Chapter 6 : Third Brother's Engagement

After an hour's drive, Bai Ruoxi got off the car with her luggage at a picturesque spot halfway up the mountain. Qiao Family Villa. The most luxurious villa in Qingcheng, without a doubt, stood like two modern castles on the beautiful mountainside. The extravagance was breathtaking. The two villas were two hundred meters apart, namely the South Garden of the eldest son of the Qiao family, and the North Garden of the second son. The scene of the recent tragedy, where Second Aunt died, happened in the North Garden. Bai Ruoxi came back here purely to help Second Aunt find the real culprit and clear her mother's name. Bai Ruoxi walked up to the large iron gate and pressed the doorbell. A peaceful middle-aged man opened the door with a respectful smile, "Good morning, Miss Ruoxi." "Good morning, Uncle Lin!" Uncle Lin immediately took her luggage and followed behind obediently, "Is Miss Ruoxi planning to stay here?" "Yes." Bai Ruoxi smiled and answered, her gaze sweeping around with a touch of sentiment. The garden was still as beautiful as a fairyland, luxurious yet elegant. The roads were lined with fragrant jasmine flowers. Suddenly, a familiar military jeep caught Bai Ruoxi's eye. She stopped and asked, "Uncle Lin, whose car is that?" Uncle Lin happily replied, "It's Third Young Master's. He's back." "Back? What do you mean?" Bai Ruoxi's fingertips trembled nervously, her breathing suddenly became erratic. "Miss Ruoxi, don't you know? Third Young Master is getting married next month." "Married?" Bai Ruoxi turned her head abruptly to look at Uncle Lin, her heart shattered instantly, making it difficult for her to speak. Her eyes became moist, her throat felt tight, and her mind went blank. Uncle Lin didn't notice Bai Ruoxi's abnormality and continued with a smile, "I've watched the three young masters grow up. The eldest is already married with children, the second has had a fiancée for many years, and the third has always been devoted to serving the country. I was afraid he would forget about his own lifelong matters..." Bai Ruoxi interrupted Uncle Lin's words with a lost and confused tone, "Who is he marrying?" "Miss Yin Rui, the young lady of the Yin family. She's your good friend, isn't she? Didn't she inform you?" Bai Ruoxi shifted her gaze to the car, pursed her lips, and forced a stiff smile. She spoke softly, "No." Tears welled up uncontrollably, falling down her cheeks like beads. The sun was warm and shining on Bai Ruoxi, but her heart felt extremely cold. In the end, she had been foolishly infatuated for twenty years, remaining pure for him, rejecting countless good men for him, only to become an unmarried woman who couldn't find a husband in the eyes of others. "Miss Ruoxi..." Uncle Lin's voice sounded surprised, "Miss Ruoxi, why are you crying?" Bai Ruoxi quickly wiped away her tears and forced a smile, "I'm not crying. Some sand blew into my eyes just now." She felt guilty and rubbed her eyes as she walked into the Qiao family's house. Entering the magnificent living room, the luxurious decorations made it even more noble and elegant. She was familiar with this house, but it also felt unfamiliar. "Hello, Miss Ruoxi!" The servant who opened the door greeted politely. The voices of the servants disturbed the two men in the living room, and they both looked towards the entrance. Bai Ruoxi smiled politely in response to the servant, changed her shoes, and looked up to meet a pair of cold and sharp black eyes, sending shivers down her spine. Qiao Xuanshuo had his hands resting on the sofa, in a lazy and sinister posture. With his white shirt and gray military pants, he exuded an aura of authority mixed with evil, making Bai Ruoxi feel uneasy. "Ruoxi, are you planning to stay here?" Bai Ruoxi was pulled back to reality by a deep voice and quickly squeezed out a smile as she looked at the other man. She nodded politely, "Dad, I'll stay here for a while." The man who spoke was her stepfather, Qiao Yichuan. Normally, Qiao Yichuan was handsome and steady, but because