The Devious First-Daughter

Ao Mingyu knew what happened in Cold Mountain Temple as well. He narrowed his eyes, anger flashing in them.

He was only testing when he said that he wanted to marry Ning Xueyan. Although nobody of the Lord Protector’s Manor had said anything about this, from many things happened later, he realized that Ning Xueyan was nothing important at all to Ning Zu’an, the Lord Protector. Plus he got the news that Ning Qingshan was going to come back from the nunnery, so he gradually gave up thinking about marrying Ning Xueyan.

Ning Xueyan’s status in Lord Protector’s Manor was even lower than Ning Qingshan’s!

He was also reluctant to marry an unflavored and powerless woman to be his co-consort, but anyway, he had expressed his admiration for her in front of Ning Zu’an, so he thought people of Lord Protector’s Manor would treat Ning Xueyan better for his sake.

He guessed that her life would be easier after Madam Ling had been put into Buddha Hall, but that didn’t seem to be the case. It meant that Lord Protector’s Manor didn’t take his words seriously at all!

Ao Mingyu had been calm. However, looking at the extremely pale face in front of him, he couldn’t hold his anger any more. Lord Protector’s Manor had gone too far!

He could not help but say, “You can go back. I’ll bring the medicines you need for you.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Third Prince! But we’re neither relatives nor friends, I can’t accept the medicine from you. Many thanks for not having revealed my identity just now. I have to leave now. Third Prince, please don’t tell anyone that you have seen me this evening.” Ning Xueyan refused him, her attitude neither humble nor exalted. She bowed to him with respect but in an alienated way and then was about to leave.

Without Ao Mingyu’s permission, the guards didn’t dare to move, so she couldn’t leave at the moment. She stopped and shifted her eyes to Ao Mingyu again.

Ao Mingyu was surprised when the girl who looked so weak refused his suggestion without even thinking about it. Furthermore, she was determined to distance herself from him. He had never seen such a lady before, so he was shocked. His heart beat faster when he looked at Ning Xueyan’s delicate and charming face again.

He was Third Prince who was both handsome and noble. Besides, he enjoyed a good reputation. All the young ladies of noble families wanted to talk with him, and they would blush at the sight of him. Even Ning Qingshan, who was natural and graceful had never been so cold to him, let alone refusing his suggestion.

When he was told that Ning Xueyan declined his proposal, he had thought that she just pretended to refuse him, but in fact, she really was reluctant to marry him. Now he knew that the girl in front of him actually didn’t want to marry him. He was confused, because he thought if she married him, even as a co-consort, she would become honorable, and nobody dared to bully her again.

“So you dressed like this and came out alone to buy medicine?” Ao Mingyu asked.

“Yes. Because I won’t get the other’s attention to dress up like this. At this moment, nobody will notice a young male servant of the outer courtyard is missing. Third Prince, can I leave now? They will find me out if I go back later!” Ning Xueyan said calmly with a faint smile on her face. Her jet-black eyes looked extremely bright against her pale face.

Although she showed no semblance of shyness, her smile and her beautiful face looked brilliant. Ao Mingyu couldn’t shift his eyes from her and he just stared at her quietly.

Without avoiding his gaze, Ning Xueyan looked at him calmly.

“Fine. You can leave now! Ao Mingyu looked at her deeply and waved his hand. The two guards beside Ning Xueyan moved aside and made way for her.

Ning Xueyan bowed to Ao Mingyu one more time and return to leave, heading for the Lord Protector’s Manor.

“Yu Jian, follow behind her!” The man on the tall building had been watching them ordered coldly.

“Got it!” A black figure flew away and followed behind Ning Xueyan quietly.

Xinmei had been like a cat on hot bricks when she saw Ning Xueyan being caught by Third Prince just now. However, worried that Third Prince would find out she was a martial arts practitioner and became suspicious, she didn’t dare to rush over. Most importantly, Ning Xueyan had been hinting her not to make any rash moves.

She took a sigh of relief when she saw Ning Xueyan walk away from Third Prince. However, when she found Ning Xueyan choose the way returning to the Lord Protector’s Manor, she was surprised. But she still followed her, keeping a proper distance from her.

When she came to a turn which led to the Lord Protector’s Manor, Ning Xueyan stopped. She turned to Xinmei and waved to her.

Xinmei stopped as well and looked around cautiously. She wanted to hint Ning Xueyan that someone else was following them, but Ning Xueyan had already turned around. “Come closer to me. I’m a little scared,” Ning Xueyan said.

“Scared?” Xinmei blinked, but she didn’t see a single trace of fear on her face. She had been staying with Ning Xueyan for some time. Maybe she hadn’t improved in any other way, but she had become much more resilient than before. So she walked over and answered, “Miss, don’t worry. I’m following behind you all the time.”

“Will anybody find us?” Ning Xueyan asked, her eyes bright and clear like water. Then she reached out to pull Xinmei’s hand.

“No, they won’t. Miss, we have just been out for a short time, how can anybody find us? We’d better hurry so that we can get back before anyone finds us. We didn’t get the medicines we wanted, but we can come out again next time,”

Xinmei persuaded.

Ning Xueyan nodded. After straightening her hat, smoothing her clothes and brushing her hair affectedly, she turned and walked toward the Lord Protector’s Manor with Xinmei following behind not far away.

