Chapter 130: Mother, Let Us Take a Walk Together

Yujie lifted the curtain to look outside and saw Xiao Xuanzi running toward the corridor, gasping for breath and shouting as he went. Behind him followed a servant dressed as an ordinary carriage driver.

Seeing the carriage stop, Xiao Xuanzi hurried a few more steps to reach Qin Wanru. "Second Miss... this servant... I will go with you. I will take our manor's carriage... and bring the person inside when the time comes!"

He was referring to bringing the coachman they had been guarding to Prince Chen's manor. In her flustered state earlier, Qin Wanru had completely forgotten about this.

The carriage set off again, followed by the small carriage carrying the Prince Chen's manor servant. The two carriages left the gates of Prince Chen's manor one after the other. The leader of the guards stationed at the gate wanted to step forward to inspect them, but he was pulled back by one of his subordinates. After the guard whispered a few words into the leader's ear, the leader ceased his movement.

News had already spread outside the manor that two of Prince Yue’s men had been hacked to pieces. Later, the guards at the gate had seen Prince Yue storming out with a dark, furious expression. If even Prince Yue had suffered a setback, it was best not to provoke Prince Chen at this time; after all, if this gentleman truly flew into a rage, it was never a matter that could be settled by the loss of a head or two.

The guards stationed at Prince Chen’s manor changed batch after batch, almost all of them dying due to the Prince’s sudden fits of rage. For the sake of their own lives, it was better to be cautious. Especially when Prince Chen was angry, anyone who crossed his path died.

Although the guard leader wanted to see who was inside the small carriage, he stroked his own neck and decided that staying alive was more important. No matter who his master was, he had heard that when Prince Chen went on a killing spree in his fury, even the Emperor would not reprimand him. This group of guards had only been on duty for a few days, and everyone wanted to live. Even if the leader had other thoughts, the other guards would not let him act recklessly for the sake of their own lives.

The two carriages exited the gates of Prince Chen's manor without obstruction. After winding through the streets for a while, they arrived at a small courtyard tucked away in an alley. Yujie went up and knocked on the door. Wang Feng, inside, heard the pre-arranged knocking pattern and rushed to open the door. He was startled to see Yujie; to prevent Lady Di from tracking them here, Yujie and the others tried their best to avoid coming to this place.

"The Miss is in the carriage; she ordered for the man to be brought to you," Yujie said, pointing to Xiao Xuanzi, who had stepped off the carriage with her.

Wang Feng leaned out to check the street. Seeing Qin Wanru faintly visible through the window of the Qin manor’s carriage, he nodded. Once inside, he dragged out a person who was tightly bound, gagged, and hooded.

Xiao Xuanzi said nothing. Together with Wang Feng, he led the person toward the carriage from Prince Chen's manor. The captive was not submissive and struggled violently. Xiao Xuanzi walked over and delivered a fierce blow to the back of the man's head, knocking him to the ground. The driver from Prince Chen's manor stepped over, hoisted the dazed man up, and threw him into the carriage. Xiao Xuanzi climbed in after him, and the carriage departed through another exit.

Once Prince Chen's carriage had left, Qin Wanru's carriage reversed, as if they had merely taken a wrong turn, and then returned to the main road, heading toward the Qin manor.

Upon arriving at the Qin manor, before she could even reach her own courtyard, she saw a messenger sent by the Old Madam. She changed direction and headed toward the Old Madam's Xinning Courtyard instead.

The atmosphere in Xinning Courtyard was pleasant. When Qin Wanru entered, Shui Ruolan was chatting and laughing with the Old Madam, a scene of harmony that was a world away from her previous visit.

Qin Wanru entered and bowed to both of them. Before she could finish, the Old Madam beckoned her over. Qin Wanru walked over and sat down on a small side table next to the Old Madam.

"Grandmother, is there some good news?" Qin Wanru asked with a smile.

"There is indeed good news!" the Old Madam said, beaming. "That side says they don’t want to go anymore."

The "that side" naturally referred to Lady Di. The Old Madam liked Lady Di's conduct less and less, and her tone had become noticeably more distant.

"The Madam says she isn't going?" Although Qin Wanru had long guessed this, a joyful smile still appeared on her face.

"That's right, she’s not going. None of them are. They said it was the Countess of Yongkang who suggested it—that since we have just arrived in the capital and are not yet familiar with the Marquis of Fengyang's manor, even if the Countess were to take us along, it might not be appropriate. She advised us to first familiarize ourselves with the capital’s affairs and wait until your father’s position is settled before we start socializing, so that others won't look down on us." The smile on the Old Madam's face faded slightly; the excuse in those words was very transparent.

"Mother, it’s for the best that we don't go. We can deal with future matters when they come!" Shui Ruolan also smiled, looking as if she had just survived a disaster, her expression much more relaxed.

"As for the future... it’s not ideal to wait too long. Besides, if no one invites us, we will have to tag along with Lady Di the first time we go out," the Old Madam pondered the situation, feeling that it was not very optimistic.

