The Night Before the Divorce, She Was Reborn to Before Her Marriage - Chapter 45

“Go back and fetch the antidote,” Zong Si instructed Fu Jiahui.

Fu Jiahui nodded. The Heir Apparent had previously purchased an antidote with a hefty sum of gold when saving Yue Niang, and there was still some left unused.

Zong Si’s expression subtly changed as Ning Fu lost consciousness. He quickly strode to her side, and as he leaned over, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

He paused for a moment, gently helped her upright, but did not push her hands away.

Ning Fu only felt the coolness emanating from his entire body, which was exceptionally comfortable, and she rubbed against him carefully.

It must be noted that the Fourth Miss Ning was no longer a young girl; with her figure, it would be impossible for any man, unless he were a block of wood, to remain completely unaffected.

Zong Si frowned, intending to push her away, but she held him even tighter.

“My Lord,” she murmured softly.

Zong Si watched as she leaned in for a kiss. The Fourth Miss Ning was adept at kissing. Seeing his lack of reaction, she employed every trick, gently prying his lips open little by little, tenderly, as if both coaxing him and possessively demanding from him.

At that moment, she was the spitting image of the woman in his recurring dreams.

Zong Si became slightly distracted, allowing her to succeed. Although he was clearly conscious, he surprisingly failed to refuse her.

To Ning Fu, it was merely drinking poison to quench thirst; she couldn’t distinguish north from south.

She quickly leaned in for another kiss.

When Fu Jiahui rushed back, Ning Fu was sleeping peacefully on the bed. Zong Si stood by the bedside, his expression calm, though his ears were slightly flushed.

“Heir Apparent, I have the antidote,” Fu Jiahui said, wisely avoiding further questions.

Zong Si helped Ning Fu sit up and fed her the antidote.

“The medicine is potent. The Fourth Miss will likely need to rest for quite a while,” Fu Jiahui said, feeling a degree of pity for Ning Fu, who was Ning Zheng’s sister.

Zong Si said nothing.

Ning He, who had rushed back worriedly, saw Zong Si helping her Fourth Sister drink the medicine and her face turned deathly pale. Under normal circumstances, such intimacy between a man and a woman would require the man to take responsibility, but she did not dare to say anything now, only wiping away her tears silently. “Will Fourth Sister be all right?”

Fu Jiahui supported her and comforted her, “Don’t worry, the Heir Apparent has already given your Fourth Sister the antidote. She will wake up within the time it takes an incense stick to burn.”

Ning He nodded.

“No one is allowed to speak of what happened today, or your Fourth Sister’s reputation will be ruined,” Fu Jiahui instructed. “If someone meant to harm your Fourth Sister, they will certainly come looking for her soon. You must only say that your sister was sleeping in the room and never left.”

Ning Fu woke up even earlier than Fu Jiahui had predicted. Her previous consciousness had been hazy, and she could not be certain if what happened with Zong Si was real or false.

Zong Si immediately noticed she was awake and glanced at her.

Ning Fu was silent, and Zong Si was also silent.

Yet, the greater the silence, the more it suggested they might have done something inappropriate just now.

“Younger Sister Ning, Younger Sister Ning! How are you?” It was Cheng Shuang’s voice, full of anxious inquiry.

Fu Jiahui looked at Ning He, and Ning He opened the door to deal with her. Even through the door, they could hear her say, “Fourth Sister is sleeping. Why are you looking for her?”

“Let’s go,” Zong Si said plainly.

Ning Fu actually didn’t want to be alone right now, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask for help. It was absolutely impossible for Zong Si to stay, or the matter of marriage would become unavoidable.

She didn’t want to face this vague unknown by herself, unsure of what awaited her.

Zong Si turned back to look at her. Seeing her eyes red, he seemed to frown slightly, but still jumped out the window with Fu Jiahui.

The next second, Cheng Shuang pushed the door open and entered, seeing Ning Fu with a flushed face, curled up with her legs hugged to her chest.

Ning Fu looked at her as well. Several young ladies were following behind her.

Even though they didn’t know what had happened, Ning Fu still felt a sense of humiliation.

Cheng Shuang had just thought she heard the Heir Apparent’s voice, and now seeing only Ning Fu herself, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Younger Sister Ning, are you sick?” Cheng Shuang reached out to check her forehead.

Ning Fu, however, evaded her. Her expression was very distant, lacking her usual beaming enthusiasm.

