Chapter Sixteen: She only felt her lips touch something soft.
The carriage slowly made its way towards the Guangde Marquis's residence.
Xie Min looked at Shen Qingnian sitting opposite her, dressed in ordinary material, still wearing the same silver hairpin in her hair, with her eyebrows lowered and a handkerchief in her hand, looking graceful and quiet.
Xie Min sneered: You'll see later!
I heard from my mother that Shen Qingnian actually injured that Second Master Lu that day, ruining her plans. It would be her good fortune to become a concubine in the Guangde Marquis's mansion, how dare she refuse!
What else can someone from a poor rural area do besides become a concubine?
The carriage arrived at the gate of the Marquis of Guangde's residence. The steward of the residence led the two inside. Many noble ladies from the capital had already arrived in the main hall. When they saw Xie Min arrive, they all looked at Shen Qingnian next to her.
Someone familiar with Xie Min asked, "Sister Min, who is this young lady? She looks unfamiliar."
Xie Min raised an eyebrow and smiled: "They've come to the manor to stay with their aunt."
It turns out they were poor relatives who were just trying to freeload off each other.
Seek refuge with your aunt? That means you have no one to rely on.
Several noble ladies sneered at Shen Qingnian: "Sister Min, why did you bring someone like this with us?"
Xie Min said slowly, "My grandmother asked me to bring my sister Qingnian here to choose a husband."
As soon as he finished speaking, he angered several noble ladies.
This snowy banquet is also a gathering for men and women to meet; this person has come to climb the social ladder.
The noble ladies felt a sense of crisis when they looked at Shen Qingnian's face, and their dissatisfaction with her grew even stronger.
Shen Qingnian looked coldly at Xie Min; she certainly knew how to cause her trouble.
Shen Qingnian slowly spoke: "It was only out of the old lady's pity that I was allowed to come out and see the world. But sister, you've been watching Prince Lu for a long time at the door. I wonder if Prince Lu knows your feelings?"
When they entered, Shen Qingnian noticed Xie Min staring at a man with barely concealed shyness in her eyes. Later, Shen Qingnian heard the maids in the manor call that man "Prince Lu." It turned out that Xie Min was in love with this Prince Lu.
Xie Min felt embarrassed when Shen Qingnian saw through her thoughts.
Moreover, although she is the eldest daughter of the second wife, she has lost her official position since her father became paralyzed and has been living off the support of the first wife all these years. Naturally, she is not a good match for Prince Lu.
A noblewoman raised an eyebrow and sneered, "How dare you covet the crown prince?"
Xie Min's face flushed red and then turned pale. She twisted her handkerchief and glared hatefully at Shen Qingnian.
Well, Shen Qingnian, let's see how long you can stay smug!
The Marquis of Guangde's mansion held a snow-themed banquet, and craftsmen created many snow scenes in the mansion. The young gentlemen and ladies who came enjoyed the snow scenery in the garden.
Shen Qingnian strolled around the garden alone, genuinely hoping to find someone suitable. Xie Min was nowhere to be found, and she certainly didn't want to be with Xie Min anyway.
She didn't notice that a pair of eyes were staring at her.
After strolling around for a while, Shen Qingnian wanted to rest in the pavilion in front of her when a woman's voice came from behind her: "Miss, could you help me?"
Shen Qingnian turned around and saw a woman dressed in pink, with her hair tied up in a traditional Chinese style and a simple hair ornament on her head. She was holding her foot, and it looked like she had sprained her ankle.
Shen Qingnian went over to support her: "Did you sprain your ankle?"
The woman nodded. She tried to move her foot, and then a fine layer of sweat appeared on her forehead from the pain.
"Hiss..." The woman frowned, turned around and grabbed Shen Qingnian: "The road is slippery because of the snow, I accidentally twisted my ankle, Miss, could you help me back to my courtyard?"
Shen Qingnian looked around but saw no one. She had no choice but to help the woman walk toward the courtyard she had mentioned.
