The Story Of Dusk

"Alright." Bai Yuyan smiled sweetly at her and get inside the carriage while holding her dress, in case Qianru would take revenge and step on her this time.

Seeing her behavior, Qianru only laughed silently, she wasn"t that shallow to take revenge with the same method as her, she wouldn"t step down to her level.

Qianru finally got inside the carriage with the help of Jinse, the maidservant was afraid she would fall again.

"Sister, don"t worry, we will lead a good life together." Bai Yuyan said while looking at Qianru, seemingly her smile never left her face no matter what the situation, she didn"t even care with Qianru"s body language that very reluctant to talk to her.

"Alright." Qianru said lightly without lifting her nose from perusing the book in her hand.

"Sister, I have never seen Prince Xiao Jun before, but I heard he is very handsome and very kind." Bai Yuyan continued to talk.

"Yes he is." Qianru couldn"t help, but remembered Xiao Jun"s face and smiled faintly behind her book. Her husband was indeed handsome, but "kind"? Qianru scoffed at that word.

"I heard Prince Xiao Jun mastered the swordsmanship ever since he was very young, is that true?" Bai Yuyan twirled a strand of her hair.

Bai Yuyan was only seventeen years old girl and her behavior was resemblance of her age, however Qianru knew to not judge people from Imperial family quickly, this girl was under the Empress, so she wouldn"t be as simple as her appearance.

"Yes, that is true." Qianru replied curtly, of course that was true, she was there when Xiao Jun and Xiao Tianyao were practicing and often bullied by Xiao Jun.

Bai Yuyan pursed her lips because Qianru didn"t give any reaction except answered all of her questions calmly. She shouldn"t be so calm like this right? When she knew her husband had another woman to be married once he returned.

"The rumor said you are being neglected, is that true?" Bai Yuyan tried to talk more bluntly because her common question couldn"t give Qianru any reaction.

"He was too busy with his own business." Qianru said in matter of fact. Xiao Jun was indeed too busy until he neglected her.

"I wonder if I married him, he will neglect me." Bai Yuyan mumbled, but her voice was loud enough for Qianru to ignore it.

"Probably no if you are more important than his plan." Qianru opened another page of her book and continued to read.

She knew Bai Yuyan wanted to test her and tried to annoy her with those sensitive questions, but she forgot that Qianru had been through a lot in her life to care about some shallow question like that.

"I wonder if Prince Xiao Jun had ever touched you." She said with the same tone as before as if Qianru couldn"t hear her.

With that being asked, Qianru put down the book and stared at Bai Yuyan, there was no agitation in her eyes like Bai Yuyan expected, instead her lips smile beautifully that could make any men took a second glance if they were seeing this.

"I wouldn"t have miscarriage if Jun never touched me." She said bluntly. "And yes, he touched me, he always touches me ever since we were little and even so when we have marriage, he touched me anywhere."

Xiao Jun was indeed always touched Qianru as he liked to rub her head or pinched her cheeks, but the way Qianru said it as if she was implied another meaning in her words.

Bai Yuyan couldn"t help but blush and cough.

With that, Bai Yuyan stopped her line of questions as she didn"t want to hear the detail of that story, Qianru was really shameful to talk so bluntly.

Satisfied because finally Bai Yuyan stopped talking and the silence inside the carriage returned, Qianru continued to read her book.

If Bai Yuyan was not a person, Qianru would have thrown her out of the carriage through the window because she was so noisy.

Both Qianru and Xiao Jun was appreciated the calm atmosphere.

When they arrived at the mansion, Bai Yuyan got off from the carriage first after that, Qianru followed behind her.

"So, where is Prince Xiao Jun"s chamber?" Bai Yuyan asked arrogantly.

Both Jinse and Liu Wei looked at each other with eyes opened wide in disbelief with what they heard.

"Xiao Jun"s chamber?" Qianru raised her eyebrows, but her smile was still there as she looked at Bai Yuyan calmly. "Do you plan to sleep in his courtyard?"

