"Then I must be so bold as to thank you, Young Master Lin Yan."
Bai Ruo stood and bowed solemnly to Lin Yan, thanking him as if he had bestowed some priceless treasure upon her.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Bai Ruo announced her departure. Her most important visit of the day—to Lin Xiao—was still pending, and she couldn’t afford to waste too much time.
Lin Yan rose and walked her to the courtyard gate. He only turned to go back inside after her graceful figure had vanished from sight.
In Lin Yan’s mind, his warmth had nothing to do with Bai Ruo being a stunning beauty. He would have been just as cordial to a hulking brute, so long as they came bearing gifts.
They were giving him real, hard currency, while all he had to offer in return was a gesture of courtesy. The truth was, Lin Yan simply lacked the arrogant mindset typical of those in the Blood Exchange Realm.
"Tell me about the Bai Family and Miss Bai."
Lin Yan casually asked the servant who was clearing away the tea set.
"Young Master Lin Yan, the Bai Family is one of the Lin Family’s Affiliated Clans, and they manage our fisheries. Now that you’ve reached the Blood Exchange Realm, it’s customary for these affiliated clans to come bearing gifts. You just need to accept them. You don’t have to worry about anything else."
"What exactly are affiliated clans?"
"Miss Bai’s paternal aunt married one of the masters in our clan. However, even though he’s from the Shou Generation, he’s only at the Blood Exchange Realm and doesn’t hold much influence in the clan."
Hearing the servant’s explanation, Lin Yan understood.
’So, affiliated clans are just families connected to the Lin Family through marriage.’
’Judging by the time of day and how long she stayed, she’s definitely not just here to see me. She probably has to make the rounds to the others as well.’
"Alright, I understand."
Once the servant had left, Lin Yan opened the gift box. He grinned when he saw the silver banknotes inside.
Two thousand taels!
’Two thousand taels for me, and then gifts for Lin Yu and the others... The Bai Family must be spending several thousand taels in one go. They’re quite generous.’
’What a pity that Lin Yan is from the Third Branch.’
Leaving the area of the Third Branch, Bai Ruo sighed inwardly. She had a very good impression of Lin Yan.
’When I entered the courtyard,’ she recalled, ’the servant was about to close the gate, but Lin Yan stopped him with a glance. He left it open for the sake of my reputation.’
’An unmarried man and woman alone behind a closed gate... it would inevitably start rumors. Although I don’t care about such talk, his consideration still touched me.’
The Bai Family might seem well-off, with three or four Fourth-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artists of its own. But without the Lin Family’s backing, they would be knocked back to square one in an instant. Because of this, she had grown used to flattering the members of the Lin Clan and enduring their arrogant attitudes.
’If Lin Yan weren’t part of the Third Branch, I might have actually changed my mind—given up on Lin Xiao and chosen him instead.’
"Miss, Young Master Lin Xiao’s courtyard is just ahead."
Her maidservant pointed, and Bai Ruo looked in the direction she indicated.
The courtyard was nearly twice the size of Lin Yan’s, with two servants standing guard at the entrance.
"Xiaolian, wait here for me."
Bai Ruo’s brow furrowed for a moment before she smoothed her expression, putting on that practiced, perfect smile as she walked ahead.
"I am Bai Ruo of the Bai Family, here to visit Young Master Lin Xiao. Would you please announce my arrival?"
"Miss Bai, please wait a moment."
One of the guards at the gate went inside to announce her. A moment later, footsteps sounded from within the courtyard.
A young man appeared at the gate. He wasn’t exceptionally handsome, but he had youth on his side, looking to be about twenty-two or twenty-three.
"Miss Bai?"
Lin Xiao’s eyes lingered on Bai Ruo, his gaze traveling from her face down to her waist before slowly returning. He stared for a length of time that was clearly beyond the bounds of polite etiquette.
Bai Ruo offered a gentle smile, pretending not to notice. "Please forgive my sudden visit, Young Master Lin Xiao."
"Haha, not at all! Please, Miss Bai, come in."
Lin Xiao laughed and stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. His eyes, however, remained fixed on her waist, as if he were admiring a delicate piece of porcelain.
Bai Ruo glided gracefully into the courtyard. The scenery within made her do a double take. There were rockeries with flowing water, a small bridge leading to a pavilion, and even several stalks of valuable black bamboo.
The layout was a world of difference from Lin Yan’s courtyard.
Seeing Bai Ruo’s eyes surveying the courtyard, a self-satisfied expression appeared on Lin Xiao’s face. "I decorated it myself after moving in. Since I’ll be living here long-term, I figured I should make it comfortable."
"Miss Bai, please have a seat."
Lin Xiao led Bai Ruo to a seat in the pavilion. Instead of calling for a servant, he began to prepare the tea set himself.
"I’ve always enjoyed brewing tea. Please, Miss Bai, have a taste."
Once the tea was ready, Lin Xiao personally handed her the cup. Bai Ruo hesitated for a second before accepting it, her fingers discreetly avoiding his.
After taking a sip, Bai Ruo didn’t wait for Lin Xiao to speak again. She retrieved a brocade box from her sleeve, placed it on the stone table, and smiled sweetly. "I heard that Young Master Lin Xiao has broken through to the Blood Exchange Realm. This is a small token from my Bai Family to show our admiration."
Lin Xiao glanced at the brocade box but made no move to take it. Instead, he looked up and met Bai Ruo’s gaze directly. "The Bai Family certainly pays close attention to us branch clan members. It wasn’t just me, was it? You also gave gifts to Lin Yu and Lin Yan, correct?"
"You jest, Young Master Lin."
Bai Ruo’s eyes twinkled, her smile never wavering. "Several young masters have broken through to the Blood Exchange Realm. Of course my Bai Family must show our goodwill. We hope to foster a friendly connection with all of you."
Bai Ruo didn’t hide the fact that she had also given gifts to Lin Yu and Lin Yan. It was impossible to keep such a thing secret. Lin Xiao would surely find out if he simply asked around.

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