Ning Ruonian stared coldly at the group of people sitting there, each with their own hidden agenda.
It wasn't until the little milk bun climbed down from the matriarch and waddled up to her that her attention was drawn back.
"Mommy, Huier's hungry."
In such a short time, the matriarch had already taken a fancy to this little bun and reached out her hand to him.
"Huier, be good. Will Granny take you to eat something delicious?"
Unexpectedly, Ji Jianhui tightly grasped Ning Ruonian's hand and shook his head.
"If Mommy doesn't eat, Huier won't eat either."
The matriarch glanced at Ning Ruonian and said with a smile, "Okay, we'll eat together."
...
On the other hand, Ji Shisu, who was on his way to the other courtyard, was stopped by the Ji family servants who had caught up with him.
The servant had been running all the way and was out of breath.
"Sir, please go back quickly. Another woman has come to the door with a child, claiming that the child is the eldest grandson of the Ji family."
Ji Shisu: "..."
Ji Shisu was still thinking about the matter of the substitute bride. He told Yu Chi to take Nanny Xu back to the Ji mansion, then turned his horse around and followed the servant back to the Ji family.
When Ji Shisu arrived, dinner was being served in Cihua Courtyard.
Everyone had already dispersed. Only the matriarch, Mrs. Ji, and Ning Ruonian and Ji Jianhui, the mother - son pair, were there.
As soon as he entered the door, Ji Shisu caught sight of Ning Ruonian.
"You... Aren't you..."
Wasn't this the woman who had appeared at the tea - tasting banquet?
Ning Ruonian also saw him. She put down the spoon and stood up.
Ji Jianhui, who had his eyes closed and his mouth wide open, waiting for his mommy to feed him, waited for a long time but didn't get anything. He opened his eyes discontentedly and just saw Ji Shisu standing at the door.
He beamed, opened his mouth happily, and was about to call out.
Ning Ruonian gave him a look and gently shook her head, signaling him not to call out casually.
Ji Jianhui obediently pouted.
"The child is happy to see his father. Ruonian, what are you doing stopping the child?"
The matriarch was now completely won over by Ji Jianhui. She beckoned Ji Shisu over and handed the jade pendant of Ji Jianhui to him.
"Ruonian has told us everything. You, you have such a well - behaved great - grandson like Huier. Why didn't you tell Grandma? It caused such a big misunderstanding."
Ji Shisu took the jade pendant from the matriarch.
The moment he saw the pendant, he was also stunned. He suddenly looked up at Ning Ruonian.
The latter was also looking at him, with a very complicated look in her eyes.
"Grandma, could I talk to her alone for a while?"
Seeing his expression, the matriarch already had an idea in her mind. She said, "Go ahead, go ahead."
Saying that, she took the bowl from Ning Ruonian's hand and said, "I'll feed Huier. You go."
Ning Ruonian stood up and followed Ji Shisu outside the courtyard. After making sure there was no one around, Ji Shisu finally asked,
"Who are you to him? What's the deal with this pendant? What about that child? And who are you? You made quite a stir at the tea - tasting banquet today, and now you're here in my Ji mansion with a child. What's your intention?"
He asked a series of questions, but Ning Ruonian only answered one.
"That child is the eldest grandson of the Ji family. I'm here to take him back to his ancestral clan."
The jade pendant was the symbol of the child's identity.
Seeing that she was reluctant to say more, Ji Shisu asked, "What does this have to do with your going to the tea - tasting banquet?!"
"My going to the tea - tasting banquet has nothing to do with this. Second Master, you don't have to be so on guard against me. I came to the Ji mansion to help you all."
"Help us? Suddenly giving me a son is helping us? No, you just said 'you all'?"
Ning Ruonian smiled but refused to say more.
At this moment, a gentle breeze blew by. Ning Ruonian's skirt fluttered in the wind. She was wearing a white dress. With her naturally cold and elegant temperament, now with the clothes fluttering in the wind, she looked like a fairy.
Ji Shisu suddenly had a sense of déjà vu.
A thought flashed through his mind, and he asked involuntarily,
"Have we met somewhere before?"
"Your way of striking up a conversation is so cliché." Ning Ruonian stretched out her hand towards him. "Could you please return the jade pendant to me, Second Master?"
Mentioning the jade pendant, Ji Shisu regained his senses.
He returned the jade pendant to Ning Ruonian.
"You still haven't answered my question."
"Second Master, we haven't met before today."
"No, I'm referring to the previous questions."
Ning Ruonian smiled and said, "Second Master, you just need to know that I'm your ally, not your enemy."
"An ally, right. I've got a son out of the blue, and now the whole world thinks you're my mistress."
"Second Master, you don't have to force yourself. Of course, if Second Master is willing to help, just keep silent."
Ji Shisu stared at the jade pendant in Ning Ruonian's hand for a moment, and his thoughts had drifted far away.
He murmured,
"How could I not help with this?"
Ning Ruonian smiled. As expected, he didn't lie to her. Ji Shisu would help her.
The next day, the news that a long - lost eldest grandson had suddenly appeared in the Ji family spread throughout the city.
It was said that Ji Shisu's mistress had come to the door with a child and a token proving the child was the eldest grandson of the Ji family. After seeing the token, the matriarch immediately recognized the grandson.
This incident quickly caused quite a stir in Huangcheng.
Zhao Luoning was very calm. After all, Feixing had already found out about this yesterday.
When Lord Zhao heard this news, he was not calm at all. He had thought that his daughter's child would be the eldest grandson of the Ji family. Ji Shisu had just come to apologize, and now he suddenly had another son?
Lord Zhao waved his hand.
"Forget it. Don't go back. The Ji family is clearly bullying us."
Zhao Luoning knew very well that her father was doing this for the reputation of the Zhao family. After all, the Zhao family couldn't afford to be so bullied.
But Zhao Luoning wouldn't listen to him.
"Dad, they're just waiting for me not to go back now. Then they'll have a reason to get Ji Shisu and me divorced."
"If you go back now, won't the Zhao family become a bunch of cowards that anyone can bully?!"
"Don't worry, Dad. I'll handle it properly."
Zhao Luoning was a very open - minded person.
She had experienced being looked down upon too many times. She had long understood a truth: if you want to be respected, you have to be strong enough.
Moreover, now Ji Shisu had promised to help her. Even if Ji Shisu brought back ten children now, she would accept them with a smile.
Of course, she wasn't the kind of person who would just endure everything silently.
Zhao Luoning knew very well that if Lianxiang's incident was just an accident and at that time the matriarch wasn't deliberately targeting her but was just too eager to have a eldest grandson, then this new mistress who had come to the mansion with a child was definitely coming for her.
Since the person had come to the door, she had to respond.
Otherwise, everyone would think she was easy to bully.
Although Lord Zhao strongly opposed Zhao Luoning's return to the Ji mansion, she still got on the carriage back to the Ji mansion after breakfast.
As soon as Zhao Luoning returned to Furong Courtyard, the matriarch received the news and sent someone to invite her to Cihua Courtyard.
Zhao Luoning knew very well what the matriarch was up to.
She wasn't going to let them have their way so easily.