The Mansion of the Marquis of Yongning.
Due to Yuan Qingrong's running away from home, the atmosphere was terribly solemn.
All the servants dared not even breathe loudly, for fear of further enraging Ning Fengnian, whose face was as black as thunder.
"Cousin, she insisted that I bring her here. Otherwise, she would publicize what happened back then," Ning Fengchen bowed and smiled apologetically. "After weighing the pros and cons, I thought it better to solve the matter within our family rather than let outsiders know about it. That's why I was forced to bring her here."
His words were reasonable and well - founded. No matter how angry Ning Fengnian was, he couldn't vent his anger on him.
"It's not your fault," Ning Fengnian sighed deeply. After all, he was the one who had made a mistake back then.
If he hadn't been drunk, he wouldn't have left such a mess.
However, Ning Fengnian couldn't help but have a vague suspicion in his heart. Fifteen years ago, when Ning Yuwan was lost, it was Ning Fengchen who suggested adopting a child to distract Yuan Qingrong and prevent her from being overly sad.
At that time, unable to withstand Ning Fengchen's repeated persuasion, he chose to adopt Ning Fengchen's child.
Who would have thought that today he would find out that Ning Yuqin was actually his child with that maid!
Ning Fengnian's thoughts were not hard to guess.
Perhaps Ning Fengchen had already anticipated the answer and immediately cleared himself of suspicion. "Cousin, I only found out a few days ago when Liu Ruyi came to my door. It turned out that she had secretly swapped Shuang'er and Yuqin back then."
Scratching his head as if annoyed, he said, "Newborn babies look so similar. I didn't notice it either!"
Liu Ruyi was the name of that maid.
Shuang'er was the child that Ning Fengnian had originally planned to adopt.
"Yes, it was I who swapped them!" Liu Ruyi wiped her tears weakly, her watery eyes full of sorrow and resentment. "Since the Marquis of Yongning is willing to adopt other people's children, why can't he raise his own daughter?"
She was quite good - looking. Even after sixteen years, time had left few traces on her.
With a slender waist and a graceful figure, she looked like a young girl of eighteen.
Standing together with Ning Yuqin, they looked like a pair of beautiful sisters.
Her pitiful appearance at this moment was exactly the same as when he had woken up in a daze sixteen years ago.
A weak woman, forced to bear the consequences, being cautious.
Ning Fengnian couldn't get angry at this moment and once again regretted his foolish mistake.
Seeing that he seemed to be filled with pity and guilt, Liu Ruyi secretly exchanged glances with Ning Yuqin. The latter immediately hugged her and cried softly, "Mother!"
She completely forgot about the care and love Yuan Qingrong had shown her over the past fifteen years.
"So, Yuqin has her own mother!"
Ning Yuqin had always thought that she was just an adopted daughter of the Mansion of the Marquis of Yongning. So after Ning Yuwan was found, she had always schemed secretly, hoping to replace Ning Yuwan.
But today, she seemed to have received a great surprise.
It turned out that the Marquis of Yongning was her biological father!
It turned out that she was also a proper young lady of the Mansion of the Marquis of Yongning!
Then her status was no different from Ning Yuwan's, and she didn't have to marry a poor scholar!
She also wanted to marry into a royal family and have the same status as Ning Yuwan.
Ning Fengnian's chest heaved violently, obviously extremely angry.
He didn't know what others were thinking, but Ning Yuqin's act of recognizing her mother at this moment was nothing more than a way to force him not to let her marry the poor scholar.
She really knew how to play her cards well!
She was really the "good daughter" he had carefully nurtured for fifteen years!
"Cousin," seeing that Ning Fengnian didn't say a word, Ning Fengchen reminded him carefully, "Although things have turned out unexpectedly, it may not be a bad result. Ruyi has never remarried all these years. It seems that she really has feelings for you. Why don't you take her in?"
"Absolutely impossible!" Ning Fengnian snorted. "I, Ning Fengnian, will only have Yuan Qingrong as my wife for the rest of my life."
"Not even as a concubine?"
