However, no one thought that the coldness had come from Bai Yihao. They only felt that his status was noble and beyond them. The distance between them was too big and they should not even lust after him. Everyone felt humbled before him and did not dare to look up at his handsome appearance.
Mo Xuetong was slightly stunned. She looked up to look at the wooden plaque in front of the manor proclaiming it to be “Mo Manor” and thought that she had gone to the wrong place. He seemed even more familiar with the place than her. She had thought that since he was at her doorstep, she should play her part as the host and invite him in. However, she did not expect that the guards at the door did not even care about her, the third miss of the family. Instead, they all surrounded him. Those who did not know would probably think that he was the master of the house.
That was so odd!
“Miss, Sir Bai went in. We should go in too.” Mo He’s gaze followed after Bai Yihao dazedly. She followed closely and then realized that Mo Xuetong had not followed behind her. She hurried to hide her smile and returned to help Mo Xuetong.
“You’re just a maid and you dare to even think about my master. You are overestimating yourself.” A cold voice could be heard from the horse carriage that Bai Yihao just got off from. The door curtains lifted and a beautiful woman dressed in a servant’s uniform appeared. She was about 15 or 16 and was at the peak of her beauty. She lifted her head up high and looked at Mo Xuetong with an unfriendly look in her beautiful eyes. However, her words were spoken to Mo He.
“What are you talking about?” Mo He’s face flushed bright red as the words were spoken before many people. However, since it was the truth, she did not manage to speak as glibly as she usually did. She could only retort with a flush and even the manner in which she spoke seemed slightly weaker.
“You’ve been looking at my master since you got off the horse carriage and even forgot about your mistress. Is that not true? Look at who you are and who my master is.” The beautiful maid glanced at Mo He from the corner of the eye, the disdain she felt was obvious to all.
Mo He was embarrassed and enraged by what she said. And just as she was about to retort, Mo Xuetong reached out to stop her with a smile.
“You must be Sir Bai’s personal maid. Since we are at in front of the Mo Manor, you can go in with Sir Bai if you wish to. Why you come and shame my maid? Could it be that all those who work for Sir Bai are all so outrageous in speech?” Mo Xuetong sized the maid up and smiled. However, it did not reach her eyes.
She might have seemed like she was shaming Mo He, but she was shaming her!
A cold smile appeared by her lips. Then, without waiting for a reply, she held on to Mo He and they walked to the manor doors slowly.
She did not wish to, and neither would she deign to argue with a maid. It would also save her from falling into other’s plots.
The guard outside the door saw Mo Xuetong’s carriage. It was his mistress and he hurried up to greet her. Bai Yihao’s maid behind her was flushed red. She had been ignored by Mo Xuetong, and she stood in front of the horse carriage, ashamed, and not able to say another word.
Mo Xuetong released Mo He’s hand when they entered the manor. Her eyes turned cold.
“Miss…” Mo He said hesitantly.
“Go back to Qingwei Garden and receive your punishment. Ask Mo Yu to come and serve me. I have something on and need to go to Father’s study. Ask her to find me there.” Mo Xuetong looked at Mo He silently. Her eyes were deep and dark and it took a moment of silence before she spoke.
She had never met Bai Yihao in her past life, so Mo He had naturally never met him as well. As such, she had never imagined that the two of them, who had such a wide chasm between their statues, would have anything to do with each other. She could see the dazed look in Mo He’s eyes. Mo He had fallen for Bai Yihao at first sight. She had disregarded her own reputation and peeked at Bai Yihao through the windows.
When had this happened? She had not realized at all, and had allowed Mo He to appear before him and to be used by others!
Coldness welled up in her heart.
Mo He felt afraid as Mo Xuetong looked at her. The flush on her face faded a little and she paled. She said with a shaky voice, “Miss…”
“Don’t say anything else. Go!” Mo Xuetong’s voice was soft and gentle but also determined. She lifted her skirts and walked on, brushing by Mo He. She walked slowly to the garden beside her towards Mo Huawen’s study. Bai Yihao was there right now so she was not in a rush to go there. She might as well sit around in the garden.
She did not wish to meet Bai Yihao again in the study. A person like that was too dangerous!
