Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress
Chapter 482 - 479: The Name of the Bandit_1

Chapter 482: Chapter 479: The Name of the Bandit_1

His breathing became slightly heavy. He gently tucked the slightly damp strands of hair behind her ear, and with strong arms pulled her closer. His thin lips pressed down again.

She held her breath and suddenly heard footsteps from the small kitchen. Bai Qingyan placed her hands against Xiao Rongyan’s chest, pushing him away and called out first: "Chun Tao!"

Xiao Rongyan, panting heavily, reluctantly let her go.

His hearing was excellent. He had heard the sounds from the small kitchen before Bai Qingyan, but he was unwilling to let her go.

Bai Qingyan straightened her clothes just as Chun Tao, carrying a tray of hot tea, hurried in from the small kitchen: "Big Miss, do you need some water?"

Earlier, Chun Tao had woken up suddenly and noticed the water had gotten cold. Concerned that Bai Qingyan might wake up in the middle of the night to drink, she went to change it for hot tea.

Who knew, as soon as Chun Tao turned past the screen, she saw a man standing inside the room. She was so shocked that she almost dropped the black lacquered and gold-painted tray, but luckily, Xiao Rongyan quickly caught it.

"Careful!" Xiao Rongyan said softly to Chun Tao, placing the tray on the round table.

Chun Tao’s eyes widened, her palms sweaty and face pale... When she had left the room earlier, there had only been Big Miss inside. Where had this living man come from!

Although Chun Tao was shocked and frightened, since Big Miss did not ask her to call for help, she held her breath and looked towards Bai Qingyan.

Thankfully, there were no lamps lit in the room, so Chun Tao did not see her own Miss’s blushing face.

Bai Qingyan, putting on a formal air, instructed Chun Tao: "Go and have the Hidden Guards in the courtyard leave. Accompany me to escort Mr. Xiao out of the mansion!"

"Yes!" Chun Tao turned and immediately bumped her nose into the screen. Startled, before steadying herself, she quickly supported the screen, afraid of making any noise that might alert others. If someone saw an outsider man in their Big Miss’s room, how could their Big Miss live?

"No need to escort me personally. Chun Tao, just have the Hidden Guards leave, and I can get out of the Bai Mansion myself." Xiao Rongyan glanced at the medicine bottle still clenched in Bai Qingyan’s hand and said, "Remember to take your medicine on time."

The medicine was complicated to prepare, with some herbs being especially hard to come by. Xiao Rongyan knew he couldn’t persuade Bai Qingyan to avoid overworking herself. After all, the Bai family now depended on her.

He only hoped Bai Qingyan could take better care of her health. He also wished for unification soon, so Bai Qingyan could finally rest.

After Chun Tao had the Hidden Guards outside Boyun Courtyard leave, she came in and said: "Big Miss, they are all gone! I told them to watch the front courtyard..."

"Thank you!" Xiao Rongyan thanked Chun Tao before disappearing into the night.

"Big Miss!" Chun Tao, still in shock, approached, "What... what happened? I was just inside the room, when did Mr. Xiao come? He..."

Bai Qingyan pushed open the window, looking towards the direction Xiao Rongyan disappeared, clenching the medicine bottle in her hand, and whispered, "Mr. Xiao had an extremely important message to deliver. Has Uncle Ping returned?"

"He has returned!" Chun Tao nodded, "But Big Miss was asleep, so Nanny Tong did not let him wake you."

"Go call Uncle Ping over," Bai Qingyan said.

Chun Tao trusted Bai Qingyan deeply and truly believed that Xiao Rongyan had brought an extremely important message, prompting him to storm into their Big Miss’s room.

However, Chun Tao also knew the stakes. The matter of Mr. Xiao appearing in the Big Miss’s room was not to be mentioned, not even to Nanny Tong or Lu Ping. The fewer who knew, the better.

When Lu Ping returned, he couldn’t sleep thinking about something, but upon hearing Big Miss call, he immediately went with Chun Tao to the inner courtyard.

The gate of Boyun Courtyard was open, and Bai Qingyan was sitting at the stone table under the tree waiting.

Lu Ping quickly approached and greeted Bai Qingyan: "Big Miss, after Ji Tingyu revealed the mountain bandits burning, killing, looting, and kidnapping children, he personally investigated and found three groups. One group used the name of Shuoyang bandits to burn, kill, and loot under the guise of bandits. The children they kidnapped... were all sent toward Dadu! The other two groups were just using the bandit name for robbery. If Big Miss hadn’t sent someone to find Ji Tingyu, he would have managed to relay the message nonetheless."

As expected, it was just as Bai Qingyan had thought.

"Ji Tingyu asked me to convey to Big Miss that since we are to suppress bandits... we should suppress them properly!" Lu Ping handed the sheepskin map from his pocket to Bai Qingyan. "This is a map drawn by Ji Tingyu. Since Ji Tingyu and his team are near the mines, these three groups haven’t approached."

Three groups...

Bai Qingyan looked at the locations marked by Ji Tingyu on the map. He even made a special note of the kidnappers, seemingly gnashing his teeth in hatred for those who trafficked children.

"Ji Tingyu said that these child-snatching and child-selling bandits have gone too far. He asks Big Miss to consider suppressing them first! It would be a good service to the people!" Lu Ping pointed to the location marked with the child-snatching bandits on the map. "Ji Tingyu has already identified them. There are thirty-three of them! Not counting a few who come and go with the children!"

"Here... there are twelve!" Lu Ping pointed to another circled bandit location and then moved to the third, "There are twenty-six here, with more people coming occasionally!"

The numbers were not large, making it relatively simple to take care of them.

Bai Qingyan nodded: "Thank you, Uncle Ping. Uncle Ping, go and rest! Join me at the training ground tomorrow... to see how the training is going and whether it’s usable!"

"Yes!" Seeing the dark circles under Bai Qingyan’s eyes, Lu Ping advised gently, "Big Miss, you should also rest well! Fourth Miss was brimming with energy when she came back, yet she couldn’t take it. You, being weak, should take care even more."

"Uncle Ping, don’t worry. I know my limits, you should rest!" Bai Qingyan smiled at Lu Ping.

After Lu Ping left, Chun Tao softly urged: "Big Miss, you can rest now!"

"Hmm..." Bai Qingyan put away the sheepskin map handed by Ji Tingyu, got up, and went back to her room.

Chun Tao helped Bai Qingyan undress, watching her lie down and gently lowered the bed curtains before quietly exiting past the screen.

Lying in bed, Bai Qingyan closed her eyes, recalling Xiao Rongyan’s intense gaze and his husky voice calling her kid.

She turned her body, burying half her face into the thin covers, biting her lips gently, her palms and body breaking into a slight sweat.

She hadn’t expected that, despite Xiao Rongyan storming into her room late at night and kissing her, she wasn’t averse to it. In fact, she felt a hint of joy upon seeing him.

Days without seeing each other made Bai Qingyan miss Xiao Rongyan, but with so much on her plate... she didn’t have the energy for distractions.

Bai Qingyan was already very tired, but her thoughts kept churning, and she didn’t fall asleep until dawn.

Nanny Tong was up before sunrise. She listened by the door of the main room several times, not hearing any movement from Big Miss. She quickly instructed the servants and maids of Boyun Courtyard to keep quiet and avoid cleaning the courtyard until Big Miss woke up.