Chapter 156   The Red Plum and the Beauty

In Ning Huaiyuan’s room, Ning Ziyan asked with a gloomy face, “Brother, why don’t you mention mother anymore? If you put a good word for mother, she would be released.” Just now, she was stopped by Xia Yuhang who warned her not to interfere in the affairs of the Lord Protector’s Manor by great strength.

A woman had to obey her husband after getting married. And Xia Yuhang had been neither enthusiastic nor indifferent to her, so Ning Ziyan dared not disobey Xia Yuhang. Xia Yuhang had left first, and there only were Ning Ziyan and Ning Huaiyuan in the room now, so Ning Ziyan straightforwardly asked Ning Huaiyuan, ignoring taboos. She believed that her brother was also concerned about mother, otherwise, he, who had always been courteous, would not go to the Buddha Hall first instead of greeting grandmother first as soon as he heard that something had happened to his mother.

Ning Huaiyuan smiled and said, “Sister, how are you and Yuhang doing recently?”

Ning Ziyan was not sad before he asked, but as soon as he asked, Ning Ziyan cried while wiping her tears. Before she married Xia Yuhang, she only knew that he was a handsome man and affectionate to her. When Ning Ziying hurt her before dying, he also took care of her wholeheartedly, which made her love him more.

Unexpectedly, he became indifferent to her soon after they got married. Then he actually went to Cold Mountain Temple to secretly date with Chen Hexiang. After that, she lost her child. Now even though Xia Yuhang loved and cared about her, she still felt strange, as if she had lost something.

That kind of bad feeling seemed to appear since Ning Ziying died!

Ning Huaiyuan darkened his face at once and asked with anger, “What’s wrong? Did he bully you?” In his opinion, Xia Yuhang had gone too far and actually dared to slight his beautiful, gentle sister. He directly ignored how his sister married Xia Yuhang.

“No, he didn’t. He, he has a concubine!” Ning Ziyan spoke of her sorrow and then sobbed.

Hearing that, Ning Huaiyuan frowned. “A concubine? He actually got a concubine soon after getting married. He has gone too far.”

“Don’t cry. Tomorrow I’ll talk to him. As for the concubine, don’t put her in your mind. She’s just a concubine. Keep her if you like her. If you don’t like her, sell her. Will he be angry with you because of a concubine?” Ning Huaiyuan touched Ning Ziyan’s head and comforted her.

Ning Huaiyuan really turned his nose up at a concubine. He also did not approve of his sister caring about a concubine. At this time, Ning Huaiyuan had known all about what happened today. The reason also was a concubine. Because of a concubine, his mother actually made a scene today. It was so humiliating.

Both his mother and his sister only focused on womenfolk courtyard. Concubines just were playthings. Would they be superior to the Legal Wife? It was worthless to make a scene because of concubines!

Before, he was still doubtful about why Xia Yuhang stopped Ning Ziyan and said such a word at the critical moment, so that Madam Dowager doubted him. Now he realized that there were problems between Xia Yuhang and his sister. Others did not understand what was going on in Lucky Garden just now, how could Xia Yuhang not know it?

That was the reason. There was a wedge between Xia Yuhang and Ning Ziyan, so Xia Yuhang did not want to be involved in this matter.

Ning Ziyan knew that Ning Huaiyuan and Xia Yuhang were friends. When she heard what her brother said, Ning Ziyan nodded and wiped her tears with her handkerchief. Suddenly, she put down her handkerchief and said, “Brother, you cannot let go of Ning Xueyan. I suspect that she framed mother and Second Sister.”

Ning Xueyan? Ning Huaiyuan frowned after hearing the name. He had no impression of the Fifth Sister who had been hiding in Bright Frost Courtyard and had never dared to appear in front of the public. He only remembered that she was a small, insignificant girl and even dared not raise her head when there were a little more people. She was unpresentable.

And she used to be bullied by Ning Yuling, and dared not say a word!

“How could such a person frame mother and Second Sister? Second Sister can easily kill her, not to mention mother.”

“Did Ning Xueyan dare to go out of Bright Frost Garden? At most there’s one more Young Lady. Sister, you needn’t care about her!” There was no outsider here, so Ning Huaiyuan directly spoke his mind with a sarcastic smile on his face. He had never look up to his Fifth Sister and was unable to remember her face now.

Ning Ziyan fiercely said, a pair of beautiful eyes shining with the vicious look, “She’s very malicious now. Both mother and Second Sister fell into her trap. Brother, you have to help me kill her.”

Last time, Ning Ziyan and Madam Ling planned to kill Ning Xueyan, but failed. Instead, she lost her child. The more Ning Ziyan thought of it, the more she felt it has something to do with Ning Xueyan. “I obviously put the hairpin on Ning Xueyan’s head. Why did nothing happen to her?”

“Ziyan, don’t worry. I’ll find out what happened to mother and Second Sister. If Ning Xueyan really framed them, I’ll take avenge on her.” Ning Huaiyuan promised to Ning Ziyan. Now he had a different feeling towards his sister who he had no family affection for.

He really did not believe that Ning Xueyan who could not protect herself could frame his mother and Second Sister.

