Chapter 355 - Commandery Princess Xianyun’s ‘Kindness’

Chapter 355 Commandery Princess Xianyun’s ‘Kindness’

Finally, Ning Ziyan and Ning Yuling strode forward angrily, leaving Ning Xueyan and her two maids walking slowly behind.
In no hurry, Ning Xueyan followed the leading maid at a leisurely pace. When she arrived at the inner courtyard, she found that today’s banquet was put in the garden, looking very special. Several waterside pavilions in the same color stood on the lake, which was not far away from each other. Looking from a distance, the waterside pavilions were shaped like a flower, with the largest one in the center like a flower core.
Each waterside pavilion was connected with a long corridor in the water, which was filled with all kinds of flowers. Except for the central pavilion with some VIP guests inside, people could move freely among the waterside pavilions and chatted with each other through the flower-decorated, fragrance lingering corridors.
The waterside corridors of the Lord Peace’s Manor were very famous. Plus the spring breeze, blooming flowers and the swaying willow branches on the shore not far away, people felt indescribable refresh and relaxed.
The largest corridor in the middle was occupied by Prince Yi, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Prince, who were accompanied by Commandery Princess Xianyun and the Princely Heir of the Lord Peace’s Manor.
Ning Xueyan did not want to meet these people, so she deliberately chose a place farthest from the central Pavilion. There were very few people here, but the scenery was very elegant. Sitting by the rail, watching the rippling water and soaking in the gentle spring breeze, she was carefree and pleasant.
Without Ning Ziyan and Ning Yuling by her side, Ning Xueyan did not have to pretend to be close with them, so she felt more relaxed.
“Are you Fifth Young Lady from the Lord Protector’s Manor?” a maid hurried over and asked while bowing to Ning Xueyan respectfully.
“Yes!” Qingyu nodded.
“Fifth Young Lady, my master invited you to her pavilion,” the maid pointed at the waterside pavilion in the middle and said politely.
Hearing that Commandery Princess Xianyun was looking for her, Ning Xueyan turned her head and followed the direction the maid was pointing at. Commandery Princess Xianyun was looking at her gently with a smile on her face.
“Show me the way!” Ning Xueyan nodded with a smile. She preferred to be alone, but since the hostess had invited her politely, she had to go over to say hi at least.
Following the maid, Ning Xueyan walked to the central pavilion with Qingyu. Along the way, she saw Ning Ziyan and Ning Yuling were chatting excitedly with a group of noble Young Ladies in a waterside pavilion on the left.
When she arrived at the pavilion in the middle, Ning Xueyan made a bow with her sleeves folded. As all the guests here were the most influential imperial family members, they were also the focus among the guests.
“Get up!” Ao Chenyi waved his hand and said casually, narrowing his enchanting eyes. However, he did not look at Ning Xueyan too much but still paid his attention to Commandery Princess Xianyun.
On the contrary, Ao Mingyu said with a smile, still looking like a graceful and gentle childe, “Make yourself at home. We came here just for enjoying flowers and the beautiful scenery, so you don’t have to feel uneasy.”
Compared with Ao Mingyu’s calmness, Ao Mingwan did not look well. After blinking for a few seconds, he shifted his gaze from Ning Xueyan to Ao Chenyi, who did not even look at Ning Xueyan twice. With an awkward smile on his face, Ao Mingwan was obvious in low spirits.
“Fifth Young Lady, come here and chat with us.” Seeing that Ning Xueyan had greeted the princes, Commandery Princess Xianyun, who was sitting by the rail on the west side with two noble Young Ladies, waved to her gently.
Ning Xueyan walked over and saw Commandery Princess Xianyun’s sister, Yun Luoluo, who was also there.
When she was about to bow to them, Commandery Princess Xianyun stopped her with a smile. She took Ning Xueyan’s hand and said softly, “Fifth Young Lady, please take a seat. We only appreciate flowers today, so you don’t have to be so polite. In spite of our identities, if only by age, I’m the same age as your second sister. Do you mind if I call you sister?”
Commandery Princess Xianyun was quite different from the last two times. She was so warm to her that Ning Xueyan felt a little uneasy. Hiding the trace of suspicion in her eyes, she answered with a smile, looking gentle and delicate, “It’s all up to you, Commandery Princess Xianyun.”
“Don’t call me Commandery Princess again. There’s a word ‘Cai’ in my name, so you can call me Sister Cai. Fifth Young Lady, I heard that there’s a word ‘Yan’ in your name, can I call you Sister Yan?” Commandery Princess Xianyun said with a smile.
Ning Xueyan nodded in agreement. She had never been so intimate with any sisters, so she felt a little uncomfortable. When she looked at Yun Luoluo by her side, Ning Xueyan found that although she was smiling, there was a hint of sarcasm in her eyes. How strange! This Commandery Princess Xianyun seemed to be too overenthusiastic today.
Hearing their conversation, Ao Chenyi turned his head and looked at them lazily with a carefree expression.
“I heard that Sister Yan came with your two sisters. Why weren’t you with them, but stayed alone?” Commandery Princess Xianyun took a glimpse of Ning Ziyan and Ning Yuling, who were in another pavilion, and asked with a smile.
“I wanted to be quiet, so I didn’t join my sisters.” Ning Xueyan smiled gently.
“Fifth Young Lady, I heard that you were quarreling with your two sisters at the gate just now. Is that true?” Yun Luoluo asked, as if out of curiosity, covering her mouth with a handkerchief.
It was disgraceful to quarrel at other people’s manors. Moreover, everyone would think that they did not care about the interests of the Lord Protector’s Manor. Whatever was going on between sisters, they should maintain a semblance of peace at other people’s manors.
