Chapter 163   Elder Brother, It had been Three Years since We Parted

What she said seemed natural and reasonable.

Before Ning Qingshan returned to the mandor, Madam Dowager had known that Ning Xueyan was scalded the night before, so it couldn’t be false.

A small burn wouldn’t be a big deal if Ning Qingshan didn’t grab her hand forcefully. Compare to Ning Xueyan, Ning Qingshan seemed exaggeratedly warm and it even felt like she was making a fuss. Everyone would think that she did it deliberately, and when they thought further, they would be more confused.

What did Ning Qingshan mean? Thinking about what Ning Xueyan had acted and spoken, they vaguely felt that Ning Qingshan had gone too far!

Madam Dowager’s face went dark, and Ning Huaiyuan looked at Ning Qingshan with suspicion.

Third Prince frowned. Ning Qingshan seemed to have changed a lot from three years ago!

“Sorry! I’m sorry, Fifth Sister! I really didn’t know you got injured last night. I thought that you were injured by me.” From the way everyone looked at her, Ning Qingshan knew that they were mad at her. But she was a quick-witted girl, and she immediately pretended to be guilty and began to apologize ‘sincerely’. She also managed to shed a few tears to convince others of her sincerity.

If nobody saw what happened just now, they would believe that Ning Qingshan apologized to Ning Xueyan from the bottom of her heart. However, they couldn’t help but be suspicious that she was so warmhearted to ask the doctor to come because she suspected that Ning Xueyan was lying.

“Well, since the injury is not serious, Third Young Lady and Fifth Young lady, you can go to worship your mom now. After that, come back to have dinner with me. Don’t keep me waiting too long,” Madam Dowager said. She had always fond of Ning Qingshan. Even though she wasn’t satisfied with what Ning Qingshan had done just now, she didn’t blame her. Furthermore, Third Prince was still here.

“Got it, Grandmother,” Ning Qingshan answered and then she reached out to hold Ning Xueyan’s arm carefully. When she touched her hand, she smiled awkwardly. “Fifth Sister, are you sure that the injury isn’t serious? If you can’t go with me, just ask your maid to guide me there. I was in such a hurry that I didn’t notice that your hand got injured,” she said softly.

She looked so gentle and quite different from the way she spoke just now. Besides, she admitted her mistakes frankly, without any concealment. It was easy to win people’s favor.

Ning Xueyan praised her inwardly. Ning Qingshan appeared to make a concession, but in fact she did it in order to win back favor. She was a person of deep mind!

Hearing what she said, everyone in the present looked a little softer.

“Third Sister, I’m all right. Let’s go!” Ning Xueyan let Ning Qingshan hold her arm and smiled slightly. Her hand was not hurt at all, so she didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

“Grandmother, Third Prince, elder brother, I’ll leave for a while with Fifth sister,” Ning Qingshan bowed to them and then left the room with Ning Xueyan.

After burning incense and worshiping Madam Ming, Ning Qingshan went to Foggy Courtyard to change her clothes.

When she walked into the room, Xia’er, the maid following her said angrily, “Young Lady, Fifth Young Lady went too far to have treated you like that! Madam Ming is only a concubine, but it seems they all treat her like she is a principle wife! Everybody knows that she is only a concubine!”

She stood behind Ning Qingshan just now. When she watched her Young Lady in an awkward position, she almost jumped out to speak for her. But before coming back to the manor, Ning Qingshan had told her not to speak in public. Otherwise, she would have fought for her Young Lady in front of those people.

In Xia’er’s mind, Ning Qingshan was the noblest, and neither Madam Ling nor Madam Ming could match with her. Of course she couldn’t bear the noblest person in her heart to worship a concubine.

The smile on Ning Qingshan’s charming face had been replaced by coldness. Her expression at the moment was quite different from her gentle expression just now. She looked down upon Ning Xueyan in the heart. She thought the coward who had been hiding in Bright Frost Garden would die at Ning Yuling’s hands finally.

She had always concerned about what happened in the Lord Protector’s Manor.

She had a crush on Third Prince for long, and making concession was her way to gain the maximum benefit. In Third Prince’s opinion, she had been a gentle and kind girl. And she had accompanied him in the most difficult days of his life. She was confident that when she showed up in front of him again, he would be crazy about her.

Ning Yuling was stupid, so Ning Qingshan had never taken her as a threat. No matter whether Ning Yuling could marry Third Prince, the result was the same.

She was happy when she knew that Ning Yuling failed to marry Third Prince, because there was one less obstacle in her way.

She had never expected that Ning Xueyan would be her new obstacle! The useless coward made her look stupid in front of so many people on the first day she returned to the manor. Ning Qingshan had always thought highly of herself, so she couldn’t be angrier about this. Furthermore, when she saw the dissatisfaction in Third Prince’s eyes, she felt a heavy blow.

Third Prince didn’t look at Ning Xueyan the same way he looked at her!

She could tolerate Ning Xueyan to make trouble with her the first day she came back, but she couldn’t bear Third Prince to shift his affection to another woman!

Now only she and her maid were in the room, she didn’t need to pretend to be gentle any more. She warned coldly, “Xia’er, Ning Xueyan is too smart, and you’d better mind your tongue in front of her.”

“Miss, don’t worry. I’ll be cautious and I know what I should say in front of her,” Xia’er answered with a nod.