Upon arriving at the house, Shen Qingnian helped the woman sit down and then wanted to send a maid to fetch a doctor, but there was no one in the courtyard.
"Miss, there's no need to look anymore. There's no one else in this courtyard."
"I am just a concubine who is not favored by my master. I am alone in this courtyard most of the time. You can call me Ping'er."
Shen Qingnian was at a loss for words. Ping'er was only fifteen or sixteen years old, yet she had already lost favor and was left to fend for herself here.
"Judging from your appearance, you didn't come willingly. Have you ever thought about running away?"
“It’s no use. If a runaway concubine is caught, she’ll be beaten to death.” Ping’er shook her head.
"Then how are you going to survive in this mansion like this?"
Ping'er suddenly looked up and smiled: "That is..."
Shen Qingnian didn't know what Ping'er meant, but she vaguely felt that everything in front of her was becoming blurry.
Seeing that Shen Qingnian had already taken the medicine, Ping'er smiled and said, "Then you have completed the task assigned by Master."
"You're the one who gets the job."
"Wait here obediently, Second Master will be here soon."
Shen Qingnian propped herself up: "You're Second Master Lu's concubine, so what about your legs...?"
"I twisted my ankle on purpose. As long as I help Second Master trick you into coming here, Second Master will make me his concubine. What does a one-legged ankle matter?"
Shen Qingnian smiled: "That's good!"
After confirming that Ping'er's foot was indeed injured and she couldn't walk, Shen Qingnian immediately rushed out the door. Stumbling along the way, she felt her consciousness becoming increasingly unclear and her body becoming increasingly hot.
She smelled a particularly pleasant fragrance when she entered that room, so she must have been drugged at that time.
She absolutely must not be seen in this state. As she walked, she saw Second Master Lu leading his men menacingly in this direction.
Shen Qingnian turned her head in another direction. Unable to hold on any longer, and seeing that they were about to come over, Shen Qingnian pushed open the door in front of her and fell inside.
The imagined pain didn't come; instead, I landed in a broad chest.
Shen Qingnian looked up, but she couldn't make out the figure clearly. She vaguely knew that she was being hugged by a man.
Xie Yanzhi frowned. How could it be her?
Shen Qingnian leaned weakly against his chest. She tried hard to lift her head to see who the man in front of her was.
Xie Yanzhi reached out and pinched her chin. He saw Shen Qingnian with flushed cheeks like a ripe peach and her small mouth glistening with moisture.
"It hurts," Shen Qingnian whimpered in dissatisfaction, looking at the person in front of her with tears in her eyes.
Xie Yanzhi unconsciously swallowed hard and released her.
Sensing that the person in front of him was about to fall to the ground, Xie Yanzhi reached out and put his arm around Shen Qingnian's waist. Her waist was very slender and could be easily encircled. Shen Qingnian also fell into Xie Yanzhi's arms.
Just then, Lu Erye's furious voice came from outside the door: "Where can that bitch Shen Qingnian run off to after being drugged?"
Xie Yanzhi could clearly feel the person in his arms trembling, their head shrinking sharply into his embrace.
Although Shen Qingnian did not know who was holding her, the person had not done anything to her until now, so he must be a good person.
She couldn't help but press herself tightly against his chest, hoping for some protection, and her hands uncontrollably clenched around Xie Yanzhi's chest.
Xie Yanzhi frowned and said, "Shen Qingnian!"
Upon hearing the voice, Shen Qingnian regained some consciousness. The voice sounded so familiar, it seemed to be... Xie Yanzhi.
Then Xie Yanzhi said, "Aren't you going to let go? How long are you going to keep holding onto me!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingnian recognized Xie Yanzhi. However, she was under the influence of drugs and felt weak all over, unable to stand up at all.
As soon as she pushed Xie Yanzhi away, her body swayed to one side. Seeing this, Xie Yanzhi, as if possessed, pulled her back.
Shen Qingnian didn't know what had happened; she only felt her lips touch something soft...
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