Knowing that her sister had been injured saving her, and that her sister would likely have been even more seriously injured if it weren't for Lord Lu's intervention, Jia Niang felt a great deal of goodwill towards the person who saved An Ran. She raised her small face and sincerely said, "Thank you so much, Lord Lu, for saving my sister!"
An Ran, standing to the side, also had bright and gentle smiles in her beautiful big eyes.
Perhaps because Lu Mingxiu already knew almost everything that had happened to her, An Ran felt less restrained in front of him.
A faint smile involuntarily appeared on Lu Mingxiu's face.
His smile stunned An Ran. How could the aloof Marquis Lu have such a tender expression?
gentle?
An Ran was startled by her own thoughts.
"Ninth Miss, Miss Wu." Before An Ran could say anything to ease the awkward situation, the voice of Emerald, the head maid of Princess Yunyang, came from behind.
An Ran quickly responded, gave Lu Mingxiu an apologetic look, and led Jia Niang to greet them.
Jade only saw An Ran and Jia Niang's figures, but couldn't see Lu Mingxiu through the Shoushan stone.
She smiled and said, "Miss Wu, didn't you say you were going to personally prepare the medicine for Ninth Miss? The herbs are ready. Please come with me." After saying this, Emerald looked at An Ran pleadingly.
Because Jia Niang always clung to An Ran, this was the only time Princess Yunyang could approach her. Therefore, Princess Yunyang asked An Ran for help to get Jia Niang away at this time.
An Ran is caught in a dilemma.
Normally, it wouldn't matter; she could simply let Jia Niang leave alone. But Marquis Pingyuan was also in the garden...
She didn't speak, so Jia Niang didn't move either.
“Miss Wu, Marquis Pingyuan just sent some top-quality medicinal herbs. The herbs have been sorted, and they might lose their medicinal properties if left for too long.” Emerald winked at Jia Niang when An Ran wasn’t paying attention to her.
Jia Niang and she exchanged a glance.
Immediately, Jia Niang took An Ran's hand and said, "Sister, I'll go first!"
Before An Ran could react, Jia Niang grabbed An Ran's hand, made her bend down, and whispered in her ear, "Sister, Lord Lu saved you, so you should thank him in person. I'm going with Sister Emerald now, and you can come find me later."
An Ran was taken aback. She thought that Jia Niang was still young and might not be aware of the proper boundaries between men and women. Just as she was about to politely decline, Jia Niang blinked her beautiful big eyes and said to An Ran, "It was my sister who taught me to be grateful."
Recently, in order to make Jia Niang interested in reading, An Ran told her a lot of strange tales, including the story of repaying a debt of gratitude by carrying grass in one's mouth and making a ring.
"Sister, I'm leaving!" Jia Niang skipped and hopped after Emerald, leaving An Ran standing in the small garden.
As soon as Jia Niang and Emerald stepped out of the small garden, Princess Yunyang was already waiting at the door with a beaming smile.
"Our Jia Niang is so clever." Princess Yunyang patted Jia Niang's head affectionately.
Jia Niang did not reject Princess Yunyang's affection. She tilted her little face up, revealing a smug smile. Then, she asked with some concern, "Will Marquis Pingyuan really treat my sister well?"
“He saved your sister from the men in black; you saw it with your own eyes,” Princess Yunyang explained patiently. “He’s saved your sister more than once!”
Seeing Jia Niang's curiosity, Princess Yunyang told her about what had happened before.
It turned out that when Tan Lang saw Lu Mingxiu arrive, he noticed his "disguised" appearance and decided to grant him a favor by sending someone to inform Princess Yunyang. Princess Yunyang thought for a moment and then pulled Jia Niang in, asking her to lead An Ran over so that An Ran wouldn't suspect anything.
Princess Yunyang reasoned with her and appealed to her emotions. Although Jia Niang was young, she understood the harm the rumors had caused An Ran. Since Marquis Pingyuan held such a high position and power, could protect her sister, and treated her well and respected her, she would definitely help!
That's why Jia Niang behaved and spoke in the small garden.
"Let's go, we'll go and prepare medicine for your sister." Princess Yunyang looked at Jia Niang gently.
Jia Niang nodded heavily, and she reached out to take Princess Yunyang's hand.
Princess Yunyang's eyes immediately reddened. This was the first time that Jia Niang had taken the initiative to approach her!
She gently took Jia Niang's hand, and Princess Yunyang felt a wonderful sense of closeness as she held the small, soft hand in her palm.
This is her daughter, Yue'er!
The mother and daughter left without a trace, concealing their merits and fame, leaving only An Ran and Lu Mingxiu in the small garden.
Anran always felt something was wrong, but she didn't hear Lu Mingxiu's footsteps leaving, so she could only turn around again, take a deep breath, and smile.
"Thank you for saving me, Your Excellency." An Ran's gratitude was genuine; this was the second time Lu Mingxiu had saved her. Last time, on the frightened carriage, if Lu Mingxiu hadn't restrained the startled horses, she would have been dead long ago. This time was even more dangerous. Although she wanted to take the opportunity to disfigure herself, she realized that she might lose her life for it.
Lu Mingxiu stood quietly on the covered walkway, looking at An Ran.
His mind was in turmoil before he arrived, but when he saw the little girl standing there gracefully, thanking him, his heart immediately calmed and softened.
"Ninth Miss, you're too kind." A faint smile returned to Lu Mingxiu's face, making An Ran feel as if the ice and snow had melted away. "It's what I should do. By the way, Ninth Miss, have your injuries healed?"
An Ran nodded and smiled gently, "It wasn't anything serious. It was the princess who was worried and asked me to stay. I'm sorry to have troubled you, Marquis."
When she heard what Emerald said, Lu Mingxiu even specially sent over some medicinal herbs, which made An Ran feel a little at a loss.
Lu Mingxiu nodded slightly.
"Ninth Miss, you don't need to take it to heart."
For a moment, the two fell silent. An Ran felt that being alone like this was not appropriate, so she curtsied and prepared to take her leave.
Lu Mingxiu suddenly asked, "Is Ninth Miss afraid of me?"
An Ran was stunned, not expecting Lu Mingxiu to ask such a question.
"I'm afraid my reputation in the capital isn't good either. I'm a killing god on the battlefield, cold-faced and ruthless. Do you young girls think you're afraid of me?"
If Lu Mingxiu had said these words in the past, An Ran would have thought she would have to think twice before answering. But today, Lu Mingxiu looked like a gentle and refined young nobleman, only with an added air of composure and restraint.