Chapter 173 Do You Want to Be a Child Bride?
She had no idea when Chu Liuchen had appeared behind her, staring at her coldly. On his handsome face was a faint smile that sent a shiver down her spine.
sounding quite comfortable.
The pair of eyes that was glaring daggers at her was now shut in bliss. With its snow-white fur, it looked particularly lovable.
“Prince, why are you here?” Qin Wanru sat down with the cat in her embrace. This cat was pretty heavy; it was evident how well it was cared for.
“Qin Wanru, I can’t believe you’re so sly at your young age.” Chu Liuchen threw her a sidelong glance with an unhappy expression.
“What did I do, Prince?” Qin Wanru asked, carefully caressing the cat’s fur. It had been a while since she last saw Chu Liuchen, so what was he getting at now?
“Do you have your eyes on Wen Xichi? Should I play matchmaker for you?” The corners of Chu Liuchen’s mouth were curved ever so slightly. An unfathomable emotion flickered in his eyes; it was something Qin Wanru couldn’t quite understand.
“Prince, at my young age, you say?” Qin Wanru raised her head helplessly, hoping Chu Liuchen would take a good look at her face.
Chu Liuchen’s eyes were limpid as he looked Qin Wanru up and down in disdain. He then suggested, “You can be a child bride until you grow up.”
“I thought only children from poor families would become child brides, no?” Qin Wanru replied helplessly. She wondered how she offended this prince, who looked hell-bent on making life difficult for her.
“If your status is far beneath the groom, you can very well be a child bride.” Chu Liuchen rubbed his chin. Suddenly, this suggestion seemed plausible.
“I… I don’t want to be a child bride at all!” Qin Wanru silently bemoaned her hardship.
“Qin Wanru, you know you owe me your life, don’t you?” Chu Liuchen began to smile, flashing a smile that was as handsome as it was elegant. The gloominess in his eyes dissipated as he looked her up and down with a ruminating expression. She had no idea what this temperamental prince was up to.
“Thank you for your life-saving favor, Prince.” Qin Wanru helplessly stood up and bowed to him.
Prince Chen was the one she least understood in this world. She was very perceptive with others, but this person whose mood flipped as easily as a switch had thoughts completely foreign from others.
Chu Liuchen was pleased after seeing her all nervous like the cat earlier. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “What about it? Do you want to be a child bride of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Chambers?”
“No!” Qin Wanru replied without even thinking about it.
Even though she owed Wen Xichi a debt of gratitude, she had no plans of repaying him with her heart. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she had no plans of marrying anyone. Though she had married Wen Xichi in her past life, they were friends and not lovers. Even on his deathbed, Wen Xichi kept telling her to remarry and not stay a widow for his sake.
“Will you really not consider it? Qin Wanru, mull it over. If I agree with it, you can consider it a done deal. Remember, I don’t make promises easily,” Chu Liuchen said serenely.
Qin Wanru pursed up her delicate lips and shook her head without hesitation. “Thank you for your kind intentions, Prince.”
“You really don’t want to be his bride?” Chu Liuchen asked, smiling.
Qin Wanru had no idea why he was harping on this but shook her head all the same.
“Since you don’t want to become a child bride of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Chambers, let’s find you another family,” Chu Liuchen said, sounding helpless.
Qin Wanru shook her head and said resolutely, “Prince, surely you jest. I’m not becoming anyone’s child bride!”
She didn’t know where Chu Liuchen had summoned his enthusiasm from that he was acting all determined to help her settle her marriage.
“Being a child bride isn’t a bad idea, you know. You can buy shops whenever you want. You can slap someone if you want to. You don’t have to worry about your Madam causing you trouble. Your father will even be deferential to you and stop making things difficult for you for your sister’s sake. You can even protect your remarried mother,” Chu Liuchen said.
He smiled.
Qin Wanru couldn’t help feeling alarmed. Sweat began to form on her forehead. Her charming and innocent eyes blinked as she bit her lower lip and shook her head.
How could something that good exist? There was a price for everything, and she knew very well that she couldn’t afford such a price. Neither was she willing to pay it.
“Prince, how did you find out that I’m buying a shop?” Qin Wanru bit her lip, wanting to change the topic.
