Chapter 56: The Unattainable White Moonlight

Grandpa Bai was truly swept up in excitement, his words growing more fervent and animated by the moment, as if he couldn't wait to grab Grandpa Qin and set the wedding date right then and there.

“Old Qin, say something! Come on, show your support to Brother Lin!”

Perhaps feeling that his own enthusiasm alone wasn't enough, Grandpa Bai vigorously patted Grandpa Qin on the shoulder, urging him to say a few words.

Grandpa Qin hadn’t drunk much and was perfectly clear-headed at this point.

Lin Xi exchanged a glance with Grandpa Qin and silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Qin Yu had inherited all of Grandpa Qin’s strengths—unflappable even if the sky fell, always calm and composed in the face of any situation. Not to mention he wasn't drunk; even if he were, Grandpa Qin would never join Grandpa Bai’s antics.

First of all, marriage was no trivial matter; Grandpa Qin was a very traditional man and would not agree lightly.

Secondly, among all the elders, her grandfather was the eldest and currently held the highest military rank in the compound. Since her own grandfather was firmly opposed, Grandpa Qin certainly wouldn’t push the issue.

Lin Xi thought she had found an ally, but to her surprise, Grandpa Qin’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before shifting to Qin Yu beside her.

Then, as if with both relief and resignation, he slowly uttered two words, “Very well.”

“Xi Xi, take your time and think it over.”

“……”

“Dad, perhaps we shouldn’t interfere in the children’s affairs; Xi Xi may not even like Qin Yu.”

It was a rare moment to have someone speak up for her, to take her side. Unfortunately, that person was Qin Yu’s mother.

Lin Xi didn’t mind. Whatever her reasons for saying so, the result was what she wanted.

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Qin said in a low voice, “If you truly thought that way, you wouldn’t have hurried to arrange things with the Song family not long ago.”

He exposed her intention without hesitation, showing no regard for Aunt Rong’s feelings, even with Grandpa Bai present.

Lin Xi wasn’t surprised—more than anything, she was struck by how much Qin Yu resembled Grandpa Qin in temperament; they truly were cut from the same cloth.

For a moment, the atmosphere was awkward.

As juniors, Lin Xi and the others certainly couldn’t interject at this point, so the four of them feigned deafness, each with their own thoughts.

Grandpa Qin then turned to Lin Xi and smiled, “Xi Xi, remember your grandfather’s words.”

“Although your Grandpa Bai’s ideas are a bit wild, there’s one point I fully support.”

“Compared to those boys outside, your grandfather believes these few in the compound are much more suitable for you. Take that Lu family boy, for instance—he actually dared to set his sights on you, bold as you please, thinking to marry up.”

“Fortunately, you have good judgment and aren’t interested in him. It’s right to ignore him. If he thought a couple of days of flattery would win you over, he was dreaming.”

Grandpa Qin’s gaze swept over the three young men present, and he snorted, “Even these ones here are still single, and none of them have a chance with you yet. How could that Lu family boy possibly think he had a shot?”

“……”

Grandpa Cheng suddenly felt that if he didn’t speak up now, he’d seem out of place. “Old Qin is right, absolutely right.”

With a grand gesture, he looked as if he was inviting Lin Xi to choose a consort on the spot. “Don’t just consider your Third Brother. Your Fourth Brother may seem unreliable, but he’s actually a good man.”

Lin Xi’s mouth twitched hard. How had a perfectly ordinary family dinner turned into a matchmaking event? As expected, every grandparent was eager to promote their own grandson.

During the meal, Lin Xi found an excuse to go outside for some air. The moment she stepped out of the Bai family’s gates, she felt the air was so much fresher.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she stepped aside to make way.

It was Bai Xu who had followed her out.

He folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe, meeting her gaze with a half-smile.

Lin Xi stood a couple of steps below him on the stairs, separated by two steps.

“You came out at just the right time,” she said, beckoning him down to talk.

Bai Xu didn’t move. “Want to share another secret with me? Don’t tell me it’s about the ‘consort selection’ just now?”

So he’d thought it felt like a matchmaking event too—clearly, she wasn’t the only one with that impression. Their useless mutual understanding deepened.

“No, not that,” Lin Xi shot him a glance. “It was all drunken talk; who would take it seriously?”

Bai Xu replied naturally, “I would.”

“……” Lin Xi took a deep breath and signaled him to come down. “Come here, I want to talk business.”

Her expression grew serious, with a hint of impending annoyance. If he teased her a bit more, this girl would surely lose her temper.

Bai Xu thought she was especially interesting when angry, but unfortunately, today was not the day for that.

He followed Lin Xi to a corner of the courtyard. “So, what does our little ancestor want to discuss with me today?”

Lin Xi ignored his mocking nickname and brought up the previous matter.

“You knew from the start that this was all because of me.”

“Did you know that?”

Bai Xu gave a little “ah”. “Still on that? Nothing else to talk about?”

Lin Xi pressed her lips together and stared at him in silence.

After a few seconds, Bai Xu smiled. “Of course I knew.”

“When? Did you know from the very beginning?”

“More or less.” Bai Xu’s answer was vague, but he knew what she was getting at, so he volunteered, “Third Brother is smart—he figured it out right away. There was nothing I could do.”

Lin Xi still said nothing.

Seeing this, Bai Xu sighed and turned his head away.

“You don’t believe this, you don’t believe that—what do you want me to say?”

“The truth, of course.”

“The truth…” Bai Xu acted as if he were hesitating, leaving Lin Xi in suspense. “Well, I certainly can’t tell you that.”

Lin Xi was about to swear.

Bai Xu added, “At least not yet.”

“But honestly, this answer isn’t all that important to you. Don’t worry about it too much. When I’m ready to talk, you’ll know everything.”

“Or you could ask Third Brother.” Here, Bai Xu paused. He leaned down, coming closer to Lin Xi, his dark eyes seeming to see straight through her thoughts.

“Oh, but if Third Brother were willing to talk, you wouldn’t have come looking for me.”

Lin Xi: “……”

Bai Xu was about to straighten up when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a figure emerging from the doorway. His brows lifted in amusement, his eyes gleamed with mischief, and he leaned in even closer, bracing one hand against the wall—blocking Lin Xi’s way in a textbook kabedon.

“What are you doing?” Lin Xi’s vision was completely blocked by him; she had no idea someone was approaching.

Bai Xu smiled innocently and whispered in her ear, “To make it up to you, I can tell you another little secret.”

Lin Xi’s contrariness flared. “I don’t want to hear it right now.”

He ignored her and continued, “Not long after you went abroad, rumors started swirling in the capital’s social circles that Third Brother has always been single because there’s a white moonlight in his heart—someone he loves but can never have. The gossip was so rampant even Grandpa Qin heard about it.”

“If it were untrue, given Third Brother’s temperament, you know what would have happened.”

“But the funny thing is, Third Brother never denied it.”

(End of this chapter)