Ning Yuwǎn's actions and demeanor were both contemptuous and arrogant, easily arousing the fire deep in people's hearts.
Ning Yuqìn was indignant, but she dared not show it on her face.
After all, the person in front of her was the noble Princess Consort of the Heir Apparent.
She was very different from the timid girl who had first returned to the Yongning Marquis Mansion a few months ago, and was even more cold - hearted.
With just a few words, she had taken back Ning Yuqìn's status as the legitimate daughter.
From then on, her future would be as different from her past as the clouds from the mud.
If she was still so reckless as to argue with her, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Yuqìn wouldn't dare," Ning Yuqìn said, with sweat on her nose. She bent down and forced a smile. "I was just guessing. How could Liu Rúyì be lazy?"
"Are you a worm in her belly?" Ning Yuwǎn looked back coldly. "Can you even guess what's on her mind?"
Ning Yuqìn was speechless and could only sit there nervously.
She was also a bit worried in her heart that Liu Rúyì might do something underhanded under Liánzǐ's surveillance.
If that happened, it would even affect her status in the Yongning Marquis Mansion.
After a few twists of thought, it could be seen that the deep mother - daughter love she had just shown was just a superficial act to arouse Ning Fēngnián's sympathy.
What Ning Yuqìn really cared about was only herself.
In the main hall,
"Wǎnwan, Daddy knows he was wrong," Ning Fēngnián said guiltily and sincerely as he gently tugged at Ning Yuwǎn's sleeve. His old face was flushed red.
"Please help Daddy persuade your mother. The Yongning Marquis Mansion can't do without her."
He had already ignored Ning Yuqìn beside him and was only focusing on asking Ning Yuwǎn for help.
But in Ning Yuqìn's heart, this behavior only made her scoff. All men in the world were heartless.
She had once really thought that Ning Fēngnián and Yuán Qīngróng were an affectionate couple, in perfect harmony.
Unexpectedly, Ning Fēngnián had also had an affair with other women secretly.
However, she soon felt lucky. If it hadn't been for the accident sixteen years ago, she might have always been just a little adopted daughter in the Yongning Marquis Mansion.
How could she have had such a big surprise, changing from an adopted daughter to a biological daughter of the Yongning Marquis Mansion!
However, the father - daughter affection in front of her really annoyed her. Ning Yuqìn quietly tightened her fingers and finally couldn't bear it anymore.
"Daddy, Sister, I'll go back to my room first," she said.
"Stop," came Ning Yuwǎn's slow and steady voice from behind before she had taken two steps.
Ning Yuqìn swallowed hard to hide her irritation and slowly turned around. "What else do you want, Sister?"
In her heart, she was secretly on guard, wondering what evil scheme Ning Yuwǎn was brewing!
"Just now there were outsiders, so I gave you some face. But now you're so impatient and your actions are laughable. Where's the grace of a young lady? Have you forgotten all your manners and morals?"
Ning Yuwǎn slightly raised her slender eyebrows and her red lips curled up, but the words from her mouth were cold and harsh.
"All those useless servants around you before will be driven out of the mansion starting today!"
"Why?" Ning Yuqìn couldn't help but retort. "Hóngyè and the others served me well. I don't want to change."
"If the young lady has a wrong heart and her personal maids don't try to persuade and teach her, what's the use of keeping them?"
With a slanting look from her beautiful phoenix eyes, Ning Yuwǎn watched coldly. "From now on, Hóngqiǎo will teach and take care of you!"
On the surface, it was teaching and taking care, but in fact, it was clearly surveillance.
How could Ning Yuqìn not understand? "I don't want her!"
But Ning Yuwǎn looked stern and clearly didn't care about her refusal. She waved to Hóngqiǎo. "From now on, you'll follow the Second Young Lady."
Ning Fēngnián beside her didn't say a word from beginning to end.
It seemed that he had no doubts about Ning Yuwǎn's arrangement.
Ning Yuqìn bit her lower lip hard and glared at Hóngqiǎo resentfully.
