When An San Niang left, Lu Mingxiu could have taken advantage of the commotion to leave as well, but in the instant he turned to leave, he saw the tired smile on An Ran's face and saw her slump down on the stone bench in a daze. A strange emotion flashed through Lu Mingxiu's heart.
After all, she's still just a young girl.
A dark glint flashed in Lu Mingxiu's eyes. He clenched his fist, his slender fingers looking somewhat helpless.
An Ran showed no sign of leaving, but Lu Mingxiu thought that if someone came looking for him later, it would definitely frighten her. So he simply clinked the teacups beside him to make a sound, as a warning to An Ran.
Sure enough, a pair of large, panicked eyes came into view.
Seeing her flustered appearance, Lu Mingxiu felt a little regretful. Perhaps he could have left more quietly... He shouldn't have scared her.
This is the third time I've seen her like this; the little girl always seems frightened.
Their eyes met, and Lu Mingxiu, unusually, felt a bit speechless. Although he was cold-faced and taciturn, it didn't mean he wasn't good at speaking.
"Greetings, Marquis Pingyuan." An Ran was the first to recover her composure. She smiled politely and curtsied gracefully.
Although she appeared calm on the surface, An Ran was inwardly filled with anxiety. She wondered how much of her conversation with Third Sister had been overheard by Marquis Pingyuan. It was best to pretend nothing had happened to avoid any awkwardness. She had great faith in Marquis Pingyuan; even if he had heard everything, he wasn't one to gossip, and she was certain he wouldn't spread rumors.
"No need for such formalities, Ninth Miss." Lu Mingxiu was somewhat annoyed that a young girl had spoken first. However, his voice was as cold as ever, making it impossible to discern his true emotions.
An Ran smiled at him.
"Thank you for saving my life." An Ran tried her best to make her voice sound calm. She said softly, "It was my fault for not recognizing you last time. Please don't blame me."
Lu Mingxiu nodded slightly, his cool, deep voice carrying a sense of reassurance, just like the large hand that held hers that day. "It was nothing, Miss Jiu, you don't need to take it to heart."
Peace and happiness descended upon him.
"I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first." Lu Mingxiu's excellent hearing had already detected someone's arrival outside the courtyard, so he spoke up to say goodbye.
An Ran didn't speak, but simply curtsied again.
Only after watching that dark figure disappear through the window did An Ran finally let out a long breath, her forced composure crumbling.
She and Third Sister were talking when they bumped into Marquis Pingyuan! An Ran panicked; perhaps he would think she was a scheming person!
Upon realizing this, An Ran felt a pang of sadness for no apparent reason.
Suddenly, she laughed self-deprecatingly.
"So what?" An Ran thought resignedly. If she stayed in the Prince's mansion any longer, there would definitely be gossip among the noble families in the capital. It was just that she was going to come and become Yun Shen's concubine, but they hadn't made it clear yet.
She didn't care about the empty reputation she had received.
Living well is the most important thing.
An Ran reached out and rubbed her face, forced a smile to make sure she was in the same state as usual, before slowly walking out of the pavilion.
The play in the garden is already halfway through.
When she returned, Third Sister was already serving among the Princess Consort, the Dowager Lady, and other ladies of high rank, occasionally cracking witty jokes that amused the elders, showing no trace of the exasperation and anger she had displayed in the pavilion.
An Ran's tense nerves relaxed a little.
When no one was looking, she quietly slipped back to her seat, occasionally exchanging a few words with Jia Niang in a low voice.
An hour later, the play finally came to an end, and the distinguished guests took their leave.
Clearly, the Dowager Lady and Madam Zhao had also noticed the change in Third Sister. The little emotion on her face could not be hidden from them. Who would have thought that after Anran followed her out, Third Sister would return with a normal expression.
Something must have happened at the Prince's residence again, but with so many people around today, it's not convenient to ask. The Dowager Lady and Madam Zhao, however, felt that sending Anran was the right decision.
This time, Third Sister calmed down and waited until all the guests had left in accordance with proper etiquette before closing the door to investigate the matter.
"Jinzhi, who told you about this?" Third Sister called Anran over to interrogate Jinzhi, who had relayed the message. "Was it someone from Aunt Li's courtyard?"
They didn't doubt Jinzhi's loyalty, nor were they afraid that Jinzhi was young and inexperienced and might be taken advantage of.
Upon seeing this, Jinzhi panicked and said, "No. I went to the garden to deliver something to Sister Huaping. At the corner of the lotus pond on the east side, I overheard several maids discussing this matter. They were talking about it in great detail."
"I was anxious and told the Crown Princess without thinking," Jinzhi said uneasily. "I have no ill intentions towards the Crown Princess! If I have said anything wrong, please punish me!"
San Niang and An Ran exchanged a glance, both seeing the understanding in each other's eyes.
Whether Yun Shen's story is true or not, this was a scheme specifically set up for San Niang.
"Do you remember where they were maids?" An Ran asked kindly. "Don't rush, think slowly."
Jinzhi thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I didn't see their faces, and their voices don't sound very familiar." She racked her brains and said, "They're not from our courtyard, nor are they the sisters from the Princess Consort's courtyard... There are only a few people in Aunt Li's courtyard, so it can't be them either..."
"It's alright, you can tell Huaping when you remember." An Ran didn't force her and said gently, "You can go now."
Jinzhi hurriedly agreed and went downstairs.
Although listening to her words couldn't confirm who was causing the trouble, it also subtly reduced the number of potential targets.
If you observe carefully in the future, you will surely discover the mystery. An Ran remained silent, waiting for Third Sister to explain the matter to Hua Ping.
Seeing that Third Sister was assigning tasks, An Ran sent a maid to fetch some things from Qing Xing. Qing Xing had already prepared everything and was just waiting for An Ran to send someone to get them.
"Third sister, I have something to tell you." After taking the box, An Ran seemed to feel more confident.
San Niang guessed something, so she cleared out all the maids who served her, including Yinping and Huaping.
“I should return this bracelet to its rightful owner.” An Ran opened the brocade box in her hand and handed it to Third Sister.
When Third Sister looked over, she saw the bracelet she had given to An Ran inside. She frowned, wanting to push it back. What's the point of taking back something you've given away?