She had mostly guessed the truth. Why was Cheng Shuang married off to a distant location shortly afterward in the previous life? It was because she had schemed against Xie Ruyi. In the last life, Xie Ruyi was the one who was affected, and something must have happened between her and the Fourth Prince, but the matter was suppressed.

How could the Duke of Qing State Manor let Cheng Shuang off? Marrying her off to a distant place was equivalent to exiling her, which served as her punishment.

From then on, the Cheng residence also pretended they did not have this daughter, practicing self-preservation.

A woman without the protection of her maternal clan was equivalent to having no future.

Cheng Shuang intended to harm not Ning Fu, but Xie Ruyi.

However, a deviation occurred in this life, and through a clumsy error, Ning Fu became the one affected. Xie Ruyi might have realized what happened, but did not warn her, likely intending to use Ning Fu’s hand to eliminate Cheng Shuang.

This was not Ning Fu’s wild speculation. She had not eaten anything unusual today, only drinking a little wine while speaking with Xie Ruyi. Xie Ruyi certainly wouldn’t resort to such low-level tactics. But Xie Ruyi asking Cheng Shuang to call her over clearly indicated that she had just been with Cheng Shuang.

This allowed Ning Fu to quickly deduce that Cheng Shuang was the culprit.

Xie Ruyi was a kind person, but she was not without cunning. Ning Fu thought that if it were her, she would definitely have warned the other person. Yet, this wasn’t Xie Ruyi’s fault either. She simply didn’t want to get involved, but she also didn’t want to let Cheng Shuang off. It was best if the punishment of Cheng Shuang was not carried out by her own hands.

Did she hate Cheng Shuang? Perhaps so. Why drag an innocent person like her into the issues between Cheng Shuang and Xie Ruyi?

This was the first time she had witnessed such malice among young ladies her age, which chilled her heart.

Before this, she believed that having grown up together, no matter how much they argued or disagreed, they should not resort to such actions.

Cheng Shuang’s expression shifted, and she forced a smile. “Younger Sister Ning, what is wrong?”

“I want to rest,” Ning Fu said, closing her eyes.

She didn’t want to think about anything else.

Cheng Shuang quickly said, “Alright, then rest well. I will guard you.” She was also terrified in her heart; she never wanted to harm Ning Fu.

She slept for a very long time, with strange and fantastical dreams. When she woke up, Madame Ning finally breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “You’re finally awake.”

“Mother,” Ning Fu parted her dry lips. “I want water.”

Madame Ning quickly fed her a small spoonful of the spring water she had kept ready.

Ning Fu pondered and asked, “That day…”

“Don’t be afraid. Not many people know about this, and it didn’t lead to a great disaster. Your Fifth Sister and Miss Fu handled the Spring Scholars’ Gathering properly for you. Just pretend the incident never happened. The Duke of Qing State Manor has consulted me, and the Cheng family, ashamed of having such a daughter, has arranged for her to marry and leave the capital soon,” Madame Ning sat on the bedside, letting Ning Fu rest her head on her.

Ning Fu was somewhat surprised. Xie Ruyi clearly wanted her to handle the matter; why did she end up resolving it herself?

After much thought, it seemed only Zong Si could have intervened.

“You’ve faced so many misfortunes in the capital; would you like to stay with your maternal grandmother for a while?” Madame Ning looked at her lovingly. “Your maternal grandmother’s residence is close to your father’s location, making it convenient for you to visit your father as well.”

The drowning incident and this latest one had left an impression on Madame Ning.

Perhaps the capital was unfavorable to Ah Fu this year.

Ning Fu suddenly froze.

Calculating the days, the strange death of Li Fang seemed to be happening very soon, and this incident would lead to her maternal grandmother being labeled a treacherous minister.

She had already planned to visit her maternal grandmother’s residence, but was worried about finding an excuse. Now, it seemed the timing was perfect.

A little later, after Ning Fu had dinner, Dong Zhu ran in and said, “Madam, Miss Ning and the Heir Apparent from the Prince Xuan’s residence have arrived.”

“Quickly invite them in,” Madame Ning said. She was grateful to Zong Si for giving her daughter the antidote, otherwise, the Cheng Shuang incident would have been difficult to resolve.

His arrival with Miss Ning (Zong Ning) made the visit respectful of social norms, as it avoided the appearance of a man and woman being alone together.

Ning Fu felt a degree of gratitude upon seeing Zong Si again. She said, “Thank you, Heir Apparent.”

