The Night Before the Divorce, She Was Reborn to Before Her Marriage - Chapter 22

Zong Si’s words calmed Zong Duo down.

They were in the palace, not the estate, so he should be mindful of his actions. Although his face still showed some unhappiness, he didn’t touch the wine cup again.

Consort Zong heard the commotion and looked over. Seeing the situation, she couldn’t help but say with a smile, “Ling-jiang Xian is a premium wine. If Duo’er likes it, why stop him?”

Emperor Jing-wen also said, “Everyone celebrating the New Year together today is family. It’s fine to get drunk. Don’t tell me there’s no place to rest in this big palace?”

“Thank you for your concern, Uncle and Aunt,” Zong Duo said, getting up to bow.

Emperor Jing-wen then looked at Ning Fu and said playfully, “Ah Fu, would you like to try this wine? I remember you have a fondness for it.”

He was referring to the time she got drunk during the autumn hunt.

Ning Fu felt a little embarrassed and said, “After I returned, my mother gave me a good scolding. Since then, I don’t plan on touching any wine, or my mother won’t let me get away with it.”

Emperor Jing-wen couldn’t help but laugh, and Meng Ze also let out a low chuckle.

Princess Jing Wen was curious and asked her about it. Ning Fu told her every detail about getting drunk on the mountain during the autumn hunt.

“I wish I had gone to the autumn hunt, too, if it was that interesting,” Jing Wen said. It was the unrestrained life she yearned for.

Ning Fu just smiled and didn’t say anything more. It wasn’t appropriate to continue to use the autumn hunt to entice the princess.

After the banquet, the grand fireworks display began as promised. They soared like brilliant shooting stars, shining brightly and making the palace appear and disappear, showing its full majesty. Then, they bloomed like celestial flowers, a breathtaking sight.

Jing Wen pulled Ning Fu’s hand and wove through the princes and young masters to find a spot with an unobstructed view.

But in their reckless rush, the young masters were unprepared, and Ning Fu bumped into someone’s chest. The impact made her see stars.

“Did I hurt the young master?” Ning Fu was worried about offending a noble and didn’t have time to worry about herself.

Zong Si looked down at her and offered a hand to support her. From that angle, her delicate hairpin came into his view. He looked away and said in a cold, distant voice, “Fourth Miss, watch where you’re going.”

Ning Fu paused, then felt relieved. It was Zong Si, which was better than bumping into one of Emperor Jing-wen’s princes.

“I was walking too fast,” Jing Wen said, speaking up for her. “Cousin, please don’t blame her.”

Zong Si didn’t look at Ning Fu. He said to Jing Wen, “Will your spot be snatched away? Just take your time.”

“Cousin is right,” Jing Wen said to Ning Fu. “Let’s go.”

Ning Fu stood up straight, gave Zong Si a polite curtsy, and then followed Jing Wen to the front row by the riverbank.

Zong Ning and Xie Ru-yi were also there.

Ever since her brother had spoken to her, Zong Ning felt a little awkward when she saw Ning Fu. Ning Fu, however, smiled warmly at her, with no intention of holding a grudge.

“Sister Ning,” Zong Ning said, also greeting her, but her tone was a little stiff.

After that one sentence, they said nothing more, each enjoying the fireworks and becoming lost in the spectacle.

Zong Duo, on the other hand, didn’t watch a single firework. He only watched Ning Fu’s graceful silhouette.

If he had a wife like her, he would be willing to give her his entire salary to buy dresses. As a man, he didn’t need to spend much money!

Ning Fu glanced back unintentionally and saw the Fourth Prince looking at Xie Ru-yi with a gentle, watery gaze.

So the Fourth Prince, Meng Che, had liked Xie Ru-yi for so long. No wonder in her previous life, after marrying her, they were harmonious and loving.

Ning Fu subconsciously looked for Zong Si. In this life, he wanted to marry Xie Ru-yi, but with the Fourth Prince as a competitor, it might not be a simple matter. If he lost the woman he loved again, she wondered who he would end up marrying in this life.

Zong Si gave her a cold glance and then looked away. When Zong Duo, who was next to him, saw her, he quickly looked away and dared not meet her eyes.

Zong Duo was actually shy. The Fourth Miss Ning had looked at him on her own. He wondered if she had a good impression of him. Her impression of him was definitely better than her impression of his third brother!

In Ning Fu’s eyes, Zong Duo was a good man. In her previous life, he never betrayed his wife. Their relationship was very good, and they were emotionally harmonious. A man who was emotionally pure was a rarity. His integrity and sense of responsibility came from his bones.

As for Zong Si, it was difficult to say whether he was a good person or a bad one. He was loyal to the Great Yan, but it wasn’t the same when it came to his emotions.

Ning Fu looked at Zong Duo, thinking about what had happened in her previous life. After the new year, Zong Duo and Zong Si would go to the north. Zong Duo would be ambushed there, suffer a serious injury, and lose half a finger.

Originally, she wanted to use this information to do Zong Si a favor, but now, it seemed more fitting to do the favor for someone who was more grateful.

Ning Fu thought for a moment. It would be better to just remind Zong Duo directly. He was more sincere than Zong Si and didn’t have so many twists and turns. He would definitely be extremely grateful to her. With this favor, it might come in handy in the future.

After today, it would be difficult to see Zong Duo again, so she had to find a chance to speak with him today.

A moment later, Ning Fu noticed Zong Duo looking at her.

She gave him a slight smile.