“When I came here. What’s wrong? Will you really not consider it?” Chu Liuchen had the sudden thought that this idea could very well work.
Even though Qin Wanru was frustrated, she still had to fake a smile and say, “Prince, I won’t consider it, really.”
“Consider it? Hehe…” Chu Liuchen abruptly stood up and reached for his cat. He then turned around and walked away.
Xiao Xuanzi immediately followed him.
Qin Wanru looked at her empty arms in bewilderment and then at Chu Liuchen’s back. She didn’t have enough brainpower to process this, she thought. What had the prince come for?
“Miss, I once saw Prince Chen… at Jingxin Monastery,” Yu Jie said hesitantly.
“Did he see Mingqiu Nun for a remedy?” Qin Wanru sat on the chair again. It was so cozy holding the cat that she couldn’t quite get used to the emptiness in her arms.
“It was the Abbess of Jingxin Monastery who treated him. She was also the one who ordered this to be kept a secret.” Now that she had spoken up about this, the following words came much easier.
“How is… his illness?” Qin Wanru asked. It wasn’t difficult to guess that Chu Liuchen had gone to the Abbess of Jingxin Monastery for his illness.
“Apparently, it’s a congenital disease that is hard to cure… If not properly treated, it’ll endanger him. The Abbess said something is protecting him, but I didn’t quite understand what it is,” Yu Jie said.
“What’s protecting him?” Qin Wanru was confused.
“I’m not so sure myself. I think the Abbess is referring to a person, but it can also be medicine,” Yu Jie replied after racking her brain. Back then, she was standing outside the Abbess’ room and didn’t hear much of the conversation. The Abbess even closed the doors afterward, so she didn’t catch the rest. It was only later that the Abbess told her not to speak of the matter to anyone, not even Mingqiu Nun. It was because the noble guest might ask Mingqiu Nun to treat him but was worried about being turned down. Thus, the guest needed the right timing to make an indirect request.
In the end, Yu Jie didn’t see Mingqiu Nun do anything.
Midway into their conversation, Young Master Xu returned after settling things at the bank. Since Wen Xichi wasn’t around, he excused himself as it was inappropriate for him to linger.
Now, the shop—as well as everything in it—belonged to Qin Wanru. She made some suggestions for improvement after scanning the place. Only then did she return to the General’s Mansion. Madame Dong stayed behind and asked Qin Wanru to tell Dong Xiuer not to worry as she would be staying at the shop for the next few days.
When Qin Wanru returned to her own house, she asked Nanny Yu to summon Dong Xiuer.
Dong Xiuer came swiftly, arriving at the door just as Qin Wanru was sitting down for a cup of tea. She performed a curtsy and then stood on the side, observing the proper etiquette.
She came here with Madam Dong. Even though she lived in Qin Wanru’s Zhifang Pavilion, she wasn’t the latter’s servant. She didn’t have much to do, so she typically busied herself with embroidery and stitching of clothing and delicate ornaments. She had an agile pair of hands and amicable character, allowing other maids in the courtyard to gradually warm up to her.
Of course, her best friend here was Qing Xue.
Qing Xue, as a principal maid, wasn’t nearly as busy as the rest. Whenever she was free, she would have a chat with Dong Xiuer.
“How’s your leg?” Qin Wanru asked gently, looking at Dong Xiuer’s leg. Several days had passed since she last saw her. Seeing as Dong Xiuer wasn’t limping when she walked in the door, her wound must have mostly healed.
“Thank you, Second Miss. If it weren’t for you, my leg wouldn’t heal at all. I swear I’ll repay you even if I must work like an ox or horse!”
Dong Xiuer looked up and expressed her gratitude when she heard Qin Wanru’s question.
“You don’t have to be so polite. Since your mother is acting as my shopkeeper, it’s only reasonable for me to lend you a hand.” Qin Wanru smiled, shifting her gaze to Dong Xiuer’s face. She could tell that Dong Xiuer was enjoying life here, for she was even wearing a pearl-embedded hairpin. “I’ve secured my shop, so your mother will be kept busy for the next few days. She says she’ll be at the shop and away from home tonight.”
“My mother has told me as much before leaving. Um, Second Miss, I have a question that I don’t know if I should ask.” Dong Xiuer hesitated, sneaking a glance at Qin Wanru’s face.
