"I'm sorry, Aunt Xiang," Bai Wenxi apologized. "I didn't mean to bring up your sad memories."
The housekeeper wiped away her tears. "Don't say that, Young Mistress. I haven't talked to anyone for a long time. Chatting with you tonight has lifted my spirits."
"Young Mistress, Auntie," Hong Fang came over with a tray in her hand, smiling brightly. "I've brought some soothing tea. Have a cup to warm yourselves up."
She placed the tray on the table and brewed a cup with hot water.
Bai Wenxi took it and took a small sip. "Ouch, it's a bit hot."
Hong Fang then opened the kettle lid. "Let it cool down for a while and then you can drink it."
Seeing Hong Fang joking with Bai Wenxi so casually, the housekeeper frowned and admonished her. "You should stop gossiping to the Young Mistress in the future."
"Don't think I don't know. Miss He is just an ordinary friend. Yet you still spread rumors to the Young Mistress."
Hong Fang pouted aggrievedly and didn't dare to say a word.
Bai Wenxi quickly came to her rescue. "This girl is just straightforward. She's not trying to curry favor with me."
A stray kitten in the villa area meowed and darted into the garden.
It tilted its chubby face and wagged its fat tail.
"I always see the neighbors feeding it. No wonder it's so fat," Bai Wenxi waved at the kitten to tease it.
"Meow!"
The kitten leaped into the air and accidentally knocked over the kettle.
A stream of boiling water splashed out and scalded Hong Fang's hand.
"Ah!" Hong Fang screamed in pain.
"Don't wipe it with a cloth. Quick, rinse it with cold water," Bai Wenxi quickly turned on the faucet in the garden.
The cold groundwater soothed the burning skin, and Hong Fang felt the pain subside a little.
"Young Mistress, I'm fine. Don't be scared," Hong Fang saw Bai Wenxi holding her hand gently and blowing on it. Her eyes welled up with tears.
The housekeeper rushed over with some burn ointment. "Fortunately, I bought a batch of medicine the other day."
Bai Wenxi quickly opened it and applied the ointment on Hong Fang herself.
She carefully avoided the swollen and ulcerated areas and asked Hong Fang if the pressure was okay while applying it.
"Don't apply it on the areas where the skin is broken," a voice came from above.
Bai Wenxi looked up in surprise. Jiang Beihuai was standing on the balcony, looking down at the garden.
He was standing elegantly against the railing, with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a glass of wine.
"I have experience. You can apply burn ointment on the areas where the skin is not broken. But if the skin is broken, it will heal more slowly if you apply it," he said.
Bai Wenxi lowered her head and said nothing. She followed his advice and avoided the broken skin areas.
Hong Fang was very touched. "Young Mistress, I'm really fine. I often get scalded when helping in the kitchen. I'm not that delicate."
"Young Mistress, Auntie. You should go back to sleep. My injury will heal in a few days."
Bai Wenxi told Hong Fang not to eat certain foods that might cause inflammation.
After giving her a lot of instructions, she finally went upstairs to her room with a worried look on her face.
"You really care about her," Jiang Beihuai swirled the wine in his glass and raised his eyebrows. "I thought you were asleep. You were listless when talking to me, but you chatted with them for a long time."
"She's so young. Of course I'll feel sorry for her when she gets hurt," Bai Wenxi said.
She didn't want to talk about this topic anymore, but Jiang Beihuai wanted to clarify things.
"Feifei and I are just friends," he sat down next to Bai Wenxi and placed his hand on her knee.
"You're unhappy because you saw me joking with her, right?" Jiang Beihuai stroked his wife's hair lovingly.
"Beihuai, I'm really tired. I have work tomorrow," Bai Wenxi made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it further. She pulled the quilt over her head and turned her back to him.
Jiang Beihuai watched his wife's rejecting attitude silently. In the end, he didn't force her.
He turned off the bedside lamp and gently closed the door.
Hearing his footsteps fade away, Bai Wenxi bit her finger hard under the quilt.
This is a marriage of convenience. I need the money to pay off the debts, and the Bai family needs a respectable young mistress...
As if self - consolation could ease the anxiety deep in her heart.
Jiang Beihuai didn't come back to the room to sleep that night.
Bai Wenxi didn't sleep a wink all night.
"Wow, sister, what's wrong with you? You have such big dark circles under your eyes," Su Yuning exclaimed.
"Visiting someone in prison is not that big a deal. Do you really need to lose sleep over it?"
Bai Wenxi tapped her sister's forehead with her finger. "Stop teasing me. Has the lawyer gone already?"
Su Yuning pouted and hugged Bai Wenxi's neck, swaying from side to side.
"Don't worry. The lawyer is already waiting for us at the entrance of the detention center."
Seeing Bai Wenxi was so distracted, Su Yuning didn't dare to let her drive. She called their family driver to pick them up.
"Why can't we use the Bai family's driver? And why can't we let brother - in - law know?"
Bai Wenxi held her handbag tightly. Her palms were full of sweat. "The information Mr. Min found for me shows that Yao Chunmei may be related to my father's death."
"What?" Su Yuning's face turned pale with shock. She took a step back and almost hit the car frame.
"Didn't the police close the case as a drunk - driving accident?"
Bai Wenxi was lost in thought. She gently bit her lower lip. "I need to see Yao Qingjia."
The detention center was heavily guarded. After the lawyer submitted the necessary documents, Yao Qingjia was brought out and locked in the interview room.
"You dare to come and see me?" Yao Qingjia roared in fury. The handcuffs on his hands rattled.
Bai Wenxi threw a photo on the table. "Who is this man? Why did you accompany Yao Chunmei to see him?"
Yao Qingjia glanced at the photo casually and burst into wild laughter. "You want to know? Then withdraw the charges."
Bai Wenxi squinted her eyes and said nothing. The lawyer and Su Yuning glared at him angrily.
"Or you can sleep with me for one night," Yao Qingjia showed his yellow teeth and still tried to struggle.
"Anyway, I'm not going to let you have your way so easily."
He was sure that Bai Wenxi was eager to get some testimony, so he made conditions boldly.
Bai Wenxi stared at him with a cold look. "Do you think I'm a fool just because I'm not getting angry?"
Even Su Yuning thought her sister was gentle - natured and wouldn't use any dirty or extreme means to deal with such a person.
She was a bit worried, afraid that her sister might be impulsive and fall into Yao Qingjia's trap.
Bai Wenxi asked the lawyer to go outside the interview room and talked to him for a few minutes. Then she walked back alone.
"See you later, Yao Qingjia."
Soon, several guards took Yao Qingjia back to his cell. He didn't realize what was going to happen to him.
He still sat there complacently with his legs crossed, looking at Bai Wenxi with a lecherous look.
A few moments later, a series of pig - like screams came from the depths of the detention center.
Bai Wenxi sat calmly on the chair, looking straight ahead into the air.
"Sister Wen, you..." Su Yuning didn't dare to finish her sentence.
"Miss Bai, don't worry. Everything I do is within the legal scope," the lawyer walked in with a smile on his face.
He was still holding an open pack of cigarettes in his hand.
Yao Qingjia was beaten black and blue. He was as limp as a broken sandbag and was dragged back by two people.