The Devious First-Daughter

The three people coming out together was a show of sisterhood. But after this incident, Ning Xueyan did not want to express any true feelings of sisters anymore. Anyway, those words were used to fool Madam Dowager. In fact, even Ning Lingyun did not take it seriously, so the three of them parted at the door of the bookshop.

Ning Xueyan simply took the carriage away, saying that she wanted to go to her newly opened shop, and she did not invite the two of them to go there. As for where Ning Qingshan and Ning Lingyun were going next, it had nothing to do with her.

Ning Qingshan never wanted to give her carriage to Ning Xueyan, but what happened just now was unsuccessful, and it had been found by Ning Xueyan, so she could only watch Ning Xueyan get on the carriage, make her handkerchief into a ball in her hand, glare at Ning Xueyan’s leaving with her carriage, and kick the ground hard.

Unexpectedly, she kicked the ground with her injured leg, and then she screamed in pain and holding her leg, squatted down involuntarily.

“What’s wrong, Third Sister? Did you hurt your foot? Do you need to go inside and rest for a few more moments and let me get a carriage?” As for Ning Xueyan taking the carriage away alone, Ning Lingyun was unwilling to accept it, either. Compared with following Ning Xueyan, she preferred to follow Ning Qingshan. Now she immediately squatted down with Ning Qingshan and asked her with concern.

“I’m okay.” Ning Qingshan stood up with Caifen’s hand in support, having a trace of coldness in her eyes. “You go by yourself. I still have something to do, and I need to walk around, so I might go home later.”

It was rare for her to come out from home once. Of course, she would not go back so simply. These days, problems appeared one after another, and she had to go to see Aunt Wu and ask about the situations of Grand Tutor Ya and Honored Consort Ya. As for the matter that they thought she was the child of the Ya Family, Ning Qingshan was very happy that this misunderstanding would continue to exist.

“Can I go with you, Third Sister? Your leg is injured, and Caifen can’t support you alone,” Ning Lingyun also stood up with her, hesitated for a moment, but still said.

“No, the same as Fifth Sister, I don’t like people following me, either. Besides, my leg is very healthy, and I don’t need you to support me. I’m not Ning Yuling or our grandmother, and you’d better put away your performance!” Although the sequela of her foot injury was not found by others, it had become Ning Qingshan’s emotional entanglement. When Ning Lingyun mentioned this, Ning Qingshan sharpened her tone immediately.

Seeing that Ning Qingshan got angry, Ning Lingyun became more and more aggrieved. “Third Sister, I just want to help you, not to want to do anything. Are you so unwilling to be with me, Third Sister? I have no place to go now. Initially, I wanted to follow you, Third Sister. At least, I can take a walk with you.”

“You are playing the poor creature again.” In the past, Ning Qingshan had witnessed the mean look of Ning Lingyun when Ning Lingyun followed Ning Yuling. “I didn’t expect that the mean look has been disguised in such a manner now. Sure enough, she is the daughter of a concubine and can’t show herself in public.” She snorted coldly, “Ning Lingyun, you really don’t have to act in front of me. Just like what Fifth Sister said just now, let us separate. What do you want to do? As long as you don’t bother me, you can do whatever you want, but if you bother me…”

Ning Qingshan sneered twice, glanced at Ning Lingyun disdainfully, and turned around and walked away with Caifen’s shoulder in support.

“Miss, Third Young Lady bullied you to the extreme,” Ning Lingyun’s maid Caiyun said indignantly after she saw Third Young Lady humiliate her Miss like this.

“Go and find out where she has gone, Caiyun.” Looking at the direction in which Ning Qingshan had disappeared, Ning Lingyun had already removed the grievances in her voice. It seemed that the direction that Ning Qingshan had gone in was not a busy street.

“What will you do if I go to follow Third Young Lady, Miss?” Caiyun said worriedly.

“I’m not going anywhere and will only read books in the bookshop. When you go after Third Young Lady and find out where she has gone, you can return. I am here waiting for you,” Ning Lingyun pointed to the bookshop that they came out from just now and said.

She really could not leave alone.

“Okay, I’m going right away.” Caiyun nodded and went to do the following job.

The carriage was indeed going to Ning Xueyan’s shop. Yesterday, Mother Han said that the shop was almost ready and she was about to start a trial operation, asking Ning Xueyan to take a look if she had free time. Once she was married into Prince Yi’s Manor in the future, she would have to face the princess who had a higher position than her. Possibly, it would be more inconvenient for her to come out.

“Third Young Lady has left, Miss.” Lan Ning had been sitting at the back window and saw that Ning Qingshan exchanged a few words with Ning Lingyun and then went away with Caifen, leaving Ning Lingyun there.

“Of course, she would leave.” Ning Xueyan smiled leisurely and casually threw the Chinese veiled hat in her hand aside. “She always looks down upon Ning Lingyun. Today, she took Ning Lingyun out just to fool public opinion. Now she does not need to fool public opinion, so Ning Lingyun is useless.”

“The direction Third Young Lady headed in seems not the direction to the street.” The carriage didn’t move fast, so now Lanning could still discern Ning Qingshan’s figure.

“Lanning, don’t care about her because Ning Lingyun will!” After a smile, she pulled Lanning’s hand, indicating that Lanning should sit upright, but her eyes were deep.

“When Ning Qingshan plotted against me, she did not notice that another person was watching her with hostility. Ning Lingyun is never a good person, but recently, she behaved very kindly. The different expression she has now is clearly what I had in the past.

“She even wears the clothes I used to wear.

