Anxi and Anmu were so excited about Anran's arrival that they couldn't sleep all night. The next morning, they waited at the gate early, eagerly watching every carriage that passed by outside the alley.
Finally, a horse-drawn carriage with a sapphire blue canopy appeared at the entrance of the alley. The driver got off and led the horse slowly into the alley.
An Mu and An tide knew that their older sister had arrived, and they ran to the carriage in a few steps.
When Anran lifted the car curtain, two excited little faces came into view.
"Sister!" An Mu was young and for a moment forgot the etiquette that Aunt Wu had taught her.
An tide was three years older than him, and was therefore more sensible. She was overjoyed to see An Ran, but respectfully curtsied and greeted her, saying, "Miss."
Aunt Wu had taught her that things would be different once her sister returned to the Marquis's mansion. She and her brother were merely the children of servants, and they were required to bow to the young lady. Although the young lady treated them like her own siblings, the proper etiquette could not be disregarded.
Upon hearing this, An Ran first widened her eyes in disbelief, and then her eyes quickly welled up with tears.
Wu's mother got out of the car and helped Anran down. Seeing that the atmosphere between Anran and her brother was somewhat sad, she quickly smiled and comforted them, "It's not the place to talk outside, Ninth Miss, please go inside and talk."
An Ran blinked hard, holding back her tears.
Holding Anxi's hand with her left and Anmu's hand with her right, the three siblings entered the Wu family's gate together. After passing the screen wall and walking through the covered corridor, Anran carefully observed that the Wu family's house was a three-courtyard complex, which was quite rare in the capital city where land was extremely valuable.
The Wu family gave the back room to An tide and An Mu, a brother and sister.
There were two persimmon trees and a small fish tank in the courtyard, with seasonal flowers and plants on both sides. An Ran looked around and saw that the courtyard was clean and tidy, with two maids and two old women working. It seemed that the Wu family was living a good life.
Knowing that Anran and her brother had something to say, Wu's mother tactfully excused herself by saying she was preparing lunch.
After Cuiping and Qingxing put the things in Anxi's room, they also made an excuse to help out, leaving the room to Anran and her brother.
"Big sister, I miss you so much!" An Mu looked at An Ran with his big, clear eyes and said, "Last time, my sister and I finally went, but big sister wasn't there!"
An Ran patted An Mu's head and said softly, "It's my fault! Don't be angry with your sister, Mu-ge'er!"
"Mu-ge'er, don't talk nonsense!" Anxi, being sensible, instead advised Anran, "Sister, don't worry, Mu-ge'er and I are doing very well here! Sister, you don't need to worry about us. When you have time, Mama Wu has promised to take us to visit you at the mansion!"
Anran nodded with satisfaction.
The three sat down in the room, and An tide ran to pour water for An Ran and then went to get some snacks, acting quite like a little adult.
When she returned, she recounted their experiences at the Wu family to Anran in a clear and organized manner. Anxi's account was impeccable, leaving no room for complaint. However, Anran knew in her heart that the greatest regret was that the three siblings could not be reunited; Anxi, being sensible, simply chose not to dwell on it.
An Ran felt both relieved and bittersweet.
Not to be outdone, An Mu took the initiative to tell An Ran all the books she had read and the words she knew.
"Our Mu-ge'er is so good!" Meeting An Mu's expectant gaze, An Ran readily praised him, "Given time, our Mu-ge'er will surely pass the imperial examinations and become a Xiucai, a Juren, and maybe even a Jinshi, and become the Zhuangyuan!"
An Mu's eyes sparkled.
"If I become the top scholar in the imperial examination, will my sister be able to live with us?" An Mu asked, clenching her fist.
An Ran's heart softened. She was just saying it casually to coax An Mu. Countless people spend their entire lives trying to pass the imperial examinations but never succeed, let alone be selected as the top scholar by the emperor himself through the palace examination.
"Yes," An Ran replied with a smile. If this could encourage An Mu to study hard, that would be great. "Then Mu-ge'er will have to put in the effort."
An Mu nodded solemnly.
The time the three siblings spent together passed quickly, and before long, Cuiping invited Anran and her brother to dinner.
During lunch, An Ran kept observing An Mu and An tide. Seeing that they were not so reserved in front of the Wu family, she finally felt relieved.
******
An Ran didn't stay at the Wu family's house for long. After lunch, she returned to the Marquis's residence.
The old lady made an exception and allowed her to come out once, but she couldn't be ungrateful.
Upon arriving at the Marquis's residence, An Ran was supposed to go to the Grand Madam's place to report first. However, after checking the time, An Ran worried that the Grand Madam was still resting, so she prepared to go back and change her clothes.
Upon entering Ningxue Courtyard, An Ran sensed that something was amiss.
Jinping stood anxiously under the eaves, glancing towards the courtyard gate every now and then.
Seeing An Ran enter, Jinping hurried over. She was about to speak, but ultimately held back, mindful of being in the courtyard.
An Ran immediately realized the seriousness of the situation.
Without a word, she quickly followed Jinping into her room. As soon as they entered, Jinping said in a trembling voice, "Miss, something terrible has happened! I heard from the Madam that you are to be sent to the Prince Yi's mansion—to become the Third Prince's concubine!"
An Ran was stunned, feeling a sudden dizziness.
abyss.
Spring is in full bloom outside the door – bright and beautiful.
An Ran, however, felt as if she had seen an abyss. (Just Love Network)
Chapter 38 Breaking the Game
Jin Ping quickly supported the swaying An Ran. Seeing her dazed look, she said anxiously, "Miss, Miss, don't scare me!"
Hearing the commotion, Cuiping and Qingxing rushed in. As soon as they entered, they saw Jinping supporting their young mistress, whose face was pale and showed a lifeless despair.
Cuiping and Jinping were both startled, and they quickly helped Anran to sit down on the soft couch.
Seeing An Ran's increasingly pale face, Cui Ping kept insisting on calling a doctor.
"Cuiping, come back." Anran, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up to stop her, her expression both tired and desperate. "I'm fine, don't disturb anyone."