Hearing this, Bai Ci immediately lowered her eyes, putting on an uneasy and hesitant expression. She stammered for a long while before finally whispering in a small voice.
“N-no, my body is not unwell... Mother, please do not worry about me.”
Seeing this, Madame Xu became even more gentle and patient, soothing her with a warm voice.
“It is fine. There are no outsiders here. If you have anything on your mind or any difficulties, feel free to speak up. There is no need to be reserved or hide things from me.”
Under her gentle coaxing, Bai Ci seemed to finally summon her courage. She raised her reddened eyes and whispered the truth.
“It is just... I, your daughter-in-law, grew up in the countryside. Every day there was endless work to do, without a single moment of leisure.”
“Now that I have entered the estate, the food and clothing are so much better than before, and Mother even found a doctor to nourish my body, with servants to wait on me...”
“I... Your daughter-in-law has nothing to be dissatisfied with. This is already a heavenly blessing.”
“It is just... my heart feels empty. I am not used to such a life.”
Bai Ci had intentionally made her speech disjointed, but because she had to match her current persona's logical capacity, the words came out sounding somewhat awkward.
Hearing this, a flash of understanding crossed Madame Xu's mind. She immediately wore a self-reproachful look, sighing softly and apologizing gently.
“It is Mother's lack of consideration. I failed to understand your state of mind, which has wronged you.”
“Lately, the city has not been peaceful. A group of refugees has poured into the south, wandering the streets and causing chaos in the marketplace.”
“I was worried about your safety if you went out alone, so I thought it best for you to stay in the estate to rest and live quietly for the time being.”
“Yet I was negligent. I forgot that you have always been diligent and cannot bear this kind of idle confinement.”
With that, Madame Xu's brow smoothed, and she spoke warmly, lifting her house arrest.
“Fortunately, the government has recently recruited most of the refugees, dispatching them all outside the city to repair an ancient temple. Order in the city has been restored.”
“If you feel bored, you do not have to be confined to the estate anymore.”
“Let Jinghong accompany you at all times, and I will assign two reliable guards to escort you. You may freely go out to the streets, wander the markets and alleys, and amuse yourself. There is no need to be trapped in your courtyard day after day.”
Madame Xu agreed readily, but at a moment she thought Bai Ci would not notice, she shot a meaningful look at Jinghong.
The latter received the signal and nodded in response.
That subtle glance was extremely swift, passing in an instant like a gust of wind over a candle flame.
Although Bai Ci could not see behind her, she had noticed Madame Xu's look.
And who was currently behind her? Who was capable of monitoring her actions at any moment?
It was hard not to guess whom that warning look was directed at.
Clear in her heart, her face nevertheless maintained that docile, timid, and overjoyed expression.
Madame Xu was by no means genuinely sympathizing with her confinement; she had merely made a decision after weighing the pros and cons.
She reckoned that since Bai Ci was alone and had nowhere else to go, letting her go out under the watch of guards would not lead to any mishaps.
But to Bai Ci, this hard-won freedom was the best opportunity to break the current deadlock.
Now that she had permission to go out, she finally had a chance to actively search for clues and confirm if there were other players.
Bai Ci was somewhat concerned about the group of refugees Madame Xu had just mentioned.
If this was a multiplayer instance, these refugees—having no background ties and possessing freedom of movement—would be highly suitable identities for other players.
On the way back to the rear courtyard from the main hall, Jinghong noticed the irrepressible lightheartedness in Bai Ci's eyes. Her mind working quickly, she immediately approached and made a suggestion.
“Young Madam, now that you have Madame's permission to go out and clear your mind, that is truly wonderful.”
“Just now in the front courtyard, I heard the other maids chatting about a highly skilled storyteller who recently arrived at Qingfeng Tea House in the south of the city.”
“That storyteller is young, but his eloquence is top-notch. The stories he tells are full of twists and turns, novel and brilliant, completely different from the old-fashioned books in the city.”
“For days now, the main hall of Qingfeng Tea House has been packed to the brim. Everyone in the city loves to go and listen.”
She described it vividly, genuinely finding it interesting. While she could go and see it for herself, perhaps it could also ease the gloom Bai Ci had felt over the past few days.
“Since you have nothing to do today and the weather is fine, why don't I accompany you to Qingfeng Tea House? We can have a cup of tea and listen to a story to relieve your boredom.”
Jinghong's proposal came at the perfect time, so Bai Ci naturally would not refuse.
She was just worrying about where to gather clues.
The occurrence of various events in an instance always had some sort of harbinger. A place like a tea house was a mixed bag of people, filled with all kinds of news, making it a truly excellent destination.
Thus, she immediately raised her eyes, revealing a hint of suppressed anticipation as she softly replied, “Then... then I will listen to you. Let us go take a look.”
Seeing her agree, Jinghong smiled warmly, quickly turning back to arrange the trip.
Before long, four upright and well-built Xu family guards dressed in gray martial attire were waiting outside the courtyard. They stood straight and exuded a steady aura, looking highly reliable.
A simple blue-clothed carriage had also been prepared and parked steadily at the alley entrance. Everything was in order, waiting only for Bai Ci to depart.
With Jinghong's recommendation and assistance, Bai Ci changed into a plain and elegant light apricot-colored everyday dress.
The light apricot color was low-key and inconspicuous; without looking closely at the woven patterns on the fabric, she would look quite ordinary in a crowd.
Once she was ready, she followed Jinghong out and boarded the carriage.
The Xu family estate was located in a prosperous area of the city. After leaving the orderly limestone street in front of the gate, they soon merged into the endless stream of people in the marketplace.
The cries of vendors and the chatter of passersby intertwined, bringing a bustling atmosphere of daily life.
As the carriage passed through the busiest main street, the crowd ahead gradually thinned. Houses on both sides became scattered, giving rise to many quiet, narrow alleys.
According to Jinghong, Qingfeng Tea House was originally built in the south of the city as a place for literati and scholars to write poetry and taste tea, aiming for a quiet and elegant environment.
However, there were plenty of others with the same idea as that owner. They were all businesspeople, and none of them lacked sharp minds.
In that area of the south city, there were more than a handful of well-known tea houses catering specifically to scholars.
If not for the captivating stories told by that recent storyteller, Qingfeng Tea House wouldn't have even made a name for itself in the southern district.
Halfway through their journey, before they could turn onto the street where the tea house was located, a sudden shout and a woman's suppressed sobbing echoed from a deep alley to the side.
The sounds were mixed with the playful jeers of local ruffians, crude and piercing to the ear.
“Don't hide! What are you running for?”
“Seeing you all alone with no one to rely on, you look so pitiful. Why don't you keep us brothers company? You might even get a hot meal out of it.”
“What are you acting so high and mighty for? You're just a refugee wandering the streets, yet you're still putting on airs!”
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