Chapter 18: Willing to bow down for the sake of profit

The woman in the dream was quickly defeated and hugged his neck helplessly, turning into a puddle of water, like a demon or a ghost. She said she was tired, but she kept clinging to him. It was obvious that she liked him very much, her face was flushed, but she looked so pure.

The sudden rain came swiftly, and the girl's singing was tender and charming, making people feel pity for her.

"If I had known that you are so brave, I should have coaxed you back earlier." She lay on his shoulder, her face already full of lust, "I can't think of anyone better than you."

Zong Si came back to his senses.

He had this kind of dream twice, which was somewhat unusual and naturally made him alert.

Outside the window, Jade Mountain stretches across the plain, and Jade Forest divides the road.

A blackbird seemed to have lofty ambitions and flew up to the sky. However, it lost its strength halfway and fell straight down into the forest.

Nymph couldn't help but admire, "If a man has ambition, even death doesn't matter."

"Although dying for one's ideals is admirable, acting recklessly is not worth emulating." Someone behind him said calmly.

Only then did Nymph realize that there was someone else in the room, but she didn't like this person very much.

Zong Si was wearing a black robe and a jade crown today, looking as elegant as usual, and also had an expression that said, "Keep away from strangers."

Nymph bowed slightly but said nothing.

People have different ideas and can't talk to each other. If it were her, for the Ningguo Mansion, she would not hesitate even if it meant flying into the fire.

Since she agreed to find a miracle doctor for him, Zong Si was not so aggressive this time.

Ningfu has also figured it out these days. No matter what happened to her brother, it is meaningless to dwell on it for a lifetime. What she needs to do is not revenge, but to prevent her brother from getting into trouble again.

The best strategy is not to offend Zong Si and to find a way to retreat.

"Sister Ning is right. This is indeed a good place to enjoy the snow." This time, Ning Fu did not wait for him to speak, but took the initiative to sit on the golden bamboo couch opposite Zong Si.

He didn't respond. He was not a talkative person when he was outside, so Ningfu didn't care.

"The weather is very cold, but you have some hot food, my lord," she said generously.

"How about barbecue?" he asked calmly.

"Okay." Nymph said.

In just a moment, someone brought meat and charcoal.

Nymph sat still until he stood up and lit the charcoal.

"The prince's injury hasn't healed yet, so why not let me take over?" Ning Fu didn't really care about Zong Si. Although they had a relationship as husband and wife, it faded over time. She just showed some consideration, which didn't hurt anything.

"Aning didn't mean to not invite you to enjoy the snow. It's just that she is closer to the second Miss Xie and she was afraid that she would be unhappy." Zong Si said.

"Sister Xie is not such a petty person." Ning Fu spoke for Xie Ruyi.

"Her character is naturally not like that." Zong Si praised her generously.

Nymph was quiet for a moment, then said, "Please explain to her clearly, my lord. I was not aware of my grandmother's plan to discuss marriage in advance, and I had no intention of getting engaged to you, my lord."

Not only that, she even wanted to stay away from him. She had suffered enough in her previous life. She knew best that he would become more and more cold-blooded and heartless, so she would never want to get involved in this mess.

It would be best if we could never see each other again in our lifetime.

Ning Fu thought that he asked Fu Jiahui to bring her to Hanxiang Mountain as compensation to her. After all, if it weren't for Zong Ning, she would not have missed the opportunity to enjoy the snow.

After a while, the smell of meat wafted into the room.

Zong Si put the roasted meat into her bowl.

Although the prince was so condescending, Ning Fu did not feel flattered. She just felt that he was not a straight man who was completely unable to take care of others, but he just didn't want to do it in the past.

"Is the prince injured because of the matter of Lord Song?" Ning Fu was confident in her heart. The matter had already had a result, but it was delayed until half a year. That was because Zong Si did not want the truth to be made public. It seemed that the injury was just to buy time.

