Chapter 200 Confrontation
“Cousin, is there a cousin in your mansion?” Qin Yuru looked up at Di Yan, trying to hide her curiosity. She had been in the capital for a while, but she didn’t see any cousin in Duke Yong’s Mansion and thus she never asked before.
“Nope, she had left a long time ago!” Di Yan’s heart skipped a beat, and he turned his head away in guilt, pretending to examine the broken frame of the screen.
“Gone?” “When did she leave?” Instinctively, Qin Yuru sensed something fishy. She was still smiling, but her eyes were full of doubt.
Di Yan coughed. “Before you came. She left for something at home!”
“She left before I came, why didn’t I know about it?” At this time, Qin Yuru was sure this was not a matter as simple as it seemed. Though she was furious, her expression became even more gentle.
“It’s not a big deal. She used to come occasionally to visit my mother and would stay for a day or two.” Di Yan felt more and more uncomfortable. He knew his affairs at home, and surely, Ning Caixian had some relations.h.i.+p with him.
Countess Yong had always wanted him to marry Ning Caixian. Although Ning Caixian’s family was not as good as Duke Yong’s, she was related to her. If Ning Caixian married Di Yan, it would be to her advantage, and they would be in the same boat. Since Countess Yong married into Duke Yong’s Mansion, Madam Duke Yong had been hard on her, and she held grudges against her.
If Ning Caixian married in, she would be closer to her, and for this one reason, Countess Yong wanted to make things work between Ning Caixian and Di Yan.
However, Madam Duke Yong opposed the matter. While Qin Yuru lived in Jiangzhou, Countess Yong asked Ning Caixian to live in the mansion from time to time, to bond with Di Yan.
Ning Caixian naturally grasped this opportunity, while she flattered Countess Yong, she hung out with Di Yan. They were almost getting married when an elder of Ning Caixian pa.s.sed away. Madam Duke Yong then took the chance and dragged the matter out. Later, she claimed that Ning Caixian’s birthdate was contrary to Di Yan’s, and she proposed to get Qin Yuru instead.
Madam Duke Yong reproached Countess Yong, who then reluctantly offered marriage to Madam Di in Jiangzhou. After Qin Yuru reached the capital, it would be inconvenient for Ning Caixian to appear in Duke Yong’s Mansion. After Qin’s Mansion had settled in the capital, Qin Yuru would go back. It was only then that Ning Caixian would stay in Duke Yong’s Mansion for a night or visit Countess Yong occasionally.
However, now that Qin Huaiyong had re-emerged as Ningyuan Army General, his status was much higher. Though his position was not very high, he was close to the emperor and was also a Vice Commander of the Imperial Guards Team. Qin Yuru’s status was way beyond Ning Caixian’s, and they were not on an equal match!
Under such circ.u.mstances, Countess Yong had no choice but to end her idea of a marriage with Ning’s Mansion.
However, Ning Caixian refused to do so and continued to have rendezvous with Di Yan, and their relations.h.i.+p eventually got better.
Of course, everything happened behind the curtains. On the surface, Ning Caixian was just the niece of Countess Yong and a cousin of Di Yan.
The affair between Di Yan and Ning Caixian nearly got approval back then, so many people in the mansion knew about it.
However, Qin Yuru never asked, so the people did not dare to say anything. Everyone b.u.t.toned their lips.
“Why have I never met her?” Qin Yuru smiled and said, hiding the jealousy in her eyes and replacing it with curiosity.
“Maybe she had something happen in her own family. After all, she does have her own mansion and can’t stay here forever!” Di Yan replied impatiently. He got up and looked at the screen, then turned and walked into the house. He was very annoyed by the mentioning of Ning Caixian, and he did not know how to deal with it.
He had feelings for both ladies.
He had known Ning Caixian since a young age, and though she was not as good-looking as Qin Yuru, she was gentle and obedient to him. Their love sparkled since young, and they made their vows. However, Qin Yuru was good as well—she was pretty and had a strong family background, which would be helpful for his future.
He wanted both cousins!
After Di Yan entered the room, Qin Yuru’s face sank, and her eyes were cold. Gritting her teeth, she turned to Qin Wanru and questioned her. “How did you know brother Yan’s cousin was living in his mansion?”
“Big Sister, you didn’t know about it? Grandmother said that all the people in Duke Yong’s Mansion knew. Once Nanny Duan went to Duke Yong’s Mansion and heard people gossiping about this and a.s.sumed the whole mansion knew about it. I thought of changing a new frame for the screen just now, and since that cousin is about the same age as Big Sister, she will know the latest trend. Thus I wanted to ask her for some suggestions!”
Qin Wanru spoke after she patted the frame and took two steps back.
