“Can’t you get the teapots from the big kitchen?” Ning Xueyan frowned as she persisted in questioning him.
“The bowls in the big kitchen are different and getting bowls from there is not very convenient. Although the color of the teacups taken from the small kitchens is different, it does not mean that their quality are no better than the ones in the big kitchen. Moreover, some guests will perform rites here, so the teacups you use are even better and they are cleaned frequently. Benefactor, it is perfectly safe for you to use them.”
The young monk explained in a quick-witted manner.
“Are there a lot of bowls here?” Ning Xueyan asked curiously.
“No, not too many, but there are still dozens of them. That is why we clean them very carefully so they are even cleaner than those in the big kitchen.” The young monk replied. Moreover, he also felt that this girl was very kind. He was still a child so it was natural for him to tell her everything he knew, especially when someone made small talk with him.
“Well, thank you. Please give us another one!” Ning Xueyan was satisfied with the answer, so she stopped making things difficult for the little monk and nodded with a smile.
The teacup was replaced and Lanning finished cleaning up the debris. The clever acolyte also received a plate of fruit from Ning Xueyan before he happily went back to the main hall to carry out his duties.
When Ming Yuanhua arrived, Ning Xueyan was drinking tea. He first checked on Ning Xueyan’s condition. Although she did not look very well, she was in good spirits. She sat and chatted leisurely with Lanning. When Lanning saw him coming in, she greeted him and then went out by the side door. After a while, she returned and served him a cup of tea.
Ming Yuanhua sat down, took the tea from Lanning, drank it and put it down. He looked at Ning Xueyan and asked worriedly, “Have you really recovered?”
“I am fine. It is just some minor injuries. I happened to run into the bushes and was not badly hurt,” Ning Xueyan said with a smile. She knew that Ao Chenyi had told everyone that she was in a critical condition after he saved her, even though he knew she was fine. So even though she explained this to her cousin and uncle, they were still worried about her.
“Really? Do you need a second examination? If you were injured internally and we are not aware of it now, there could be a big problem in the future.” Ming Yuanhua frowned and said. He carefully observed Ning Xueyan’s expression for a while and still felt a little worried. Prince Yi said that Ning Xueyan was seriously injured, but Ning Xueyan insisted that she was fine. He had gone to the place where the accident happened afterward and he knew that if Ning Xueyan had not been that alert, she would really have died.
“Don’t worry, cousin. I am fine. I am just putting on a show for others to see. If there was something wrong, how could I survive?” Ning Xueyan said with a smile. She deliberately stretched out her arms and legs to prove that she was fine.
Although Ning Xueyan just moved a little, Ming Yuanhua could tell that she was totally fine after he saw that. He felt a little relieved and signaled his servant who was with him. Upon receiving his order, the servant immediately went to stand guard in the hall.
“They wanted to kill you?” After the young male servant left, Ming Yuanhua’s face was filled with anger. They planned to kill her with one move. It was obvious that they hated Ning Xueyan immensely. Ning Xueyan was a woman who seldom came out of the Lord Protector’s Manor. Except for her relatives at home, she could not have offended anyone.
There were only a few people who wanted to hurt his cousin. Besides Madam Ling, only her children had a motive. Furthermore, it was said that a few rascals had been involved, so it could not have been an ordinary plan that a woman could work out. Maybe Ning Huaiyuan was also involved. Whenever he thought about those people of Lord Protector’s Manor who almost killed Ning Xueyan, Ming Yuanhua was filled with rage.
The people of Lord Protector’s Manor were really despicable and vicious. In the past, they treated Madam Ling badly and even took away her title because of that wicked woman. And now her children wanted to kill his cousin. How could Ming Yuanhua not be angry? If Ming Feiyong had not stopped him, he would have rushed to the Lord Protector’s Manor the moment he got the news.
Seeing Ming Yuanhua’s furious face, Ning Xueyan suddenly felt warm in her heart and the smile on her face became a little softer. “Cousin, don’t worry. I won’t let them go this time, but I need your help!”
“How can I help you?” Ming Yuanhua asked anxiously.
“Cousin, do you still remember my mother’s jewelry that I sent over?” Ning Xueyan asked with a smile.
She had especially brought a box of jewelry that Madam Ming had used. She needed it for her plan.
“The jewelry you brought a few days ago? I know. How do you want to use it?” Ming Yuanhua thought for a while. At that time, he still wondered why Ning Xueyan suddenly brought these things up here.
“No, keep them where they are. But you had better ask someone to dust them every day in case they get dirty. Can you send a young male servant to clean the jewelry in the small kitchen every morning before putting them on my mother’s temporary memorial tablet?”
Ning Xueyan took out a small paper bag from her clothes with a smile and pushed it to Ming Yuanhua. “As for this, you can ask the servant to wipe this on the bowls by the way.” She got the powder from Ao Chenyi. It was of some special use beyond people’s imagination. She could choose not to use it, but she somehow felt that she would be more relieved if she used it.
“What is this?” Looking at the odorless white powder in the small package, Ming Yuanhua’s face changed and he asked in surprise.
