The Devious First-Daughter

“Cousin Yuanhua, no hurry. Ning Zu’an and Madam Ling won’t admit it.” Ning Xueyan smiled slightly with coldness in her bright eyes. No one knew better than her how vicious and inhuman Madam Ling and Ning Zu’an were. It was worse than a beast that a man had treated his first wife in such a cruel way.

What a maid, who had been driven out from the manor years ago, said did not count. Besides, Madam Yu’s brother, Yu Hu, was still missing. Even if he showed up again, if he could not provide evidence, he might instead be accused of trying to overturn the case for Madam Ming.

Moreover, Ning Xueyan also had another suspicion, so it was not the best time to accuse Madam Ling.

Could any evidence be more convincing than Madam Ling to prove it on her own?

“Okay. Cousin Xueyan, do I need to go to Madam Yu?” Ming Yuanhua was not a reckless person, so hearing Ning Xueyan’s words, he immediately understood her intention. Though he was unwilling, he knew that they must be patient for the moment.

“Cousin Yuanhua, you don’t have to be there. I have someone else around her.” Ning Xueyan shook her head. If she put too many people around Madam Yu, it would arouse Madam Yu’s suspicion. Madam Yu had told them everything because Ning Huaijing was put into jail and she worried about his safety so much, plus Ming Yuanhua’s ambiguous words, she almost broke down. Otherwise, Ning Xueyan would not have made it so easily.

Such a method could not be used repeatedly. Once Madam Yu came back to her senses, she would find the flaw in it easily. Furthermore, with Mother Wang by Madam Yu’s side, it was unnecessary for Ming Yuanhua to show up in the future. It was time for Mother Wang to complete the following steps.

Ning Xueyan seemed to be very confident. Seeing the thoughtful and calm look in her jet-black eyes under her trembling feather-like eye-lashes, Ming Yuanhua suddenly felt a strange sadness. She was only fourteen years old! Any noble Young Lady at her age would be the apple of her family’s eye, but Ning Xueyan had to be strong and face all the difficulties alone.

Since she had been kicked out from the Beauty Contest, her situation in the Lord Protector’s Manor must be more difficult.

Looking at Ning Xueyan, Ming Yuanhua felt really sorry for her. Out of his mind, he suddenly reached out to hold Ning Xueyan’s hand and said emotionally, “Cousin Xueyan, how about I ask my mother to marry you to me. I promise after marrying me, my parents will treat you well.”

He worried that his helpless cousin would be murdered by those people if she still stayed in the Lord Protector’s Manor. He would do everything he could to protect her from those people.

Being shocked by Ming Yuanhua’s sudden words, Ning Xueyan raised her head in a hurry. When she saw the sincere concern in Ming Yuanhua’s eyes, she felt like her nose was inexplicably sour at the sense of being cared for by her family. The long-lost kinship warmed her heart. She could tell that Ming Yuanhua had spoken this for her own good.

She knew that he had come up with such an idea out of concern for her. “Cousin Yuanhua, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” She patted his hand and comforted him, her jet-black eyes revealing a trace of a gentle smile.

“Cousin Xueyan, as long as you agree to marry me, those people won’t dare to turn me down.” Ming Yuanhua thought that Ning Xueyan was afraid of Madam Ling and Ning Zu’an, so he tried to comfort her. Ning Zu’an owned the Ming family an explanation about what had happened to Madam Ming, so Ming Yuanhua was certain that Ning Zu’an would not dare to stop him from marrying Ning Xueyan.

“Cousin Yuanhua, I’m really fine.” Ning Xueyan bit her lip, feeling a little uneasy. Finally, she held back her shyness and turned her slightly blushed face to Ming Yuanhua. “Cousin Yuanhua, Prince Yi said His Majesty would marry me to him after the Beauty Contest.”

Although this matter was a secret and had not been done yet, her cousin, her uncle, and her aunt were all her family members who would know about it sooner or later, so it was not a big deal to give them the news in advance.

“Prince Yi?” Ming Yuanhua could not help exclaiming. Everyone knew how cold-blooded that demon king was. “Does he have a special purpose in letting you marry into his manor?” he asked with a pale face.

He could not help but suspect as Prince Yi, Ao Chenyi, did not look like a man who would marry a girl like Ning Xueyan!

“Cousin Yuanhua, calm down. In my current situation, it would be the best result if His Majesty bestows the marriage to me. You don’t have to worry about me. Please reassure my uncle and aunt. I chose it myself. Prince Yi didn’t force me to do that.”

Ning Xueyan picked up the cup by her hand and took a sip of tea gracefully. She was still smiling gently when she looked up, without any reluctance or sadness on her face. However, there seemed to be an abnormal calmness in the gentleness. Under the candlelight, Ming Yuanhua saw an odd composure in her jet-black eyes beneath her long eyelashes.

Ming Yuanhua left in despair. He did not know why he was so sad. Originally, he had just tried to help and protect his cousin, by why did he feel so disappointed when he heard that his cousin had chosen Prince Yi Ao Chenyi, who seemed to be more powerful. He turned to leave at Ning Xueyan’s words, without saying anything.

After leaping out of Ning Xueyan’s window, he looked around blankly on the roof for a while before he found the direction of his own manor. He took a look at Ning Xueyan’s room and took a deep breath to suppress the indescribable sadness in his heart. Anyway, she was his cousin. Whatever she thought was right, he would support her unconditionally.

