Account books are highly confidential. Song Yihuan was well - aware of her own status and would never dare to meddle in the affairs of the Prince Ning's Mansion.
However, once her elder sister had made a decision, how could a mere concubine - born daughter like Song Yihuan change it? Song Nanxin said impatiently:
"I'm not asking you to take it away. When the heir is not around, you can just come to my place to have a look. As long as I don't tell and you don't tell, who else would know? Only if I live well in the Prince Ning's Mansion can I take care of you and Xuan'er. Do you understand?"
Hearing the veiled threat in her elder sister's words, Song Yihuan could only reply, "Okay."
Having gotten the result she wanted, Song Nanxin finally stopped harassing Song Yihuan. She waved her hand, signaling her to leave.
Song Yihuan propped herself up and stood up. She took unsteady steps towards the door. Just as she stepped out of Yixiang Pavilion, a tall and imposing figure came towards her, startling the maids and old nannies guarding outside.
"Greetings to the heir."
The heir? Ji Lingchuan?
Song Yihuan's heart skipped a beat. She never expected to run into Ji Lingchuan at such an inopportune moment. There was no way for her to retreat back into the room now. She lowered her head, bent her knees, and was about to salute when, unexpectedly, her weak body staggered forward. The next moment, a pair of steady hands firmly supported her arms.
A deep and clear voice sounded above her head, "Be careful."
The warmth of his palm seeped through her clothes, making Song Yihuan's heart tremble. She quickly broke free from his hands and took two steps back to create some distance. She lowered her head even more and replied, "Thank you, Your Highness. I'm fine."
His voice was like the clinking of jade and the gurgling of a mountain spring, refreshing to the ears.
Ji Lingchuan's hand was left empty. His gaze fell on the woman kneeling in front of him with her head down. Only then did he realize that he had mistaken her for someone else.
He had come to Yixiang Pavilion to visit his wife. As he rounded the corner, he saw a figure walking out of the room. The woman was standing sideways with her head down, so he couldn't see her face clearly. But he vaguely remembered that his wife was wearing a yellow dress today, which was very similar to the one the woman in front of him was wearing.
Seeing that she was about to fall, he instinctively reached out to support her. It was not until he heard her voice that he realized something was wrong.
She called herself a young lady rather than a maid. Presumably, she was the concubine - born younger sister of the Marquis's Mansion that his wife had just mentioned to his mother.
After learning that she was his wife's younger sister, Ji Lingchuan's expression turned a bit colder. He let out a non - committal "hmm" and was about to walk past her into the room. However, as he passed by her, a faint fragrance that was almost indistinguishable wafted into his nose.
Ji Lingchuan suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at the figure kneeling in front of him again.
The woman was slender. Her hair was pulled up at the back of her head. Because she had her head down, a small section of her fair neck was exposed, making her seem fragile and delicate. She was wearing a light - yellow dress, which was completely different from the woman he had encountered in the medical clinic. He still remembered that the hem of the woman's dress in the medical clinic was embroidered with many apricot flowers.
But Ji Lingchuan would never mistake that familiar fragrance. His eyes were fixed on her as he said, "You, look up."
The man was in a high position and had been leading troops for a long time. His voice carried a hint of unyielding authority. Song Yihuan thought she could breathe a sigh of relief, but his tone made her stiffen all over.
At this moment, not only Song Yihuan, but also the maids and old nannies outside and Song Nanxin inside the room were very nervous. Last night's scheme seemed flawless at first glance, but upon closer inspection, there were suspicious points everywhere. Ji Lingchuan was extremely perceptive. Could it be that he had discovered something?
In a hurry, Song Nanxin suddenly opened the door and walked out with a smile. "What a coincidence! I was just talking to the princess and the heir about my younger sister. I didn't expect you two to meet so soon."
She pulled Song Yihuan up from the ground and said, "Your Highness, this is my younger sister Song Yihuan that I just mentioned. Yihuan, don't you greet your brother - in - law?"
She secretly pinched Song Yihuan's hand and emphasized the words "brother - in - law". It was not only a reminder to Song Yihuan but also to Ji Lingchuan.
