Looking at Yan Ningshuang, who had worked herself into tears of grievance, Ren Yaoqi felt quite helpless.

“What use would I have for your life?”

Yan Ningshuang felt that Ren Yaoqi’s words were mocking her, but she still gritted her teeth and swallowed her anger, saying: “You now have a child, and you have his respect and love. I have nothing—what is there left for you to worry about?”

Ren Yaoqi shook her head and said in a light tone: “Miss Yan, please return. I’ll pretend you never came today.”

Yan Ningshuang had originally thought that with such a significant bargaining chip in her hands, even if Ren Yaoqi didn’t immediately agree, she would at least hesitate. She hadn’t expected such a clean and decisive refusal. She couldn’t help but feel stunned, and after the shock came anger. Pointing at Ren Yaoqi, she said: “Do you know how important this information is to the Yanbei Prince’s Manor and Xiao Lang? You refuse without even thinking? Ren Yaoqi, do you truly have Xiao Lang in your heart at all? Could it be that your mind is filled with nothing but your wealth and glory? How he has wronged you!”

Faced with Yan Ningshuang’s inexplicable accusations, Ren Yaoqi found it both laughable and absurd. She looked at Yan Ningshuang with calm composure and said, “Miss Yan, do you know why he married me and not you?”

The anger on Yan Ningshuang’s face hadn’t yet dissipated when Ren Yaoqi’s question caught her completely off guard, leaving her unable to react and momentarily stunned.

Ren Yaoqi had no intention of letting Yan Ningshuang answer. She smiled slightly and continued: “Because you believe he would take a woman into his household to solve problems that should rightfully be solved by men, while I choose to trust him regardless of the circumstances.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Ningshuang’s face instantly turned pale.

Ren Yaoqi continued as if she hadn’t noticed: “As for your claim that I’m selfish… I wonder how Miss Yan views herself? As a tragic heroine who would brave fire and water for her beloved without hesitation? If you’re truly so selfless, why didn’t you directly tell him what you know, or report it to the Prince and Princess Consort? Instead, you came to me while I’m pregnant?”

“I…”

Yan Ningshuang had just begun to speak when Ren Yaoqi raised her hand to interrupt: “Because you know he doesn’t want to see you and would never agree to your conditions. The Prince and Princess Consort would be even less likely to agree. So you thought approaching me would be most suitable? Miss Yan, when you came to negotiate with me, did you consider that your Xiao Lang simply doesn’t want to accept you? Is it your great selflessness that led you to use your bargaining chip to threaten the very person you admire? Please forgive my bluntness, Miss Yan—your sincere heart is truly cheap!”

Ren Yaoqi’s words were merciless. Yan Ningshuang looked as if she’d been slapped in public, her face pale as she took a step backward.

Leshan and Pingguo both involuntarily glanced up at Ren Yaoqi. Ren Yaoqi had always been gentle in temperament, often seeming to have no temper at all. This was the first time they’d seen her speak so mercilessly and sharply to someone—each word like a poisoned arrow, so cutting and venomous that both maids felt surprised.

Just then, someone outside lifted the curtain and entered.

Several people in the room all turned to look and saw that Xiao Jingxi, who hadn’t been in Zhaoning Hall earlier, had somehow returned. No one knew how much of the recent conversation he’d heard, and his extraordinarily handsome face revealed no readable emotions.

Yan Ningshuang had previously been rendered speechless by Ren Yaoqi’s cutting words, but now seeing the person who occupied the tip of her heart suddenly appear, all those complex emotions of disappointment and shame transformed into grievance.

“Xiao Lang…” Yan Ningshuang called out pitifully with reddened eyes.

Xiao Jingxi walked past Yan Ningshuang to stand before Ren Yaoqi.

“Xiao Lang, I…” Yan Ningshuang said urgently.

Ren Yaoqi glanced at Yan Ningshuang and handed the paper Yan Ningshuang had given her to Xiao Jingxi.

When Xiao Jingxi took the item from Ren Yaoqi’s hand, he gently squeezed her hand, then held the paper up to examine it briefly.

From the moment Xiao Jingxi entered, Yan Ningshuang’s gaze had remained fixed on him without a moment’s departure, but Xiao Jingxi’s expression had remained calm throughout. Even after finishing reading what Yan Ningshuang had written, he still showed no reaction, merely looking up to instruct Leshan, who stood behind Ren Yaoqi: “Escort the Third Young Madam back.”

Leshan bowed in compliance, then walked to Yan Ningshuang’s side: “Third Young Madam, please.”

Yan Ningshuang stared blankly at Xiao Jingxi: “Xiao Lang…”

Leshan repeated: “Third Young Madam, please.”

Yan Ningshuang looked at Xiao Jingxi’s cold expression, feeling empty and deeply uncomfortable inside. But from the moment he’d entered, Xiao Jingxi hadn’t spared her even a single glance, as if she were merely a speck of dust that had accidentally fallen into Zhaoning Hall—fit only to be swept out by a maid with a feather duster.