This smile seemed to make everyone around her lose their color.

Zong Duo was stunned and became even more afraid to look at her. His ears were red.

Ning Fu had an idea. She lowered her head and said to Princess Jing Wen, “Princess, let’s go play with fireworks.”

Jing Wen was a little hesitant. “Years ago, I almost burned down the Jing-yang Palace while playing with fireworks with my brother, so I don’t dare to play anymore. Father also won’t let me.”

“Then we can just find someone to play with us, can’t we?” Ning Fu suggested.

Jing Wen thought for a moment and looked at Zong Duo. Her second cousin was the wildest one and the one who played with her the most. Everyone else told her not to touch dangerous things, but her second cousin would take her to play without a word.

When Zong Duo heard Jing Wen’s suggestion about lighting fireworks, he looked at Ning Fu, who was full of anticipation, and couldn’t say no.

The Fourth Miss Ning probably wanted to play, too.

“You two go wait for me at the Jing-yang Palace,” Zong Duo said. This was Consort Zong’s sleeping quarters.

Jing Wen then took Ning Fu and left first.

A moment later, Zong Duo went to Consort Zong to ask for her permission.

“Jing Wen hasn’t relaxed in a long time. This is a good thing. Go and play with them,” Consort Zong didn’t want to spoil her daughter’s fun on New Year’s.

If Meng Ze were to cause trouble with Jing Wen, the Empress might look for an excuse to cause trouble. But with Zong Duo, the Empress had no intention of completely offending the Prince of Xuan’s Estate yet.

After Zong Duo got permission, he went to the Jing-yang Palace.

In the Jing-yang Palace, Ning Fu and Jing Wen had been waiting for him for a while.

As soon as he returned, Jing Wen ordered her maids to find the new fireworks that had been sent to the palace this year. Zong Duo lit a sparkler for each of them.

It had been many years since Ning Fu had played with these things, and she found it a little novel.

“Has the Fourth Miss never played with them before?” Zong Duo asked, looking at her face illuminated by the sparkler, which was flawless.

Ning Fu said, “It’s been many years since I last played with them.”

Her words were pitiful and heart-wrenching. Zong Duo then lit another one for her.

“You two play. I’m going inside to warm up,” Jing Wen said. After playing with one, she didn’t want to play anymore. She felt cold and went back inside.

“I heard that the Second Young Master is going to the north after the New Year?” Ning Fu asked casually.

Zong Duo “mmh’d” in response. “I’m in charge of transporting military provisions and grain. I’ll be leaving after the fifth day of the New Year, and it will take about two months to get there and back.”

Ning Fu lowered her eyes and said, “A few days ago, I had a dream. I dreamed that the Second Young Master was ambushed by the barbarians while transporting the grain and was seriously injured. The Second Young Master must be careful on this trip.”

Although Zong Duo was a bit naive when it came to matters of the heart, he could hear that the Fourth Miss Ning was worried about him!

And that she had Jing Wen take her to play with fireworks today was probably so she could tell him this.

At once, Zong Duo felt that she was gentle and kind. Even for just a dream, she still went to great lengths to warn him.

How could she be the “unruly young lady” his third brother had described?

In the past, Zong Duo would have scoffed at a warning. Was he afraid of the barbarians? Even if he was injured, so what? A man protecting his country would be covered in wounds.

But in front of Ning Fu, he felt a softness in his heart and was a little embarrassed. He seriously promised her, “Thank you for the reminder, Fourth Miss. I’ll definitely be more cautious and come back safe and sound.”

Ning Fu thought for a moment and said, “When the Second Young Master is being cautious, could you not mention this to the heir? He doesn’t have a good impression of me, and I’m afraid he’ll misunderstand my intentions.”

Zong Duo couldn’t help but frown. Even he felt that his third brother’s attitude toward Ning Fu was too harsh. Thinking of a young lady in this way meant his third brother was narrow-minded. He said, “I won’t mention anything we’ve talked about to him.”

Ning Fu didn’t stay long at the Jing-yang Palace. It was already getting late, and she had to return to the estate.

A palace maid led her to the Ting-can Palace, but the carriage she was led to was not her own.

“The heir is waiting for you,” the palace maid explained, looking down.

Ning Fu frowned. She didn’t know what Zong Si wanted with her. They were in the palace. If it was discovered that the two of them had a private connection, it would not be a small matter.

After a moment of thought, she lifted the curtain and got into the carriage.

This was the first time in this life that she had ridden in Zong Si’s carriage. As soon as she got in, she smelled a faint scent of ink.

Zong Si sat upright, his eyes closed in meditation. He looked a little cold and unapproachable. He opened his eyes when he heard the movement.

His face was one that she could never tire of looking at. It was so handsome that it was flawless, but in this life, she would not have the fortune to enjoy it.

“The heir is a little too bold,” Ning Fu said.

Zong Si said calmly, “If you don’t want Meng Ze to take an interest in you, keep your distance from him in the future. You won’t get any good from him.”

He referred to Meng Ze by his given name, which showed that Meng Ze was probably more indebted to him.

“The Sixth Prince probably doesn’t know that this is how the heir sees him behind his back,” Ning Fu said.

Zong Si looked at her and said slowly, “Does the Fourth Miss want to become the Sixth Prince’s Consort?”

Ning Fu lowered her eyes and said, neither servile nor overbearing, “I’m only helping the heir find the divine physician Mu, but my personal matters are not for the heir to worry about.”