Jiang Yichun seemed to realize Bai Ruozhu was listening. A hint of a smile appeared in his eyes and on the corner of his lips hidden behind the mask.
The adjacent private room fell silent for a few seconds before a youthful female voice sounded, "But it’s a precious possession of my master, how could it be ineffective? Just wait and see the drama unfold."
The woman’s voice was pleasant, making people wonder if her appearance was as beautiful as her voice. However, there was a ruthless undertone as she finished speaking, shattering the pleasant impression left by her voice.
The old woman chuckled, "That’s good, I’ve had enough of the Li family. You, Xianxian, are much gentler and more charming than her. The mere sight of her stirs up my temper."
"Dear auntie, you shouldn’t speak this way. If not for sparing brother Shunsheng’s pains, I wouldn’t have the heart..." The woman’s voice trailed off as if she was on the brink of tears.
Unable to stop herself, Bai Ruozhu turned to look at Jiang Yichun. The two people in the other room were none other than Li Shunsheng’s mother and a cousin from their relatives, weren’t they?
Jiang Yichun appeared nonchalant as if he hadn’t heard anything. Bai Ruozhu did not believe him, his hearing was better than hers. In this room, probably only Du Zhongshu could hear the muffled sounds without understanding the conversation in the next room.
Suddenly, Jiang Yichun turned to look at her, his eyes filled with a smile.
Bai Ruozhu suddenly realized. No wonder he insisted on inviting her and Du Zhongshu upstairs for tea. He was tracking the women of the Li family and deliberately wanted her to overhear the conversation.
She raised her eyebrows in understanding. Was he trying to prove that he wasn’t spying on her?
Jiang Yichun gazed at her with undisguised love in his eyes. The intensity of his gaze made Bai Ruozhu’s face heat up. She suddenly remembered they were not alone and wondered if he was being too blatant.
On the side, Du Zhongshu, whilst having his tea, discreetly observed Jiang Yichun. He had seen the interaction between them and felt a twinge of bitterness in his heart. However, he comforted himself that this was what he wanted. His family would never approve of his affection for Bai Ruozhu, why should he hinder her?
At this thought, he felt he could no longer stay. He made a salutation towards them, "Since Mrs. Bai needs time to consider, and I have no other matters here, I’ll take my leave. My mentor is waiting for me for our reading session."
Bai Ruozhu opened her mouth to say something but felt a cold stare sweeping over her. Not a moment ago, Jiang Yichun’s eyes were filled with gentleness but now they looked murderous. Her lips twitched. She was just trying to say something, she wasn’t trying to hold back Du Zhongshu. Why was he being so angry?
"Thank you, Mr. Du. I will discuss this matter thoroughly with my family." Bai Ruozhu got up and made a salutation towards Du Zhongshu.
Feeling bitter inside, Du Zhongshu could sense Bai Ruozhu distancing herself. But who could he blame? It was him who was intentionally avoiding and distancing himself from her.
"There’s no need to be formal. Please excuse me then." He saluted the two and then left the room.
The sound coming from the next room became quieter as they heard noises from their room. Subsequently, Bai Ruozhu couldn’t hear clearly anymore.
Jiang Yichun stayed seated. He coldly watched Du Zhongshu leave, a flicker of hostility passed through his eyes.
Working in the Department of Politics had sharpened his senses. Therefore, he easily detected Du Zhongshu’s unusual feelings towards Bai Ruozhu even when Du Zhongshu intentionally distanced himself from her.
However, he also noticed how clueless Bai Ruozhu was. She had no idea about Du Zhongshu’s feelings. He didn’t know whether to be happy or frustrated about Bai Ruozhu’s obliviousness.
Soon though, he was in high spirits. Although Bai Ruozhu was slow on the uptake, she understood his feelings. In contrast to the others, who kept dropping hints, she was utterly obtuse, putting him at ease.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yichun broke into a sneaky smile. Indeed, his senior brother was right. When it came to pursuing a woman, he had to strike accurately and be ruthless. Bursting with pride over his past boldness when he forcefully kissed Bai Ruozhu, he conveniently ignored how his inexperienced kissing had left them in stitches.
At that moment, Bai Ruozhu was holding Dengdeng, scrutinizing Jiang Yichun. With his mask on, she couldn’t see his expression, and she felt a little uncomfortable. Yet, she was able to identify laughter and satisfaction from his eyes.
"What exactly are you trying to do?" Bai Ruozhu asked in annoyance. However, afraid that the two in the next room might overhear, she kept her voice exceptionally low, which spoiled her attempt to be forceful.
Jiang Yichun gave a low laugh, "I’m not planning anything. It really was a coincidence encountering you guys."
"I know." Bai Ruozhu pouted. After hearing the conversation, how could she not understand?
When Jiang Yichun saw Bai Ruozhu and Du Zhongshu, admittedly, he did feel a twinge of unease and almost stepped forward to ask: What are you two doing? But he was not an ordinary man. If he wasn’t composed, he wouldn’t have been adopted as a disciple by Wu Yunfeng and couldn’t possibly get assigned to work for the secretive Department of Politics.
He understood Bai Ruozhu’s character. He only felt uneasy for a few seconds before he chose to trust her. Despite Bai Ruozhu never promising him anything, he still felt she was trustworthy.
He would forever remember the woman who, surrounded by the corpses of assassins and in continued danger of being caught, still held onto him determinedly, insisting he could be saved. How could he not trust such a woman?
But his distress quickly returned. Although he did not cause any trouble, Bai Ruozhu was filled with misunderstandings. So, he had no choice but to invite them both upstairs even though he didn’t want to include Du Zhongshu.
"I just don’t want you to have any misunderstandings." His voice dropped to a whisper and he bent his head to drink his tea as if his words were spoken casually.
A laugh slipped out of Bai Ruozhu as she noticed his ears, visible behind the mask, turning a faint pink. He was using the act of drinking tea to hide his embarrassment.
Hearing her laughter, Jiang Yichun couldn’t help but glower at her, "Why do you laugh so much, woman? There’s no sense of romance about you!"
Hearing his words, Bai Ruozhu immediately thought about the first time he kissed her. How his clumsiness made her burst into laughter and she started laughing once again. She even stole glances at him while laughing, looking mischievously cheeky.
Jiang Yichun was so irritated that he ground his teeth. In one swoop, he removed his mask, closed the gap to Bai Ruozhu in an instant, and without warning, her laughter came to an abrupt end.
Because Jiang Yichun forcefully covered her mouth, with no qualms, he explored inside, sucking her small tongue as if it was a punishment. Bai Ruozhu was taken by surprise and had no chance to resist as she struggled to breathe.
Inside the private room, Bai Ruozhu was kneeling on the floor, but her body was slanting under Jiang Yichun’s pressure. One hand on the floor, the other restraining her, Jiang Yichun ruthlessly deepened the kiss, despite Dengdeng, who was still sleeping, in her arms.