The emotion in Qin Wanru’s pupils became unreadable, but she retained her gentle expression. She said indifferently, “You may ask.”
Chapter 174 The Guilty Etiquette Instructor
“I think Qing Xue has very dexterous hands, can I ask her to do a few accessories such as toggle-and-loop buttons and embroideries in the future? Mother says after the new shop opens, it will need many items like this. I’m afraid I cannot do them alone!” Xiuer said.
“Qing Xue has dexterous hands?” Qin Wanru smiled and asked.
“Qing Xue does have very dexterous hands, and her needlework is not bad, either. If she and I can work together, we will have more extraordinary items!”
...
Dong Xiuer said blissfully as she thought Qin Wanru had accepted her proposal.
Nanny Yu looked at Dong Xiuer unhappily, took a light cough, and seriously said to Qin Wanru, “Miss, Qing Xue is your great girl servant. It is not that our mansion has no money to spend and needs your great girl servant to work to make money for family running. If so, what will others think of you and our mansion?”
The close great girl servant of an aristocratic family’s miss was equivalent to the miss of a rich family. If the family were not in ruin, the servant would basically not go out to make money for family running.
Dong Xiuer blushed because of these words, lowering her head as she murmured, “Second Miss, I thought poorly!”
“If you are still in the mansion, then ask Qing Xue to help you!” Qin Wanru smiled and comforted her. After all, Nanny Dong and Dong Xiuer were not people of the Qin’s Mansion. After the shop’s business was on track, they would leave the mansion. For one thing, they would be freer; for another, they could manage the shop more conveniently.
“Yes, as Second Miss says!” Dong Xiuer said obediently and then left.
“Miss, what does Qing Xue want to do?” As Dong Xiuer disappeared from her view, Qing Yue frowned and said, only thinking this was Dong Xiuer’s business.
“Naturally, she doesn’t think she can stay here anymore!” Qin Wanru said slowly. Just now, she saw Dong Xiuer’s hairpin in the hair clearly, which was not ordinary. Nanny Dong couldn’t have had such a thing that time she was extremely poor, and she could not even afford it now.
This was the latest style in the capital city, not the old stuff from Jiangzhou.
So far, she had only given a few daily necessities to Nanny Dong, who couldn’t spare so much extra money to buy Dong Xiuer such a new hairpin. So, the hairpin should only come from Qing Xue.
After arriving in the capital city, Qing Xue had not walked out of the mansion for once. Unexpectedly, she had such a hairpin. It seemed that she had secret contacts with Mrs. Qin.
She took up the teacup at her hand and drank a mouthful. “Nanny Yu, tell Qing Xue to ask the grandmother’s servants when the invited etiquette instructor will arrive?”
“Tell Qing Xue to ask?” Nanny Yu said anxiously, realizing that Qing Xue was becoming stranger and stranger. “Why should you let her go out to work at this time?”
“Right, tell her to!” Qin Wanru drooped her eyelids and said slowly.
A girl servant gave away her hairpin, only wishing to make friends with Dong Xiuer, or perhaps work out ways to leave her. It seemed that the girl was really anxious…
Then, gave her the opportunity. Let’s see what she wanted to do so anxiously!
Inviting etiquette instructors was Qin Huaiyong and the Old Grandma’s decision. Initially, they only hired one for Qin Yuru, but considering that Qin Wanru, who was sensible but still young, was not so familiar with the etiquette in the capital city and had better have a teacher, they invited two etiquette instructors.
Since the etiquette instructors were mainly invited for Qin Yuru, Mrs. Qin also proactively asked Di Yan to tell his mother to ask the Duke Yong’s Mansion for help. It was said that the two instructors were famous in the capital city. Previously, they taught palace etiquette in the palace. Later, when they were old, they were released from the palace.
Today was scheduled for the two instructors to come, but there was no news of them even until now.
Qing Xue went to the Old Grandma’s Xinning Pavilion and found Nanny Duan, who told her the two instructors had been invited by another family and could not come, but there were two new ones, who were on the way to the mansion. When they arrived in a while, she would invite Qin Wanru.
Getting the information, Qing Xue went to report to Qin Wanru.
