Chapter 56: A Young Stepmother at Home (Special Release)

One must admit that shamelessness, when taken to a certain extreme, becomes unstoppable—nothing can stand in its way, not gods nor Buddhas. Take this moment for example: Bai Li Xian could only look at Liu Ling’er in speechless silence, utterly at a loss for words.

Liu Ling’er, having finished her tea, noticed Bai Li Xian watching her as if she were some strange creature. She immediately adopted a coy, bashful demeanor. “Prince Xian! Even though we’re husband and wife, if you stare at me like that, I’ll get embarrassed!”

Her face showed not the slightest blush or nervousness—there was no trace of embarrassment at all. Bai Li Xian was utterly defeated by Liu Ling’er, lowering his head to sip his tea, realizing that any conversation with her would inevitably lower his own intelligence.

Seeing Bai Li Xian admit defeat, Liu Ling’er couldn’t help but gloat. “Hmph! Yesterday you were so fierce, throwing cold looks at me. Let’s see if you dare do it again.”

She hadn’t basked in her triumph for long when she felt her skirt being tugged by a tiny hand. Looking down, Liu Ling’er was instantly at a loss. Somehow, Xiao Shuangshuang had slipped into the room without anyone noticing.

For reasons unknown, this little one was especially attached to her. Otherwise, why, out of the two adults present, would she choose Liu Ling’er to approach?

Although a child’s grip wasn’t very strong, these ancient silk dresses were delicate and would tear easily. If her skirt were pulled open, it would be a scandal indeed—a true disaster. So Liu Ling’er immediately took Xiao Shuangshuang’s little hand in her own, then scooped her up in a hug. “Xiao Shuangshuang, what brings you here?”

Xiao Shuangshuang regarded Liu Ling’er with growing satisfaction. “An uncle wearing an iron mask brought me. He said you know lots and lots of stories. Xiao Shuangshuang likes stories—tell me one!”

Liu Ling’er’s expression darkened. Hearing Xiao Shuangshuang’s words, she quickly guessed the situation. Most likely, Xiao Shuangshuang wanted Tie Wula to tell her a story, but that taciturn man couldn’t manage it, so he passed the task onto Liu Ling’er as a scapegoat.

Ah, Tie Wula, you scoundrel! Why did you have to drag me into this? In her heart, Liu Ling’er cursed him a thousand times over.

Having caught this hot potato, Liu Ling’er allowed herself a moment of anger before plastering on a smile and saying to Xiao Shuangshuang, “Xiao Shuangshuang, I’m going back to my family home today. How about I tell you a story another day, alright?”

Xiao Shuangshuang tilted her head toward Bai Li Xian. “Uncle Xian, is Sister Ling’er’s family home fun?”

Liu Ling’er blinked desperately at Bai Li Xian, silently begging him not to say it's fun. If he did, she’d surely have a little tagalong today, and if there were any misunderstandings, it would be troublesome.

Of course, Bai Li Xian caught Liu Ling’er’s subtle signal and cooperated, saying, “Xiao Shuangshuang, let me tell you: Sister Ling’er’s family home isn’t fun at all. It’s terribly boring.”

Xiao Shuangshuang replied in disappointment, “Oh, I see.” Liu Ling’er breathed a sigh of relief, only for her relief to get stuck halfway in her throat as Bai Li Xian spoke again.

“Though your sister’s family home isn’t fun, it’s quite peculiar. Let me tell you, when I visited, I saw people who didn’t use doors—they climbed over the walls instead. And there were people who got themselves stuck in trees just for fun.

People there enjoy dressing as the opposite gender. You might see a woman who’s actually a man, or a man who’s really a woman, and some who are neither one nor the other—much more entertaining than those palace eunuchs.”

Good grief, the way he described it, it sounded as if her home had two-legged toads and cattle with four tails. Any child would be curious.

Liu Ling’er was so furious she nearly coughed up blood. Bai Li Xian, you villain! As if things weren’t chaotic enough, now you’re provoking Xiao Shuangshuang to make things worse for me. Just because I teased you a bit earlier, must you retaliate like this? Clearly, handsome men are not so easily teased.

Sure enough, Liu Ling’er saw the light in Xiao Shuangshuang’s eyes grow brighter and brighter, like twin searchlights. She wailed inwardly: It’s over, it’s over. There’s no way I’ll avoid having a little tail tagging along today.

Inside Bai Li Xian’s impressive, high-piled carriage, Liu Ling’er sat in a corner, silently cursing Bai Li Xian in her mind. Bai Li Xian sat calmly in the center, eyes closed in repose, while Xiao Shuangshuang leaned by the curtain, watching the crowds on the street.

An hour later, as the carriage approached the General’s Mansion, a servant had already gone ahead to notify Liu Rufeng. General Liu himself, accompanied by his family and staff, was waiting at the door.

Liu Ling’er didn’t know that, on the day after her marriage, Liu Rufeng had successfully found her a new stepmother. With a stepmother now in the house, who could say how Liu Ling’er would feel?

As their carriage drew near the mansion walls, Xiao Shuangshuang suddenly cried out in excitement, “Wow! Amazing! Someone really is climbing out of the wall! And someone’s actually stuck in a tree playing!”

Curious, Liu Ling’er glanced out the carriage window and felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead. Right at the spot where she first met Bai Li Xian, someone was stuck in a tree, unable to get up or down.

Any adult would immediately sense something was off—what were the odds? For her to have once climbed a wall was rare enough; for Bai Li Xian’s morning tales to come true now, unless he could tell the future, it was too much of a coincidence.

But Xiao Shuangshuang wasn’t an adult. Right now, she was incredibly curious about Liu Ling’er’s family home, the General’s Mansion, eager to step inside and see what wonders awaited her.