Behind the Mask - Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Wronged
Chu Ye lowered her head to look at her clothes, constantly amazed by the things Second Miss Bai said. Yet Bai Ning spoke with such natural magnanimity.
Seeing this, Bai Ning smiled and turned her head to look away.
Chu Ye knew she was considerately averting her gaze to save her from embarrassment. For two women, helping each other apply medicine was quite normal. If she acted shy, it would only make her seem guilty.
With that thought, Chu Ye untied the sash at her waist, removed her outer robe, and casually placed it to the side.
"Alright," Chu Ye muttered after she lay prone on the couch.
Only then did Bai Ning turn back. Chu Ye was wearing only a form-fitting dudou. Her long, loose hair was brushed to one side, revealing a fair neck, shoulders, and back. Her narrow waist looked soft and slender, and the part of her below was half-covered by the bedding, resembling a pair of small, pert peaks.
Chu Ye lay on the bed with her head down, her heart pounding like a drum. She didn't look at Bai Ning, but it was as if she could feel her gaze; her exposed back grew hotter and hotter.
Bai Ning stared blankly for a moment before quickly coming to her senses. Against the snow-white back, the scar was especially conspicuous. It was long, stretching from her spine to her waist.
She applied the white ointment to Chu Ye's back.
Chu Ye had thought the ointment would cool the burning sensation, but it clearly didn't. When Bai Ning's delicate palm pressed against her back, stroking it back and forth, she felt even hotter, so hot that her heart began to race.
Bai Ning's touch was so gentle that it made her mind wander, even creating the illusion of a caress.
It felt like ants were crawling over her heart. Chu Ye buried her head even lower, thankful for the mask on her face that could conceal at least some of what she was feeling.
As Bai Ning applied the medicine, she naturally noticed Chu Ye's whole body heating up, making the ointment melt even faster. As her palm glided down the spine toward the slight curve of the waist, her breathing grew noticeably heavier.
When the warmth traveled to her waist, Chu Ye's body suddenly trembled—an involuntary shiver.
Bai Ning noticed her body's reaction. She lowered her eyes, paused for a moment, and softly asked the person on the bed, "Are my hands too cold?"
Embarrassed by her own reaction, Chu Ye forced herself to answer, "No."
So Bai Ning continued to rub her waist, spreading the medicine.
With just a few strokes, Chu Ye's hands clenched the bedsheets as she quietly bit her lower lip. She couldn't face herself. Why did she feel the urge to make a sound?
Bai Ning's palm was the first to feel the small of her back contract, instantly tensing up. She looked at Chu Ye's face, but it was completely hidden. All she could see were her flushed red ears.
Only after Bai Ning's hand left her back did Chu Ye release her lip. "Are you done?"
The ointment had been applied to the entire scar on her back. Bai Ning asked, "Are there any other places?"
"No more!" Chu Ye blurted out instinctively. The other places were on her chest and leg—such private areas. If Bai Ning were to touch them, she would really go crazy.
"Didn't you say there were several?"
"The other places... I can apply it myself," Chu Ye replied, realizing her blunder. Bai Ning wouldn't need to help her with the more private areas anyway.
"Mm," Bai Ning said, turning away again.
While Bai Ning's gaze was averted, Chu Ye sat up and quickly put her clothes back on.
Listening to the rustle of clothing, Bai Ning lowered her head and pressed her lips into a smile.
According to the people in the manor, they had found clues about the remnants of the rebel faction. If all went well, it wouldn't be long before they were rooted out completely.
Bai Ning's new song seemed to be taking shape; she played it more beautifully with each attempt.
Chu Ye listened with even more focused fascination, her gaze always drawn to Bai Ning. Once the remnants of Prince Shun's Manor were captured, she would have to leave the Bai Manor, and she would never have the chance to be with Bai Ning like this again.
She would return to her old, dull, and uninteresting life. On second thought, her acquaintance with Second Miss Bai had been nothing but an accident.
When Bai Ning looked up, she found Chu Ye staring at her in a daze. Her fingertips left the strings, and the zither music came to an abrupt halt.
"Why did you stop playing?"
"I'm a little tired."