Song Yihuan understood the hidden meaning in her words. She raised her head generously, performed a proper salute, and said obediently, "Yihuan greets her brother - in - law."
The moment Ji Lingchuan saw Song Yihuan's face, he was slightly dazed.
This was an extremely beautiful woman. Her skin was like congealed fat. Her deer - like eyes were moist, as if filled with tender affection. Her lips were as bright red as the peonies blooming in spring. Her tired expression made her seem vulnerable and pitiful, greatly arousing the man's protective instincts. He almost wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her.
However, the woman's address of "brother - in - law" was like a blow to Ji Lingchuan's head, instantly waking him up.
He shifted his gaze calmly and nodded slightly. "We are family. There's no need for so many formalities."
Song Nanxin didn't miss the fleeting look of amazement in Ji Lingchuan's eyes. She was jealous of Song Yihuan's charming face in her heart, but she didn't show it at all on her face. She patted Song Yihuan and said, "Didn't you say you had something to do just now? Why aren't you in a hurry now?"
Her sister had given her a way out, so Song Yihuan took the opportunity. She lowered her head and said, "Yihuan will take her leave first."
Supported by Fuling, Song Yihuan could feel a very sharp gaze following her.
Song Nanxin wrapped her arm around Ji Lingchuan's and blocked the man's sight. She said with a smile, "Your Highness, did you mistake Yihuan for me just now? My younger sister and I had a very good relationship in the Marquis's Mansion. We always made clothes from the same piece of cloth. Even after I came to the Prince Ning's Mansion, I still couldn't change this habit. I'm afraid I've made Your Highness laugh."
Ji Lingchuan didn't know that since the age of twelve, Song Nanxin had been deliberately cultivating Song Yihuan to be her shadow.
The two sisters ate the same food and drank the same water. Gradually, their figures became more and more similar. Once they wore the same clothes and covered their faces, it was almost impossible to tell them apart just by their figures.
This was also the reason why Ji Lingchuan had mistaken Song Yihuan for someone else at first glance.
He wasn't familiar with the two sisters. After hearing Song Nanxin's explanation, he didn't think much about it. He just thought that if the clothes were given by his wife, it was not surprising that his wife's younger sister smelled of the same fragrance.
Coming back to his senses, he realized that Song Nanxin was holding his arm. He subconsciously pulled his hand away and distanced himself from her.
Song Nanxin gritted her teeth secretly. She smiled at Ji Lingchuan and said, "Since Your Highness is here, please come in and sit down for a while. Have a cup of tea."
Ji Lingchuan said, "There's no need to be so busy. I came here just to give you this ointment."
He took out the ointment he had bought in the medical clinic and handed it to Song Nanxin. Song Nanxin looked blank. "What is this?"
Ji Lingchuan hesitated for a moment and said, "This ointment can reduce swelling and disperse stasis. It will make you feel better."
Song Nanxin immediately understood what he was referring to. Her heart was filled with a mixture of joy and anger.
She was happy that her husband, although seemingly cold and heartless, was actually caring and considerate, always concerned about his wife. But she was angry that it wasn't her who had received her husband's favor last night. She also regretted even more that she had made such a foolish decision that she couldn't consummate the marriage herself.
Suppressing her jealousy, Song Nanxin took the ointment. She lowered her head shyly and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your concern."
After giving the ointment, Ji Lingchuan turned around and was about to leave. At this moment, Baizhi rushed out of the room with a carved eight - treasure exquisite box in her hands. "Your Ladyship, something's wrong. One of the hairpins in your box is missing."
Song Nanxin silently praised Baizhi for her quick actions. She said, "Have you looked carefully? Maybe you were careless and left it somewhere else."
Baizhi shook her head. "I remember putting the hairpin into the jewelry box when I was tidying up the room this morning. Fourth Miss went into the inner room when she was changing clothes just now. Could it be that Fourth Miss..."
Song Nanxin scolded, "Don't make wild speculations. Yihuan is my younger sister. How could she do such a thing? Look for it more carefully."
Fourth Miss? Song Yihuan?
Ji Lingchuan stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at Song Nanxin. "What's going on?"