The Devious First-Daughter

Ning Xueyan walked over and bowed to Madam Dowager before sitting down beside Ning Qingshan. She glanced at the people in the room and figured out what Madam Dowager was thinking about. “Obviously, Madam Dowager also takes the two princes for granted as our family members. What makes her so confident?”

“Your mother is greeting the guests outside, so I let you have fun here for a moment. Otherwise, you may complain that I am unreasonable and keep you working all the time,” Madam Dowager said with a smile, looking gracious.

“Grandmother, I know you are the best to us,” Ning Qingshan responded her cleverly, as if it was normal without Ning Lingyun’s presence.

“Shan’er, you are so sweet!” Madam Dowager was joyful at Ning Qingshan’s words. She patted her on the head with a smile and said, “Well, I am tired. I will have a rest in the inner room. Keep chatting! You are all young people, so if there is any misunderstanding, just explain it face to face.”

Madam Dowager spoke this meaningfully and she specially looked at Third Prince, Ao Mingyu, who seemed to be silent today. After walking into the room, although with a smile on his face, he did not seem to be cheerful. Madam Dowager worried that Third Prince and Ning Qingshan were at odds with each other because what had happened at Third Prince’s suburban courtyard.

Lord Protector’s Manor put a lot of thought and effort into making Ning Qingshan Third Prince’s wedded wife. Maybe she would even become the empress in the future. Therefore, there was no room for error in a matter of this magnitude.

Madam Dowager had specially invited Third Prince here to have him and Ning Qingshan make up. She had also asked Ning Xueyan and Fourth Prince to come by the way. Of course, it was improper to have two unmarried Young Ladies accompany the two princes, so to avoid rumors, she had deliberately asked Ning Ziyan and her husband, Xia Yuhang, to be with them.

Madam Dowager thought that her plan was perfect. After finishing the words, she left with her maids and older female servants, smiling.

“Fifth Young Lady, Third Young Lady has arrived for some time, but why did you come here late?” As soon as Madam Dowager left, Ao Mingwan walked over to Ning Xueyan and asked warmly. Deep affection could be seen in this young man’s eyes. Compared to Ao Mingyu, Ao Mingwan was much more outgoing.

“I bumped into someone just now.” Ning Xueyan smiled, her long eyelashes trembling. She could only answer this overzealous Fourth Prince’s question in this way.

“Are you talking about Yuhang?” Ao Mingwan asked, looking at the Young Lady in front of him, who was as pure as jade. He rarely had such an opportunity to speak freely to her, so he asked in rapid succession so that he could keep talking with this beautiful lady without wasting any time.

“No, I mean the person I met before I met my Eldest Brother-in-law,” Ning Xueyan said coolly. She did not want to show any interest in this Fourth Prince, as Madam Dowager had expected. Since Ao Chenyi had said that he would marry her, although it was only his decision, she had to marry him in the future. Therefore, it was unnecessary to get Fourth Prince involved. Otherwise, it might cause more trouble.

“Fifth Young Lady, I am so… sorry you were shocked by what happened that day!” Ao Mingyu suddenly stood up and said to Ning Xueyan gently.

He had sat beside Ning Qingshan. However, when Ning Xueyan walked in, Madam Dowager had asked her to sit next to Ning Qingshan. Therefore, Ning Xueyan looked more like she was sitting between Ning Qingshan and Ao Mingyu. Nobody had noticed this just now, but when Third Prince stood up, they found that the three people’s seating arrangement was a bit odd.

Instead of comforting Ning Qingshan, Ao Mingyu was comforting Ning Xueyan. It made Ning Qingshan both jealous and angry, a vicious look flashing in her eyes.

“I was the one who was wronged that day! Ning Xueyan only ran into my room with Ning Lingyun in a hurry, so this matter has the least effect on her. Why did Third Prince apologize to her?” Thinking about this, Ning Qingshan was so angry that she crumpled the handkerchief in her hand.