For their first appearance at such aristocratic banquets, if they didn't receive an invitation of their own, they would have to rely on others. Lady Di could use the influence of the Countess of Yongkang to attend, but the mere thought of having to rely on Lady Di made the Old Madam uneasy.

Given Lady Di's malice toward Qin Wanru and Shui Ruolan, no matter when she took them out, nothing good would come of it. Yet, without Lady Di's help, they could not easily enter the aristocratic circles. This had created a difficult dilemma.

"Grandmother, I might actually have an invitation!" Seeing the Old Madam and Shui Ruolan’s moods sink again, Qin Wanru smiled confidently.

"You?" The Old Madam was full of surprise.

"Mother, do you remember the elderly lady we met on the path at Huaguang Temple that day?" Qin Wanru turned to Shui Ruolan. Shui Ruolan thought for a moment and nodded.

"I went up first, and when I twisted my ankle slightly, it was that elderly lady who helped me. Afterward, I sat there waiting for Mother, and she stayed with me. Later, her servant mentioned that she was the Grand Princess of Ruian and said she would be holding a banquet soon and would send us an invitation!" Qin Wanru said with a smile.

At these words, the Old Madam was thrilled, her voice dropping to a husky whisper: "Is... is that true?"

"Of course it is true. The Grand Princess of Ruian even said she felt a kinship with me!" Qin Wanru lifted her bright, pretty face, revealing a childlike sense of pride.

"Good, good... that is wonderful. No matter what the Countess of Yongkang is planning, at the very least, they wouldn't dare to be too presumptuous at the Grand Princess of Ruian's residence. Moreover, we wouldn't be entering under their influence, so even if they wanted to humiliate you, they wouldn't go too far. Plus, with the Grand Princess there, this is perfect!" The Old Madam nodded repeatedly. Shui Ruolan also breathed a sigh of relief, her gaze toward Qin Wanru becoming even gentler.

She was not stupid; she knew full well that Lady Di's primary target was herself. If they went out with Lady Di, Qin Wanru might be fine, but she herself would almost certainly suffer. The final outcome was unpredictable. Now, with the backing of the Grand Princess of Ruian, it would be difficult for Lady Di to cause trouble.

After exhaling deeply, she felt even more grateful toward Qin Wanru.

"If only there were a child!" The Old Madam suddenly sighed deeply, shifting the topic. Her gaze fell earnestly upon Shui Ruolan, causing her to blush and lower her head in shyness.

A smile touched the corners of Qin Wanru's lips. She knew her grandmother was anxious, but this was for the sake of Shui Ruolan's position. Shui Ruolan had no background and no one to rely on outside the manor. But if she had a child, even if her father were to consider Lady Di’s connections to the Countess of Yongkang, he would not allow her to be wronged so easily, nor would he let Lady Di push her around indefinitely.

She felt a sudden, inexplicable dissatisfaction with Qin Huaiyong. Knowing full well that Lady Di had ill intentions, he still insisted on sending Shui Ruolan; the implication of that was truly unsettling.

However, in her previous life, Shui Ruolan did not have a child at this time. Bringing it up now was a bit early. She smiled and reached for her teacup, but as her hand touched it, she paused. A thought flashed through her mind, causing her expression to change drastically. She pushed the cup heavily; it tipped over and crashed onto the floor.

It shattered!

"Zhuozhuo, what's wrong?" Hearing the crash behind her, the Old Madam turned around quickly, ordering someone to clean it up while asking with concern, "Did you hurt your hand?"

"Grandmother, my hand suddenly trembled; it felt very sore. I didn't hurt myself, but I’ve broken your favorite set of blue-and-white porcelain!" Qin Wanru said with a pained expression. She then moved her wrist and shook it playfully at the Old Madam. "Grandmother, I'm fine now!"

This childlike behavior made the Old Madam laugh, and she said helplessly, "This child, really! As long as you're okay, it’s fine. Blue-and-white porcelain can be bought again!"

"Wanru, let me see your hand!" Shui Ruolan, forgetting her shyness, walked over to check Qin Wanru’s hand. Finding no injuries, she felt relieved.

Returning to their seats, the three chatted for a while longer. Seeing the Old Madam beginning to look tired, they knew it was time for her to rest. Shui Ruolan and Qin Wanru both took their leave.

Once they were out of the courtyard, Shui Ruolan spoke softly: "Wanru, would you like to take a walk with me?"

There were some things she couldn't say in front of the Old Madam. Qin Wanru knew she had something to tell her, and she herself had been looking for a chance to discuss something important. It was that very thought that had caused her to drop the teacup earlier—the shock had been so great that she had lost her grip.

A memory flashed through her mind, revealing a horrifying possibility. A trace of cold fury crossed her eyes. In her previous life, she had been completely oblivious at this age. Although the Old Madam and Shui Ruolan had cared for her, they kept many things from her because she was so young.

Unlike this life, where she had shown a maturity beyond her years, leading the Old Madam and her mother to treat her like an adult and stop hiding things from her. This matter was of great importance to Shui Ruolan, and indeed, to the entire Qin manor.

"Mother, let's walk together."