There were about a dozen of misses in the room and in front of each of them was a Qin. But few of them paid attention to the Qin. Most of them just obsessively looked at Bai Yihao’s charming and attractive face with flushed faces. And several of them looked at his long fingers…
Mo Xuetong looked and saw an empty seat at her left rear. She quietly turned around and sat there.
There was a stove burning in the room, so it was quite warm. There was a thick cotton cushion in front of all of them. In front of the cushion was a Qin, and there was an incense by the side, whose scent spread slowly and smelled refreshing.
Mo Xuetong seated herself on the cotton cushion and impatiently reached out to push the Qin which was too close to her. She couldn’t possibly play in such a close distance. However, of course, most of them didn’t come to learn the Qin.
She suddenly felt someone had noticed her. When she lifted her head, she saw those pure eyes looking at her through the crowd. He tilted his head and seemed to be smiling. It was Bai Yihao who was looking at her with interests. Then she silently held back her hand, dropped her eyelashes and head, and put away all the thoughts in her mind to pretend to be a normal miss. She didn’t want to be noticed and envied by someone!
By the time Bai Yihao finished playing, several misses showed their Qin skills. Even Fifth Princess played a song. All of the pieces sounded melodious. Though she didn’t have Bai Yihao’s techniques, her skills at Qin were pretty good. Thus several misses all complimented them. It was then that Mo Xuetong realized Wang Xiuxiu was also there.
She was sitting at the main position with Fifth Princess and she was the daughter of Grand Secretariat. She was kind to others and won many people’s favor. When watching other misses’ performances, she whispered and smiled to those around her. And when her eyes met Mo Xuetong’s, she would kindly smile to her as greetings to Mo Xuetong.
Mo Xuetong also responded with a smile as if she didn’t remember she was among those misses who were trying to evade from her by the door of the yard just a moment ago. She was still wearing that light pink dress. Some things were specially intended. However, she just didn’t know one thing. She was just a daughter of a third-grade official, but why did the Grand Secretariat’s daughter pay so much attention to her so as to especially make a flower hairpin? Then, the Grand Secretariat’s daughter asked Mo Xuetong’s cousin to bring Mo Xuetong to their gathering.
Mo Xuetong stood up when another miss proudly flaunted her skills. She was the closest to the door and wouldn’t catch anyone’s attention if she quietly left. Everyone’s focus was on Bai Yihao, and no one would notice that someone was missing. Since she was here and listened to the Qin, she had obeyed her father’s words. She felt it unnecessary to stay here anymore.
Among such a big group of misses, only a few of them really wanted to learn the Qin. She didn’t want to learn the Qin or be obsessed with Bai Yihao like them. Therefore, she was really not interested in this lecture. Now that she was out on such a fine day, it would be depressing to waste it here.
Qinglin Academy could live up to its name as a famous academy. In the crooked corridors were classrooms. Mo Xuetong was bored and looked at them along the way. The school hadn’t started so there was no one else in the academy. It felt kind of peaceful to step on the leaves on the ground.
Out of some interests, she breathed in cold air and a smile appeared by her lips. When there was no one framing her, even the air was free.
Mo Lan made a big fuss. “Miss, you see, there are some fish here and they are colorful.” Mo Xuetong turned around to find the place Mo Lan stood was a quiet stream which was shining with warm sunshine. She even saw some colorful fishes at the bottom of the stream which were swimming and looked very cute.
Mo Xuetong said smilingly, “Where do the fish come from? They are so beautiful!” She looked over and saw the fish swimming freely. She was envious of them and subconsciously reached out for the fish in the water. However, she didn’t expect the water was icy. When her hand reached in, she couldn’t help uttering. “Ouch” and hurriedly took her hand back.
When she looked again, her white hand was frozen to be completely red.
There came a bright voice. “These are icy fish which are from the coldest place and can swim freely under the ice. But a person’s hands can’t be compared to the icy fish.”
This place was quiet and the sudden voice interrupted the quietness. Mo Xuetong covered her hand with the handkerchief and turned around. Then she saw Bai Yihao coming to her slowly with his hands behind her back. She firstly saw his white robe which was different from others’ wide robes. The sleeves were embroidered with golden dragons, which added honor to his glamor.
His beautiful face, along with his bright dark eyes which flashed, had made himself an attraction like a celestial being or a moon!
No matter where he was, Bai Yihao was always a spokesperson for elegance and beauty. Though he was a bit casual, no one could ignore his presence.
Only Feng Yuran’s wicked charm could compare to this glamor!
Mo Xuetong thought with hostility how he could be here. Surrounded by so many beauties, he managed to get out, which required determination.
Mo Xuetong rarely asked disrespectfully, “Why isn’t Sir Bai teaching Qin at the room, but has come to this quiet place!” Her voice sounded a little capricious and defiant. It wasn’t in the room and she wasn’t indecently dressed. So she didn’t have to agree to everything he said.
