Chapter 266: An Orphan From The Previous Dynasty

Earrings, hairpin? Ning Xueyan’s gaze toward Wen Xueran held a few more points of scrutiny, her willow leaf eyebrows slightly furrowed. Someone like him was really just playing games.

The second time they met, he used a sword to interrogate a nun about someone’s whereabouts. Could he also be looking for that Jingkong?

Suddenly, this question flashed through her mind, but this question, although abrupt, gave her a sense of approval in an instant. She just felt that Wen Xueran was not really playing around.

But if it wasn’t real, then he was doing it with a goal in mind, earrings, hairpin? Earrings?

A sudden shock flashed in her eyes. Assuming he had seen her in her previous life and was interrogating her with a sword, it was really to find the Jingkong she knew, then it was also possible to find her… or the earrings in her hand?

But this matter was originally her family affairs. She had never heard of any relationship between herself and this Heir of Prince Min in her previous life. In her previous life, when she was in Jiangnan, neither her father nor her mother mentioned Prince Min’s Mansion. Thinking like this, she felt it was impossible. Could it be that it was really just a coincidence?

“Young Lady, over there, they are asking you to go over.” Qingyu pulled Ning Xueyan’s hand, indicating for her to look over there.

Following her gaze, she discovered that this Heir of Prince Min had already stepped down from the platform, standing near the shop door. The boy servant who squeezed to their side was the one who had been standing behind him before. At this moment, he looked at Ning Xueyan respectfully and said, “Fifth Young Lady, our Heir asks you to go over and speak.”

Looking at the platform, Ning Qingshan and Ning Lingyun were still looking at the earrings and hairpins one by one, commenting on each of them. It didn’t seem like they were about to step down immediately. Therefore, Ning Xueyan nodded, and accompanied by Qingyu, followed the boy servant and walked toward the high platform.

“Fifth Young Lady, why didn’t you go up and take a look? Those are the shop’s treasures. They are usually not brought out to attract customers.” Wen Xueran smiled at Ning Xueyan, who had squeezed over. With a smile, her appearance was city-toppling.

“Thank you, Heir, for your kindness, but I don’t understand much about this here. I can’t really comment on it even if I look at it.” Ning Xueyan smiled softly, her watery eyes sliding over the platform, saying leisurely.

“Don’t all women like these ornaments, and have unique insights into them? Why is Fifth Young Lady not interested in these?” Wen Xueran did not feel the slightest bit embarrassed because of Ning Xueyan’s refusal. Instead, he closed the folding fan in his hand, turned it in his hand, smiled slightly, and asked with quite a bit of interest.

“If a person has to be accompanied by a sickly person, how can they develop so many elegant interests? It makes the Heir laugh.” Ning Xueyan’s lips curved, her black jade-like eyes carrying some aloof coldness, without any pretense of concealing the days she had spent in Duke’s Mansion.

This kind of thing couldn’t be hidden from people, and she hadn’t planned to hide it either.

“I just looked at Fourth Young Lady’s hairpin. It’s absolutely unique. I heard it was bestowed by the Old Madam. I wonder if Fifth Young Lady has any earrings or hairpins bestowed by elders, so that I can also broaden my horizons.” Seemingly hearing the displeasure in Ning Xueyan’s words, Wen Xueran changed the subject, his peach blossom eyes falling on Ning Xueyan, and asked gently.

“Aren’t these all things for girls? I didn’t expect the Heir to like this type?” Ning Xueyan’s heart moved, but then she said faintly.

“I like beauties, and of course, I also like these ornaments that make beauties even more beautiful, just like Fifth Young Lady’s earrings…” While speaking, Wen Xueran had already reached out and frivolously tried to touch the earrings Ning Xueyan was wearing on her ears. These earrings were just found from Madam Ling.

“Heir, please be respectful.” Ning Xueyan’s complexion turned cold, she took a step back, her head slightly tilted back, her eyes were profoundly mysterious, and she just happened to avoid Wen Xueran’s hand.

“Fifth Young Lady, I really just wanted to look at the earrings on Fifth Young Lady’s ears, I definitely didn’t deliberately try to be frivolous with Fifth Young Lady.” Wen Xueran’s watery peach blossom eyes blinked, and a trace of annoyance appeared on his handsome face, as if he was really just because he was eager to see the earrings, that he was rude.

And in his eyes, which were full of affection, there was a hint of affection, being watched by such a city-toppling man, how many women could remain at ease? Even if someone’s actions were abrupt, it would also become natural because of all this.

Or because he did this because he had a good impression of her…

Or because he showed this kind of affectionate expression, it was because he was really interested in her…

Anyway, all these possibilities, in the end, would only make the young ladies more and more shy, more and more unable to raise their heads, and finally, their faces would be flushed, where could they still continue the conversation? But unfortunately, Ning Xueyan overturned Wen Xueran’s such presumptuous thoughts, and still looked at Wen Xueran with cold eyes.

She didn’t have the slightest bit of a woman’s shyness because of the ambiguity in his words and expression.

“Third Sister and the others have already come down. Heir, farewell!” Seeing that Ning Qingshan and the others had already come down on the other side, Ning Xueyan didn’t hesitate to say goodbye to Wen Xueran, and turned to go over to Ning Qingshan with Qingyu. This seemingly romantic Young Master gave Ning Xueyan a very different feeling.

She couldn’t explain what that feeling was, but she only felt that summed up, there were only two words: “dangerous”!

