Chapter Nineteen: Full of Meaning

Seeing several elders driven away by Bai Shengyun, Xie Yingying felt a surge of emotion. She was just about to express her gratitude, “Um, thank you—”

“Why are you here?”

She hadn't finished her sentence when Bai Shengyun interrupted her with a sharp question.

At his words, cold sweat broke out on Xie Yingying's forehead. Her gaze darted about, refusing to meet his eyes.

She felt a deep sense of guilt before Bai Shengyun, fearing he might see through her thoughts. Given his earlier attitude, if he discovered she intended to escape during the Heavenly Fox Rite, who knew what torment he might devise for her.

When Xie Yingying remained silent, Bai Shengyun narrowed his eyes. “You usually have plenty to say—what, cat got your tongue now?”

Driving away the elders was one thing, but there had to be another reason for Xie Yingying’s presence here. It couldn’t possibly be a coincidence.

“You don’t want to speak? Or do you want me to guess myself?” Bai Shengyun smiled ambiguously, his eyes, however, were cold.

His expression suggested he could turn hostile at any second—a mercurial temperament that made one’s heart tremble.

Xie Yingying was no exception. Realizing Bai Shengyun was about to lose his patience, she remembered the agony of that primordial force surging through her. Her face turned even paler.

“Speak up—why are you here? Is your room too stuffy for you?” Bai Shengyun’s gaze was deep and probing, fixed on Xie Yingying, missing not a single flicker of her expression.

They were at an impasse; it was clear that unless Xie Yingying explained herself, the matter would not rest.

She blinked, steadying her nerves, and feigned composure. “I was curious about how lively the Heavenly Fox Rite would be, so I wanted to take a look. I didn’t expect to run into the elders here.”

“The path to the Heavenly Fox Rite isn’t this way. You can’t even remember the road—you didn’t notice you'd gone the wrong way?” Bai Shengyun laughed softly, though his eyes glinted with suspicion and a touch of something strange.

Had Xie Yingying dared to look up, she might have noticed that oddity. But weighed down by her guilt, she didn’t have the courage to meet his gaze, missing her chance to observe him.

Her excuse of curiosity was flimsy at best, but it was all she had.

She certainly couldn’t tell Bai Shengyun outright that she planned to slip away while he attended the ceremony. That would be a death sentence.

And if she survived his wrath, he could still wield that primordial force, tormenting her unbearably. After suffering so much, she had learned caution.

Rather than enduring endless agony, she would rather prolong her life a little. She had barely snatched a new lease on life and wasn’t ready to give it up just yet.

With this thought, she deliberately feigned confusion and looked up. “Did I take the wrong direction?”

Bai Shengyun's lips curved into a slight smile as he nodded. “Of course, you went the wrong way. The Heavenly Fox Rite is in the opposite direction.”

He tilted his chin toward the road behind her. “You should be following that path. This one leads down the mountain—the Rite isn’t held below.”

Following his gesture, Xie Yingying looked and immediately felt a wave of despair.

But she could only endure her own excuse in silence.

She smacked her forehead theatrically and, pretending to be annoyed, said, “No wonder I haven’t seen anyone for so long—I went the wrong way.”

Bai Shengyun watched her impish act, his gaze meaningful, but he said nothing more.

He stepped forward and, without looking back, said, “Since you’re so curious, follow me—I’ll take you there, so you don’t get lost again.”

“That’s very kind of you.” Xie Yingying forced a bitter smile, though her face betrayed nothing. She had no choice but to follow Bai Shengyun.

She’d already said as much; to make another excuse to leave would only deepen his suspicion.

All the way, her spirits remained low. Even as the crowd grew around them, she could not muster any interest.

After so much careful planning, she had hoped to slip away while Bai Shengyun was occupied by the ceremony. But a few unexpected interlopers had ruined everything.

Even trailing Bai Shengyun, her mind wandered, searching for another chance to escape.

Serving a tyrant was like living with a tiger; her current predicament was much the same.

His moods shifted unpredictably. At the slightest displeasure, he would vent his anger on her, tormenting her with that primordial force until she wished for death. After so many bitter lessons, she had learned to be cautious.

As they walked, Bai Shengyun suddenly stopped. Xie Yingying, lost in her thoughts, failed to react in time and collided with his back.

“Ow!”

A sharp pain shot through her nose, tears springing to her eyes. She clutched her nose, her face contorting from the sting.

Bai Shengyun finally turned to look at her, half-mocking. “Why aren't you watching where you’re going?”

Had he not remembered who was behind him, he might have unleashed a deadly blow out of reflex.

Fortunately, he restrained himself, or Xie Yingying would have been gravely injured or killed.

It took her a long moment to recover from the pain. Eyes still brimming with tears, she explained, “I was just distracted by the sights around me.”

Though her former self had been notorious for flitting from one intrigue to another, she had never attended the Heavenly Fox Rite.

Running away was one thing, but she couldn’t help her curiosity about the Rite, which was held only once a century.

Yet Bai Shengyun had no intention of giving her much time to observe—he was to compete in the contest.

Once he left, there would be no one to watch over her. But even if he couldn’t guard her himself, he would never let her wander freely.

Especially since she clearly harbored thoughts of escape. If not watched closely, she might well slip away in the chaos.

With this in mind, he gave her another searching look. “Keep up. Don’t get lost.”

“Where to?” she asked, though her body had already, reflexively, fallen into step behind him.

They twisted and turned through the crowd, finally arriving at a quiet, elegant pavilion.

There, she spotted some familiar faces—the same elders, all seated with grim expressions.

Bai Shengyun nudged Xie Yingying forward and handed her over to Bai Qirui. “Third Brother, would you watch her for me? I’ll come get her once I’m done with the competition.”

Bai Qirui smiled warmly and nodded. “Go on. I’ll be here, waiting to celebrate your victory.”

Without further pleasantries, Bai Shengyun turned and left.

As for Xie Yingying, there was no escape. All she could do was resign herself to her fate and take her seat.