Cang Lang said with a grin, “The Second Prince woke up last night, but when he heard he’d been demoted to a count, he was so thrilled he fainted again.”
Tang Ning burst into louder laughter, and Xue Ru’s eyes curved with amusement.
Di Tao swallowed his steamed bun. “You guys are ruthless.”
Xiao Yan glanced at Di Tao, who was devouring breakfast like a starving man, clearing half the table in moments. He swiftly moved a plate of golden silk red bean rolls to Tang Ning and scooped a bowl of corn milk porridge for her.
“I told you not to come around unless necessary,” Xiao Yan said.
Di Tao replied, “The emperor said to ask you if I don’t understand something. I’ve got official permission.”
The guesthouse didn’t provide breakfast, and Tang Mansion’s food was insanely delicious, so he’d come early to mooch.
Di Tao eyed the red bean rolls in front of Tang Ning with longing, holding his chopsticks with a pitiful expression. “Uncle, I’m hungry.”
Xiao Yan: “…”
He didn’t want to be this “uncle” anymore!
Xue Ru, clutching her bowl, let out a stifled laugh. Seeing Di Tao’s bright eyes turn to her, she quickly suppressed her smile. “There’s some noodles in the kitchen. If Young General Di doesn’t mind…”
“I don’t mind! I’ll take it!” Di Tao exclaimed.
Hua Wu’s lips twitched nearby. Had the supervisor brought back a glutton from the northwest?
She hurried off and soon returned with a large basin of vegetable and egg noodles, big enough for two. Setting it on the table, Di Tao glanced at Xiao Yan and the others.
“Uncle, want me to share some?”
Xiao Yan’s mouth twitched.
Tang Ning quickly said, “No, we’re good. You eat.”
Xue Ru waved her hand. “I’m full.”
Di Tao eagerly pulled the basin over and dug in. His appetite was huge, but his manners weren’t crude. Sitting boldly, he scooped noodles into his mouth with chopsticks, eating quietly.
The basin emptied visibly, and in no time, it was bare. Di Tao lifted it, drank the broth in one go, and set it down cleaner than if it had been licked.
Even the seasoned Xiao Yan couldn’t help but twitch his lips. “When we traveled together, I didn’t see you eat like this.”
Di Tao muttered, “I didn’t dare eat much then. I shamelessly hitched a ride on your carriage. If I ate too much, what if you ditched me halfway?”
Recalling that grueling journey, he pouted. “Uncle, you don’t know, I didn’t get a single full meal those days. I was so hungry at night I wanted to gnaw the bedframe.”
Back in the northwest, he’d lost a ton of weight.
Poor him~
Xiao Yan was speechless.
Tang Ning covered her mouth, giggling.
Xue Ru: Glutton…
…
After breakfast, Xiao Yan naturally planned to see his guest out, but Di Tao clung on shamelessly. “Uncle, His Majesty’s giving me a new residence.”
“I know,” Xiao Yan said.
“Then help me pick one.”
“I’m not your father.”
Di Tao played the rogue. “But you’re my uncle! I’m a stranger in the capital. You can’t abandon me.”
Xiao Yan: “…”
Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself: I lured him here, I tricked him into coming, I can’t hit him. Killing him would be a hassle.
“Cang Lang, you go with him.”
Di Tao refused. “I don’t want him!”
Xiao Yan’s fist clenched as he stared at Di Tao. “Did I give you the impression I’m easy to talk to?”
Di Tao’s scalp tingled, and he quickly fawned. “I just think Cang Lang’s a big guy who doesn’t know anything. Why not let the little…”
Before he could say “auntie,” he met Xiao Yan’s gaze and swallowed the words. “Let the countess help me.”
“Tang Ning’s busy.”
“Then Lady Xue!”
Di Tao spoke rapidly.
Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed instantly.
Di Tao shrank a bit. “Lady Xue’s been in the capital a long time. She must know the best locations. Since His Majesty’s granting me a residence, I need to pick the best one, or I’ll lose out.”
