The two guards immediately stepped in front of Bai Lingling protectively. Bai Lingling blinked once in annoyance.
Since they were so tall, she had to take a deep breath at the tall fools in front of her and say gently.
"They are here to see me not not you"
They immediately stepped aside awkwardly giving her a smile.
From the corner, Lin Xiaoyu, her caretaker... peeked from behind the guards like a frightened rabbit with a frying pan.
Her eyes darted between Bai Lingling and the intruders, and she instantly pressed a hand to her chest dramatically.
"Young miss, please stand behind me," she whispered, though she was shaking so hard even a toddler could push her over.
Bai Lingling resisted the urge to facepalm.
"There won't be a need for the pan Lin Xiaoyu" Bai Lingling forced a calm smile as she stopped herself from asking where exactly Lin Xiaoyu had managed to get a pan so quickly.
Bai Lingling stared at the three unwelcome guests with her eyebrows raised. Who were these fools here to ruin her day?
Before she was able to open her mouth, two more of her guards rushed in upon seeing the three people at the door, they were displeased and turned towards
Bai Lingling, "Young miss, they forced their way in so quickly that we were unable
to stop them."
From his spot by the wall, the small black beast's ears twitched. Forced their way in? How… interestingly rude.
His golden eyes, half-lidded in feigned sleep, tracked the new arrivals. The energy in the room had shifted from mundane annoyance to the sharp, metallic taste of brewing conflict.
He settled more comfortably onto his paws. This was better than napping.
"Tsk since you couldn't stop them at the entrance, why are you here complaining now" Bai Lingling scolded immediately as the guards bowed their heads in shame.
The three Intruders suddenly felt like something was wrong with this shy, cowardly, timid, girl that they knew but they did not think much of it.
Bai Lingling then caught her tone, she remember she still had to keep up with the original owner of this body calm act for now. Because there is no way she can act like a coward but she had until she was ready to deal with this people.
The first was a middle-aged man, Yun Haisheng, smiling like someone had stapled his lips upward against his will.
Beside him, a handsome young man stood stiffly.
And glued to his arm was a pretty girl dressed like she came straight out of a fancy, high.end noble house.
Her dress alone looked more expensive than this place given to Bai Lingling to stay
The girl tried to keep a sweet smile, but her eyes…
Those eyes scanned Bai Lingling's scarred face over and over again like she was studying a rare ghost.
She was obviously judging and secretly disgusted, She also tried her possible best to hide it but failed miserably, so Bai Lingling wondered what was going on that preety little head if hers.
The beast's gaze lingered on the pretty, hostile girl. A faint, familiar scent of palace orchids and cold ambition clung to her. Ah. Not just any noble. She carried the subtle, superior aura of the direct royal line...a princess, or a favored kin. What was a trueblood of the kingdom doing in this backwater, clinging to a provincial fiancé?
His interest, began to grow. The plot, it seemed, was far thicker than a simple case of bullying.
Bai Lingling noticed all of it. In her mind, she said calmly,
Give me a few months, sweetheart. When this face returns to normal, I want you to look me in the eye again.
But outwardly, she just blinked innocently, acting like a fragile little cabbage on the verge of falling over.
Before she could even speak, Yun Haisheng waved his hand dramatically.
"What nonsense is this?" Uncle Yun barked, his voice immediately jumping three octaves like he was performing on stage.
"Qingqing, your guards truly disappoint me. Since when does a fiancé need permission to see his own future wife? Are you treating Yan Hai like an outsider now?"
Bai Lingling had to stop herself from laughing.
Brother Hái? Fiancé? Please… the original owner really believed THIS man loved her? With THAT face? Girl, be serious.
Uncle Yun shot the guards a disappointed look before turning to her with that same terrifyingly fake smile.
"Qingqing, why such silence?" Uncle Yun said softly, almost reverently. "I, your Uncle Yun, stand before you… and this is Brother Hái. Have your hardships made you forget the people closest to you?"
Brother Hái's expression twitched like someone stabbed him internally when he looked at her face.
Bai Lingling forced an "enlightened" expression. "So you are Uncle Yun…"
"Ah yes, Lingling," Yun Haisheng continued, smile widening like a crack in a porcelain doll.
"We heard you arrived yesterday night… in such a terrible condition too." His tone was dripping with practiced pity.
"Brother Hái and I wanted to come immediately, of course, but… we had important guests."
At that line, Bai Lingling's eyes slid toward the pretty girl standing beside the fiancé.
Oh.
So this was one of the "important guests."
The pretty girl smiled sweetly, but her eyes were already slicing Bai Lingling apart.
Yun Haisheng clicked his tongue in regret.
Lin Xiaoyu noticed the princess's gaze lingering too long on Bai Lingling's ruined cheek and immediately stepped half a step forward, blocking half of Lingling's face like a human curtain.
Her expression said: How dare you stare at my miss like she's a broken vase!
Bai Lingling gently tugged her back.
"Xiaoyu, I need to breathe," she murmured.
"But the moment we heard you were awake and… looking much better today…" His gaze swept over her clothes still crusted with dried blood. "We rushed over. You must have suffered a lot. Have you rested properly?"
His tone was warm.
His face was warm.
His eyes could freeze hell itself.
Bai Lingling smiled calmly.
Sir, please. If you're going to lie, try harder.
"Since you were busy, you didn't have to rush here," she said politely. But inside, she was screaming.
Busy? You left me bleeding in a run-down room like a stray dog. What kind of gaslighting family meeting is this?
"We are all family, there's no need for politeness," Yun Haisheng said.
"Come, Yan Hai hasn't seen you in years. He was so excited when he heard you were coming."
Excited?
Yan Hai looked about as excited as someone forced to eat mud.
His perfectly-shaped eyebrows tightened, and his eyes dragged slowly over Bai Lingling's thin, weak-looking body.
Then up to her scarred cheek.
Then back down again.
The disgust was almost artistic.
Bai Lingling stared right back, innocent and clueless on the surface, but in her head?
This man is gagging on my appearance yet still pretending to care? The original owner really thought he 'accepted her'? Girl…
Yan Hai finally inhaled deeply and stepped forward.
"Sister Qingqing," he said in a tone so flat it was almost impressive. "It's been a long while. How have you been?"
Beside him, the pretty girl's smile faltered. She looked Bai Lingling up and down like she couldn't decide whether to pity her or throw salt on her face.
Bai Lingling smiled lightly.
"Not bad," she replied.
Inside her head:
Terrible. Horrible. Awful. But you don't get to know that.
She scanned the three of them.
The original owner had some distant memories of Yun Haisheng and Yan Hai…
But that woman? She was a total stranger in her memory.
Still, Bai Lingling caught it instantly.
The hostility. The disregard. The silent "you're beneath me."
Oh!
This woman seemed to be looking down on her!
Good.
Perfect.
That would make it sweeter later.
Her simple reply killed the conversation completely.
The air in the room dropped a solid ten degrees as Yan Hai realized he had nothing else to say.
The atmosphere froze.