop,” she said. “Some of them are quite good. I’ll have someone take you to look later—if you like one, drive it away. I have to step out.”
Bai Mingyu stood up too. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to the Yucheng Troupe,” she said. “Shopkeeper Shang lost his voice recently. Little Xie asked me to find some herbs for him. I’ve just gathered them all and plan to deliver them myself.”
At that, Bai Mingyu became alert. He’d heard of Shang Yulou’s operas—he might not know much about “losing one’s voice,” but he certainly knew that whenever Shang Yulou appeared, hordes of female fans would shower him with gifts and flowers.
“You’re busy,” he said quickly. “And I happen to be free—Lord Bai Jiu gave me a few days off. Let me run the errand for you.”
“That’s too much trouble for you.”
“Not at all. I love opera. Back in school, I used to climb walls just to sneak out and listen.”
“…”
If he hadn’t said it so matter-of-factly, she’d have thought she misheard him. How could anyone confess something so shameless with a straight face?
Regardless, Bai Mingyu took the herbs and personally went to deliver them to the troupe.
Boss Shang’s throat was hoarse. When he saw Bai Mingyu bringing medicine, he thanked him profusely. Bai Mingyu subtly asked a few questions and, hearing Shang Yulou repeatedly express gratitude to Xie Jing, confirmed it really had been Xie Jing’s request. Only then did his heart settle down.
Shang Yulou, deeply appreciative, said, “I was planning to visit the Bai residence myself to deliver some crabapple fruits for young Xie. Since you’re here, could you take them for me? Also, next month I’ll be performing with Chai Xuehe and others—here are some opera tickets as thanks. Please come with young Xie to support us.”
He was unusually generous, giving out two full rows of front seats—clearly pre-prepared for Xie Jing to distribute among friends.
Bai Mingyu accepted the tickets and the fruit basket and strolled leisurely back to the East Court.
He was quite pleased with himself.
He thought, If my cousin could just stay that gentle and sweet every day—smiling like that at me, well, running errands would be nothing at all.
When he returned to the East Court, he didn’t announce himself—he was familiar with the place and simply walked in.
Past the ornate gate, the courtyard was quiet; there were no servants outside the study.
He found that strange but thought little of it. Carrying the basket, he approached—and as he passed the window, he suddenly caught sight of two figures inside.
They were close. Then, they kissed.
Inside, Xie Jing sensed something was off and looked toward the window—but saw nothing but the budding old tree in the courtyard.
Lord Bai Jiu gently pinched his earlobe, eyes fixed on him, chuckling, “What now? You just tried sneaking off. Even if the rain’s stopped, the ground’s wet and slippery. No riding up the mountain today.”
Xie Jing turned his gaze back, still straddling his lap, trying to look outside again.
Lord Bai Jiu turned his chin back with a touch, kissing him until Xie Jing forgot what he’d wanted to say.
Outside, Bai Mingyu pressed himself against the wall, eyes shut, cursing himself inwardly.
He didn’t know why—those two inside weren’t scared, yet he was. His body moved faster than his brain, hiding before he even thought to. His knees went weak.
His chest felt tight, his heart a tangle. He couldn’t even say what he felt—wasn’t quite jealousy, just a confusing discomfort he couldn’t name.
He didn’t dare face Lord Bai Jiu, so he went to confront Xie Jing instead.
By noon, he finally cornered Xie Jing at the East Court side gate, the latter already changed and seemingly ready to go out.
“Where are you going?” Bai Mingyu demanded, leaning against the doorframe.
“Home,” Xie Jing said mildly. “Why, is something wrong?”
Bai Mingyu stared at him. His cheek was flushed red. Bai Mingyu reached out with a sneer. “What happened here?”
Xie Jing turned slightly, but the narrow space made it hard to dodge completely. Bai’s fingers brushed him. “Mosquito bite,” he said, frowning. “What’s gotten into you today?”
Bai Mingyu had wanted to argue, but the bump really did feel like a bite. He studied it for a while, embarrassed, but refused to back down. “I ran an errand for Cousin Hongqi today—took some medicine to Boss Shang—came back early.”
Xie Jing gave him a puzzled look, waiting for more.