“Plus, I heard Lady Xue helps the countess manage things at Tang Mansion, all neat and orderly. My new place will need setting up, and she’d be perfect…”
His reasons were sound, each one impeccably proper.
Xiao Yan glanced at the young woman beside Tang Ning. Compared to when she first arrived at Tang Mansion, Xue Ru looked much better—less frail, her cheeks fuller. Though not as strikingly beautiful as Tang Ning, she was delicate and pretty. Perhaps due to studying at the academy with Tang Ning and meeting more people, Xue Ru had shed the timid, small-minded air from her Song family days. Her eyes now held a scholarly grace, her demeanor confident and poised. Xiao Yan knew she wasn’t foolish but rather quite clever. No wonder Di Tao had taken a liking to her.
Xiao Yan didn’t care much about others, but Xue Ru was different—she mattered to Tang Ning and had once risked her life to save her.
“If you want someone’s help, ask them yourself. If A-Ru agrees, I have no objections.”
It was the first time Xue Ru heard Xiao Yan call her that. She usually avoided being alone with him, stepping aside whenever he was around to avoid upsetting Tang Ning. Today, she’d only stayed because she was already with Tang Ning when Xiao Yan and Di Tao arrived; otherwise, she’d have left.
Xue Ru looked at Tang Ning. “Does A-Sister want me to go?”
Tang Ning laughed. “It’s your decision, why ask me? Young General Di invited you. If you want to go, go. If not, just say no. I’m sure he won’t make it difficult.”
Di Tao quickly nodded. “Right, it’s up to you.”
Though he said it was her choice, his eager, pleading eyes practically begged, “Go, go!” as if he were wagging a tail.
Xue Ru lowered her gaze for a moment before looking up. “Alright, I’ll go. But if I pick poorly, don’t blame me, Young General Di.”
Di Tao beamed. “No blame, no blame! Anything’s fine!”
Di Tao left with Xue Ru, and Tang Ning sent Yue Jian to accompany them. Once they were gone, Tang Ning turned to Xiao Yan. “Is Di Tao interested in A-Ru?”
Xiao Yan asked, “What, you’re not happy?”
“No, I’m thrilled!”
Tang Ning was genuinely pleased. Xue Ru’s background was a hurdle. Though Tang Ning had separated her from the Song family and let her take her mother’s surname, everyone in the capital knew her origins. High-ranking families wouldn’t marry her as a principal wife, and those of decent status willing to marry her often had issues, many just aiming to curry favor with Tang Ning and Xiao Yan.
Most importantly, Xue Ru’s health was fragile. Her childhood suffering in the Song family had left lasting damage. Though she appeared recovered, she couldn’t bear children before twenty without risking her life.
Xue Ru was already fourteen, nearing her coming-of-age ceremony in a few months. While Tang Ning didn’t mind keeping her at the mansion, she’d eventually need a suitable match. These past few days, Tang Ning had learned a bit about Di Tao. He had a good character and a strong family background. Xiao Yan had said Di Shuangcheng was loyal, wise, and honorable, so Di Tao likely was too. Plus, he was only a few years older than Xue Ru. Even if he waited until she was twenty to marry and have children, he wouldn’t be too old.
Tang Ning thought it through. “Given A-Ru’s situation, finding a match in the capital might lead to grievances. If Di Tao truly likes her and is willing to wait, that’s ideal.”
“But it depends on whether A-Ru likes him. It’s her marriage, so she has to be willing. She’s still young, no rush. Let’s see how Di Tao behaves. What if it’s just a fleeting whim?”
“Brother, let’s pretend we don’t know…”
Ah.
A sudden warmth startled Tang Ning.
Turning to see Xiao Yan’s face close by, her cheeks flushed. “Brother, what are you doing?”
“What do you think?”
Xiao Yan pulled her closer. “Stop thinking about others. Think about me more.”=============
You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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