He can give her something better.
******
Seventh Sister didn't dare to report the matter to Zhao Shi last time. She was already in the wrong and was afraid that Zhao Shi would punish her again and make her copy the Four Books for Women ten more times.
Instead, at Sixth Sister's urging, Seventh Sister came to apologize to An Ran. This surprised An Ran greatly. As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face, so An Ran didn't press the matter further and decided to leave it at that for the time being.
These days, Anran has been living a very leisurely life.
Besides studying, practicing the zither, and doing needlework on time, Anran spent the rest of her time playing with Xuetuan'er. In the eyes of her two head maids, Cuiping and Jinping, this was somewhat of a waste of time and energy.
But this carefree period didn't last long.
The rumors, even more outrageous than before, seemed to spread throughout Beijing overnight.
Last time, the news only reached a few families and didn't spread widely, so only a very small number of people knew about it. To avoid implicating their own families, those who knew kept silent.
But suddenly, rumors about An Ran began to circulate throughout the capital, with all sorts of claims, and they became increasingly unpleasant.
Not only was An Ran taken aback, but the Grand Madam, Madam Zhao, Third Sister and others also did not expect the matter to suddenly escalate and spread at a speed they could not have imagined. Even the Princess Consort of Yi County was caught off guard.
The rumors spread throughout the capital.
Compared to Third Sister, who was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, both angry and furious, An Ran appeared very calm.
Third Sister comforted Anran, saying it was alright and she would definitely find a way to calm things down. Anran smiled and agreed, but the worry in her eyes lingered. Anran knew very well that this time things probably wouldn't end well.
Because the facts behind rumors are never important.
She had anticipated this situation from the very day she went to Prince Yi's residence. Fortunately, she left early, so it didn't have much of an impact for the time being. Third Sister found her a good marriage, and when the first trouble broke out, the Marquis of Dingbei's family was kind and benevolent.
What about this time?
"Cuiping, go open the chest and find the jade pendant that the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion sent last time, as well as the letter in Fang Er Gongzi's handwriting." An Ran showed no sign of distress. Although she was the protagonist of the rumors, she was calmer than anyone else.
Upon hearing this, Cuiping felt uneasy.
That mutton-fat jade pendant was a token of their love, and the letter was written by the future son-in-law himself. These things should have been kept safe, but the girl made them find them.
Although they hadn't known each other for long, Cuiping knew her young lady well; she was definitely not the type to pester or harass. She wouldn't resort to despicable means to threaten others. If she wanted these things—there was only one possibility: she was prepared to break off the engagement!
Cuiping's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
"Miss, the Marquis of Dingbei's residence still hasn't sent any word, has it? You don't need to—"
Why must my daughter be so unlucky? She finally escaped the fate of becoming a concubine in Prince Yi's mansion, but is she destined to be rejected by her fiancé? And now that she's burdened with such a stigma, how will she ever find another husband?
“It hasn’t come to that yet.” An Ran smiled and comforted Cui Ping, saying casually, “Just like Third Sister said, once we find the source of this matter and clarify it, everything will be fine.”
Although that's what they said, both master and servant knew that it probably wasn't that simple!
“Go then,” An Ran insisted.
Cuiping was heartbroken, but dared not disobey her mistress's wishes, so she had no choice but to go as instructed.
An Ran held Xue Tuan'er in her arms, gently stroking its soft, smooth fur, her heart as calm as still water.
What could be worse? She could simply remain unmarried for life, or leave the capital far away. Now, with her reputation ruined, she could easily escape Chen Qian. Chen Qian is arrogant and conceited; how could he tolerate his wife having such a tarnished reputation?
Even the Ding family couldn't agree to that!
An Ran curled the corners of her lips, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
The snowball in her arms seemed to sense its owner's sadness. It stuck out its pink little tongue and licked Anran's palm in a comforting manner.
An Ran smiled gently.
Just a single tear, still brimming on her eyelashes, about to fall. (JustL)
Chapter 77
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Tang Wan bit her lower lip and nodded gently. Without the original owner's memories, everything here was still unfamiliar to her, and she dared not make any rash moves.
"If the young lady could understand Madam's good intentions, she wouldn't feel so troubled!" Seeing that her "intimidation" had worked, Madam Li became even more pleased with herself. After saying this, she showed no respect to Tang Wan and casually lifted the curtain to go out again.
Before Tang Wan could even comment on Granny Li's free coming and going, Yue Lin, standing to the side, was trembling with anger. Just as she was about to say something, she heard Tang Wan sigh softly and say in a low voice, "Call Tang Li in."
"Miss—" Yue Lin was unsure of Tang Wan's intentions. After hesitating for a moment, she nodded and left.
Before long, Tang Li, looking aggrieved, followed Yue Lin in.
"Do you know why I let you leave?" Tang Wan asked gently.
Tang Li nodded at first, then shook her head. Yue Lin, who was next to her, suddenly looked enlightened.
"Silly girl, how could I not know you said that to protect me?" Tang Wan's words, tinged with intimacy, startled Tang Li. Just moments ago, the young lady had been so stern with her…
Seeing Tang Li still looking silly and at a loss, Tang Wan couldn't help but laugh.
"Still not getting it?" Yue Lin anxiously tapped Tang Li's forehead with her finger. "The young lady only said that to save you! If you fall into Granny Li's hands, you'll be in big trouble!"
Only then did Tang Li realize the truth. A slight blush rose to her face, revealing her embarrassment. "Miss, it was my fault for being so foolish—"
Tang Wan smiled and shook her head. "I don't blame you. Just think more about things in the future. It's the worst thing you can do to be quick to argue. Your self-respect and integrity don't come from arguing over words. The most important thing is to protect yourself."