Second Marriage

Chapter 27 Part 2

As soon as the servant left, Yuan Guo’s face bulged in anger.  “Who does she think she is? Isn’t this treating you like a prisoner? And she sent someone to escort you!”

Xiao Youning didn’t really know what was going on with Princess Huijing, but she sensed that she intended to humiliate her.

“Go and inquire about whether that person has left or not. If he has left, hurry back and take me out to find a ‘doctor’.”

She winked and Yuan Guo understood. She vehemently nodded, and forged ahead of the cool morning breeze to go make the inquiries.

When Old Madam Xiao heard that Princess Huijing had intentionally sent someone to pick her up, she was more or less unhappy. The primary surname was Xiao. Wasn’t Princess Huijing looking down on their branch?

When Old Madam Xiao heard that Xiao Youning had a headache and could not get up, she faintly felt something fishy, but she was a little happier. She called the visitor in to personally explain the situation and make him take the others to the residence. Once again, the younger generation who went to the banquet was told to be cautious with their words when they arrived at the Eldest Princess Residence.

Yuan Guo saw that the person had been sent away and quickened her pace back to the guest courtyard. She helped Xiao Youning into a simple outfit and then draped a cloak on her. No one reported that she had left the place.

“Fortunately, Young Miss ordered the carriage to be prepared and the villa servants were transferred over here, otherwise we would not have known how to get out today.”

Yuan Guo looked at the alley they were leaving from where the Xiao Family’s Second Branch was located, and breathed out a sigh of relief.

Xiao Youning smiled.

She still had some use for the servants who accompanied her, so of course she had to use them again. It was not convenient to use the Second Branch’s carriage, since it was not easy for any of her own people to use it.

When the dowry came back, she had to prepare for what she should have planned. When there was no more information about her father and brother, she could not make herself neither human nor ghost1.

Wouldn’t it be better for father and brother to come back and see her in high spirits?

Xiao Youning rushed all the way out of the residence in a horse-drawn carriage. Huijing had already learned that she was refused and was so angry that she immediately threw down her chopsticks.

The Eldest Princess was right in front of her. When she saw her daughter angry, she frowned and asked her servant to get another pair of chopsticks.

“You should be proper. What do you want that young girl from the Xiao Family to do? She does not need to comply with you. Go ask the Li Family’s Second Master to come over. As soon as you see him today, I will mention the marriage to Assistant Minister Li. Why did you have the Xiao people come and add to the stress?”

The Eldest Princess knew that her daughter had feelings for Li Qingzhi for a long time, but it was a pity that he had already been engaged. Moreover, apart from the fact that the Li Family was close to the Ye Family, she did not really look upon it. Especially the Ye Family, she didn’t like them!

However, her daughter was unhappy every day, and when the Xiao Family was met with mishap, the Li Family unexpectedly divorced Xiao Youning on her marriage day. Her daughter had brightened up again on that day with a mocking smile on her face.

She was a mother who could not bear it, so she had no choice but to say yes.

Even though the Li Family could not be regarded as good, she still had her status as the Eldest Princess. No one would dare gossip behind her back.

Who would have known that regardless of whether her daughter was happy or not, she still had an irritation with Xiao Youning. What was the purpose of inviting her to the banquet? How could she not know what her daughter was thinking? She thought that she was too foolish for throwing away her identity.

But Princess Huijing was too willful and wanted to see Xiao Youning fall into embarrassment.

In the past, Xiao Youning had been very arrogant when she was betrothed to Li Qingzhi, and she would behave very haughtily whenever they met. She didn’t treat people well, and acted as if she, Princess Huijing, was a bully!

Huijing did not heed to her mother’s advice and ordered a servant to take the doctor to the Xiao Family’s Second Branch. Xiao Youning pretended to be ill and she went to see the doctor, so how could she be pretending?!

In the end, the servant said that Xiao Youning had actually gone out of the residence to see a doctor. Huijing asked which doctor it was but the servant shook his head. She was so angry that she almost had golden beans2 and scolded, “She sincerely wants to make things difficult for me. Mother, she is treacherous and ignored our importance. It’s so repulsive! Spread the word on how she refused two invitations. Who will ignore us when the capital is so full of people?!”

The Eldest Princess did not expect Xiao Youning to be so intelligent. She anticipated that her daughter would not give up and ran away in the name of seeing a doctor. For a moment, she did not know whether she was angry or amused.

Sure enough, she was a cunning little girl. No wonder Assistant Minister Li tried to take advantage of her.

Xiao Youning, who was running around in the streets, did not know that she almost made Huijing cry. She was leisurely finding an inconspicuous breakfast shop to offer sacrifices to the five temples of the internal organs3.

This place was very close to Liu San’s place, and they coincidentally met at the breakfast shop.

Liu San was yawning and buying steamed meat buns. As soon as he saw them, he was frightened and thought of the deed and the identity of the person who handed it over to him yesterday. He was inexplicably nervous when he saw Xiao Youning.

No one would have thought that the Xiao Family’s Young Miss could have such a relationship with that man. No, it should be said that no one would have thought that the Daoist Priest was that person who was as cold as the King of Hell!

“Young Miss Xiao, it’s early!” Liu San nodded and bowed to greet her.

Xiao Youning smiled and said, “I went out early and happened to run into you. Sit down first and tell me what the house is like.”

Where could Liu San dare to not agree with her? He sat down with a smile. He praised the house with all sorts of embellishments, and then informed her of the asking price.

“Such a low price? This can’t be a haunted house, right?!”

Yuan Guo raised her voice. She couldn’t believe it. Liu San choked at the questions.

Xiao Youning tilted her head and looked behind her at this time. She felt that there was someone behind her. As soon as she looked back, her view was blocked by a familiar Daoist robe.

“Daoist Priest?”

She was surprised by the coincidence of meeting Ye Shen here.

However, Ye Shen knew that it was not a coincidence and already knew that Xiao Youning would come out to see his house today. He had just returned from outside the city and was ready to look at it with her. He also wanted to ask her why she was looking for him before he went back to the palace.

When Ye Shen saw her look of surprise, his eyes were dyed with happiness. His heart felt good, and he thought that he lived up to his plan for her.

He faintly nodded, and Xiao Youning rushed to stand up. She realized that she didn’t know what to say when she saw him, so she simply picked up from the conversation just now and said, “Liu San found the house for me, but it’s too cheap. Daoist Priest, would you like to come with me to have a look?” 

As she said that, she approached Ye Shen and said in a low voice, “A house with a good and cheap location may be a haunted house!”

The sweet fragrance of the girl brushed his nose, but Ye Shen had no time to enjoy the elegant fragrance that rippled his mind. Instead, it was like he was suffocating and he raised his eyes to look at her.

His house was a haunted house?!