Waking Up Five Years Later on the Wedding Night - Chapter 9

Twilight gathered, and as the birds returned to their nests, the Left Chancellor returned home.

Yan Zhining sat listlessly by the window, watching the woman slowly approach through the courtyard. Her sleeves swayed gently in the evening breeze, and the spring air tousled her long hair, giving her an air of gentle elegance.

Helpless, Yan Zhining leaned forward, eyes fixed intently, almost lingering on the Left Chancellor.

Huo Mingshu noticed the gaze. She unfastened her cloak, handed it to a maid, and walked toward the room at a measured pace.

Every brow furrowed, every smile, every movement possessed a womanly grace that made Yan Zhining’s heart ache. If only she were truly his wife, how wonderful that would be.

But, unfortunately, she was not. Yan Zhining lowered his head silently. Huo Mingshu’s voice reached his ears, “I heard about Yan Zhihui.”

“Left Chancellor, I might truly not be a child of the Yan family.” Yan Zhining could not hold back, his eyes reddening. After realizing he had lost his composure, he lowered his head to collect his emotions, “I just saw Yan Zhihui, and she was lying.”

Huo Mingshu nodded, her expression warm. She sat down and said earnestly, “If you were not a child of the Yan family, why would the old matriarch let you take over the family business?”

The person trapped in the mire looked up, eyes red, his skin as white as fine porcelain, making him look like a startled fawn.

Huo Mingshu’s tone remained level as she lowered her head to fiddle with her cuffs, “The Marchioness is dissatisfied with you in many ways. If she knew you were not a daughter of the Yan clan, would she not have exposed your identity? This goes to show that your bloodline is more authentic than hers.”

“If there were any flaws in your identity, the Marchioness would have used it as an excuse to drive you out of the Yan family. Since she watches you take over the business and remains indifferent, it proves you are a child of the Yan family.”

“According to the rules of the Yan family, you should be the child of a Yan daughter. It is also possible that your aunt is your birth mother.”

Huo Mingshu rarely spoke at such length, but her analysis was incisive and thorough.

Yan Zhining paused, took a deep breath, stood up, and said, “I want to go back to Jiangnan. I want to see my grandmother and ask her clearly. Five years ago, I need to find out whether I was truly pushed into the fire.”

After speaking, he couldn’t help but look at Huo Mingshu, “I, can I go back?”

“Why bother going?” Huo Mingshu glanced at him, “Your grandmother might not tell the truth. But the fact that she let you be registered under the Marchioness’s name shows she did not want others to know your origins, or who your father is.”

Logically, registering Yan Zhining under a Yan daughter’s name would be more convincing, but the old matriarch did not do so, implying that the man the Yan daughter married was someone who could not be brought into the light. It might even be something that would make Yan Zhining unable to hold his head high.

Hearing this, Yan Zhining blinked in confusion, remaining silent for a long while.

Seeing time slipping away, he grabbed Huo Mingshu’s hand, “Then, what should I do?”

“Play the fool.” Huo Mingshu gently brushed his hand away and continued, “Since the Marchioness hasn’t dropped any hints, keep playing the fool until she decides to expose it. As for the old matriarch of the Yan family, if she had wanted to reveal it after hiding it for so many years, she would have done so long ago.”

Yan Zhining pondered. Thinking back on how well his grandmother had treated him, he could only nod, “I will listen to you.”

The intimate tone caused a faint blush on Huo Mingshu’s face. She scanned him lightly, stood up, and said, “Get cleaned up, it is time for dinner.”

Yan Zhining watched Huo Mingshu’s retreating back, his fingertips still lingering with the warmth from touching her sleeve.

Outside the window, the twilight deepened. The last traces of sunset faded quietly, leaving only a few lanterns in the courtyard to light up one by one.

He sat there in a daze, his thoughts swirling like a tide. For now, he decided, living a good life was what mattered most.

Yan Zhining composed himself, straightened his robes, and hurried after her.