Lord Protector’s Manor’s light could be seen in front of them. Ning Xueyan walked forward calmly, but Xinmei got extremely nervous. After walking a few steps further, they would arrive at the gate of the Lord Protector’s Manor. If Ning Xueyan was found to have dressed like a young male servant, she would get into trouble. But Xinmei knew that she could do nothing now.

She heard a faint sound and she knew it came from the guard of Third Prince who was following them. It seemed that he was waiting to watch them enter the Lord Protector’s Manor! Thinking about the consequence that Ning Xueyan might be found out, Xinmei’s forehead got sweaty and she couldn’t help clenching her fists.

Two older female servants of the Lord Protector’s Manor were chatting while Ning Xueyan getting closer to the gate. They turned their head and looked at her coming over. She looked as if nothing at all had happened.

This area was famous as many wealthy and influential clans lived here. Although Lord Protector’s Manor wasn’t the only manor here, they guessed that the young male servant who walked in its direction was, of course, visiting Lord Protector. The light was dim and they couldn’t distinguish which manor the young male servant came from, so they stopped talking and looked at him.

Suddenly, Xinmei heard a faint flap sound of cloth. “It seems the guard who was following behind us has gone!” Xinmei listened carefully for a while and her face lit up. She strode forward and grabbed the arm of Ning Xueyan as she was about to step on the doorsteps of the Lord Protector’s Manor, and pulled her away from the gate of the manor.

The two older female servants were curious when they saw the young male servant walked away with a maid, but since he only passed by here, they didn’t focus on him anymore and continued the topic they had been talking about. They didn’t notice that a tall and straight figure flickered and then disappeared after they walked into the manor.

Ning Xueyan and Xinmei stopped at a place out of light and then they climbed over the wall and jumped into the Bright Frost Garden. After coming into Ning Xueyan’s room, Xinmei’s face was still pale and devoid of any color of blood, and the clothes on her back were soaked with sweat. On the contrary, Ning Xueyan looked calm.

“Miss, were you scared just now?” At the thought of what happened just now, Xinmei’s feet still felt like jelly. If the guard hadn’t left at that point, she could only watch her master go up the doorsteps and ask someone to open the door.

“What was there to be afraid of?” Ning Xueyan took a sip of the tea which Lanning handed to her and let out a slight sigh. “What does fear solve?”

Fear could solve nothing! When she was beaten hard by Ning Ziyan and Madam Ling, she had been so scared and hoped Xia Yuhang to come to save her. However, when he showed up, he hadn’t saved her, but asked the others to throw her into the lake instead.

So she realized that in case of danger, she should find a way to save herself instead of shivering with fear.

Since Xinmei had been following behind her, she knew that Third Prince must have arranged someone to follow her. She was clear that Third Prince wouldn’t have done this out concern of her safety. Although she explained why she had come out and dressed like this by saying those in front of Third Prince, it was impossible for a person like him to believe her easily.

It was normal if he arranged his guard to verify what she had said.

And the guard would have definitely followed behind her to see whether she came back to the Lord Protector’s Manor or not.

So before the guard of Third Prince had gone, she could only walk forward to the manor without hesitation. But she had already come up with an idea. If the guard still hadn’t left when she approached the gate, she would stop walking and turn around and then go back to the place where she had encountered Third Prince. She would tell Xinmei that she suddenly remembered the medicine she needed in urgent, and to save time, she would head for the pharmacy she had planned to visit.

When she returned to the manor again, the gate of the manor must have been locked inside, so she couldn’t enter.

If the guard of Third Prince was still following her behind at that point, he would definitely show up. Then she could plead Third Prince to send her into the manor.

It was a risky move and the excuse was not convincible, so Third Prince was likely to feel suspicious and even the slightest indiscretion could give her away. So if she had any other choice, Ning Xueyan didn’t want to choose this option.

“But what if the guard didn’t leave?” Xinmei couldn’t help but ask. Ning Xueyan looked too calm at that moment, and she had a feeling that she was going to enter the gate of the Lord Protector’s Manor.

She wondered how a person who looked so weak could be so strong-minded. Even she was an experienced secret guard, she couldn’t help sweating because she was too nervous, so she couldn’t understand how Ning Xueyan managed to stay calm under such satiation.

“I’ll find a way finally if I’m still alive!” Ning Xueyan’s jet-black eyes shone brightly under the light, and there was a trace of smile on her lips. She looked so beautiful, but there was a cold in her eyes which made people chill.

If she was still alive, she would avenge herself. If she were dead, who would still remember Ning Ziying of Cloud Reflection Courtyard? And nobody would know how miserably she had died.

Without her rebirth, nobody would seek justice for Ning Ziying.

Xinmei looked at Ning Xueyan in blank and she suddenly was filled with sadness. Like an old woman who had experienced vicissitudes, the delicate and pretty girl in front of her seemed to have seen through life and death, and there was an indifferent look on her face. How could a fourteen years old girl who had hidden in Bright Frost Garden for years had made people feel that way?

“As for what I would do if the guard didn’t leave… Since Third Prince wanted to spy on me, just let it be!” Ning Xueyan looked down with a smile. Although the way she had just come up with wasn’t good enough, it was better than nothing.

“Xinmei, go to Tonghetang now and tell my cousin that I can’t come out to meet him today. I’ll manage to find time to visit him.”

She held up the tea cup and took a sip of tea, her face thoughtful. She had planned to discuss with her cousin about what her uncle had found out, but it seemed she had to postpone her visit.

Now since both Ning Huaiyuan and Ning Qingshan came back, she should be more cautious so that nothing wrong would happen to the account books at the end of the year.