Chapter 331 Arrogant, Junior Concubine Xu’s Provocation

Seeing that a concubine even though herself high and said something so offensive, Ning Xueyan sneered. “Junior Concubine Xu, how do you know I was doomed to be incompatible with the imperial family? Do you mean all the Young Ladies who were eliminated in the contest were born at odds with the imperial family?” Although she said in a soft voice, she showed no mercy to fight back.

Junior Concubine Xu was so embarrassed that she could not even utter a word. All the Young Ladies who had been eliminated in the contest were from noble families, of course, she did not dare to offend so many of them. Even if she were Lord Protector’s wife, she would not dare to say yes, let alone she was only a concubine.

When she heard what Ning Xueyan said, Junior Concubine Xu’s face turned pale and all the words got stuck in her throat.

“Enough! Since you have offered your greetings, you can leave now. It’s unnecessary to have such trifles ruin our mood.” Madam Dowager waved her hand impatiently as if she really did not want to see Ning Xueyan. “She can’t wait to throw me out! I‘m Madam Dowager’s granddaughter, but she is even kicking me out in the presence of a concubine, so obviously, she thinks I’m useless,” Ning Xueyan thought.

Since Madam Dowager was driving her away, Ning Xueyan did not see the point to stay. She then bowed to Madam Dowager and walked out gracefully.

“Miss, they went too far!” When they stepped out of Auspicious Fortune Hall, Qingyu could not help but feel indignant for Ning Xueyan.

“So what? Is everybody in the manor spreading the rumors that I was doomed not to be related to the imperial members because of ill-matched horoscopes and that’s why I was eliminated in the contest and can’t enjoy the supreme splendor?” Ning Xueyan raised her watery eyes with an indifferent smile.

On the next day after she returned to the manor, she had heard the rumors. As the rumors spread, she was more certain that there must be someone behind this. Otherwise, no servants of the manor would have dared to gossip the Lord Protector’s daughter.

It seemed that someone wanted to take the opportunity to stir up trouble.

Xu Yulian was really not easy to deal with. Ning Xueyan had planned to user her against Madam Ling, but now she had become Madam Ling’s accomplice. With her help, Madam Ling could concentrate on plotting against Ning Xueyan behind her back. It seemed Junior Concubine Xu had already thought herself of the future hostess of the Lord Protector’s Manor.

As soon as Ning Xueyan returned to the manor, the rumors had spread wildly. It seemed that everything had been prepared in advance. Of course, Ning Xueyan did not think that the rumors would really do her any harm. At this moment, she suddenly remembered although Ning Yuling had not said much just now, there was a hint of triumph in her eyes apart from the coldness that appeared from time to time.

She looked both vicious and joyful.

Yes, vicious and… Ning Xueyan suddenly stopped with Ning Yuling’s expression flashing in her mind. Except for the coldness, there was indeed a trace of triumph in her eyes.

Of course, Ning Xueyan did not believe that Ning Yuling became triumphant just because of Junior Concubine Xu’s provocative words. In the past, Ning Yuling might do this, but now she was more composed than before and always looked gloomy which made people feel chill.

It seemed that what had happened to her last time was really a heavy blow to her. Or maybe something else had happened to her after she was sent to that remote place which made her become extremer and grimmer even though her face had recovered. Ning Xueyan could even feel the great resentment from her from time to time.

Such a person could never show the gains and losses on her face.

“People of our manor are still gossiping about me these days?” Ning Xueyan’s heart skipped a beat before she stepped forward again with a slight frown.

“Yes, Miss. A few of them have gone too far. A maid said that you’re a jinx…” At the thought of what that maid had said on the other day, Qingyu could not hold back her anger anymore. She had rushed out angrily and slapped those two maids who were gossiping, but she still felt resentful.

“What did they gossip about me?” Ning Xueyan asked indifferently.

“They said, they said you might be a jinx. Not long after your birth, Madam Ming was demoted from principal wife to co-consort. They also said you should be blamed for Madame Ming’s death, for Eldest Young Lady’s breaking off of her engagement and even for the haunting of the manor!” Qingyu said angrily. Those people were outrageous! At that moment, she really wanted to ask them now that Fifth Young Lady was a jinx, why the marquis and Madam Dowager were still alive.

Of course, she could only feel sorry for her master inside.

While they were talking, they came to an intersection that led to Bright Frost Garden and Madam Ling’s Auspicious Clouds Courtyard. At the moment, Ning Xueyan suddenly saw Ning Huaiyuan coming over from a small pavilion beside the intersection, wearing a cyan robe. He seemed to be a little surprised at the sight of Ning Xueyan and immediately stopped.

“Brother Huaiyuan!” Ning Xueyan knew that it was impoliteness to ignore him, so she walked over and greeted him.

“Fifth Sister, you just got back from grandmother, right?” Ning Huaiyuan stood still with a smile and looked at Ning Xueyan gently, assuming a posture to help her up.

“Yes, I just came back from grandmother’s courtyard.” Ning Xueyan straightened her back and nodded with a smile. She knew Ning Huaiyuan was fighting against her secretly, but at least, they did not have any contact on the surface. Every time they met, they would only say some polite formula and then parted.