Bai Mingyu scowled. “I said I came back early.”
Xie Jing thought of the opera and misunderstood. “So, you already know?”
“Of course I know!” Bai Mingyu snapped. “I saw and heard everything with my own eyes and ears—clear as day!”
“I already told Lord Bai Jiu about it,” Xie Jing said.
Bai Mingyu froze. “You told him—and he agreed?!”
“Why wouldn’t he?” Xie Jing said, confused. “I hid it from you at first, but it was for your own good.”
Bai Mingyu almost laughed in disbelief. Hooking up with Lord Bai Jiu was for my good? Let’s hear this nonsense out.
Xie Jing said slowly, “Those eleven children you took in—they’ve suffered greatly. Even if you housed them, they still needed a way to live. I wrote the monkey play to let them debut on Shang Yulou’s stage—if they could perform, they might make a living even if he didn’t keep them. That’s why, on your birthday—”
Bai Mingyu’s brows knit tighter. “Wait—what monkey play?”
Xie Jing blinked. “Wasn’t that what you meant—the ‘White Ape Presents Longevity’ performance?”
“That wasn’t my birthday gift? You said you made it just for me!”
Xie Jing pressed his lips together, silent.
“So you even lied about that?!” Bai Mingyu shouted. “Xie Jing, I didn’t know you were so scheming. How many other things are you hiding from me? You said it was for me, but my birthday feast turned into your charity show!”
He lunged forward to grab Xie Jing’s collar—but Xie Jing dodged deftly and parried his move. That only enraged Bai Mingyu further. “Fine! Let’s settle this with our fists!”
Unfortunately, he picked the worst possible place: the East Court, right next to the guard barracks. They were caught almost immediately. Bai Mingyu refused to let go, and though Xie Jing didn’t yell, he fought back hard enough to win.
When they were pulled apart, Bai Mingyu was still shouting, “If you’ve got guts, don’t call for help—fight me one-on-one!”
Wiping his mouth, Xie Jing said coldly, “I used to think you were only worse than me in your studies.”
Bai Mingyu, furious and humiliated, yelled, “You’ve gone too far! Just you wait—one day I’ll—”
Behind him came Lord Bai Jiu’s thunderous voice: “You’ll what one day?”
Bai Mingyu froze, lips clamped shut.
Lord Bai Jiu strode over. Before Bai Mingyu could speak, he went straight to Xie Jing, tilted his chin up, examined the faint bruise, then turned to glare at Bai Mingyu. “Fine work! I praised you once and today you disgrace yourself. Why did you start a fight in the courtyard?”
Bai Mingyu opened his mouth but swallowed his words, his eyes red. “I—I felt wronged! Little Xie deceived me, and you always take his side!”
“What did he deceive you about?”
“…He lied that the ‘White Ape Presents Longevity’ play was written for me!”
Lord Bai Jiu snapped, “Ridiculous! Jing’er did a good deed and worked hard for your birthday—how dare you talk such nonsense, and even raise your hand at him!”
“Forget it, sir,” Xie Jing murmured.
Bai Mingyu burst out, “For me? He did it for someone else! You never see me at all—Xie Jing, you weren’t performing for a monkey—you were performing for me!”
Xie Jing lifted his gaze. “What does Second Young Master want, then?”
“I want you—to do a flip for me right now!” he blurted angrily.
Xie Jing rolled up his sleeves.
Bai Mingyu instinctively took a step back—his body still ached from the fight.
Then Xie Jing actually did it—executed a perfect, graceful flip, landing lightly like a cat.
“Is that enough?” he asked. “If not, I can do a few more.”
“…Enough,” Bai Mingyu muttered. His anger had drained away.
Lord Bai Jiu, watching coolly, said, “Done making a scene? Sun Fu, bring the family whip.”
The steward soon arrived with a long, thin whip.
Bai Mingyu paled as Lord Bai Jiu approached. He glanced between Xie Jing and Lord Bai Jiu, stammering, “You can’t just punish me! He fought back too!”
Lord Bai Jiu’s face darkened, and the whip cracked three times across Bai Mingyu’s back.
“Look after his injury!”
