As Nian-ge'er's legal mother, if word gets out that something has happened to him, regardless of whether it's related to her or not, outsiders will see it as her failing to take good care of him, or even as deliberately tormenting her stepson. Furthermore, Tao-zhi and Tao-ye came with An-ran as part of her dowry; if An-ran doesn't punish them, even the other servants in the mansion will likely feel that An-ran's handling of the situation is unfair!
Therefore, Peach Branch and Peach Leaf simply knelt down as punishment, not wanting to put An Ran in a difficult position.
Moreover, the two of them did this because they felt insecure in front of An Ran. Among the six maids who came with her as part of her dowry, Jinping and Cuiping were the head maids and the people An Ran relied on the most; Qingmei and Qingxing had gone to Prince Yi's mansion with An Ran and had gone through hardships together, so their relationship was naturally different.
Only the two of them had come from the Grand Madam's courtyard when they were still in the Marquis's residence. Moreover, they had done nothing to help An Ran afterward. Although An Ran brought them to the Pingyuan Marquis's residence, they were still less confident than the other four. Therefore, the two of them thought they should be sensible and not wait for the Madam to make things difficult for them.
An Ran clearly saw through their little schemes.
"Madam, we were wrong!" Tao Ye said anxiously from the side, "Please don't be angry!"
Anran gave Cuiping a wink, and Cuiping brought over two embroidered stools for them to sit on. The small stools were no longer usable; their knees were probably already chilled.
"It's my fault that I can't even feel at ease with you all by my side." An Ran sighed softly and said, "I know what you're thinking. And today I'm telling you, in my heart, you are all the same. Since I brought you here from the Marquis of Nan'an's residence, it's because I trust you unconditionally."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resounding firmness.
Peach branches and leaves blushed with embarrassment when An Ran saw through their thoughts.
“Madam, we’ve been thinking too much.” The two men stammered, “We shouldn’t have been so careless.”
"Tell me. What exactly happened today?" An Ran didn't want to dwell on it, preferring to leave things at that. She looked at Bi Luo and asked, "Were the three of you with Nian Ge'er at the beginning?"
Biluo nodded and said, "We were playing with Nian-ge'er in the garden when Lanxin and Lanyue came to find me. They said they had something to tell me, so I left with them for a while." She lowered her head guiltily and said softly, "It was my fault for not being careful enough."
Seeing that she also wanted to kneel down, Anran quickly had Cuiping help her up.
An Ran knew that Lan Xin and Lan Yue were keeping an eye on Qing Ping at Yilan Courtyard. An Ran also instructed the two to tell Bi Luo directly if they needed anything, and then have Bi Luo relay the message to her. Bi Luo was a clever yet composed young girl; her departure this time was likely for a reason.
"Stop kneeling. We need to solve the problem, not think about how to punish you." An Ran rubbed her temples wearily and said, "Tao Zhi and Tao Ye, tell me what happened after Bi Luo left."
Taozhi nodded and said, "Qingping came over shortly after. She played with Nian-ge'er for a while, then said that Nian-ge'er wanted to drink honey water, and asked me to get some. Taoye stayed there with Nian-ge'er."
At that time, only Taoye and Qingping were left watching Niange'er.
"After Taozhi left, Qingping said she was going to Yilan Courtyard to see if Songyang had come over, and that she would be right back," Taoye said. "At that moment, the young master said he wanted the little ball you brought him back last time. I thought we weren't far away, and I saw a figure that looked a lot like Qingping coming over, so I thought it was her and went to get the ball for the young master—"
Her voice grew softer and softer, and she involuntarily lowered her head.
Ultimately, it was the negligence of those around An Ran who failed to keep a close eye on Nian Ge'er, which led to what happened today.
However, An Ran astutely noticed that there was another key figure involved: Qing Ping. She appeared immediately after Nian Ge'er's fall and injury—wasn't that a coincidence?
But she couldn't believe Qingping would intentionally hurt Nian'er. Besides, Taozhi and Taoye said they heard the crying first, then saw Qingping rush over. Could it really be that Nian'er accidentally fell? Or was she just overthinking it?
Today at Yilan Hospital, Nian-ge'er refused to come back with her, and An-ran felt a little sad. She was already blaming herself for not taking good care of Nian-ge'er, and now he refused to come back.
An Ran suddenly felt her head throbbing even more.
"Madam, the kitchen staff has brought porridge," Lan Yue announced from outside the curtain.
"Let them in." An Ran looked up in confusion. "Didn't I order dinner to be served?"
Before long, the Shu brocade curtain at the door was lifted, and a maid from the small kitchen came in carrying a large red lacquered and carved food box. She replied, "The Marquis ordered us to make some easy-to-digest porridge and side dishes for the lady, saying that she must eat them while they are hot."
An Ran was taken aback at first, then felt a warmth spread through her heart. The chill she had felt along the way seemed to have been dispelled by this warm current.
"I understand." An Ran nodded with a smile and asked Cui Ping to give some copper coins to the little maid who brought the food box. The little maid thanked her for the reward and left happily.
Thinking that Taozhi and the others had been on tenterhooks for a long time, and had also been chilled and punished, she said, "Let's put today's matter aside for now. Go and check your legs quickly, so that they don't become a problem. Cuiping, take Lanxin and Lanyue to help."
Seeing that An Ran also looked tired, they withdrew.
Only Qingmei was left to serve Anran her meal.
Although touched by Lu Mingxiu's kindness, An Ran couldn't eat. She stared at the porridge made from green rice in front of her, each grain glistening and plump, but she just had no appetite.
"My lord!" Suddenly, Biluo's voice came from outside the curtain.
An Ran quickly got up and went out to greet them.
Lu Mingxiu returned from outside, looking quite chilly. The cold wind he brought in made everyone feel refreshed.
"My lord, you're back." An Ran stepped forward to greet him.
Lu Mingxiu nodded slightly, gesturing for Qingmei to leave first. After Qingmei left, he took Anran's hand and led her to the kang table.
"I knew you wouldn't eat properly." Lu Mingxiu looked at the untouched food with an expression that said, "I knew it." He personally picked up a spoon and brought the porridge to An Ran's lips.
"I will personally serve my wife her meal. Would you do me the honor of having a taste?"
Chapter 140
Although Qingmei had already left, Anran's pretty face still flushed. Since she grew up and had memories, she had never been fed by anyone. Lord Lu's long, slender fingers with distinct joints were meant for holding a sword, but now he held a small spoon, and it didn't seem out of place at all.
An Ran turned her face away somewhat embarrassedly, wanting to take the spoon and eat it herself, but Lord Lu deftly dodged it and still handed her the spoon.
Lord Lu's attitude was very firm, so An Ran had no choice but to blush and swallow the porridge.
The atmosphere between the two suddenly became very ambiguous.
She thought he was just teasing her on a whim. But to her surprise, Lord Lu fed her half a bowl of porridge before handing her the bowl.
An Ran hurriedly took it, intending to finish it in a few bites, but she ate too quickly and almost choked.
"Slow down, what's the rush?" Lu Mingxiu patted her back and served her another small bowl of mixed soup. He looked at An Ran with amusement and said, "I never knew that someone could choke on porridge."
Whose fault is it that she choked?