After thinking it over, Third Sister readily agreed to An Ran's request.
"Thank you for the reminder, Ninth Sister." Shi Niang could tell that An Ran was sincerely trying to befriend her, and she said earnestly, "I will never forget Ninth Sister's kindness in helping me."
An Ran smiled but didn't say anything.
Shi Niang quickly took her leave. This banquet was of utmost importance, and she needed to start preparing immediately. From the coordination of her clothes and jewelry to the color and style of the tassels on her jade pendants, she had to think carefully about everything.
An Ran did not keep her there. After Shi Niang left, she sat on the kang by the window and looked at the few long white hairs that Qi Niang had forcefully pulled off Xue Tuan'er. Her eyes slowly turned cold.
Sixth Sister was too hasty, and Seventh Sister was being used as a pawn without even realizing it. She has two good older sisters!
Fortunately, she no longer had any conflict of interest with them at this point, otherwise these two might have joined forces to harm her again.
They actually dared to set their sights on her? Did they really think she was stupid?
An Ran lowered her eyes and smiled slightly.
She won't let anyone bully her or make her uncomfortable; she won't let them live comfortably!
******
Zhenwei Pavilion.
Chen Qian booked a table here early in the morning, spending a lot of money to reserve the best private room facing the street for ten consecutive days.
Today is the fourth day.
"Master, we've already gone to invite Young Master Fang. He should be here soon," Changqing whispered in reply.
Chen Qian nodded slightly.
Fang Yu was Fang Ting's half-brother, born of the same father but the same mother. However, Fang Yu was not as good as his second brother. He was neither good at literature nor martial arts, and had no interest in managing household affairs. He was just a spoiled brat who only hoped to rely on his family's protection to get a minor official position and do some idle work. In any case, the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion could afford to support this idle person. He was useless, and the Marquis of Dingbei could not control him.
The man to be engaged to An Ran was Fang Yu's second elder brother, Fang Ting, a man of considerable talent.
He had failed before, but Chen Qian was not discouraged; instead, it fueled his fighting spirit. He thought about it for a long time and realized that his previous failure was due to his soft-heartedness and excessive pity for An Jiu. After all, "no ruthlessness, no hero," and "nothing can be accomplished without being ruthless."
Chen Qian was determined to learn from his previous experience.
Since it's a rumor, it naturally needs to be spread wider and more blatantly to defame An Ran in order to completely ruin her reputation.
When the time comes, I will tempt An Yuanliang with huge profits. An Jiu's reputation will be ruined, and An Yuanliang will probably be more than happy to marry off this daughter who has tarnished the family's reputation! If he marries An Jiu, that will be the best outcome for An Jiu.
He wanted to see just how far Fang Ting, a man of integrity, would go for his infamous fiancée.
Chen Qian devised a meticulous plan.
First, he had to ensure he remained undetected. At the very least, he couldn't be exposed until he had married An Ran.
Therefore, this time when he invited Fang Yu, he didn't even dare to send an invitation. He only dared to send his servant to wait by the restaurant and teahouse that Fang Yu frequented, waiting for an opportunity to invite him.
Having finally settled on the time for today, Chen Qian arrived early.
Although Fang Yu was not well-educated, he was fond of indulging in refined pursuits. He loved collecting rare antiques and jade. When Chen Qian first made a connection with him, he gifted him a fine piece of chicken-blood stone.
To impress Fang Yu, Chen Qian specially selected two fine Hetian white jade pendants and placed them in a brocade box adorned with bright red velvet.
Money and silk are tempting, and he was not afraid that Fang Yu would not be tempted.
"Master, Young Master Fang is here." Changqing had sharp eyes and had been keeping an eye on the crowd outside the window. When he saw Fang Yu, dressed in an indigo brocade robe, riding over, he quickly reminded Chen Qian.
Chen Qian stood up, straightened his clothes, and went downstairs to personally greet him with a smile on his face.
"Fourth Young Master, it's been a long time!" Chen Qian laughed heartily. "You've been busy with important matters, so naturally you haven't remembered us."
Fang Yu certainly remembered Chen Qian, but it was his generosity that made him unforgettable.
"Brother Chen, what are you saying?" Fang Yu, though young, was not stupid. He smiled and said, "I wonder where Brother Chen has been making his fortune these days? I'm just afraid I'm delaying your business."
The two addressed each other as brothers upon meeting, appearing very close.
After they were seated in the private room and the waiter served tea and snacks, the servants all left, leaving the two of them with their own servants guarding the door.
"I haven't had a chance to thank you for your help last time, Fourth Young Master." Chen Qian pushed the brocade box towards Fang Yu and said with a smile, "It's just a small token of my appreciation. Fourth Young Master, please keep it to reward others."
Fang Yu did not open it immediately.
"I couldn't help Brother Chen last time, how could I accept this?"
The two were talking about the last time Chen Qian appeared at the Qingxiang Marquis's residence. On that occasion, Chen Qian was eager to run into An Ran again, so he pretended that he had seen a beautiful maid-like person near Qixia Temple. He said that he had inquired and it seemed to be a maid from the Qingxiang Marquis's residence. He thought about her day and night and wondered how to meet her to relieve his longing.
Of course, what moved Fang Yu was not Chen Qian's deep affection, but Chen Qian's expensive gifts and large sums of money.
Chen Qian was just making up an excuse; naturally, he couldn't find this person at the Marquis of Qingxiang's residence.
"Fourth Young Master has already helped me a great deal!" Chen Qian insisted on pushing the brocade box to Fang Yu, saying, "I will still need Fourth Young Master's help in the future. If Fourth Young Master does not accept it, it means he looks down on me and does not consider me a friend."
Fang Yu was only pretending to refuse. "Since Brother Chen is so sincere, it would be impolite of me to refuse."
He opened the brocade box and his eyes lit up when he saw the two jade pendants inside. They were made of top-quality Hetian jade, with a warm and delicate texture and exquisite carving, clearly the work of a master craftsman. Even Fang Yu, who had seen many fine things, was tempted.
Chen Qian, who had been watching his expression closely, breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he could get through to Fang Yu, things would be much easier for him.
Having accepted Chen Qian's gift, Fang Yu became much more friendly towards Chen Qian.
Chen Qian began looking for an opportunity to find a breakthrough through Fang Yu, and then influence Fang Ting. He first tentatively asked Fang Ting many questions, and after learning about Fang Ting's aunt's behavior, Chen Qian's heart stirred.
Having thoroughly investigated Fang Ting's background, Chen Qian had a better understanding of the situation.