Or because his appearance was too outstanding, and being with him would be seen as a public enemy by other women, or maybe, it was this platform he set up today, and even more so because of his behavior and actions when he spoke to her just now…

In short, she felt that the Wen Xueran in front of her was not real.

Behind her, Wen Xueran tapped his fan on his other palm in a rhythmic manner, the smile at the corner of his mouth was clear, he really hadn’t seen a woman who could be so composed in front of him in the ambiguous atmosphere he had created.

“Heir, the Prince asks you to go back.” A servant came over and spoke respectfully behind him.

“At this time, why wouldn’t Father go find his beauties to play with, and what else does he need to look for me for?” Wen Xueran languidly turned around and walked toward the shop door behind him.

“The Prince said, there’s an urgent matter, let you go back and take a look first, then come out to see the lanterns later.” The family member jogged a few steps, and still answered respectfully, as if he didn’t notice at all, this son’s disrespect for his father’s words.

“This lantern viewing thing, is really boring, has the carriage been prepared yet!” Wen Xueran asked.

“It’s waiting for you at the back door.” The family member said.

Wen Xueran nodded, and swayed toward the back of the shop. The front was already crowded, and the carriage couldn’t get in at all. Only those small alleys at the back door were convenient for carriages that were familiar with the path to enter, but at this time it was very dark at the back, far from the brightly lit front, which could be compared.

When Wen Xueran was walking on the dark path to get into the carriage, another carriage was also traveling on this dark road at this moment.

Third Prince Ao Mingyu in the carriage had a solemn face, and his gaze fell on a beautiful girl of sixteen or seventeen in the carriage. Being forced to look at by his gaze, the powerful aura emanated from him, and the girl was trembling all over with fear. She had been sent back and forth all the way here, and without a doubt, the more she was sent, the more afraid she became.

“You were adopted when you were two or three years old, and you don’t have any memory of before?” After watching for a while, Ao Mingyu’s expression softened, and he asked gently. The strong aura subsided, and even showed a few points of gentle smile on his face. Under the light, the handsome and upright man had an elegant expression.

The girl didn’t know who the person in front of her was, but because the handsome Young Master in front of her showed such a gentle expression, her fear subsided a lot. Her face blushed, and she shyly replied, “Yes, when I was young, I was separated from my biological father and birth mother. About thirteen years ago, my current foster father and foster mother adopted me, but because I was too young at the time, I can’t remember the things before. Only my foster mother said that when she saw me, I was dressed very well, and I should be a child from a rich family.”

That time was exactly when the Previous Dynasty was destroyed, and many aristocratic families declined, and some of the young ladies and young masters who were originally from wealthy families all went into exile.

“Your foster parents, did they later tell you about the scene when they met you then?” Ao Mingyu frowned and asked.

“They didn’t say anything, just said that I was sitting alone at the door of their house at the time.” The girl thought about it and answered honestly.

“Did anyone come looking for you later? Or your foster parents?” Ao Mingyu’s gaze fell on the girl, judging that she was telling the truth, and then continued to ask.

“No one came looking.” The girl shook her head. Because of Ao Mingyu’s gentleness, she wasn’t so afraid anymore, but instead, because she was with a young Young Master in such a close carriage, her face became even redder.

“Are there many girls of your background, and of a similar age, in your area?” Ao Mingyu sized up the girl a few times, and casually asked.

That year of war, there were not few orphan girls who were displaced at that time. The Previous Dynasty was destroyed, and the aristocratic families were in chaos. Many children lost their protection all of a sudden. Such situations were not in the minority. Last time, Grand Tutor Ya had Ya Moqin, by the way, bring back the two from Jiangnan, it was also a similar situation.

So although he knew that the hope was slim, Ao Mingyu still came personally to inquire. Where was the Princess of the Previous Dynasty, that Princess who escaped with her life from the Previous Dynasty? So many years had passed, and there was no news. Could it be that she had really died in the fleeing at that time? After all, she was only two or three years old then.

“Young Master is looking for… whom?” The girl hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and asked uneasily.

“Looking for my sister, she was lost back then, and there has been no news until now.” Between Ao Mingyu’s eyebrows, there was indeed some annoyance. He reached out to touch his forehead, and a trace of coldness flashed in his eyes. Could it be that Ao Chenyi had found her? It seemed that someone had to be sent back to the backyard of Prince Yi’s Mansion to inquire.

This one might also be sent into the backyard of Prince Yi’s Mansion. He couldn’t tell for a moment, and sent it to Prince Yi’s Mansion. If it was really the Princess of the Previous Dynasty, Ao Chenyi and he, would definitely not let go.

His hand slowly touched the teacup, the water in the tea was already cold, feeling cold to the touch.

“So Young Master is looking for a sister, I… I have heard of such a Young Lady… but… but her family keeps a close watch on her, almost no one knows that she is not the biological daughter of that family. She doesn’t usually go out on the street, and people outside haven’t seen her either. But my aunt works there, and at that time, that child was still held by my aunt to see the Madam and Master of that family.”

The girl hesitantly finished her words. Since she was helping someone find their sister, her aunt had instructed her then, a thousand times, ten thousand times, not to tell anyone, saying that the family sincerely treated that girl as their biological daughter, but helping someone find a girl’s family, wasn’t it a good thing!

“Clang!” The teacup fell to the ground, the wind blew, slightly raised the curtain, and the face, half-hidden in the dark, was shocked with a touch of gloom…