Chapter 523   The Bustling Lives of the Concubines in Xia Manor

There was a loud knock on the door, prompting the maid to look at Ning Ziyan timidly. Then, under her cold gaze, the maid walked to the door and opened it.

“Oh my, Eldest Concubine, what’s up with you? Now that you’re no longer the Young Mistress, you’re slow in opening the door as well. What’s wrong? Your delicate and spoiled temper isn’t fixed yet?” Standing in front of the door and leaning languidly against the frame was the Eldest Young Master Xia’s third concubine, Chen Hexiang.

Xia Yuhang had three concubines. Of the three, Ning Ziyan had the highest authority, Ning Yuling was the second, and Chen Hexiang the third.

“What’s the matter?” Ning Ziyan replied coldly. Her face was so thin that it was almost misshapen. Her eyes were filled with hatred. Judging from her complexion, she looked at least thirty years old. Who would have thought that she was a young woman in her twenties?

“Oh, I heard your younger sister went out to play again. Why isn’t she taking you along? I heard the imperial examination will take place in a few days. The entire city is so very lively.” Chen Hexiang blew at her freshly-colored nails casually and glanced at Ning Ziyan out of the corner of her eye, looking like she was in a good mood.

Ning Ziyan ignored her words. She remained looking at Chen Hexiang coldly, unmoved.

“Eldest Concubine, don’t look at me like that! It’s quite scary! I heard you’ve been keeping to yourself these few days. Look at that pretty face of yours. It was once loved by the Eldest Young Master. How did it get so ruined like this? It’s really... How do I put it? It’s a shame!”

Naturally, Chen Hexiang wouldn’t give up such a rare opportunity to mock Ning Ziyan. She only came here after hearing that Ning Yuling was away. Although the sisters would get into epic fights, Ning Yuling would throw her out whenever she came over.

“Get out!” Ning Ziyan cried coldly. Her heart was aching with pain and resentment. She picked up a nearby teapot and abruptly stood up. Without even thinking about it, she smashed it at Chen Hexiang’s head. The water in the teapot was still burning hot. Half of it was splashed alongside her movement.

Chen Hexiang’s response was quick. Realizing that she was in danger, she drew back and pulled away most of her body. Still, she didn’t manage to withdraw her arm. The hot water burned her, causing her to scream in pain. She swung her hand so hard that she fell to the ground. The young maid behind her was startled and immediately ran over to help her.

“Chen Hexiang, don’t you dare think that I’m a pushover! I’m not someone you can bully! Yuhang will never make a bitch who has harmed him his wife!” Ning Ziyan walked over and kicked Chen Hexiang’s legs hard, eliciting another pained scream from her. Chen Hexiang reached out to grab Ning Ziyan’s leg, wanting to trip her as well.

To her surprise, Ning Ziyan reacted quickly too. Ning Ziyan took two steps back, foiling Chen Hexiang’s plan.

Ning Ziyan stood inside the room and stared coldly at Chen Hexiang. She closed the door with force, shutting Chen Hexiang outside.

Seeing that she wouldn’t be winning today, Chen Hexiang stood up all while cursing Ning Ziyan out. She pinched her maid twice, blaming her for not protecting her. She hurt the maid so much that she started crying for her parents. Only then did she walk back to her courtyard with the help of her maid.

Ning Ziyan shared a courtyard with her sister Ning Yuling, while Chen Hexiang stayed in another. It was Ning Ziyan who arranged the accommodation for her. It was originally an old courtyard used to store sundries and it was near the fringes of the manor too. It was the place that commanded the least attention in the entire manor.

Ning Yuling’s courtyard was one of the better ones in the manor. When she first joined the manor, she was still the first wife’s daughter from the Lord Protector’s Manor and the Xia Manor couldn’t very well mistreat her. Now Ning Ziyan moved here too. On the one hand, it was so the sisters could live together. On the other hand, it was because they were Ning Zu’an’s daughters no matter what.

Minister Xia wouldn’t be too cruel to them, and neither would he dare to.

Xia Yuhang hadn’t visited her since she moved to this courtyard. On the contrary, Chen Hexiang would “travel from afar” just to visit and kick up a fuss now and then. Her presence added a lot of “liveliness” to this ordinary courtyard. Of course, the ones arguing were usually Ning Yuling and Chen Hexiang while Ning Ziyan would daze out inside the room.

She would think a lot, and the person that occupied her thoughts the most was Ning Ziying. She would think about how terrible Ning Ziying looked when she died. She thought that as long as Ning Ziying was dead, Ning Ziying’s everything—including her marriage, husband, dowries, and even the child in her womb—would be hers. With the Lord Protector’s Manor as her support, Xia Yuhang would never mistreat her.

Who would have thought that in such a short time, she would end up like this? Had she known that this would be her fate, she wouldn’t have snatched Ning Ziying’s engagement then. She wouldn’t fall for Xia Yuhang so hard that she became blind to his true feelings.

Tears, cold and without a trace of temperature, fell down her face. She looked blankly at the sky, her eyes sluggish and resentful. Xia Yuhang had agreed to execute that woman, yet expressed his deep affection for that woman after her death. Meanwhile, he became increasingly cold and indifferent to her.