However, Ning Huaiyuan did not intend to leave so soon this time. He pointed to the pavilion aside while asking with a smile.

“Fifth Sister, can we talk there?”

“Okay!” Ning Xueyan nodded. Although she did not think that Ning Huaiyuan had anything to discuss with her, she could not turn him down.

She then walked to the pavilion with him, followed by Qingyu.

Ning Huaiyuan suddenly stopped and turned around. “Let her wait here. I have something to tell you,” he said, looking at Qingyu.

“He wants to speak to me alone?” Ning Xueyan raised her jet-black eyes covered under her feathery-like eyelashes and looked at Ning Huaiyuan in surprise. She did not see any points for Ning Huaiyuan to talk to her privately.

“It won’t take long. Fifth Sister, I want to talk to you privately.” Ning Huaiyuan looked very strange today and he was even not as gentle as he used to be. How strange!

“Qingyu, wait for me here. I’ll talk to Brother Huaiyuan over there.” Since Ning Huaiyuan was her eldest brother, Ning Xueyan could not refuse his request. She then nodded and said to Qingyu.

Qingyu was worried, but she had to obey Ning Xueyan’s order and could only watch them walking towards the pavilion. Thankfully, there were no trees between them to block the view, so although she was a little far from Ning Xueyan and Ning Huaiyuan and could not hear their conversation, she could see them clearly. She kind of regretted not having Xinmei with Ning Xueyan, as Xinmei was supposed to be able to hear voices at a greater distance than she did.

With the ending of winter and the weather getting warmer, many flowers in the garden were in bloom. Around the pavilion, there were beautiful peonies and roses as well as a sparkling stream. The green grass set the flowers and willows off beautifully, making a scene full of vitality.

Ning Huaiyuan stood still in the pavilion, with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked at the stream outside and did not speak for a while. Ning Xueyan was not in a hurry. She turned and sat down on the rail beside her, stroking a peony in bud which although had not yet in full bloom, but had already shown the amazing beauty.

The peony with early morning dews still hanging on it looked breath breaking beautiful, but what was more charming than it was the Young Lady next to it. On her fairy face were a pair of moisture beautiful eyes covered with long eyelashes. Her slightly raised, delicate chin, milk-like skin and pale lips revealed her subtle charm.

At this point, Ning Huaiyuan had turned around. He looked at Ning Xueyan with complicated looks in his eyes and asked after quite a while.

“Fifth Sister, since you have lost in the contest, do you have any plan for your future?”

“Brother Huaiyuan, what do you mean?” Ning Xueyan raised her head gracefully, with a flicker of alarm in her eyes. She did not believe that Ning Huaiyuan would have said this out of concern for her although it sounded that he was worried about her future. Considering her current situation, it seemed that Ning Huaiyuan had put a lot of thought into the matter.

Walking towards her, Ning Huaiyuan lifted the hem of his robe and sat down on a stone bench. He looked at Ning Xueyan and said, without beating around the bush, “Fifth Sister, Grandmother is very upset about your loss in the contest and is planning to find a husband for you. She said she would agree with your marriage as long as that man’s family was not bad.”

“Not bad?” Ning Xueyan sneered inwardly. Obviously, Madam Dowager had thought she was no use to her anymore. What did she mean “not bad?” In Madam Dowager’s opinion, if that man was powerful, even if it was Marquis of Ping’an, she would agree to marry Ning Xueyan to him.

Madam Dowager had never thought if she would lead a happy life or not or if something bad would happen to her after she got married.

With a sneer on her lips, Ning Xueyan asked, “What do you think, Brother Huaiyuan?”

Since Ning Huaiyuan had specially talked to her about such a thing, he must have something else to tell her. Therefore, Ning Xueyan kicked the ball back to him to see what he meant.

“Fifth Sister, are you willing to marry a man so casually?” Ning Huaiyuan did not answer her question but asked back.

“As a maiden in the manor, I have no other choices apart from following my parents’ order and the matchmaker’s words,” Ning Xueyan said coolly, showing her helplessness in a straightforward way.

Ning Huaiyuan nodded with satisfaction when he saw the slight sadness and confusion in Ning Xueyan’s eyes as if she really had no idea what to do in the future. He knew it was the right time to make a suggestion. “Fifth Sister, if you don’t want your marriage to be so casual, then I have a good candidate to recommend to you. Do you want to listen?”

“Brother Huaiyuan, you’d better talk to grandmother about such kind of things!” Ning Xueyan blushed and was about to leave when she heard Ning Huaiyuan mention her marriage in front of her.

“Fifth Sister, if you leave, you’ll miss the marriage and grandmother will definitely let Second Sister marry that man. Then you’ll get nothing.” At Ning Huaiyuan’s words, Ning Xueyan put down her foot subconsciously.

When she looked up again, although there was still a glow on her face, her jet-black eyes became even brighter and more vigilant.

“Brother Huaiyuan, why don’t you tell Second Sister about this, but tell me?”

She was clear that it was impossible for Ning Huaiyuan to be nicer to her than to his own sister, Ning Yuling.