“New instructors?” Qin Wanru asked in surprise. “Is it that they were scheduled previously? Why have they been invited by another family now?”
“Nanny Duan says that family also had a schedule a long time ago, but Countess Yong didn’t confirm it when she mentioned it. She says they will be confirmed after they come to our mansion and let the Old Grandma, madams, and misses take a look.” Qing Xue asked clearly just now, and so she replied eloquently.
Getting her job just now, she must ask carefully!
This meant that Countess Yong just mentioned it casually and didn’t take it to her heart?
“What about the new instructors?” Qin Wanru thought about it for a moment and asked.
“It is said the new instructors are extremely good, even better than the two previous ones, and they were released from the palace. The palace etiquette is absolutely in accordance with the current rules. If they had not been affected by some affairs, they wouldn’t be released now.”
“Instructors teaching etiquette released from the palace now?” Qin Wanru was surprised. She suddenly thought of a person, showing a profound look in her eyes. If it was really that person, she must let the person stay this time.
If it was her, she believed Qin Yuru would not want her. This person was definitely sent to her, but this was just what she wanted. She hoped it was the person she thought of…
Nanny Duan invited her after a short time. After arriving at the room, Qin Wanru found Qin Yuru had not come. The Old Grandma sat on the head seat, unexpectedly with two women of 30 or so standing on each side. They didn’t look like the wrinkled old nannies.
It was especially the one on the left, beautiful, 30 or so. She had a nice face but didn’t have a smile on it, looking a little severe. She was not talking with the Old Grandma, but only sitting there, cold-faced and seemingly unhappy. Wearing this look, she was, in fact, not agreeable.
The other one looked a little older and was skilled at talking. She chatted with the Old Grandma relatively happily and smiled while chatting, looking kind. Thanks to her talk, the Old Grandma smiled heartily, showing she liked her a lot.
Qin Wanru came in, bowed to the Old Grandma routinely, and then moved to one side, looking curiously at the two nannies who looked relatively young.
“Zhuozhuo, they are Nanny Zheng and Nanny Huang. Come to bow!” The Old Grandma said as she smiled and waved to her.
Qin Wanru bowed naturally to the two nannies again.
Outside the curtain, a girl servant reported the coming of Qin Yuru. Qin Wanru moved a little to the side, the little girl servant raised the curtain, and Qin Yuru along with Mei Xue walked in. Dressed in light green clothing, she was tall and beautiful, completely different from Qin Wanru, who was still not mature yet.
Being a lady in her season, she looked exceptionally gorgeous and graceful.
As a famous beauty in Jiangzhou, Qin Yuru was undoubtedly outstanding. Standing casually anywhere would make others feel she was extraordinary.
That smiling nanny seemed to have a deeper smile. After seeing Qin Yuru, she couldn’t help turning to Qin Wanru. Initially, she didn’t think the sisters from a small area would be impressive. Surprisingly, they were extremely excellent. The older one was stunning, and the younger one was a more exquisite, unrivaled beauty. Being too young was her only flaw.
Qin Yuru stepped forward and bowed to the Old Grandma. Taking a look at the two nannies, she made her decision. Taking two steps forward and holding the Old Grandma’s hand, she shook it lovingly. “Grandma, I want this nanny!”
The one she meant was that smiling, kind-looking nanny.
“Why Nanny Huang?” To some extent, it was the Duke Yong’s Mansion that made the thing done. Done for Qin Yuru’s good, it was natural for her to select. But instantly choosing the smiling nanny still made the Old Grandma a little surprised. So, she asked.
“Grandma, I’ve heard that Nanny Huang taught well in the past. She was a little severe, but her teaching worked quite well. I’ve just arrived in the capital city and have no idea about many rules. Previously due to my ignorance, I made myself ridiculed. So, I want to choose a more severe teacher this time.”
Qin Yuru’s words sounded quite reasonable. With a shallow smile on her face, she looked like an easy-going lady who knew herself, and she should be a rule-abiding miss.
Nanny Huang was also extremely satisfied, nodding inwardly. In fact, she liked the second miss of the Qin’s Mansion at the beginning. The girl was beautiful but young, but she would be an unrivaled beauty when she grew up. In addition, it was easier to teach a younger student.