Bai Mingyu sneaked a glance—Xie Jing’s lip barely had a trace of blood, hardly even a bruise.
“Lock him in the woodshed for two days to reflect,” Lord Bai Jiu ordered.
Bai Mingyu’s heart sank.
It felt like the time his father in Qinghe had told him he’d taken a concubine—equally devastating.
Later, Lord Bai Jiu had a doctor examine Xie Jing. The physician rushed over, only to find the “injuries” laughably light.
“It’s nothing, sir,” he said. “Just a scrape from rough play. A little ointment will fix it.”
After he left, Lord Bai Jiu personally applied the salve.
“I can do it myself,” Xie Jing murmured, leaning away.
“Don’t move,” Lord Bai Jiu said. “Or it’ll scar.”
Xie Jing grinned—but winced from the sting. “It’s just a scratch. Second Young Master didn’t hit hard. Maybe there was some misunderstanding…”
Lord Bai Jiu sighed and dismissed the servants. Holding him close, he said quietly, “Do you know why I didn’t let you go to Yu Port that time? You’re calm, but too honest. Bai Er can be ruthless when needed.”
Xie Jing stayed silent, sitting in his lap.
“What’s wrong?” Lord Bai Jiu asked. “Unhappy again?”
Xie Jing shook his head, idly fiddling with the buttons on his collar. After a moment, he said softly, “I hit too hard earlier. I’ll bring some medicine to the Second Young Master later.”
“He’s thick-skinned. He’ll live.”
After dinner, Lord Bai Jiu let him go. Xie Jing took a small medicine box and asked Steward Sun for the woodshed key. Lord Bai Jiu pretended not to notice.
Inside the shed, Bai Mingyu sat sulking, filthy and sore. When Xie Jing entered, he turned away stubbornly.
Xie Jing said nothing, just handed him the ointment. Bai Mingyu, too proud to respond, stayed silent until Xie Jing smiled faintly, rolled up his sleeve, and applied the medicine himself.
“It was my fault earlier,” Xie Jing said quietly. “I hit too hard.”
Bai Mingyu grunted but didn’t stop him. He was still sulking, barely answering.
After a while, Xie Jing asked, “Why did you go crazy all of a sudden?”
Bai Mingyu hesitated, then whispered, “I came back early this morning. I was outside the East Court study.”
Xie Jing thought for a second—then remembered that morning’s brief kiss. It hadn’t even been much. He didn’t think much of it.
Bai Mingyu’s face, however, flushed scarlet. “In broad daylight—you two—have you no shame?”
Xie Jing chuckled.
“You’re laughing?!”
“Why didn’t you mention it earlier?” Xie Jing teased.
“Could I say that in front of everyone? Are you insane?”
Xie Jing smiled gently. “You were worried about us?”
“Worried, my foot! I was worried about my uncle!”
He only smiled wider.
They fell silent. After a while, Bai Mingyu’s stomach growled loudly. “You brought medicine but no food?”
Xie Jing fished a paper packet from his robe. Bai Mingyu opened it—inside was a single steamed bun.
“One bun? Are you kidding me?”
“Steward Sun’s guarding the door,” Xie Jing said. “Lord Bai Jiu ordered that you not be fed—to ‘teach you a lesson.’ The bun’s contraband.”
So Bai Mingyu obediently ate the bun. Hungry as he was, it tasted divine.
As he chewed, Xie Jing looked around. The shed was full of thick wooden logs, each glowing faintly with golden specks. He tapped one and asked, “Do you know what this is?”
Bai Mingyu shook his head, mouth full. “No. What?”
“Nanmu wood,” Xie Jing whispered. “The whole shed’s made of it. Guess how much it would fetch if sold?”
Bai Mingyu froze mid-bite, then jumped up, furious. “So that’s why you’re here—you’re trying to steal my uncle’s timber?! Xie Jing, do you even have a conscience?!”
Xie Jing blinked, then bent over laughing against the wood.
“You’re laughing again?!”
“I’m not stealing anything,” he said between chuckles. “I just wondered what it’s worth. You run pawnshops, don’t you? You must know the going price per silver for Nanmu.”
“…And you still claim you don’t want to steal the wood?”
