The Devious First-Daughter

The bookshelves upstairs were bigger than those downstairs, so when she, who was not tall, wanted to take the book on the top layer of a shelf, she could not reach it, though it was close. Now she could only watch it but could not do anything. Lanning, who was about the same height as her, tried a few times but could not reach it, either.

“Fifth Young Lady, let me help you.” A gentle, smiling voice came from the side. Next, a hand came, and the person easily took down a book from the layer of the bookshelf above Ning Xueyan.

Looking up, she saw that it was Cheng Yu’s gentle face with somewhat romance and elegance. When passing the book, he was extremely respectful and never stared at her as if it was no bother indeed.

When they came upstairs just now, Ning Xueyan parted with Ning Qingshan and Ning Lingyun. At this time, she did not know where they had gone. Beside the tall bookshelf were only she, her servant, and Cheng Yu. Although Cheng Yu behaved respectfully, if she and he were seen by those who had bad intentions, they would seem to hide behind the bookshelf on purpose.

But Cheng Yu’s behavior was quite favorable. He did not stare at Ning Xueyan like a lecher. Although he passed the book in his hand to Ning Xueyan, he took two steps back after passing it without behaving rudely, and he also smiled gently. Besides, he just did it in the most suitable manner, expressing his heart and feeling a little guilty about his improper behavior toward Ning Xueyan just now.

Facing such a well-behaved young gentleman, few people would refuse his kindness. In fact, taking one book and passing it was not a big deal. Since daughters of aristocratic families visited the bookshop, they would encounter young males unavoidably. Now, this was not the inner courtyard of the Marquis’s Manor and she also wore a Chinese veiled hat, so she could exchange a few words with him.

But the environment was inappropriate. With tall bookshelves before them, it seemed that they could not see the outside, but when books were put on the shelves, a chink would be left outside on each of the shelves, after all. Although Ning Xueyan could perhaps not see the outside from where she was, what if someone pushed his or her eye against the chink from the outside!

Ning Xueyan was sure that Ning Qingshan would do it.

“Thank you, Childe Cheng, but I don’t need it. Just now I thought it was the book I like, but now I find it is not what I want.” Ning Xueyan took two steps back to stand behind Lanning, bowed in the manner of a woman, and refused him directly.

Hearing the beautiful lady’s soft and a little exceptionally sweet voice, Cheng Yu thought that even if she asked him to do something, he would be willing. His heart beat much faster than usual, and his face even turned reddish. “The young lady before me is indeed the fairy in my dream.”

Although he had not clearly seen her face yet, he could feel her beautiful looks through the swift glance he gave just now.

“I never expected to meet a lady who can so much stir the string of my heart in the capital.” Cheng Yu could almost not control his feelings. Hearing Ning Xueyan’s refusal, he looked up at her affectionately and then put the book in his hand back to the high place.

“Fifth Young Lady Ning, if you can’t reach any books you want, I’ll be willing to help you,” Cheng Yu said gently. Looking at Ning Xueyan turn sideways, he had a trace of obsession in his eyes.

After that, Ning Xueyan felt quite uncomfortable because almost no matter where she went, Cheng Yu followed her, but he would not stay too near or too far. If Ning Xueyan needed any books, he would immediately appear before her to take the book and handed it to her.

But Ning Xueyan refused him every time.

When she turned away from the bookshelf and saw that Ning Lingyun was there, she moved to her lightly.

Ning Xueyan did not expect that this man came along like this, standing not too far or too near from her. He was randomly flipping through a book, but his eyes and eyebrows showed that his attention had been on her.

This was not the Lord Protector’s Manor, so Ning Xueyan could not drive him away. Anyway, this was a bookshop. When everyone read and selected books, they stayed at the so many bookshelves, and picking books to quickly read was normal. Besides, Cheng Yu was not close to her. If he did anything rudely, it was that he helped her take books from time to time.

This man looked guilty as if he was afraid of scaring Ning Xueyan and could not let go of this feeling, and he was also gentle with shyness. Although it was obvious that he liked Ning Xueyan, he still kept a distance from her courteously, so how could anyone feel sick about him?

If such a romantic, well-behaved handsome young man could take a fancy to someone, for many girls, they would become quite moved, and for most girls, their vanity could also be satisfied. More importantly, he respected her very much.

But Ning Xueyan was never one of the “many girls”. Standing beside Ning Lingyun, she did not hide anymore this time. Through the fine gauze of the Chinese veiled hat, she looked at the young man who thought himself romantic, and put on a cold smile. Originally, this was the idea of Ning Qingshan.

After inquiring about Ning Xueyan’s preferences, she then found a man, but this man seemed not to be someone who had neither learning nor skill. On the one hand, he had no idea about the marriage granted by the emperor; on the other hand, he appeared among the children of the aristocratic families in the capital. Remembering this, Ning Xueyan knew that he should be a young student who had achieved something in learning. Seeing the man’s manners and natural demeanor, she knew that he should be a quite famous talent.

When she was in Jiangnan in the past, she was the good lady of a big family who rarely went out to communicate with others. As for the case of Childe Yueming, Ning Xueyan just learned it later, so she had no idea about Cheng Yu, the talent of Jiangnan who was slightly less famous. Of course, whether she knew about it or not, it was not important. She only knew that this was a man Ning Qingshan had brought to trap her.

