Chapter 84: Matters of the Heart

Lu Jiu said, “Our sister’s bone structure is that of the ‘Nine-Five Destiny,’ which used to be the fate of emperors. But since there are no emperors anymore, I find it strange.”

Hearing Lu Jiu’s words, I felt a surge of happiness. If that was true, then Pi Lin’er’s fate was indeed remarkable—perhaps she might become a great official someday.

Lu Jiu, however, added, “An official is an official, a king is a king. They’re not the same. When commoners meet a king, they kneel; when they meet an official, do people kneel anymore?”

I was taken aback and replied, “In this day and age, where would you find a king?”

Lu Jiu continued, “That’s why I think it’s odd. Maybe only that woman in the green dress knows our sister’s true identity.”

At that moment, I realized why Lu Jiu kept calling her ‘sister’—he must have seen Pi Lin’er’s bone structure and was trying to forge a closer bond.

Thinking that Lu Jiu could read bone structure, I asked him to look at mine as well, wondering if I too might have the destiny of an emperor.

But Lu Jiu replied coldly, “I’ve already looked at yours: there are no unusual traits in your head, it’s hard for you to attain noble status. Honestly, I’m surprised that someone with the fate of a pauper managed to marry into the richest family. To be blunt, you might end up bringing decline to the Bai family… Brother, if you’re done eating, stop passing the dishes.”

After hearing Lu Jiu’s words, I scowled and cleared the dishes from the table, putting them away in the cupboard. Only Lu Jiu remained, holding a pair of chopsticks, staring at me speechlessly.

“You’ve eaten enough, haven’t you? As you can see, I have a girl here—it’s inconvenient. You should head back now. If I need anything, I’ll find you.” I deliberately sent Lu Jiu away—not out of pettiness, but because from where I was sitting, I could see Pi Lin’er in her room, sitting at her desk lost in thought, as if something was weighing on her mind.

Lu Jiu smiled awkwardly and said, “Brother Pi, I’m new here and don’t know anyone. We could rent together, you know? If you want, I could sleep in the living room…” Before he could finish, I dragged him out, tossed his suitcase at the door, and shut it.

Outside, Lu Jiu cursed me for lacking loyalty. I watched through the crack in the door as he dragged his suitcase away.

I wasn’t being disloyal—Pi Lin’er’s identity was special, and I’d only known Lu Jiu for a few days; I didn’t fully understand his background. That mysterious woman in green had said that anyone who learned Pi Lin’er’s identity would not live to see the next sunrise. That alone proved that exposing Pi Lin’er’s identity was dangerous. Whether to protect Lu Jiu or Pi Lin’er, I couldn’t let him stay with us.

Once Lu Jiu was gone, I tidied up the table and went to Pi Lin’er’s room. She was holding a pen to her ear, still lost in thought, oblivious to my arrival.

“What’s wrong, Lin’er? Is something bothering you?” Seeing her like this, I was worried and gently asked.

Pi Lin’er startled, then realized it was me. After a moment’s silence, she said, “Brother Xi, let’s go back to the village. I don’t want to study here anymore.”

Her words struck me sharply, and I stared into her eyes. This girl wasn’t good at hiding her feelings. Though she said this, I could tell from her expression it wasn’t what she truly wanted.

Sure enough, something was troubling Pi Lin’er.

“Lin’er, am I the person closest to you?” I sat beside her, speaking softly.

Pi Lin’er looked at me and nodded.

I patted her head and said, “Then don’t keep things from me. Did something happen at school?”

Pi Lin’er bit her lip hard, and after a long pause, she finally said, “The school is asking me to pay the tuition I owe. They say I didn’t enter through the proper channels. The school fee and three years of miscellaneous expenses add up to five hundred thousand…”

I'd heard before how exorbitant the tuition at River Crossing City Experimental Middle School was, but I never expected it to be this high. After hearing Pi Lin’er’s words, my brow furrowed deeply. When Bai Ranhe forced me to break off the engagement, the only condition I gave was for Pi Lin’er to be allowed to study peacefully in River Crossing City. He agreed—so why was tuition being raised again?

I left the room, took out my phone, and dialed Bai Ranhe’s number. The call rang for a long time before a sharp, caustic female voice answered: “You penniless boy, why are you calling my husband? Are you ready for the bride price yet, or are you planning to borrow it from him?”

The moment I heard the voice, I knew it was Bai Xiaoli’s mother—my future mother-in-law, Li Xiaojuan.

“I need to speak to Uncle Bai. Is he around?” I had no patience for the bride price right now; I just wanted to ask Bai Ranhe about Pi Lin’er’s tuition.

“Your Uncle Bai is busy. If there’s anything, you can ask me directly.” Li Xiaojuan refused outright, but I could clearly hear Bai Ranhe murmuring in the background—he was definitely nearby.

I couldn’t understand why Bai Ranhe wouldn’t take my call, so I asked directly, “Auntie, you should know about my sister’s school fees. Why is the school suddenly asking us to pay the balance?”