“Okay.” Ning Lao Tai looked into her eyes and instructed, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
Ning Wan Wan nodded as her grandmother left, then turned to Si Yi and asked coldly, “What else do you want?”
Si Yi stared at her, saying sourly, “I saw you and the Imperial Uncle exchanging secret glances. I didn’t expect you two to actually be together.”
Ning Wan Wan was stunned and felt anger rising. “If slandering me brings you comfort, then I, Ning Wan Wan, will accept it. Consider it thanks for not marrying, but we owe each other nothing from now on.”
“Slandering?” Si Yi coldly snorted. “If you had no affair with the Imperial Uncle, why would he threaten me to dissolve our engagement and give you your freedom?”
Threat?
Ning Wan Wan was horrified.
She never imagined that Si Zhan would actually threaten Si Yi to force him to propose breaking off the engagement. What could he have threatened Si Yi with that made him risk the Emperor’s anger?
This meant Si Zhan had completely offended Si Yi, which worried her.
Wu Deng feigned confusion, saying, “Sister Fuyi, you misunderstood. I didn’t see the young lady and Sister Fuyi just now; I suddenly remembered I had something to do.”
Fuyi listened with half-belief.
Ning Wanwan glanced at the small box under Wu Deng’s arm and asked, “What’s inside the box?”
Wu Deng replied, “Just some small trinkets the master asked me to buy for Lady Xu and the young ladies.”
“Open it and let me see,” Ning Wanwan said.
Wu Deng hesitated, reluctant to open it.
Even Fuyi sensed that Wu Deng was hiding something. She stepped forward and sternly asked, “Wu Deng, didn’t you hear what the young lady said?”
Wu Deng’s eyes darted around, laughing, “How would I dare not? If the young lady wants to see, please go ahead.” He opened the small box.
Ning Wanwan gave Fuyi a meaningful look, and Fuyi stepped forward to look inside.
Indeed, it was filled with various imported trinkets – tortoiseshell, ivory, pearls, incense, and dragon’s brain, but with a thick layer of silver notes at the bottom.
Fuyi pulled out the silver notes and counted them – over three thousand taels.
“Where did these silver notes come from?” Ning Wanwan asked Wu Deng.
