After Mrs. He left, An Ran's smile slowly faded.
"Jinping, do you still remember the jade bracelet that Third Sister gave me the day I entered the manor?" Anran said to Jinping, "Take it out, wrap it carefully, and put it in the chest."
Jinping agreed and went.
Anran slowly moved to the desk, picked up her pen, found a calligraphy model, and calmed down to practice writing.
Preparation? What does she have to prepare?
It's just a matter of responding to each move as it comes!
Once she calmly immersed herself in practicing calligraphy, Anran truly forgot all her troubles and felt extremely peaceful.
Before we knew it, it was dinnertime.
After finishing their needlework lessons in the evening, the Sixth Sister and her sisters went directly to the Grand Madam's courtyard. This time, only Anran was left, so she took Cuiping and slowly headed towards Rong'an Hall.
Unexpectedly, they encountered Liu Niang and her two companions on the way.
"Ninth Sister!" Seventh Sister spoke first among the three. With a beaming smile, she asked, "Ninth Sister, are you going to Grandmother's?"
It's obvious they're just making conversation.
An Ran ignored her and only responded with a sound.
Seventh Sister was clearly not good at reading people's expressions, or perhaps she didn't take An Ran seriously. She leaned closer to An Ran and whispered with a smile, "I haven't even had a chance to congratulate Ninth Sister yet! Now that you've risen to a high position, don't forget your sisters at home!"
An Ran frowned.
"What are you saying, Seventh Sister?" An Ran said coldly and impatiently, "I'm just going to keep Third Sister company for a few days. Please be careful what you say. What will happen if Grandmother and Mother hear this?"
Seventh Sister raised her eyebrows, about to explode in anger. Tenth Sister quickly grabbed her arm.
"Ninth Sister, Seventh Sister is just joking with you!" Tenth Sister laughed. "You know, Seventh Sister has always been very easygoing..."
An Ran glanced at the two of them but remained silent.
Sixth Sister felt genuine sympathy for An Ran. Seeing that Tenth Sister was still subtly hinting at something, she couldn't help but say, "Let's go, it's getting late. We shouldn't keep Grandmother waiting."
Seventh Sister was still indignant; she had long forgotten what Aunt Li had said.
"You're just going to be my brother-in-law's concubine, what are you putting on airs for?" Seventh Sister was a little smarter, and lowered her voice to a very low level: "With Third Sister around, don't even dream of becoming a phoenix on a branch! You think it's so easy to try and steal his favor?"
Before she finished speaking, An Ran's gaze suddenly turned icy, staring intently at Qi Niang.
"Seventh Sister, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want," An Ran said coldly. "I'll say it again, I'm only going to keep Third Sister company. Whether you ask Grandmother or Mother, that's the answer!"
Intimidated by An Ran's icy gaze, Qi Niang pouted and finally kept quiet.
Tenth Sister and Sixth Sister quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
An Ran left first, and Qi Niang was still muttering to herself, "What's there to be proud of? She really thinks she's a proper concubine..."
Seventh Sister's words became increasingly absurd, frightening Sixth Sister and Tenth Sister into quickly pulling her back. If Seventh Sister angered An Ran, they would also suffer the consequences.
When they arrived at the Grand Madam's courtyard, Anran and her sister discovered that their father, Marquis An Yuanliang of Nan'an, was also there.
An Ran couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Did her good father even remember that he had such a daughter?
“Ninth Sister, once you arrive at the Prince’s residence, you must serve him well—” He stopped mid-sentence, realizing his mistake, and quickly corrected himself, “Listen to your sister and don’t cause trouble.”
Anran stepped forward, curtsied, and obediently responded.
This was her father's only reaction upon hearing that his daughter had been sent to be a concubine. Her heart grew colder and colder.
Seeing that the atmosphere was not good, the old lady quickly asked An Yuanliang to go out first and let her sisters have dinner with her.
After dinner, the matriarch kept Anran behind for a few more words.
"Who are you planning to take with you?" the old lady asked.
An Ran replied, "Let them all stay at home. I don't need to bring any of them!" Fearing that the Grand Madam would disagree, An Ran quickly explained, "They don't understand the rules of the Prince's Mansion. What if they do something wrong? Wouldn't that bring shame to our Marquis's Mansion? I'm afraid Third Sister would also lose face!"
"There should always be two close friends by your side." The old lady still disagreed with her not taking anyone with her.
An Ran, however, persisted.
“Last time, Third Sister said she would give Zhimo and Rulan to me to serve.” An Ran smiled and said, “There are enough servants in Third Sister’s courtyard for me to serve.” She added meaningfully, “We are sisters, how could Third Sister be stingy with these things to me?”
After hearing this, the old lady looked at An Ran and examined her again.
An Ran's smile grew even more gentle, and her every move showed no sign of embarrassment, only a graceful and composed demeanor.
"You should still take two maids with you." The Grand Madam withdrew her gaze, turned the Buddhist beads on her wrist, and said calmly, "Let Qingmei and Qingxing go with you."
Upon hearing this, An Ran's heart skipped a beat.
In both her past and present lives, were these two people the ones who stayed by her side during her most difficult times?
This was probably the last line the old lady had drawn; if she refused again, it would be unseemly, so An Ran had no choice but to obediently agree.
The old lady originally had many more words to say, but when she saw An Ran's clear eyes, she swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
This child is clever; she knows what the right choice is.
"Go back and get some rest! You have to get up early tomorrow, so don't be tired." The old lady smiled kindly, like a grandmother who dotes on her granddaughter.
Anran rose, bowed, and took her leave.