Compared to Yan Ningshuang’s disheveled and unsightly appearance, Xiao Jingyue was much more composed. He stood up and straightened his robes, saying with some displeasure: “Who told you to come in!”

A female voice exclaimed with both surprise and anger: “Third Brother… you… What are you doing!”

Xiao Jingyue raised his eyebrows and looked toward the crowd of people who had appeared in the greenhouse.

Leading them was Xiao Jingyuan who had just spoken, and Zhao Yingqiu who stood there stunned and speechless. Following behind them were several maids and a few older nannies. One of the older ones served beside the Old Princess Consort, while the other two looked unfamiliar, wearing extremely expensive fabrics – they were not from the Yanbei Prince’s Manor.

Those two unfamiliar nannies showed shocked expressions upon seeing the scene inside the room. After recovering their senses, they quickly walked to Yan Ningshuang’s side and helped her up from the ground.

“Miss Yan, are you… Are you alright?”

“How… how could this happen?”

Yan Ningshuang’s robes had been torn by Xiao Jingyue earlier, and being seen by so many people in such a state was truly disheveled. Yan Ningshuang was nearly beside herself with shame and anger. If she had a knife in her hand at that moment, she would certainly have stabbed Xiao Jingyue several times without hesitation.

Zhao Yingqiu sensed Yan Ningshuang’s embarrassment and quickly took a cloak from her maid’s hands that had been prepared before going out. In a few steps, she walked to Yan Ningshuang and draped the cloak over her, covering her torn clothing.

Only then did the two nannies turn their attention to the instigator, Xiao Jingyue: “Third Young Master Xiao! What is the meaning of this from your Xiao family? Miss Yan came to Yanbei under the Empress Dowager’s decree. She is the Empress Dowager’s grand-niece, the precious daughter of the Yan family head! You actually… dare to humiliate her like this! You… you are simply going too far!”

At this moment, the Old Princess Consort’s nanny quickly said: “Could there be some misunderstanding in all this? Third Young Master?”

“What misunderstanding could there be? So many of us just witnessed it – it was your Xiao family’s Third Young Master who bullied our Miss Yan! Today, you must give us an explanation!”

The Old Princess Consort’s nanny rather regretted accompanying them to tour the gardens today, actually stumbling upon such a matter. She couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Jingyue again, hoping that Third Young Master Xiao could say something to explain, though in the current situation, even explanations would likely not be believed.

Xiao Jingyue had just been interrupted from his good deed, and now being surrounded and stared at by so many people, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat irritated. He said with displeasure, “Explain what? She was willing to come with me herself – it’s not like I kidnapped her!”

Yan Ningshuang said with shame and anger: “You deceived me…”

Before she could finish her words, Xiao Jingyue interrupted her with a half-smile: “I deceived you? What did I deceive you about? Why did you follow me here? Don’t tell me I forced you to come?”

Yan Ningshuang found herself unable to speak. She had come for Xiao Jingxi’s sake, but this was not something she could say now, and she had no evidence that she had been deceived by Xiao Jingyue.

Xiao Jingyue curled his lips: “You can only command your maids – just now it was you who instructed them not to come in.” He glanced at the two nannies and smiled: “What do you two want me to explain? How should I explain? Explain that Miss Yan and I are mutually in love. Then I’ll explain it! At worst, I’ll marry her.”

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this.

Xiao Jingyuan on the side quickly interjected: “Third Brother, you’re already engaged. It was a marriage decreed by the Empress Dowager earlier.”

Before Xiao Jingyue could respond, Yan Ningshuang was the first to object, saying with a trembling voice in anger: “Who wants you to marry them! As if you’re worthy?”

Xiao Jingyue had originally been looking careless, but upon hearing these words, his eyes couldn’t help but narrow slightly. Then he smiled at Yan Ningshuang: “If I’m not worthy, then who is? Besides, now that we two are in this situation, if I don’t marry you, who else could you marry?”

Xiao Jingyue’s words were like a bolt from the blue for Yan Ningshuang.

She had been unwilling to think about it carefully just now, but now Xiao Jingyue’s words reminded her – when she was being bullied by Xiao Jingyue, these people had caught them red-handed, and it was in the Yanbei Prince’s Manor no less. This matter would certainly reach Xiao Jingxi eventually. How could she have the face to meet Xiao Jingxi then?

The two nannies sent by the Empress Dowager exchanged glances, and one of them said: “We need to see the Old Princess Consort and Princess Consort.”

The other said, “Third Young Master Xiao, who marries whom is not for you to decide!”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingyue didn’t argue, merely curling his lips in a broken-jar manner.

The nannies wanted to go see the Old Princess Consort and Princess Consort together. Xiao Jingyuan also had her maid summon her mother, Lady Su. No matter how Xiao Jingyue’s matter would ultimately be handled, they couldn’t remain completely in the dark.

Zhao Yingqiu accompanied the distraught Yan Ningshuang back to her quarters. Throughout the journey, Yan Ningshuang didn’t say a single word, her face deathly pale, looking as if she were ill when viewed up close.

After Zhao Yingqiu accompanied Yan Ningshuang into the room, Yan Ningshuang suddenly asked with a dry voice: “How did those people happen to come?”