“She is too cunning, and I almost fell for her trap!” At thought of what happened, Ning Qingshan couldn’t help being furious. She had planned to take the opportunity to suppress Ning Xueyan, but to her surprise, that little girl got her into trouble by saying that her hand was scalded. If she hadn’t apologized to her, the other people would have blamed her more.

Because she was in a hurry, she didn’t think it over when Ning Xueyan claimed that she didn’t believe her. Now she found such words were likely to misguide people to doubt her motives.

“You’re so noble, how can the daughter of a concubine like Fifth Young Lady compare with you?” Xia’er said scornfully.

“Never talk about it in the manor! Xia’er, if you spill the beans, I won’t show mercy!” Although there was plenty of sunshine in the room, Ning Qingshan’s face was as cold as ice. Xia’er shivered with fear, and then she knelt down. “Got it! Miss, I promise I’ll watch my tongue!”

She knew Ning Qingshan wasn’t joking. When they were at the nunnery, a young nun who said something improper was found dead behind the nunnery the next day.

“Xia’er, we’re at the manor now. I would have forgiven you in the nunnery when you said something improper because of your carelessness, but things are different here. If you make any mistake, I can’t protect you,” she said seriously and sincerely. Looking at Xia’er’s pale face and trembling body, Ning Qingshan knew that she had realized the severity of consequences, so her face softened a little and she held Xia’er up.

“Yes, miss. I’ll be more cautious and I won’t get you into trouble.” Being held up by her master in person, Xia’er nodded hard and felt flattered.

“Go and invite elder brother here in the evening. I haven’t seen him for three years, and I want to chat with him,” Ning Qingshan ordered with a nod. She was satisfied with Xia’er’s answer and there was a touch of a smile on her lips when she spoke.

Ning Huaiyuan might not be the most important person, but at such a critical moment, he was useful. She had plotted everything three years ago, and now it was time to end the game. She should try all her efforts to suppress those she could suppress and use those she could make use of. When she understood this truth, she had begun to arrange everything carefully.

Including the trip to the nunnery three years ago!

Several years ago, she was slapped by the arrogant Young Lady, Ning Yuling. From then on, she was clear about her own status in the manor. No matter how popular she was, she was only an adopted daughter of Lord Protector, and she could never match with Lord Protector’s biological daughters.

“Yes, Miss. I’ll invite Eldest Young Master to come right now.” Xia’er nodded. She hesitated for a short moment and then asked, “Miss, I wonder if Eldest Young Master will refuse to come, just like he did before.”

Before Ning Qingshan went to the nunnery, she had been close to Ning Huaiyuan, and Ning Huaiyuan treated her even better than he treated his own sisters. The night that Ning Qingshan was going to leave for the nunnery, Ning Huaiyuan was invited to Luoyan Garden too. However, Xia’er didn’t know what happened between them, Ning Huaiyuan left, regardless of Ning Qingshan calling him behind.

Ning Qingshan chased after him until she arrived at the gate of the courtyard, but Ning Huaiyuan didn’t look back.

Since Ning Qingshan arrived at the nunnery, the other masters of the Lord Protector’s Manor would have sent some gifts to her in festivals, but Ning Huaiyuan had never even arranged anyone to greet her. It seemed he had completely forgotten Third Young Lady.

Whenever Xia’er mentioned Ning Huaiyuan, Third Young Lady’s face would go dark.

“No, he won’t refuse to come. I have chatted with him and made everything clear just now,” Ning Qingshan said, an abnormal look crossing her eyes. What happened three years ago was her testing to Ning Huaiyuan. Now she must find a way to deal with Ning Xueyan. The only daughter left in the manor now who had been born by the principle wife of Lord Protector was standing in her way!

While talking, Ning Qingshan had changed her clothes. She looked herself in the mirror and then walked out gracefully. The moment she stepped out, the gentle and graceful smile appeared on her face again.

Ning Xueyan came back to Lucky Garden earlier than Ning Qingshan. When she walked into the room, Madam Dowager was chatting with Third Prince, and Ning Huaiyuan occasionally put in a word politely. Obviously, they had a good time.

At the sight of Ning Xueyan, Madam Dowager waved her hand with a smile. When she walked over, Madam Dowager held her hand gently and look at it carefully. “Fifth Young Lady, does it still hurt? Did you have your wound re-bandaged? You girls should be careful. It’s easy to get scarring if you’re not careful, especially in winter.”

“Grandmother, I’m fine. I have applied some medicine on it and I’m much better now,” Ning Xueyan answered softly.

“I’m relieved now. Take a seat. Third Prince talked about you just now. We have received the invitation letter of the Plum-blossom Party from the imperial palace. Now since Third Young Lady was back, you two can attend the party together a few days later. Don’t disgrace the Lord Protector’s Manor.” Madam Dowager patted Ning Xueyan on the shoulder. Apparently, she was hinting something.

“Third Prince, invitation letter and Ning Qingshan? The party is going to be held in these days?”

Ning Xueyan’s watery eyes flashed and there was a thoughtful look in them. It seemed everything was arranged by Ning Qingshan. She was going to attend the Plum-blossom Party held by the imperial family after she had just come back from the nunnery. No matter what her purpose was, Third Young Lady seemed to be going to rise irrepressibly.

That was why she gave a head-on blow to Bright Frost Garden even before her return. She just wanted to raise her own status in the manor by suppressing Bright Frost Garden!