Sang Dai’s given name should be Weisheng Sang, and her nickname is Ah Dai.
“Shang” refers to her rank in the Weisheng family, and “Dai” is the nickname that Weisheng Xuan and Bai Yu gave her.
Only two people would call her Ah Dai.
Sang Dai’s breath trembled out of tune. She stood at the door, with sunlight shining in and falling on her body. Below the steps was a spacious courtyard, which looked just like the one in her dream.
The only difference was the voice behind her.
“Ah Dai.”
It was the voice of a strange woman. Those with a Heaven-grade spiritual root have extraordinary hearing, and Sang Dai could tell that this voice didn’t belong to anyone she knew.
Before her brain could process the situation, Sang Dai’s body had already reacted.
She struggled to turn around, as if her mind had been struck. Everything in front of her was blurry.
But there was no one behind her.
Yet the voice in her ear remained.
“Ah Dai.”
Sang Dai’s gaze paused for a moment, slowly falling onto the jade hairpin on the couch. The dust on it had just been brushed off. Even though it had been worn by Weisheng Xuan for hundreds of years, it still looked as new as if it had just been made.
She had never felt that the road was so difficult to walk.
She came to the couch. The brocade blanket had been tidied up by her just now, and the bloodstains and dirt had been cleaned away.
She placed the jade hairpin beside the pillow, and Sang Dai privately wished to find Su Xuan, but it seemed that a voice in her sea of consciousness told her that missing this opportunity would mean missing something very serious.
“Ah Dai, it’s your mother.”
The moment the words were spoken, Sang Dai grabbed the jade hairpin.
Her consciousness was pulled in at that instant.
She collapsed to the ground, tightly holding the jade hairpin, with faint light flickering on and off.
A gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers, and the courtyard was filled with blooming flowers. Sang Dai opened her eyes and, for a moment, couldn’t tell where she was.
But the swing in the corner told her that this was the place she had just been.
Sang Dai stood in the corner, where a osmanthus tree was planted. The tree trunk was thick, as if it had many years of history. It was now the height of summer, and the flowers in the courtyard were blooming vigorously. This osmanthus tree was especially fragrant.
Sang Dai knew clearly in her heart that this was an illusion, or perhaps a memory from the past.
She was an outsider, and as an outsider, she could only be bound here to witness it all.
The door of the main house was opened, and someone stepped out.
She was wearing a green dress, just as Sang Dai had seen in the painting. Her hair, long and dark, cascaded past her waist, loosely tied up with a jade hairpin. The sunlight fell on her face, her skin as translucent as white snow.
Her figure was slender, but her lower abdomen was prominently round. One hand rested on her waist, and the other gently supported her swollen belly. She tilted her head back, basking in the warm sunlight.
Sang Dai felt a strange sensation upon seeing her.
Beauty.
Sang Dai did not move, not even blinking, as she stared at the female cultivator in front of the bamboo house, afraid to disturb the scene.
Weisheng Xuan squinted her eyes slightly and stepped down the stairs, walking to the stone table in the courtyard. A strand of black hair fell at her temple, and the gentleness between her brows was hard to ignore.
She took a small sip of tea, drinking it slowly, much like Sang Dai, with a grace that was poised and restrained.
Suddenly, she furrowed her brow, set the cup down, and gently patted her belly, laughing as she spoke: “What are you kicking your mother for? You still have a month before you’re due. Why are you in such a hurry to come out?”
Sang Dai wiped the tears from her eyes, and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
She looked so beautiful, pure and clean, gentle in a way that made Sang Dai instantly like her.
Weisheng Xuan absentmindedly rubbed her belly, gazing up at the sun in the sky: “Your father will be back soon. I won’t be cooking. We’ll have to wait a little while to eat.”
Sang Dai smiled bitterly. No wonder she could never learn to cook—it must have been inherited from Weisheng Xuan.
She didn’t feel tired, sitting down in front of Weisheng Xuan. Just watching her could keep her captivated all day.
Weisheng Xuan was very quiet, and life was simple. The sun was good today, so she held a book and sat by the stone table in the courtyard, reading. It was only after noon that the gate of the courtyard was finally pushed open.
A man in purple rushed in, holding two mountain chickens in his hands.
“Ah Xuan, have you been waiting long? Are you hungry?”
Sang Dai couldn’t see his face. After Bai Yu entered, he went straight to Weisheng Xuan, his hands not embracing her, likely to avoid getting them dirty.
He bent down and kissed Weisheng Xuan’s cheek, then crouched down and kissed her swollen belly.
“Do you miss your daddy too?”
Weisheng Xuan playfully patted his shoulder: “Why did you come back so late?”
Bai Yu set the mountain chickens down, half-squatting to look at Weisheng Xuan. He whispered, “The barrier was a bit unstable, so I went to reinforce it.”
Weisheng Xuan instantly became anxious: “Is something wrong?”
Bai Yu shook his head: “It was just a fluctuation. I didn’t detect anything unusual. Grandma and the others are guarding over there. I came back first to make you something to eat, and then I’ll go help them.”
Weisheng Xuan furrowed her brow slightly, tightening the hand resting on her belly, and hurriedly said, “Go ahead first. I’m a cultivator; I won’t get hungry.”
Bai Yu stood up, his figure tall, and kissed Weisheng Xuan on the forehead.
