Song Nanxin was shocked by Ji Lingchuan's concern for Song Yihuan. She deliberately pouted and said, "You've been away from home for so many days. When you're back in the mansion, you don't even care about me. Instead, you ask about Yihuan first."
Saying so, she deliberately turned her back, pretending to be angry.
After all, she was his wife through proper marriage. Ji Lingchuan thought for a while and realized that his question just now might have been inappropriate.
He rephrased it, saying, "She has been living in the prince's mansion for over a month. It's improper for an unmarried girl to live in her sister's husband's family in the end."
After a pause, he added, "She is your younger sister, so I only regard her as my younger sister. You don't need to overthink."
Song Nanxin came to her senses and let out a sigh of relief. She thought Ji Lingchuan had taken a fancy to that little bitch Song Yihuan.
So he just thought it was an eyesore that she had been living in the mansion for too long?
Song Nanxin was overjoyed. She smiled at Ji Lingchuan and said, "So it's because of this that the prince mentioned Yihuan. It's my narrow - mindedness. Don't worry, Your Highness. Mother has already been arranging a marriage for her. I'm sure it will be settled soon."
Ji Lingchuan responded with a faint grunt.
It seemed that the Ding'an Marquis Mansion was unaware of Song Yihuan's secret engagement with Gu Yunzheng.
The Marquis Mansion was looking for a suitable marriage for Song Yihuan. If Gu Yunzheng came to propose marriage at this time, the Marquis Mansion might indeed consider him because of his title as the newly - crowned second - place scholar. Thinking of this, Ji Lingchuan felt a little annoyed. He casually made an excuse and then got up and left Yixiang Pavilion.
After Ji Lingchuan left, Song Nanxin always felt that there was something wrong with his mention of Song Yihuan today. So she told Baizhi to find out what had happened in the mansion today.
Before long, Song Nanxin learned that Gu Yunzheng, the newly - crowned second - place scholar, had come to the mansion to ask to see Song Yihuan.
"The newly - crowned second - place scholar?!"
Song Nanxin gritted her teeth and said, "Good for you, Song Yihuan. You dared to hide this from me!"
What else could a man come to ask to see a woman for? It must be that they had an affair!
Song Yihuan had never mentioned the existence of Gu Yunzheng to her!
This bitch dared to hide it from her!
When Gu Yunzheng came to the door, Song Yihuan had a premonition that her elder sister would cause trouble for her. So when Baizhi appeared outside Tinglan Courtyard, she wasn't surprised at all.
She told Chunxing to take good care of her younger brother, then took Fuling and followed Baizhi to Yixiang Pavilion.
As soon as Song Yihuan entered the door, something flew towards her. It brushed past her and smashed on the ground behind, shattering into pieces. This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened. This time, Song Yihuan was prepared and didn't even frown.
"Song Yihuan, you're really something. You've hidden this from me for so long! If someone hadn't told me today, I wouldn't have known when you got to know the newly - crowned second - place scholar, and that he even came to the Prince Ning's Mansion just to see you!"
Song Nanxin slapped the table and roared, "Don't you think you should explain this to me?"
Explain? Song Yihuan almost burst out laughing.
That night, her elder sister had set her up and pushed her onto that bed, ruining her innocence and her life. Had she ever asked if she was willing?
Song Yihuan looked at her elder sister quietly. Her gaze was calm and clear, which made Song Nanxin feel flustered for no reason.
"If that hadn't happened, I might really have married Gu Yunzheng and become the wife of Lord Gu, the newly - crowned second - place scholar." Song Yihuan finally spoke, her tone extremely calm.
So this little bitch was blaming her for ruining a good marriage?
Song Nanxin changed her expression and looked extremely pitiful. She grabbed Song Yihuan's hand and said,
"Yihuan, I know you resent and hate me in your heart. But think about it. I used to be so good to you. If it weren't for me, how could you and Xuan'er have enough to eat and wear warm clothes in the Marquis Mansion, and even study in the Imperial College? Besides, when Concubine Rou had a difficult childbirth back then, it was me who took you around the city to find a doctor. I had no other choice but to ask you for help."
