Chapter 61
It was a handkerchief, the very same one she had lost in the Stele Forest of Qixia Temple!
An Ran clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her breathing becoming tense and heavy. She glanced at it only once before quickly folding it and hiding it in her sleeve.
Who was it? Who exactly returned her handkerchief? What was that person's intention?
The only person she saw that day was Chen Qian. Could it be him?
An Ran was completely flustered at that moment.
With the Six Sisters and Yunlan Sisters all there, she couldn't stop the little maid and ask her what was going on.
In this life, she had no connection with Chen Qian whatsoever, so it was impossible for Chen Qian to know who she was. How could Chen Qian have found her based solely on that one encounter in front of the Stele Forest?
Could it be that Chen Qian also has memories of a past life?
wrong.
An Ran quickly dismissed her absurd guess. When she accidentally bumped into Chen Qian at the Stele Forest, he clearly acted as if he didn't recognize her and it was their first meeting. The only possibility was that Chen Qian had followed some clues and discovered her identity.
She forced herself to calm down and sort out her thoughts.
That day, no outsiders were received in the backyard of Qixia Temple; only people from the Prince Yi's Mansion and the Marquis Qingxiang's Mansion were there. This was easily discovered, so it's not surprising that Chen Qian knew about it.
Even so, the fact that Chen Qian was able to accurately deliver the handkerchief to her shows that he was skilled, meticulous, and deep-thinking!
An Ran felt a chill run down her spine.
He was merely the son of a royal merchant, utterly insignificant in the capital, a city teeming with powerful and influential figures. Yet, he managed to quietly have the handkerchief returned to her within the Qingxiang Marquis's residence. He probably already knew her identity.
What exactly is Chen Qian trying to do?
Having been reborn, An Ran didn't want revenge for Chen Qian's evil deeds in her previous life; she had been blind and chosen the wrong person. So, now that she was reborn, she wanted to stay far away from him. Wasn't she afraid of him enough? She thought that her sudden change in identity would allow her to easily escape Chen Qian, but why was Chen Qian so persistently clinging to her like a ghost?
Why did Chen Qian pick up her handkerchief? And why did he go through all that trouble to return it?
An Ran became increasingly alarmed as she thought about it.
No, it won't happen.
An Ran had a vague suspicion in her heart, but she was unwilling to believe it—given the difference in their current status, how could Chen Qian dare to covet her?
But now Chen Qian has the audacity to return the handkerchief!
What else does he need to do?
An Ran felt a mix of anger, rage, and unease. But at this moment, she could only grit her teeth and try her best not to let her emotions show on her face.
Even so, some clues still emerged.
Seeing that she seemed a little off, Yunrui, who was standing nearby, quickly asked with concern, "Ninth Sister, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
An Ran quickly came to her senses.
"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired after sitting for so long." An Ran didn't completely deny it, and a hint of fatigue showed on her face.
Yunlan, Yunfang, and Yunrui all knew about the affairs in Li's courtyard at Prince Yi's residence. Anran's injuries hadn't fully healed, so it was understandable that she couldn't sit for long. However, this matter couldn't be discussed openly, so Yunrui simply nodded and didn't say anything more.
Sixth Sister and the others were unaware of this backstory, especially Seventh Sister, who was itching to dig up all the details about An Ran and give her a thorough dressing-down. Fortunately, the young ladies of Prince Yi's mansion were all present, and she restrained herself, managing not to immediately lash out.
Just then, someone called Yunfang and the others to the main courtyard, saying that some girls from a certain family had arrived and they were invited to come over.
Seventh Sister couldn't help but tease An Ran, saying, "Ninth Sister's trip to the Prince's mansion was definitely worthwhile; she seems much more delicate now. She couldn't even stand sitting for a short while?"
An Ran glanced at Qi Niang indifferently upon hearing this, ignoring her.
Sixth Sister and Tenth Sister noticed something amiss and pulled Seventh Sister aside to change the subject.
Something must have happened at the Prince's residence, otherwise, after Yunrui asked, Jiu Niang only gave that one answer and Yunrui didn't ask any more questions. Yunfang and Yunlan also seemed to know what was going on; they didn't know the inside story, so it was best for them to be cautious.
At this moment, An Ran had no time to care about their thoughts; her mind was in turmoil.
Chen Qian's sudden appearance made her extremely uneasy, and she even felt afraid.
Although Chen Qian wouldn't go so far as to frame him for having an affair, the memories of his previous life kept coming back, and An Ran didn't even want to relive them again.
She'll burn this handkerchief when she gets back!
An Ran thought bitterly, when she heard a maid come and invite the four sisters to the front.
The little maid who had brought the tea was nowhere to be seen, and An Ran had given up hope of finding her. This was the Qingxiang Marquis's residence, and An Ran couldn't ask. Asking would be tantamount to admitting something between her and Chen Qian, and she would be so wronged.
Therefore, Anran pretended to be nonchalant and went with Liu Niang and the other two to find Zhao Shi, San Niang and the others.
East Banquet Room.
There were quite a few guests who came to celebrate the birthday of Lady Qingxiang. When Anran and Liu Niang arrived, Lady Qingxiang was already surrounded by a group of noble ladies, and many other noble ladies were chatting in twos and threes.
When Anran and her sister entered, Third Sister, Fifth Sister, and Zhao were talking with the Lady of Qingxiang Marquis and the Lady of Dingbei Marquis.
Seeing her approach, Third Sister concealed her intentions and directly beckoned An Ran over. It was Fifth Sister who couldn't stand it any longer and called Sixth Sister and the others over as well, which finally put an end to the matter.
The four sisters stepped forward and bowed in unison.
"These young ladies of your household are all exceptionally beautiful and charming," Lady Dingbei praised Zhao. "I find them all so lovely that I don't know how to praise them enough."
Zhao smiled and said modestly, "You flatter me."