Chapter 231 When Trash Meets Trash, Meeting Lan Xinru
The Duke Zhenguo’s manor carriage traveled along the streets. Sima Lingyun, who was seated in it, looked awful. He thought about how he had been looked down upon in the Mingan Duke’s manor and how he had been teased. His handsome face twisted slightly and he clutched at the soft seat cushion beside him. He clamped down viciously on the roar in his heart. One day, he would show those people that he was not that useless.
The horse carriage seemed to have hit something and stopped suddenly.
“What’s the matter?” Sima Lingyun asked coldly. He forced down the urge to pick up a teacup and throw it outside.
“Your Excellency, the horse carriage hit a girl.” The driver answered respectfully.
Hit someone? Sima Lingyun frowned and released his hold on the teacup. He lifted the door curtains and walked out. Duke Zhenguo’s manor was the subject of gossip recently. How dare he create any trouble?
“Miss, Miss, how are you? Is everything alright? What am I to do if you’re injured?” The anxious sobbing of a maid could be heard. Sima Lingyun looked in the direction and saw a beautiful woman whose expression had a hint of fragility. She was pale and teary-eyed as she held her leg, sitting on the ground. However, she could not say a single word and looked extremely pitiful.
“What’s the matter? Where were you hurt?” Sima Lingyun squatted down and asked her gently.
“You are…” Lan Xinru lifted her beautiful face and questioned him shyly.
“This is Marquess Zhenguo.” The driver answered.
Marquess Zhenguo? Lan Xinru was elated. She looked at Sima Lingyun’s young and handsome face. Her face hurt. She held her leg, looking as if she wanted to stand. She had only just sat up before she could not help but fall into Xiaolian’s embrace. The corners of her lips shook slightly and she could not speak.
“Is your leg hurt?” Sima Lingyun reached out to touch the area that Lan Xinru was covering. He found that blood was flowing from the wound slowly. She had been injured.
“I can’t move my leg.” Lan Xinru looked up tearfully and pitifully.
She looked soft and weak, and this greatly satisfied Sima Lingyun, who currently felt as if he had been abandoned by everyone else. He immediately felt that the beauty in front of him was both pure, beautiful, and adorable. He thought of how the beautiful woman had been hurt by his horse carriage and could not be bothered with anything else. He scooped her up, brought her into the carriage, and ordered the driver to head towards the clinic at the end of the street swiftly.
Xiaolian had already gotten onto the horse carriage when Sima Lingyun scooped Lan Xinru up.
“How is your injury? Does it hurt badly?” Sima Lingyun thought about it and lifted the corner of her pants. He saw a bleeding wound on her calf.
Lan Xinru flushed. She wanted to move her leg away, but Sima Lingyun held on to it tightly. Her body softened and she could not help but lean toward Sima Lingyun. She said tearfully, “It hurts, young sir, it hurts.”
“Don’t be afraid, it’s alright. The clinic is right in front. It will be fine.” Sima Lingyun heaved a sigh of relief as he comforted her. It looked like it was just a scrape and she did not break any bones. It was not a big deal, and it could have been worse.
“I, is it broken?” Lan Xinru looked at Sima Lingyun tearfully. “What will I do if it’s broken? I still need to find my aunt. If I can’t find her, I’m alone…” Then, she started to sob.
“It’s alright, it’s alright. It will be fine. It’s not broken.” Sima Lingyun patted her shoulder hurriedly and comforted her in tender tones. That was when he realized that she was huddled in his embrace. She was soft and fragrant and looked pitiful. She shook slightly from the pain and looked extremely fragile and pitiful.
“Is it really not broken?” She looked at Sima Lingyun fearfully with tears in her eyes as if she was looking for support. Sima Lingyun puffed up with pride. He had been emasculated the past few days, and he felt pride rushing through him. He touched the edge of her wound gingerly and said gently, “It’s alright. It will be fine after it’s been bandaged.”
“But it still hurts!” Lan Xinru said with tears in her eyes. She looked at him pitifully. The fear in her eyes assuaged Sima Lingyun’s masculinity. He felt that the girl in front of him was adorable, pitiful, and loveable. He cuddled her and asked gently, “Are you not from the capital?”
“No, I came here to look for my aunt. She gave me her address, but I couldn’t find her. I had to rent a place in the city. But it’s been a few days and there are still no signs of her. What will I do if I still can’t find her?” Lan Xinru sobbed in his embrace. Her cries made Sima Lingyun’s heart hurt for her. He could not help but comfort her with gentle tones, “It’s alright. If you can’t find a place to go, you can stay at my place first. I ran into you and have to show how sorry I am.”
Then, Sima Lingyun was shocked by himself. After so many things happened in his manor recently, he really did not have the mood or energy to care about such things. He felt rather regretful the moment he said that.
“Can I really?” The frightened voice, along with the soft white hands that tugged on Sima Lingyun’s shirt dispersed the regret he felt. He hugged her even tighter and nodded forcefully. Since he was getting a concubine, what would another one matter? At least he would not feel as angry after embarrassing Mo Xuemin.
He did not see Lan Xinru’s satisfied expression at all!
Didn’t the Mo Manor chase her out! She would not let them off so easily. She heard that the man hugging her was going to marry Mo Xuemin. She would steal his affections away from her and make Mo Xuemin sad. She would make Mo Huawen regret throwing her out.
She had blamed her dire circumstances entirely on the Mo Manor. However, she had never considered that she deserved if. Otherwise, why would she be in her current predicament?
In Qingwei Garden.