It started to slow, landing on her light blue skirt. Her clothes fitted her slender body perfectly. When the flakes of snow fell, she looked like a fairy who was walking through the snow storm. Her beautiful face looked as if it was carved out of jade, and on her face, were two shiny dark eyes. Her lashes were long, thick and dark and they curled up ever so slightly.
Her lashes fluttered and her tiny lips glistened like a moist peach.
Her eyes shone with light, and she seemed extraordinarily beautiful in the bleak snow. She looked like a fairy stepping on clouds of snow, pure and clean.
Qin Yufeng was standing at a pavilion near the lake. He wore a dark blue robe. There were silver threads embroidering the scenery of cranes and clouds at his sleeves and the bottom of his robes. He also wore a gold belt that had a jade pendant hanging off it. He looked charming and carefree. He stood in the pavilion with his hands on his back and watched as Mo Xuetong approached. An inexplicable expression crossed his face and he smiled gently.
“Cousin Tong, come here to get out of the snow and leave later.” He smiled and said to Mo Xuetong who was holding up her skirt and looking up at the sky.
“Cousin Feng!” Mo Xuetong noticed Qin Yufeng and hesitated slightly before she hurried into the pavilion. She removed the sleeve she had placed over her head and curtsied deeply in greeting. Then, she smiled and said, “Cousin Feng, what are you doing here? Why didn’t you go hang out at Father’s study?”
In her past life, Qin Yufeng had been Mo Xuemin’s loyal lover.
“I just came out from Uncle’s study and got caught in the snow. I saw a beautiful girl walking through the snow, so I invited Cousin Tong to come and look as well.” Qin Yufeng laughed gaily as he returned the greeting.
His words were rather interesting and were also slightly teasing.
Mo Xuetong looked up with a slight smile. Then, she sat near the railings. It was snowing out there and the snowflakes were large. It seemed that it would not let up anytime soon.
She had not wanted to come in but had done so because she saw Qin Yufeng. Qin Yufeng was an odd person. He was very talented but did not become a scholar. He was only loyal to Mo Xuemin. Could a person like this love a woman so much that he would be willing to send her into the arms of another man just so she would be happy?
He was someone she could not understand. But since it was fated that the two would meet, that she was willing to understand him. After all, knowing one’s enemy would help in the war!
Qin Yufeng’s gaze landed on her slightly lowered face. She was beautiful and there was a light flush on her pale face. There were a few flakes of snow on her dark hair and long lashes, making her seem even more beautiful and elegant. It made one want to care for her and get close to her, but it also made one feel that that would be blasphemous.
How wonderful must a woman like this be? She was so wonderful that it made one want to hold her lightly. Her face, that looked slightly shy, was filled with beauty that could ruin cities. A look from her could take one’s soul with her.
“Cousin Feng, have your grandmother and Cousin Xuan all come to the capital?” Mo Xuetong looked up and into Qin Yufeng’s deep gaze. There was a gentle smile on her lips as she blinked her glittering eyes at him.
She knew about the Qin family entering the capital while she was in General Manor. However, she did not know about the details. She had wanted to get Mo Lan to send someone to find out news about it after returning to the manor. Since she had met Qin Yufeng, she could just ask him straight.
“Grandmother and Second Brother came to the capital together. Grandmother mentioned you a few days ago. She asked if you were free and to visit her if you are. She has just arrived in the capital and there is no one close to her by her side. I have heard that you are really smart and she likes you a lot.” Qin Yufeng said with a slight smile, a look of interest appearing in his deep eyes.
Mo Xuetong did not reject Qin Yufeng’s invitation to the Qin Manor. She seemed as if she did not understand Qin Yufeng’s intentions as she smiled and agreed. She had not had any interactions with Qin Yufeng in her previous life but had died in one of his plots. She would try to slowly understand him in this life. He was powerful and sharp, and she was willing to see how he plotted. She refused to be like how she had been in her previous life and walk into the dark abyss with her eyes shut.
“Many thanks, Second Cousin, for inviting me. I will definitely go to your manor in a few days to visit your grandmother.” Mo Xuetong looked away to see a painting Qin Yufeng had left on the table. Her eyes shone with curiosity as she asked, “Cousin Feng, what’s that?”