Zong Si didn't even raise his head and said calmly: "How do you see that?"

Ning Fu tried to guess her tone, but she didn't mean to blame her. After thinking for a while, she said boldly, "Your Highness reminded me to beware of Lord Song. Firstly, it can do me a favor. Secondly, it is also an opportunity to contain my father. If I choose my father to protect himself, it will also be very beneficial to Your Highness."

Ning Fu's father, Ning Zhenyuan, works in the Ministry of Personnel, in charge of personnel management of officials. He has a lot of connections, so although he is not a threat, if he gets involved, he will cause a lot of trouble.

Although Zong Si and his father do not belong to the same faction, the target this time is not him, so it would be better to design a plan to keep him out of this matter.

Zong Si's eyebrows turned cold, but he said, "Continue."

Ning Fu couldn't help but get nervous, but she calmed herself down and said, "The prince asked me to help you, which is also a plan to kill two birds with one stone. It's true that the prince needs to find Doctor Mu, but he also uses me as a hostage. What if my father still wants to take the risk to help Elder Song, but I am involved in this matter, then the prince can use me to threaten my father."

That's why Zong Sicai did not hide the matter of Lord Song from her. The more she knew, the less likely her father would act rashly.

As for why he let her know that Fu Jiahui was his, he probably had other purposes, but she hadn't figured it out yet.

"Your Highness, there is no need to worry. When it comes to the matter of Lord Song, I am just like you. I don't want my father to be involved. I have guessed your purpose and will cooperate with you," she said.

Ning Fu said this because she was afraid that Zong Si had misjudged and had other plans for her father. She was expressing her willingness to cooperate in dealing with Ning Zhenyuan.

However, Zong Si did not give any response as she expected.

Nymph was just waiting for his response, and her fingers accidentally touched the barbecue grill, and her face turned red instantly.

Zong Si quickly pulled her out of the cabin and covered the back of her hand on the snow.

The two of them had slept on the same bed countless times before. Pulling down her hand, Ning Fu did not shy away. After pulling her hand back, she thanked him. Knowing that she would not get a response from him, she continued, "If I have any news about Doctor Mu, how can I find the prince?"

Zong Si rubbed his fingers. The woman’s hands were unusually cold: “You can go to Qingtian Pavilion to find Miss Fu.

Now that the matter has been settled, I felt relieved and could feel the beauty of the mountains and rivers even more.

When she expressed her feelings, Zong Si would occasionally respond and discuss something with her.

But he still looked cold and unapproachable.

Before I knew it, the sky had darkened.

Nymph put on her cloak and said again with concern before leaving: "The prince is still injured, so you should rest early."

Zong Si had no shortage of people who cared about him, let alone those who were insincere, so he did not respond.

The way down the mountain is easier to walk than the way up the mountain.

Ning Fu saw several plum trees in full bloom, which seemed to match Zong Si's wooden house.

After hesitating for a moment, he decided to break off a few branches and then turned back.

When Zong Si saw Nymph returning, his gaze fell expressionlessly on the bouquet of plum blossoms in her hand.

"Prince, please find a vase to keep the flower in to add some life to the room." The plum blossom is cold, elegant and pure, somewhat similar to Zong Si.

“Although picked flowers may be beautiful for a moment, they are ultimately dead things. Why should we be obsessed with their colors?” Zong Si did not reach out to take it.

Fortunately, Nymph was already used to his rejection, so she didn't feel embarrassed. She just took the bouquet of plum blossoms back into her arms. Just as she was about to smooth things over, she saw the man in front of her reach out and stroke the hair by her ear.

His breath was warm, yet gentle, neither fast nor slow, just like his usual cool and calm demeanor.

Ningfu's breathing quickened a little. The man was lifting the woman's hair, which was somewhat ambiguous. She subconsciously tried to avoid him.

The next moment, a few petals fell down.

It turned out that a flower had fallen on her hair, and he brushed it away for her.