Bai Yihao had great demeanor. He raised his lips and rolled his eyes, which seemed very appealing, “The teaching of Qin only needs one performance, and the rest of learning depends on the students themselves. If I have to teach everything by myself, I’ll be exhausted.”
Mo Xuetong lifted her head and shook her head. She looked at Bai Yihao with regrets and said, “Just one performance. The teacher is so lazy, then how can the students finish the learning! It seems that it’s impossible to learn the Qin.”
These words made Bai Yihao smiled and he said, “Since so, I have to get the one who cuts class back. As a teacher, I can’t let my student get out of the class.”
He was pushing the fault back onto her!
Mo Xuetong nodded with a smile by her lips, which seemed more charming. She lightly wrinkled her delicate nose. “That is so interesting. I didn’t see any student getting out. Maybe the teacher made a mistake.”
She didn’t want to take the Qin class in the first place. She didn’t think herself wasn’t good enough at playing the Qin or lacking the dreamlike feeling in Bai Yihao’s performance. She just thought her skills had her own characteristics. If her father hadn’t told her how hard playing the Qin was over and over again, Mo Xuetong wouldn’t have come here to learn today.
It wasn’t a Qin gathering, and it was not the sound of Qin that spread in the air but girls’ affection, which almost buried everyone inside those pink heart-shaped bubbles. She really didn’t want to see this and would rather sneak out to see the icy fish in the stream.
Bai Yihao stood across from her. His voice contained a hint of a smile, which sounded like a spring breeze. “I haven’t made a mistake, but the student is too naughty and gets out to play with the little fish when the class isn’t over. The student isn’t behaving. It was said that there were five different levels in the world, which were the heaven, the ground, the teachers, the husband, and relatives. I wonder which level you will put me in.”
Mo Xuetong pursed her lips and naturally started to refute. “If the teacher can’t behave himself, then the student doesn’t have to mind him. Besides, it’s not decided whether I’m your student or not. I couldn’t have become your student just for listening to a song.” When she lifted her head and saw the gentle smile by the handsome man’s lips, she realized she was too presumptuous today!
Bai Yihao looked at her with a good temper and smiled, “A song is definitely nothing important, but if I put my mind into it…”
These words were too ambiguous and Mo Xuetong’s face flushed. She stepped back and avoided his smiling eyes. Then she just firmly closed her tender lips and lowered her eyes and lashes to cover up the nervousness at the bottom of her heart.
She had just argued with Bai Yihao. She didn’t know if it’s because she was threatened in the room and got upset or the quietness in the garden that made people let down their guard.
She hid her thoughts and lifted her head up when her face was filled with a trace of coldness. Her bright watery eyes were cold like two dark pure streams. Then she just politely smiled to Bai Yihao, “Sir Bai, I’m sorry to have offended you. But my father told me that there would be something at home today, so it’s inconvenient for me to stay. I have to bid farewell to Sir Bai!”
Then she gently bowed.
There was an upper arch beside Bai Yihao’s lips which was different from the tenderness he used to show and made people believe that he was in good mood, “Did anything happen in your home? Do you need any help?”
Mo Xuetong was blank. She never expected Bai Yihao to be such a curious person. That lifted handsome face was filled with intentional naughtiness as if he said that to embarrass her on purpose. Those emotions registering on that flawless face was even kind of cute.
Mo Xuetong was scared by this thought. Thinking that he would be an emperor who was so ruthless, but then he was cute in her eyes, she felt herself possessed and losing her mind. Indeed, a handsome face could win others’ favor.
Then she remembered that now that Bai Yihao was out for so long, those misses wouldn’t continue practicing the Qin. Fifth Princess had only suspected her and then had tortured her so much in front of others. If she was seen chatting with Bai Yihao in such a quiet place, she would be the enemy of the entire Qin class.
The more she thought about it, the more anxious Mo Xuetong got about her staying. She politely bade her farewell. “Thank you, Sir Bai. There are only some trifles at home and are no big deal. It’s just that there is no one to manage the back yard, so I have to go home early.”
She didn’t need Bai Yihao or the consequences he would bring along!
At the time, a black figure came from behind her and reached her very quickly. The sharp dagger shone beside her cheek as if it were right in front of her. Mo Lan screamed and reached for her. However, Mo Xuetong didn’t have the time to react. When she wanted to move, a huge force hit her back and made her trip. She suddenly lost balance and directly fell towards the stream.
In front of her eyes were the shadows of trees which were heading down. Under her body were cold water and stones. If she fell, she would definitely break her head and die.
Mo Xuetong subconsciously reached out her hand and covered her head. But her rapidly falling body was caught by someone. She leaned back and fell into a warm powerful embrace.
“Don’t speak.” By her ears was still Bai Yihao’s clear voice. His hand was on her waist and he carried her up with him. His long fingers held her slender waist while the other hand pointed to a man in black. He easily flipped something onto the man’s hand, and then the dagger in the man’s hand fell down with a “clang”.