After the music stopped, the study became quiet. Just then, a commotion could be heard from outside.
"Hand the person over!"
"It was someone from your Bai Manor! I've already asked around!"
"Hurry up and hand them over! As long as you hand over the person who hurt our young master, we'll stop making a scene!"
...
The usually tranquil Bai Manor was suddenly in chaos. Just as Bai Ning was about to call a maid to ask what was happening, Nuan Hua happened to run over and knock on the study door.
Bai Ning went out and asked what the commotion was about.
"A few ruffians suddenly showed up, insisting that someone from our Bai Manor injured someone from their Liu Manor. They're demanding we hand over the culprit and are causing a scene. They said..." Nuan Hua glanced at Chu Ye and stammered, "They said it was a woman wearing a mask who did it."
Chu Ye and Bai Ning exchanged a look, knowing at once that it must be the two dandies they had taught a lesson a few days ago, coming to stir up trouble.
When a woman wearing a mask was mentioned, everyone thought of the Second Miss's personal female guard.
Sure enough, someone soon came looking for Chu Ye, asking her to come with them.
"Who dares take my person away?" Bai Ning's tone was gentle but not weak, carrying a natural authority.
"Second Miss, please don't make things difficult for us servants. The Liu Manor is making a fuss and demanding an explanation. Just let Miss Chu go with us. If there's any misunderstanding, it can be cleared up face to face."
"I'll go," Chu Ye said. It wasn't in her nature to hide from trouble. She looked at Bai Ning. "It's fine."
"With me here, no one will dare to give you a hard time."
Chu Ye smiled. "Mm."
After Chu Ye left, Bai Ning lifted her skirt and hurried across the courtyard.
"Miss, where are you going!" Nuan Hua chased after her, barely able to keep up. "Hey, Miss, slow down!"
When Chu Ye arrived, she found that her Big Brother, Chu Hu, was also there. Chu Hu had recently been busy helping with the investigation of the rebel remnants and would occasionally visit the Bai Manor.
Chu Ye looked at the group of people and recognized two of them as the scoundrels who had blocked her path the other day.
"Right, that's the little wench. She nearly killed me that day," the one surnamed Liu said. The memory of that night still frightened him, and he hid behind his servants while cursing.
"Don't you Bai Manor people push your luck," the other hooligans chimed in, stirring up trouble.
"This has nothing to do with the Bai Manor," Chu Ye said faintly.
"Even better that it has nothing to do with the Bai Manor. Men, tie her up directly. Take her back and teach her a good lesson."
"Stop." Chu Hu stepped forward. "If you want to take someone away, you need a reason. My little sister never harms people without cause." He knew Chu Ye's temperament. She was prouder and more stubborn than most women, but she had restrained herself in many ways since coming to Jingzhou. She would never draw her sword unless she could bear it no longer.
"How should I know what's wrong with her? She was perfectly fine that day. I just drank a bit too much and accidentally bumped into her, and what did she do? She drew her sword and held it to my neck. If I hadn't run fast enough, she would have killed me. My neck still hurts."
"Ye'er, what happened?" Chu Hu turned to ask Chu Ye.
"That night, they tried to take liberties with me, so I drew my sword to protect myself."
"Is that all?" Chu Hu felt that something was unusual about the situation.
"That's all." Chu Ye didn't mention being with Bai Ning. The great houses had strict rules; if Bai Ning was discovered to have snuck out, she would likely be punished.
Chu Hu looked thoughtful, then turned and said with a smile, "I'm afraid Young Master Liu had too much to drink that day and said a few too many words. My little sister is a bit fiery-tempered, which is why this unfortunate incident occurred. It's all a misunderstanding."
Chu Ye could tell Chu Hu was trying to smooth things over and settle the matter peacefully. She remained silent, enduring it.
"A misunderstanding? She cut my neck and drew blood, and you call it a misunderstanding. I don't care. I'm taking her with me today. Go and ask around, is our Liu Manor someone you can provoke? Even if Lord Bai himself were here, he'd have to show me some courtesy."
The Liu family, relying on a few relatives in the imperial court, acted tyrannically throughout Jingzhou City. Chu Hu thought it was better to avoid trouble. If this matter reached Lord Bai, he might just hand Chu Ye over to the Liu Manor. After all, they were just guards in the Bai Manor.
