Cultivation Retirement Plan (BL)

36. Suspected Parties

Su Manor, 17 Years Ago

The delicate-looking lady in soft pinks and furs coughed before asking hoarsely, "So my son will get well?"

"Yes, Lady Su," Bai Tingyao gave her a warm smile before offering her a cup of tea in bed. "The Daoist was very clear on that. All we have to do is dispel the yin energy by giving him a girl's name. I could ask Shiyu for suggestions—"

"Shimeng," Su Yan'er said suddenly.

"Pardon?" Bai Tingyao hesitated, looking at the frail woman shivering in bed.

"Call him Shimeng," Su Yan'er whispered. She abruptly clutched Bai Tingyao's wrist with trembling fingers, nearly spilling the tea as she looked at the young woman with pleading eyes. "You'll convince Shiyu, won't you? He always listens to you."

"Of course," Bai Tingyao soothed back. "Shimeng is a fine name. I'm sure Shiyu won't object."

"That man hates me, I know it," Su Yan'er shook her head. "I took his mother's place too soon. But at least—at the very least! He won't take my child from me. My precious...Su Shimeng..."

"Shhh now," Bai Tingyao coaxed, brushing back stray strands of hair from the lady's sweat-slicked forehead. "You'll need to rest well these next few days. Leave Shiyu and Mengmeng to me."

"Mengmeng?" Su Yan'er murmured faintly.

"Yes, don't you think it's a cute nickname?"

"Ah, yes. Yes, cute and adorable...just like my child..." Su Yan'er felt a wave of grogginess overcome her as she sank back down into the pillows and fell asleep.

Bai Tingyao brushed her fingers over the other's cold, clammy skin and exhaled softly. Moments later, she sensed a chill and glanced sharply at the corner of the room. The air there seemed to shift and ripple, filled with an unseen presence that lingered in the room.

"You..." Bai Tingyao frowned at it. "Even if you want to show your affection, don't go too far! She's only a human."

The ghostly spirit seemed to panic at that, but it quickly dispersed, restoring some warmth to the summer quarters. With a shake of her head, Bai Tingyao left to check on the newly-named Su Shimeng. After all, he was going to be her little brother-in-law one day...

—

In the present day, Bai Tingyao had just finished wiping down Su Yan'er's sleeping face when a knock sounded on the door.

"Mistress, it's Sir Su," a servant's voice announced.

"Let him in," Bai Tingyao said calmly. By her feet, Ah-Xiao was quietly playing with a large jade pendant.

Moments later, Su Shiyu strode past the dividing screen to observe his wife putting the face towel back in a basin of warm water. His face still carried traces of fatigue, but he'd hidden most of it behind a stern mask as he approached the bed.

"Yaoyao, you can get the servants to do these things," he sighed.

"I'm her physician as well as daughter-in-law, so I know how to look after her best," Bai Tingyao smiled at her husband. "Besides, you don't want this sort of thing to spread any further than it has, right?"

Su Shiyu sighed. "The servants we have now are trustworthy. And don't you have Ting'er to help you?"

"Ting'er said she had errands in town," Bai Tingyao said as she tucked Su Yan'er in. "Isn't Old Madam Su just family? It's fine."

As Su Pinglu's second wife, Su Yan'er had married him early in life and was only a couple of years older than Su Shiyu himself. Awkward as it was having a "mother" who could pass as an older sister, Su Shiyu had done his filial duty by the woman as best as he could with Bai Tingyao's support. Still, his relationship with the woman had always been cold for reasons unknown, earning him Bai Tingyao's chiding and Su Shimeng's dissatisfaction.