“It is a painting I got. It was dirtied and I had no way of cleaning it, so I brought it here especially for Uncle to take a look. It is such a pity. He said that there is no way to clean the painting.” Qin Yufeng smiled and turned to sit at the stone table. He spread the painting open and gestured for Mo Xuetong to take a look at it.
It was a painting of a winter plum blossom in the night. The plum blossoms on the branches were like blood on a patch of white snow. It made the plain painting come alive. It had just taken a few strokes of the brush to paint the petals of the red plum blossom and the white snow, creating a scene of beauty and life in a patch of bleakness.
All was bleak in the world except for the beauty of this flower in the snow!
“It is indeed a good painting.” Mo Xuetong praised. Her eyes landed on the grey patch of ink in the middle of the clean snow and she frowned. The snow had been dirtied here, ruining the entire painting. The beauty of the red was not as touching now.
“Cousin Feng, did father say that nothing could be done either?” Mo Xuetong reached out to touch the painting. It was indeed a good painting. The varying colors, textures, and lines on the paintings as well as the fluidity of the strokes showed that it was a truly good piece of art. It was indeed a pity for such a painting to be ruined.
“Uncle said that the patch of snow being dirtied meant that the entire painting had been marred. There is no use for this painting anymore.” Qin Yufeng looked at the painting with heartache and pity in his eyes. It was evident that this was a painting he loved. Otherwise, he would not have brought it to the Mo Manor. Mo Huawen’s literary knowledge had always been something praised by others. He was knowledgable in calligraphy and was admired by others. If even Mo Huawen said that nothing could be done, then there was really nothing that could be done for the painting.
“Cousin Feng, what do you intend to do with the painting then?” Mo Xuetong smiled lightly as she turned around to ask him.
Qin Yufeng smiled lightly, “Since it cannot be fixed, then I will destroy it. I will get someone to burn it when I return home. It is such a pity for it was a good painting.” He sighed and looked at the painting. It was evident how much he liked the painting.
If a painting he liked had been damaged, he would rather destroy it. Qin Yufeng’s character was indeed unique. She suddenly thought of something and she reached out to stop Qin Yufeng who was rolling up the painting. She frowned lightly and suddenly smiled sweetly and asked, “Cousin Feng, could you give me this painting?”
“Cousin Tong, what do you want this painting for?” Qin Yufeng’s hand which was rolling up the painting hesitated and he slowed down. He smiled and asked somewhat awkwardly. It was just a ruined painting. He had already decided to destroy it, so why was he so reluctant to give it away? His character was indeed really odd!
“Let me try, perhaps I can hide this stain.” Mo Xuetong seemed as if she did not see the deep look in his eyes as she replied softly. She reached out to tug at the rolled up painting.
“Oh, how do you intend to do that?” Qin Yufeng grew interested when she heard that Mo Xuetong had an idea. He put down the painting and laid it out again with a smile.
Mo Xuetong intentionally made an awkward expression and rubbed on the white surface with her finger.
“Cousin Tong, could you not tell me?” Qin Yufeng’s eyes could not help but follow her fingers when he saw how Mo Xuetong gently touched the painting. Her pale slender fingers seemed to fit well with the painting. She was so beautiful that the red plum blossom immediately paled in comparison. A gentle smile from her could make one’s heart flutter.
“Cousin Feng, what are you saying. Why would I not tell you? It’s just that I don’t know where to start, and if I can’t fix it, you’ll laugh at me.” Mo Xuetong pretended not to see the confusion in his eyes. She focused on the painting beneath her hand and smiled. She touched her beautiful skirt with a hand and hid the coldness at the corner of her lips.
“Cousin Tong, why don’t you tell me how you intend to fix it?” Mo Xuetong’s calm expression shocked Qin Yufeng. He held Mo Xuetong’s hand somewhat excitedly and asked in a hurry. He truly liked the painting, but it had been marred by a servant’s carelessness. He could not help but become determined to destroy the painting. Since the painting that he liked had been marred he would rather destroy it.