Dinner at the Chancellor’s mansion was mostly light fare. Yan Zhining, not being a picky eater, picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. Seeing him so comfortable, Huo Mingshu gradually felt at ease.

After dinner, Huo Mingshu took a lantern to go for a walk to aid digestion. Yan Zhining followed her eagerly, even properly taking the lantern, “Let me.”

Huo Mingshu gave him the usual look, handed him the lantern, and walked ahead.

This tacit acceptance filled Yan Zhining with joy. He followed the Left Chancellor closely, saying, “I haven’t asked, but does anyone else live in the Left Chancellor’s home?”

Only Huo Mingshu lived in the East Courtyard of the mansion, which struck him as strange.

Huo Mingshu gathered her sleeves, the night wind blowing with a hint of winter’s chill, but she did not answer his question. She knew that no matter what, Yan Zhining would eventually notice something was wrong. Since that was the case, she would say nothing.

Silence was the best response.

Yan Zhining pulled her sleeve, “Left Chancellor, why aren’t you speaking?”

“Between us, there is an agreement. Why must you ask so many questions?” Huo Mingshu said, displeased. She coldly pulled her hand back and turned to walk toward the bedroom.

Huh? Was that question so difficult to answer? Yan Zhining was puzzled, but knowing he had asked something he shouldn’t have, he followed the Left Chancellor’s footsteps in silence.

When they returned to the bedroom, a thick cotton quilt was laid out on the floor; it felt warm to the touch.

But Yan Zhining didn’t want to sleep. He walked around the bedding three times, sighing, until a maid stepped forward, “Young Master, would you like to go wash up?”

Hearing the question, Yan Zhining immediately pulled his eyes away, stood up straight, and said, “Right away.”

The maid retreated, “I will have someone prepare it.”

Yan Zhining was still feeling despondent, but he had no choice but to follow the maid to wash up. When he returned, the silk curtains on the bed had been lowered. He lay down quietly; there was a warming stone in the quilt, and it felt cozy to the touch.

Yan Zhining felt much better. The Left Chancellor was gentle, meticulous, and handled every detail with care. There was something special about how she treated him.

Thinking this, the quilt felt even warmer, and he drifted off into a deep sleep.

When he woke up, the bed was empty. Yan Zhining was startled and hurriedly sat up, “Young Master is awake, Left Chancellor, please feel free to tend to your business today.”

The shock of the morning left him sweating. Yan Zhining rubbed his eyes, having no choice but to climb out of bed.

After breakfast, he wandered around the courtyard. Looking toward the West Courtyard, he called over the manor steward, “How long has the Marchioness been living here?”

“She came with the Left Chancellor; the residence was a gift from His Majesty.”

The implication of this was that the Marquis’s mansion and the Chancellor’s mansion were tied together. The Left Chancellor could never escape those devils for as long as she lived.

Yan Zhining sneered. Ruined? Binding the Left Chancellor so she can climb the ranks, keep dreaming!

“I know now, you may go.” Yan Zhining waved the steward away and turned toward the West Courtyard.

There was only one door between the two mansions. It was open, but there was a lock on it.

The accompanying maid explained, “This lock is opened in the morning and locked at the hour of the Pig.”

Yan Zhining walked over and grabbed the lock, his eyes sharp. You curs, wanting to climb to the heavens, eh? And where did Yan Zhian go?

Is he truly dead? For some reason, he had a lingering feeling that Yan Zhian was still alive. If not, why would the Marquis hold onto the Left Chancellor so tightly?

No, if he is alive, why hasn’t he returned?

The matter was shrouded in mist, and for a moment, he could not see the truth.

Passing through the door between the two houses, the maid led the way to the Marquis’s main hall. It was not a holiday, so the Marquis had gone to the government offices. Only the Marchioness and Yan Zhihui were at home.

Unexpectedly, the two were not home; they had gone out to a banquet.

