Jiu A stormed back to the mansion in a rage. The people who had come to pay their respects to him were all so frightened that they knelt down. As soon as he entered his bedroom, he threw himself onto the bed.
After a while, he felt a tightness in his chest and couldn't breathe. He angrily ripped open his collar, but it still didn't feel right. He kicked off his shoes, crawled into the cool quilt, and only when he was unbearably hot did he loosen the quilt and lie on his back.
The Ninth Prince kept recalling Nan Yi's words; he had said he would break off all ties and never see her again.
She knew perfectly well that those were just angry words spoken in the heat of the moment, and that they shouldn't be taken seriously. But that stupid woman took them seriously and even used them to shut him up.
She lied to him, and instead of admitting it, she should at least apologize and say something nice to appease him. But look at what she said: "...Didn't we say we were breaking up?"
He didn't mean to break off the friendship; he didn't want to. Even after what happened, he hadn't given up. After all, there had truly been a woman who brought him both joy and sorrow.
Hearing that his tenth brother had told him she had gone to his residence for a banquet that day, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep all night. He kept thinking about seeing her again, what they would say to each other, and whether he should forgive her if she apologized.
All his calculations couldn't compare to a single sentence. With that thought, he slammed his fist hard against the bedpost. He used too much force, and a faint crimson blood seeped from the back of his hand. The Ninth Prince didn't care and just withdrew his hand in a daze.
He had just held her, and the warmth of her soft body still lingered on his chest. The touch of her skin was still in his fingers. He gripped her chest tightly with his fingers, buried his head in the soft pillow, and murmured the name etched in his heart.
When the Eighth Prince arrived at the Ninth Prince's residence, Xiao Jinzi's tearful expression of gratitude puzzled him.
When they arrived at the ninth brother's courtyard, the younger sister-in-law stood outside the door, her eyes red and brimming with tears, looking utterly pitiful. The servants around them whispered amongst themselves, completely lacking in manners.
He sighed. His ninth brother was too domineering, while his younger sister-in-law was gentle and weak. They were supposed to complement each other, but they got along terribly and failed to win his favor. No wonder the servants would take advantage of the situation and bully the weak, even daring to watch the drama involving the concubine.
The Eighth Prince's gaze slowly swept across his surroundings. Though the air was gentle and warm, his gaze sent a chill down the spines of the servants, who scattered like birds in flight. Little Guo noticed him and curtsied, saying, "Greetings, Eighth Prince."
The Eighth Prince nodded. From time to time, the crisp sound of breaking objects could be heard from inside the room. He frowned and asked, "What happened?" He had a vague idea of the answer in his mind. His sister-in-law had probably suffered collateral damage.
Madam Guo gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, slowly shook her head, and said, "I didn't know. I only knocked on the door because I saw that you had returned to the manor and wanted to discuss some things with you..." As she said this, she sobbed softly again, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She really didn't know what she had done to anger him. She wanted to admit her mistake, but he wouldn't give her the chance and would only tell her to get out.
The Eighth Prince couldn't bear to look at her like that, and gently comforted her, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, go down first, I'll go and persuade her."
Lady Guo bowed and said, choking back tears, "Thank you, Eighth Prince." The Eighth Prince waved his hand in acknowledgment, and Lady Guo turned and left.
The Eighth Prince hesitated for a moment, then pushed open the door and entered. As soon as he stopped, something fell at his feet and shattered. He was taken aback, secretly relieved that it wasn't a large object or something that had hit him. He glanced up and his lips twitched slightly. He thought to himself, "It's a good thing my Ninth Brother wasn't born into a commoner family; otherwise, no matter how much wealth we have, it wouldn't be enough for him to squander."
The room was in a mess; antique jade artifacts were shattered all over the floor, the screen was overturned, and the bed curtains were torn and thrown on the shelf.
What could have gotten into him to have damaged the room so badly? I wonder what Nan Yi did to anger him this time.
The Ninth Prince lay on the bed, panting lightly. He was obviously tired from venting his anger. He knew someone was pushing the door open. It must be his good-for-nothing concubine. He gave her money and power, but she just couldn't stand up for herself. She managed the household affairs in a mess, and there was nothing about her that gave him any peace of mind. At this moment, Yinzhen was somewhat resentful and found everything displeasing.
"How long are you going to keep making a scene?"
“Mind your own business,” he roared angrily, and suddenly got up.
"Uh, Eighth Brother?" When did he arrive? I thought it was Wanqing who came in. He stood up awkwardly. "Eighth Brother is here. I thought it was Wanqing. These servants don't even know to announce our arrival. They're getting more and more unruly."
The Eighth Prince glanced at him indifferently and said, "If we announce it, how will we see the Ninth Brother displaying his might?" His words were full of mockery, which frightened the Ninth Brother's wife into silence.
The Ninth Prince chuckled and said, "Eighth Brother, what are you saying? I feel quite ashamed."
The Eighth Prince curled his lips and said, "It would be good if you were ashamed. Be careful not to drag your sister-in-law into this. She is always innocent." His sister-in-law was so frightened that she turned pale, so he couldn't help but say a few words in her defense.
The Ninth Prince nodded, bowed to the Eighth Prince, and begged for forgiveness, sincerely acknowledging his mistake. The Eighth Prince remained silent, walked out the door, and said, "Let's talk."
We need to talk to him openly. The matter of Nan Yi is weighing heavily on his mind and is a burden that may cause him to neglect his important work.
The two then went to the study.
Nan Yi was extremely depressed after returning home. How could she be so stupid? She clearly had a chance to explain things clearly. Even if she couldn't make him forgive her, at least it would have eased the situation a bit. Then she could have found another opportunity to apologize. Now it's becoming more and more difficult.
The look in his eyes as he left made her feel inexplicably guilty and uneasy. "Sigh..." she sighed, picking at the grains of rice in her bowl, carefully examining them without eating them, her face listless. "Sigh..."
The lover frowned at her master's sigh and said, "Ten times."
"What ten tones?" Nan Yi asked, following the sound.
The lover said, "Master just sighed ten times," and with a slight smile, asked, "Is something on your mind, Master?"
Nan put down her chopsticks, looked at her lover, and saw that her lover cared deeply for her. Suddenly, she remembered the marriage she had mentioned to her. A thought flashed through her mind, and she said, "My lover, I have something I need you to do."
The lover dutifully replied, "Please speak, Master."
Nan Yi's eyes gleamed slyly as she said, "Go to Xiao Xi's house and tell her I have something to discuss with her. Tell her to come over when she has time, and also..." She swallowed the rest of her words meaningfully, glancing sideways at her lover and hinting, "Yes, you know."
The lover was slightly taken aback. Xiao Xi's family? Suddenly remembering the marriage, she blushed instantly and was at a loss for words. Her master had mentioned it once and then never brought it up again. She thought her master had forgotten about it. This time, when it was suddenly brought up again, she was not prepared at all.
Slightly hesitant, she lowered her eyes and whispered, "Master is teasing me again. There's no need for me to do this. Let Xiao Shunzi handle it. I trust Master's judgment."
She was too embarrassed to take the initiative to visit him. Although she secretly harbored some feelings for him, it was ultimately unrealistic. A young lady should be reserved to appear dignified.
Nan shook his head and said, "You go. Xiao Shunzi has other things to do. Go ahead, I'll wait for your reply."
"But......"
Nan Yi feigned anger, saying, "What do you mean 'but'?" For the sake of her maid, she had no choice but to play the villain again. Hearing this, the lover could only walk out. After a few steps, she turned back to look at her mistress and saw her nod encouragingly. She then left the mansion with a blush on her cheeks.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com