Upon hearing this, Third Master Ren's expression finally improved a bit.
Xiao Jingxi smiled slightly and examined the ink landscape painting Master Ren had just finished. "Father seems to have forgotten to sign it?"
Third Master Ren nodded, stood up, and went out to fetch his personal seal.
Only then did Xiao Jingxi ask Ren Yaoqi, "Why did you come with Mother?"
Ren Yaoqi glanced at her father's retreating figure and whispered, "Just now, a maid came to tell us that you and Father had argued in the study, and Father was so angry he even smashed things. Mother and I were worried, so we came to check."
Xiao Jingxi couldn't help but laugh softly, looking at Ren Yaoqi. "In your heart, am I so lacking in judgment that I wouldn't even yield to my father-in-law?"
Ren Yaoqi also lowered her head and smiled, then asked, "Then what happened just now? It couldn't possibly be that everyone serving in the courtyard was hard of hearing, could it?"
Xiao Jingxi seemed to recall something, his gaze softening as he looked at Ren Yaoqi. "Earlier, when I was playing chess with Father-in-law, the wager we agreed upon was each other's 'most cherished possession.'"
Ren Yaoqi didn't immediately grasp Xiao Jingxi's hidden meaning. She frowned thoughtfully. "My father's most cherished possessions are the three ancient paintings in the drawer under his desk." She didn't think her father was the type to renege on a bet.
Xiao Jingxi sighed quietly, gently taking Ren Yaoqi's hand and giving it a light squeeze. With a smile, he said, "Actually, I knew Father couldn't possibly win against me, so I wanted to ask him for... you, not his three ancient paintings."
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback, her face flushing red. She even forgot to pull her hand back from Xiao Jingxi's grasp.
Xiao Jingxi's gaze remained fixed intently on Ren Yaoqi. "So when he went to retrieve the paintings for me, I politely declined. Father wasn't satisfied with that and questioned whether I thought he couldn't afford to lose. Then, he accidentally knocked over the brush washer placed beside the desk. That might be why those outside heard the commotion and misunderstood."
Ren Yaoqi glanced in the direction Master Ren had left, then calmly tried to pull her hand back. Xiao Jingxi gently released it.
"I saw Father was insistent, so I said I thought his most cherished possession was one of his own masterpieces. I asked for one of his paintings, and after some consideration, he agreed."
Just then, Master Ren's footsteps could be heard approaching. Ren Yaoqi stopped whispering with Xiao Jingxi, and the two of them sat up straight and proper.
When Master Ren returned with his seal, he cast a suspicious glance at his daughter and son-in-law, who were sitting primly, before settling at the desk to stamp his personal seal on the painting.
At that moment, someone outside reported, "Master, the eldest son-in-law has arrived. His horse is almost at the main gate."
Master Ren said, "Once the eldest son-in-law enters, have him go to the main hall first. The second son-in-law and I will be there shortly."
The person outside quickly acknowledged and left.
Master Ren said to Xiao Jingxi, "Let's go over first. Leave the painting here to dry for now, and you can take it with you when you leave."
Xiao Jingxi naturally had no reason to object.Master Ren sized him up for a moment, then offered a reserved evaluation: "Your chess skills are quite good. We must have another game when there's a chance." As he spoke, he cast a somewhat dissatisfied glance at his daughter. "Yaoqi never liked playing chess with me when she was at home." His tone carried a distinct note of complaint.
Ren Yaoqi blinked, looking at Master Ren, feeling rather wronged. Wasn't her father's favorite pastime calligraphy and painting? She had always accompanied him in those! As for chess, her father disliked it when she deliberately let him win, yet losing consistently would surely dampen his spirits. That was precisely why Ren Yaoqi seldom played chess with him.
Xiao Jingxi, ever perceptive and tactful, quickly responded with a smile, "In the future, whenever Father has time, I would be honored to keep you company."
Ren Yaoqi shot Xiao Jingxi a sidelong glance, thinking to herself: As if you have all the time in the world! Just wait until my father summons you and you can't come—let's see what you say then.
Meeting Ren Yaoqi's skeptical gaze, Xiao Jingxi said nothing, merely responding with his usual gentle smile.
Master Ren led the way out first. "Let's head to the main hall."
Knowing that Lei Ting had arrived, Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jingxi could not delay and followed Master Ren out.
Lei Ting's visit to the Ren Family today was undoubtedly due to Xiao Jingxi bringing Ren Yaoqi back for her homecoming visit. Ren Yaohua had not yet completed her month of postpartum confinement and naturally could not return to her maiden home. Initially, it was assumed that Lei Ting, being busy with affairs, would not have the time either, so Madam Li and Ren Shimin had not specifically sent word to the Lei Family. Unexpectedly, Lei Ting had come on his own.
The servants waiting outside the study had been somewhat apprehensive, but seeing Master Ren emerge without a trace of anger, and the Second Young Master Xiao following behind him still wearing that pleasing smile—even with Master Ren occasionally turning his head to exchange a few words with his son-in-law—the atmosphere was remarkably harmonious.
After exchanging puzzled glances, the servants were left utterly bewildered.
