"Can you remember it now?" Ao Chenyi narrowed his eyes and knocked on their table with his slender fingers. His voice sounded a tad threatening.
"I… I really can't remember." Ning Xueyan felt like she had thought of all the possible answers but she was still coming up empty. She had no choice but to admit her fault.
"You really can't remember?" His beautiful eyes curved into a charming arc and his expression was sinister. Sure enough, this was a bad situation to be in. She didn't even hesitate to grab his hand with a bright smile on her tender face.
"Even if I can't remember, you can still remind me, right?" She knew it would pay well to cajole this man.
Ao Chenyi wasn't polite with her either. He turned his hand over and pinched her soft face. His expression had improved considerably. There was a faint smile on his face as he asked, "If I tell you, can you really understand and remember what it is?"
"Of course I can!"
Ao Chenyi was so close that his handsome face was all that Ning Xueyan could see, and he didn't look all that happy. Then, she realized that she had been holding tightly onto a strand of his black hair.She flung her hand and hastily released the strand of hair in her hand. She even caressed the hair on his temples with a wide smile. "Why are you here? When did you come? Why didn't you wake me up?"Ning Xueyan looked truly confused as if she really didn't know that she had grabbed Ao Chenyi's hair until it hurt."Playing dumb, huh?" he said coldly, frowning at her. His slender fingers reached out and lightly pinched the wing of her nose."Ouch!" Ning Xueyan held her nose pitifully. Her limpid eyes seemed glazed over as if brewing tears."Now you know it hurts!" Ao Chenyi's thin lips were curved into a smile. He was satisfied to see her not daring to voice her frustration.Ning Xueyan nodded firmly without
It didn't take long for Qingyu to return from the Lord Protector's Manor with a new piece of news. It was said that there had been a haunting in the prayer hall of the manor.Rumor had it that an older maid became ill from the fright of seeing a ghost.A long time ago, the Cloud Reflection Courtyard was said to be haunted too. No one dared to come close at that time, not even during the day. Even though the rumors died down later on, a few people who were deeply affected by the events said that the situation was still grave then.Therefore, even though only a maid had seen the ghost, the rumors spread like wildfire in the manor.The prayer hall used to be Madam Dowager's favorite spot. It was later used to imprison Madam Ling for some time. Now that Madam Ling was dead, everyone feared that she was the ghost. It was said that Madam Ling was an evil woman when she was alive. Even in death, she might become a malicious ghost. The sit
"What will you do now?" Ning Xueyan had to take two quick steps to catch up with Ao Chenyi's pace. "Destroy the nine barbarian states alongside Wen Xueran?""No." Ao Chenyi raised an eyebrow and smiled mysteriously. "I'll negotiate with Wen Xueran."Confused, she repeated, "Negotiate?""The people of the nine barbarian states have always been different from those of the central plains. They're valiant and barbaric. For many years, they have wanted to invade us. If it weren't for the princes of Annan holding down the front, the nine barbarian states would have attacked us a long time ago. Annan troops have fought the nine barbarian states more than our troops did, and they have a better chance of winning too."Ao Chenyi said calmly. He didn't like the nine barbarian states in the slightest. If it weren't his father forbidding him from going to the faraway hinterland of the nine barbarian states, where death was almost certain, he wo
"Miss, Ning Ziying has passed out. Should I continue to beat her?"Two women in fine clothes were sitting high up in the Yunying courtyard of the Lord Protector's Manor scornfully looking at the thing huddled on the ground. It was so badly mutilated that it could barely be recognized as a human being. They picked up their teacups and slowly took a sip of tea.One of them walked forward and brushed aside the matted hair. She said with affectation, "Sister Ying! Wake up, Sister Ying!"Ning Ziying raised her dirty face, covered with mud. A few bloody cuts were visible where she’d been scratched by Ning Ziyan's nails."Sister Ying, don't hate your elder sister. It’s not my fault you had an affair. And to think, Brother Yuhang almost married a dirty woman like you...""Ning Ziyan!" she bellowed with difficulty, "it is you who had an affair with my fiancé and caused him to break it off with me!"Ning Ziyan put h
As she opened her eyes and looked at the strange surroundings, Ning Ziying was full of doubts.She knew she’d been drowned in the lotus pond. So, where was she now? And how had she gotten here?Seeing the white clothes on her body and the simple arrangement of a funeral in the house, Ning Ziying suddenly felt dizzy, and a lot of strange memories poured into her mind.Ning Xueyan was the cowardly, 14-year-old Fifth Young Lady of the Lord Protector's Manor. Her natural mother was the unfavored co-wife of the Lord Protector, Madam Ming, who had died the day before. Ning Xueyan had died at her mother's funeral due to grief, and no one had yet noticed.And Ning Ziying was reborn in Ning Xueyan's body! She had all of her new body’s memories, as well as her own.The sound of joy and laughter in the front yard made her feel that it was a dream...According to Ning Xueyan's memories, Xia Yuhang and Ning Ziyan were
"Mother Yun, I heard that you are in charge of the kitchen today. Why didn't the masters have dinner, yet all the servants have eaten?" Ning Xueyan stretched out her hand and pointed at the greasy corner of Mother Han's mouth, smiling ironically.Mother Yun was shocked to see that Ning Xueyan was so fierce today. But when she remembered that it was madam's order to neglect the Fifth Young Lady, she was perfunctory again."Fifth Young Lady, you're the daughter of the Lord Protector's co-wife. It's very disgraceful of you to argue with us. You'd better go back first, and when we're not busy, we'll send it to you."After that, without waiting for Ning Xueyan to answer, Mother Yun turned to the two women following her and said, "Take the Fifth Young Lady back to her yard!"Mother Yun was Madam Ling's trusted servant, so she knew that she had to prevent Ning Xueyan from going to the front yard and destroying the wedding ceremony.
The surrounding maids and women reacted because the Fifth Young Lady still was a mistress of the manor, even though she was not favored. If something bad were to happen to her, all of them would be punished. They were overwhelmed, trying to wake Ning Xueyan up and calling for a doctor.The shouts in the garden passed to the front yard, where the madams were having a banquet. They looked at each other, not knowing what had happened.A blood-stained female servant hurriedly walked by, but was stopped by a madam in splendid clothes. "What happened in the backyard?"Mother Han was confused when Ning Xueyan had asked her to go to the front yard before she fainted, but now she understood. The Fifth Young Lady wanted all these madams to go to the garden!She said to the madam, "A servant stunned the Fifth Young Lady in the garden. I'm going to fetch the doctor!"Mother Han's words shocked all the madams. A servant dared to hi
Ning Xueyan stood up unsteadily, holding onto Mother Han's hand, and said, "Grandma , please spare Mother Yun. Maybe we were too impulsive."All the madams were stunned by Ning Xueyan's unexpected pleading for Mother Yun. Ning Xueyan was still young, but she behaved elegantly. They had not known there was such a girl in the Lord Protector's Manor; they had only heard how gentle and elegant the First Young Lady was.Looking at the gentle and graceful Ning Xueyan, Madam Dowager Liu felt happy and spoke with a soft smile on her face. "Xueyan, why did you plead for her? She hurt you and doesn't respect you. She's an evil servant.""Grandmother, I agree she has to be punished for hurting me, but I think today is important, and it's not suitable to kill her. She has been working in the Lord Protector's Manor for many years. How about asking her to go to the backyard? It seems like suitable punishment for her negligence as a servant." Ning Xueyan smil