"You and I just need to do our job impartially. Using these means of pleasing others on me is just a waste of effort." Zong Si said mercilessly.

-

As soon as the carriage drove into the Ningguo Mansion, Ning Fu began to ponder Zong Si's attitude.

Brushing flowers for a woman can be considered somewhat intimate and is not like his style, but to say that he likes me is completely impossible.

A woman can more or less tell whether a man likes her or not. In Zong Si's eyes, he does not have any feelings for her at all.

"Miss, these plum blossoms are really beautiful, much more beautiful than the ones you usually see." Dongzhu smiled. It turned out that Ningfu brought the bunch of plum blossoms back, "I will go and take care of the flowers for you."

"Where is my mother?" Ning Fu looked around the Lotus Pavilion Garden, but could not find Madam Ning.

Dongzhu said, "The second young lady is pregnant, and the lady and the first lady went to the Wei Mansion to visit her."

Ning Fu was stunned, then she calculated the days and found that it was indeed at this time that Ning Ran was pregnant with her eldest son.

Ning Ran has always had a smooth life in her husband's family. Her first child was the eldest son of the third branch of the Wei Mansion, and her second child was a female ruler among the grandchildren of the Wei Mansion. The two most favored sons and daughters were all born to her, so her position in the Wei Mansion was as stable as a rock.

Although Ning Fu was sometimes a little dissatisfied with Ning Ran, she was still happy for her and was thinking about what to give her when she went to see her.

After climbing the mountain today, she was so tired that she didn't even have dinner and fell asleep as soon as she lay down on the bed.

However, the dream that night was extremely erotic. The man was Lu Xingzhi. They were in a wooden house in Hanxiang Mountain. The snow outside the window was frozen, but the house was bustling with passion and affection.

After waking up, Nymph drank a full glass of water. She couldn't understand why she was thinking about men today and had such a ridiculous dream.

When Ning He came to see her the next day, she saw her bouquet of plum blossoms and asked, "Fourth sister, did you pick these plum blossoms on Hanxiang Mountain?"

"That's right." When Ning Fu heard her tone, she knew there must be something wrong with the plum blossom, and she couldn't help but feel a little nervous for a moment.

"When we went to enjoy the snow that day, I wanted to pick some plum blossoms, but the prince said that the plum blossom is called Luofu Dream and is poisonous, so sister, you'd better throw it away." Ning He said.

No wonder Zong Si personally brushed away the plum blossoms for her yesterday, but he didn't tell him about it. Ning Fu felt that he was evil-hearted, but she would not say bad things about Zong Si in front of others: "The scenery on the mountain is great, it's worth the trip."

"It's just a little cold." Ning He said. She was wearing a thick cloak, but her hands were still red from the cold.

Nymph asked, "Why don't you stay in the cabin?"

Ning He was puzzled: "Isn't that wooden house reserved? Isn't it possible for ordinary people to enter it?"

It seems that the wooden house was prepared by Fu Jiahui for Zong Si, and ordinary people cannot enter.

"It's great to have a brother like the Prince. He always considers everything for Sister Ning. Even if she gets into a mess, she doesn't have to worry because the Prince will handle it for her." Ning He said with some envy.

Ning Fu thought in her heart that her brother was not a bad person. If he were in the capital now, he would definitely help her solve many problems.

-

Ning Ran was pregnant. Old Madam Ning was overjoyed and personally asked Ning Fu to go to the Wei Mansion to see her.

Even the day of the visit was chosen by a Feng Shui master. Nymph's zodiac sign was sheep, and her luck would be best four days later, so she could come at that time.

"Mr. Ran has not had much of an appetite these days. The cook in your courtyard is a good cook. Ask him to prepare some pastries and send them to your sister Ran." Old Lady Ning said to Ning Fu.

Madam Wei stopped him and said, "Grandfather, please relax. Everything in the Wei Mansion depends on Ah Ran. They are reluctant to treat her badly. It's just that she can't eat anything and just wants to eat something sour."