“Cousin, don’t worry. It is not poisonous. No traces of it can be found in the bowls after we wipe them on the bowls. It just has some special effects. I suspect that Ning Ziyan and her sister came to the mountain this time to deal with me. They may think of using bowls. It is better to be prepared. If they don’t want to scheme against me, nothing will happen. If they do, the powder will be effective,” Ning Xueyan smiled and said.
Ning Ziyan had expressly asked about her preferences today. Of course, it was not without purpose. The water was from the well-known well and the bowls were also provided by Cold Mountain Temple. There was nothing fishy about it. So the conclusion was certainly correct.
“Okay, I will ask my servant to do it later.” Ming Yuanhua relaxed when he heard that it was not poisonous. He nodded, wrapped up the powder and put it in his sleeve.
“Do they want to stir up trouble again? Do you need me to do something?” Ming Yuanhua asked. He was very impressed with his delicate cousin, so he did not ask her for the specific purpose of the powder. It was said that the two sisters of the Lord Protector’s Manor had bullied his cousin before in the manor, so they must have some evil intentions at this time.
“Not yet. If there is anything, I will ask Xinmei to look for you. Cousin, you just need to remember this and don’t forget about it.” Ning Xueyan reminded him again since the powder was the key to the whole plan.
“Don’t worry, I will never forget. If you are still worried, I will do it myself.” Ming Yuanhua patted his chest directly to make Ning Xueyan feel assured. Thinking that Ning Xueyan had to cover this matter by using the excuse of asking his young male servant to wipe the jewelry, Ming Yuanhua knew that it was very important for her. So he promised Ning Xueyan that everything would be fine.
Ning Xueyan talked to Ming Yuanhua about some other things before she left. Ming Yuanhua wanted to see her off but Ning Xueyan refused. She walked out of the hall with Lanning.
It was spring and the sun was shining brightly. Cold Mountain Temple was a famous temple, so from the side hall to the main hall, there was a continuous stream of pilgrims. Some noble madams and ladies were strolling at the back of the mountain with their own servants. Ning Xueyan had lived here for a period of time before, so she was familiar with this place.
Passing through a moon gate, Ning Xueyan saw the courtyard where she used to live. A well-dressed man with a young male servant came out of the moon gate and almost bumped into Ning Xueyan. Lanning hurried forward to stop them, but Ning Xueyan frowned.
The person opposite her was a man in his middle twenties and wore a royal blue robe. He looked decent and fit with bright eyes and well-shaped eyebrows. When he saw Ning Xueyan, he was stunned and stared at her as if he was looking for something on her face.
“How dare you!” Lanning shouted angrily. Ning Xueyan looked at the man coldly. She pulled Lanning’s hand and was about to leave when several pilgrims came along the wall. They seemed to be some madams walking together Seeing that something was happening, they stopped and looked over.
“Fifth Sister, why are you here? I have been looking for you for a long time.” Ning Ziyan ran over from a side door. She was panting, shaking the handkerchief in her hand as if she had chased after Ning Xueyan, with sweat all over her head.
At this moment, Ning Xueyan almost bumped into a man and she had not left yet. Ning Ziyan ran over and said that she had been looking for Ning Xueyan for a long time, which seemed as if Ning Xueyan came here on purpose.
“Eldest Sister, I have been in the Buddha Hall all the time. How long have you been looking for me?” Ning Xueyan said in a low voice, severely. “So she has been waiting for me here for a long time.”
Ning Ziyan did not expect Ning Xueyan to get to the point at once. She felt embarrassed and then smiled again. She came over and took Ning Xueyan’s hand, saying, “Let’s go, Fifth Sister. Let’s go to the back mountain and have a look. We went back too early last time and we did not have time to enjoy the beautiful scenery.”
She came over in a hurry and purposely moved closer to the man. The man had to take a few steps back.
Seeing the man step back, Ning Ziyan took Ning Xueyan’s hand and went to the back. The two maids followed them, completely ignoring the man and his young male servant beside them.
When they had walked some distance away, the man was still standing there, staring at them. His eyes fell on Ning Xueyan’s slim back and he was still in a daze.
“Master, we can leave now.” The servant pulled his sleeve and reminded him.
“She is so beautiful. She is indeed a stunning beauty. What a startlingly beautiful woman! She is even prettier than the painting.” He hit his palm hard with his fan. He did not even realize that his palm had turned bloody. He would have no regrets in his life to be able to get such a beautiful woman! Initially, he was in doubt, whether such a stunning beauty actually existed. He did not expect that there was such a beautiful person in the world. How could he not be tempted?
He had seen a lot of women and he had countless beauties in his yard, but he had never met such a beautiful woman. Although she still looked immature, her beautiful face showed that she would become a gorgeous Belle.
“Master, do you need to go home and discuss it with the family? This girl does not seem to be from an ordinary family,” The servant said worriedly. He had seen that clearly just now and he was sure that she was a noble lady according to her character. Would it be fine for his master to do that in this way?
“Don’t worry. No matter who she is, I am not inferior. Do you think she will be wronged? She will only benefit from it if she is with me.” The man said proudly. He thought it was just a joke, but he actually saw a beautiful girl. Now his heart was full of enthusiasm and even his head was heated up.
