Chapter 379: Master Is Really Heart Moved
【This place was actually next to the tea house. 】Of course, Ning Xueyan didn’t come out so openly. Yu Jian, who was waiting outside, saw Ning Xueyan come out of the room and respectfully saluted. 』He gestured to the side and said, “Fifth Miss, please come this way.”
Ning Xueyan nodded and followed Yu Jian. 「Turning a corner, she saw a hidden staircase. Under Yu Jian’s indication, she walked to the room above and saw Ning Huaijing inside, pacing back and forth, disoriented.
Just now, Ning Xueyan was walking in front, and he hadn’t noticed anything unusual. When he came out, Ning Xueyan was gone, and he was immediately stunned. At this moment, someone walked over and whispered to him, “If you want to see Fifth Miss Ning, then follow along.”
Ning Huaijing followed without thinking and arrived at this room. Then that person told him to wait and left. Unexpectedly, he waited for a couple of hours. Ning Huaijing was very anxious. He wanted to wait a while longer. If he didn’t see Ning Xueyan, he would immediately go back and call for people to look for her. How could such a good person disappear all of a sudden?
【While he was anxious, he saw a square hole appear on the floor of the room. 】Before he could take a closer look, he saw Ning Xueyan appear at the doorway of the hole. 』He hurried over and pulled Ning Xueyan up. 『Then, the hole closed silently.
“Fifth Younger Sister, where did you go? Where is this below?” Ning Huaijing wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked, looking at the hole that had been closed. 】He had carefully observed this room just now and hadn’t found anything unusual.
“Second Older Brother, do you believe me?” Ning Xueyan restrained the gaze that fell on the ground and asked Ning Huaijing calmly.
“I naturally believe Fifth Younger Sister.” After spending this time together, Ning Huaijing really regarded Ning Xueyan as his own sister. Rather, he was sincere. Hearing the question, he nodded without hesitation.
“Believe me, treat today’s matter as if it didn’t happen.” Ning Xueyan said sincerely. It was better for Ning Huaijing not to be involved in Ao Chenyi’s matters, given his identity. Moreover, if Ning Huaijing revealed a little bit of information, she couldn’t be sure how Ao Chenyi would deal with him. Since Ning Huaijing treated her as a sister, she also wouldn’t want to lie.
Upon hearing Ning Xueyan’s words, Ning Huaijing was first taken aback. His eyes flashed twice. He was not a fool. Then, he revealed a knowing smile and nodded. 】He smiled and said, “Fifth Younger Sister, let’s go back. Since the information we inquired about is almost the same, this matter is also irrelevant to us. Today, being able to meet Young Master Hua is also a pleasant occasion.”
A smile appeared on Ning Xueyan’s exquisite face. She nodded. This Second Older Brother also seemed to be a smart person. Talking to a smart person was simple; not mentioning her disappearance represented that she wouldn’t investigate this matter anymore. This was best. She believed that the guard below would definitely tell the truth.
Next, the two of them didn’t say much. Ning Huaijing was still the Young Master, and Ning Xueyan was still the boy servant. The two of them went out of the tea house, one after another.
Below the room, although the top of the hidden building was sealed, Yu Jian was indeed still below, hearing the words of Ning Xueyan and Ning Huaijing clearly. 』He nodded secretly. 『The woman the master favored was indeed not simple. 【If it were other women, they would be startled and scared. 】Unfortunately, this one not only showed no sign of fear herself, but also gave her own older brother a warning.
Indeed, if Ning Huaijing revealed the slightest intention to investigate this matter today, his life would not be guaranteed. Your Highness could not tolerate any mistakes. This place was also a secret arrangement of Your Highness, and of course, it could not be known by others. 「Now, this was the best.
“Your Highness, Fifth Miss has already left. That Second Young Master Ning also indicated that this matter never happened!” When Yu Jian pushed open the room again, Ao Chenyi was sitting inside, with several files that had been looked through placed beside him. 」His handsome eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if he was having difficulties with something.
“That Second Young Master Ning is rather interesting.” Ao Chenyi put down the file in his hand and had a languid smile at the corner of his mouth.
“Fifth Miss seems to have a good relationship with Second Young Master Ning!” Yu Jian hesitated for a moment and said. Having been with the master for a long time, he had never seen the master be so tolerant of any woman. Even though Fifth Miss’s facial features were exquisite, the Prince hadn’t killed such beauties.
Which of the beauties sent from the Palace wasn’t beautiful! Even if Fifth Miss had a slight advantage in her facial features, she was always too young, and she was not as peerless as those beauties, nor could she attract a man’s heart. 「Therefore, he concluded that the Prince was different to this Fifth Miss Ning.
Therefore, he kindly reminded his own master that since this Second Young Master Ning was intelligent and had a good relationship with Fifth Miss, the Prince should also look highly upon him, for Fifth Miss’s sake, at the appropriate time.
Ao Chenyi’s slender fingers curved, and he lightly flicked his forehead. 「The corners of his thin lips hooked, revealing a bewitching smile: “We don’t need to worry about Ning Huaijing’s matter first. Look at Ao Mingyu’s side, directly going to Jiangnan, the Ning Residence in Jiangnan…it seems like there’s a goal.”
