On Saturday afternoon, there were no csses. Fang Siyi had just finished lunch when Bai Tingtong rushed into the room, shouting, "Teacher Fang! Let's go, Lao You have already driven here to pick you up."

  "Oh!" Fang Siying furrowed her brows slightly, then smiled faintly. "Your father remembers quite well." "Have you packed your suitcase? I'll go call Lao You to help move it!" Bai Tingtong shouted, then dashed out of the room again.

  Fang Siying stood in the room, feeling a momentary sense of confusion and absurdity.

  What was going on? Was she really going to move into the Bai family? It seemed impossible, absurd, and thoughtless. She still remembered the surprised looks on Principal Liu's and Li Yusheng's faces when they heard the news, and she could tell they were not very supportive. However, no one said anything to her.

  She knew that in the minds of Principal Liu and the others, she had always been a strange and incomprehensible person, someone they couldn't quite figure out or understand. In fact, she herself found it a bit absurd! Moving into the Bai family′s house, every fiber of her being was telling her that this decision was wrong. It was too complicated a family; getting involved would surely not end well! Yet, she could not resist the powerful, irresistible pull to move in.

  The Bai house had a kind of magic, with its Hanyan Vil, the ruins, the blind man, the child, the lost stories... everything had a sort of enchantment, and she couldn't fight it! Perhaps one day, she would write a novel, like Jane Eyre, with ruins, blind men, and a private tutor... She suddenly shivered; what a strange coincidence! Now, all that was missing was a madwoman. Was there really a madwoman hiding in the rge courtyard of the Bai house?

  Bai Tingting ran back, her constant running leaving her breathless. A lock of hair, dampened by sweat, clung quietly to her forehead. Her face was flushed from running, but her eyes shone with excitement. Behind her stood a tall, slender man of about forty, dressed in a neat white shirt and gray suit trousers. His body was thin yet upright.

  Fang Siying met the man′s gaze and couldn′t help but shrink back slightly; his eyes were sharp.

  "Are you Miss Fang? I'm Lao You. Mr. Bai sent me to pick you up."

  "Oh, thank you," Fang Siying said, pushing up the gsses on her nose, hoping to appear more authoritative. "The suitcase is over there; I'll trouble you with it."

  Lao You picked up the suitcase and walked out first. Fang Siying went to the principal's office to hand over the dormitory key. Then, she got into the car, holding Bai Tingting’s small, thin shoulders as she gazed out the car window. The tea pntations on both sides of the road fshed past, retreating quickly. The Bai family′s tea pntations! Her mind grew hazy again—what exactly was she doing?

  The journey sted only three minutes. Yazhu ran over to open the gate, and the car glided into the Bai family’s garden, stopping in front of the main house's gss doors.

  Bai Tingting was the first to hop out of the car, shouting, “Teacher Fang, I′ll take you to your room. Don't worry about the suitcase; Lao You will bring it up.”

  Pulling Fang Siying by the hand, they entered the living room. Bai Tingting's steps were a mix of running and skipping. The living room was empty, and Bai Tingting tugged Fang Siying upstairs.

  Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and looked up. The joy on her face vanished immediately, and her small lips turned pale. Fang Siying also stopped in surprise. Following Bai Tingting's gaze, she too looked up, and then her eyes met those of a woman.

  The woman was remarkably beautiful, completely unlike the “stepmother” Fang Siying had imagined. She had an oval-shaped face, a sharp, delicate chin, rge, bright eyes, graceful eyebrows, and a small, refined mouth. There was hardly anything to criticize about this face. If one were to find a fw, it would be that her expression was too cold, too stern, and too indifferent. Her figure was equally fwless—slender yet curvy in all the right pces, with an ideal height.

  She wore a pink dress trimmed with blue, featuring wide cuffs and a cinched waist. It was quite beautiful, very fashionable, and suited her perfectly. Her hair was voluminous and styled into many small curls, adding a touch of zy elegance that softened the coldness of her face. On her ears hung two rge pink hoop earrings that swayed and shimmered, making her look pyful and charming.

  She clearly knew how to adorn herself, and she was still very young—at most in her early thirties. Her attire made her look even younger. Fang Siying couldn’t help but feel pity for her. If Bai Peiwen's eyes weren’t blind, how could he possibly neglect such a young and beautiful wife?

  As she observed the woman, the woman was quietly observing her in return. Fang Siyi guessed that the impression she gave the other person was certainly not as strong as the one the other person gave her. With her nearsightedness, old-fashioned hairstyle, and wearing a bck cheongsam, she must look like a typical teacher! She could discern a faint, contemptuous smile on the woman's face. Then, the woman said quietly:

  "Welcome, Miss Fang."

  "You're Mrs. Bai, I presume?" She said, slowly walking upstairs while still holding Bai Tingting's hand.

  "Yes," Mrs. Bai smiled, and the smile was subtle, inscrutable. "Tingting will show you to your room," she said, appropriately assuming the role of her employer. "I'm very busy, so I won't be able to entertain you. I hope you′ll be comfortable in our home, and I also hope Tingting won′t cause you too much trouble."