Chapter 14: Ninth Master, Have Some Sense of Decency as a Married Man

That look in her eyes was so obvious-there was no way Bai Hedu could have missed it.

A thread of helplessness trickled through his heart. He had never been one to concern himself with others' feelings, but

the thought that if he agreed to Wu Xiaoya's request, she might become unhappy, might lose that lively spark and go all

droopy and listless again-he said, "Pick something else."

The tension in Yun Manxia's heart loosened. The corners of her lips curved upward slightly.

Wu Xiaoya was unwilling to give up and wanted to say more, but when she met the man's gaze, her breath caught.

"...I haven't decided yet." She bit her lip, lowered her head, and didn't dare speak further.

Bai Hedu: "Then decide before you say anything."

"...Then I'll go back to work, Ninth Master." Wu Xiaoya turned to leave.

But Bai Hedu said, "Stop."

Wu Xiaoya's heart lurched. She felt a ripple of unease.

Just then, Auntie Wu came over to plead for her daughter. "Ninth Master, I've spoiled Xiaoya rotten. She can be a bit

thoughtless. I hope you won't hold it against her."

Bai Hedu raised his eyes, unhurried, his tone unreadable. "Auntie Wu, you are her mother. Since you know she's

thoughtless, then teach her properly. I don't want to see her still not knowing how to address the Madam going forward.

And I don't want what happened today to occur a second time."

Auntie Wu's expression shifted slightly. She heard the warning loud and clear.

In the past, as long as she spoke up, the Ninth Master would always give her some face. But today, he was evidently

angered-so much so that he was dressing her down in front of all the maids without regard for her dignity.

She lowered her head and hurriedly said, "Yes, Ninth Master. I'll teach Xiaoya properly."

Bai Hedu gave a small nod. "Go back to work."

Auntie Wu wasted no time pulling Wu Xiaoya away.

Bai Hedu glanced at the bouquet set to the side and reached out.

Lin Shen understood. He walked over and brought the flowers to him.

The bouquet was beautiful-vivid crimson blooms that looked every bit as romantic as roses.

Before Yun Manxia could react, the bouquet was held out right before her eyes.

She stared down at it, stunned.

Seeing that she wasn't taking it, Bai Hedu was slightly puzzled. "You don't like them?"

Yun Manxia's heartbeat quickened. "I love them!"

She cradled the bouquet to her chest as if it were something precious, her pale, slender fingers gently stroking the

delicate petals. The more she looked, the more she loved them.

Bai Hedu looked at her face-more radiant even than the flowers-and asked, "Are you happy now?"

"What?" Yun Manxia looked at him, confused.

Lin Shen spoke up from the side: "This morning, the Ninth Master noticed you seemed unhappy, so he prepared this bouquet

for you."

Yun Manxia froze. She hadn't expected such thoughtfulness behind this gift.

Her heart ached and swelled, and unbidden, her thoughts drifted to her last life.

How many things had he quietly done for her without her ever knowing?

Seeing her go silent, Bai Hedu's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. "If..."

But before he could finish, a fragrant warmth crashed into his chest. The girl's soft body had thrown her arms around

him.

"I'm so happy! Hubby, thank you!"

The rest of Bai Hedu's words vanished back down his throat. His tall frame stiffened almost imperceptibly-but he didn't

push her away.

It was Yun Manxia who got embarrassed first. She pulled back quickly, her small face flushed. "I'll go put these in

water!"

With that, she fled-pattering up the stairs as if running away.

Wu Xiaoya had just finished talking with Auntie Wu and was heading back to her room. Watching Yun Manxia dash past

clutching that bouquet, she ground her teeth so hard they nearly cracked.

In the group chat, someone was tagging her.

[Guoguo'er: @Yaya Xiaoya, when will the flowers get here? I'm already so excited! [rubbing-hands.gif]]

Irritation flickered in Wu Xiaoya's eyes as she typed rapidly.

[Yaya: Sorry, everyone! A little accident came up, won't be able to send them after all [crying.gif]]

Yun Manxia ran back to her room, arranged the bouquet, and came downstairs-only to find that Bai Hedu was still there.

Her footsteps paused. Then she went over and sat on the single-person sofa beside him-the closest spot to him.

"You put them in your room?" he asked.

"Mhm!" Yun Manxia nodded. Then her elegant brows furrowed slightly, troubled. "But will they wilt fast just sitting

there like that? Should I find a bigger vase and put them in water? At least that way they'll last a little longer."

Seeing her seriously puzzling over this, clearly cherishing and caring about that bouquet, the cold, stern lines of Bai

Hedu's brow eased somewhat.

"Why were you unhappy this morning?" he asked.

When he brought this up, Yun Manxia couldn't help glancing at him. Then she pouted and mumbled something under her

breath.

"What?" Bai Hedu didn't catch it.

Yun Manxia raised her head, her voice louder now, huffy. "I said-why did you let Wu Xiaoya change your dressing last

night?!"

Her cheeks puffed out. "Don't you have a wife? How can you let another woman do something like that? Can't you have a

little sense of decency as a married man?!"

"Cough!" Lin Shen, who had been sneakily taking a sip of water, choked outright.

Yun Manxia and Bai Hedu both turned to look at him.

Bai Hedu's eyes narrowed slightly.

Lin Shen's heart clenched. He quickly set down the water glass, grabbed a folder from the side, and said with

exaggerated seriousness, "Cough-Ninth Master, I'll go put these documents in the study."

He beat a hasty retreat, not daring to linger a single second longer, afraid the "married man" Ninth Master would find

him an eyesore.

Withdrawing his gaze, Bai Hedu was momentarily stunned. A subtle, unfamiliar feeling stirred within him.

"...You were upset over this?"

"Isn't that worth being upset about?" Yun Manxia was a little indignant. Then her voice dropped, and even her bright,

beautiful eyes dimmed. "Or do you think that since we haven't registered our marriage yet, you don't consider me your

wife?"

Bai Hedu: "...I don't think that."

The ever-decisive, absolute Bai Hedu-the Ninth Master whose word was law-found himself, for perhaps the first time, at

something of a loss.

Looking at his sulking little wife, he said helplessly, "I never asked her to change my dressing. It's always been Ning

Fei. He had to leave early last night, so I told him to send a maid. Who told you I asked for Wu Xiaoya?"

"Really?" Yun Manxia's head snapped up, the light returning to her eyes.

"Really," he said. There was a tenderness in his voice that even he hadn't noticed.

Yun Manxia finally smiled again. She tugged at his arm, her tone turning coaxing and sweet. "Then when are we going to

register our marriage?"

She tried to sound casual, but a thread of shyness still slipped through.

Bai Hedu paused, then said evenly, "When my leg has healed."

Before long, she was trotting back upstairs, footsteps light and joyful, ready to transfer the bouquet into a larger

vase.

Bai Hedu watched the graceful, slender figure disappear up the stairs, his gaze gradually darkening.

Thinking of his own body, his grip on the armrest tightened. A shadow passed across his brow.

He closed his eyes, and a heavy, somber stillness settled over him.

Register their marriage?

A dying man-did he really have the right to tie down a girl like her?

The previous ones, he hadn't cared about. But the Yun Manxia standing before him now made him hesitate.