Remembering the words Ren Yaoqi had just spoken, wondering how much Xiao Jingxi had heard while outside, and whether he too thought of her this way, Yan Ningshuang couldn’t help but feel a surge of shame and indignation, along with some resentment born of unfulfilled longing toward Xiao Jingxi.

This time, she didn’t wait for Leshan to urge her again—she turned and rushed out. Leshan quickly followed.

After they left, Pingguo glanced at both Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jingxi, then quietly withdrew as well.

Only when Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jingxi were alone did Ren Yaoqi ask curiously: “Don’t you want to know the contents of the secret letter?”

Xiao Jingxi stared intently at Ren Yaoqi for a long moment, until she frowned. Only then did he curve his lips slightly, lean over to kiss her lips once, and reply decisively: “I don’t.”

Ren Yaoqi raised an eyebrow.

Xiao Jingxi looked at her and smiled: “Because I married you.”

Ren Yaoqi paused, then remembered what she’d just said to Yan Ningshuang, realizing that Xiao Jingxi must have been there for quite some time.

Ren Yaoqi gave him a look, then said seriously: “She just mentioned that there’s more to the court’s reopening of border trade with the Liao people than meets the eye. It didn’t sound like empty talk.”

Xiao Jingxi leaned forward to embrace Ren Yaoqi, resting his chin on top of her head with his hand gently placed on her abdomen, saying casually: “What she wrote on that paper is all true. Jinglin left the manor some days ago to investigate this matter. The court and the Liao people should have already reached some kind of agreement…”

Ren Yaoqi frowned: “So what she wanted to tell you was the content of the agreement?”

Xiao Jingxi said indifferently: “Perhaps, but these things don’t matter. We’ll know sooner or later.”

Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but sigh.

Xiao Jingxi gently pinched her cheek and chuckled softly: “Don’t keep sighing—what if you influence the child badly? As you said, these matters are for me to worry about.”

Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi looked at Xiao Jingxi as if she’d thought of something, then said seriously: “From now on, appear before me less often.”

Xiao Jingxi was puzzled: “Why?”

Ren Yaoqi said with a straight face: “I heard that whoever I look at most now, the child will resemble in the future. A beauty that brings disaster—whether the child is male or female, they shouldn’t resemble you, to avoid endless troubles later.”

Seeing that Ren Yaoqi intended to settle accounts with him, Xiao Jingxi blinked, then looked somewhat aggrieved as he lowered his head to gently nuzzle Ren Yaoqi’s cheek: “Wife, are you disgusted with me?”

Ren Yaoqi nodded quite unsympathetically, just about to say, “Yes, I am disgusted.”

But the cunning and crafty Second Young Master Xiao didn’t give her the chance. The moment she opened her mouth to speak, he immediately lowered his head to seal her lips, swallowing all her words.

“Mmph…”

After Yan Ningshuang rushed out of Zhaoning Hall, Leshan had originally intended to fulfill her orders to escort her back, but Xiangqin suddenly appeared from somewhere and volunteered: “Let me escort the Third Young Madam.”

Leshan looked at Yan Ningshuang, who had already walked ahead, then at Xiangqin. After thinking it over, she let Xiangqin go, consciously or unconsciously forgetting that Xiangqin wasn’t a maid of the Yanbei Prince’s Manor and shouldn’t be the one handling escort duties. Maids also observed hierarchical order, and when Leshan wasn’t yet Ren Yaoqi’s maid, she’d been disciplined by Sister Xiangqin quite often. So toward this purported first maid among the two young ladies, Leshan still held some reverence.

After leaving Zhaoning Hall, Xiangqin jogged to catch up with Yan Ningshuang, who was walking ahead.

Yan Ningshuang was in a very poor mood the entire way, so it wasn’t until they’d walked quite far that she noticed Xiangqin following behind her.

When Xiangqin saw that Yan Ningshuang had finally noticed her, she flashed a big smile: “Greetings, Third Young Madam. This servant is Xiangqin.”

Yan Ningshuang looked at her with some confusion.

Xiangqin said familiarly, “My master sent this servant to escort Third Young Madam back.”

Yan Ningshuang didn’t recognize that Xiangqin wasn’t a maid of the Yanbei Prince’s Manor and said nothing.

Xiangqin smiled and said: “Everyone says the Yanbei Prince’s Manor has excellent feng shui and produces nothing but divine couples—for instance, our Prince and Princess Consort, our Young Madam and Second Young Master, and Third Madam and Third Young Master.”

Yan Ningshuang couldn’t help but frown.

“These marriage fates are all predetermined by heaven. Whether perfect matches or bitter couples, they’re all cultivated from past lives. Once the Moon Elder ties them with her red thread, no one can escape!”