Bai Yuyan crossed her arms in front of her chest and said. "Yes, the Emperor had said I will marry Prince Xiao Jun once he returns from war, so it is only right for me to sleep in his courtyard. I will be able to adjust myself faster that way." Bai Yuyan deliberately mentioned the Emperor.

Qianru"s smile did not fade as she looked at Bai Yuyan right in her eyes.

Xiao Jun had fought Xiao Zi for long time, the mentioned of the Emperor name, of course, didn"t affect anything on Qianru.

Qianru only sighed with the trouble that she had to face now. "Alright." She agreed and her words invited a strong rejection from Jinse and Liu Wei.

"Princess Xiao!"

"My lady! That is not proper."

Ignoring both of them refusal, Qianru waved her hand toward Jinse. "Show the way to Xiao Jun"s courtyard."

"My lady, but…" Jinse was panic with the unexpected order, how her mistress could calmly let other woman to stay inside her own husband"s chamber?

"How dare you to reject direct order?!" Bai Yuyan glared at Jinse. "In my family a maidservant like you deserved to be flogged to death." She said viciously.

Jinse was startled when she heard Bai Yuyan harsh words and lowered her head.

"I think all the servants inside this mansion need to be taught a lesson." Bai Yuyan didn"t like with the unwelcomed att.i.tude from a lowly person like Jinse and Liu Wei. "And you." She nodded at Jinse. "Need to be punished."

Jinse was so afraid until her legs gave away, since she followed Qianru, she had never been punished by her, not even once.

Liu Wei also could do nothing except glaring at the arrogant woman before his eyes, he wanted to refuse Qianru"s order, but Xiao Jun had said to follow her words, as long as she was safe, whatever her order needed to be accomplished.

Upon hearing Bai Yuyan"s words, Qianru"s eyes darkened. "First, you are not the mistress of this mansion." Qianru walked forward and stood tall right in front of Bai Yuyan, and because of the height different, Qianru needed to look down at her. "I am still the mistress of this household."

Bai Yuyan was ready with this aggressive side from Qianru, this was the moment that she had been waiting for. She liked confrontation. That was why the Emperor chose her to be the concubine of Prince Xiao Jun.

Actually, Xiao Zi didn"t really hope Bai Yuyan could be a spy and reported any secret from Xiao Jun"s side. Giving her personality, she wouldn"t be success with that kind of mission.

However, Bai Yuyan could create a discord between Xiao Jun and Qianru.

To know Xiao Jun had allowed Qianru to follow him to the Rockstone Kingdom, Xiao Zi a.s.sumed the relationship between the two people was getting better.

After all, Qianru would be having hard time to conceive again and Xiao Jun, sooner or later, would need an heir, so it would be a safe plan to give a woman from his side to be with Xiao Jun.

"But, I am afraid is not for long time." Bai Yuyan smiled mischievously at Qianru.

The two women were talking so calm, but fire had spark between their words and the way they looked at each other.

"Sure." Qianru nodded. "Do whatever you want after Jun married you." She took a step back and sized up Bai Yuyan with her eyes, this gestured could be interpreted as she belittled the woman in front of her. "But, before that, remember whom the mistress of this mansion."

Qianru gestured really turned Bai Yuyan mad. She didn"t like the way Qianru, provocatively, looked at her.

"Until then, you are only guest in this mansion, so behave well." Qianru stretched out her hand and helped Jinse to stand up. "Liu Wei, you can help Miss Bai Yuyan to find her room."

Though Liu Wei still didn"t agree with Qianru decision to let Bai Yuyan to stay inside his Master"s chamber, but he was quite satisfied with Qianru"s method to teach this woman a lesson.

Qianru had shown her, who was the real mistress of the household and Liu Wei was proud of his Master"s wife.

She stood on her ground gracefully like how she stood for herself when Zhao Tianqi and the other highborn ladies tried to bully her.

"This way please." Couldn"t reject the order, Liu Wei decided to follow her order.

