Yan Ningshuang's words carried a hint of sarcasm, as if Ren Yaoqi had deliberately chosen the day of her wedding to announce her pregnancy.
Ren Yaoqi couldn't be bothered to argue with her. With Madam Li and Ren Yaohua present, she had even less desire to engage in conversation, simply wanting to dismiss her with a few casual remarks and send her on her way.
However, just because Ren Yaoqi was easygoing didn’t mean Ren Yaohua would be. Yan Ningshuang’s deliberately provocative tone particularly displeased her.
"I heard that as the eldest daughter of the Yan family, Third Young Madam is the apple of Master Yan’s eye?" Ren Yaohua said leisurely.
Yan Ningshuang glanced at her, unsure of what she was getting at, and remained silent for a moment.
Ren Yaohua smiled. "In that case, I assume your family upbringing must be quite strict? According to the customs in the capital, isn’t it proper to serve tea to one’s elder brother and sister-in-law during the wedding ceremony?" As she spoke, Ren Yaohua gave Yan Ningshuang a meaningful look, as if mocking the Yan family’s upbringing.
Hearing this, Yan Ningshuang’s expression turned cold. She naturally knew that the wedding ceremony required her to serve tea to Ren Yaohua and Xiao Jingxi, addressing them as Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law. However, Yan Ningshuang simply couldn’t bring herself to say it. Though she thought of Xiao Jingxi constantly, if not for Xiao Jingyue dragging her along today, she wouldn’t have wanted to see Ren Yaoqi at all. Now, Ren Yaoqi was carrying the child of the man she loved, while she had, through a twist of fate, become someone else’s wife. If not for...
In any case, the smile on Ren Yaoqi’s face felt particularly grating to her.
Yan Ningshuang turned her face away, pretending not to hear Ren Yaohua’s mockery. However, Xiao Jingyue chuckled and said, "Madam Lei is right. Aren’t we here precisely to serve tea?" He glanced at Sangshen, who was standing nearby. "Could we trouble you to bring us two cups of tea?"
Sangshen looked at Ren Yaoqi, who nodded, and Sangshen went to fetch the tea.
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Jingyue.
Xiao Jingyue was decent-looking, but there was a hint of mischief in his eyes that made it hard for anyone to take a liking to him. As Ren Yaoqi observed Xiao Jingyue and Yan Ningshuang as a couple, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something odd about their relationship, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was.
Sangshen quickly returned with the tea. Xiao Jingyue picked up one cup and handed it to Yan Ningshuang, who frowned but eventually accepted it. He smiled, then picked up the other cup for himself.
As they were of the same generation, kneeling was not required when serving tea. Xiao Jingyue looked at Yan Ningshuang as he addressed Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jingxi, "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, please have some tea."
Yan Ningshuang bit her lip and, under Xiao Jingyue’s amused gaze, reluctantly muttered, "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, have some tea." Her voice was barely louder than a mosquito’s hum.
Once the ceremony was completed, Xiao Jingyue didn’t linger to overstay his welcome and took the initiative to bid farewell with Yan Ningshuang.
After a moment’s thought, Ren Yaohua also stood up and announced her departure.
Madam Li had originally wanted to speak further with Ren Yaoqi, but given the circumstances, it wasn’t appropriate to stay longer. So when Ren Yaohua mentioned leaving, she didn’t dwell on it.
Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jingxi personally escorted Madam Li and Ren Yaohua out of Zhaoning Hall.When their figures had completely disappeared from sight, Xiao Jingxi finally seemed to relax, leaning in to say to Ren Yaoqi with a smile, "Your sister's temperament should get along quite well with Jinglin, don't you think?"
Ren Yaoqi recalled Xiao Jinglin once telling her she wanted to take Ren Yaohua into the military, and couldn’t help but laugh.
Seeing her smiling face, Xiao Jingxi suddenly sighed again, his tone tinged with a hint of grievance. "Madam, you’re not being fair."
Ren Yaoqi was baffled by his accusation. "What have I done?"
Xiao Jingxi led her inside while glancing at her sideways, teasingly saying, "If there’s something you don’t want, you can just tell me directly. As a husband who fears his wife, I naturally follow whatever you say. But how could you quietly find yourself a helper without a word?"
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi understood Xiao Jingxi was referring to the matter of taking a concubine that Ren Yaohua had just brought up, and she felt somewhat embarrassed, quickening her pace forward.
Xiao Jingxi followed closely, deliberately leaning close to her ear and whispering with a low laugh, "Don’t worry, Madam. Your husband’s health isn’t the best, so having you as my one and only wife is enough."
Ren Yaoqi’s face flushed red, and she couldn’t help but glare fiercely at him. Thinking of the sickly image he had presented in front of others earlier, wasn’t this just a case of playing dumb to outsmart the tiger?
The couple’s playful and affectionate banter continued happily, leaving no room for them to pay attention to other irrelevant people.
After Ren Yaohua and Madam Li left, they still had to travel a considerable distance alongside Xiao Jingyue and Yan Ningshuang. Yan Ningshuang kept her head lowered the entire way, her face carrying a trace of melancholy, a stark contrast to the spirited Yan Ningshuang Ren Yaohua had first met.
