Ren Shimin decisively severed his father-daughter relationship with Ren Yaoying. The Ren Family's Eldest Master later sent someone to inquire, but Ren Shimin adamantly insisted he had no such daughter and that the Ren Family could deal with her as they pleased. If the Ren Family didn't want to bother with her either, then she should be sent to a nunnery.
Ren Shimin completely washed his hands of Ren Yaoying. The He family, for their part, did not take the initiative to break off the engagement. The Ren Family was already in a state of chaos, and Old Madam Ren, considering the family's interests, was unwilling to lose Ren Yaoying as a bargaining chip. Thus, Ren Yaoying's engagement to Master He remained.
After all her scheming, Ren Yaoying ended up gaining nothing, and everything went back to how it was.
After Ren Yaoqi's homecoming visit, her days at the Yanbei Prince's Mansion were quite leisurely.
Lately, the Prince of Yanbei and Xiao Jingxi were still very busy. Every day, Ren Yaoqi would go to Jiuyang Hall with Xiao Jinglin to learn about the mansion's internal affairs from the Princess Consort and Nanny Xin. In the afternoon, she would go to Consort Dowager Yun's residence to copy scriptures.
Every day, Xiao Jingxi would leave after having breakfast with Ren Yaoqi and return to have dinner with her in the evening. After dinner, he still had to go to the study in the outer courtyard to handle matters. Ren Yaoqi had no complaints about this. When she wasn't sleepy, she would wait for Xiao Jingxi to return so they could rest together. If it got too late, she couldn't help but doze off. Sometimes, she would intend to just take a short nap and wait for Xiao Jingxi to come back to help him change and wash up, but for some reason, every time she lay down, the next time she opened her eyes, it would be morning.
On this day, Ren Yaoqi had dozed off while leaning against the bed with a book as usual. However, she had something on her mind that she wanted to say to Xiao Jingxi, so she wasn't sleeping very soundly. Thus, when Xiao Jingxi entered the room with lightened steps, Ren Yaoqi seemed to sense something.
Xiao Jingxi sat down by the bed, gently took the book from her hand, and placed it on the bedside table. Then, he carefully leaned over and planted a soft kiss on Ren Yaoqi's forehead. He then half-embraced her, intending to move her into the quilt to lie down properly. It was at this moment that Ren Yaoqi groggily opened her eyes.
Xiao Jingxi looked down at her and broke into a gentle smile. He then pressed a kiss to her lips and asked in a low voice, careful not to startle her, "Are you awake?"
Ren Yaoqi blinked, gradually becoming more lucid. Xiao Jingxi was still in his previous position, half-pressing down on her, his forehead gently touching hers, the tip of his nose lightly brushing against hers. His eyes, filled with a deep smile, watched her without blinking.
Ren Yaoqi's hands unconsciously wrapped around his neck. She glanced toward the hourglass used for telling time, but unfortunately, the lamp in the room had been turned down so low at some point that she couldn't see clearly. She whispered back, "What time is it?"
Xiao Jingxi gently pecked the corner of her mouth and whispered tenderly, "I accidentally woke you. It's already very late. You go back to sleep, I'm going to wash up."
Ren Yaoqi blinked and looked at him without speaking. Xiao Jingxi thought she was still half-asleep, so he gently placed her hands back under the covers, stroked her hair, and slowly stood up to go wash in the adjacent bathroom by himself.
In truth, Ren Yaoqi was already fully awake. She heard the faint sound of water from the bathroom. Xiao Jingxi hadn't called anyone in to serve him, and even the candlelight in the room remained dim. Ren Yaoqi finally understood why she had been completely unaware the previous times Xiao Jingxi had returned late.
When Xiao Jingxi had finished washing up and lay down on the bed again, he discovered that Ren Yaoqi was still awake.
Xiao Jingxi gently pulled her into his arms, letting her head rest in the crook of his shoulder. He kissed her forehead and said softly, "I'm sorry. I'll be more careful not to wake you next time."
Ren Yaoqi wrapped her arms around his waist. "You didn't wake me. Why didn't you have someone come in to serve you? I told the maids before, and why are the lamps in my room all out?"
Xiao Jingxi gently patted her back. "Didn't I tell you not to leave a lamp on for me? It's bad for your eyes if you've fallen asleep. It's just washing up; I don't need anyone to serve me."
Ren Yaoqi knew that Xiao Jingxi was just afraid the noise of his return would wake her. Xiao Jinglin had always complained to her about Xiao Jingxi's "young master" temper, saying he was difficult to serve, but now Xiao Jingxi didn't even want to be served. Ren Yaoqi felt a warmth spread through her heart.
"Have you been this busy recently?" Ren Yaoqi never took the initiative to ask about Xiao Jingxi's affairs outside, so this was just a casual question.
Xiao Jingxi stroked her gently as he said, "Mm. I'm sorry, I've been a bit busy lately and haven't had much time to spend with you."
Ren Yaoqi looked at him in the darkness without speaking, but her eyes were very bright.
Xiao Jingxi couldn't help but lower his head and kiss her on the eyes. Ren Yaoqi's eyelashes brushed lightly against his lips, making his heart feel as if it had been tickled by a kitten.
"The matter of appointing the heir apparent... will be decided soon." Seeing that Ren Yaoqi was still energetic, Xiao Jingxi thought for a moment and brought up the matter he had originally planned to tell her about tomorrow.