“It doesn’t matter!” Ning Xueyan had not expected that Ao Mingyu would have suddenly talked to her. She bowed to Ao Mingyu gracefully and moved a little back to avoid herself standing between Ning Qingshan and him.

“Princes, it’s still too early. How about a game of go?” Xia Yuhang pointed at the two sets of go piece and laughed loudly, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere in the room.

“Great! Third Brother, I haven’t played the game of go with you for a long time. Come on, let’s start!” Fourth Prince, Ao Mingwan, seemed in high spirits, pulled Ao Mingyu to one of the go boards. Ning Ziyan invited Ning Qingshan to play with her but was rejected. She then turned to Ning Xueyan with a black go piece in her hands and said with a smile, “Fifth Sister, do you like playing go? Let’s play a round!”

“Okay!” Ning Xueyan did not refuse her invitation, but sat down and picked up a white piece.

There were only two sets of go pieces, and if she did not play the game, she would have to watch the others play. No matter who sat next to her, she would feel uneasy, so she decided to join the game.

Ning Qingshan naturally sat beside Third Prince, Ao Mingyu, to watch them playing go. Xia Yuhang sat next to Fourth Prince. Therefore, Ning Xueyan and Ning Ziyan were left alone.

The person with the black pieces should play first. Ning Ziyan had chosen the black pieces, so she placed a piece on the board gently. “Fifth Sister, since I am on the offensive, I will play first. Please go easy on me.”

Bright Frost Garden had never had an upbringing mammy, so Madam Ming had to teach Ning Xueyan skills like musical instrument-playing, board game, calligraphy and painting by herself. Due to her poor health, it was impossible for Madam Ming to teach Ning Xueyan much. Ning Ziyan was clear about it, so she had deliberately said this, triumphantly.

Ning Xueyan placed a white piece on the board and sneered slightly. “Eldest Sister, don’t be too modest. I’m not good at playing go, so I may let you down.”

Among the four skills, Ning Ziying was not good at playing go. Therefore, like the former Ning Xueyan, this was her weakness. However, she did not take winning and losing into consideration for the moment, and she had joined the game only because she did not want to have anything to do with Fourth Prince.

“Fifth Young Lady, you’re not good at playing go? What a coincidence! I’m not good at it either. How about a game between us?” Hearing their conversation, Ao Mingwan immediately stood up and said that he was poor at playing go either. Since he and Ning Xueyan were at the same level in playing go, they could play together to kill time.

“Well…” Ning Ziyan had wanted to humiliate Ning Xueyan by playing go game, but to her surprise, Ao Mingwan suddenly made such a request. She was a little reluctant to miss the opportunity.

“It’s so coincident that Fourth Prince is not good at playing the game either! Then play a round with Fifth Sister and see who is worse at go,” Xia Yuhang said slowly with a smile, in response to Ao Mingwan words.

Hearing that, Ning Ziyan did not dare to object. She then stood up and gave Ao Mingwan her seat.

Ao Mingwan was overjoyed. He had been playing go with Ao Mingyu just now. Seeing that Ao Mingyu seemed to treat Ning Xueyan differently, Ao Mingwan was eager to find a chance to be alone with her. To his surprise, he had gotten such a chance so soon to play with his beloved woman. He immediately sat down opposite Ning Xueyan cheerfully and gave her all the black pieces.

Although he was very poor at go, he still asked Ning Xueyan to play first, like a gentleman. He looked around charmingly with a triumph on his face.

“Third Prince, let’s…” As soon as Ao Mingwan left his seat, Ning Qingshan walked over and sat down on it with a blush face. Obviously, she wanted Ao Mingyu to play with her.

However, before she could continue, Ao Mingyu stood up and smiled at her. “Do you want to go with me to watch my fourth brother playing go? He is really not good at it. If he is even no match for Fifth Young Lady, everyone will laugh at him,” he said gently.

