Reborn and Pampered

Chapter 258 Carelessness

The hairpin wasn’t cheap, and Bai Qingqing didn’t think it was necessary—she had plenty of her own. But Ning Yan swiftly paid without a word and tucked the ornament into her bun himself.

“Mm, it does look nice. The old man has good taste.”

The vendor grinned sheepishly, thinking to himself what fine people he’d met today—he’d mistaken them, yet they still bought something from him and even praised his eye. Truly kindhearted folk.

They strolled a while longer, but soon discovered that merely walking down the street brought unwanted attention. One after another, men approached Bai Qingqing with the same excuse: to ask about her hairpin, saying they wanted to buy one for their sister, mother, or aunt.

Bai Qingqing, ever patient, kindly pointed them all to the old man’s stall. Ning Yan’s expression, however, grew darker by the minute.

When another man began making his way toward them, Ning Yan abruptly raised his hand and placed it on Bai Qingqing’s shoulder. She blinked in confusion, but the man caught Ning Yan’s gaze and quietly changed direction without a word.

“I was careless before,” Ning Yan said. “Besides siblings, there are other roles we can play.”

“What do you mean?”

“Husband and wife. It’d be simpler, and we could avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.”

“…”

Bai Qingqing shot him a glare and quickly looked away. “I think brother and sister is just fine. We’ve wandered enough—let’s go back. No need to draw attention. If someone who’s seen you before spots us, it could ruin everything.”

Ning Yan let her pull him along, but his mind was still turning. Why hadn’t he thought of that sooner? Wouldn’t a husband and wife seem more convincing than siblings? Tch. A miscalculation.

…

They stayed in Yuancheng for several days. Then a steward from Suiyun Pavilion arrived with news—Xuancheng had fallen into chaos after reports of Ning Yan’s death. The emperor himself had ordered men to search beneath the cliff, and even the court had begun to show signs of unrest.

Ning Yan wore a lazy smile, careless and unbothered. “Chaos is good. Nothing is built without first being broken. Some people—unless they act rashly in the mess—won’t reveal their hands. We need them to slip, so we can tear them out by the root.”

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“Master, your absence in the southwest seems to have made them drop their guard. Yesterday, we intercepted a secret message en route to Xuancheng.”

Ning Yan read it, eyes narrowing. “Send it on, make sure no one notices a thing. If that’s the case… then it’s time I paid the southwest a visit.”

Prince Ping was a suspicious man, one skilled at hiding in plain sight. It wasn’t easy to catch him with evidence. Even if they knew he had a hand in what happened back then, without proof, there was nothing they could do.

And after all these years, most of those involved in the old rebellion were already dead. If they didn’t get to the bottom of it now, they might never get another chance.

“Prepare everything. We leave tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.”

…

In Xuancheng, Bai Yan stood firmly in Bai Rui’s path. “Don’t be reckless! We only know Ning Yan fell from the cliff—nothing’s certain about Qingqing. If you storm out now, people will know she left Xuancheng long ago.”

“I don’t care! I’m going to find my sister! She must be terrified, not even knowing where she is—I have to find her!”

Bai Yaoyao clutched her bundle tightly. “I’m going too.”

“Enough! All of you, stay put!”

Bai Jinghuai hadn’t raised his voice like this in years. His eyes were bloodshot. “Why do you think Qingqing went to the southwest? Are you going to throw all her efforts away? Ning Yan may have met with misfortune, but I trust him. Before he left, he swore to me he'd keep Qingqing safe. She risked her life for the Bai family. If any of you dare take a single step out that door today, I’ll break your legs myself!”

The Duke of England sat like a mountain, commanding the household with sheer authority. Yet when he turned to his wife, tears filled his eyes. “Qingqing will be fine. I’m going to your little Buddha hall to pray again—ask the Bodhisattva to watch over our Qingqing.”