“It is true that when thinking of someone, she is sure to appear,” Ling Xueyan thought to herself.
After covering the trace of sarcasm in her eyes, Ning Xueyan raised her head. Wearing a faint smile, she looked at Ning Lingyun, who was standing at the front door of Splendid Pavilion, neither cringing nor arrogant. “Fourth Sister, why are you here? Do you also want to buy some jewelry here? Is the jewelry here expensive?”
Ning Lingyun was used to treat her meanly. Just when they met, she sneered that Ning Xueyan had seen little of the world. She was utterly unlike the fawning Ning Lingyun when she met Madam Ling and her daughter. Some people were just like this. They were like dogs wagging its tail ingratiatingly before those people who were superior to them. However, when they faced those persons who were inferior to them, they would insult them in every possible way.
Seeing that Ning Xueyan stayed calm and indifferent, Ning Lingyun went blank for a while and failed to answer her for the moment.
“Fourth Sister, what a coincidence! Why are you also here?” Without taking Ning Lingyun’s words seriously, Ning Xueyan smiled, dropped Xinmei’s hand, and went up to her. “Are you choosing your jewelry for the wedding now?”
Ning Xueyan meant that Ning Lingyun was so anxious to marry that she finally made the thing about Marquis of Ping’an happen. At this time, Ning Lingyun was filled with anger. If Concubine Xu had not warned her for such a long time, she would have made a terrible scene at Madam Dowager’s place this early morning.
“I am not so anxious to pick up jewelry for myself. But Fifth Sister, you may need those ornaments now. Mother told me to choose some for you in advance. Perhaps, you can use them before long.” Ning Lingyun raised her head. She looked back, pointed at those exquisite headdresses in the cabinets inside, and said with a false smile.
Her attitude was extremely arrogant, and her words showed that she firmly believed that Madam Ling would marry Ning Xueyan to Marquis of Ping’an. It seemed that Ning Lingyun had got Madam Ling’s guarantee.
Her words sent Qingyu into a rage. She was going to quarrel against Ning Lingyun, but Ning Xueyan stretched out and pulled her back. Then, Ning Xueyan said to Ning Lingyun. “Now that we have met. Let’s find a place to sit down lest others think that sisters in Lord Protector’s Manor cannot get along well with each other.”
Many people were coming and going at the entrance of the door. But Ning Lingyun stopped Ning Xueyan in the doorway to speak with her. Thus, only after a short while, they had caught the attention of others. Some people were already pointing to them and talking about them, wondering what had happened between them.
Ning Lingyun did not yet dare to spot the reputation of Lord Protector’s Manor. Instantly, she snorted, turned around, and went to the upstairs. There were private rooms on the upper floor, which opened specially to those ladies and madams from noble families as a place to rest. Those rooms were screened off from each other by some simple screens. Refreshments were served with extremely exquisite teacups and small plates. This store was indeed a famous one in the capital.
The store had not only exquisite jewelry but also a place to rest, which was prepared with meticulous care!
Ning Xueyan sat down and took off her curtained hat. Then there were maids in the store who sent each of them a cup of tea. In Ning Xueyan’s previous life, she would sneak out sometimes. Back then, Ning Ziying had enough money, so it was not an unfamiliar place to Ning Xueyan.
“Do you have any fashionable jewelry?” Qingyu walked forward and asked the maid, who brought the tea to them.
“Young Lady, we have just got a batch of jewelry with new styles today, and there are hairpins, earrings, headdresses, and so on. Which kind of jewelry would you like to see?” The little maid was smart enough to know that Ning Xueyan was from either a wealthy family or a noble one once she saw her extraordinary bearing. So she replied obsequiously.
“Do you have any sets of head-ornaments?” Qingyu asked.
“There are not many new sets of head-ornaments newly arrived today. Which style do you prefer, Young Lady?” The eyes of the little maid were kindled with joy because anyone who could afford sets of head-ornaments must be a big customer.
“Send two or three sets of the newly arrived head-ornaments up here for our lady to choose. We prefer more exquisite and sophisticated ones.” Qingyu told her.
The little maid withdrew delightedly.
