The frivolous teasing, mixed with the sound of shoving and a woman's suppressed sobbing, was enough to arouse anyone's pity.
Jinghong immediately knit her brows. Instinctively shielding the carriage window, she advised in a low voice,
“Young Madam, it is just some local ruffians causing trouble in the alley. We do not need to pay them any mind. Let us take a detour to avoid any trouble.”
The accompanying guards also nodded slightly, clearly intending to let the matter slide.
Local ruffians harassing refugees was the most common of occurrences in the streets. It was not worth delaying their journey, let alone involving their masters in any sort of trouble.
But Bai Ci gently lifted the carriage window curtain, looking toward the dark alleyway with pity in her eyes as she spoke softly.
“They are all pitiful people. There are so many ruffians, and she is just a lone girl. I fear she will be bullied.”
Bai Ci could not simply stand by and watch when something was happening right before her eyes, especially when helping required so little effort.
The main reason, however, was that the female voice coming from the alley sounded somewhat familiar. She suspected it might be a female player she had met before.
As fellow players, if she could help, it was naturally best to lend a hand.
Yet, although the voice sounded familiar, Bai Ci could not immediately match it to a face.
Thinking through the female players she had encountered, most of them possessed decent combat abilities and would hardly be troubled by a few local thugs.
Bai Ci looked at Jinghong, her expression firm and resolute.
Left with no choice, Jinghong changed her tune. Turning to two of the guards, she instructed, “Go over and take a look. Drive those ruffians away. Do not hurt anyone, but do not let that girl suffer any harm either.”
Hearing this, and since their master had given the order, the two guards immediately bowed, accepted the command, and strode quickly into the depths of the alley.
In just a few moments, the arrogant jeering in the alley ceased, replaced by the panicked pleas and frantic scurrying of the ruffians.
The Xu family guards were properly trained martial artists, more than capable of handling a few street thugs. In just a couple of breaths, they had sent the entire pack of ruffians fleeing in all directions.
Having dispersed the thugs, the guards returned to the carriage, followed by a little tail.
It was a slender, exceptionally frail-looking woman, dressed in faded, coarse hemp clothes covered in dust and creases. Her messy hair hung loosely over her shoulders.
Wet tear tracks still stained her face, her eyes were cast down, and her shoulders trembled slightly, making her look utterly terrified, timid, and helpless.
With just one glance, Bai Ci clearly saw who this woman actually was.
Well, well, well.
No wonder. She had felt the voice was familiar, yet she couldn't match it to any female player she knew.
As it turned out, the rescued "woman" was not a female player at all.
It was Lin Wenyu.
He was the male player whose class skill apparently restricted him to wearing women's clothing, and who had survived the Chaosheng Apartments instance with her.
She and Lin Wenyu had gone through an entire instance together, dodging insect swarms and witnessing each other's bizarre outfit abilities.
If nothing else, wearing women's clothing did not change the fact that Lin Wenyu was a man. Furthermore, his combat skills were decent; there was no way a few street thugs could corner and bully him.
Realizing this, Bai Ci saw right through this act of "saving a damsel in distress"—it smelled suspiciously like a badger game setup.
Sure enough, after following the guards back, Lin Wenyu walked straight to the carriage and knelt directly before Bai Ci.
“Thank you for your rescue, noble lady. This humble woman is endlessly grateful.”
He put on an act of weeping before even speaking, though his acting skills were nothing to write home about.
Fortunately, he had some self-awareness, so he kept his face half-hidden as he cried, using this to compensate for his lack of theatrical talent.
“This humble woman is stranded here all alone with no family or friends. If not for your rescue today, I surely would not have escaped those scoundrels. I have no way to repay your immense kindness.”
With that, he kowtowed deeply.
To achieve his goal, Lin Wenyu adapted remarkably well to these feudal customs, even wondering if kowtowing a few more times would increase his success rate.
“I beg you, noble lady, show some mercy and take me in as a maid.”
“I can do both heavy and delicate chores—serving tea, sweeping, and tidying up. I am at your disposal. I am willing to work like an ox or horse to repay you for saving my life.”
With these words, how could Bai Ci have any remaining doubts?
Players were modern people, and modern people with supernatural abilities at that. It wouldn't be hard for them to find a way to survive in ancient times, so why stage such a performance just to become someone's servant?
Thus, it was not difficult to deduce.
The harassment just now had likely been staged by Lin Wenyu from start to finish.
His purpose was to set up a scenario for her.
He wanted to use the saving of his life to stay by her side and enter the Xu estate.
In other words, the main quest of this instance was still inextricably linked to the Xu estate.
Bai Ci pondered. What was anomalous about the Xu estate?
If she had to name anything suspicious, it was only her, the bride brought in to ward off bad luck, and her dying husband.
Personally, Bai Ci trusted Lin Wenyu's character and strength.
Strategically, she was currently searching for clues all by herself in a passive position. She lacked a trustworthy companion to coordinate with. Lin Wenyu reaching out to her was a welcome turn of events.
With this in mind, Bai Ci planned to go along with it, accept his plea directly, and keep him by her side.
But before Bai Ci could speak, Jinghong, sensing her intentions, softly intervened to stop her.
“Young Madam, you are kind-hearted and pity others; I understand your feelings.”
“However, the rules of the estate have always been strict. To hire servants, they must have a clean background, a traceable place of origin, and a reliable guarantor. We have never dared to casually take in anyone of unknown origin.”
“Currently, the city is flooded with all kinds of refugees, making it hard to tell the good from the bad, and the local government is thoroughly checking household registers.”
“If we rashly take her in and something goes wrong, it will only bring trouble upon you.”
“I do not mean to be heartless, but the estate's precedents are clear, and this is also to protect your peaceful life. I hope you will reconsider, Young Madam.”
Jinghong timed her words perfectly, speaking up almost immediately after Lin Wenyu finished his plea.
This cut off Bai Ci before she could speak, ruining her plan to play dumb and accept him.
Jinghong's argument was airtight.
Citing rules, potential risks, and her own well-being, she left Bai Ci with no room for rebuttal.
If she insisted on making an exception to hire him now, it would conflict with her established persona. It would only put both herself and the newly hired Lin Wenyu under the scrutiny of everyone in the Xu estate.
Bai Ci nodded obediently, putting on a troubled and guilty expression as she turned to refuse Lin Wenyu in front of the carriage.
Even if she couldn't take him in, she was supposedly simple-minded and didn't understand the reserve expected of her status, so there was no harm in speaking to him directly.
“Miss, please... please stand up.”
“I really want to help you, but... the rules of the estate are very strict. I have only recently arrived, and I really dare not break the rules to take in someone on my own.”
Rate on N.U.