“She does want to imitate the previous me wholeheartedly.” Ning Xueyan felt very uncomfortable about this, but she would not intervene in this matter. Since both Madam Dowager and Ning Lingyun had this intention and the person who was dealt with was Ning Qingshan, surely, she would not do anything to intervene.

After rebirth, she was no longer a submissive person and could no longer be bullied by anyone. Ning Qingshan went to hurt her again and again, and Ning Lingyun added fuel to the flames at the appropriate time.

For Ning Lingyun, Ning Qingshan was now only the daughter of a concubine.

For Madam Dowager, Ning Lingyun was more reliable than Ning Qingshan, anyway. Besides, Ning Qingshan’s behavior had become more and more unreasonable now, and even Third Prince became unhappy.

The carriage stopped at Yuyan Shop. Mother Han got the news and rushed out with her son. Ning Xueyan got out of her carriage, walked around, and found that the shop was tidied up. The shop was not big, but it looked bright and exquisite, and some perfumes and rouges were on sale now. Several young ladies were browsing them and picked them up to take closer looks from time to time.

Ning Xueyan also went in and picked out a box of fragrant powder, which was very delicate and had a very bright color. At first sight, she knew that it was a very good product. She did not expect that Mother Han could get such a good product when she stocked with goods for the first time. This made Ning Xueyan surprised.

“Where did you get the goods, Mother Han?” Ning Xueyan put down the powder and asked with a smile.

“I brought them from Anyun Trading Firm, and these are newly arrived goods. Previously, the firm did not give the word, but when it heard that these goods would be brought to your shop, it agreed to send the goods.” Mother Han smiled cheerfully. Previously, she did a lot of work about this deal. She had long known that Anyun’s goods were good, but its goods were not enough, and she could not get goods from it, but she did not expect that the firm gave her goods when she mentioned her young lady’s name. The conditions were the same as those offered to the other few old customers taking goods from Anyun Trading Firm.

“This is really wonderful!”

“Anyun Trading Firm?” Ning Xueyan frowned and didn’t think her name was so useful. “Do I know anyone in it? But none of the people I know seems to have any connections with this firm.”

“Mother Han, these goods are good, but when the shop officially opens, you should not purchase any goods before almost all the goods are sold.” It was not that she was overly careful, but that she did feel that this was strange. When facing some strange things, Ning Xueyan thought that she still needed to think carefully. Anyway, it didn’t matter even if she could not make money with the shop for the time being.

Originally, she did this for the sake of contacting her cousin more conveniently and also facilitating her travel. Of course, it was best if she could make money with it. When she became a member of Prince Yi’s Manor in the future, she would have trouble if she had no money at hand.

Although the dowry items from her mother’s dowry were valuable, she could not turn them into cash.

After saying a few more words with Mother Han, Ning Xueyan got back on the carriage. The carriage moved slowly on the way, but it arrived at the Lord Protector’s Manor in a while. When she got off the carriage and asked the doorkeeper, she then knew that Ning Qingshan and Ning Lingyun had not returned yet, and she went to greet Madam Dowager first.

Seeing that she was the only one coming back, Madam Dowager asked about the reason and learned that Ning Xueyan was unwell and wanted to come back earlier and Ning Qingshan and Ning Lingyun still needed to take a walk, so she did not say anything and asked Ning Xueyan to go back to rest earlier, saying that she should take more rest these days.

Ning Xueyan nodded at all the words Madam Dowagers said and then took Lanning back to the Bright Frost Garden.

On the day of the imperial examination, Ning Huaiyuan packed his things early and went to say goodbye to Madam Dowager. Ning Zu’an was in Madam Dowager’s place, and even Ning Qingshan, Ning Lingyun, and Ning Xueyan had been there waiting for him for a long time. This was the first time Ning Huaiyuan had taken the imperial examination. Of course, Ning Zu’an gave him kind instructions, and Madam Dowager’s eyes almost turned red because she felt sorry for him.

After walking through the gate, he would have to look after himself and could not bring his young male servant to serve him. Remembering that Ning Huaiyuan had never gone through such suffering since he was young, Madam Dowager felt so sorry for him.

Ning Huaiyuan comforted Madam Dowager with a few words, saying that he was fine, and said goodbye to Ning Zu’an. When he was ready to leave, Ning Qingshan, Ning Lingyun, and Ning Xueyan came over.

“Eldest brother, this is the ink I selected for you. I hope you can pass the examination.” Ning Qingshan smiled and took an ink stick from the hands of Caifen and handed it to Ning Huaiyuan.

“I hope you can have good luck after good luck, Eldest Brother.” Ning Xueyan asked Lanning to pass a Chinese brush pen, and the young male servant next to Ning Huaiyuan took it.

“Eldest Brother, this is mine.” After seeing the performances of Ning Qingshan and Ning Xueyan, Ning Lingyun finally asked her maid to pass the stack of paper in her hand over.

These items were what the three of them randomly selected in the bookshop yesterday. Anyway, this was only a show of their hearts. As for whether Ning Huaiyuan would use them or not, they did not need to worry about it. After passing the brush pen, Ning Xueyan retired and had some quietness in her lowered eyes, but she squinted over the ink stick Ning Qingshan offered.

She handed it over, but did not let go, and Ning Huaiyuan held it with his hand. Time seemed to freeze for a while. After a long time, Ning Qingshan slowly let go.

“Thank you, Third Sister.” Ning Huaiyuan took the ink stick quietly and passed it to the young male servant standing aside. His eyes passed over the faces of the three ladies. Finally, he smiled and extended his gratitude. No one found that the smile was replaced by the maliciousness in his eyes when he turned around.

Ning Xueyan would get married in three days. By that time, he would still be on the examination site…