Fukang'an entered Furong Garden, his eyes fixed on Yan Ning standing there, not noticing Xiang'er sitting on the ground. "What happened?" Seeing that Yan Ning was unharmed, Fukang'an breathed a sigh of relief and questioned her.
Yan Ning pointed to Xiang'er sitting on the ground and said nervously, "I didn't mean to!" Fu Kang'an looked in the direction Yan Ning was pointing and then noticed Xiang'er.
The Taihu stones, surrounded by clusters of flowers, exuded a cold and aloof atmosphere. Xiang'er's frail body slumped beside the scattered Taihu stones, with fragments of the stones that adorned the flowerbeds lying at her feet. Although Furong Garden was not the most exquisite courtyard in the Fucha Mansion, it was second only to the Old Madam's Peony Hall.
Xiang'er's withered face became even paler as Fukang'an's eyes were fixed on Yan Ning. She looked at Fukang'an with tears in her eyes, without saying a word.
Looking at Xiang'er, Fukang'an felt a pang of heartache in his eyes. His grip on Yan Ning's hand loosened slightly, and under Yan Ning's watchful gaze, he carried Xiang'er into the house. Zhao Xing, who had followed closely behind, saw this scene, glanced at Zhu Xiang, and knowing she was alright, went to fetch a doctor with peace of mind.
Yan Ning felt a pang of heartache as she watched her husband leave with another woman in his arms. At that moment, she understood the same heartache that Xiang'er and Xi Ying had felt because of Fukang'an's doting affection for her.
Xiang'er's jade-like foot peeked slightly from behind the hibiscus-red gauze curtain. After a careful examination, the doctor said it was likely a fracture in her ankle and she shouldn't get out of bed. Xi Ying arrived upon hearing the news and overheard the doctor's words, feeling utterly astonished. "She was perfectly fine when I was here just now, how could she have fractured her ankle in such a short time?"
Fukang'an ordered someone to accompany the doctor to fetch the medicine. After the servants left, leaving only Yan Ning and Xi Ying, he looked at Yan Ning and asked, "Is it you?"
Yan Ning lowered her head. "I only pushed her gently. I didn't expect her to bump into the rock."
A hint of joy flickered in Xi Ying's eyes; she thought her words had had an effect on the two of them.
Fukang'an knew that Yan Ning had been bullied by Xiang'er before. Now that Yan Ning had done this, he did not want to pursue the matter further, both publicly and privately. So he arranged for Xi Ying to send someone to take care of Xiang'er.
Yan Ning grabbed Fu Kang'an, who was about to leave, and said guiltily, "Let me take care of her!" Fu Kang'an looked at Yan Ning, as if to say, "You think things haven't gotten big enough?" and didn't say anything.
Xi Ying thought that if Xiang'er and Yan Ning were left alone, their discord would only intensify, and then she could reap the benefits. "This matter arose because of Madam. If Madam isn't allowed to do her part, the General knows her well, and she will definitely feel uneasy! There aren't enough people in the manor right now, so why don't you let Madam take care of Xiang'er? We are, after all, sisters. Life is long, and we can't always avoid each other!"
Xi Ying's words, spoken with both emotion and reason, moved Fukang'an somewhat. He thought to himself that although Yan Ning would be living in the Fu residence in the future, she was still a member of the Fucha family, and he couldn't let her gradually drift apart from Xi Ying and Xiang'er.
"Alright! Then you mustn't cause any more trouble!" Fukang'an straightened his face and told Yan Ning, then walked up to Xiang'er, patted her hand, and said, "There are many things to do in the manor now, I'll come to see you later!" Xiang'er grasped Fukang'an's hand, nodded, and a trace of color gradually returned to her withered face.
Xi Ying was already used to such scenes, but Yan Ning was not used to it. Her heart felt a little hurt, and she lowered her head, no longer looking at Fukang'an and Xiang'er.
Fukang'an walked to Yan Ning's side, put his arm around her waist, and whispered in her ear in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You're becoming more and more like a jealous little wife!"
Yan Ning, her secret thoughts exposed, gently pushed Fu Kang'an away and turned her face away, refusing to look at him. Fu Kang'an walked past Xi Ying with a smile on his face. From beginning to end, Xi Ying wore a suitable smile.
Xiang'er winked at Yan Ning, and Yan Ning felt much more at ease because of what Fukang'an had just said. Just as Xiang'er had said, Fukang'an really wouldn't blame her.
With Xi Ying still by her side, Xiang'er began to feel disgusted with Yan Ning again. "What are you up to? I don't need your care! You should go back to your Fu Mansion! Don't set foot in my Fu Rong Garden again!"
Yan Ning didn't show the same consideration for Xi Ying as Xiang'er did, displaying an attitude of utterly disregard for her good intentions. Xiang'er rolled her eyes at Yan Ning and then stopped looking at her.
Seeing the two of them, Xi Ying's smile was even brighter than her expression. She instructed Rong Xi to take good care of Xiang'er, then gave Yan Ning a wink and withdrew.
"Madam, just look at the furnishings in Hibiscus Garden, and you'll know that Xiang'er was once the General's beloved. Now that she's fallen to such a state, she must harbor a lot of resentment towards you. Madam, please be careful in everything you do!"
Xi Ying was known for her gentleness and generosity, but what people didn't know was her intelligence. She knew when to say what and to what extent to make it most effective. She also knew when to smile, and always smiled appropriately. This was precisely why, in Fukang'an's heart, Xi Ying was merely a steward of the manor, an assistant to him in taking care of the Fucha family, rather than a beloved wife.
Yan Ning looked at the strangely shaped Taihu stones, the flowerbeds with a full range of colors, the lotus-shaped pond, and the swing under the training frame in Furong Garden, which resembled a small mansion. Xi Ying's Changting Garden paled in comparison.
"What's wrong with you?" Xiang'er noticed the unusual expression on Yan Ning's face and wondered what Xi Ying had told her.
Yan Ning shook her head, took the tea that Zhu Xiang poured for her, and focused on drinking the tea without saying anything more.
Upon returning from the Fucha residence, E'lan stared blankly at the small gifts Fukang'an had given her in the past, refusing to eat or drink. Though not particularly valuable, each item represented Fukang'an's affection for her. While Fukang'an felt only brotherly affection for E'lan, he was well aware of his mother and Hailancha's intentions, and with the Emperor's tacit approval, he had long been prepared to marry E'lan. Now, with Yan Ning's appearance, Fukang'an didn't want Yan Ning to suffer, and because of E'lan's ruthlessness, he didn't want her to disturb the peace of the Fucha residence, thus abandoning the idea of E'lan entering the Fucha household.
E'lan's right arm was wrapped in white cloth. Although the wound wasn't deep, it would take several days before she could move it freely again. She had intended to strike Yan Ning with that sword. If it weren't for Yan Ning, Fukang'an would never have hurt her, and after the old lady's birthday celebration, Fukang'an would have married her. Now, because of Yan Ning's appearance, everything she had was ruined.
Seeing that E'lan was still unwilling to give up, Hailancha couldn't bear to see her so heartbroken, so he told her everything about how Yan Ning had appeared at the front lines and how she had caused Fukang'an to be injured and punished for her sake. "You don't need to be sad. Yan Ning's identity is unclear, so how could the old lady allow her to become the head of a household? Just wait, Father will grant your wish!"
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