“It’s fine. I reinforced the barrier. Grandma asked me to come back and cook for you. With her watching over you, you can be at ease. Her cultivation is not inferior to ours.”
Sang Dai did not know exactly who this “Grandma” referred to, but from their words, it could be inferred that she was a highly respected elder.
She made Weisheng Xuan and Bai Yu feel at ease.
Bai Yu efficiently dealt with the mountain chickens, and Weisheng Xuan sat in the courtyard, watching him, the smile on her face never fading.
Sang Dai felt a pang of sorrow. If nothing had gone wrong back then, she might still be in Kunshan, not born yet, not knowing many people.
Bai Yu moved quickly, and soon the soup and dishes were ready in the kitchen.
Weisheng Xuan was about to serve the dishes, but Bai Yu stopped her: “You’re pregnant. This task should be mine. Ah Xuan, rest.”
Sang Dai sat at the stone table, watching as Bai Yu placed the two dishes and soup on the table.
Bai Yu was very skilled in cooking, able to make even simple ingredients look and taste perfect. Sang Dai unexpectedly thought of the little fox, whose cooking skills were just as good.
It seemed that every family needed someone who could cook, and Bai Yu and Su Xuan were exactly that.
Bai Yu served the soup for Weisheng Xuan, bent down, and embraced her: “Ah Xuan, I’ll go replace Grandma for a while. I made enough food today, so she can come and have a meal with you.”
Weisheng Xuan smiled and said, “Alright, be safe. I’ll wait for you to come back.”
He kissed her forehead, “I’ll be back tonight. Leave the dishes, wait for me to wash them when I return. Don’t start without me.”
“Alright.” Weisheng Xuan said with some helplessness, “Go on, get Grandma back for dinner. I’ll wait until she arrives to start eating.”
He turned and walked toward the door. Sang Dai’s heart suddenly beat faster as she turned to look at Bai Yu’s back.
He was dressed in simple purple clothes. Although he was no longer young, his hair was still tied in a youthful ponytail with a jade crown. Now a husband, and soon to be a father, his back was firm as he truly shouldered the responsibility of the family.
She stared intently at his back. Just as he reached the door and was about to open it, he paused, turned back, and glanced at the female cultivator sitting at the table.
Weisheng Xuan remained seated, smiling gently at him, just as she had when she saw him off in the past.
Bai Yu strode back, cupped her face, and kissed the tip of her nose, then gently kissed her lips.
“When you get tired, go rest for a while. I’ll be back tonight to accompany you and the baby.”
“Alright, go quickly.”
He responded and walked out with large strides. The courtyard door was shut behind him, and Bai Yu’s figure quickly disappeared.
Sang Dai shifted her gaze back to the female cultivator across from her.
Weisheng Xuan couldn’t see her and lowered her gaze, gently caressing her belly: “Your father is so talkative. If you’re born a boy, he’ll probably be very strict with you. If you’re a girl, he’ll surely hold you in the palm of his hand.”
“Child, are you a boy or a girl?” Weisheng Xuan smiled again. “Your mother hopes you’re a girl. I can make you many beautiful clothes, do your hair into pretty styles every day, and personally teach you cultivation. The Weisheng family’s seal will be passed to you. You’ll be the eldest daughter of the Weisheng family.”
“If you’re a boy, that’s fine too, but I won’t tie a boy’s hair. You’ll have to muddle through like your father.”
Sang Dai almost laughed. She never expected Weisheng Xuan to talk so much to herself.
It seemed she had gotten used to waiting for Bai Yu. Many things were handled by Bai Yu, and she just stayed at home, waiting.
Listening to her chatter, Sang Dai’s gaze softened more and more.
Weisheng Xuan was eagerly anticipating the birth of her child. This was the child she and Bai Yu had after almost 180 years of marriage. The Weisheng family seemed to be restricted, and offspring were rare. Moreover, they would only have one child in their lifetime.
This child would be the next successor of the Weisheng family’s seal, the only child of Weisheng Xuan and Bai Yu in this life, bearing the hopes of the entire Weisheng family.
Weisheng Xuan was speaking a lot now, and Sang Dai felt no impatience at all. She rested her chin on her hands, sitting across from her, watching her smile and speak.
“Your father really liked me. He was the one who pursued me. To be with me, he gave up his position as the abbot of Cangwu Taoist Temple and passed the position on to his junior. But…”
Weisheng Xuan furrowed her brow, her gentle expression turning complex. “I didn’t like his junior much. He always felt strange to me, or maybe I’m just too sensitive.”
“Child, the Weisheng family only has 37 members now. Though our numbers are small, everyone is looking forward to your arrival. I’m the head of the Weisheng family, and you will be the next head.”
Weisheng Xuan sighed. “I really want to see you soon. Only one more month. When October comes, you should be born. I still have to hurry and finish making your clothes. Your father’s swing isn’t ready yet. Tonight, I’ll have to urge him.”
She was so gentle that Sang Dai just wanted to keep watching her.
She said there was one more month. Did that mean she had to stay here and watch her for a month?
This was something Weisheng Xuan had shown her. She had something to give her, but in reality, the little fox was still waiting for her.
Sang Dai looked up at the sky. When she had arrived, it was noon, but now it was already afternoon.