“Yo, I didn’t know that you have some money in your hands. It turns out that Second Madam really left you her private savings.” Looking at Ning Xueyan’s posture, Ning Lingyun could not help exclaiming jealously. Most of the time, Ning Lingyun only came to watch the jewelry in Splendid Pavilion. Yesterday, Concubine Xu especially handed some banknotes to her to appease her. Concubine Xu told her that Madam Ling gave her those banknotes and Madam Ling wanted her to stay calm because this matter had not yet ended.
They would eventually marry Ning Xueyan to the old and ugly Marquis of Ping’an.
Getting Concubine Xu’s guarantee and Madam Ling’s banknotes, Ning Lingyun finally quieted down. And early this morning, she came to choose jewelry in Splendid Pavilion with some people in high spirits.
However, she felt quite helpless because the jewelry here was too expensive, and no matter how she chose, she could only buy one or two pieces of jewelry with the money in her hands. The price of sets of head-ornaments was far beyond her reach. Now she already felt jealous to the extreme when she saw that Ning Xueyan was so generous.
“Grandma rewarded me with the money. I don’t have any other places to spend the money, so I am here to pick a few pieces of jewelry.” Ning Xueyan laughed kindly.
“But Grandmother hasn’t ever liked you, has she? So why would she reward you?” Ning Lingyun immediately felt dissatisfied when she learned that it was Madam Dowager who gave Ning Xueyan the money. Lifting her eyes corners, she said with anger. And the corners of her eyes twisted out of anger, which made her look even more wicked.
Ning Xueyan picked up the teacup and took a sip gracefully. Then, she said gently. “Grandmother rewarded me only because of Second Sister…”
Speaking of which, she seemed to realize something all of a sudden. She subconsciously covered her mouth with her handkerchief and swallowed the latter part of her words.
Ning Lingyun strained her ears to catch Ning Xueyan’s words, but she did not quite understand.
It could be the most unbearable and annoying thing if the other side broke off in the middle of the sentences during a conversation. Moreover, what Ning Xueyan had said seemed to be related to Ning Yuling. “How can Ning Yuling have something to do with the money Madam Dowager reward Ning Xueyan?” Feeling extremely anxious, Ning Lingyun was only eager to make Ning Xueyan talk.
However, Ning Xueyan did not look like someone who could tell the truth easily!
“Fifth Sister, why does it have anything to do with Second Sister? Is it Second Sister who let Grandmother reward you?” Rolling her eyes, Ning Lingyun put on a false smile and pretended to ask in disdain. She knew that Ning Yuling hated Ning Xueyan to the extreme so that she deliberately asked in a reverse way to make Ning Xueyan talk.
“Fourth Young Lady, you… How did you know that?” Before Ning Xueyan opened her mouth, Qingyu, who was always outspoken and impetuous, stared at Ning Lingyun with great surprise and blurted out the question. But immediately after that, Qingyu noticed that she said something wrong. So she zipped her lips right away and smiled at Ning Lingyun awkwardly.
“Qingyu, shut up!” With a cold face, Ning Xueyan reproached her and explained to Ning Lingyun apologetically. “Fourth Sister, Qingyu was talking nonsense. Don’t believe her.”
If it were Ning Xueyan who told her that Madam Dowager rewarded her because of Ning Yuling, Ning Lingyun would never believe it. But it was said by Qingyu, a straightforward and outspoken maid. In this case, Ning Lingyun would have to think it over.
Upon seeing the nervous expressions of Ning Xueyan and her servants, Ning Lingyun suddenly felt that there might be a plot behind this even if she thought that it was almost impossible.
Her smile faded. Then, with some sincerity, she deliberately pushed a fruit bowl toward Ning Xueyan. “Fifth Sister, we are sisters. Please don’t treat me as a stranger. You should let me know that Grandmother rewarded you money. Perhaps, I can also get some reward money from Grandmother and buy a few pieces of jewelry to wear.”
“Fourth Sister, you misunderstood. It was nothing, really.” Ning Xueyan shook her head. Without batting an eyelid, she pushed the bowl away and said with a smile.
Ning Xueyan didn’t want to her, but Ning Lingyun was unwilling to give up. Just in time, carrying two sets of head-ornaments, the maid walked up to them. Both of the two sets were extremely exquisite, and they seemed to attract all Ning Xueyan’s attention instantly. Then, the maid said that there were a few more sets downstairs, but it was inconvenient for her to bring them here because some people were watching them. After hearing what she said, Ning Xueyan immediately got up and went downstairs.
