The next day, early in the morning.
Xiao Mo woke up, got dressed, and walked out of his room.
As usual, just as Xiao Mo stepped out of the courtyard, Bai Ruxue had already boiled hot water for washing and prepared breakfast.
However, when Xiao Mo was washing up, he noticed that Ruxue kept staring at him.
At first, Xiao Mo thought it was just his imagination but during breakfast, Ruxue would glance at him from time to time. When he looked back at her, Ruxue would quickly look away as if she'd been electrocuted. Then when he turned his gaze away, Ruxue would sneak another peek at him.
Xiao Mo was certain now that Ruxue definitely had something on her mind.
"Ruxue, what's wrong? Is there something you want to tell me?" Xiao Mo put down his chopsticks and asked.
"No!" Bai Ruxue pouted, turned her head away, and huffed.
However, Xiao Mo didn't take it to heart because in his previous life, Ruxue would sometimes get inexplicably upset for no reason, but it would pass quickly.
After breakfast, Xiao Mo didn't need to go to Teacher Qi's for lessons today, and Senior Sister Shang had gone out with her grandfather the dean for a spring outing during the day, so Xiao Mo simply stayed in the courtyard to read.
However, Xiao Mo noticed that Ruxue not only showed no signs of calming down, but seemed to be getting even angrier.
When cleaning the courtyard, Ruxue's movements were forceful and vigorous, and she would occasionally sweep toward his feet, as if the floor had offended her.
When wringing out clothes, Ruxue rolled up her sleeves and twisted them forcefully, while seeming to mutter something under her breath.
Xiao Mo put down his book and walked over to listen closely.
Only then did he clearly hear Ruxue cursing him: "Stinky Xiao Mo!" "Bad Xiao Mo!" "Stinky man!" "So infuriating, so infuriating..."
Hearing the woman's scolding, Xiao Mo smiled, thinking he should comfort her this time.
"I wonder how this humble scholar has angered the young lady?" Xiao Mo asked.
Xiao Mo's voice startled Bai Ruxue, making her delicate body tremble like a frightened kitten.
"You, you scared me to death!" Bai Ruxue raised her fist and hit Xiao Mo's chest with some force but even though Bai Ruxue only used a little strength, she had a physique approaching that of a true dragon after all. Xiao Mo felt his chest shake and almost coughed up blood.
"Are you, are you alright?" Bai Ruxue saw Xiao Mo's somewhat pale face and realized she had hit him a bit too hard.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Xiao Mo smiled and shook his head. "But could the young lady tell me how this humble scholar has angered you?"
"I, I won't tell you!"
After saying this, Bai Ruxue hung the last piece of clothing on the bamboo pole and ran back to her room.
"Could it be that Ruxue knows about me going to Senior Sister's courtyard at night?"
Xiao Mo looked at the tightly closed door and touched his chin thoughtfully.
The more he thought about it, the more Xiao Mo felt this was the most likely possibility.
"Forget it, I'll keep it hidden for one more night."
Xiao Mo thought to himself, planning to play dumb for one last day.
In her room, Bai Ruxue stared at the tightly closed door, hugging her pillow tightly to her chest, wondering why Xiao Mo hadn't come to find her yet.
Usually, when she got angry, he would come to comfort her...
"Stinky Xiao Mo! Aren't you going to explain anything to me? Even if you just make up some random excuse to fool me, that would be fine. I'm very easy to fool... I would believe whatever you say, stinky Xiao Mo..."
Bai Ruxue lay on the bed, curled up in a ball, her silvery-white hair falling across her face.
"I won't cook lunch! Let you starve, you big jerk!"
But even as Bai Ruxue said this, when noon approached, she worried whether Xiao Mo would really go hungry.
She tidied her hair, took a deep breath, walked out of her room, and went into the kitchen to cook like an angry mother hen.
Watching Bai Ruxue's sulking appearance, like an overturned vinegar jar, Xiao Mo found her quite adorable.
However, Xiao Mo also felt guilty inside because Ruxue must be feeling terrible right now but he really couldn't tell her the truth now.
So Xiao Mo could only pretend he hadn't seen anything.
After lunch, Bai Ruxue washed the dishes and returned to her room to sulk.
"Stinky Xiao Mo! Stinky Xiao Mo! Are you disgusted with me? Have you met someone prettier than me? Stinky Xiao Mo!" Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novelFirｅ.net
Lying on the bed, Bai Ruxue clamped the blanket between her round thighs, treating the blanket as Xiao Mo and hitting it repeatedly with her small fists but after being angry for a while, Bai Ruxue began to wonder if she was overthinking things.
Was she being too subjective in her judgment, basing it solely on detecting another woman's scent on Xiao Mo's clothes?
What if Xiao Mo had accepted an invitation from other academy disciples last night to attend some poetry gathering?
What if there happened to be other women at the banquet, and those shameless women deliberately pressed close to Xiao Mo, causing him to accidentally pick up their scent?
"So... what if I wrongly accused Xiao Mo?"
Thinking this through, Bai Ruxue sat up on the bed, feeling this was possible!
"Tonight! I'll watch tonight to see if Xiao Mo goes out again!"
Bai Ruxue clutched the blanket and made up her mind.
That evening, as night deepened, Bai Ruxue went to bed early.
In reality, Bai Ruxue was secretly watching Xiao Mo's room.
Just as the hour of zi arrived, Xiao Mo's door opened and he walked out of the courtyard.
Seeing Xiao Mo sneaking out, Bai Ruxue's heart filled with anxiety. She concealed her presence and quietly followed behind him.
As they walked, Bai Ruxue noticed something was wrong.
This path seemed to lead to Shang Jiuli's courtyard.
"Could it be that Xiao Mo and Shang Jiuli..."
Bai Ruxue's heart grew more and more anxious.
Bai Ruxue was already beginning to lose the courage to continue following Xiao Mo.
She worried that if she kept walking forward, when she learned the truth, she wouldn't be able to handle it...
"Maybe I should go back?"
Bai Ruxue's eyes wavered, feeling her nose tingle with sadness.
As long as she went back and forgot about last night and tonight's events, if Xiao Mo didn't tell her anything, she could pretend she knew nothing...
But watching Xiao Mo's gradually retreating figure, Bai Ruxue couldn't help herself and ultimately chose to follow.
In the woman's heart, there was actually still a glimmer of hope.
What if she had really misunderstood Xiao Mo?
What if there was nothing between Xiao Mo and Shang Jiuli?
When Bai Ruxue saw Xiao Mo actually arrive at Shang Jiuli's courtyard, and with practiced ease walk into the yard, knock on the door, and watched as Shang Jiuli in her nightgown pulled Xiao Mo into the room...
Bai Ruxue stood frozen in place, struck as if by lightning!
He really has another woman outside?!