The cold chill suddenly spread, and for a moment, the entire courtyard fell into complete silence.
A Si had been following Yan Zhao since childhood and knew that the young master was angry.
"Presumptuous!"
In fact, all the servants in the young master's mansion could see that the young lady in the side courtyard was taking advantage of her special status and the favor she received to act arrogantly.
But the master, because of certain things, couldn't see through her clearly.
Or perhaps, he couldn't bear to see through her.
The little maid was so frightened that she immediately knelt on the ground. "Please spare my life, Young Master!"
She had been solely focused on fulfilling the young lady's mission, but she also knew that it was not easy to provoke the young master.
When she knelt down, the sound was crisp and forceful, but the little maid bit her lip hard and dared not make a sound. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
Yan Zhao looked down indifferently. The rumors outside, although exaggerated, were not entirely unfounded.
He was indeed cold - blooded and ruthless. If it were an ordinary person who had repeatedly urged him like the little maid did, he would have already had the intention to kill.
But she was Rong Wan's servant. Yan Zhao closed his eyes and suppressed his anger, but deep in his heart, he began to have some misgivings about Rong Wan.
In his heart, although Rong Wan was a bit delicate, she knew how to conduct herself properly. She was intelligent and worry - free, and she would help him manage the inner courtyard. This was one of the reasons why Yan Zhao had allowed her to live in the mansion.
It was just that she was physically weak, and her old illness used to recur frequently. There was always a mansion doctor on standby in the courtyard for quick treatment.
After years of using precious medicinal herbs to maintain her health, her body had improved a lot. When she fell ill, she only needed to take a special "heart - protecting pill".
But today, the wedding was a major event, yet Rong Wan's personal maid had been trying to interrupt it.
Yan Zhao didn't believe that Rong Wan did it intentionally, but every time he took a look at Ning Yuwan, he somehow came to the conclusion that Rong Wan was wrong!
She was wrong for not restraining her servants well.
After a long time, when the little maid's legs went numb from kneeling, she finally heard Yan Zhao say, "There won't be a next time."
This meant that he had forgiven her.
Although it was just a simple four - word sentence, the little maid replied in a flurry of panic. She quickly kowtowed a few times and then stood up, not daring to say another word.
A Si pursed his lips. It seemed that the young master had once again spared her servant for the sake of that young lady.
He thought he was stealing a furtive glance at Ning Yuwan unnoticed, wondering if the new mistress would change her "admiration" for the young master into "disappointment" after meeting that young lady.
His gaze wasn't exactly like a prickling thorn on the back, but it did carry a bit of eagerness.
Ning Yuwan: There was a bit of encouragement in that gaze!
She accepted it, but she had no idea what this person was encouraging her to do.
In the side courtyard, at the Huiyu Pavilion.
Rong Wan was crying weakly against the wind. The pear - flower embroidered handkerchief in her hand was completely soaked.
Her eyes were red and her lips were pale. She was naturally beautiful, and from afar, she really did look like a sickly beauty.
But Ning Yuwan looked at her and then at Yan Zhao, who was coughing softly with a pale face.
Had she walked into a nest of sickly people?
Rong Wan was half - reclined on the soft couch. Her listless eyes only lit up when she saw Yan Zhao.
On the way here, A Si had secretly informed the new mistress about Rong Wan's identity. She was the adopted daughter of Lady Weiwu, Yan Zhao's mother, who had taken her in many years ago.
When Lady Weiwu was on her deathbed, it was Rong Wan who had taken good care of her and accompanied her. So the old lady had doted on her the most.
Yan Zhao had also received his mother's last words: Take good care of this younger sister for the rest of his life.
Finally, A Si hesitated to speak. He didn't mention that the old lady had once wanted to marry Rong Wan to Yan Zhao, but Yan Zhao had refused, so she had been adopted as a daughter instead.
He only whispered secretly, "Miss Rong Wan holds a certain position in the young master's heart."
Therefore, at the first sight of Rong Wan, Ning Yuwan saw through her thoughts.
Having been the adopted sister for so long, she wanted to cross the line.
She gave a soft smile, thinking it was like something out of a storybook.