The bewitching smile slowly became chilling. 「On the handsome and sinister face, there was a mocking look from above. Ao Mingyu always did things with his hands and feet tied, just like this throne, even if he wanted it wholeheartedly, he dared not reach out, only tapping the drum on the side. His ambition was big enough, but his strength was insufficient.
《But this action this time was completely different from the previous ones. Rather, it was a direct target, not afraid of ruining his affairs.
“Your Highness, could it be that because the Ning Residence lost someone in Jiangnan, the Third Prince would dare to send people over?” Yu Jian’s attention was also attracted here. He frowned. The Third Prince’s action this time could be described as a swift and unexpected move. It was obvious that he was waiting for an opportunity. But why wasn’t he afraid that his own master would take action after hearing about it? This clearly meant that there was a relationship with the people of the Ning Residence.
However, the Third Prince was also not faster than the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Third Prince’s people had just set off when the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already reported the news. That family had actually declined long ago. Not only had the two heads of the family died, but also the one who was said to be the most likely young mistress had disappeared due to seeking refuge.
According to the servants in that mansion, after the head of the family died, the Young Lady left the same night after the funeral, and as for where she went to seek refuge, there was no news at all.
And that Old Steward, who might have known the matter, had also disappeared after several years. The servants who remained there were managed by a newly appointed steward. However, this steward knew nothing, and upon investigation, it was found that he was just a steward from an outside estate before, even less than the other servants in this mansion who knew the inside story.
The clue was broken here again!
“The matter in Jiangnan doesn’t need to be taken care of anymore. Let Ao Mingyu handle it himself. However, this one in the Imperial Palace has been making more and more moves recently.” Ao Chenyi sneered. A chilling and bloodthirsty coldness flashed in his slender eyes.
Yu Jian knew that the master was talking about the Emperor, and that meaning was, of course, that the pre-arranged imperial decree had not been issued, so it was not good to interject. 「He just caught the sound coming down from above and said, “Go stir up some trouble for him again, so he won’t have to do things he should be doing and be busy with things he shouldn’t be doing.”
“Yes, this subordinate will go and do it.” From that sound, Yu Jian heard some of his master’s anger. 」He nodded quickly. The selected candidates had already come out. The imperial decree for the master’s imperial marriage was still pending. Although the master didn’t say anything, it was obvious that he was displeased. Of course, this displeasure was definitely not because of Princess Xianyun.
Since the wedding was canceled last time, the master had never been so depressed in such matters. 「No matter who those beauties were, the master had never shown any pity when they were in front of him. This made them as subordinates feel concerned, lest the master really had no intention of taking a wife, then what would happen!
Now, finally, he felt relieved. It seemed that his own master was really moved! Yu Jian was secretly pleased. 「He must talk to Eunuch Ling properly about this matter and let this Eunuch, who had watched the master grow up, be happy too, and see that the master was eager to take a wife.
Of course, he couldn’t say these words to the master. 「Secretly looking at his own master’s handsome and peerless profile, Yu Jian happily retreated and went out to take care of the external affairs with great joy.
When Ning Xueyan and Ning Huaijing returned to the mansion, Nurse Qin was already waiting at the back door. 」Seeing them come back, she hurried to take them to the Xiangfu Garden of the Old Madam. 「Not only was the Old Madam waiting there, but even Madam Liu, who usually didn’t show her face, was actually also waiting there.
Madam Liu was now paying less and less attention to the affairs of the Duke’s Mansion. 」Even when Ning Huaijing recognized his ancestors and returned to the clan, she didn’t come out to meet them, but only sent Ning Huaijing a gift, saying that she was a widowed person and didn’t want to see anyone. Unexpectedly, she was actually waiting there with the Old Madam at this time.
This was very unexpected to Ning Xueyan, but although Madam Liu was there, she didn’t say a word. 」Sitting beside the Old Madam, she was holding a string of Buddhist beads in her hand, closing her eyes, gently fingering them one by one, and listening quietly to the Old Madam’s questions to the two of them, without saying a word.
Ning Huaijing picked out some rumors, and Ning Xueyan supplemented a sentence or two on the side. 」The focus was, of course, on Ning Yuling and Xia Yuhang. As for Ling Yi, outsiders didn’t know, and of course, they wouldn’t say a word. It could be said that as long as Ning Yuling bit down and didn’t let go, Madam Ling wouldn’t be responsible. This matter now seemed to be related to Xia Yuhang.
“Fifth Young Lady, fortunately, your luck was good, and nothing happened. 」Otherwise, this matter would be even more difficult to solve.” After they finished speaking, Madam Liu slowly opened her eyes, looked at Ning Xueyan, and said softly. 「She had always treated Ning Xueyan well, sometimes even making Ning Xueyan feel that this was her true grandmother.
“Fifth Young Lady, when your Second Older Sister had the accident back then, I heard that you asked Xia Yuhang to go? How could this matter be so coincidental!” The Old Madam’s gaze landed sharply on Ning Xueyan’s face, and her eyes were filled with a deep coldness.
Was she doubting herself? Ning Xueyan sneered in her heart. She had such an accident and almost died, but she didn’t care at all, not even asking herself a single question. But about Ning Yuling’s matter, she still asked herself why she did it back then. 「This grandmother was really self-serving and cold-blooded.
