Chapter 42: Past Lives (Part IV)

When they entered, the others were still playfully teasing Mingzhu.

Because the household rules were usually not overly strict, everyone did not go out of their way to formally greet Liang Qian upon his return; instead, seeing yet another unfamiliar face walk in, they looked on with curiosity.

Liang Qian motioned for everyone to offer their greetings. As soon as they heard the visitor was an imperial inspecting censor sent directly from the capital, everyone hurriedly stood up and dropped to their knees.

Bai Su was still holding Mingzhu in her arms. Seeing everyone suddenly turn fearful and kneel to the ground in terror, she looked dazed and prepared to follow suit by dropping to her knees as well.

Ever since she had moved to this place, she had never kneeled before anyone, and for some reason, she instinctively disliked doing so. Hesitantly, just as she had half-squatted down, Chu Ling spoke up: "Rise."

Bai Su quickly went with the flow and stood right back up.

The lively and unrestrained atmosphere among the group instantly turned stiff and formal the moment Chu Ling arrived.

Jiang Wu felt the same way. She stood off to the side, watching as Liang Qian welcomed Chu Ling to the seat of honor.

Her mind was racing. Although the man's arrival had completely changed the festive mood of the birthday celebration, this was an official directly from the imperial court. While Jiang Wu had never harbored grand ambitions for Liang Qian to climb the official ladder, having connections within the court was by no means an ordinary weight.

The fact that this Official Chu had intentionally made the trip here alone clearly meant he held Liang Qian in high regard.

Thinking this, she subtly signaled the servants to fetch the finest tea in the household to entertain the guest. At the same time, she cast a discreet, surreptitious glance at the man who had already taken the master's seat.

She noticed his gaze was fixed on Bai Su's direction.

Filled with doubt, she also looked over. Given that Liang Qian had used the words "young and beautiful" to describe her, Bai Su's breathtaking appearance was beyond question. Jiang Wu's heart hammered nervously—could this Official Chu possibly harbor an interest in Bai Su?

Before she could delve deeper into the thought, she heard the man ask: "Is this Magistrate Liang's daughter?"

So he was looking at Mingzhu in Bai Su's arms. Jiang Wu let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Liang Qian had already answered: "Indeed she is."

Chu Ling said nothing more, merely extending his hand slightly. The gesture was unmistakable, and Liang Qian dared not neglect him. "Would my lord care to hold her? Though this child can be somewhat fussy."

As he spoke, he gently took Mingzhu from Bai Su's arms and handed her over.

Watching from the side, Jiang Wu felt her heart leap into her throat.

When Liang Qian spoke of Mingzhu being fussy, he actually meant she was wary of strangers. The child simply did not like being held by unfamiliar people.

Having been a father for so long, Liang Qian naturally held her with complete ease, and his movement in passing her over was soft and cautious. Chu Ling, however, clearly lacked any such experience. As Jiang Wu watched Mingzhu being taken into his arms, the infant's upper body leaned backward at an awkward angle. Jiang Wu's hands practically moved on their own, itching to step forward and support the back of the child's neck herself.

Chu Ling glanced sideways in her direction, causing Jiang Wu to hastily pull her hands back.

Fortunately, the baby was no longer a newborn; she could support her own head and sit somewhat upright, so it should not be a serious issue. She could only comfort herself with this thought, yet her gaze remained glued to them.

Chu Ling seemed to ponder for a moment, then used one hand to support and shield her from behind.

With his adjustment, Jiang Wu silently exhaled a breath of relief.

Mingzhu was indeed wary of strangers, especially since the man before her carried an inexplicable air of stern severity. Frightened into silence, her lips puckered as if she wanted to cry, but upon catching the man's fierce gaze, she dared not even weep. Pouting miserably, she searched about for her mother.

"Moth... mother." Her little hand even reached out toward this side.

She had only recently begun learning how to speak, and that was about the extent of her vocabulary.

Jiang Wu's heart ached for the child.

For some reason, the sight of Chu Ling holding Mingzhu made Jiang Wu feel vaguely uneasy. A fragile infant cradled within a man's broad, heavy palms gave off the uncanny sensation of watching a fierce tiger's sharp claws suspended right above a helpless cub—it was deeply nerve-wracking.

Since this Official Chu did not look like someone fond of children, why on earth did he insist on holding Mingzhu? Overwhelmed with anxiety, Jiang Wu could not help feeling a surge of resentment.

Yet Chu Ling actually had the leisure to ask, "What is her name?"

"Replying to my lord, this humble official's daughter is named Mingzhu," Liang Qian answered from the side.

A faint smile touched Chu Ling's face: "The apple of one's eye, a fine name."