Ren Yaoqi hadn't paid it much mind at first, but listening to Xiao Jingxi's voice, she keenly sensed something. She couldn't help but frown and ask softly, "Is there a problem?"
Although the imperial court had been urging the Yanbei Prince's Mansion to appoint an heir apparent and had shown subtle signs of wanting to interfere, the people of Yanbei all believed that if an heir was to be appointed, it would be the Xiao Family's Second Young Master. This was despite the fact that the young master in the distant capital was likely in much better physical condition than Second Young Master Xiao. Just as one feels closer to a child they raised themselves, the people of Yanbei's hearts supported the Second Young Master who had always been in Yanbei. Even if that son left behind by the previous heir apparent was of the Xiao Family's bloodline, he was, in the end, a child raised by others.
However, Xiao Jingxi had specifically brought this up today, and his tone was somewhat peculiar, which made Ren Yaoqi a little puzzled.
Hearing her question, Xiao Jingxi couldn't help but chuckle softly. He kissed her lips, and without pulling away, spoke with their lips still touching, "I only said that one sentence, what did you glean from it?"
Ren Yaoqi wanted to speak, but feeling her lips were a little chapped, she instinctively stuck out her tongue to lick them, unintentionally touching Xiao Jingxi's lips.
The moist, soft sensation made Xiao Jingxi's body stiffen for a moment. He then captured Ren Yaoqi's lips, and what followed was a heart-pounding, blush-inducing siege.
The kiss, both gentle and domineering, forced Ren Yaoqi to keep up with Xiao Jingxi's pace, every possible escape route blocked by him. Only when Ren Yaoqi was out of breath did Xiao Jingxi release her, leaning close to her ear to whisper, "Don't tempt me... It's already very late..."
Ren Yaoqi, her face flushed, shot him a glare, regardless of whether he could see it.
Xiao Jingxi peppered her with light kisses, one after another, while saying, "Yao-Yao? If I weren't the heir apparent of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, would you be disappointed?"
Ren Yaoqi was dizzy from Xiao Jingxi's kisses. His words brought some clarity back to her senses. She looked at Xiao Jingxi through a watery mist, only to see a pair of eyes as deep, bright, and gentle as ever.
Ren Yaoqi asked softly, "If you weren't the heir apparent of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, would you be disappointed?"
Xiao Jingxi smiled, pressing his forehead against hers. "I have you. There is nothing in this world that could disappoint me anymore."
Ren Yaoqi raised her hand to gently caress his face and smiled as well. "I have you. There is nothing in this world that could disappoint me either."
The moment Ren Yaoqi's words fell, Xiao Jingxi's kiss landed again, only this time it was much more urgent than the last. Ren Yaoqi instantly felt as if her breath had been stolen away.
That night, the two had no time to continue that topic.
The next morning, as they sat together for breakfast, Ren Yaoqi remembered that there was something she had forgotten to tell Xiao Jingxi last night.
"My maid, Pingguo, is getting married. After she's married, I plan to have her stay in the courtyard to help me manage the household affairs."
Normally, the mistress of the house didn't need to report such matters to the master. However, the Yanbei Prince's Mansion was different. If Pingguo were to remain in Zhaoning Hall as a steward, she would have to be registered by the Prince's Mansion. Although the head steward of Zhaoning Hall had said that Ren Yaoqi could decide such minor matters herself, Ren Yaoqi still discussed it with Xiao Jingxi beforehand. Xiao Jingxi's Zhaoning Hall had always had more rules than most.
Hearing this, Xiao Jingxi smiled at Ren Yaoqi and gently squeezed her hand. "You are the mistress of Zhaoning Hall. You can decide such minor matters yourself, you don't need to tell me."
Ren Yaoqi smiled back at Xiao Jingxi and nodded.
Pingguo had originally wanted to wait a few more months before getting married. After all, Ren Yaoqi had only recently arrived at the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, and Pingguo didn't want to be busy with her own affairs at such a crucial time. However, Ren Yaoqi considered that the Yuan family had already waited too long and was afraid that with Pingguo's personality, she would procrastinate for too long. So, she made the final decision on the wedding date, and the Yuan family was naturally overjoyed.
After Xueli, this was the second time Ren Yaoqi was marrying off a maid.
Ren Yaoqi had always been extremely good to those around her, especially Pingguo, who had been with her for many years and was taciturn, diligent, and loyal. Therefore, Ren Yaoqi prepared a dowry for Pingguo that made all the other maids envious. It was like a wealthy family marrying off a daughter; she was very generous. In addition, she gave a handsome sum of private money, though Ren Yaoqi did not disclose the specific amount.
On her wedding day, Pingguo came to kowtow to Ren Yaoqi, dressed head to toe in red. This girl was earnest, and the sound of her kowtow was just as earnest. Utterly exasperated, Ren Yaoqi bent down to support her, lest the girl have to spend her wedding night with a bruised forehead.
When Pingguo looked up, her eyes were as red as a rabbit's. This was the first time Ren Yaoqi had ever seen the girl cry.
Ren Yaoqi gave Pingguo three days off. After getting married, when Pingguo was not on duty, she would live with the Yuan family in the outer-ring houses of the Prince's Mansion. During the day, she would continue to serve in Zhaoning Hall. In fact, apart from not living here for one-third of the month, there was not much difference from before.
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