Yan Ningshuang was referring to Xiao Jingyuan and the nannies sent by the Empress Dowager, and even people from beside the Old Princess Consort had come – it was all too coincidental. Xiao Jingyuan normally had no dealings with them, and the Empress Dowager’s two nannies didn’t live in the Prince’s Manor but stayed with several other young ladies in the outer retreat house.

Zhao Yingqiu said, “Those two nannies came to discuss some matters with us. Isn’t it just a few days before returning to the capital? When I was returning, I happened to meet these two nannies being escorted out by the Old Princess Consort’s people. Hearing that you had gone to the gardens, and thinking that we’d be returning in a few days without having properly toured the Yanbei Prince’s Manor, they asked that Nanny take us along to find you. As for the Xiao family’s young lady, we encountered her on the way.”

Was it just a coincidence?

Yan Ningshuang was unwilling to think about how to face Xiao Jingxi in the future, so what she had been thinking about throughout the journey was how strange today’s events had been from beginning to end. First, how did she and Zhao Yingqiu happen to encounter Third Young Master Xiao so coincidentally at Ting Garden? In all the days she had stayed at the Yanbei Prince’s Manor, she had never encountered Xiao Jingyue before.

And why did Zhao Yingqiu’s maid happen to discover her clothes were dirty precisely on the way they came together?

Miss Yan wasn’t too foolish as long as it didn’t involve matters related to Xiao Jingxi.

Zhao Yingqiu looked at Yan Ningshuang’s expression and suddenly realized belatedly that Yan Ningshuang was suspecting her.

Zhao Yingqiu hurriedly said: “Ningshuang, are you suspecting that I did something? We’ve known each other for so many years and can be considered close friends – what benefit would I gain from harming you? Besides, I was truly inconvenienced today. Didn’t you see me once before when I was uncomfortable? Count the days and see if it matches!”

Zhao Yingqiu had some dysmenorrhea problems. Once, when she was in terrible pain, Yan Ningshuang, who was visiting the Zhao family, had encountered her.

Yan Ningshuang thought that Zhao Yingqiu indeed had no reason to harm her, and their relationship had always been quite good. Zhao Yingqiu had a gentle nature, was easy to get along with, and rarely had conflicts with others.

Yan Ningshuang was in a state of panic and confusion, also worried about what those people would say about this matter, so she didn’t say much more. Now that she had returned, she began to worry about what the two nannies and people from the Yanbei Prince’s Manor would discuss.

In her disheveled state with improper clothing, she naturally couldn’t follow them to see the Old Princess Consort and Princess Consort, so the two nannies had told her to return and tidy herself up.

Zhao Yingqiu had seemed somewhat angry earlier, but now couldn’t help comforting Yan Ningshuang: “Actually, there weren’t that many people present today. Perhaps this matter will ultimately be kept secret. After all, you’ll be returning to the capital in just a few days.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Ningshuang’s expression didn’t relax much. Regardless of which outcome it was, neither was what she wanted to see. She only regretted that the person in the greenhouse today was Xiao Jingyue – how could it have been Xiao Jingyue!

Yan Ningshuang didn’t know how the two nannies sought justice for her, as no one was sent to summon her for a confrontation. However, by the next morning, the two nannies came to the Yanbei Prince’s Manor to take Yan Ningshuang and Zhao Yingqiu to stay at the retreat house.

Yan Ningshuang didn’t want to leave the Yanbei Prince’s Manor. She only wanted to stay in a place close to Xiao Jingxi.

However, the two nannies’ attitude was very clear.

“Miss, it’s no longer appropriate for you to stay in the Prince’s Manor.”

“Yes, Miss Yan, we’ve managed to suppress this matter from spreading. What if something else happens?”

Only then did Yan Ningshuang look up and ask: “The matter didn’t spread?”

The nanny quickly said: “No, no, Miss, please rest assured. This time the Yanbei Prince’s Manor was in the wrong! Last night the Princess Consort already gave orders that no one is allowed to mention this matter again. This servant has already reported this matter to the Empress Dowager. When we return, the Empress Dowager will also seek justice for you!”

“You reported the matter back to the capital?” Yan Ningshuang suddenly asked.

The two nannies exchanged glances and said with apologetic smiles: “Miss, we serve beside the Empress Dowager. This is a major matter – we servants are afraid we cannot handle it.”

Yan Ningshuang closed her eyes and said nothing more.

In this short time, the two nannies had already had people pack up Yan Ningshuang’s belongings. Yan Ningshuang hadn’t even had time to bid farewell to the Old Princess Consort and Princess Consort before being taken away from the Yanbei Prince’s Manor by the two nannies.

The two nannies, fearing Yan Ningshuang would make a scene, didn’t tell her that after she left, Xiao Jingyue had again spoken before the Old Princess Consort, Princess Consort, and others about wanting to marry Yan Ningshuang.

After Yan Ningshuang left the Yanbei Prince’s Manor, indeed no one spread any gossip, as if that day’s events had never existed.

In the blink of an eye, it was time for these people to return to the capital. Except for the six young ladies who stayed behind to await marriage and Pei Zhiyan, who had matters to attend to and didn’t plan to return to the capital, everyone else was to leave. As for the matter between Xiao Jingyue and Yan Ningshuang, no one mentioned it again.

Just like that, Yan Ningshuang left Yanbei without stirring up any more trouble, proceeding so smoothly that xit was surprising.

Just when everyone thought this matter had ended, the Xiao family suddenly received another imperial decree.