Chapter 226   The Close Cousins

“You have just returned to the Lord Protector’s Manor, so you should try to please Madam Dowager and the marquis, and get them on your side. Don’t make unnecessary mistakes and stir up trouble. It will ruin your good reputation.”

Ao Mingyu seemed very mild as he spoke to her. He lowered his head and looked at Ning Qingshan with deep affection in his eyes.

But Ning Qingshan was sensitive to his mood, and she could tell that he was displeased and was trying to hold back his anger. After thinking it over, she guessed that Third Prince knew that she was plotting against Ning Xueyan secretly. Her face suddenly turned pale.

“Third Prince, I, I’m not fighting her on purpose, but she is trying to frame me!” With trembling lips, Ning Qingshan raised her head and said this, appearing very aggrieved. She was so anxious that she seemed about to cry. She appeared a little surprised and scared, but it was all an act. It made people feel that she was really wronged, and could not bear to talk about her grievance.

“I know you are a nice girl and won’t set people up.” Ao Mingyu comforted her in a soft voice, with a gentle look in his eyes.

Ao Mingyu’s trust in her made Ning Qingshan feel especially happy. The grievance in her eyes was replaced by pleasant surprise. At that very moment, a tear dropped from her fair face. “Third Prince, don’t worry. I won’t fight Fifth Sister, and she can do everything she wants, even if... she... is thinking about marrying you!”

With that, tears streamed down her cheeks. Ning Qingshan immediately lowered her head, as if she did not want Ao Mingyu to see her tearful face. She sniffed and wiped her face with a handkerchief. When she raised her head again, she managed to smile, which made her look both gentle and elegant. “Sorry, Third Prince. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Ning Xueyan heard every word clearly from where she was, hidden behind the flower tree. Her lips turned pale. She touched the calyx of a flower with her fingers, quietly.

Ning Qingshan was really good at acting. She had pretended to be sad and shifted all the blame on Ning Xueyan for what had happened recently. She even managed to find an excuse for herself—Ning Xueyan had been trying to set up her, because she had feelings for Ao Mingyu. After all, Ning Qingshan was most likely to become Third Prince’s principal wife.

On the other hand, Ning Qingshan also wanted to test Ao Mingyu.

“Come on! Don’t be sad. I don’t care what she is thinking about. I only care about you.” Ao Mingyu comforted Ning Qingshan with a calm look, wiping the tears gently from her eyes.

That was what Ning Qingshan wanted to hear. She felt relieved. Because of Ao Mingyu’s intimate act, she looked a little shy. “Third Prince, I understand. I will try to avoid attracting any attention from Fifth Sister. Then she will not have any excuse to frame me.”

She was showing that she was not stupid, and she would get on well with Ning Xueyan. If she was found to be associated with something in the future, she could explain to the others with what she had said just now—she did that because she did not want to get Ao Mingyu in trouble.

Ning Qingshan was clear that Ao Mingyu’s women should never be stupid.

With a calm expression, Ao Mingyu looked at Ning Qingshan thoughtfully, then walked forward with his hands clasped behind his back. Nobody knew what he was thinking about. Ning Qingshan walked slowly and caught up with him. Looking at them through the gap between the branches, Ning Xueyan had to admit that the handsome man and the beautiful woman were really a good match!

Ning Xueyan reached out and picked a flower from the tree, with her slender fingers. Winding the petals around her fingers, her pale lips curved into meaningful smile. As she had thought, Ning Qingshan would not miss any chance to frame her!

“Am I’m fighting her because I have feelings for Ao Mingyu? She is really imaginative and shameless!”

Third Prince was a thoughtful person, so he had not shown his feelings on his face just now. If it was only a fight between girls, Ao Mingyu would not pay any attention to it, but now what Ning Qingshan had done seemed to have something to do with his strongest opponent, Prince Yi, Ao Chenyi, so Ao Mingyu had to be more cautious. Ning Qingshan thought that she had explained everything perfectly, but she had not realized that it had made her seem even more suspect.

But it seemed Ao Mingyu’s attitude was also doubtful. With his character, he should not have to repeatedly put up with Ning Qingshan, unless Ning Qingshan was very valuable to him, and because of her value, he would not show his suspicions about her. What was Ning Qingshan worth to Ao Mingyu and made him help her, despite his suspicions?

He had let her go easily yesterday, and he did not ask about her shoulder injury, after hearing her explanation today!

Ning Xueyan was shocked when Ao Mingyu had called Ning Qingshan ‘cousin’. How could she be his cousin? The Lord Protector’s Manor had no blood relationship with the imperial family, so it must be due to Ning Qingshan herself. But Madam Dowager had never mentioned this relationship between Ning Qingshan and Ao Mingyu at the Lord Protector’s Manor.

That meant Madam Dowager and Ning Zu’an did not know that Ao Mingyu was Ning Qingshan’s cousin.

“Cousins?” It was impossible for Ning Qingshan to be related to the imperial family, the Aos, by blood. Otherwise, she would be a Commandery Princess or a County Princess. Such a princess would not have disappeared from the imperial palace and showed up at the Lord Protector’s Manor, for no reason. So Ning Qingshan must have something to do with Honored Consort Ya’s family.

“The Grand Tutor Ya’s manor?” Ning Xueyan frowned slightly. There were so many secrets about The Grand Tutor Ya’s manor!

“Miss!” Xinmei suddenly poked her and gestured to her to look to the right.

Ning Xueyan turned her head to the side subconsciously, and saw a pair of enchanting eyes. An extremely handsome man dressed in luxurious clothes, was leaning lazily against the flower tree, with a flirtatious smile in his eyes. Being watched by such a beautiful and enchanting man, any ordinary woman would have blushed shyly.

