Title: The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir
Chapter: 030 out of 513 – The malicious mother-in-law has returned (1)
The implication of these words was that Marquis Moyu had been mistreating Nie Sangyu.
Ning Yuxuan slightly raised his eyebrows, chuckled, and said, “That’s understandable. People always think about their mothers when they’re sick. You two siblings haven’t seen each other in a long time. How about you sit down and have a good talk with your younger sister? I’ll go outside and take a stroll around the garden.”
Nie Qingyun glanced at Nie Sangyu and nodded.
Ji Man clenched her fist. She had to be alone with this person? She really wanted to stop Ning Yuxuan from leaving, but seeing that he didn’t have the slightest intention of staying, she knew that he was doing this deliberately. He definitely wouldn’t be willing to help her conceal the truth.
Nie Qingyun waited until Marquis Moyu had left the room before he sat down by the bedside. His brow was slightly furrowed as he looked at Nie Sangyu and said, “Sangyu, you acted too outrageously this time. Even father flew into a terrible rage at home when he found out. I wanted to protect you, but I can’t this time. You’ll have to suffer through the grievance of being a concubine.”
Ji Man bit her lip and thought about Nie Sangyu’s temperament. Speaking as if she had been wronged, she said, “I just love him too much…”
Nie Qingyun didn’t suspect her. Looking at his younger sister, who had become significantly haggard, he couldn’t help feeling distressed. “If you’re not happy living here, how about I talk to Marquis Moyu to let you go home for a few days? This way, I’ll be able to take care of you.”
Ji Man hurriedly shook her head. “No, I want to stay by Yuxuan’s side. I’m happy even if I can only look at him.”
Nie residence wasn’t a good place. It was a clan that had vast influence and great power. There was no way that the competition in that household would be any less than the marquis’s household. She didn’t want to go back.
Nie Qingyun sighed. He reached out and stroked her hair. He dearly loved his younger sister. It wasn’t only just because their mothers had been sisters. It was because Sangyu had often protected him when they were children. Everyone else said she was arrogant and rude. He was the only one that knew she was actually quite kind-hearted.
Ji Man pretended that she had a headache and closed her eyes. In a slightly painful voice, she said, “Older brother, I want to go to sleep.”
“En, go to sleep. I’ll leave and speak with Marquis Moyu for a bit.” Nie Qingyun stood up and gently tucked the quilt around her.
Ji Man inwardly sighed in relief. She kept her eyes closed and didn’t move until she heard the sound of the doors closing. Then, she secretly opened her eyes.
—
After Nie Qingyun left the room, his expression didn’t look that bad as he looked around the narrow courtyard that was full of blooming wild roses.
Ning Yuxuan was currently siting at the stone table in the courtyard. He had brewed two cups of tea while waiting for him. Ning Yuxuan looked at the person, who had just sat down, and asked, “Sir Nie, is there something that you want to say?”
Nie Qingyun swept his gaze at the tea cup and indifferently said, “Marquis, you probably also have something that you want to say.”
Marquis Moyu slightly smiled. “I’ll speak frankly. Does Sir Nie feel that there’s something strange with Sangyu?”
Nie Qingyun raised his eyebrows, “What is the marquis trying to say? What’s strange about her?”
Marquis Moyu turned his head to glance at the room and said in quiet voice, “Sir Nie, don’t you feel that Sangyu’s temperament has become much more docile? I could even say that she seems like a completely different person.”
Nie Qingyun paused for a moment to carefully think over the words that Sangyu had recently said to him. It wasn’t any different from the words that she had said in the past. They had only talked for a little bit before Sangyu went back to sleep. Even if he had wanted to check that there was something off about her, he wouldn’t have been able to tell.
“Although she had acted insensibly in the past, a time had to come when she grew up.” Nie Qingyun said, “What is the marquis feeling suspicious about?”
Ning Yuxuan was silent for a moment. He didn’t speak until he drank half the tea in the cup. “May this one be so bold as to ask if Sir Nie remembers if Sangyu has any birthmarks?”
Nie Qingyun froze for a moment and then his expression became slightly ugly. “Marquis, you’ve been with Sangyu for six years, and you need to ask me this type of question?”
This was truly quite a shameful matter. Every time that Ning Yuxuan had bestowed favor on Nie Sangyu, he had routinely blown out the candles first. He really hadn’t paid enough attention to notice if she had any birthmarks on her body. But, as the older brother that had grown up with Nie Sangyu, Nie Qingyun should know this information.
“There’s a small birthmark on the back of her neck.” Nie Qingyun looked at Marquis Moyu and his voice was heavy as he said, “Marquis, if there’s something that you’re confused about, you can go look for yourself.”
Behind her neck? Ning Yuxuan committed this to memory, but he outwardly pretended that this wasn’t a big deal. “Sir Nie, you’re overthinking things. I was just asking out of curiosity. I heard that the emperor has recently given Hebei’s entire salt transportation to you to manage….”
Moving from family matters to the affairs of the nation, these two people still had common topics to talk about. Although Ning Yuxuan was a leisurely marquis, his network of relationships was complicated and he definitely had a certain amount of influence. In addition, the emperor favored him; so even Nie Xiangyun didn’t dare to look down on him.
The two of them talked in the courtyard until sunset. Before leaving, Nie Qingyun went back into the room to look at the still “deeply asleep” Nie Sangyu. He sighed and said, “It would be so wonderful if you could be the person that he loves.
Ji Man didn’t understand why this would be good. But, she still relaxed after hearing that person leaving.
—
During the night, Ning Yuxuan suddenly came into her bed.
Shocked, Ji Man said, “My lord, this servant is still sick.”
“En, I won’t touch you. I’m just here to share the bed with you.” Marquis Moyu said with a smile and hugged her from the back.
Ji Man had never been this intimate with another person before and this tips of her ears turned red. She didn’t dare to make a sound, so she gritted her teeth. She had to pretend that she was feeling happy over this.
Ning Yuxuan looked at the small birthmark on the back of her neck and the peculiar look in his eyes increased.
T/N: Wish we could have seen Nie Qingyun’s expression when Ning Yuxuan asked if Nie Sangyu had any birthmarks. Tiny spoiler. We’ll see a lot more of him later in the novel and there will be a good explanation for why he’s such a doting older brother to Nie Sangyu even though they have different mothers.