He was polite and gentle when he spoke this, just like he used to be, so nobody could tell anything wrong with him.

Ning Qingshan was reluctant to give up such an opportunity to be alone with Ao Mingyu, but she could not refuse him in front of so many people. She then followed Ao Mingyu and walked to behind Ning Xueyan to watch the game.

Ning Xueyan was surprised that after such a short time, Ao Mingwan had sat in front of her and was about to play the game with her. Besides, all the others had come to watch them playing. She rearranged the board helplessly and placed a piece on the board casually. Ao Mingwan immediately placed another one on it. Since they were both poor at go, they were too close to call for a moment.

They continued to place the pieces onto the board one after another.

The two players were playing and did not notice the abnormal expression of the others. They were already poor at go, and Ao Mingwan did not concentrate on his pieces at all, so he seemed unlikely to win. On the other hand, Ning Xueyan did not care whether she would win or not, so she only placed the pieces casually to kill time. The onlookers could not help but frown.

When Ning Xueyan was about to place another piece, a hand was stretched out from behind her and pinned her fair hand onto the board before turning it to another direction. “Fifth Young Lady, place it here.”

With that, this person loosed his hand and the piece in Ning Xueyan’s hand dropped onto the board, not where she wanted it to be.

“Third Brother, a true gentleman should keep silent while watching a board game!” Ao Mingwan protested. Many of his pieces were blocked after Ning Xueyan’s piece landed. What was more, when had Ao Mingyu come to behind Fifth Young Lady?

“Fourth Brother, are you willing to beat Fifth Young Lady to the ground?” Ao Mingyu asked gently. Ao Mingwan did not know what to say. Of course he did not want the beautiful lady in front of him to lose badly. In order to keep in a draw with Ning Xueyan, he had deliberately misplaced a few pieces.

“Fine! Fine! I won’t blame you this time, but don’t speak anything more.” Ao Mingwan waved his hand generously.

Hearing that, Ao Mingyu smiled slightly. Ning Qingshan was standing behind his side, a trace of grim jealousy crossing her eyes.

Ning Ziyan, who was sitting beside Xia Yuhang, saw the abnormal look on Xia Yuhang as well. She looked at Ning Xueyan suspiciously and observed her expression carefully.

Under so many people’s gazes, Ning Xueyan was not in the mood to play anymore. She placed a few more pieces on the board casually and then threw all the rest pieces into the go basket. She stood up and said apologetically, “Fourth Prince, I lost!”

“It’s not a big deal. Let’s start again!” Ao Mingwan said, waving his hand. He was in high spirits, and since he rarely had such an opportunity to play go with his beloved woman, of course he did not want to miss it. He had wanted to come to the manor and go to Ao Mingyu’s suburban courtyard with the others on the other day, but unfortunately, Honored Consort Shu had stopped him from doing this, so he had failed to go to the suburban courtyard with them.

Of course he still remembered what Honored Consort Shu had told him, and he knew that the Young Lady in front of him was too low to be his wedded wife. However, as Lord Protector’s wedded wife’s daughter, even if she could not marry him as his wedded wife, she could be his co-consort at least.

“Sorry, Fourth Prince, I am so poor at go! You’d better ask someone else to play with you!” Ning Xueyan refused him with a smile.

“Let me play with you! Fourth Brother, we haven’t played go for a long time. You escaped from me just now. Don’t do that again!” Ao Mingyu sat down on the seat after Ning Xueyan stood up and said with a smile to Ao Mingwan sitting opposite him, as if he really wanted to compete with him.

Since he was in such good spirits, Ao Mingwan could not refuse him, but nodded in agreement instead. They restarted the game with the others watching by their sides. Seeing nobody was watching her, Ning Xueyan quietly walked to the corner of the room and sat down, taking a sip of tea Lanning had handed her.

“Miss, he has been there,” Lanning whispered in her ear.