
"Aunt and Prince Cheng have always had a good relationship. When Tang Ning was young, she often visited Prince Cheng’s residence and frequently stayed over at her aunt's place. She had personally witnessed how Prince Cheng would indulge her aunt in everything. Whether it was something as significant as clothing and travel or as minor as hairpins and jewelry, Prince Cheng took everything to heart. He even personally selected the fabric for her aunt’s clothes every year. He never lost his temper with her, always going along with her wishes. Even when they occasionally quarreled, it was usually Prince Cheng who would yield first and apologize.
Even after years of marriage and having children, her aunt remained as delicate and pampered as a maiden. Tang Ning had witnessed, more than once, the deep affection between them, so strong that it made others envious. Prince Cheng’s care for her aunt was impeccable, so much so that he even treated Tang Ning as if she were his own daughter.
But in her previous life, after she was trapped in the rear courtyard of the Song family, her aunt suddenly passed away. The uncle she had hoped would come to her rescue never appeared, not even once. Even when Xie Yin and the Song family humiliated her and Lu Zhennian broke off the engagement to marry someone else, it seemed as if he knew nothing. It was only before Song Shulan and Lu Zhennian’s wedding that she learned that a new consort had already entered Prince Cheng’s residence. At that time, it had been less than two years since her aunt’s death, but Prince Cheng had already remarried a year earlier. His affection for the new consort was evident; they were always together, as if all the love he had shown her aunt for years had been transferred to the new princess.
Aside from Xie Yin’s occasional complaints, everyone seemed to have forgotten about her aunt.
Tang Ning clenched her palms, the pain from her fingers digging into her flesh was bone-deep. Was it that Prince Cheng’s feelings had shifted too quickly, or was his deep affection for her aunt all along just a facade?
Outside, the night wind stirred, and the branches in the courtyard rustled lightly.
Tang Ning lowered her head, fiddling with the dragon-patterned pendant hanging from her neck. The cord of the pendant had been torn by Xiao Yan earlier, and Madam Qin had later re-braided it with a Vajra knot, thoughtfully adding two Ruyi beads beside the pendant, saying they would protect her and bring good fortune.
Suddenly, she felt an urge to see Xiao Yan.
He was so clever; he would surely understand Prince Cheng’s intentions.
"You don’t want your hand anymore?" Tang Ning, lost in thought, was startled.
"Are you dazed?" A slightly low voice, tinged with indifference, like winter snow falling into one's heart, caused Song Tang Ning to turn around instantly.
The tightly closed window had somehow opened, letting the night breeze in. Xiao Yan, dressed in white, stood there, his dragon-patterned cloak billowing as if he were in his own mansion.
Behind him were lacquered red pillars, with the glow of the surrounding candlelight casting a halo on him, making his eyes shimmer slightly.
Tang Ning's eyes widened in surprise. "Why are you here?"
"Am I not allowed to come?"
"No..." She had just been thinking about him for a brief moment, and suddenly he appeared. Was he like the wishing pool at Lingyun Temple? But she hadn’t thrown in any silver...
Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle at her wide-eyed, childlike expression. He walked around to the main entrance and came inside.
"I forgot to give you the medicine this morning. Madam Qin prepared some Yu Rong powder and specifically reminded me to bring it to you. She said you should apply it daily to prevent scars from forming on your face. She also made some sugar pills for you to take with the medicine, to sweeten the taste."
Song Tang Ning remembered the recently met Qin sister's tendency to fuss over people, and her eyes curved into crescents.
Outside, the servants from Prince Cheng's residence had disappeared, and Canglang stood there nonchalantly.
Inside, Xiao Yan walked over to a circle chair across from Tang Ning and sat down, observing the young girl in front of him. "What were you thinking about just now?" She seemed so focused, yet there was a hint of confusion and pain in her expression.
Xiao Yan always felt that this little girl was hiding something. At an age where she should be carefree, she often had a look of deep unease that he couldn’t quite understand.
"Is something about the Song family troubling you?" Song Tang Ning paused, then shook her head. "No."
"Then is someone at Prince Cheng's residence making things difficult for you?" Xiao Yan’s tone was calm and indifferent, but his words were certain.
"The princess cares deeply for you; she wouldn't let anyone trouble you. At the Qian family’s banquet, you were quite bold with Xie Yin, showing no concern for him. So it wasn’t him. Which means it was Prince Cheng?" Tang Ning's eyes flickered.
"So it really was Prince Cheng." Xiao Yan frowned slightly. "Did he mistreat you?"
"No!" Although Xiao Yan had merely asked in a calm tone without a hint of anger, Tang Ning felt as if he was ready to deal with Prince Cheng at the slightest provocation. She hurriedly added, "He didn’t mistreat me. I just can’t figure some things out..."
Seeing that Xiao Yan was about to speak, Tang Ning quickly said, "Governor, could you stop reading my thoughts all the time..." She knew she wasn’t very smart and that she had wasted many years, but each time he saw through her thoughts, she felt especially foolish.
Even though she had been given a second chance at life and had tried her best to be more cautious than before, this man’s uncanny ability to pierce through her heart always left her feeling utterly defeated.
After speaking, Tang Ning hesitated to look at Xiao Yan, lowering her eyes to her bandaged fingers, thinking they looked quite ugly.
The room fell silent for a moment, then she felt a gentle tap on the back of her head.
"Call me Brother." Tang Ning looked up to see Xiao Yan sitting beside her.
"I can read your thoughts not because you’re stupid, but because I've spent years guessing people’s intentions. If you don’t like it, I won’t do it anymore." Tang Ning was momentarily dazed.
Xiao Yan, his dark eyes reflecting her bright ones, flipped his hand to reveal the sugar pills lying in his palm.
"I’ve never had a younger sister before, so I don’t know how to treat you. If there's something you don’t like, tell me, and I’ll try to change."
Tang Ning listened to his calm voice as the sugar pills, still warm from his hand, fell into her palm, almost making her forget to breathe.
After a long while, she slowly tightened her grip on the pills. "Would you treat anyone who holds the dragon-patterned pendant this well?"
Xiao Yan tilted his head in confusion but answered honestly, "No."
Tang Ning stared at him intently.
"The dragon-patterned pendant was left by Aunt Xue, who was kind to me. If someone else wore it, I would only take care of them to some extent." Aunt Xue had saved him, and that lady had also been kind to him, but more than ten years had passed, and he was no longer the same sincere-hearted boy.
He might show some concern for the person holding it and, if he didn’t find them annoying, ensure they lived comfortably. But to personally attend to them? He wasn’t that idle.
Xiao Yan treated Tang Ning differently because, even after more than ten years, he could still see the shadow of the little girl who had once clung to his leg, crying her heart out.
It was because she was still pure-hearted, just like the child from that darkest time, who hadn’t been tainted by the world. Her eyes were clear and easy to read.
In other words, Xiao Yan valued Tang Ning because she was Tang Ning not because of the pendant.
Tang Ning’s eyes reddened instantly, tears welling up.
She didn’t want to cry, but the feeling of having her life stolen made her want to sob uncontrollably.
She quickly turned her head, raising her arm to cover her tear-filled eyes, but before she could swallow her tears, she heard the sound of commotion coming from the courtyard outside.
Moments later, the noise drew closer, and Canglang called out from the doorway, "Governor, Young Master Xie and the eldest son of the Song family have arrived."
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T/N: Xiao Yan, powerful eunuch and part time mind reader.
You can read ahead to chapterr 100 here
Is she going to remember him as the little boy she followed around?
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