Fortunately, Xiao Jun had a habit to not put any important things inside his chamber, he would likely to put them all inside his study room and ever since he had gone to the north fortress, his study room had been locked.

Without doubt Qianru also knew about this as she was easily giving permission for outsider to stay inside Xiao Jun room. Despite their fight, she knew what she should do and shouldn"t do.

Bai Yuyan glared at Qianru for the last time before she followed Liu Wei. All of her things would be sent by tomorrow so she would need some s.p.a.ce to put her belongings.

In the other hands, Qianru didn"t even give Bai Yuyan a tiny bit of her attention as she walked away with Jinse toward her courtyard.

Being with Bai Yuyan was a torture for her, she was so annoying and gave her a headache, and now Qianru needed her peace s.p.a.ce.

"My lady…" Jinse called out in low voice while she kept walking beside Qianru. "Is it alright to let the woman stays inside Prince Xiao Jun"s chamber?"

Qianru glanced at Jinse before they stepped inside her courtyard. "She is bestowed by the Emperor to Jun, I couldn"t refuse the Emperor"s wish, could I?"

"But, wasn"t Prince Xiao Jun would be angry if someone stays inside his chamber?" Jinse stated the fact.

It was true that Xiao Jun wasn"t like Xiao Tianyao, who wouldn"t let anyone come inside their room, let alone to stay, but Xiao jun also wouldn"t be happy if he knew there was a stranger inside his room.

To think about that, Qianru was looking forward the moment Xiao Jun knew about it and suddenly became happy.

"If he wants to be angry, he should scold the Emperor and Bai Yuyan, not me." Qianru shrugged nonchalantly.

Jinse only could shake her head, didn"t understand the way her mistress think.

***  

It had been three days since Bai Yuyan had come to Xiao Jun"s mansion and not even a single day that pa.s.sed without her screaming.

Bai Yuyan scolded every maidservant who served her, everything was wrong in her eyes, and demanded her personal maids.

"You can ask the Emperor to provide you with that, the Xiao"s mansion doesn"t have extra budget for that." Qianru replied casually as she ate her lunch.

Jinse and the other maidservant who served the food wanted to laugh out loud by Qianru"s reply, of course that was totally a lie. Their mansion was very prosperous as Qianru often gave them bonus.

"Don"t you feel ashamed to say that kind of thing in front of the servant?" Bai Yuyan lowered her voice and reprimanded Qianru sternly.

"No." Qianru drank her soup and put another chicken breast into her bowl. "I can give you stipend every month and you can collect that to buy servant." She offered a solution that didn"t like a solution.

"Princess Xiao, you couldn"t treat me like this. I will be your husband"s concubine in the future." Bai Yuyan said that shamelessly. She deliberately raised her voice so everyone inside the dining room could hear her clearly.

Qianru put down her chopstick. "You will be Jun"s concubine to provide an heir for him, even after you married him, I am still his legal wife. So, in another word, I am still in charge in this mansion, if you want a servant really bad, you can ask the Emperor or you can buy them by yourself." Qianru shrugged. "Anything is fine for me as long as you don"t waste this mansion money."

Bai Yuyan pouted, she wanted to say something, but Qianru continued her speech.

"Moreover, Xiao"s mansion doesn"t lack of servants, so why do you need more?" Qianru raised her brows as she tried to hold back her smile.

She knew exactly what the reason as Jinse always update any news about Bai Yuyan every morning.

"Those servants don"t listen to my order!" Bai Yuyan glared at those servants around her.

Ever since the first day she came, she had given every one inside the mansion a headache. Bai Yuyan had ordered them to move some of Xiao Jun"s belonging to put her things, after all her stuff was sent to the mansion, she had made an uproar by giving every of them an order.

At that time all the servants laid their complains to Jinse as she was their Mistress personal maid. They were asking about what they should do, because they didn"t want to be punished by their Master once he returned and found out his chamber had changed drastically.