“Fourth Sister, I am going to see the jewelry first. Please sit here for a while.”
“Fifth Sister, just go ahead. But the maid beside me is not as clever as yours. Can I borrow Qingyu from you? She can help me check whether the hairpin I brought is good or not.” With a smile, Ning Lingyun stopped Qingyu who went last. Seeing the chance, the maid beside Ning Lingyun immediately held Qingyu’s hand affectionately and didn’t let her go downstairs.
“Then, Qingyu, you stay to help Fourth Sister check the hairpin.” Ning Xueyan nodded while smiling. Right after that, she turned around and went downstairs with Xinmei.
“Qingyu, come here to see the hairpin of Fourth Young Lady. Is it beautiful?” asked Caiyun, Ning Lingyun’s maid. Smiling, she took out an exquisite gold hairpin from the box she carried.
“It’s pretty, Fourth Young Lady. But I am really not good at choosing ornaments. You’d better let sister Caiyun pick them for you. I want to see the sets downstairs with my lady.” Qingyu looked helpless, and she begged drily while frowning. From time to time, she looked out of the door. It was apparent that she also wanted to follow Ning Xueyan downstairs.
Ning Lingyun tipped Caiyun a wink.
“Why are you in such a hurry? It is okay just to look at it. Fifth Young Lady has left you to us, anyway. If you disobey Fifth Young Lady’s order and go to find her at this time, you will upset her.” While smiling, Caiyun pushed the box in her hand toward her. “Take a closer look. Our lady also thought it was good when she brought it. But now, she doesn’t like it very much.”
Caiyun pushed the box to her. Subconsciously, Qingyu stretched out her hand to pick it up, but Caiyun released the box at the moment. The box suddenly slipped from their hands and fell heavily on the ground, and then the hairpin with pearls hanging on fell out of the box.
“Qingyu, how dare you? Even if you are reluctant to stay here, you cannot break Fourth Young Lady’s hairpin!” When Caiyun saw something falling, she flared up and shouted loudly with her finger pointing right at Qingyu.
“I, I am not… I didn’t…” Qingyu was quite shocked and waved her hands anxiously.
“Who else could do it? I will wait and see what your punishment will be when your lady returns the manor and tells others about this thing,” Caiyun said ferociously.
“I… It was not me. I didn’t…” Qingyu was so anxious that she could not make a clear explanation now, and her face became quite pale.
At this crucial moment, Ning Lingyun reached out to stop Caiyun, who was dragging Qingyu’s clothes. “Well, it is not a big deal. Qingyu didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Yes, yes, I didn’t mean it.” Seeing Ning Lingyun come to her aid, Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly added.
“But whether you did it deliberately or not is all up to me.” Ning Lingyun smiled insidiously. She meant that she could easily decide whether Qingyu was guilty or not at her will.
“Fourth Young Lady…” Qingyu immediately looked at Ning Lingyun pathetically.
“Why would Grandmother reward Ning Xueyan? How is it connected to Second Sister? You can tell me the answers. If I am satisfied, then the thing that you broke my hairpin will no longer be a big thing.” Ning Lingyun threatened Qingyu. When she knew that her plan worked, Ning Lingyun leaned back against the back of the chair, picked up a piece of cake on the table and put it in her mouth.
She made such a scene only because Qingyu was always a frank and outspoken person, and she was a little timid. Compared to another maid who looked quite smart, Qingyu seemed to be much easier to deal with.
“Second, Second Young Lady…” Qingyu stammered with a colorless face, and it seemed that she swallowed back the words on the tip of her tongue.
“Sure enough, it is related to Ning Yuling.” Ning Lingyun was more curious about the answer. She gave Qingyu a black look at once. “Qingyu, think it twice. You broke the master’s jewelry, which can never be considered as a minor offense! In the Second Sister’s place, there is a precedent.”
Ning Yuling had a maid who dropped her pair of earrings and was beaten to death.
Her words helped Qingyu make her determination. She went to the door and specially checked the situation outside. She closed the door again when she saw no one outside. Biting her teeth, she told Ning Lingyun, “The reason why Fifth Young Lady could get the reward from Madam Dowager was certainly because of Second Young Lady. My lady made an appointment with Second Young Lady, and she fulfilled the agreement. Certainly, Second Young Lady should thank my lady for that. To escape the notice of others, they made Madam Dowager come forward.”