Hóngqiǎo used to serve Yuán Qīngróng. Hearing Ning Yuwǎn's order, there was an obvious look of reluctance on her face.
Meeting Ning Yuqìn's gaze, it took her a long time to reply. "Yes, First Young Lady."
There was nothing she could do.
Ning Yuqìn could only leave reluctantly.
Ning Yuwǎn watched her resentful back carefully, with a very faint smile on her lips.
It won't be long. The grand gift she had prepared for Ning Yuqìn was about to make a grand appearance.
"Wǎnwan, when will your mother forgive Daddy and come back to the Yongning Marquis Mansion?" Ning Fēngnián asked hesitantly. He would probably go crazy if he couldn't get an answer from Ning Yuwǎn.
"If Daddy doesn't solve these troublesome things, how can Mother come back?"
Ning Fēngnián's eyes lit up. "Do you mean that as long as Daddy solves these troublesome things, your mother will come back?"
"Can Daddy solve them?" Ning Yuwǎn asked with a smile. If Ning Fēngnián could really solve them, he would have already driven Liu Rúyì away resolutely.
Why would Yuán Qīngróng have left home?
But he was not a bad person by nature and couldn't get over his conscience.
Ning Fēngnián was suddenly stunned and let out a long, melancholy sigh.
"Wǎnwan, Daddy regrets doing such a stupid thing!"
"Daddy, why don't you tell me what exactly happened sixteen years ago?"
Ning Yuwǎn propped her chin. The stories from Yuán Qīngróng and Hónglù were not complete enough.
To know the deeper details, she needed the real memories of the people involved.
"Sixteen years ago, your mother and I were newlyweds, deeply in love.
Before long, she vomited every day and felt tired.
After being diagnosed by the mansion doctor, we found out that she was already more than three months pregnant.
I was overjoyed and couldn't help but tell the whole world.
Ning Fēngchén also got the news and strongly invited me to his mansion to celebrate.
At that time, your mother was tired from carrying you and didn't want to go, so I went alone.
After I drank three pots of wine with Ning Fēngchén, I got drunk.
When I woke up, there was a maid lying beside me."
Ning Fēngnián rubbed his forehead. Obviously, this memory was something he had always hidden deep in his heart and didn't want to say.
Ning Yuwǎn raised her eyebrows. "That maid was Liu Rúyì."
"Yes," Ning Fēngnián nodded and let out another long sigh. "At that time, she was half - naked and crying, saying that I had forced her when I was drunk.
I was truly in love with your mother, so I naturally didn't believe it.
I even found an experienced nanny to check her virginity.
Unexpectedly, she really lost her virginity that night.
Only then did I believe that I had really done a stupid thing when I was drunk."
On the surface, it seemed that Ning Fēngnián and Liu Rúyì had become an established fact.
However, there were too many coincidences in this incident.
It was really thought - provoking.
"An experienced nanny?" Ning Yuwǎn grasped the key point. "Was she also from Ning Fēngchén's mansion?"
Ning Fēngnián was not stupid, so he understood the hidden meaning in Ning Yuwǎn's words.
"Wǎnwan, do you mean that Ning Fēngchén was behind what happened that year?"
Indeed, Liu Rúyì was from Ning Fēngchén's mansion.
The experienced nanny was also from Ning Fēngchén's mansion.
If someone had faked it, it could only be under Ning Fēngchén's order.
However, Ning Fēngnián shook his head. "I grew up with Ning Fēngchén since childhood. We were as close as brothers. He wouldn't have schemed to frame me."
"Wǎnwan is just guessing," Ning Yuwǎn raised her eyebrows. "But Daddy, do you know that people's hearts are unpredictable?"
Ning Fēngnián was silent for a long time. Then he tugged at his long beard under his chin and murmured, "Daddy just can't figure it out. If it was really Ning Fēngchén, what reason would he have to frame me?"
"Yes, what reason could Ning Fēngchén possibly have to frame you?"
Ning Yuwǎn's eyes gradually darkened, with a golden streamer hidden in them.
She had an inexplicable premonition in her heart that the answer would soon come to light.