Ning Huaiyuan decided to observe Ning Xueyan when he would greet Madam Dowager tomorrow morning, but he did not expect the meeting to arrive half a day earlier than he thought.

After lunch, Fourth Prince, Ao Mingwan, came to Lord Protector’s Manor. Ning Huaiyuan had accompanied Ao Mingwan studying before. The relationship between them was quite different. Ning Huaiyuan also did something for Fourth Prince in private by way of traveling, which was also the reason why he could not come back in time to participate in Ning Ziyan’s wedding.

So as soon as he heard of his return, the Fourth Prince came to the Lord Protector’s Manor.

Ning Zu’an chatted with Ao Mingwan for a while. Knowing that they had something to discuss, Ning Zu’an let them walk and talk in the courtyard. Then the two talked while walking to the courtyard at will. Suddenly, they saw a girl in white standing in front of an arch after they turned at a corner.

In front of the arch there was a red plum tree which had blossomed. Against the white snow, the red plum looked more glittering and beautiful. What was more striking was the girl standing there picking red plums. She wore a snow white clothes embroidered with red plums on the skirt edge and had made a hairstyle of the unmarried young girl.

Against the snow and red plum, that little face was as beautiful as a fairy’s. Besides, she had her own features. It was hard to describe that beautiful face which instantly stunned the two men.

Ning Xueyan came here to pick red plums. In the whole garden, Ning Xueyan was satisfied with this red plum tree most. After arriving here, she asked Qingyu to stand on one side and went up to pick red plums by herself. Now she was standing on tiptoe and focusing on picking the red plum she had chosen while narrowing her eyes. Unexpectedly, she became the beautiful scenery in the eyes of others.

“Who is she?” Ao Mingwan asked Ning Huaiyuan while pointing to Ning Xueyan, eyes brightening.

Ning Huaiyuan looked carefully and could not recognize her for a moment. He knew that she must be a Young Lady from her clothes. But he did not know the maid standing beside her. So he could not answer who she was. In his mind, Ning Xueyan was an insignificant thin girl, and even was inferior to an ordinary maid. How did he know that the beautiful girl opposite them was Ning Xueyan?

Looking at the bright red plum, Ning Huaiyuan suddenly remembered something, and his gaze turned strange. “Is she Ning Qingshan? Yes, it must be Ning Qingshan!”

Because of the red plum, he suddenly thought of his Third Sister who he had not seen for years. “I heard grandmother say that Ning Qingshan will definitely come back this year. Is she the Third Sister?” Ning Huaiyuan put his hands together behind his back and pinched each other with a strange look. Then he answered as if nothing were on his mind, “This is my Third Sister.”

Ning Qingshan was a little beauty before. Unexpectedly, she was more beautiful when she grew up!

“Your Third Sister? Is she the filial Third Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor?” Ao Mingwan also heard that the Third Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor was both virtuous and filial, but he did not take it seriously. He did not believe that a little girl was both virtuous and filial. Now when he saw Ning Xueyan, his eyes brightened.

Ning Huaiyuan nodded and said, “Yes, she’s my Third Sister!” Now he was sure that the girl in front of them was Ning Qingshan. Unexpectedly, Ning Qingshan had already returned. The clever little beauty in memory had become so beautiful, which made Ning Huaiyuan have a different feeling.

The Fourth Prince curiously said, “Let’s go and see this virtuous and filial Young Lady!” Then he turned and marched to Ning Xueyan.

Among the young ladies in the capital, some were talented and some had a good reputation. But no one was both virtuous and filial. That was the reason why Ning Qingshan still was popular in the capital even though she had left the capital for many years.

Ning Huaiyuan did not follow the Fourth Prince, but stopped and said with a smile on his face, “Fourth Prince, my Third Sister is young and had never seen you before. It is inappropriate that we directly meet her!”

The Fourth Prince and Ning Qingshan had not met before. He should avoid Ning Qingshan in this case. It was extremely impolite of him to see her now.

Although the Fourth Prince wanted to know the Third Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor, he did not want to be considered rude by such a beautiful lady, so he had to stop and turned to another road.

Ning Xueyan was picking a plum blossom. She did not notice that someone had seen them. Qingyu saw the corner of Ning Huaiyuan’s clothes, but she did not know who it was for a moment. Seeing that no one came, Qingyu thought it was just a passerby and did not tell Ning Xueyan. On seeing that Ning Xueyan picked a plum blossom, she hurried to hand over the vase in her hands.

Qingyu happily said, “Young Lady, this is really beautiful. I think this is the most beautiful one. I’ll put it study desk in a minute.”

Ning Xueyan took over the handkerchief and wiped the snow on her hands, then she smiled and said to Qingyu, “No, send it to Lucky Garden first.”

Qingyu was unwilling to give such a beautiful red plum to others and muttered, “Didn’t we sent one to Madam Dowager yesterday?”

“Yesterday is yesterday, while today is today. Grandmother has priority over us. You can pick another one for me later.” Ning Xueyan smiled slightly, and a mockery smile flashed through her inky eyes.

This flower must be sent to Madam Dowager.