Little did she know, four pairs of eyes had been watching her from behind for a long time.
"Brother, I'm sorry for making you worry." Yu Sili lowered his head and apologized to Yu Zhou.
Yu Zhou sighed as he looked at the bruises still visible on his younger brother's arms and face. He patted Yu Sili's shoulder and said, "How could your brother blame you? I just told you to stay away from those kids and not pay any attention to them."
“But they spoke ill of Mother, and they said that my brother and I—and I was—” Yu Sili said angrily, stammering for a long time before finally getting to the point.
Yu Zhou could guess what kind of vulgar language it was. He squatted down and let Yu Sili lie on his back. "Let's go home."
"Brother, do you think Dad really doesn't want Mom, brother, and me anymore?" Yu Sili leaned against her brother's broad back, feeling drowsy. "Sister was so beautiful just now, I thought she was a fairy from heaven—"
Yu Sili continued rambling on, while Yu Zhou simply listened without saying a word.
His father is probably no longer a reliable source of hope. He abandoned his wife and left; why would he ever come back? It's just that his mother still clings to a sliver of a glimmer of hope!
Yu Zhou carried Yu Sili on his back and walked slowly.
He suddenly looked up and saw the girl who had helped Sili earlier standing in front of the large house not far away. With his excellent eyesight, Yu Zhou saw the moment she removed her veil, revealing a face of unparalleled beauty.
The magnificent sunset on the horizon paled in comparison.
Yu Zhou stopped in his tracks.
Once back at the house, Anran quickly forgot about the little incident. Another piece of news she had inadvertently learned had already captured her entire attention.
As she returned and entered the house, she overheard a maid saying that the person who came looking for Third Sister yesterday was actually from the Marquis of Nan'an's mansion!
Anran sensed that something was wrong.
If it were about the Marquis of Nan'an's residence, Third Sister should have told her; she shouldn't have kept it from her. If there was any need to hide it from her, it must be related to her at this moment.
An Ran keenly realized the crux of the matter. It was related to the Marquis of Nan'an's residence, and also to herself...
Could it be that there's been a problem with her engagement to Fang Ting?
After much deliberation, An Ran could only think of this one possibility. Recalling San Niang's evasive expression at the time, An Ran found it increasingly plausible.
However, she has no way to confirm it at the moment.
"Miss, Sister Huaping is here!" Anran had changed her clothes and hadn't even had time to look at Xue Tuan'er. She was sitting in the main room lost in thought when Cuiping came in to announce her arrival.
Why did the painting screen suddenly come back?
“Miss, the Crown Princess was worried about you, so she sent me back to fetch you.” Hua Ping’s previous gloomy expression vanished, and she said with a smile, “It’s getting late today, and the Crown Princess said we’ll set off for home early tomorrow morning.”
An Ran was completely confused. Was the matter resolved so quickly?
“Sister Huaping, tell me the truth.” Anran pulled Huaping to the room where Third Sister used to live and dismissed the servants. She said seriously, “I’ve been feeling that something is wrong with this. Why did Third Sister suddenly leave yesterday?”
Hua Ping showed a hint of embarrassment on her face.
She had initially intended to use that excuse to appease Ninth Miss, but after thinking it over, she realized that Ninth Miss, with her intelligence, would surely see through the problem. Huaping pondered for a moment, then simply told her everything. Since the matter was already resolved, it wouldn't do Ninth Miss any harm in knowing the truth.
"The Crown Princess left yesterday, actually because of you, young lady." Huaping lowered her voice and said, "Suddenly, there's a rumor that you came to Prince Yi's residence not to accompany the Crown Princess, but rather—but rather—"
Having said all that, An Ran understood perfectly.
Those around Third Sister knew the purpose of her being sent to the Prince Yi's residence: to become the Third Prince's concubine. However, she ultimately returned safely to the Marquis of Nan'an's residence, and the matter should have ended there.
Even if it's not true, rumors are more dangerous than facts.
She was mentally prepared that one day such rumors would spread and her reputation would be ruined. But she had no choice but to grit her teeth and keep going.
The reason why Third Sister was able to return was probably because these words reached the Marquis of Dingbei's residence.
Although Fang Ting was a son of a concubine, he had achieved official rank and was highly regarded by the Marquis of Dingbei's family. Why would he marry a daughter of a concubine with a bad reputation?
Even if the engagement were already finalized, it would be perfectly reasonable for the Marquis of Dingbei's family to break off the engagement because of this. An Ran would never pester or try to persuade them to stay.
Although a heavy look flashed across An Ran's face, she showed no sign of dejection.
Huaping knew that Ninth Miss was a determined, gentle and kind person; otherwise, she might not have been able to wait in the Prince Yi's mansion until the day she could leave safely.
“Miss, neither you nor the Crown Princess have misjudged the person!” Huaping whispered a few words into Anran’s ear.
Just as San Niang was hesitating about how to explain this matter to the Marquis of Dingbei's family, they sent over a fine piece of mutton-fat jade pendant and two letters. The letters stated that the Marquis of Dingbei's family would not be misled by rumors and miss this good match, and even sent the jade pendant as a token to express their determination to forge a friendly relationship with the Marquis of Nan'an's family.
One of the letters was written by Fang Ting himself, and San Niang kept it for An Ran; it hasn't been opened yet.
"The second master of the Fang family truly lives up to his reputation as a learned man; he can distinguish right from wrong!" Huaping couldn't help but praise, "No wonder he passed the imperial examination and became a junior compiler; his character and talent are both excellent. The young lady is fortunate; marrying the second master of the Fang family will surely lead to a wonderful marriage."
After hearing this, An Ran appeared calm and composed, but a blush crept onto her cheeks unintentionally.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't moved.
Although the rumors didn't spread, the Marquis of Dingbei's residence already knew about them. While most of their reaction was out of consideration for Third Sister and the Marquis of Nan'an's residence, the Marquis of Dingbei's residence acted quite graciously.
"Miss, you should also think about what kind of return gift to give." Huaping suggested to Anran from the side, "In any case, it was sent through the elders, so no one can say anything about it. The Crown Princess has also dug out a bunch of things, and is waiting for you to go back and make a decision."
An Ran's face remained flushed, and she nodded stiffly.
If the Marquis of Dingbei's family can show her enough respect, then this marriage can be considered a good choice.
Although she had only met Fang Ting once and there was no romantic relationship between them, she was very grateful for his trust.
What's the use of feelings? In her previous life, she did fall in love with Chen Qian, but in the end, she only met a tragic end after three years.
I hope that my life will be different after marrying Fang Ting!