Ren Yaoqi observed their reactions and glanced at Xiao Jingxi again, unable to suppress a slight amusement. She had been overly anxious earlier; otherwise, how could she have believed that Xiao Jingxi would provoke her father's anger? If he could truly quarrel with her father, then he wouldn't be the Second Young Master Xiao.
However, Ren Yaoqi's somewhat cheerful mood diminished slightly after leaving the courtyard, when she happened to see Ren Yaoying emerging from the main hall. There are some people you wouldn't say you deeply hate or despise, but their appearance before you is certainly not a cause for joy.
Sure enough, Ren Yaoying merely glanced in their direction before quickening her pace and walking over. The maids and matrons following behind her inwardly groaned at the sight of Master Ren and the others. When they saw Ren Yaoying indeed heading toward them, their faces turned pale. Yet, with the Second Young Master Xiao also present, they could not openly chase after her and forcibly drag her back. Doing so would reflect poorly on the Ren Family.
Thus, after exchanging glances, the matrons hurried to keep up with Ren Yaoying while softly urging, "Ninth Miss, the mistress instructed you to return to your room now. You must come back with us."
Ren Yaoying replied, "I'll just greet Father and then return. And Second Brother-in-law—it would be impolite to ignore him if we meet."
And so, Ren Yaoying smoothly made her way to stand before Master Ren, Xiao Jingxi, and Ren Yaoqi.Ren Yaoqi stood in place without moving, her expression faint, the habitual smile at the corner of her lips still present.
Ren Yaoying stepped forward to give Master Ren a graceful curtsy. The posture of her bent knees and the angle of her lowered head were as if practiced a thousand times—both so perfectly measured, carrying a delicate and fragile beauty.
Master Ren frowned. "Didn’t your mother tell you to rest in your room? Why have you come out?"
Ren Yaoying lowered her head softly. "Daughter knew that Fifth Sister would be returning home today, so I came out to pay my respects to Fifth Sister and Fifth Brother-in-Law."
Master Ren could find no fault with Ren Yaoying’s words, so he remained silent.
Ren Yaoying’s gaze lingered on Xiao Jingxi’s face, and she couldn’t help but stare, especially when she saw the smile on Xiao Jingxi’s face. Blushing, she lowered her head and performed a somewhat restrained curtsy. "This must be Fifth Brother-in-Law? Younger sister pays her respects."
Master Ren said, "Now that you’ve paid your respects, return to your room."
Unexpectedly, Ren Yaoying hesitated and cast a timid glance at Ren Yaoqi. "Fifth Sister, about the matter I mentioned earlier—are you willing to help me?" Her tears seemed to come on command, her eyes reddening in an instant, leaving even Ren Yaoqi in awe.
"If you refuse to help me, younger sister has no way out. I truly do not wish to marry Master He. If the family insists on forcing me into this marriage, I will have no choice but to end my wretched life with a length of white silk." As she spoke, a look of resolve flashed across Ren Yaoying’s face, appearing quite steadfast. Combined with her originally delicate and lovely features, it easily evoked sympathy.
Yet no one present spoke.
Ren Yaoying lifted her head, her gaze secretly sweeping across the faces of the three.
Master Ren’s expression was rather unpleasant. Naturally, he did not want his daughter to marry an old man and bring him shame, but this marriage had already been decided by the elders of the Ren Family. What use was it to bring this up now, other than to embarrass him? Back then, it was Ren Yaoying herself who willingly stayed at the Ren Family’s old residence instead of returning to Yunyang City. As her father, he had not failed to protest.
Xiao Jingxi had only glanced at Ren Yaoying when she appeared, his demeanor as light and indifferent as if he had merely glimpsed a wisp of cloud drifting into view, stirring not the slightest ripple in his eyes. His attention had never been on Ren Yaoying in the first place.
Ren Yaoqi watched Ren Yaoying with a half-smile, just as she had every time Ren Yaoying employed what she believed to be clever tactics in front of her. It was as if no base scheme or sordid intention could escape her eyes.
Although Ren Yaoqi did not possess Ren Yaohua’s perpetually cold, lofty, and overbearing attitude, whenever she fixed someone with this gaze, it made people feel more guilty and ashamed than Ren Yaohua’s knife-like eyes ever could.
Ren Yaoying was made to feel somewhat guilty and caught in a dilemma under Ren Yaoqi’s gaze.
Nevertheless, today was a rare opportunity, and Ren Yaoying did not want to give it up.She thought that Ren Yaoying had only been married into the Yanbei Prince's Mansion for a few days and would certainly be very concerned about her image in front of her husband. If she refused to save even her own younger sister, it would appear too cold-hearted, and her husband might become dissatisfied with her because of it. Therefore, no matter what, in front of the second son of the Xiao Family, Ren Yaoqi would likely verbally agree to her request. And as long as Ren Yaoqi verbally agreed, things would become much easier to handle later on.
Ren Yaoying's calculations were not entirely wrong. After all, any newlywed bride who had only been married for three days would want to present herself as kind and benevolent in front of her new husband.
Thus, Ren Yaoying put on a sorrowful expression and said with a bitter smile, "I only wish to escape this marriage. If you can help me, I... I am willing to remain unmarried for the rest of my life, devoting myself to the Buddha with plain robes and a wooden fish."
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