A young man, dressed in a blue robe and black boots, sat at the Wulan tea shop. He gazed out the window at the street below absentmindedly, while leisurely sipping his herbal tea. His long black hair was tied in a ponytail. He had his hand resting on the side of the teacup. This young master is a descendant of the Zhao family. His name is Zhao Yuyuan.
Three young masters from noble families in the city of Qingzhou, were seated around him, all dressed in distinct robes.
"Bai Jing's shameful encounter with Ye Cheng is all over the city. His reputation is forever ruined now." Chen Jingyu with a large white fan embroidered on his front sighed and looked up to the ceiling in thought.
"What's there to feel bad for, brother Yuyuan should have gotten rid of that whore long time ago." Yu Xiang snorted, looking outside as he spoke.
Zhao Yuyuan stared at the floor. "Bai Jing's life will never be easy." He said: "There's no way to clear this scandal without bringing him more shame."
"Everyone witnessed the scandal, so how can you possibly get rid of it? Brother Yuyuan, I urge you to see clearly; that hussy isn't worth your time." Yu Xiang rolled his eyes,Yu Xiang didn't think much of Bai Jing, whom he considered a whore who seduced men relentlessly.
Zhao Yuyuan set down the teacup, stating: "The problem is mine. If the situation could be reversed, then perhaps..."
"Although I don't agree with Yu Xiang's way of talking, I'm in agreement with the logic behind it." Said Yue Xianjun who was seated beside Yu Xiang: "Getting involved in Bai Jing's situation now would only make things worse and endanger your reputation. You need to consider this carefully before making any decision; your reputation must not be further damaged"
Zhao Yuyuan sighed: "I've known Bai Jing since we were young, he would never do something like that. Not when he said he'll marry me." Zhao Yuyuan was not convinced of what happened that night.
After the incident, he went to meet Bai Jing at their usual meeting spot. The look of shame and embarrassment on Bai Jing's face when he found him, the pain in those beautiful jet black eyes as he cried his heart out... It all made Zhao Yuyuan feel distressed. He could only hope that Ye Cheng wouldn't take his frustration out on Bai Jing and make him suffer more.
If Bai Jing weren't pregnant, there might still be hope for them… But fate isn't so kind after all.
"Speaking of which, you are now betrothed to Bai Han. When should we expect the wedding?" Chen Jingyu asked, changing the subject. He hated seeing someone as strong, proud, and selfless as Zhao Yuyuan hurt, and he didn't want to see him sad again.
"I don't know and I don't want to talk about it." Zhao Yuyuan frowned and shook his head. He didn't want to bring up his marriage with Bai Han.
"Well, Bai Jing is now married to Ye Cheng and they were sent to a far away village to settle down. Even if you can't get over him, you still have to. Now that both of you have partners. Perhaps it's finally time you let go of your feelings for Bai Jing and start looking for love again." Yu Xiang advised.
He felt that he had said too much already after so little time. But he knew that he couldn't help it when he was speaking to Zhao Yuyuan. The man was his best friend for crying out loud. Although Bai Jing was the most beautiful Ger in Qingzhou City, that was all to it. His Aptitude is worse and he has five spiritual roots which are not worth mentioning. To make things worse, he doesn't like to practice. This kind of person doesn't have much to offer to society.
Zhao Yuyuan frowned in deep thought. Chen Jingyue noticed that Zhao Yuyuan wasn't really listening to the conversation around the table and decided to stop pressuring him. As long as he agreed to the engagement then everything else is just another matter.
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Bai Jing had a good sleep and was woken up by Scruffy in the afternoon.
"Meow?" Stupid human, didn't you promise another stupid human to do business in the evening?
For some reason, Bai Jing thought he understood the furball and the sleep was clear from his eyes immediately: "Thanks Scruffy, I almost forgot that I have to pick mushrooms for Lan Zhu."
Bai Jing was grateful that Scruffy had woken him just in time. He had nearly forgotten his promise of picking mushrooms before Lan Zhu's return and the sun would soon be setting. After folding his blanket, he took two baskets and closed the door after confirming that Ye Cheng wasn't back yet.
Walking down the path they took this morning, the trees were tall and covered with leaves and branches from their previous fall season. A few of the younger trees were already sprouting and the ones which were still growing had yellowish brown needles sticking out on them. Bai Jing thought it was strange.
Although it was the end of winter, the cold weather didn't seem to have much impact on the natural environment. Instead, many leaves, twigs and small buds started sprouting out on top of the old fallen ones, showing how quickly the new green started emerging as soon as the snow melted. It was quite a sight if one looked carefully for it.
Bai Jing realized that the little beast was following behind him with small steps. "Scruffy, are you accompanying me?" he said while slowing down so that he could let the little beast catch up. Even though it was small in size, he could sense a lot of intelligence in its eyes.
"Meow" Scruffy let out a low growl, asserting its dominance as a regal beast. It shook its furry head, its eyes gleaming with an untamed spirit.
Bai Jing chuckled as he turned around and crouched down. "You are so cute. Why don't you just stay and be my pet?" Bai Jing reached out his hand and stroked the animal's head. The little beast was soft and smooth, like its fur. Its ears moved along the touch, as well.
"Meow, meow..." As a high level beast, it couldn't fathom the idea of being reduced to a mere human pet. Bai Jing sighed, understanding the beast's refusal. After all, how could something so grand and majestic be confined to the limitations of being reduced to a mere human pet.
Bai Jing didn't understand, but from the furball response, he knew that the little beast didn't agree: "Even if you don't want to be my pet, I can at least name you Scruffy."
"Huh!" the little beast turned his head and ignored him. Then started walking towards where the mushrooms were growing.
Bai Jing smiled and stood up, watching the little beast going straight towards it. "You're even cuter with such an arrogant attitude. It makes you look more like a kitten." He chuckled and ran after it.
The little beast wasn't able to hold its head up high anymore and almost fell. As it managed to stand up again, it turned its face to glare at Bai Jing. What kind of insult is this? Dare to insult his majesty? On second thought, maybe a cat's appearance wasn't a good choice. The little beast was so angry that it didn't want to bother with him again.
Bai Jing laughed and ran behind it, and soon they reached the mushroom forest. The mushrooms in this area were plenty and fresh. Maybe because it hadn't been picked, the mushrooms grew really well. There were about a hundred or so, mixed with poisonous and edible mushrooms. Most of them were big enough that they seemed a bit unreal. But to Bai Jing, who was going to sell them, it seemed pretty good. He picked one basket full of mushrooms.