But since the first miss was also such a rule-abiding, sensible lady, it was not bad to teach her, either.
“Grandma…” Qin Wanru tugged at the Old Grandma’s sleeve with her hand, looked up at her, and also looked at Nanny Huang.
“Second sister, don’t embarrass our grandma. You act like a spoiled child to make our grandma speechless. But Nanny Huang was specially chosen for me by our auntie. Second sister, don’t beg anymore.” Qin Yuru said smilingly, sounding like a joke, but if Qin Wanru begged again, it was proof she tried to take the person her sister wanted.
She said it was Countess Yong’s choice because she didn’t believe their grandma would stubbornly give the person to Qin Wanru! In addition, it was Countess Yong who specially made turns and twists to choose the person for her.
Nanny Huang was also somewhat famous in the capital city’s etiquette teaching circle. She could teach her well, and Qian Yuru could also use her previous relations to enter the noble ladies’ circle of the capital city. How could Qin Yuru allow Qin Wanru to take this good opportunity?
For Qin Yuru, she felt the other nanny bore bad luck. “A maid lost the favor of the emperor’s concubine and was asked to leave the palace. How come she knows rules so well? Besides, even if she knows, I must try to avoid her. A guilty maid coming out of the palace always carries bad luck. If the nobles in the palace think of her someday, the one she teaches will not be appreciated or is even likely to bear anger.
“No doubt, Nanny Zheng was specially sent to Qin Wanru to disgust her!”
“Zhuozhuo, you learn from Nanny Zheng!”
Chapter 175 She Frightened Nanny Zheng
“Yes, grandma!” Qin Wanru said softly. She obediently walked up to Nanny Zheng. Facing Nanny Zheng, Qin Wanru swung her arms to one side to salute.
She showed no trace of unpleasant after hearing Qin Yuru’s words just now.
Involuntarily, Nanny Huang’s eyes landed on Qin Wanru. Eyeing her from head to toe, she looked a little bit surprised.
...
Seeing Qin Wanru’s salute, the poker-faced Nanny Zheng finally expressed some emotions in her eyes. Qin Wanru’s salute was extremely standard, which was better than the salute Qin Yuru made just now. Qin Wanru seemed to have learned the etiquette in the Imperial Palace because she bent her knees to the perfect point.
Bending too little, she would appear arrogant; bending too much, she would look too humble.
“Second Miss Qin?” Nanny Zheng finally broke her silence with a little hoarse voice.
“Nanny Zheng!” Qin Wanru smiled and called softly. There was softness in her watery eyes. Nanny Zheng could see that Qin Wanru really liked her, which made her feel a little less depressed. “This child not only looks gorgeous but also knows how to behave properly. She may be a person who understands the rules. Since I was released from the Imperial Palace, I have never expected that I would encounter such a lady who has never looked down on me when others are running hurriedly away from me. It is truly surprising.”
“Second Miss Qin, I hope you can forgive me if I make any mistake later when I teach you!” Nanny Zheng was visibly moved a bit. Her expression softened, and the corners of her lips even curled up into a gentle smile.
Now she thought that it might be a good thing for her to go out of the Imperial Palace!
Seeing that both Qin Yuru and Qin Wanru were somewhat satisfied, Madam Dowager breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she let them go back to their courtyards with their etiquette instructors.
When they returned to the courtyard, Qin Wanru asked Nanny Yu to arrange accommodation for Nanny Zheng and invited Nanny Zheng into her room. After entering the room, they greeted each other once again. Then, Nanny Zheng’s eyes fell on Qin Wanru, and she frowned a little. “May I ask how old are you, Miss?”
“I have already reached 11!” replied Qin Wanru. And she took the initiative to poured Nanny Zheng a cup of tea.
“But why do you look so young?” Nanny Zheng did not expect that Qin Wanru was already 11 years old, so she looked a little surprised. Most of the eleven-year-old girls had already grown taller, and their figures should basically look like those of the young ladies already. However, Qin Wanru still looked like a little girl.
“I will grow up in the future!” Qin Wanru said with confidence. When she grew up in her last life, she was not shorter than other women. It was just that she grew more slowly than others, so she appeared a little smaller than girls at her age when she was young.