of her mother's situation, he had become worn out and haggard in just a few days, with more wrinkles on his face. Qiao Yichuan happily said, "Your third brother is back. It's been so many years since you've seen each other, right?" Bai Ruoxi forced an awkward and bitter smile, nodded politely, and said, "Long time no see, Third Brother." Qiao Xuanshuo didn't respond to Bai Ruoxi's greeting. His cold gaze remained fixed on her face, with a smile that was not a smile, making it difficult to read his intentions. Uncle Lin carried the luggage upstairs, and Bai Ruoxi avoided Qiao Xuanshuo's gaze. She smiled and said to Qiao Yichuan, "Dad, I'll go to my room and tidy up." "Leave the tidying up to the servants. Come over here and chat with your dad." Bai Ruoxi hesitated for a moment, but still walked over. She sat down near Qiao Yichuan and as soon as she sat down, Qiao Xuanshuo stood up and said in a casual tone, "You don't need to save dinner for me. I have something to do and need to go out." Bai Ruoxi's body stiffened, and her emotions plummeted. She lowered her head, unable to gather the courage to even look at him as he left. "Xuanshuo, your sister just came back. Can't you spend some time together?" Qiao Yichuan called out. Qiao Xuanshuo didn't turn back, taking big strides away. "This kid has always been so proud and cold. He's really hard to deal with, sigh..." Qiao Yichuan sighed in self-pity. Bai Ruoxi fiddled with her fingertips, biting her lower lip, and immersed herself in her painful thoughts. Qiao Xuanshuo walked to the entrance of the villa, suddenly stopped, looked at the distant horizon, remained silent for three seconds, and then looked at his wristwatch. In his mind, he silently counted, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5..." and continued counting until he reached fifteen, when he heard a hurried voice from behind, "Third Brother, wait, I have something to tell you..." Qiao Xuanshuo put down his wrist and smiled, his gaze mysterious and profound as he looked into the distance. He put his hands in his pockets and waited for Bai Ruoxi to catch up. Breathless, Bai Ruoxi ran up to Qiao Xuanshuo, panting as she said, "Third Brother, now that you're back, can you save my mom? Do you see how much pain Dad is in right now? If Mom really killed someone, I won't let you abuse your power, but she's innocent. You...you...if you can't help with this, how can you live up to the military uniform you wear?" Qiao Xuanshuo's face remained cold and expressionless, his imposing aura keeping Bai Ruoxi on edge. He just stared at her with his cold eyes, and she fearlessly met his icy gaze. Bai Ruoxi's eyes were moist, misty with tears, her clear gaze begging for mercy. But this man's eyes showed no ripples. After a while, Qiao Xuanshuo finally spoke, his deep voice icy, "Are you willing to agree to any conditions?" "Yes, as long as you're willing to save my mother, I'll agree to any conditions, even if it means taking her place in prison." Bai Ruoxi said firmly. "You won't have to go to prison, but remember what you said today." Qiao Xuanshuo left behind these cold words, took a step forward, and walked towards the military vehicle. Bai Ruoxi was overjoyed, following behind him like a happy child, "Third Brother, did you agree to help me save my mother?" "Did you agree to my conditions?" "What are the conditions?" Bai Ruoxi followed him all the way to the car door, and Qiao Xuanshuo opened the passenger seat without any warmth in his command, "Get in." "Oh." Bai Ruoxi didn't need to ask anymore. It was obvious that he had agreed, but she didn't know what his conditions were. She hoped they wouldn't be too cruel or heartless. She sat in the passenger seat, and Qiao Xuanshuo closed the car door. Turning a corner, Qiao Xuanshuo sat in the driver's seat, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. In a deep voice, he commanded, "Buckle up." Bai Ruoxi, feeling overly nervous, appeared somewhat flustered as she quickly pulled the seatbelt and fastened it. "Where are we going?" she asked.