He hoped that Prince Yi was sincere to his cousin. Otherwise, in any case, he would take her away from that extremely powerful Prince Yi!

Ning Xueyan was surprised by Ming Yuanhua’s sudden leaving. When she rose to her feet, the window had already been half-closed. After thinking for a while, she felt that if it was to be said sooner or later, it was better for her to tell Ming Yuanhua in person than Ming Yuanhua to know it from anyone else. With a slight sigh, she walked to the window and was about to close it. Suddenly, a black figure landed outside the window and blocked her view. Biting her lip, she looked at the charming face in front of her with a slight frown.

What was rare was that the man’s face, which had always been cold, showed a hint of a smile. With the corners of his thin lips were slightly curved, his usually gloomy and grim face did not look that cold.

“Why is he here again?”

“Prince Yi, the clothes can’t be done so quickly. What’s more, I’m not very good at needlework, so you still have to wait for some time,” looking into his beautiful eyes, Ning Xueyan answered consciously, pointing at the unfinished clothes on the side. The clothes had only just been cut and had not yet been sewn, but obviously, they were carefully cut as there were faint marks on the corners.

“Were you talking about me just now?” Ao Chenyi shifted his gaze from the clothes with satisfaction and naturally pulled her to the chair to sit down. He had been waiting outside for a while and when he heard a man’s voice in the room, he almost lost his temper. Fortunately, Ning Xueyan had told Ming Yuanhua that she was willing to marry Prince Yi and nobody had forced her to do so, which made Ao Chenyi feel much relieved for no reason.

“The ugly toad lusting after the swan! How dare that guy ask Ning Xueyan to marry him without my permission? Fortunately, Ning Xueyan didn’t agree,” Ao Chenyi had thought while hearing their conversation just now.

So he did not do anything to Ming Yuanhua also because the latter was not a threat to him at all.

Ning Xueyan was stunned, but she immediately understood what he meant. “Prince Yi, have you been listening for a long time?” she asked with a blushed face, biting her lip. Obviously, that was what Prince Yi meant.

“Hmm, I have been here for a long time. Since you were chatting with Ming Yuanhua, I didn’t come in until he left.” Surprisingly, Ao Chenyi smiled when he spoke which made his extremely handsome face less serious, and more attractive. Ning Xueyan did not think that he would have explained to her for this.

“Prince Yi, you’d better go back and rest early. Don’t you think it’s inconvenient to come and go like this?” Ning Xueyan felt speechless, looking at Ao Chenyi who seemed to take it for granted to come back and forth at will as if he had taken the Lord Protector’s Manor as his own manor. Hadn’t he ever thought how improper for him to show up in a noble Young Lady’s room at such a moment?

She wondered since when this prince had been in and out of her room freely. Feeling a headache, she rubbed her forehead and tried to find a way to make it clear to this arrogant monster that he was in a maiden’s room of the Lord Protector’s Manor.

“Well, I’m going back to rest now. You should go to bed early.” Ao Chenyi nodded. It was rare that he did not shoot back this time. What surprised her more was that there was even a trace of joy in his voice. He did not say anything more, but he turned around and left through the window without any hesitation.

Ning Xueyan did not expect that Ao Chenyi would be so accommodating tonight. After a short moment of daze, she blinked her eyes and then closed the window.

It was indeed very late. Ning Huaijing’s affair had not been settled yet and now what she needed to do was waiting for the news from Mother Wang. Since Ning Huaijing’s identity had been exposed, no matter how reluctant Madam Ling was, Madam Dowager, who attached great importance to male offspring, would definitely let Ning Huaijing return to the Ning family.

Ning Xueyan was not the only one who had not slept until now.

For many people of the Lord Protector’s Manor, it was bound to be a sleepless night.

Madam Dowager and Ning Zu’an were still calm, but Madam Ling had almost smashed up everything she could in her room. All those new appliances had been broken into pieces that scattered on the ground and it was hard to find a place to put one’s feet. Madam Ling stood in the middle of the messy floor, gasped, her hair disheveled and her face pale and ferocious.

She had always thought herself to be Ning Zu’an’s favorite woman. Since she had been born in an ordinary family, she knew that Madam Dowager would not allow Ning Zu’an to marry her, so she had been his mistress for years and planned to find an opportunity to enter the Lord Protector’s Manor after giving birth to a son for Ning Zu’an.

When the time came, Madam Dowager would have no choice but to assent to their marriage.

However, to her surprise, in order to marry Madam Ming, Ning Zu’an had not brought her and their children to his manor after years. How could Madam Ling reconcile herself to being a mistress all the time? Afterward, she pretended to leak the news by accident to Madam Dowager that she and Ning Zu’an had a son. She then went to the manor and knelt in front of the gate to force Madam Ming to accept her and her children.

Later, she framed Madam Ming secretly. Although Ning Zu’an knew about it, he did not do anything. Madam Ling thought that Ning Zu’an was sincere to her, so he turned a deaf ear to what she had done to Madam Ming and her daughter.

However, the news that Ning Zu’an had another illegitimate child outside was like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky for her. She calculated and found that the woman had a son with Ning Zu’an when the latter was most obsessed with her. Besides, Ning Zu’an also promised that he really loved her and would definitely bring her to his manor. However, to her surprise, he even had an illegitimate child with another woman!

How could she tolerate it? Burning with jealousy and resentment, she really wished she could kill that woman and her son.