“In the future? Second Miss, you are not a child anymore according to your age. After the New Year, your nominal age will be 12, which is precisely the best age that girls in the capital looking for partners in marriage. If you still look like this, that’s not going to work!”
Nanny Zheng said bluntly.
Her words embarrassed Qin Wanru, who flushed, and her pink face became all red. “I suppose that she shouldn’t have said these words right in front of me.”
“Second Miss, you don’t have to feel embarrassed. Marriage is what the girls have to do when they grow up. I have several prescriptions that you can use to nurse your body. It will not do you any harm. You only need to take medicated baths with the medicine in those prescriptions!” Since Nanny Zheng’s heart had settled down here, she certainly would consider Qin Wanru with concentrated attention.
Qin Wanru had a perfect face. Nanny Zheng was accustomed to seeing those beauties in the Imperial Palace. But ever she had to admire such a good-looking face. But even so, Qin Wanru still looked too little. Few people would admire her beauty for the first time when they saw Second Miss. Most of them would feel that she was too young, just a little kid.
“Nanny Zheng, I don’t need to take medicated baths. I’ll let nature take the course. Big Sister’s marriage has not yet been settled… I don’t have to worry!” Qin Wanru looked up. Though her face was still red, she looked very calm as if the topic they were talking about were not the shyest topic of those unmarried daughters.
Upon witnessing her bearing, Nanny Zheng could not help casting a few more glances at her because this Second Miss before gave her a completely different feeling, giving her little girl’s appearance.
If Nanny Zheng didn’t see such a small person in front of her with her own eyes, she would almost think that this Second Miss before her was a Miss that was well educated by a great aristocratic family.
“This calm Second Miss can talk properly and is indifferent to her exceedingly beautiful appearance. How many girls can behave like that?”
Thinking of this, Nanny Zheng looked more dignified. For the first time, she began to treat this Second Miss in front of her as a grown-up.
“What do you mean, Second Miss?”
“I mean, I don’t have to be outstanding. I may as well go with the flow. There is no need to pursue achievements anxiously, or I will place myself in a disadvantageous position.” Qin Wanru smiled lightly and said meaningfully.
“Doesn’t Second Miss want a good marriage?” Nanny Zheng asked without knowing why.
“I don’t want to marry anyone.” It was actually the truest thought in Qin Wanru’s mind. In her last life, she died miserably in the end. As for her marriage, she delayed it again and again. Even though she finally married a nice guy Wen Xichi, who took good care of her, the marriage between them was a tragedy. She became a widow at last. And later, she was even driven out of the gate of the mansion of Wen’s family.
After considering all sorts of things she had experienced, Qin Wanru felt that it was better not to get married.
Of course, she would not say this at this time. It would only make others think that she was a little too weird. Therefore, she answered to make herself look more normal.
“I might as well go with the flow!” Qin Wanru smiled. Her long eyelashes fluttered, which covered all the emotions in her eyes. But if she could, she felt that she’d better not to get married.
“I hope that Shui Ruolan will give birth to a boy. Then, he will inherit everything and become the future of the General’s Mansion. And I can spend my remaining years till death in this mansion because of the boy, my brother.”
Nanny Zheng looked at Qin Wanru in front of her face with amazement. “It seems that this small child has experienced many vicissitudes of life and the fickleness of human friendships. To my surprise, she isn’t concerned about the things that these girls keep thinking about. Is it because she is too little to understand the marriage? Or is it because she understood it so that she doesn’t want the marriage?”
Looking at the smiling eyes in front of her, Nanny Zheng felt that this child must understand what the marriage meant, but she did not want to get married.
At first, Nanny Zheng lacked interest in everything because she was driven out of the Imperial Palace. But now, she was intrigued.
“Are you willing to stay in Qin’s Mansion and follow me?” All of a sudden, Qin Wanru smiled. In her eyes, it seemed that there was a burning flame jumping in her eyes.
“I am only an etiquette instructor. I will only teach you for some time. After that, I will go back!” Nanny Zheng replied. She did not understand the meaning of Qin Wanru.
“I am still young. If I want an etiquette instructor to teach me, then the instructor will spend at least a few years with me. You have just got out of the Imperial Palace, and you may not have the chance to go back there. Don’t you want to find a place that you can stay for a long time?”