He hid a portrait of Ning Ziying in his study and treated it like his biggest treasure. If she hadn’t gone in to clean up the study while he was away, and accidentally opened a hidden compartment under his desk, she wouldn’t have seen the woman on the portrait. How ridiculous for him to put up a show of affection after that woman was dead.

Had he expressed such a deep love and decisively rejected her in the beginning, she might not have fallen to such a state...

“Where’s Ning Yuling?” After keeping quiet for a long time, her voice sounded a little hoarse, no longer as soft and gentle as before. There was even a hint of sharpness and darkness in it.

Naturally, the person she was questioning was the maid waiting on her. Even though this maid came to the manor as part of her dowry, she was just a third-class servant. She hadn’t served her master so closely before and she was timid as well. The incident with Chen Hexiang had already frightened her. After hearing Ning Ziyan’s voice resounding in this cold room, she couldn’t help feeling startled.

The maid looked up and met Ning Ziyan’s cold, dead-like eyes. She immediately lowered her head and said timidly, “Second Concubine said she needs to go home to attend to some business and might not return tonight. Before she left, she asked if you’re interested in going home with her.”

After hearing the maid’s reply, Ning Ziyan recalled that Ning Yuling had indeed said something like that outside her door before leaving.

Ning Yuling had gone out last night, and tonight as well. Thinking about it, this was incredibly improper for a concubine. A sneer appeared on Ning Ziyan’s face. But who would care now? With an eerie smile, she collapsed on the bed.

“Go out and get me some food. I’m hungry.” She was different from Ning Yuling, so she couldn’t be as unscrupulous as her sister. She was Xia Yuhang’s legally married wife; he wouldn’t just abandon her!

She wasn’t completely without hope, but there was nothing that she could do now. So, she would listen to her elder brother and wait...

On her way home, Ning Yuling found herself being stopped by Xia Yudong.

Looking at Ning Yuling’s tender face, Xia Yudong touched her face rather playfully. He teased, “Second Concubine, where did you go? Just look at your face. Don’t tell me you went to see your lover behind my brother’s back.”

“How dare you touch me!” A furious Ning Yuling slapped Xia Yudong’s hand away. She would never put up appearances in front of people that she looked down on.

“Why wouldn’t I dare? You’re no longer the Second Young Lady from the Lord Protector’s Manor. How can you come back this late at night? Does my brother know?”

Xia Yudong wasn’t agitated. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at her with a smile.

Ning Yuling felt a stab of guilt after hearing his words. She clutched her handkerchief, stewing in silence for some time, before gathering her courage. “What nonsense are you saying? I just went back to the Lord Protector’s Manor for a look. Can you control me? You’re just an insignificant illegitimate son. How dare you meddle in my affairs! Are you that idle in the manor that you want to cause some trouble?”

“I’m surprised, Ning Yuling. I didn’t think you’d be so arrogant even now. Did you think that this is the Lord Protector’s Manor? Too bad for you, they can’t protect you anymore. Come on! Let’s go to my brother and see who’s right: a concubine dressing up and going out every day, or me informing my brother because I couldn’t stand you acting like this.”

Xia Yudong was about to pull Ning Yuling’s hand.

Ning Yuling was panicking now. How would she dare to see Xia Yuhang now? She immediately grabbed a nearby tree, refusing to let go, all while slapping Xia Yudong’s outstretched hand away. She said angrily, “I’m going to shout if you keep pulling me! Let’s see if your brother believes me or you.”

“Sure. It just so happens that I saw the Princely Heir of the Mu family. I heard he’s here to meet my sister and will be staying until the Third Prince’s wedding. I once saw him having a tryst with a beautiful woman. The woman had half of her face covered, but looking at you now, you resemble her quite a bit.”

Xia Yudong put down his hand and turned his head. He sized her up as if he was seeing her for the first time and sighed. “Now that I look at you like this, you really do resemble her. The heir of the Feudal Prince of Yunnan has a lover that he secretly meets in the capital. Looking at her figure and stature, I think she’s an exact match for you.”

Xia Yudong was about to leave after speaking. He looked like he couldn’t wait to tell Xia Yuhang everything.

Ning Yuling’s forehead was beaded with sweat. She tugged at Xia Yudong’s sleeve and lowered her voice. “What do you want?”

Although Mu Yunfei had agreed to find a way to get her from Xia Yuhang, the matter wasn’t accomplished yet. It would be disastrous if the Xia Manor found out about this. Before marrying Xia Yuhang, she thought he was a gentleman. It wasn’t until marrying him that she realized his fickleness.

She knew her situation well. Now that she didn’t have the Lord Protector’s Manor to fall back on, no one would help her if Xia Yuhang were to do anything to her.

“I don’t want anything. Let’s do something that will benefit us both. I’m sure you’d be more than happy to do so.” Seeing that Ning Yuling was giving in and that his aim had been achieved, Xia Yudong’s attitude swiftly became calm. He pulled Ning Yuling aside and whispered to her.