But Ning Xueyan was not any ordinary woman.

“Why is Wen Xueran here? Has he been here for some time already, or did he just turn up?” Ning Xueyan frowned, and quietly watched Wen Xueran walking over to her, with a smile.

“Fifth Young Lady, did you hear anything just now?” Wen Xueran smiled slightly, his beautiful eyes sparkling under the flowers and leaves.

“Princely Heir!” Ning Xueyan bowed to him and answered coolly, “If you want to know something, just follow them.”

Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Min looked harmless, and he was both handsome and romantic, but Ning Xueyan was always wary of him. Although she did not find anything wrong about him, she knew he was not a simple-minded person. Otherwise, he would not have helped Ao Mingyu deal with Ao Chenyi. Besides, Ning Xueyan had had a feeling that this man was not that simple, since the first time they met.

“Were you not able to hear what they said clearly, Fifth Young Lady? I saw you listening carefully just now.” Wen Xueran raised his brows in surprise, his tone enquiring, as if he had been watching Ning Xueyan.

“Princely Heir, you’re kidding me. I have been enjoying the view of the flowers on the tree, so I did not pay any attention to the conversation between Third Prince and my third sister. I wonder what made you think I was eavesdropping.” Ning Xueyan raised her head and smiled slightly. She looked at Wen Xueran with her jet-black, innocent eyes. She did not avoid Wen Xueran’s gaze and showed no sign of blushing or palpitations, as if she had not seen Wen Xueran’s enchanting and beautiful face.

A well-behaved person should never overhear another’s conversation. Being accused like this, it was normal that Ning Xueyan to have such a reaction. But Wen Xueran was a little surprised that Ning Xueyan could still stay calm after overhearing what Ao Mingyu and Ning Qingshan had said.

Wen Xueran smiled slightly, as if he had not seen the faint anger on Ning Xueyan’s face. Leaning against the flower tree in front of Ning Xueyan, he picked a flower. “Fifth Young Lady, what do you think about Third Prince and Third Young Lady?” he asked with a smile.

Since Wen Xueran stopped talking about the eavesdropping, of course Ning Xueyan would not mention it. “They are a good match. Princely Heir, don’t you think so?” Looking through the gap between flowers at the receding backs of Ao Mingyu and Ning Qingshan, she said gently.

Wen Xueran turned his head and watched the backs of the two as well, curving his lips. “It’s rumored that three years ago, Third Young Lady saved Third Prince, so it is normal for Third Prince to treat Third Young Lady so well. The rumors have spread to the capital, saying that Third Young Lady will be marrying Third Prince. Now it seems Third Prince really has feelings for Third Young Lady,” he said with a smile.

“Third Sister saved Third Prince? At the imperial palace?” Ning Xueyan turned her face and asked, looking at him with her enchanting eyes.

No one at the Lord Protector’s Manor had known about this, so it must had taken place at the imperial palace. It must have happened when Ning Qingshan had stayed at the imperial palace at Honored Consort Ya’s invitation. After that, Ning Qingshan had requested to go to the nunnery for three years. She must have been confident that Ao Mingyu would not shift his love for her to another woman, so she had made such a decision.

Wen Xueran plucked a flower and put it under his nose. “Yes. Third Prince has been in poor health since childhood. Once, he had a sudden attack and there was nobody by his side. Third Young Lady happened to see him and saved his life. So Third Prince owes Third Young Lady a big favor.” He glanced at Ning Xueyan thoughtfully, with a smile.

“Oh? You even know about such a thing!” Ning Xueyan twitched her lips and said this in an indifferent tone. Then she stopped talking to Wen Xueran, and turned in another direction.

She was even more alert when it came to Wen Xueran. Only the people at the imperial palace knew that Ning Qingshan had saved Ao Mingyu. At least, there was no rumors about this in the capital. But Wen Xueran knew it well, so if Ao Mingyu had not mentioned it to him, he must be an extremely powerful person!

It was unbelievable that a playboy like Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Min was so capable!

“Why did he tell me this? Is he trying to explain why Ning Qingshan is so against me? Or maybe he wanted to tell me why Ao Mingyu is putting up with Ning Qingshan. But what does it have to do with him?” Ning Xueyan did not think that Wen Xueran had anything to do with Third Prince’s affairs. But from his words, Ning Xueyan could tell that he was defending Ning Qingshan.

But why?

“Fifth Young Lady, as the saying goes, what is done by night appears by day. There are so many secrets in the world. You will know them if you come across them.” Wen Xueran’s voice rang out from behind. Obviously, he was smiling. Ning Xueyan was shocked and she clenched her fists inside her sleeves. Instead of stopping, she continued to walk forward calmly.

“Secrets?” Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Min was right. She was a person of many secrets.

The secrets about her last and current life, and her rebirth almost weighed her down. But even so, she would not give up. Besides, she did not believe that Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Min knew any secrets about her.

She did not know why Wen Xueran talked about this to her. She and Ao Mingyu had seen Wen Xueran showing up at the party hosted by Ao Mingyu. But in addition to this, she had never heard about his involvement in any political affairs. “Did he tell me about this on purpose or is he just gossiping?” Ning Xueyan wondered.

Xinmei was walking on the right of Ning Xueyan. “Miss, that person is following us,” she told Ning Xueyan in a low voice.

“Turn in Ning Lingyun’s direction.” Ning Xueyan knew that Xinmei was not talking about Wen Xueran. She stopped thinking about Wen Xueran and turned to the center of the greenhouse. She did not want to have anything to do with Xia Yudong, but he kept on following behind her. “What a daredevil!”