The smile on Qin Wanru’s face was as warm as the spring breeze.
Her words reminded Nanny Zheng of her painful memories, so her face fell again. She remained silent. It was true that she wanted to go back. In Nanny Zheng’s eyes, the Qin’s Mansion was nothing but a stepping stone she used to spend her transition period. Moreover, Nanny Zheng believed that her master would find a way to get her back.
“Nanny Zheng, I heard that you are the person released from the Imperial Palace. You were also implicated because of some matters. I don’t care who you served before. Now you wish that your previous master can get you back to the Imperial Palace after you have been driven out. However, it is not an easy thing for your master whoever she is, even if she was the empress. If she truly has the ability to get you back, she would not let you be driven out in the first place!”
Nanny Zheng was indeed a person Qin Wanru expected such that she would not let her go. At this time, when Qin Wanru looked at Nanny Zheng’s face, she knew clearly what Nanny Zheng was expecting. Hence, Qin Wanru chose to break all her expectations and tell her the truth, leaving no space for manoeuvers.
“Second Miss, how did you know things in the Imperial Palace?” The face of Nanny Zheng became very ugly and gloomy. “I came to your mansion only as an etiquette instructor. As for other things, please be cautious with your words, Second Miss. Even if you are young, there are some things you cannot say!”
It seemed that Qin Wanru broke something in her heart, Nanny Zheng felt very unhappy in her heart!
“Do you think what I said is right, Nanny Zheng?” Qin Wanru smiled lightly and leaned back a little. She seemed not to behave herself decently. But her act matched very well with the situation. Somehow, Nanny Zheng did not think that she was rude to her.
“What do you want, Second Miss?” Nanny Zheng felt awful and uncomfortable as if something had hit her a thump on the heart. Something in her heart was as clear as the glass, but she just didn’t want to break it. However, Qin Wanru broke the hope of Nanny Zheng straightforwardly at this time.
“I don’t want anything. I think that I am short of a person like you by my side, so I want you to stay. What do you think?”
Seeing Nanny Zheng’s angry face, Qin Wanru continued to say with full composure as if she did not see Nanny Zheng’s stern look.
“Second Miss Qin said a moment ago that you have no ambitions, but now you tore the mask off your face yourself!” Nanny Zheng sneered, her delicate face flushed with rage. All at once, she stood up.
“I said that I’d like to go with the flow doesn’t mean that I want to become a doormat. Or in your understanding, letting nature take its course is to give up everything, let myself being trampled upon at others’ will, and give up my right to protect my most concerned people, right?” Qin Wanru said with a little sneer.
Her sneer looked so shallow that Nanny Zheng could barely see the smile that her lips curved into. Although she was smiling at this moment, Nanny Zheng felt ice-cold. Such a smile with deep darkness and chill, which somehow made Nanny Zheng creep all over.
Nanny Zheng was stunned. In shock, she stared at Qin Wanru, who was right in front of her. Nanny Zheng had imagined ten thousand kinds of Second Miss Qin’s type, but none of them was the one that she saw with her eyes now. Her sneer even reminded Nanny Zheng of the bloody things that she had experienced all year round when she was in the Imperial Palace.
It was impossible for an unmarried girl at such a young age to get in touch with such bloody things. However, this little girl before her who hadn’t yet grown up seemed to know everything, and she could still keep a graceful and calm posture. Qin Wanru shook Nanny Zheng in the depth of her soul. Although no words could tell Nanny Zheng’s weird feeling at this moment, it made her think of the situation she was in at the moment unconsciously.
“Didn’t I give up everything and be driven out of the palace? Didn’t I just let myself being trampled upon at others’ will?” Nanny Zheng thought. Now others avoided her like the plague. Since Qin’s Mansion had just moved to the capital, they were totally unfamiliar with the place and the people here. Otherwise, Nanny Zheng believed that they would not use her.
“Am I driven into a corner by the reality? All the things that I insist on and wait for are nothing but bubbles that I made by myself!”
“Nothing is left when Qin Wanru pricked those bubbles!”
Nanny Zheng thought that she should refuse the little girl in front of her because this little girl was too dangerous. Second Miss Qin was definitely not one of those normal unmarried Young Madams…