The Ning Family
Ning Huaizhi stayed out for another night. It was already late in the morning the next day when he strolled into the house leisurely.
When Ning Huaizhi pushed the door open, Monian was doing her makeup. Seeing him come back, she quickly got up to greet him. Ning Huaizhi impatiently untied his outer robe and threw it at Monian.
"Go, wash it for me."
When Monian saw the various lipstick marks on the robe, her eyes immediately turned red.
But in front of Ning Huaizhi, she didn't dare to show it.
She asked cautiously, "Husband, could you... could you not go out tomorrow?"
"Not go out?" Ning Huaizhi walked up to Monian, lifted her chin with his finger, and asked frivolously, "If I don't go out, can you serve me well?"
Monian fell silent.
She was from a well - to - do family. If it weren't for the decline of her family, why would she have to be a second wife?
She had suffered a great deal of grievance in this marriage.
Back then, she was deceived by Ning Huaizhi's sweet words and ended up in this situation.
Monian sniffed and said, "Husband, it's not that I want to control you. The Bai Family sent an invitation for us to attend the Autumn Banquet. I... I'd like to go and have a look."
The Autumn Banquet hosted by the imperial - appointed lady was what many women yearned for.
Monian heard that it was because the eldest brother of the Ning Family had an old acquaintance with the imperial - appointed lady that the Ning Family was invited.
However, Monian also heard that her husband didn't seem to get along well with the imperial - appointed lady.
It was reasonable to think so.
The imperial - appointed lady was related to the Zhao Family, and Ning Huaizhi hadn't treated his first wife, Zhao Luoyue, well.
However, if Ning Huaizhi didn't go, Monian didn't dare to go alone.
It wasn't that she was afraid of being unwelcome at the Bai Family.
She was afraid that Ning Huaizhi would be unhappy.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this news, Ning Huaizhi showed an unusual smile on his face.
"The Autumn Banquet at the Bai Family?!"
"Ah, yes... Husband... will you go?"
"Go, why not!"
Ning Huaizhi thought that it was as if God was helping him.
He had just been thinking about Zhao Luoning, and then the Bai Family held the Autumn Banquet.
Ning Huaizhi let go of Monian, walked towards the inner room, and gave instructions on the way.
"Find out the new clothes I just had made. I'm going to attend the banquet in full regalia."
Monian didn't think much about the reason. She was very happy that Ning Huaizhi had agreed to go to the Autumn Banquet.
She quickly agreed.
When Ning Huaizhi mentioned the new clothes, Monian remembered that the set of clothes seemed to have been sent to the laundry room. In her joy, she didn't assign this task to the servants but went to the laundry room to get the clothes herself.
Just as Monian reached the door of the laundry room, she bumped into a woman head - on.
This was a concubine that Ning Huaizhi had taken into the house a year ago, but she had been abandoned soon after entering the house.
Monian paused for a moment.
The woman also saw Monian. She sneered contemptuously, shouldered past Monian, and left the laundry room with the clothes in her arms.
Monian staggered from the impact. It was the maid who supported her that she could stand firm.
The maid said angrily, "What's there for a fallen - out concubine to be so proud of?"
Monian forced a smile and said, "I'm also a fallen - out wife. There's nothing for me to be proud of either."
The maid realized that she had said the wrong thing and wished she could slap herself.
The maid quickly apologized, but Monian was in a low mood. To divert Monian's attention, the maid started gossiping with her.
"Madam, you don't know. Concubine Qin seems to be ill."
"Ill? Then why doesn't she go to see a doctor?!"
Monian was kind - hearted. Although Concubine Qin had a bad attitude towards her, she was still worried when she heard that someone was ill.
"Of course, she doesn't dare to see a doctor. She even only dares to boil the medicine secretly in her yard and doesn't dare to let others know."
"Why is that?"
The maid sighed and said, "Madam, you're just too naive."
The maid leaned close to Monian's ear and whispered a few words.
Monian's eyes widened in surprise.
"Is this true? How could she... how could she contract such a disease?"
"Madam, don't worry. She contracted the disease after entering the house. After the master stopped liking her, she had an affair behind the master's back. That's why this happened. But the master hasn't been to her room for more than half a year. Madam, you can rest assured. The master should not have it." The maid whispered gossiping, "If the man she had an affair with hadn't contracted the disease, no one would have known that she was ill."
Monian was extremely shocked.
She suddenly felt that she should be glad that Ning Huaizhi didn't touch her.
...
The Autumn Banquet
Since handing over the business to her sons, Zhao Luoning had become much more idle. She would hold some banquets when she was free.
She wasn't the kind of person who liked to socialize.
She held banquets for a reason.
Sometimes it was to train Zhao Zhaoyan and Zhao Zhaomo's interpersonal skills.
Sometimes it was to expand her business connections.
Occasionally, it was to hold a matchmaking banquet.
Such as this time.
Seeing the protagonist of the matchmaking banquet finally appear, Zhao Luoning showed a smile.
Guisu reminded her on the side.
"Madam, stop smiling. Otherwise, the master will be jealous when he sees it."
"How do you know that?"
"Of course I know. I'm the know - it - all in the mansion."
"Yo, while others use the tiger's might, you use the master's might."
"Who cares about what kind of might it is? I don't understand. I only know that if the master is jealous, his jealousy can spread for miles."
Guisu's description was so cute that Zhao Luoning was amused again.
At this time, the Ning Family had got off the carriage.
Yuchi was greeting the guests at the door.
Seeing Ning Huaizhi, Guisu's expression changed.
"Why is he here?"
"I invited the Ning Family. It's not strange for him to come."
"Madam, you're really. It would have been enough to invite only the eldest young master of the Ning Family. Why did you invite that annoying guy?"
"It would have been too obvious if I only invited Ning Huainan."
Over the years, to avoid suspicion, she had rarely interacted with Ning Huainan.
Ning Huainan also knew well. Since Ji Shihan's death, he had hardly ever come to see her on his own initiative.
"Indeed. If only the eldest young master of the Ning Family was invited, the master would probably be jealous too."
"Yes, yes, yes. His jealousy can spread for miles, right?"
Zhao Luoning smiled and continued Guisu's words.
Just as they were talking, the Ning Family had come up.
"Elder Brother Ning."
Zhao Luoning stepped forward to greet them.
Her eyes swept over Ning Huaizhi and skipped him. She only called Ning Huainan.
When Ning Huainan saw Zhao Luoning, his eyes were full of complexity.
How long had it been since he last saw her?
He knew he should avoid suspicion and that he should forget about her. So he had endured not seeing her for all these years.
However, no matter how hard he tried, as soon as he saw her, all his efforts were in vain.
"Lu..."
Before Ning Huainan could finish his words, someone suddenly interrupted.
"Hey, isn't this the eldest young master of the Ning Family? A distinguished guest, a distinguished guest."