Yujie pa.s.sed her a handkerchief, and she picked it up casually and rubbed her hand, then she looked at Qin Yuru’s sullen face and said, “Big sister, let’s go in too. We must do the frame well. Otherwise, we will be at fault!”
“You go!” Qin Yuru had no mood to flatter Madam Duke Yong now. When she thought of the fact that Di Yan had a cousin beside him and everyone knew about it, she felt horrible. Suddenly, she recalled the scene where Di Yan was together with Qi Rongzhi.
Qi Rongzhi was only in Qin’s Mansion for a short period, and Di Yan hardly saw her, yet the two fell in love. This so-called cousin had lived in Duke Yong’s Mansion for some time and had a much closer relations.h.i.+p with Di Yan. Something must have happened between them.
“Big Sister, you are not going in?” Qin Wanru was about to step forward and heard Qin Yuru’s words, so she turned and looked at her, puzzled.
“I have other stuff to do!” Qin Yuru said firmly then walked outside. She had lived in Duke Yong’s Mansion for a while and knew the place well.
As she walked out of the courtyard, she walked toward Di Yan’s courtyard. She remembered that Di Yan had two servant girls, and she had always found them b.i.t.c.hy and thought of getting rid of them after she married Di Yan. However, she would like to give them a chance.
Seeing Qin Yuru leave with a cold face, Qin Wanru grinned and then re-entered the house.
After she paid her respect to Madam Duke Yong, she said, “Madam, if I can’t find the original frame, can I use the most up-to-date framework in the capital?”
“Sure!” Madam Duke Yong had said that she would not care about it, so of course, she nodded as she did not want to make things hard for Qin Wanru.
Since the matter had been solved, Qin Wanru decided to leave. After making another bow, she left with Yujie.
Di Yan did not intend to go to Qin’s Mansion. However, as a host, he still sent Qin Wanru out.
When he reached the gate of the mansion, he did not see Qin Yuru. His expression changed and he asked the servant on the side, “Where is cousin Yu?”
“I don’t know. I saw her leaving the courtyard just now!” the servant answered in confusion.
“Let’s go!” Di Yan hurried back.
However, he came across Qin Yuru halfway. When he saw Qin Yuru, who looked rather calm, Di Yan heaved a sigh of relief and quickly approached her. “Cousin Yu, where did you go just now? I thought you were waiting at the gate of the mansion!”
“I took some things from the yard where I used to live. I used to go to the street when I was here, and I left them here when I hurriedly left for home!” Qin Yuru grinned.
Although deep in her heart she was gritting her teeth, she did not reveal anything on her face. That b.i.t.c.h actually had a relations.h.i.+p with her cousin a long time ago. They even vowed to marry one another.
Earlier on, the relations.h.i.+p between Qin Yuru and Di Yan had yet to be settled. However, after Qin Huaiyong was appointed, it was decided. The two servant girls also knew that Qin Yuru would be their madam in the future. Thus, when Qin Yuru asked, they did not hide from her anything related to Ning Caixian.
Not only did they tell her about Ning Caixian and Di Yan, but they also said that Ning Caixian once sent people to Qin’s Mansion to find Di Yan, saying that she was ill and asked Di Yan to go to Ning’s Mansion. It was said that Miss Ning was delicate and fainted while talking to Di Yan.
The reason why these two servant girls knew about this matter was that Di Yan had sent people to his yard to get some good ginseng for Miss Ning to use.
The two servant girls also mentioned that they had witnessed the delicate cousin fall into the arms of Feudal Lord a couple of times!
Whenever Qin Yuru recalled what the two servant girls said, she would get furious. However, she knew it was not the time to get angry. What happened earlier with Qi Rongzhi had annoyed Di Yan.
“Oh, well, what else do you need? You had left somethings at my place too!” At this time, Di Yan only wanted to send Qin Yuru away. Thus he complied with her on everything.
“Just leave them there!” When Qin Yuru looked at Di Yan’s expression, hatred grew inside her. She clenched her handkerchief tightly, but her face remained calm.
“Well then, I shall send you out. Cousin Wanru should have left by now, I will get another carriage to send you back!” Di Yan said enthusiastically.
“Thanks!” Qin Yuru whispered.
“It’s nothing, your business is my business!” Qin Yuru’s feminity had always fascinated Di Yan, with such a pretty face. Di Yan answered gently, reaching out and helped Qin Yuru up. For a moment, he refused to let her go.
“Cousin, let’s go!” Qin Yuru blushed under his gaze and gently nudged him.
“Ya, ya!” Di Yan was so fascinated by her that he stuttered his words.
The two spoke for a while longer, and Qin Yuru reluctantly boarded the carriage of Duke Yong’s Mansion. The carriage left Duke Yong’s Mansion, but it did not go to Qin’s Mansion. It swerved into another direction to “Ning’s Mansion” where the two servant girls had told her about!
How could Qin Yuru let this matter go…