With Zong Ning present, it was hard to speak too plainly.

Zong Si, however, spoke quite directly. He said in a deep voice, “I had to leave that day. If anyone had seen a man still in your room, it would have been even harder to explain; what is white would be twisted into black.”

Zong Ning’s expression instantly changed, and she asked, “Third Brother, what do you mean?”

Ning Fu nodded. Whether or not this was his true inner thought, it didn’t matter now. As long as she was fine, nothing else mattered.

Zong Si had not yet made up his mind completely and remained silent for a moment.

“What are your thoughts?” He paused, asking her after a moment.

The meaning of his words was clear enough.

Logically, since they had kissed, regardless of the circumstances, even though she had initiated it, they should marry.

Especially the man, who should take responsibility.

It was a confusing and complicated mess. Clearly, they had openly discussed the concubine matter not long ago and agreed to keep their distance, but now the situation was increasingly awkward.

However, Ning Fu didn’t really need him to take responsibility. What was a kiss? They had done more intimate things in the last life. If she married him now, wouldn’t this life have been wasted?

Ning Fu said, “I want to rest.”

Zong Si looked at her, then deliberated for a moment. He said, “Whenever you are rested enough, if you have anything you want to discuss with me, you may come to the Qing Tian Pavilion.”

Ning Fu gave a perfunctory smile and said, “Alright.”

On the way back, Zong Ning asked, confused, “Third Brother, what did you mean today? How could you be so careless about the separation between men and women in front of Sister Ning? And what did you mean about being in her room that day? Were you two alone together?”

Zong Si did not respond to her.

“Before, you refused Sister Ning, and now you have thoughts about her?” Zong Ning couldn’t help but feel the urge to complain.

Zong Si’s headache was now how to manage his relationship with Ning Fu. If he wanted to marry her, now was not the right time. If he didn’t, he had indeed responded to her kiss while he was sober that day.

As for his mental state…

Perhaps her constant whispers of “My Lord” made him project their relationship from the previous life onto the present.

In the First House, Madame Wei also asked curiously, “What kind of wind blew the Prince Xuan’s residence over here?”

The relationship between the two manors was certainly not good.

Madame Mu whispered, “Do you think it’s odd that the Heir Apparent, an outsider man, came to see Ah Fu?”

“He came with Miss Ning; what’s odd about that?” Madame Wei said dismissively. “The Heir Apparent wouldn’t stoop so low as to take a liking to Ah Fu.”

Because her own daughter had also been rejected by Zong Si, Madame Wei always liked to take a jab at Ning Fu over this matter.

Old Madam Ning overheard this clearly and was furious. She forcefully tapped her cane and said, “The Prince Xuan’s residence may be great, but for you, the mistress of a State Duke Manor, to fawn over him—wouldn’t outsiders laugh their heads off? Besides, my granddaughter is not an object for his Prince Xuan’s residence to select at will!”

This was the first time Old Madam Ning truly found Madame Wei unpleasant. The First House was not behaving like the First House should. The Second House would never say such things when the First House was in trouble. “It’s you! You can’t even manage the central stewardship of the Ning State Duke Manor properly. If you hadn’t squandered the manor’s wealth, the manor wouldn’t be in such a state.”

The stewardship was Madame Wei’s sore spot, and she dared not speak further.

“As the eldest aunt, you should go and properly show her some concern. If I were Ah Fu, I would be heartbroken. She hid the fact that she was helping you cover up those accounts from her mother. If it were you, could you do that?”

Did Madame Wei really think the old woman knew nothing? She had just been turning a blind eye for the sake of family harmony.

Madame Wei’s expression suddenly changed. “Did Ah Fu tell you?”

“That girl would never tattle. I knew it in my heart. I used to favor you and just pretended not to know,” Old Madam Ning said with a sense of disappointment. The First House had truly been spoiled by her and had less magnanimity than a child.

However, Ning Fu was not in the mood to see people, and she hadn’t felt like meeting anyone recently.

She wasn’t sad or downcast, but in her courtyard, she was researching her maternal grandmother’s situation.

In the previous life, the accusations against her maternal grandmother were countless. Even many things unrelated to her maternal grandmother were forcefully attributed to her.

Later, her uncle and male cousin died, and after her female cousin was imprisoned and tormented by Meng Ze for a while, her fate was unknown. Almost the entire Princess’s Manor had no survivors.