Ren Yaohua casually asked, "What’s wrong with Miss Yan? You seem rather listless."
Yan Ningshuang was in no mood to deal with outsiders at the moment, but Xiao Jingyue suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him. Caught off guard, Yan Ningshuang nearly stumbled and ended up colliding with Xiao Jingyue.
Xiao Jingyue curled his lips into a light smile. "Madam Ren has sharp eyes. Ningshuang must have had a sleepless night, which is why she seems so distracted. Darling, can you tell me what kept you tossing and turning last night? Early this morning, I even saw you secretly wiping away tears. Are you homesick?"
Ren Yaohua had only asked casually, but after speaking, she realized her question might have been inappropriate. After all, Yan Ningshuang and Xiao Jingyue had just gotten married yesterday, and young couples inevitably...
She had intended to change the subject, but Xiao Jingyue’s subsequent words only made her more uncomfortable. She really didn’t want to hear this couple’s private conversations. This third young master of the Xiao Family was truly something.
Fortunately, seeing that Yan Ningshuang remained unresponsive, Xiao Jingyue didn’t press further. After nodding to Madam Li and Ren Yaohua, he took Yan Ningshuang and left.
Watching the strange atmosphere between the two, Madam Li frowned. "What’s going on with them? It feels odd. According to the third young master of the Xiao Family, Miss Yan was crying in bed early in the morning on her wedding day. How inauspicious! And on such a joyous occasion, what was she crying about?"
Madam Li’s words reminded Ren Yaohua of Yan Ningshuang’s peculiar gaze when she had stared at Xiao Jingxi earlier, as well as the thinly veiled mockery in Xiao Jingyue’s expression just now.Ren Yaohua had indeed heard some gossip, but she didn't say anything in front of Madam Li. She merely watched the two departing figures with a thoughtful expression.
After returning, Ren Yaohua couldn't help but ask Lei Ting about Yan Ningshuang and Xiao Jingyue's marriage.
Lei Ting wasn't one to gossip, but seeing his wife frowning and determined to get to the bottom of things, he reluctantly told her everything he knew about the origins of Xiao Jingyue and Yan Ningshuang's marriage.
Upon hearing this, Ren Yaohua narrowed her eyes. "No wonder she's been acting so strangely. So, marrying into the Yanbei Prince's Mansion was just a cover for her true intentions! Hmph, the Empress Dowager really knows how to mismatch couples. It's surprising that the third young master of the Xiao Family could swallow such an insult."
Lei Ting, however, shook his head and advised Ren Yaohua, "These are just surface appearances. Who knows what's really going on behind the scenes? This matter isn't simple. You shouldn't get involved—after all, it's the internal affair of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion."
Ren Yaohua frowned. "Yaoqi is pregnant. If that woman has any malicious intentions..."
Lei Ting glanced at her and sighed. "Even so, there's not much you can do to help. Besides... is the young mistress of the Xiao Family someone so easily harmed?"
Ren Yaohua thought it over. Although she still felt uneasy, Lei Ting's words made sense. Xiao Jingyue likely had many skilled guards around him, and her sister Ren Yaoqi also had Leshan and Leshui by her side.
However, Ren Yaohua misunderstood Lei Ting's meaning. When he said the young mistress of the Xiao Family wasn't so easily harmed, he wasn't just referring to the protection of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. He believed that with Ren Yaoqi's abilities, someone like Yan Ningshuang couldn't even be considered a threat.
Lei Ting was so certain because he had discovered something.
Since Lei Pan'er was practicing calligraphy, Ren Yaohua remembered that her father had given her a copybook by a famous calligrapher when she married. Although Lei Pan'er wasn't ready for it yet, it would be good for her to start learning. So, Ren Yaohua dug through her dowry storage and found the copybook, along with another one she didn't recall bringing—a copybook written by Ren Yaoqi. Thinking Ren Yaoqi's handwriting was excellent, Ren Yaohua placed both copybooks in the study.
She didn't notice that Ren Yaoqi's copybook contained two pages she had casually written with her left hand while practicing. Yet, it was precisely this copybook that Lei Ting happened to see.
When Lei Ting saw those two left-handed pages, he was stunned for a long time. The unremarkable handwriting felt strangely familiar. Although he wouldn't boast of having a photographic memory, his recall and discernment were slightly better than most. He was certain the handwriting in this copybook was identical to that on a mysterious note he had once received.
At first, Lei Ting thought it might be Ren Yaohua's, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He had been married to Ren Yaohua for some time and knew her character well. She couldn't possibly hide something like this from him and still act as if nothing were wrong.
So, he asked his daughter, who was practicing calligraphy nearby, where the copybook had come from.Lei Pan'er blinked her innocent big eyes and told him: "This is Sister Yaoqi's handwriting! Sister Yaoqi's handwriting is so beautiful, I want to learn hers!"
Upon hearing this, Lei Ting's expression involuntarily shifted through various emotions. Finally, he gave a bitter smile and placed the calligraphy copybook back in its original spot.
Even if it was her, so what? Although she had learned the Lei Family's secret, she hadn't revealed it nor used it to threaten the family. In fact, if not for her subtle guidance back then, the Lei Family wouldn't have come this far.
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