"A concubine doesn't care about her status. I only beg the Marquis to keep me so that I can be reunited with my daughter, Yuqin."
Ning Fengchen took the opportunity to persuade him again. "Sister - in - law is just angry for the moment. When she calms down, she may come back!"
Ning Fengchen and Liu Ruyi spoke at the same time. One was openly persuading, the other was retreating to advance.
How could Ning Fengnian not understand their intentions?
But his heart had already gone with Yuan Qingrong, who had left home. He was also looking forward to Yuan Qingrong's early return.
How could he keep Liu Ruyi to upset Yuan Qingrong?
"You don't understand Qingrong's personality. She can't tolerate any sand in her eyes," Ning Fengnian rubbed his forehead. "I won't keep you. You may leave on your own."
The first half of the sentence was for Ning Fengchen, and the second half was for Liu Ruyi, as cold as it had been sixteen years ago.
"Daddy is so heartless. Are you going to separate Yuqin from her mother again?" Ning Yuqin turned around, her eyes full of unfamiliarity. "Yuan is Daddy's wife through proper marriage. Does that mean my mother is someone Daddy can bully and discard at will?"
"Presumptuous!" Ning Fengnian was indeed furious. He was not only angry at Ning Yuqin for sowing discord but also at her way of referring to Yuan Qingrong.
In the past, she had called Yuan Qingrong "Mother" sweetly. Now, she only referred to her as "Yuan."
Fifteen years of careful care from Yuan Qingrong had actually raised an ungrateful person.
"Yuqin, don't blame the Marquis," Liu Ruyi frowned and lowered her eyes. "For the Marquis, it was just a one - night stand sixteen years ago. The Lady of the Marquis of Yongning is like the bright moon in the sky, while I'm just a willow in the wind. How can I compare with her?"
She was better at reading people's minds than Ning Yuqin. Knowing that Ning Fengnian felt guilty towards her, she spoke accordingly.
Sure enough, Ning Fengnian managed to suppress his anger again.
"Since you know you can't compare with my mother, why aren't you ashamed to leave?"
A female voice sounded leisurely outside the door.
Ning Fengnian's eyes lit up. He looked towards the door, but when he only saw Ning Yuwan, his expression turned dull again.
"Wanwan, hasn't your mother come back?"
When Yuan Qingrong left home alone, how could he not make arrangements?
He had secretly sent someone to follow her and knew that she had gone to the Mansion of the Heir Apparent.
Ning Yuwan said expressionlessly, "Mother doesn't want to return to the Mansion of the Marquis of Yongning. She asked me to come and propose a divorce to Daddy."
As soon as the words "divorce" were uttered, everyone present had different expressions.
There was a look of certainty and schadenfreude hidden in the eyes of Ning Yuqin and Liu Ruyi.
Only Ning Fengchen seemed anxious on the surface, but there seemed to be a hint of excitement hidden in his dark eyes.
"Nonsense!" Ning Fengnian was already feeling guilty. Seeing Ning Yuwan's cold expression, he immediately softened his tone. "Your mother is just extremely angry for the moment. Wanwan, help Daddy persuade her."
"Daddy has a beauty in his arms now. How could he still think of my mother?"
"Daddy only has your mother in his heart!"
Regardless of Liu Ruyi's expression, Ning Fengnian only showed his loyalty to Ning Yuwan.
"What does Daddy mean by saying this? Where does it put my mother?"
Ning Yuqin was the first to jump up. Behind her, Liu Ruyi pretended to cry aggrievedly.
However, when her eyes accidentally met Ning Yuwan's, she felt as if a chill had hit her body, and she couldn't help but shiver several times.
Ning Yuwan raised her eyebrows and looked at Liu Ruyi. "So you're Yuqin's mother?"
She sneered and smacked her lips. "No wonder Yuqin looks so ordinary. It's because she looks exactly like you."
If someone else had said this, Liu Ruyi would have had room to refute.
After all, she was of above - average looks, and with her weak and gentle manner, she was quite eye - catching.
But the one who said this was Ning Yuwan.
A peerless beauty whose appearance was comparable to that of a celestial being!