Chapter 487   Softened Words Uttered in a Disadvantageous Situation

Behind the bookshelf, Ning Lingyun stared dumbfounded at the scene in front of her, almost unable to realize it for a moment.

Cheng Yu was pale, almost unbelievably looking at the girl wearing a Chinese veiled hat in front of him. He leaned against the bookshelf in the back, and there was slight anger in his eyes. As a talented person, he was always proud and had never been slapped in front of so many people.

Even the beautiful woman he liked could not do this way. Besides, shouldn’t the beautiful woman he liked look at him gently and shyly!

“What’s going on, Brother Cheng?” Xia Yudong turned around, saw the scene before him, and asked with astonishment.

The manners Cheng Yu showed just now did not seem to mean that he would offend Ning Xueyan. Although he was not married, he was not called the romantic talented man for no reason. To the ladies he had a crush on, he would never act too rudely.

“Second Childe Xia, this Childe’s behavior is not suitable. Our Miss is about to marry into Prince Yi’s Manor. If Prince Yi learns the current behavior of this Childe, this Childe will have to die. Our Miss kindly asked him not to follow her, but he did not listen. Our Miss saved his life by doing so.”

Lanning stood in front of Ning Xueyan. She spoke politely, but the coldness on her face was clearly shown. Of course, the message these words carried was that the man was slapped rudely by Ning Xueyan, for Cheng Yu’s red, swollen face that had turned from the white, tender one proved that Ning Xueyan had slapped him hard.

As soon as Lanning opened her mouth, Ning Qingshan felt that the situation was going bad, but when she wanted to stop her, it was too late. Lanning talked sharply without showing any kindness, leaving no room for maneuver.

“Prince Yi’s Manor?” No matter how lecherous he was, Cheng Yu knew what Prince Yi’s Manor was and more clearly knew what kind of person Prince Yi was. If he offended Prince Yi, not only would he die mysteriously, but his family and clan could also be dragged in and killed. For Prince Yi, the words “sentencing the whole clan to death” were never a joke.

“What? Don’t you know that our Miss is going to marry into Prince Yi’s Manor, Childe Cheng? This is strange. Everyone in the capital knows it. Prince Yi asked to marry our Miss, and the emperor issued the imperial edict. This will happen in a few days. Even if you take anyone from the street, he or she knows that Prince Yi is going to marry the fifth young lady of our Lord Protector’s Manor. Childe Cheng, you know too little! Or is it that someone hid it from you on purpose?”

As she spoke with a hint in her words, Lanning raised her eyebrows to look at Xia Yudong, who was standing on the side.

No doubt, talented people were smart, and Cheng Yu was a famous talented man, so he was never stupid. Although he claimed to be romantic, he had to measure his strength. He always thought that he was extraordinary, so he did not think that he could not match the ladies of the noble families in the capital. Due to this reason, he took a fancy to Ning Xueyan and followed her wholeheartedly, aiming to get her favor and make her happy.

He never thought that the family background was a problem. Even if his family background was slightly not as good as hers, when his examination result was announced this time, the Lord Protector’s Manor was sure to value him, and marrying Fifth Young Lady Ning to him would not be something difficult. Always, Cheng Yu was confident in his charm.

This was the reason why he followed Ning Xueyan again and again, but he did not expect that the gentle, sweet girl before him was such a cold person. When he handed a book to her again, she did not take the book but gave him a hard slap.

What made Cheng Yu more surprised was what the maid said.

“Everyone knows about the marriage, but why didn’t Xia Yudong say anything about it just now?” Since the imperial edict had been issued, he did not believe that Xia Yudong didn’t know about it. He also remembered that coming to the bookshop today was the proposal of Xia Yudong, and the reason why he brought the big folding fan here was that Xia Yudong said that big fans were popular in the capital.

If Cheng Yu still didn’t know what was going on after all these things were mentioned by Lanning and he had pondered them over, he was no longer a talented man but a fool!

“Good, very good, Second Young Master Xia, it’s really good. You even plotted against me. It’s my fault that I didn’t see you clearly and mistook fish eyes for beautiful gems.” Putting down his hands that covered his face, Cheng Yu looked coldly at Xia Yudong and did not show him any respect. Although Xia Yudong was the son of Minister Xia, this kind of talented person, who was proud of his gift and regarded things with contempt, did not think much of him.

This time, Ning Xueyan didn’t have to drive him away because he just walked away directly.

“Brother Cheng, Brother Cheng, listen to me...” Xia Yudong looked at the three sisters of the Ning Family who were standing their ground and knew that it was unsuitable for him to stay here anymore, so he immediately went to follow Cheng Yu. In his eyes, Cheng Yu was the most popular examinee in this year’s examination. He was knowledgeable and had handsome looks, so it seemed not difficult for him to be appointed the champion of this examination. If Xia Yudong really offended this man, it was not good for him.

And it was no longer suitable for him to stand there in the current situation.

But Cheng Yu walked so fast that when he went downstairs, the former had already disappeared.

The noise Ning Xueyan made was a little loud so that some people who bought books upstairs heard the sound and came over, but they only saw three young ladies with their maids standing there as if nothing had happened. And almost all of those upstairs were men, who felt too embarrassed to look at these few young ladies closely, so every one of them just took a glance and then left.

