Ning Yan didn’t stay long at the Bai residence—he had too much on his plate, and both Bai Jinghuai and Bai Yan knew it. They had prepared themselves for him to simply make a brief appearance. But to their surprise, he didn’t leave right away. Instead, he remained at the table, perfectly at ease, idly toying with a dish of nuts between his fingers.
Bai Jinghuai had never owed anyone much in his life—let alone a favor of this magnitude. He was eager to repay it, but lacked the experience. Each time he tried to broach the topic, he somehow circled back to something else. Latest content published on novel-fire.ɴet
Bai Qingqing, meanwhile, was eyeing the nuts in Ning Yan’s hand as she asked casually, “What Father means is—you’ve done us a tremendous favor. How would you like us to repay you? We’re truly grateful, and as long as it’s within our power, we’ll do everything we can.”
Was that how it was supposed to be said? Wasn't Qingqing being a bit too straightforward?
Even Bai Yan broke into a cold sweat, trying to smooth things over. “What Qingqing means is—”
Crack. Crack. The sound of nuts being broken echoed from between Ning Yan’s fingers. He didn’t even lift his head. “No need. Instead of wasting your energy on this, you’d do better to think about how to clear your names.”
The corners of his mouth curled slightly. “There are many who want a thorough investigation. Huang Xun’s family has come forward too—they said he’d been deeply troubled in recent years. Never mentioned coming to Xuancheng alone, and now he’s dead. They want justice.”
“This case overlaps with the old nursery rhyme incident. There’s already been a stir at court. The Ministry of Justice has dispatched people to the southwest to investigate. If another rumor turns up that’s unfavorable to the Bai family, this current calm won’t last.”
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Bai Jinghuai’s expression darkened. “I’ve done nothing I need to be ashamed of. When the uprising in the southwest broke out, I was leading troops in pursuit of the Wuqiong clan. How could I be involved in any of this?”
“You and Ling Binyu, who was convicted of treason, were known across the land as close friends. Even on the day of his execution, you were still fighting to clear his name. Some say you were so certain of his innocence because you knew the real traitor was someone else.”
Bai Jinghuai met the gaze with unwavering eyes. “Binyu was never the kind of man to rebel. His wife was heavily pregnant at the time—why would he risk everything? Later, I discovered that the so-called damning letter used as evidence was far from conclusive. If the Wuqiong Clan hadn’t broken through two of our cities, screaming that someone had aided them, the late emperor might not have acted in such fury. I might’ve had time to dig out the truth.”
“There’s still time.”
Ning Yan had cracked open every nut in the dish and now casually slid the plate over to Bai Qingqing. His fox-like eyes lifted. “The Bai family must prove its own innocence. You can’t count on the one pulling the strings behind all this to suddenly have mercy. Huang Xun was only the beginning. What follows—no one can say.”
His words should have sent a chill through Bai Jinghuai’s heart. But instead, a strange numbness settled in. His gaze kept drifting, against his will, toward his daughter, who was gleefully munching on the nuts.
Those nuts—Ning Yan had shelled them for her? And he did a pretty damn good job of it too. The shells cracked cleanly, the meat intact and whole. It was effortless to eat, and her cheeks were puffed out like a little squirrel’s.
Just as Bai Jinghuai noticed Bai Yan about to lean in again, he stomped on his foot under the table. No. Shut it. Not possible!
Ning Yan had said his piece. Seeing that Bai Qingqing was contentedly eating, he rose to leave.
Bai Jinghuai stood to escort him, but paused as he watched Ning Yan poke lightly at Qingqing’s cheek. “Eat the rest later.”
Qingqing blinked up at him, stuffed one last nut into her mouth, then stood up and walked him out, as naturally as if she’d done it a hundred times before.