Chapter 272: Chapter 272

The vintage curtains were drawn back and tied to the sides, letting sunlight flood in and dispel the gloom in the room.

Even when the hosts were absent, the servants regularly cleaned, keeping everything tidy and bright. Rong Zhi touched the flower tea on the table; the temperature was still acceptable.

She poured two cups and then sat in the chair with plush cushions, her straight legs casually crossed. This was her preferred posture when discussing serious matters.

Bai Su was slightly taken aback, knowing there was no escaping today, so he could only sit opposite her, his legs together with an attitude of obediently listening.

Rong Zhi looked down at him for a long moment, suddenly recalling when he was a tutor at the Rong Family, and she was still a student, her position not yet reversed.

Now it was Bai Su’s turn to ’attend her lectures.’

"One question, one answer?"

After a while, the young man took a leisurely sip of the flower tea; the taste was mild.

Bai Su nodded obediently and sincerely, "One question, one answer."

"Alright," Rong Zhi leaned back in her chair, tapping her forefinger on the armrest, lazily propping up her chin, and asked softly, "The executive officer of A State?"

Bai Su instinctively replied, "Yes..."

How did the topic suddenly jump to the executive officer of A State??

He was stunned briefly, mumbling, "Weren’t you going to ask about Huajing?"

"Who told you I was going to ask about Huajing?"

Rong Zhi leaned back, the sunlight casting a light shadow on the young man’s delicate features.

She tried to remember what she had thought at the time.

Oh right, Qi Ruiqin was someone from the person in A State.

She had been thinking of using the pretext of saving Qi Ruiqin to negotiate a chance for a pass with that person.

It turned out the person she wanted to find was right in front of her.

Rong Zhi wanted to laugh but couldn’t.

What should she say, as expected of Bai Su?

"You intercepted my goods seventeen times, levied taxes four times..."

The young man mumbled softly.

Bai Su wasn’t quite clear-headed; though a bit dazed by the exposure of his identity, with the groundwork laid earlier, the panic was momentary, and he quickly steadied himself as Rong Zhi muttered.

Rong Zhi lazily lifted her eyelids, her fox-like captivating eyes with a tinge of humor, vaguely, "Nothing."

Just settling the score with you.

Bai Su’s eyes paused.

Kneeling on one knee before the young man, he took her hand, placing a very light kiss on her cool hand’s back, looking up with flickering, gentle eyes, "I was wrong, darling. It wasn’t intentional not to tell you, just afraid you’d think I was too overbearing..."

Deep down, Young Master Bai was marked with cool indifference. Not knowing what kind of person the young man liked, he had to curtail his temper entirely, trying to become an ordinary person.

After contact, realizing the young man had another identity, he was overjoyed; yet, besides joy, there was also fear and worry.

Afraid she would avoid him after knowing his true identity, worried she’d dislike him because of this relationship.

So Bai Su had been struggling to find the right moment to explain to her.

It turned out to be such an unexpected confession today.

If heaven truly wished to torment him , Young Master Bai pressed his lips in annoyance, clicking his tongue softly in his heart.

Alright, he accepted his fate.

Rong Zhi turned the teacup with her fingertips, raising an eyebrow slightly. Googlᴇ search N0veI.Fiɾe.net

Bai Su’s lowered lashes couldn’t help but quiver.

"Isn’t the floor cold?"

The next moment, he was pulled up by the collar until his gaze was level with the young man.

Rong Zhi casually let go, stuffing the other cup of tea into his hand, looking carefree and indifferent.

"The weather in O State is cold, no time to treat you."

Sounding emotionless, very calm.

Bai Su was stunned, lowering his eyes, barely suppressing a grin, "It’s fine, I can treat myself."

Rong Zhi’s gaze held a hint of disdain, "Oh."

She’s a doctor here, letting a patient treat themselves when sick? Reasonable?

At dinner, the kitchen specifically prepared dishes favored by Miss Nine, but when she sat down, she barely touched the food.

Ying Ji frowned, worried, "Is it not to your taste?"

Rong Zhi calmly replied, "Adjusting my diet, less oil and salt."

Across the table, Ying Yunlin immediately slapped his forehead, a look of regret, "I forgot to remind the kitchen, my fault, my fault."

"It’s okay," Ying Ji called for a servant, "Tell the kitchen to prepare a lighter meal."

Rong Zhi: "No need, I can eat, that’s enough,"

She made a move to grab some food, but Ying Ji wouldn’t let his daughter be wronged, immediately instructing the servant to have the kitchen hurry up.

Rong Zhi could only let it go.

Bai Su sat beside her, and when he saw a dish of fish on the table, he picked some up, meticulously removing the bones before placing it in Rong Zhi’s bowl.

And Rong Zhi, answering Ying Cenchuan’s questions, was accustomed to his gesture, not even looking down, simply picking up a spoonful and eating.

Their natural interaction startled the Ying Family members observing secretly.

Ying Cenchuan’s eyes slightly narrowed, about to speak, when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He got up to take the call, and upon returning, his demeanor seemed off. He briefly said ’there’s something at the company’ before leaving the dining room.

Ying Zhao Yuan poked at his food, muttering with furrowed brows as he saw this, "Is it those old scoundrels from the Macpherson family stirring trouble again, aren’t they tiresome?"

Rong Zhi heard this, her hand wiping paused, "What’s wrong?"

Being family, there was nothing to hide; Ying Zhao Yuan took a deep breath, speaking with a hint of mockery, "It’s Qianlai and Angduo, they think they’re all that because they’ve joined the Perfumer Association, boasting that no one from our family made it."

The Qianlai and Angduo he mentioned were the two most outstanding perfumers of this generation in the Macpherson family, the same age as Ying Zhao Yuan. Due to this relationship and both being from perfumer families, they were often compared.

In December last year, the O State Perfumer Association held its annual recruitment to absorb new talents.

Naturally, Ying Zhao Yuan attended, but on the day of the assessment, he was eliminated, the reason being failure to pass the test.

It was then that the Ying Family discovered Ying Zhao Yuan had developed a severe nasal issue, almost losing the ability to distinguish scents.

The rest of the Ying Family was not in O State, Ying Cenchuan had to run the company and couldn’t attend the assessment. As a result, this generation of the Ying Family astonishingly had no one accepted into the Perfumer Association.

Meanwhile, the two young masters and ladies of the rival Macpherson family all got in.

This was a blow to the Ying Family, but Ying Ji said nothing, only instructing Ying Zhao Yuan to treat his nasal condition first, discussing other matters later.

The Macpherson family had targeted the Ying Family for years, and now, given such a significant advantage, they naturally wouldn’t miss the chance to kick them while down.

Just as Ying Zhao Yuan finished speaking, Yorker hurried in, bringing urgent bad news with an anxious expression.

"The Macpherson family intercepted our spice order from last month and detained the eldest young master!"

Ying Cenchuan’s earlier hasty exit was to handle this situation.

But upon reaching the checkpoint, before even seeing the spice manager, he was pinned by the bodyguards Angduo brought. Clearly prepared, they had many people, and Ying Cenchuan was injured by gunfire when resisting.

Rong Zhi: "Where’s the Military Guard?"

Yorker hurriedly replied, "They’ve been dispatched!"

Rong Zhi tapped her finger on the table lightly, pulling back her chair to stand, "I’ll go take a look."

Bai Su immediately set his bowl aside and followed her.

Ying Yunlin shook his fists a couple of times, smiling coldly, "Wait for me, Little Nine, I’m coming too."