Heshen landed and stood up, his hands clenched into fists, his heart filled with complex emotions. He was both relieved that Yan Ning was unharmed and jealous that it was Fukang'an who had saved her.
Yan Ning felt someone hug her and opened her eyes with lingering fear, only to be met with Fu Kang'an's handsome face. Yan Ning pushed him away and stood up on her own.
Looking at Yan Ning's swollen eyes, Fu Kang'an knew she had cried for him, and felt even more guilty. He wanted to explain, but Yan Ning's cold expression made him unable to speak.
"Whoa!"
"General, what are you doing here?" Xiang'er jumped off her horse, walked up to Fukang'an, looked at Yan Ning, and then asked Fukang'an.
Heshen also walked over, stood in front of Yan Ning, looked at her, and remained silent.
At this moment, Yan Ning and Fukang'an were about two meters apart, and the formation of the four of them made Yan Ning both smile wryly. Fukang'an was standing with Xiang'er, Heshen was standing with her, and she and Fukang'an looked exactly like a couple having a breakup. Was this an ancient love triangle?
Thinking of this, Yan Ning couldn't help but laugh. Her laughter stunned the other three, who all looked at her with suspicion.
"Lord He, let's go back!" Yan Ning didn't know how to deal with this situation, so she wanted to escape as soon as possible. He Shen nodded and followed Yan Ning out of the woods.
"Stop!" Fukang'an was annoyed as he watched Yan Ning leave with Heshen. He put one hand behind his back and walked towards Yan Ning.
Hearing Fukang'an's footsteps, Yan Ning quickened her pace. Sensing that he was getting closer and closer, Yan Ning started running.
Seeing that Yan Ning was avoiding him, Fukang'an turned back, took the reins from Xiang'er's hand, jumped onto his horse, rode towards Yan Ning, and pulled her into his arms.
As Heshen watched Fukang'an leave with Yan Ning, the smile in his eyes grew colder, freezing in the winter chill.
Xiang'er walked up to Heshen and said with a dejected expression, "You men can clench your fists when you're jealous, but we women can only smile and watch our husbands be affectionate with other women!"
After hearing Xiang'er's words, Heshen released his hands, his expression softened, and his eyes smiled again, forming crescent moons. "I already helped Aunt Lian before, and now that I see her so heartbroken, how could I stand idly by!"
"Help me? Hmph..." Xiang'er was startled. How could Heshen know about her framing of Yan Ning? No wonder, Yan Ning was rescued by him and brought back to his mansion. "Lord Heshen is helping himself win the beauty's heart, isn't he!"
"Haha..." Heshen looked at the proud Xiang'er and laughed, "If it were for your own sake, and you helped Yan Ning clear her name, wouldn't that be even more likely to win the beauty's heart?"
"I don't care what your motives are, I will only do this kind of harmful thing once, and there will be no next time!" After saying that, Xiang'er left quickly without even looking at Heshen.
"If Aunt Lian needs any help from me, please feel free to come to me. I will be waiting for you!" Heshen said to Xiang'er's retreating figure.
Yan Ning watched as Fukang'an disregarded her wishes and forcibly dragged her onto the horse, so she struggled to jump off.
Fukang'an looked at Yan Ning, initially thinking she was just a bit arrogant, but he hadn't expected her to be so resolute, making him even more eager to explain things to her. "Delin has smallpox!"
A single sentence, like a spell, froze Yan Ning, stopping her struggle. In that instant, Yan Ning was filled with guilt. He was a new father, and the moment he saw his child, the child fell ill. How heartbroken and anxious he must have been! And instead of comforting him, she had misunderstood him and ignored him.
"I...I don't know." Yan Ning lowered her head, not daring to look back at Fukang'an.
"I know you don't know, but this is the first time I've encountered something like this, and I was a little flustered! As soon as Delin improved, I went to find you, but your Lord He stopped me at the door." Fukang'an's tone was ambiguous, neither angry nor jealous.
"I thought you didn't believe me again, so I..." Yan Ning turned around and looked at Fukang'an's face, speaking cautiously.
"Come back to the Fu residence with me!" Fu Kang'an's commanding tone left no room for Yan Ning to refuse.
"Do you believe I didn't do it?" Yan Ning ignored Fu Kang'an's orders and asked her own question.
"This matter is over. With me here, no one will mention it again. From now on, you will live in the Fu residence and will not need to move to the mansion." Fukang'an reached out and gently stroked Yan Ning's jet-black hair.
"Slap!" Yan Ning slapped Fukang'an's hand off her head and jumped off the horse while Fukang'an was still in shock.
Although Fukang'an loosened the reins and let the horse move slowly through the woods, Yan Ning's legs were scratched by dry branches when she rolled to the ground because of her frail body.
Fukang'an jumped off his horse too late. He rushed to Yan Ning's side and helped her roll up her trousers. Although she was wearing cotton trousers in the winter, Yan Ning's leg had still been cut and was bleeding profusely. Fukang'an tore off a piece of cloth from his own clothes to bandage Yan Ning's wound and prepared to pick her up.
Yan Ning pushed Fukang'an away and said, "Since you don't believe me, why did you bring me back to the Fu residence! I am not your concubine, and there is nothing between us!"
Fukang'an squatted on the ground, looked at the angry Yan Ning, and said expressionlessly, "Do you think there should be something between us?" As he spoke, he put his hands around Yan Ning's shoulders.
Yan Ning realized that her words had indeed caused a misunderstanding, so she struggled to get up, but Fu Kang'an pulled her into his arms. "I know you didn't do it, and I believe you. But I have my own plans. You stay obediently in the Fu residence and don't give me any worries!" Fu Kang'an knew that Yan Ning was exceptionally stubborn, and if he didn't tell her part of the truth, she would rather die than go back with him.
"The murderer is your Aunt Lian. She framed me. I saw her and You Yuanzhi enter an inn with my own eyes. They must be plotting something!" Yan Ning felt that she could not make the same mistake again and had to tell Fukang'an about it.
"Sister, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want." Xiang'er had just walked up to the two of them when she heard what Yan Ning said. Startled, she spoke up to stop her.
When Fukang'an saw Xiang'er approaching, he smiled and said, "Aunt Lian is loyal to me and has no ulterior motives. How could she possibly hurt the person I love most?"
One sentence left Xiang'er unsure whether to be moved or jealous. He believed in his loyalty to him and that he would never hurt Yan Ning, the woman he loved most.
"Fine, you two are of one mind, so why did you come looking for me?" Yan Ning didn't quite grasp the meaning behind Fukang'an's words. She angrily pushed Fukang'an away and turned to leave.
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