Yan Zhen walked slowly, seemingly not intending to hurry over.
Minghe then said in a low voice, "My lord, there is a person at Shili Pavilion whose relationship with Miss An is extraordinary."
Yan Zhen gently waved her folding fan, but a cool smile curved her lips as she said indifferently, "Tell me."
Minghe said softly, "This person is none other than An Wan, the younger sister of Lady An, the long-lost daughter of Lord An, whom Grand Master Ling Xiyao loves!"
Yan Zhen paused abruptly, his eyes narrowing instantly: "An Wan? The Left Prime Minister is quite swift in his actions!"
---Aside---
Sorry to keep you waiting, girls! Group chat~ I'm working overtime today.
Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Most Deadly Tenderness
Even though An Xin was usually calm, she was still taken aback when she heard the name. She turned her head to look at the huddled figure. Since she transmigrated, she knew that she had a younger sister, but this sister disappeared without a trace and there had been no news of her since.
Although An Youwei and Xu Ruolan didn't say it, it was easy to imagine how deep their longing for An Wan was. Back then, Ling Xiyao had also fallen for An Wan, but because of An Wan's disappearance, she had to become a substitute bride, which led to a series of events. It could be said that her younger sister was the culprit behind everything!
After being missing for many years, her sudden reappearance at this time was quite a surprise to An Xin!
An Xin rushed into the room and pulled An Wan up.
The girl in front of me was filthy and disheveled, but she bore a resemblance to me in some ways. Her face was sallow and she was thin and bony, clearly indicating that she had not had a good life these past few years!
An Xin stared at her, and she stared back at An Xin in astonishment.
“Sister…” An Wan called out in disbelief, her voice full of uncertainty! Although she had been separated from her family for many years, An Xin’s appearance had not changed much, but something seemed different… The person in front of her seemed to be completely different from the An Xin in her memory.
An Xin naturally had no feelings for this younger sister, but she was still happy to have found her. After all, she had promised Xu Ruolan that she would find her. An Wan's disappearance was probably the biggest worry for An Youwei and his wife. If she could come back, it would naturally be a joyous occasion! However, An Xin couldn't express much enthusiasm for a complete stranger. She simply said, "It's good that you're back. Come home with me."
An Wan looked at An Xin in shock.
She knew best how cowardly An Xin had been in the past. But when Ling Xiyao suddenly proposed to her, she happened to bump into another man. That man was so charming and handsome that she was almost infatuated with him at first sight. Even though Ling Xiyao was handsome, he could not compare to that man!
She was still young then and didn't understand how joyous it was to marry into a wealthy family. So she begged An Xin to marry in her place. After a tearful plea, An Xin softened and had no choice but to agree. She secretly ran away from home, intending to avoid the limelight and return later. Little did she know that the wheels of fate would begin to turn at this moment. When she left and returned, it was already...
An Xin was the most clingy to her, always giving her the best things, even An Xin's favorites, and she would give them to her if she wanted them! Shouldn't she be crying her eyes out and hugging her when they meet again?
Looking at the stunned An Wan, An Xin frowned and said, "You've been gone for so many years, it's time to come back! Don't make your parents worry anymore!"
An Wan was completely stunned!
An Xin ignored him and walked up to Jing Lan, saying, "I'm sorry to trouble you with my sister's matter, sir."
Jing Lan smiled faintly and said, "It was an unintentional encounter, so there's no need to mention the trouble."
An Xin smiled and said, "I will have my parents pay their respects another day. It's getting late, we should head back now."
Jinglan laughed and said, "I'll take you there, otherwise people will say I'm stingy again."
An Xin chuckled awkwardly, "Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue..." Then she turned and glanced at An Wan, "What are you standing there for? Let's go!"
An Wan stared at Jing Lan in shock. The man before her was so beautiful, his appearance was comparable to the man she had seen before! How could An Xin recognize such a man!?
An Wan nervously tugged at the dirty hem of her clothes and brushed her hair aside, wishing she could disappear into a hole in the ground. How could she possibly be seen by others when she looked so ugly?
Carefully following An Xin into the carriage, I felt a faint fragrance of lotus blossoms wafting through the carriage, exuding an indescribable purity that soothed my soul.
The carriage was spacious, and everything on it was something she had never heard of or seen before. A natural sense of inferiority began to make her feel uneasy, so uneasy that she became timid.
Jinglan tapped the jade chessboard with her fingertips and smiled faintly, "The journey is boring. Miss An, why don't you play a game of chess with me?"
An Xin laughed and said, "I'm not good at any of the four arts: music, chess, calligraphy, and painting."
Jinglan smiled and said, "It's alright, I'll teach you."
An Xin was still very interested in Go. The unpredictable moves of the game were truly fascinating. She didn't refuse and said, "Alright, but Prime Minister, please go easy on me!"
Jing Lan smiled faintly: "Miss An is intelligent. I showed mercy today, but I'm afraid Miss An will have to show mercy in the future." That smile was truly beautiful, and it stunned An Wan into a daze!
Left Prime Minister!?
The man before me is none other than the renowned Prime Minister Yun Zhonglian!?
When did An Xin manage to befriend such a distinguished person?!
An Wan stared in shock, then looked at An Xin. While her demeanor wasn't exactly elegant, it possessed a unique and refined air that made her temperament no less noble than the Left Prime Minister. Could it be that marrying Ling Xiyao had brought about such a tremendous change in her?
But the man before her was the Left Prime Minister! Wasn't she flustered and bewildered? Didn't her heart flutter when she saw his gentle smile? She came from the same humble and lowly background as herself; didn't she feel a trace of inferiority upon seeing such a distinguished figure?
An Xin smiled slightly and said, "You are too modest, sir. In this world, when it comes to talent, with you here, who can compete? I'm afraid I can never win in front of you."
Jing Lan slightly raised her long eyelashes, her clear, spring-like eyes falling on her face as she smiled meaningfully: "If Miss An loses to me in everything, I'm afraid I'm the real winner."
This sentence seemed simple, yet it was also complex and elusive. An Xin paused, then suddenly laughed and said, "In the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, I'm afraid I'll never be able to beat you! Where should I place the first piece?"
An Xin casually picked up a white chess piece and stared intently at the chessboard. Jing Lan rolled up her sleeves, placed a piece on the chessboard with her slender fingers, and smiled lightly, "Let's talk about the opening first."
As he spoke, he picked up a few characters and placed them on different points, saying, "This is sharp, this is long, this is upright, this is blocking..."
An Xin was overwhelmed by the long list of questions. She was too lazy to use her brain except for reasoning, and would only think about unrelated questions when she felt like it. However, Go was something that required thinking. But Jing Lan was speaking seriously, and she was too embarrassed to interrupt, so she forced herself to listen.
"Sister..." Although the voice behind her was soft, An Xin immediately turned around and glanced at An Wan, "What is it?"
An Wan paused and said, "I'm hungry."
An Xin paused slightly, then looked at Jing Lan and asked, "Is there anything to eat?"