"My lord is too kind."

After the man teased the child for a short while, his gaze suddenly shifted toward Jiang Wu.

"Lady Liang appears so nervous; are you worried about me holding the child?"

Caught off guard, Jiang Wu met his deep, piercing gaze. Before she had time to wipe the worry from her face, she quickly lowered her eyes and averted her gaze. Before she could utter a reply, Liang Qian had already stepped in to explain for her: "My lord must forgive us; my wife is simply overly anxious about this child on ordinary days."

At that precise moment, Mingzhu let out another aggrieved, muffled cry of "Moth... mother."

Chu Ling chuckled softly: "A mother and child truly share the same heartbeat. In that case, it would be unseemly of me to play the villain. Since she is calling for her mother, Lady Liang should take her back."

Hearing him say this, Jiang Wu felt an immense wave of relief wash over her. For a moment, she failed to consider whether it was improper for her to rush forward, and hurried over immediately.

Chu Ling extended his hands outward with the child, and Jiang Wu caught her smoothly. Because they were standing close, a faint, unnameable fragrance drifted from the man's person. The scent was remarkably refreshing rather than cloyingly sweet, which suited a man quite well.

Jiang Wu knew that some wealthy young masters even had their garments scented with incense, so she did not think too much of it. However, just as she took the child and stood back up, the back of her hand was lightly brushed by something.

Jiang Wu's body stiffened—it turned out that as Chu Ling retracted his hand, his fingertips had grazed the back of her hand. Looking over, she saw no trace of playful flirtation or ambiguity on the man's face. His lofty, untouchable demeanor made entertaining even a hint of impurity feel like a desecration of his person.

It surely must not have been intentional, Jiang Wu told herself, lowering her gaze and stepping back quickly with the child in her arms.

After that, Chu Ling did not look at her again, remaining engaged in conversation solely with Liang Qian.

His words were entirely filled with praise for the orderly and well-governed state of the region under Liang Qian's administration.

Only then did Jiang Wu's heart slowly settle. Upon returning to her mother's embrace, Mingzhu still looked wronged and on the verge of tears. Jiang Wu patted her back, silently soothing her for a long while.

Chu Ling stayed until the very end before taking his leave. Right before departing, his eyes swept over Bai Su, who had been whispering secrets to Jiang Wu the entire time.

"Who might that be..."

Liang Qian followed his line of sight, and seeing that Chu Ling was asking about Bai Su, he replied: "That is my younger sister, my lord."

For the sake of his reputation, this was how he always introduced her to outsiders.

Whether it was her imagination or not, upon hearing this, she felt as though a flicker of profound meaning crossed Official Chu's eyes. Yet it vanished as quickly as it appeared, and he merely said indifferently: "Magistrate Liang, there is no need to see me out further. Since today marks your daughter's first birthday, remain at home and properly accompany your wife and child."

Liang Qian had actually been thinking the same thing. Feeling grateful for Chu Ling's consideration, he dropped any further formalities, respectfully escorted him out, and then hurriedly turned back inside.

With Chu Ling gone, everyone completely let their guard down. Bai Su, in particular, acted as if she had just come back to life: "I don't know why," she mumbled with a mouthful of pastry, "I just despise him so much. Really, Sister Jiang, trust my intuition—he is a bad person."

Jiang Wu looked around nervously and gently patted her arm: "You mustn't go around saying things like that."

Having heard from Liang Qian that the bandit suppression campaign had been a resounding success, she figured this Official Chu would likely be leaving very soon.

She did not expect to curry any special favor with him, but such a man was certainly someone who should never be offended. Beyond that, she gave him no further thought, as she was currently preoccupied with planning other matters.

That evening, the doting father unusually handed over the bedtime routine to the child's mother.

Before returning to her own chambers, she even whispered secretively into Liang Qian's ear.

"You've been working so hard lately; there's a reward for you tonight."

She deliberately emphasized the word "reward" with an ambiguous lilt, and as a result, she watched the tips of the man's ears instantly turn a charming shade of red as comprehension dawned on him.

"Wait for me," he said, his breathing noticeably quickening, which brought a secret smile to Jiang Wu's lips.

Ever since Mingzhu's birth, the two of them had not shared intimate quarters. Liang Qian was a man of strict self-discipline and propriety; since he had been told intimacy was prohibited, he truly never crossed that boundary by even a fraction.

Jiang Wu had indeed harbored intentions tonight.

After all, it wasn't just him who had needs.

A few days prior, the proprietress of the tailoring shop she befriended had secretly handed her some special garments. Jiang Wu hadn't even looked at them at the time, simply tossing