Feng Linyuan's voice rang out softly. Although it carried no trace of emotion, it somehow exuded an inexplicable sense of oppression.
The coachman lifted a corner of the carriage curtain just enough for the soldiers to see. Feng Linyuan, who had his eyes downcast, slowly raised them the moment the curtain was lifted. His sharp gaze startled the soldiers outside, who immediately dropped to their knees and pleaded, "Forgive us, Your Lordship! Forgive us, Your Lordship!"
The curtain was quickly lowered, and the carriage drove through the city gate without any hindrance.
"Miss Bai can come out now," Feng Linyuan said, looking at Bai Zheng, who was huddled closely behind him. The sharpness in his eyes was replaced by gentleness, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly.
But Bai Zheng seemed not to hear him and remained motionless.
"Miss Bai?" Feng Linyuan reminded her again.
Only then did Bai Zheng slowly raise her head. Meeting Feng Linyuan's puzzled eyes, she opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
Ever since she had hidden behind Feng Linyuan, her nose had been filled with a familiar medicinal fragrance.
If she had been too dazed to remember the smell when she fell into Feng Linyuan's arms during Liufeng's sudden attack during the day, then just now, when she smelled this medicinal fragrance, she was completely sober and inhaled it again and again.
This smell was so familiar, carrying an inexplicable power that made people feel at ease.
She must have smelled it somewhere before.
"Your Lordship, have you ever met me before?" Bai Zheng murmured.
Feng Linyuan frowned slightly. He wasn't sure why she would suddenly ask such a question. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Yes, I have."
"Where?" Bai Zheng asked eagerly.
Looking at the eager young girl in front of him, Feng Linyuan turned his head slightly, a smile playing on his lips. "It was a long time ago. You were still in swaddling clothes then, and I was only about six or seven years old. My father took me to the General's Mansion..."
Bai Zheng interrupted him with a straight face. "Your Lordship is making fun of me?"
At six or seven years old, Feng Linyuan must have been so strong that he could probably knock down a calf. How could he have smelled of medicine?
Feng Linyuan raised his eyebrows. "I'm telling the truth. I wouldn't joke with Miss Bai."
Bai Zheng took a deep breath and replied as calmly as she could. "Your Lordship has a very good memory of when you were six or seven years old."
Feng Linyuan nodded. "General Bai and my late father were somewhat acquainted. That's how I happened to meet Miss Bai. Oh, I even held Miss Bai back then. You were so fair and tender, even more well-behaved than you are now."
"Really?" Bai Zheng couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth.
"Indeed," Feng Linyuan said with a smile on his face, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze. "Miss Bai was wrapped in a bright red jacket back then. You were so cute, like a carved jade doll. At first, General Bai was a bit reluctant to let me hold you."
"In that case, Your Lordship and I really have a deep bond of fate," Bai Zheng said, pouting.
The smile on Feng Linyuan's face grew even wider. His voice was as soft and lingering as the last echo in a valley. "Indeed, it is deep."
Bai Zheng stared intently at Feng Linyuan, trying to find something on his face.
In her heart, it was as if there was a person sealed in ice, trying to break through the ice bit by bit.
Feng Linyuan's words suddenly caused a crack to appear in the ice. It seemed that with just a light tap, it would shatter completely.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break it.
The carriage gradually slowed down. Before long, the coachman's soft voice could be heard from outside. "We've arrived at the Bai Mansion."
Bai Zheng lowered her eyes and said nothing. When she raised her head again, a familiar smile had returned to her face. She looked at Feng Linyuan and said, "Thank you for your help today, Your Lordship. I'll take my leave now."
Feng Linyuan nodded and watched her get off the carriage.
The carriage wheels rolled over the cobblestone road again and quietly disappeared into the night.
Zhuling had been waiting at the back door. When she saw Bai Zheng finally return, she immediately ran forward happily. "Miss, you're finally back! If you hadn't come back, Master and Young Master would have gone out to look for you again."
"I was delayed by something, so I came back late. I made everyone worry," Bai Zheng said, taking a look at the departing carriage before turning around and walking straight into the mansion.
"Zheng'er!" As soon as Bai Zheng stepped into the room, she heard Mrs. Lin calling her. A smile appeared on her face, and she replied sweetly, "Mother."
"Why are you coming back so late?" Mrs. Lin pretended to be angry.
"I thought Sister didn't want to participate in the matchmaking tomorrow and had secretly run off to Grandma's house again!" Bai Nianming said with a teasing smile as she ran up to Bai Zheng.
"Sister might as well have really run off to Grandma's house," Bai Nianjin said with a worried look on her face when she thought of tomorrow's event.
Bai Zheng ruffled Bai Nianming's soft hair and said indifferently, "There are so many good marriage proposals for me to choose from. This is not a privilege that just any young lady can have. I'm happy about it. Why would I want to avoid it?"
"Sister..." Bai Nianjin was about to say something when she was interrupted by Bai Yinan, who had been silent all this time. "Alright, you should all go back to your rooms and rest quickly. Zheng'er has something to do tomorrow. Don't crowd around her."
Bai Nianjin glanced at her father, whose eyebrows were tightly knitted, and immediately understood. She grabbed Bai Nianming, curtsied, and then helped Mrs. Lin out of the room.
In an instant, only Bai Yinan and Bai Zheng were left in the room.
Bai Zheng walked forward gracefully and sat down on the chair next to Bai Yinan. "Father, do you have something to say to me?"
Bai Yinan nodded and said, "I've met all the suitors who came in the past few days. I've also asked your uncle to help me investigate them. There are a few young masters who are actually quite good. They have good character, are kind-hearted, come from clean backgrounds, and their parents are not the kind of people who bully others with their power..."
Bai Zheng couldn't help but laugh. "Father, you really have been checking them out?"
"Of course. You're not young anymore. Although the engagement with the Prime Minister's Mansion has been called off, you still have to get married. Take this opportunity to choose a good family. It will also relieve your mother and me of a worry," Bai Yinan said in a deep voice.
Bai Zheng raised her eyebrows slightly. "I'm afraid not all of them are sincere in their proposals."
Bai Yinan stroked his beard. "Not all of them may be insincere. I've investigated them all for you. Young Master Qin from the Prefectural Magistrate's Mansion is eighteen years old. He was a classmate of your elder brother. He has a gentle personality and is upright. Some time ago, Magistrate Qin also helped a great deal with your father's corruption case. And Young Master Jiang, the fourth son of the Duke of Jiang, is seventeen years old. He is also on good terms with your elder brother. We know him well..."
Bai Zheng interrupted him. "These young masters were all recommended by Uncle, weren't they?" Bai Zheng's elder brother, Bai Nianyin, was the eldest son of Bai Yizhang. Like Bai Di, he had always looked down on his cousin.
How could he be so kind?
Bai Yinan nodded. "Your uncle has been very concerned about your marriage."
Concerned? After what happened last time, Bai Yizhang probably wished he could tear her apart.
Bai Zheng held back her words and simply said, "But if I choose Young Master Qin or Young Master Jiang, won't I be going against the kindness of the princes?"
Thinking of Feng Jingye and Feng Jingxuan, who were now at odds with each other, Bai Yinan smiled faintly. "Lord Gaochang came to see me today and discussed with me the matter of the matchmaking competition for you tomorrow. If the people recommended by the princes fail to stand out in the competition, it's their own incompetence. They can't blame us!"
"A matchmaking competition?" Bai Zheng raised her eyebrows.