"If they don"t want to do what Bai Yuyan had ordered them, then just avoid her." That was the reply that Qianru gave when Jinse reported the other servants complains.

After that, most of the servants were avoiding to walk near Xiao Jun"s courtyard, leaving Bai Yuyan alone to deal with her own stuffs.

"Oh, I don"t know about that." Qianru shrugged and didn"t offer a solution at all. She wiped her lips and talked to Jinse before Bai Yuyan could utter another dissatisfaction. "I heard Tianyao had come back from the resort, is that true?"

Jinse nodded her head and replied cheerfully. "Yes my lady, Chief guard Liu Wei mentioned it a few days ago, but Jinse forgot to inform you." She lowered her head regretfully.

"Good, it has been long time since I met Tianyao." Qianru smiled brightly. "Tell Liu Wei that I will visit Tianyao"s place." She said.

Actually Qianru wanted to see Luna, Xiao Jun had said that Luna was a mind controller and was worked under her father, Modama, but she changed her mission because of her pregnancy.

She chose her baby over her father mission.

It was good to hear that if Luna was really at Xiao Tianyao"s side now, since the first time Qianru met her, she knew that Luna was up to no good toward Xiao Tianyao.

That was why, this time she wanted to see if Luna had really changed side.

"I will come with you." Bai Yuyan blurted out. "Prince Xiao Tianyao is Prince Xiao Jun"s brother, so I need to greet him, because I will be part of the family."

Qianru raised her brows in disbelief. She really wanted to face palm herself to face someone like her. "Alright. You can come." She said without thinking twice.

If Bai Yuyan managed to give her a headache, then she was willing to share it with Xiao Tianyao. She wanted to see how her brother in law handled this creature.

Probably Luna could mind controlled her to be a bit obedient and less noisy.

Bai Yuyan was surprised because Qianru agreed so easily, she scrunched her brows, but didn"t ask another question as she stood up to follow her out of the dining room.

*** 

A carriage had been waiting for them when Qianru and Bai Yuyan arrived at the yard.

Like usual, Liu Wei would sit at the coachmen seat and they would go with five more guards on their horses, in spite of the fact that Xiao Tianyao"s mansion wasn"t so far from Xiao Jun"s.

They arrived at Xiao Tianyao"s entrance gates fifteen minutes later, along the journey Qianru and Bai Yuyan didn"t talk at all and Qianru was grateful for that.

Once they arrived at the gates, a guard stepped forward and recognized Xiao Jun"s carriage and Liu Wei.

"Brother Liu, who is inside?" He asked Liu Wei.

"Princess Xiao and Miss Bai Yuyan." Liu Wei said.

The guard didn"t mind with the mention of Qianru"s name, but his face scrunched by Bai Yuyan"s name.

However, he still let them in.

Qianru"s visit was unplanned, so when Xiao Tianyao was informed about this, he came out directly to meet her.

It was Qianru privileged to be able to meet the hardheaded Xiao Tianyao all of sudden, if it was someone else, they wouldn"t be able to cross the entrance gates.

Xiao Tianyao arrived when Qianru was about to get off the carriage as he helped him, however after Qianru had stood in front of him, another hand came out, asking for help.

"Who is there?" Xiao Tianyao looked at Qianru.

"Miss Bai Yuyan." Qianru answered him and looked at Bai Yuyan who finally got off from the carriage by her own because Xiao Tianyao didn"t willing to help her.

"You must be Prince Xiao Tianyao." Bai Yuyan smiled at Xiao Tianyao despite she was being ignored earlier. "I am Bai Yuyan, I will be…"

"Check on her." Xiao Tianyao cut off her words coldly as he ordered his guard to do body check. For a woman from highborn family, it was a humiliation.

"Prince Xiao Tianyao, that is not proper to check on me." Bai Yuyan"s turned unsightly.

"Then, you can leave my mansion." Xiao Tianyao gave his last attention toward her before he took Qianru"s hand and left Bai Yuyan alone.