Mo Xuetong sat in front of the window, flipping through the medical text that Feng Yuran gave her. There were diagrams in the book and it was easy to understand.
It was quiet in the room and only the sounds of pages being flipped could be heard. It was in the middle of winter but the room was warm. Mo Xuetong let her hair loose and laid on the couch.
“Miss, you can sleep first or you might hurt your eyes.” Mo Lan entered the room softly and chided Mo Xuetong when she saw that she was still reading. Mo Lan brought her a cup of tea.
“It’s alright. I will go to bed in a while. Is Mo Yu back yet?” Mo Xuetong looked up with a small smile. She felt a little tired after hearing what Mo Lan said and she leaned back into the couch.
“Mo Yu has just returned. She has to find a place for her distant aunt to stay in. However, the First Prince of Yan Kingdom is coming so security is very strict these few days. No one can guarantee that they can really rent a room.” Mo Lan smiled and helped to put another cushion behind Mo Xuetong’s back.
Mo Yu’s distant aunt was coming to find a job in the city. However, the lunar new year was not yet over and there were not many places that were hiring. She might as well stay in the city first. Mo Yu’s mother asked Mo Yu to find her aunt a place to stay, so Mo Yu went out in the afternoon and only just came back. It seemed that it was difficult to find a place.
“Why did the First Prince of Yan come so quickly? Didn’t they just mention it a few days ago?” Mo Xuetong frowned. The matter was only brought up before the new year. Judging by the distance, the First Prince had come very quickly. It was as if he had not been in the Yan Kingdom. How did he get here so quickly? It was not as if he was visiting for any request, so what made the First Prince come so quickly?
It was said that the First Prince of the Yan Kingdom was born to the first Empress of Yan. He was the eldest and also the legal son. However, no one knew why Bai Yihao became the Crown Prince. What was weird was that holding hostage sons was just a superficial matter, yet the Yan Kingdom had sent their noble Crown Prince to Qin. They were not afraid that anything untoward might happen to their Crown Prince and the Yan Kingdom would have to choose another Crown Prince.
Of course, Mo Xuetong knew that that would not happen. With Bai Yihao’s capabilities, he could totally protect himself. However, the problem was that was the Yan Emperor not at all worried that something untoward might happen to his chosen heir in Qin? The Yan Emperor had more than one son. Other than his first legal son, he had a second legal son and also many other descendants. So why did he choose Bai Yihao to come to Qin?
“Miss, it is said that this prince came here so quickly because he wants to come for the consort-choosing. There were rumors that the First Prince is here to marry a wife. Only if the two countries are in good relations will we stop fighting.” Mo Lan said with a smile and pushed the candle towards Mo Xuetong.
This meant that the consort the First Prince of Yan wanted did not have to be a princess?
Why!
Mo Xuetong rubbed her head and decided not to think about these matters. No matter what, the Yan Kingdom was too far away from her and had nothing to do with her. It was reasonable for her to not participate in the consort-choosing in Qin that many girls were excited about if she did not want to, much less something that involved the Yan Kingdom.
She was still in mourning for her mother, so it was reasonable for her to not participate in it. As long as the Emperor did not ask for her personally, it had nothing to do with her.
Mo Xuetong put down her book and stretched lazily. She looked at the flickering flames and smiled softly. She said, “Go and see if Mo Yu’s eaten. If not, heat up the food we left for her tonight. Rest early after eating. There are still things for us to handle.”
“I have already gotten someone to heat the food up. Do not worry, Miss. You’d better go to bed first. Mo Ye said that Mo Xiu has already entered Lihua Garden according to plan. Things will probably blow up in the next few days. The Empress’ marriage decree has already come to us, First Miss can’t wait any longer.” Mo Lan answered with a smile. She brought over a leg warmer and placed it in Mo Xuetong’s blankets.
Mo Xuetong’s leg curled upon touching the heated stove. She felt warm and toasty and reached over to snuggle by it. Even her blankets were soft and warm. She said, “How goes Father’s bridal price preparation? Since Auntie has lowered her status to marry Father as his second legal wife, we must not treat her unfairly. Mother left some things behind, take them and bring them to Father.”
Mo Huawen had been preparing the bridal price for the past few days. He did not prepare much because he was taking a second legal wife. Furthermore, Mo Huawen had done it himself. He was a man and did not know much. Mo Xuetong who had been married in her past life knew more than him. Sima Lingyun had prepared an extremely luxurious bridal price as a show of respect to her.
“Rest assured, Miss. I already brought the things that you organized to Old Sir’s courtyard yesterday. I even told the servants to clean the courtyard up.” Mo Huawen had his own courtyard. However, he did not stay there, so it had stayed empty. Since he was taking a new wife, they would naturally stay in the courtyard. It was best for them to stay there. Mo Huawen had told Mo Xuetong that he was going to stay there. As such, Mo Xuetong decided to bring in some suitable decorations.
“He Xia moved out these few days. Mo Yu is looking for a place to rent today, so we might as well get her to find He Xia another room. It is going to be busy in the manor these few days and I’m afraid that someone might discover her.” Mo Xuetong said seriously to Mo Lan after thinking about it. She felt, for some reason, that He Xia must not be discovered.
“Alright, I will tell Mo Yu later. Miss, rest assured. Auntie Fang will not strike tomorrow for sure. We still have time.” Mo Lan said reassuringly.
Mo Xuetong nodded and laid down slowly. Her long lashes fluttered. She wanted to say something but did not in the end. Mo Lan blew out the candles and left the room quietly, closing the doors softly behind her