Sheng Songyan took the lead, and the others who were eager for some excitement swarmed in right away.
Madam He and Madam Lu the Elder wanted to stop them, but they couldn't. They could only watch them go in together.
Some of the more straightforward ladies noticed something was amiss as soon as they entered the yard. Covering their mouths with handkerchiefs, they turned back and laughed, "You'd better not go in. Just wait here."
Lu Wanning and Zhen Yan stood outside the yard without going in. They were still chatting with the noble young ladies who were too embarrassed to enter.
Over there, He Chan was not allowed to go in. She was extremely anxious, while Shi Aohan had long since disappeared.
Lu Wanning felt a slight sinking in her heart. Originally, she didn't intend to provoke the male and female leads of the original book. She just wanted to cling to their coattails properly. Unexpectedly, she hadn't managed to do that, but she had already offended them both.
Well, she would just face things as they came. She really couldn't bear to watch that poisonous lotus flower cause trouble.
Before long, exclamations came from the yard, followed by Madam Lu the Elder's uncontrollable sobbing. Then someone came out to drive away these unmarried men and women.
Even so, a few gossips still reached their ears.
"Oh dear, Miss Lu this time... Young Master He the Second is already engaged!"
"Miss Lu is really unlucky. Her face was injured not long ago and hasn't healed yet. And now this..."
Lu Wanning didn't stay. She quickly found her mother and sister - in - law and left the He family.
On the way back, the princess kept looking at Lu Wanning intently, looking very restless.
Lu Wanning felt a bit guilty, but she knew that the more guilty she felt, the more she should act calmly. "Why are you looking at me like this, Mother? I really stayed with Zhen Yan and my cousin the whole time today."
The princess withdrew her gaze and said calmly, "The three young masters of the He family are all your cousins, but I noticed that you only call Nanfeng your cousin."
Lu Wanning propped her face up, thought for a while, and nodded. "Cousin Nanfeng always remembers me. Whenever he comes back, he brings me gifts, just like my eldest and second brothers. The other two of the He family are not so kind. They always treat me like an outsider, so I'm not willing to call them cousin."
The princess lovingly ruffled her hair. "Don't be reckless when you go out in the future. Follow your mother or your sister - in - law. Don't run around, you hear?"
Lu Wanning felt even more guilty and looked up at her with an embarrassed smile.
The princess added, "Today it was another family's daughter who had an accident, but I'm always worried. If something happened to you, what would I do? I might not even want to live."
Lu Wanning was stunned. It turned out that the princess wasn't suspicious, but just worried. A warm current welled up in her heart. This step - mother, she had the original owner's memories and knew they were close. But in fact, she always felt there was a gap. After all, she wasn't her real mother, and in modern times, she wasn't close to her family and had never experienced such pure family affection.
The princess smiled. "What's wrong with you, child? Why are you crying after just a few words?"
Lu Wanning buried herself in the princess's arms and choked, "Mother, did Ning'er always make you worry before?"
The princess patted her back. "A mother always worries about her children no matter how far they are. Your two elder brothers were taken away when they were young. You're the only one who grew up by my side, and you're a girl. Naturally, I love you more."
Lu Wanning looked up. "Mother, from now on, Ning'er will surely be obedient and sensible. I won't let you worry anymore."
Not long after they returned to the mansion, they heard the exact news. Now the matter between Young Master He the Second and Miss Lu the Elder had spread all over the capital.
Some said that Young Master He the Second had long lusted after Miss Lu and this time it was clearly on purpose. But others said that Miss Lu, knowing she had no future after ruining her appearance, deliberately came up with this way to cling to Young Master He the Second.
As for Young Master He the Third, he was also in the rumors, but most people thought he was just a victim. Since he was unharmed, he didn't attract much attention.
The He family and the Lu family quickly made a decision. The wedding date of Young Master He the Second remained unchanged, but the bride - to - be changed from Miss Jiang to Miss Lu. One was in poor health, the other had a ruined face. It was hard to tell whether Young Master He the Second was lucky or unlucky. It seemed that luck outweighed misfortune.
The engagement between the He family and the Jiang family had to be called off. Duke He was so angry that he took He Wenbo to break off the engagement in person. But Imperial Scholar Jiang directly threw He Wenbo's horoscope out and declared that none of the Jiang family's daughters would ever marry into the He family.
The He family and the Jiang family were now completely estranged.
Duke He was so angry that he whipped He Wenbo until he couldn't even get out of bed. Madam He was so heart - broken that she couldn't sleep for several nights, and her eyes were swollen like walnuts.
Lu Wanning and Zhen Yan went to the Jiang family in a grand manner, making a big fuss to celebrate Jiang Shishi's escape from the bitter sea, which made Madam Jiang not know whether to laugh or cry.
Since the day of the engagement, Jiang Shishi's health had not been very good. She didn't go out to attend banquets and stayed at home all day long. Lu Wanning had invited her out twice, but she had declined, claiming to be ill. If Lu Wanning hadn't seen her meet He Nanfeng on the street, she would really have thought that Jiang Shishi was still deeply troubled and seriously ill.
However, now that the engagement was called off, Jiang Shishi seemed to be in a good mood. When Lu Wanning and Zhen Yan arrived at her courtyard, they saw her sitting in the yard painting.
Zhen Yan ran over to take a look. It was a painting of a pond with tables, chairs, and a chessboard by the side, but there was no one there.
She looked around. "There's no pond or chessboard in your yard. What are you painting?"
Jiang Shishi nodded and smiled, saying seriously, "A place in my dreams."
She said to the maid, "Go and fetch my zither."
Zhen Yan sat down at the table and unceremoniously ate the snacks on the table. "You seem to be in a good mood today. Painting and playing the zither. So, are you that happy because the engagement is called off?"
"Not really happy. After all, my marriage has always been a big problem. I could have gotten married before, but now I'm afraid no one will want to marry me."
Zhen Yan waved her hand indifferently. When the maids withdrew, she said, "What are you afraid of? Afraid that your lover He Nanfeng won't marry you?"
Jiang Shishi was stunned. Then her face flushed red. She looked at Zhen Yan and then at the calm Lu Wanning. "You... What are you talking nonsense about? I... When have I ever..."
Zhen Yan clicked her tongue and sighed. "Look at you. I just bluffed you a bit, and you've already revealed your true feelings? I originally thought that he was interested in you, but you might not have the same feelings. Now it seems that it's a mutual affection."
Jiang Shishi's face turned even redder. "A Yan, don't talk nonsense. I've only known him since childhood. There's nothing else between us."
Zhen Yan persisted and leaned over. "The other day at the He family, Miss Lu wanted to deal with your little lover. We rescued him. He was under the influence of the sleeping incense and mistook me and Ning'er for you. He kept calling out Shishi!"
Jiang Shishi was in a complete mess. She just threw her handkerchief on the zither. "If you keep talking nonsense, I won't talk to you anymore."