The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 56

“…”

Xiao Yu was stunned, and hurriedly cut her off. “What nonsense are you talking about?” How could she just say something like that? She instinctively looked at Song Luoning, while anxiously reaching for Song Luoning’s hand. “My wife, it’s not what you think. Let me explain everything to you slowly.”

“The Emperor truly did bestow me upon the young master,” Yuan Niang said, looking at her with an injured expression.

Xiao Yu’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared back at the woman.

Heh.

It finally dawned on Xiao Yu. This poor, pitiful woman was a “green tea bitch.” Initially, she had felt a sense of gratitude because of the woman’s reminder in the palace, and seeing how pathetic she seemed, Xiao Yu had decided to help her out. But instead, this woman was trying to sow discord between her and Eldest Miss. No wonder her mother-in-law wanted to beat her; it seemed some people truly shouldn’t be coddled.

Still, the debt of gratitude had to be repaid. Xiao Yu didn’t want to owe anyone anything.

“My wife, why don’t we have the butler escort her away and settle her first?” Xiao Yu squeezed Song Luoning’s hand.

Song Luoning didn’t object. The butler then looked at Song Yanyu, and seeing that the masters had no objections, he stepped forward and gestured for Yuan Niang to follow. Yuan Niang tried to grab Xiao Yu’s hand, but Xiao Yu shifted sideways to avoid her.

“Young Master…” Yuan Niang’s eyes filled with tears, her face a mask of sorrow and grievance.

Xiao Yu was speechless.

Everyone in the room was staring at her, making her feel as though she had no way to defend herself. What did this woman have to do with her? And what was with the look from her mother-in-law? Everyone else might not know her true identity, but her mother-in-law did. Why was she adding to the drama?

“My husband should go himself,” Song Luoning said flatly, pulling her hand away.

Damn it.

Xiao Yu wanted to curse out loud. She was now absolutely certain that Eldest Miss was truly angry. She hadn’t thought about it that way before, but now that she considered it, from the moment Eldest Miss saw Yuan Niang, she had been treating her with what seemed like kindness, but was actually a distant and detached politeness.

This couldn’t stand.

Without a second thought, Xiao Yu’s survival instinct kicked in. She raised her voice in a cold retort, “Do I really need to handle such a minor matter? Can’t the butler do it?” With that, before Song Luoning could react, she took her hand and walked towards the main seat without even glancing at Yuan Niang.

As she did, she didn’t forget to grumble, “What kind of maid is this? A master has arrived, and she doesn’t even know to pour a cup of tea.”

Cui Zhu was speechless.

This ungrateful husband was trying to shift the blame! He must still be holding a grudge against her for criticizing his new lover.

This was truly outrageous.

Xiao Yu cleared her throat, glared at Cui Zhu, and personally poured a cup of tea for Song Luoning. She presented it to her and, in a softened voice, said, “My wife, you must be thirsty from all that talking. Come, have some tea to moisten your throat.”

Cui Zhu, standing by, resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She scoffed internally, Does he really think one cup of tea will make the young miss forgive him?

Song Luoning lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the teacup. After a moment of silence, she took it and took a sip.

Seeing this, the butler’s face broke into a knowing smile. Their son-in-law was truly thinking of the young miss. He again gestured for Yuan Niang to follow him. No matter how unwilling, Yuan Niang knew that everyone present was on Eldest Miss Song’s side. If she kept talking, she would only end up embarrassing herself. What’s more, Young Master Xiao wouldn’t side with her at all. She grit her teeth, shot a resentful look in Xiao Yu’s direction, and followed the butler out of the hall with great reluctance.

With her gone, everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief. One by one, they began to ask Xiao Yu about her time in the palace, as if what had just happened was a trivial interlude.

The atmosphere instantly became lively.

Just then, Song Yanqi arrived. “Brother, you’re finally here,” Song Yanyu said happily, welcoming him. Song Yanqi patted him on the shoulder.

Everyone stood up to greet him.

Song Yanqi smiled and nodded. As Jiang Wanrou was the elder, he did not take the main seat, but instead sat down in a lower one. A young maid came in and served tea.

“So, tell me what happened,” he said, looking at Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu held nothing back, recounting the events in the palace one by one. As she spoke about Yuan Niang, she would sneak glances at Eldest Miss. Seeing no unusual reaction from her, Xiao Yu didn’t feel relieved; in fact, her heart felt more tightly strung.

Feeling Xiao Yu’s gaze, Song Luoning lowered her eyes, her expression complex. The hand holding the teacup tightened slightly, her knuckles turning white, a sign of her inner turmoil.

As a person who had spent years in officialdom, Song Yanqi remained silent for a moment. He used the teacup lid to gently tap the surface of the tea, pushing aside the floating tea leaves. After a long pause, he said, “Let’s handle this matter as it is. Settle her in properly. As for the dancing girl, have someone keep a close eye on her. If there’s no problem, that’s for the best. If there is, we can take precautions in advance. The Emperor might have simply wanted to see you today, as the imperial family’s descendants are few and far between. Besides you, the other branches left no one behind after the rebellion of the feudal kings.”

Xiao Yu nodded, though she didn’t believe what he said. After all, the male protagonist truly wanted to kill her, and today…

A chilling detail flashed in her mind. When she left the imperial palace, she had originally intended to go alone. If she remembered correctly, it was the male protagonist who had told her to take Yuan Niang with her.

Could it be that the male protagonist wasn’t trying to let her go, but was waiting for them to reach the palace gates so he could accuse her of having an illicit affair with a dancing girl and then use that as an excuse to kill her?!

But she had unexpectedly run into Imperial Concubine Liu on the way, and by some lucky twist of fate, Imperial Concubine Liu had taken her into her palace, allowing her to escape the trap.

This made perfect sense.

A wave of fear washed over Xiao Yu as she realized what had just happened. She had almost never seen Eldest Miss again. She was now completely certain that the male protagonist would not let her go. There was no other reason; the identity of the original body’s ancestor as a direct descendant of the founding emperor had made the male protagonist wary of her.

Right now, the only one she could rely on was the Prime Minister’s residence, but their concern for her felt overly intense, to the point of being suspicious. This made her think of the questions her mother-in-law had asked her to investigate.

Perhaps her mother-in-law’s worries were not unfounded.

What did Song Yanqi say to Eldest Miss that day? Did the Prime Minister’s residence truly not know that the male protagonist wanted to kill her? That seemed unlikely. Why would they hide it from her, and why would they attribute the male protagonist’s desire to kill her to a grudge between the Prime Minister’s residence and Prince Chang?

Could she truly rely on the Prime Minister’s residence?

Xiao Yu felt confused.

Seeing that Xiao Yu was still a little dazed, Song Yanqi didn’t mind and began to chat with Jiang Wanrou about family matters. With Song Yanqi present, Chen Yu and the little maid, who usually loved to make a racket, were much quieter, only speaking a few words when Song Yanqi addressed them.

Soon, it was time for lunch. Song Yanqi stood up to take his leave. Jiang Wanrou tried to persuade him to stay, but the two Song brothers declined, saying they still had official duties to attend to.

Jiang Wanrou had no choice but to let them go, and she personally escorted them out of the manor.

Lunch was set in the side hall again. The servants had placed the dishes on the table, and Cui Zhu stood behind Song Luoning to serve her food. With so much on her mind, Xiao Yu didn’t try to take over the task this time. Song Luoning glanced at her, pursed her lips, and said nothing.

A tense silence fell over them.

Xiao Yu looked up and, by chance, caught a glimpse of Liang Chengqiu placing a piece of food on Chen Yu’s plate. Her heart skipped a beat.

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