“No, we didn’t quarrel. We felt a little depressed when we were talking something about our manor,” Ning Xueyan said to Yun Luoluo with a smile.
“What could upset the three Young Ladies so much that you even talked loudly at the gate?” Yun Luoluo did not want to give up humiliating Ning Xueyan. She kept telling others that Ning Xueyan showed no respect to her sisters and had quarreled with them at the gate just now.
“Second Sister, don’t talk nonsense! How could Sister Yan quarrel with her two sisters?” Commandery Princess Xianyun stopped her sister in a low voice when she saw everyone shift their gaze on Ning Xueyan.
Then she said to Ning Xueyan with a smile, “Sister Yan, I hope you’re not offended. My second sister is not good at chatting.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Sister Cai. I’m not lying. Something happened to our manor last night and my eldest sister was very upset when she heard the news just now.” Ning Xueyan raised her watery eyes and explained in a way neither humble nor arrogant.
“Something happened to your manor last night? What happened?” Yun Luoluo asked with a smile. It seemed she would not stop asking until getting to the bottom of the matter. She did not believe that Ning Xueyan could come up with a good reason.
“Second Young Lady, I’m sorry, but it’s the internal affairs of our manor, so no matter how curious you’re, I can’t say more,” Ning Xueyan said coldly, her smile had faded away.
It seemed that Yun Luoluo was sure that Ning Xueyan would not contradict her in front of so many people, so she kept on pressing her. As it was only the second time they met, Ning Xueyan wondered why she was so hostile to her.
Yun Luoluo immediately blushed at her words. Every manor had its secrets. Since other people did not want her to know, if she kept on asking, the others would think that she was too numb. However, normally, people would not say it so bluntly as Ning Xueyan did, especially the princes were still present.
“You…” Yun Luoluo stared at Ning Xueyan angrily.
Ning Xueyan looked at her with her jet-black eyes, showing no sign of compromising. Yun Luoluo had provoked her again and again, but her sister only reproached her a little. They were both noble Young Ladies, and Ning Zu’an was a powerful marquis, so if Ning Xueyan still put up with her, she would be looked down upon by everyone. People would be more certain that she was still the timid and weak girl like the rumors said.
As expected, they did not have any good intentions to invite her. It seemed that this Commandery Princess Xianyun had heard some news, so she was trying to teach her a lesson in advance. Now Ning Xueyan knew why she was so warm to her and even called her Sister Yan.
“Second Sister, don’t joke anymore.” Commandery Princess Xianyun rebuked in a soft voice. Ignoring Yun Luoluo’s angry look, she said to Ning Xueyan with a smile and pulled her to sit down next to her. From the warm way she talked to Ning Xueyan, everyone would think that she had really been annoyed by Yun Luoluo’s provocative words toward Ning Xueyan.
After a while, she ordered the maid beside her, “Go and invite Mrs. Xia and Second Young Lady of the Ning’s Manor.”
The maid left at her order. After a short moment, she took Ning Ziyan and Ning Yuling here. As Ning Xueyan did, they also bowed to Ao Chenyi and the other princes before Commandery Princess Xianyun asked them to join their conversation. In addition to them, Commandery Princess Mingya and another two noble Young Ladies also came. Ning Ziyan and the others were chatting around Commandery Princess Mingya just now.
“Fifth Young Lady, I heard that you had a dispute with Mrs. Xia and Second Young Lady?” Commandery Princess Mingya sized Ning Xueyan up for a while and asked.
“Your Highness, who told you that?” Ning Xueyan asked with a smile.
“Many people heard it. Mrs. Xia also told me that there was some misunderstanding between you and her and it was her fault to have upset you,” Commandery Princess Mingya said, pointing at Ning Ziyan next to her.
Her straightforward words made Ning Ziyan blush. Ning Ziyan badmouthed Ning Xueyan a lot implicitly in front of Commandery Princess Mingya just now. To show Ning Xueyan’s rudeness and contempt, she pretended to be generous by taking all the blames on herself.
It would be okay if she just talked in this way privately. However, everyone, except for Commandery Princess Mingya, felt she was hypocritical when they heard this. Commandery Princess Mingya looked back at Ning Ziyan and said with a smile, “Since the elder sister has admitted her mistake, the younger sister should let it go. Anyway, peace should be valued between sisters.”
“Sister Mingya, you’re right. Sister Yan, even if Mrs. Xia did something wrong, you should forgive her,” Commandery Princess Xianyun persuaded Ning Xueyan in a soft voice.
“Fifth Sister, I’m really sorry! It’s all my fault to have upset you.” Ning Ziyan apologized gently, looking very low-key.
In any case, she seemed to be doing this for the sake of sisterhood. As the younger sister, if Ning Xueyan refused to accept her elder sister’s apology, people would think that she had gone too far, too rude and too arrogant. Since the elder sister had come down off her high horse, why couldn’t the younger sister let go of her?
Watching their fake performance, Ning Xueyan sneered inwardly. Now she understood why the feeling of something wrong had been haunting in her mind today. They were lowering the bait bit by bit, waiting for her to take the bait.
Obviously, they were trying to force her to show that she was close to Ning Ziyan! Ning Xueyan was sure that they had plotted following-up after she showed her sisterhood with Ning Ziyan as they wished. Now she knew why she had an odd feeling about this flower appreciation party. It turned out to be a carefully designed trap for her.
It seemed that they were very confident that she had to follow the trend to express her deep sisterhood with Ning Ziyan in front of people.