It turned out to be another cliché story of a white lotus pretending to be delicate and weak, using a retreat as an advance.
After seeing how the original self had been toyed with by Ning Yuqin in the previous life, Ning Yuwan, the "thousand - year dragon girl", was fearless and ready to forge ahead!
"Brother Zhao."
Rong Wan looked at him lovingly. Did his willingness to interrupt the wedding mean that she was in his heart?
Perhaps he also loved her, but was constrained by etiquette?
So what if she was the eldest daughter of the Yongning Marquis Mansion?
She couldn't compare to her position in Brother Zhao's heart!
They were getting married today, and she was determined to keep Brother Zhao with her today.
The little maid had entered with Yan Zhao, so Rong Wan naturally didn't know yet that Yan Zhao and Ning Yuwan's wedding ceremony hadn't been interrupted.
A charming smile appeared on her face, but when her gaze fell on Ning Yuwan, who had walked in a step slower, her whole body froze instantly.
She had always heard that Ning Yuwan was extremely beautiful, but few people in the capital had actually seen her in person. She had thought it was just a rumor.
But seeing her today, in her wedding dress, Ning Yuwan was beautiful, noble, graceful, and had a refined temperament.
It was said that she had been raised in the countryside and should have been timid and cowardly, but now her confidence and flamboyance were no less than Yan Zhao's.
Rong Wan couldn't help but bite her lip. She had seen many beautiful women in the capital, but compared with Ning Yuwan, they all paled in comparison.
She had always been confident in her own delicate and elegant appearance, but compared with Ning Yuwan, she seemed so petty.
"Is this... the new sister - in - law?"
Her slender fingers clutched Yan Zhao's sleeve as she pouted. "Brother Zhao, why didn't you introduce her to Wanwan?"
Ning Yuwan's eyes were sharp. Rong Wan's hands seemed a bit redundant.
Yan Zhao calmly pulled out his sleeve. "Yuwan is my wife. I originally planned to let you come and pay your respects to her tomorrow."
The implication was that he shouldn't have introduced her today.
"As for you, why didn't you go to the mansion doctor when you were sick?"
Rong Wan slowly withdrew her hand, hiding her disappointment. "I'm sorry, Brother Zhao. It's your wedding day today. Wanwan just wished that Mother could see it too. I couldn't control my emotions and my old illness flared up. I didn't want to disturb you, but I didn't expect Lianxin, this little maid, to be so protective of me and go to find you."
She then looked at Ning Yuwan. "Please don't be angry with Lianxin, new sister - in - law. She did it for my sake."
If Ning Yuwan didn't agree, she would surely be labeled as jealous and petty.
But if she did agree, there would be no shortage of such "protective" incidents in the future.
Ning Yuwan gently touched the pearl - studded hairpin on her temple. Her smile turned a bit cold. "In the Yongning Marquis Mansion, servants who act against their master's wishes are usually sold off."
The little maid Lianxin knelt down in terror. "Please spare my life, Mistress."
Where did servants sold from noble families usually end up?
They would end up in brothels and other such places. There would be no future for them.
Although their young lady was favored by the young master, and the young master would occasionally overlook their mistakes for the young lady's sake.
But now there was a new mistress in the young master's mansion.
And after seeing how the young master had protected his wife in the wedding hall, how could she dare to oppose Ning Yuwan?
"The servants in the young master's mansion have been a bit undisciplined." Yan Zhao nodded. "A Si, go to the Yongning Marquis Mansion tomorrow to learn some new rules and teach them to the servants here."
"Yes!"
Ning Yuwan curled her lips. She liked Yan Zhao's attitude.
"I'm a petty person. My things and my people, no one else can touch them!"
Her fingers slowly stroked Yan Zhao's sleeve. She used a handkerchief to wipe the place where Rong Wan had just touched, and then smoothed it out. Her fingers naturally intertwined with Yan Zhao's.
Throughout the process, she didn't give Rong Wan a single look, but it made Rong Wan feel extremely uncomfortable.
Rong Wan lowered her eyes, covering her chest and showing weakness carefully. "Sister - in - law has misunderstood. I'm just Brother Zhao's younger sister."