“What do I have to regret?”

Ning Yan’s voice was cold. “It was nothing more than turning their scheme back on them. The Bai family was already under scrutiny—if not this time, then the next. Besides, they’re all safe and sound, aren’t they?”

Pei Lingshu folded his fan with a snap and tapped it lightly against the edge of the table. “You knew someone would make a move against Bai Rui, and yet you stood by, waiting to catch the one behind the curtain. Sure, your reasoning holds water, no one got hurt—but then why are you here, drinking yourself into a stupor? What’s with the sour face? Who’s it for?”

Ning Yan rolled his eyes and poured himself another cup.

He didn’t think he’d done anything wrong. After watching from the shadows for so long, someone had finally taken the bait. Following the thread without alerting the prey was the best course—he’d decided that from the very beginning.

But he’d underestimated how much the Bai family cared about Bai Qingqing. Watching her sob until her voice broke, terrified as if the sky were collapsing—it had left him irritable, unsettled.

Warm wine couldn’t wash away even a drop of his unease. Ning Yan didn’t want to admit it, but the truth was—he did regret it, just a little…

…

Everyone in the Bai family wore the look of those who had survived a disaster—especially Bai Qingqing, who now trailed behind Bai Jinghuai like a child, as if afraid he might vanish if she let him out of sight.

Bai Jinghuai felt a deep ache in his heart. It was his failure as a father that had left his daughter so frightened.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

He recounted everything that had happened in the locust tree grove, still shaken. “We owe Lord Ning a great debt. If not for him, not only would our lives have been in danger—once taken in by the authorities under those circumstances, there would’ve been no way to prove our innocence.”

Cold sweat broke out on Bai Yan’s back as he listened. “Who were those people, really? Why go to such lengths to frame Father? It doesn’t make sense—and it certainly doesn’t seem worth the risk of kidnapping Ah Rui in Xuancheng just to threaten you.”

“Yes, I thought the same. Even with Lord Ning present, the officials at the scene seemed desperate to take Huang Xun’s corpse away, as if they were racing against time. There might be deeper schemes I’m still unaware of. Thankfully, Lord Ning’s men arrived just in time—the body was taken back to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Who knows what they’ll uncover from it.”

Bai Jinghuai’s expression turned grave. From the moment that nursery rhyme surfaced, he’d had a vague, gnawing sense of unease. The sudden appearance of Huang Xun had set off all his internal alarms, as if the Bai family had been forced into the eye of some hidden storm.

“Yan’er, this is no trivial matter. We need to think carefully and plan our next steps.”

Suddenly, Bai Rui raised his hand. “Count me in. No matter what, this began because of me—I want to do something, anything.”

He recounted the reason behind his abduction. It had seemed like such an ordinary thing: he’d witnessed a thug bullying a woman and, unable to stomach it, stepped in to help. But after being captured and replaying the scene over and over in his mind, Bai Rui finally realized there had been something off. The woman had clearly been aiming for him from the start, and that alley had been strangely empty, as though it had been cleared in advance—waiting for him to play the gallant hero, blood hot, swept up in the moment.

“I was wrong.”

He took the initiative to fetch the family’s disciplinary staff himself. This time, he was willing to take the punishment—if he didn’t, he’d never forgive himself.

But Bai Jinghuai, and everyone in the Bai family, said nothing of blame. Bai Qingqing quietly helped him up from the ground, her head bowed, silently tying the sachet back onto his belt.

Bai Rui looked down and saw two tears fall onto the back of her hand. His heart clenched.

“Big Sister, don’t cry… it’s all my fault…”