Liang Xiao quietly observed the two peerless beauties before him.
Ye Qingyi and Yi Rou blushed and dared not look up under Liang Xiao's gaze.
Just then, Jian Qinwan arrived from afar, giving Liang Xiao a resentful glance. Ignoring Liang Xiao's questioning look, she simply stood behind him, silent.
Liang Xiao suddenly understood: she had come to see if he was abducting more girls.
Seeing the arrival of Qin Xian, Ye Qingyi and Yi Rou felt a surge of frustration once again!
Ye Qingyi repeatedly told herself, "Ye Qingyi, you cannot lose to others, and you certainly cannot lose to yourself!"
But Ye Qingyi also knew that she could not play it cool at this moment. Let her be shy; it was just right...
If she appeared too calm, it would make Liang Xiao even more suspicious.
"Why do you two put yourselves through this?"
It was only when Liang Xiao spoke that the two women slowly looked up, gazing at him tenderly.
Liang Xiao felt helpless seeing this.
These two were indeed exceptionally beautiful, possessing a natural allure that made it difficult for most people to remain composed.
"This concubine admires the Marquis of Anguo and wishes to..." Ye Qingyi stammered, her face flushing.
Yi Rou lowered her head; whatever Ye Qingyi said, she simply nodded.
Liang Xiao was too dazzling these days. The talented and beautiful women of Baichun Tower all yearned for him, and even the Six Beauties of Hengjiang from the Great Liang publicly expressed their admiration!
Liang Xiao shook his head and said, "As the saying goes, it is hardest to bear the favor of a beauty. I haven't even married Qingxue yet, how could I possibly take a concubine?"
"We can wait..." Ye Qingyi said softly.
At this moment, she had none of the worldly composure of the mistress of Baichun Tower, only a willingness to yield, to advance by retreating.
Zuo Wushang had given them a death order: they must conquer Liang Xiao at all costs, even offering their virginity to him!
Liang Xiao did not respond, merely muttering to himself, "I have some standing now, so most people would not dare to criticize my Qingxue. My grandfather told me that at the time, the crowd was outraged, and onlookers said my Qingxue was jealous, which was likely instigated by someone."
Ye Qingyi's heart skipped a beat. She dared not respond and could only try to remain calm.
Liang Xiao said gravely, "Mistress Ye, Miss Yi Rou, before the situation becomes clear, I truly cannot casually accept outsiders, nor can I let you be wronged as maids. Otherwise, Qingxue's reputation for jealousy will be irrevocably tarnished. I only hope you can show me some respect and make it clear to others that my Qingxue is not jealous; it is simply that fate has not allowed us to be together. On the contrary, the reason I haven't brought Qingxue with me is that I fear she might soften and ask me to accept you."
He had always been cautious and did not rule out the possibility that Ye Qingyi and Yi Rou were arranged by Zuo Wushang or the aristocratic families, but he also couldn't bear to state his suspicions directly.
After all, what if they genuinely admired him?
There were not a few women who became entangled with literati, such as the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai, Yu Xuanji, and so on...
Moreover, the Great Qian Dynasty had always valued culture over military might, with scholars holding very high status. Emotions were generally more sentimental, and passionate love stories were not uncommon.
"The situation is unclear?" Ye Qingyi and Yi Rou were taken aback.
Liang Xiao said sternly, "Indeed. Let me be blunt: I have offended too many people, and I have even been assassinated. First, I do not wish to implicate the innocent. Second, I will not casually accept women I am not familiar with, even if they are national beauties. After all, I am not driven by mere lust."
Ye Qingyi hardened her heart and said, "This concubine is willing to serve you, and I would have no complaints even if I just stayed here forever..."
"Why bother? You are revered and admired at Baichun Tower. Why would you choose to suffer hardship here with me?" Liang Xiao said with a wry smile.
Ye Qingyi fell silent.
"I heard that Mistress Ye has excellent management skills in running Baichun Tower. There is no reason for you to compromise yourself here at my residence," Liang Xiao added.
Ye Qingyi became anxious, "After all, you are the Marquis of Anguo who has stunned the ages..."
Liang Xiao looked helpless. "Mistress Ye, affection is about fate; it cannot be forced."
Princess Ning Shuang, Luo Qingxue, Jian Qinwan, Yue Lian, and not to mention Kristie, who kept vigil for "Heavenly General" day and night, he had already captured the hearts of five girls. He hadn't even fulfilled his responsibilities yet, how could he dare to get entangled with Ye Qingyi and Yi Rou, whom he barely knew!
Ye Qingyi panicked and quickly explained, "Although Yi Rou and I come from humble backgrounds, we have never had physical contact with other men. We are still virgins, Marquis of Anguo..."
Liang Xiao slapped his forehead. "I am not looking down on your backgrounds! I, Liang Xiao, am proud and upright. I respect your characters and do not care about your origins."
Ye Qingyi looked at Liang Xiao, tears of unwillingness flowing down her cheeks. "Does this concubine not even catch the eye of the Marquis of Anguo?"
As the mistress of Baichun Tower and one of the top beauties among the remnants of the Great Heng Kingdom, she, who was usually deep in schemes and possessed countless stratagems, could easily control men.
Only this man left her helpless, forcing her to accept Zuo Wushang's arrangement and compromise herself!
After this conversation, she understood that Liang Xiao did not look down on her because the women around him were more beautiful than her and Yi Rou, but purely due to his wariness!
Ye Qingyi felt genuinely wronged. She dared not act rashly or expose her true intentions.
Jian Qinwan watched, feeling a pang of sympathy for these two women.
These were peerless beauties that many high-ranking officials desired but could not have, and he rejected them!
This darn good impression of him just increased by another tiny bit!
It was truly a pity for these two women.
Liang Xiao was silent for a moment and said, "Mistress Ye, Miss Yi Rou, perhaps I should tell you a story."
All three women looked at Liang Xiao in confusion.
"In the past, an immortal achieved enlightenment. However, before that, there was an unfinished karmic bond, and he could not abandon his cultivation to be with that woman. As the woman left in despair, she asked him: If time could return to before you began your cultivation, what choice would you make?
The immortal replied: I would be an eternally unfading pine tree, standing amidst the volcanic lava of the southern country, waiting for a snow that would hang from my branches. The woman finally let go and departed."
The three women gazed at Liang Xiao, who was telling the story, entranced.
A pine tree born in lava, waiting for snow that would hang from its branches?
How absurd!
Yi Rou looked bewildered, but Jian Qinwan and Ye Qingyi's beautiful eyes lit up.
Ye Qingyi smiled like a hundred flowers blooming, wiped away her tears, took Yi Rou's hand, and bowed to Liang Xiao: "This concubine thanks the Marquis of Anguo, but this concubine is not that woman, and the Marquis of Anguo is not an immortal..."
Liang Xiao remained silent.
Ye Qingyi, with Yi Rou, gracefully departed and returned to Baichun Tower.
Jian Qinwan snapped back to reality and trembled, "You... will you do this to me too?"
Liang Xiao replied without hesitation, "How could that be! I..."
Before Liang Xiao could finish, Jian Qinwan quickly covered her ears. "Alright, you are not allowed to say anything else. I don't want to hear it. If you say more, I will cut you..."
Liang Xiao let out a dry laugh and fell silent.
The atmosphere became awkward.
After a long while, Jian Qinwan seemed to remember something, her eyes distant, and she said softly, "This story you told, what exactly does it mean? And why was Ye Qingyi able to leave so readily?"