In fact, it was easy for the unmarried young ladies to fall in love with such a man because he was knowledgeable, behaved with manners though he liked her, and had a gentle, graceful smile. No matter how Ning Xueyan refused him, he was always gentle to her as if he seemed to have no temper. From time to time, his eyes fell on the young lady, burning young lady’s heart.

Compared with Prince Yi, who was arrogant, cold-blooded, and ruthless, did not ask about Ning Xueyan’s condition after she went through a hardship, and also brought his beloved concubine to her, this young man was quite good.

Looking at Ning Xueyan through the chink of a bookshelf, Ning Qingshan had a proud smile, for she did not believe that Ning Xueyan could not be moved.

Ning Xueyan’s marriage was decided by the emperor’s order, and she was never asked about it. Of course, compared with Prince Yi, who had overwhelming power in the court, Ning Xueyan was so unimportant, and no one would care about her opinion.

Surely, Ning Qingshan had no guts to plot against Prince Yi. Although she had met him at a palace banquet, Ning Qingshan did not think that she had ever seen him through and only vaguely thought that he was very cold with somewhat ferociousness. Suppressed by Ao Chenyi’s strong imposing manner, Ning Qingshan did not dare to take one more look at him.

Even she was in such a situation, so Ning Xueyan should be more so. It was obvious that Ning Xueyan was about to be a consort, but a rumor from Prince Yi’s Manor claimed that Prince Yi only favored an unknown concubine. For Ning Xueyan, this was no good news, and she was different from Commandery Princess Xianyun. Even if the latter lost the favor of the prince, she could still use her wife’s title to defend herself.

Therefore, Ning Xueyan was helpless and sad at this time, and it was even fair to say that she was unwilling to marry but had to marry because the imperial edict had been issued. If she did not marry, it meant that she disobeyed the imperial edict, but she could not bear such a charge, nor could the Lord Protector’s Manor.

When Prince Yi came to the manor last time, he clearly told Madam Dowager and Ning Zu’an that he was going to ask for the dissolution of the betrothal!

He was so arrogant, so rude, and so ruthless and never cared that if this requirement was approved by the emperor, Ning Xueyan would be too ashamed to live.

Compared with the affectionate, well-behaved talent Cheng Yu in her presence, Prince Yi was much too undesirable!

Therefore, she did not believe that Ning Xueyan would not fall into her trap. As for the romantic talent, he would fall in love with her when he saw her face. Although she did not want to admit that after having gradually recovered, Ning Xueyan was completely different from the previous fragile image in the Bright Frost Garden, she had to admit it.

She seemed to be the phoenix getting reborn from the fire. Her delicate facial features gradually matured, showing that she would be a stunning woman. In contrast, she was more beautiful than the previous Ning Yuling. Besides that, her lips that were lighter than the others’ made her look like a graceful fairy coming out of a landscape painting, pure without filth.

When she turned her eyes, a kind of enchanting charm appeared in this purity. When he saw such a lady, how could the romantic talent not love her? At first glance, he could possibly get obsessed with her. Such a romantic talent, who was quite gifted and very unruly, would perhaps do something against the rules.

Anyway, he was a talent!

Whether it was Ning Xueyan taking a fancy to Cheng Yu or the opposite, it was good for her. As for this kind of thing, as long as no one talked about it, it could not be found, and Prince Yi would never expect that his consort-to-be had another man in her heart. By that time, she could only need to tell him this secret. Since she had made him such a cuckold, Ning Xueyan would have no chance to live.

Surely, this had nothing to do with the Lord Protector’s Manor, so it meant that it had nothing to do with her, either.

Who would have expected that she deliberately brought Cheng Yu here and let them fall in love at first sight!

For Ning Xueyan, it was difficult for her not to remember such a man. With Prince Yi being a reference, Ning Qingshan did not believe that Ning Xueyan did not like this gentle, affectionate, and talented young man.

Silently, she nodded to Xia Yudong who was not far away, and the latter narrowed his eyes into a slit and agreed.

Xia Yudong stood on the other side of the bookshelf. Seeing that Ning Qingshan nodded to him, he was full of pride. “Third Young Lady will become the consort of Third Prince, and I’ve heard that Third Prince has long been in love with her. If something had not happened, she would get the princess’s position this time.

“If I can build ties with Third Young Lady, I will have glory and wealth in the future. Maybe even my eldest brother will have to fall into my hands.” Thinking of the proud moment, he became even happier, of course.

The two of them, who thought that they had put Ning Xueyan and Cheng Yu into their trap, were now silently reading, leaving the time and space for Ning Xueyan and Cheng Yu and hoping that they could develop deeper love, so that their plan could be more perfect. If this romantic talent could visit her in the back garden at midnight, climb over the wall to secretly meet her, or disguise as a family servant to slip into the mansion, it would be much better.

Then they might get deeper love.

“Crack!” A hard slap came from another bookshelf. At first, Ning Qingshan was stunned, but then she had a little panic in her eyes and quickly turned away from this bookshelf. The slap should come from the direction where Ning Xueyan and Cheng Yu were standing together just now.