Red Snow

Chapter 8

Bai Qian was surprised when Ye Hua suggested that they go out on a picnic together. It was hard for them to be together outside of Ye Hua's courtyard. And ever since her absence at the new year eve dinner, it was clear to everyone that something was going on between them.

Nobody had downright said anything yet. The servants knew better to get into politics in this household. Lady Zhao knew, but she didn't say anything. Minister Zhao suspected something, but he didn't make a move yet.

She had thought nobody would notice her, guess not. Her aunt would say, this was a curse of being a nine-tailed fox. They were too darn beautiful to be unnoticeable. Bai Qian had found herself assigned to other jobs instead of tending to Ye Hua's needs. Her time with him was sacred. Therefore, she had begun the habit of sneaking into his room at night.

Ye Hua would be delighted to see her. They would talk, and he would wrap his arms around her the entire night. Moments like this were a blessing to Bai Qian. Although she knew that she shouldn't be greedy, she wished for more out of this relationship. All these hiding was getting exhausting, why couldn't Ye Hua be reborn into a much more simplistic family?

"Where are we going?" She asked him. Ye Hua tapped her nose. "You'll know when you reach there,"

The reason they could go out was that it was Qing Ming 清明, tomb-sweeping day. It was the day that mortals visit the graves of their past loved ones to honour them. They would prepare food and drinks for the dead and burn some incense too. The whole family was going and leaving a few servants behind in the manor.

Ye Hua wasn't invited since he wasn't related to them by blood. His birth father was buried in an unmarked grave. Therefore, there's no point in searching.

It wasn't as easy as they thought, Ye Hua was allowed to pass the gates, but Bai Qian was blocked by the guards.

"Do you have permission to leave?" The guards asked.

"Permissions?" Bai Qian asked.

"No written permission, I'm afraid you can't leave, "No One told her.

Ye Hua stepped inside, "Since when servants need a permission letter to leave?"

"Since Master Zhao decreed it last week, sir, " the guard said.

"She had my permission to leave, " Ye Hua declared.

"I'm afraid that's not enough, sir, " the guard said. He looked down at Ye Hua with pity, "I'm sorry, sir, "

Ye Hua clenched his fist, the expression on his face was difficult to read. Bai Qian stood behind him, she whispered, "It's okay, sir, "

Ye Hua was unsatisfied. Bai Qian wanted to pull him aside to ask him to leave first. She had her own sneaky way to leave the manor. But someone beat her to it.

A servant carrying a piece of paper walked up to them. "Lady Zhao is ill, she won't be fit to go to the burials grounds today, "

"Is mother okay?" Ye Hua quickly asked.

"There's nothing you should be worried about, " the servant dismissed him. She handed Bai Qian a piece of paper. "Go fetch these, " she told her, "Don't come back until you do, "

Bai Qian took it. Herbs and medicine were listed down on the paper. It gonna take a while for Bai Qian to fetch them all.

"Well?" The servant asked. Bai Qian nodded, immediately left. Ye Hua stared at the paper with disbelief, "I don't understand, why would my mother ask you of this?"

Bai Qian rolled her eyes, how in the world did she fall in love with this idiot. She grabbed him by the elbow, "Come along now, "

The first stop they made was to the medicine shop. The shop clerk wrapped everything up nicely in a bow and gave it to them.