Hearing her elder sister mention Concubine Rou, Song Yihuan felt a sudden pain in her heart. She dug her nails into her palm with her other hand, forcing herself not to lose control in front of her elder sister.
"I heard from Mother that she wants to marry you off as the second wife of Lord Wu the Second. Don't worry. As long as I'm here, I'll never let you be defiled by that Lord Wu. After you give birth to the child smoothly, I'll definitely find you a husband who is a thousand times better than that newly - crowned second - place scholar. I won't let you be wronged."
Seeing that Song Yihuan had been keeping her head down and not saying a word, Song Nanxin hinted, "You don't want Lord Gu, the second - place scholar, to know that you climbed into your brother - in - law's bed, do you?"
Song Yihuan looked up at Song Nanxin. Her deer - like eyes were hazy as if filled with tears. "Don't worry, elder sister. Since I've promised to help you, I won't go back on my word. I'll find a chance to talk to Lord Gu clearly and cut off all ties with him completely."
Back in Tinglan Courtyard, Song Yihuan took out the jade pendant given by Gu Yunzheng and let out a soft sigh.
She really had to find a chance to meet Gu Yunzheng and return this jade pendant.
The longer she kept this jade pendant with her, the heavier her guilt towards Gu Yunzheng became.
The next day, just as Song Yihuan was thinking about how to cut off all ties with Gu Yunzheng, Chunxing came back from outside and brought her another piece of news.
"Fourth Miss, Lord Gu, the newly - crowned second - place scholar, is here again. But this time, he didn't enter the mansion. Instead, he's just sitting outside the Prince Ning's Mansion, not saying a word."
Chunxing carefully observed her expression and said, "Miss, do you really not know Lord Gu? If he keeps sitting outside the Prince Ning's Mansion like this, it may draw the dissatisfaction of the princess and the prince."
Song Yihuan frowned. Besides annoyance, she also felt extremely helpless.
She didn't expect Gu Yunzheng to be so stubborn. In order to see her, he actually resorted to such a tactic.
He was the newly - crowned second - place scholar now, a very eye - catching figure. If people mistakenly thought that he had offended the Prince Ning's Mansion because of this incident, how could he gain a foothold in the court in the future?
Song Yihuan tightened her face. She went back into the room, sat down at the table, spread out a piece of letter paper, dipped a writing brush in ink, and started writing a letter. After the ink dried, she handed the letter to Chunxing and said,
"Chunxing, give this letter to Lord Gu."
Chunxing responded and then ran out with the letter in her hand.
At the main gate of the Prince Ning's Mansion, Ji Lingchuan, who had just returned from outside, also saw Gu Yunzheng sitting upright outside the mansion.
Steward Cheng followed his gaze and sighed with a headache, "Lord Gu has been here since dawn. After he came, he has been sitting here without moving or saying a word. Your Highness, what should we do?"
Ji Lingchuan frowned tightly and clenched the sword at his waist. Just as he was about to step forward to reason with Gu Yunzheng, he saw a rather plump maid running up to Gu Yunzheng with a letter in her hand and giving it to him.
After receiving the letter, Gu Yunzheng unfolded it and read it right in front of the maid. Somehow, he showed an overjoyed smile. He jumped up from the ground and carefully put the letter into his bosom as if it were a precious treasure.
Ji Lingchuan didn't even need to think to know who had written the letter. There must have been something in the letter that made Gu Yunzheng react so happily.
Thinking of the way Song Yihuan had avoided him like a snake or a scorpion after the rain stopped in the garden that day, at this moment, Ji Lingchuan admitted that the smile on Gu Yunzheng's face was really an eyesore.
She said yesterday that she didn't know Gu Yunzheng, but today she sent a letter to him through a maid. What on earth was she thinking?
With inexplicable anger, Ji Lingchuan turned around and entered the Prince Ning's Mansion. His face was as cold as ice, which made Fuzhou and Fuxing serve him tremblingly.