In this life, she did not want her maternal grandmother to meet such an end. Her maternal grandmother’s mistakes should be held accountable, but what she did not commit should not be blamed on her.

A few days later, Meng Ze and Ning Yu returned to the Ning State Duke Manor to visit her. Ning Fu naturally could not refuse.

Ning Fu was on a swing at the time. Seeing him, she sweetly greeted, “Sixth Cousin.”

However, no matter how Meng Ze listened, he felt she sounded a little cooler than usual.

“How about I send a bird to keep you company?” Meng Ze offered.

Ning Fu was not fond of keeping such pets; they were living creatures, and if she failed to care for them properly, she would feel guilty. She thought for a moment and said, “Sixth Cousin should pay attention to the Duke of Qing State Manor.”

It seemed now that Xie Ruyi would still align with Meng Che; otherwise, Zong Si would not have developed the idea of taking responsibility for her.

This would mean abandoning the alliance with the Prince Xuan’s residence and turning to support Meng Che.

She told Meng Ze because he would find out soon anyway; she might as well seize the opportunity to do him a favor.

Meng Ze narrowed his eyes.

“Does Sixth Cousin believe me?” she looked up at him.

Meng Ze’s first reaction was how beautiful her eyes were, like rippling autumn water, incredibly alluring. Though suspicious, he said insincerely, “I naturally believe you.”

Ning Fu scoffed inwardly. He was the biggest liar. She said with a smile, “Sixth Cousin will just have to wait and see. I am so sincerely thinking of Sixth Cousin, yet Sixth Cousin only doubts me.”

“If Younger Sister Ning were one of my own people, I would naturally trust you,” Meng Ze said meaningfully.

Yet, upon learning the news that Ning Fu had been drugged, he had felt a rush of impatience and anger. If another man had also entered that room, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

Meng Ze felt a proprietary jealousy that someone he considered his own had almost been harmed.

Ning Fu naturally knew what he meant by “one of my own people,” but she would not accept Meng Ze’s advances.

Following him would mean a life that was either dead or miserable later on.

Ning Zhenyuan’s letter arrived half a month later, with three full pages of worry. He also agreed with Madame Ning’s suggestion: since women in the capital were capable of such schemes, it would be best for Ah Fu to stay with her maternal grandmother for a while.

Ning Fu breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried her father would disagree, as the Ning State Duke Manor had always kept its distance from the Princess Royal Kang Yang’s Manor.

Ning Fu personally wrote a letter to her maternal grandmother during her free time. Princess Royal Kang Yang’s reply was filled with joy: Ah Fu remembering me makes your maternal grandmother very happy. The Princess’s Manor has prepared your living quarters. You may come whenever you wish. Your maternal grandmother is waiting for you.

Ning Fu had to plead with Madame Ning for a long time to be allowed to leave the manor this time. Before going to her maternal grandmother’s, she also had to resolve her lingering worries.

When she arrived at the Qing Tian Pavilion, Zong Si was discussing matters with someone, so Ning Fu waited outside.

Zong Si glanced over, and the person left shortly after.

Soon, someone came to light the warm stove and also brought a hand warmer.

“Have you eaten?” Zong Si asked.

“My mother only allowed me out for a short while,” Ning Fu said. “I’m going to stay with my maternal grandmother for a period, so I wanted to come and make things clear with the Heir Apparent.”

Zong Si paused slightly when she mentioned her maternal grandmother.

If the Prince Xuan’s residence previously hadn’t considered the Ning State Duke Manor, then the Princess Royal Kang Yang’s Manor presented an even greater problem; it was an eternal thorn in Emperor Jing Wen’s side.

Moreover, the Princess Royal had caused considerable trouble for the Prince Xuan’s residence. Princess Kang Yang and Prince Xuan were practically arch-enemies; it was no exaggeration to call them deadly rivals.

That was why he had previously felt that now was not the time to discuss marriage.

Zong Si looked at her and said, “Taking a rest and recuperating is also good.”

Ning Fu carefully organized her words. She said, “I know too many obstacles stand between the Heir Apparent and me, and there is considerable bad blood between our two manors. Marriage would only add a resentful couple; it is better to let the matter drop.”

She was quite a straightforward young lady, treating such a boundary-crossing incident as if nothing had happened.

It was just as she had never mentioned their relationship from the previous life; there was no hint of nostalgia now. Except when she was unconscious, she never seemed to remember he had once been her husband.

Their former relationship as husband and wife was clearly being treated as if it had never happened.