"This might be a boy." The old lady couldn't help laughing.

Wei just smiled and said nothing.

"If Afu can live up to Ran's expectations in the future, I will be very satisfied." Old Madam Ning sighed again.

Wei didn't agree with that. Ninfu might marry into a good family, but it would be hard to find a better husband than her own son-in-law. But she said, "Don't worry about Afu. With her looks, how could her husband be any worse? Even the princes in the palace would be a good match for her."

"It's better not to mention it." The old lady sighed. Although the princes in the palace were noble, the succession struggles in the past dynasties were extremely cruel. How many of them were good to their wives? They were all pawns that could be used. They might kill their wives without blinking an eye. She still didn't want to marry her granddaughter into the palace.

The several branches of the Wei Mansion separated early on and each had their own mansion, but they visited each other frequently and were not unfamiliar with each other.

Knowing that Ning Fu was coming, Wei Ziyi went to her cousin's house, Ning Ran's room, early in the morning to wait for her.

"I heard that there is a rift between you and Sister Ning. I guess you have been feeling uncomfortable in the academy recently." When Wei Ziyi saw her, she asked with concern, "If I run into Cheng Shuang, Rong Min and the others in a few days, I will talk to them."

The two people she mentioned were both female rulers in the school, and they were on good terms with Wei Ziyi.

Ning Fu was touched and said, "Don't worry, Sister Wei. There is no conflict between me and Sister Ning. She just feels a little uncomfortable."

She did not hide it from Wei Ziyi and told her in detail about the rejection of her marriage proposal.

“Speaking of which, although the Duke Qing’s Mansion is most satisfied with the Crown Prince, Sister Xie is not the only one eyeing him. The marriage has not been decided yet and everything is still unknown. Their attitude makes it seem like you are interfering.” Wei Ziyi said indignantly.

This is exactly what Nymph is dissatisfied with.

"Why don't you marry into our Wei Mansion? Look at your second sister, everyone dotes on her." Wei Ziyi said.

The second sister is favored not entirely because of the kindness of the Wei family, but also partly because she married into the family of lower status, so the Wei family naturally pampers her. Also, Ning Ran is self-centered, so others have to go along with her.

Nymph smiled and said, "I am not yet of age, so it is not the time for me to consider marrying a husband."

Wei Ziyi joked: "When you reach the age of marriage, it will be your turn to go to the Wei Mansion."

Ning Fu smiled without saying anything. She had her own plans. If she had to consider anything, the first person she would consider would be Mr. Lu.

Ning Ran was already favored, and now that she was pregnant, she was treated like a treasure. Wei Xiao almost always followed her around, running around for her, and never let her worry about anything.

Nymph smiled and said, "Brother-in-law has a very lively eye."

"Men are all like this when they become fathers for the first time. They won't be able to do this after they have children." Ning Ran held her hand, asked about her health, and even gave the best ginseng to her and Wei Ziyi to drink.

Although Ning Ran wanted to show off to Ning Fu, the sisters-in-law in the Wei Mansion were still not as good as her own sister. It would be better to give her own sister a good deal than to give them a good deal.

Ning Fu and Wei Ziyi stayed with Ning Ran to bask in the sun for an entire afternoon before they said goodbye to each other.

On the way back home, Nymph was about to take a short rest when the carriage suddenly stopped.

"How dare you! You even dare to ram the royal carriage? Why don't you give way?" someone outside the carriage shouted.

Nymph was startled and quickly got off the carriage. The commander of the imperial guards looked at her coldly, and the coachman had already knelt down, trembling.

Nymph had seen the carriage opposite before. It belonged to the Sixth Prince.

"Is it my sixth cousin?" Ning Fu asked in a low voice.

Meng Ze had just been offended by Zong Si, and at the moment he had no place to vent his anger. This gentle and cautious voice instantly subsided a lot of the anger in his heart.