They were at a stalemate.
"What's all this shouting, what's all this shouting."
The noise was interrupted by the arrival of the Bai Manor's head steward.
"Steward Wang, you've come at the right time. Judge this for me. If you can't uphold justice in this matter, then I'll have no choice but to disturb Lord Bai. I'm only asking for a servant from you. I don't believe Lord Bai won't grant me this favor," the man surnamed Liu said relentlessly.
"My master already knows the whole story. He asked me to pass on a few words to Young Master Liu."
Chu Ye watched as the steward whispered a few words in the ear of the man surnamed Liu, whose face immediately changed. He didn't dare make another sound. In no time at all, he led his group of men away with their tails between their legs.
Chu Hu was astonished. Why would Lord Bai personally step in to help them resolve this?
Chu Ye was also stunned for a moment, then it occurred to her: Bai Ning must have gone to plead for her. She must have told him everything about that night. Would she be punished?
"Ye'er."
Chu Ye looked up at Chu Hu, a helpless expression on her face. She knew she was about to be lectured again.
The siblings walked through the snow-covered courtyard. "Tell me the truth, what really happened?"
"Didn't I just say?" Chu Ye wasn't in the mood to talk and answered perfunctorily.
"You're lying. How could you have resorted to violence just because those men offended you with a few words?"
Chu Ye fell silent. Chu Hu was right. She had restrained her temper a lot since coming to Jingzhou. It was common for her to be offended or given a hard time, and she usually just avoided it to keep out of trouble. She had never drawn her sword on anyone.
But that night, she just couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand hearing Bai Ning being slandered. And when she said she wanted to kill that man, she had meant it with all her heart.
"I couldn't stand it," Chu Ye threw four simple words at Chu Hu, full of resentment and unhappiness.
"Ye'er, you must never act on impulse again. Jingzhou is not like Xizhou. The waters here run deep. There are many things we can't afford to provoke. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. We're not afraid of them coming at us openly, but we fear their hidden schemes. Here, you can be killed without any blood being shed..."
Listening to Chu Hu's long-winded speech, Chu Ye's ears were calloused; she could recite the words by heart. She nodded repeatedly. "I know, I know—"
Chu Hu smiled and asked, "Are you thinking of going back to Xizhou again?"
Chu Ye looked at the snow on the ground. It had actually been quite a while since she had thought about returning to Xizhou.
After parting with Chu Hu, Chu Ye walked back dispiritedly. She sighed, an indescribable gloom in her heart. She despised evil, yet in Jingzhou, she had to swallow her pride at every turn. Back in Xizhou, she would never have tolerated being wronged.
That was why she hated Jingzhou City. From the first day she arrived, she had been hoping to leave.
Walking with her head down, Chu Ye suddenly stopped. She caught sight of a familiar sleeve. She slowly raised her head and saw Bai Ning standing in the wind and snow, holding an oiled-paper umbrella. She had walked right up to her.
"Did they give you a hard time?" Bai Ning held the umbrella over her, shielding her from the wind and snow.
"No." Under the umbrella, Chu Ye looked at her. "Did you go plead for me?"
"It started because of me in the first place. How could I not get involved?"
A warmth spread through Chu Ye's heart, but then she worried, "Then the matter of sneaking out of the manor..."
"It's alright."
"Will you be punished?"
Bai Ning spoke lightly, "My father can't bear to punish me. At most, he'll confine me for a few days of 'reflection'."
Only then did Chu Ye feel relieved. She let out a soft sigh, thinking, "That's good."
Seeing that she had been walking with her head down, looking dejected, Bai Ning asked, "Were you wronged just now?"
Bai Ning's concern made Chu Ye feel wronged, especially wronged. She looked at Bai Ning, wanting to say something, but remained silent.
She could kill without blinking an eye, but sometimes she was quite childish. She wasn't very good at hiding her emotions.
"Don't be unhappy."
Chu Ye forced a slight smile. "Mm."
Still listless, Bai Ning brushed the snowflakes from the ends of her hair and said, "Ye'er, how about I teach you to play the zither?"
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