Yan Zhining had made a wasted trip, and after wandering around the Marquis’s mansion, he returned. But he dared not rest; he turned around, mounted his horse, and went to the jade shop to find Hong Yi.

Hong Yi was overwhelmed, dealing with customers. Seeing him, she hurriedly dismissed them and led him to a quiet room on the second floor.

“Little ancestor, you’re here again.” Hong Yi panted, exhausted. Every time this ancestor came, she would be busy for nothing for an entire year.

If he came one more time, she wouldn’t be able to take it.

Yan Zhining, however, was indifferent. He sat down and picked up a pastry to eat, saying between bites, “Did you give the business in the capital to the Marquis?”

“No, I am not qualified to.” Hong Yi shook her head, “The old matriarch said that apart from you, the eldest young master cannot take it over either.”

Hearing this, Yan Zhining felt something was wrong, “Why is Grandmother guarding against the Marquis like this?”

Based on the current situation, the grandmother did not treat the Marquis like a mother treats a son, but rather like she was guarding against an outsider plotting to seize the family property.

Hong Yi looked at the fair-skinned, red-lipped young master in front of her and joked, “How would I know the old matriarch’s methods? But why do you look like this?”

Why act like a man instead of living as a proper girl?

The two were thinking of different things. Yan Zhining stopped eating after one piece of pastry, his expression grave, “Since you don’t know, has there been any news from home?”

“There were a few letters asking about your current situation. I have also been looking for you. Yesterday, after you left, I immediately sent someone to ride quickly home to report.” Hong Yi smiled, her gaze fixed on the girl’s face, and she joked, “Who was that person yesterday? Could it be that you like them?”

She had to admit, the young master, who was at the age of flowering youth, still looked like a sixteen or seventeen-year-old. Her skin was white, delicate, and enviable.

Hong Yi couldn’t help but reach out and touch it. It was indeed delicate, like a shelled egg. But Yan Zhining was impatient and slapped her hand away, “Don’t touch me.”

“Let me touch.” Hong Yi laughed and pinched his face again, “You’re already twenty-two, yet you’re still like a child.”

Yan Zhining also found it strange. The rest of the world grew older, but he remained stuck at the age of seventeen.

He slapped Hong Yi’s hand away again, pinched her face, and said, “How much money can you pull out?”

“How much do you need?”

“How much can you pull out?”

“Whatever you need, I can provide.”

Yan Zhining’s eyes curved into a smile, which made Hong Yi frown, “Spendthrift master, how much money do you want?”

Yan Zhining laughed and held up ten fingers, “This much. I need to go apologize and give someone a gift of compensation.”

Hong Yi couldn’t sit still, “You made a mistake and want to give that much money? Ancestor, if the old matriarch knows you are this wasteful, she will be angry.”

“Angry, let her be angry. I have no other choice.” Yan Zhining sighed. He didn’t want to have delayed the Left Chancellor for so many years either.

Hong Yi sent someone to prepare it, and after waiting for half an hour, Yan Zhining left the jade shop clutching a box filled with bank notes.

Yan Zhining mounted his horse and tightened the reins. Just as he was about to leave, he heard someone calling, “Sister, Sister.”

He looked up and saw Yan Zhihui sitting in a carriage, with the Left Chancellor in her official robes sitting beside her.

The two were sitting together, and Yan Zhihui was leaning on her shoulder, waving at Yan Zhining.

“Sister, I am returning to the mansion with my sister-in-law. Are you going back?” Yan Zhihui narrowed her eyes, her tone filled with a touch of triumph.

Yan Zhining hesitated. Yan Zhihui spoke again, “I went to a banquet with my sister-in-law. Why didn’t you go?”

A banquet? So that’s where they were. Yan Zhining felt a slight sense of loss. Yan Zhihui continued as if she had opened the floodgates of conversation, “I am with my sister-in-law, don’t mind. My sister-in-law is also very good to me.”

Good to her? Yan Zhining’s heart sank. Suddenly, the sound of bells rang out…

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