The area of the bookshelf became quiet, and Ning Lingyun stepped back anxiously, leaving the space to Ning Qingshan. She, however, just hid carefully in the corner on the side with her maid, as if she knew nothing.

“Third Sister, I never expected to meet a man of such rare quality in this bookshop. Fortunately, you let me get out of the carriage, and then I broadened my horizon.” Ning Xueyan narrowed her eyes slightly to look at Ning Qingshan and sneered.

This tour was proposed by Ning Qingshan; getting out of the carriage was also her idea; even coming upstairs was her request. Later, when they read books beside the bookshelf upstairs, she subconsciously moved away from Ning Xueyan.

“You are blaming me, Fifth Sister? I didn’t know that such a terrible person would appear.” Ning Qingshan was now not panicky anymore and raised her head at this time, as if she really didn’t know anything. “It’s true I proposed to come out and come upstairs, but I didn’t expect to meet something like this, Fifth Sister. If you are angry, just hit me a few times.”

Now that she had opened her mouth, she must say it clearly. Ning Qingshan hated Ning Xueyan silently. “I didn’t expect Ning Xueyan to be so decisive, and her heart was as hard as iron, and she didn’t even show any feelings of a girl. Even such a gentle and handsome young man could not shake her will, then what should I do!”

Initially, she thought that this would be a sure success, but Ning Xueyan suddenly launched an attack, making her fall into such an embarrassing situation now.

“Third Sister, we are sisters anyway. No matter which family’s daughter you were or how noble your identity was, you have been raised in the Lord Protector’s Manor in the past years and were not different from the daughters of our Lord Protector’s Manor. Let me say something unpleasant. As a wife’s daughter, I lived far less happily and comfortably than you in the Lord Protector’s Manor, but if you have it in for me again and again... ”

Ning Xueyan’s words did not show any respect to Ning Qingshan, and there was a fierce chill in her eyes. Although Ning Xueyan’s eyes were behind her veil, Ning Qingshan did not dare to stare at them. At this moment, Ning Xueyan showed her sharpness to the full extent.

Ning Qingshan’s biggest secret was the identity of the princess of the previous dynasty she relied on. Now when Ning Xueyan said it with such a tone, she was quite frightened. She raised her eyes to subconsciously but nervously look at Ning Xueyan and thought, “Ning Xueyan has learned it, hasn’t she?”

But then she shook her head. “It’s impossible for others to know this. That person should be reliable. On my side, only Caifen and Mammy Luo know it clearly, and a few words were even kept from Feilian because it was Madam Dowager who sent her to me and I don’t trust her that much.”

Her words were full of anger. Ning Lingyun in the corner was afraid that they would see her, so she bowed her head even lower to read the book in her hands, but she had not found that she held the book upside down after flipping it through for a long time. Instead, Ning Xueyan saw that she held the book in her hand upside down and had a slightly cold smile.

“Fifth Sister, I know I might be blamed, but I really didn’t know that such a thing would happen. Fifth Sister, no matter how much you hate me, I can only bear it. Of course, I’m a daughter of the Lord Protector’s Manor. When the Lord Protector’s Manor has an honor, then I can have an honor. Speaking of comfortably living, Fifth Sister, when Eldest Sister and Second Sister were in the manor previously, which one of us lived comfortably?”

Ning Qingshan heaved a sigh, looking sad, and she softened her words. If this plan had been finished, Ning Qingshan would not be afraid of Ning Xueyan, but it failed, so now she could not run counter to Ning Xueyan, and she had become more and more afraid of Ning Xueyan.

“I know that you won’t perhaps believe these words I said, Fifth Sister. But seriously speaking, if you are good, the Lord Protector’s Manor is good, and I will also be good when I become a member of Third Prince’s Manor in the future, so you and I have no conflicts of interest. Then, why should I plot against you? Anyway, we had an unlucky tour this time, and I didn’t expect that we would meet such a person. Second Young Master Xia seems not a good man, but I thought that he has a good reputation because he is the brother of our eldest sister’s husband...”

Looking sincere, Ning Qingshan lifted the veil of her Chinese veiled hat and showed a sad appearance. She put all the blame on Xia Yudong and even implied that Ning Ziyan was also involved. Since there was Madam Ling, Ning Ziyan and Ning Xueyan should be enemies.

She had said that they were close sisters and hinted that both she and Nine Xueyan were bullied by Ning Yuling and Ning Ziyan in the past. In fact, she had vaguely shown her weakness.

In the corner, Ning Lingyun was facing a shelf of books, but she had a trace of irony in her eyes. As for what happened today, she learned the whole story. When she came upstairs, she did not know that Ning Qingshan plotted against Ning Xueyan, but her plot was seen through by the latter; but she learned it just now. And now Ning Qingshan was showing her weakness to Ning Xueyan through her words.

Ning Qingshan always thought much too highly of herself. She had a very good relationship with Ning Yuling and Ning Ziyan, but she looked down upon Ning Lingyun so much. More importantly, since she was about to marry into Third Prince’s Manor, she looked down upon Ning Lingyun even more. Besides, now Ning Lingyun had a different idea, very happy to see Ning Qingshan suffer a setback in Ning Xueyan’s hands.

She had witnessed Ning Xueyan’s fierceness, so she made a mockery of Ning Qingshan’s behavior. If Ning Xueyan could be easily trapped, Ning Yuling and Madam Ling would not be in such an end now...