“Thank you for your assistance, Lord Zhao.” Suddenly, Huo Ningyu bowed deeply to him.
They had just reached the alley entrance when they heard Jiang Ning’s scream. The snake hadn’t been that obedient after all—it turned out Lord Zhao had helped.
Huo Ningyu immediately understood.
“Just called you foolish, and now you’ve become clever. Good. Only this once—don’t do foolish things again. Tomorrow at noon, Yuejing Teahouse.” After leaving these words, Zhao Bingyu vanished into the night.
Huo Mingchang was still confused, not understanding what his sister and Zhao Bingyu’s conversation meant.
“Let’s go home.” Huo Ningyu nudged her dazed younger brother.
“Sister, are you very familiar with Lord Zhao?” Huo Mingchang finally regained his senses.
“Not familiar.”
“If you’re not familiar, why would he help us?”
“I thought you didn’t understand what he meant.”
“Am I that stupid? Is he telling us not to come here again?”
“Yes.”
“But I still want to come a few more times.” Huo Mingchang hadn’t had enough fun yet.
Such an amusing thing—he wanted to do it several more times, mainly because it was satisfying.
“Without his help, could we have put snakes in their bedrooms? We’re just children playing around.” Huo Ningyu rolled her eyes.
“Alright. Tomorrow at noon, Yuejing Teahouse. Da Xiao Jie, is he asking to meet you?” Huo Mingchang belatedly realized.
“Why do you think he helped me? I exchanged it with a condition.”
“What condition?” Huo Mingchang felt he knew too little.
“Don’t worry about it. Just focus on your studies.” Huo Ningyu didn’t want to discuss it further.
She hadn’t let her family know she was reborn.
She would tell her parents and eldest brother when the time was right. Her second brother wasn’t mature enough yet—some things were better kept from him.
The two quietly returned to Huo Manor.
Huo Mingxian had been waiting at the back door, only relaxing when he saw them return.
Huo Mingchang chattered excitedly, recounting the entire process, growing more animated as he spoke.
“How did you encounter Zhao He?” Huo Mingxian sensed something unusual.
“Eldest Brother, it’s fine. That person is rumored to be fierce, but he’s actually very principled.” Huo Ningyu reassured him.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, however, guests arrived at Huo Manor.
“Miss, it’s terrible! The Chen Family has come to break off the engagement!” A young maid from Huo Ningyu’s courtyard rushed into the yard, standing at the doorway to report.
Zhenzhu, who was combing Huo Ningyu’s hair, trembled and pulled out several strands.
“Sorry, Miss. This servant didn’t mean to.”
“Manao, bring her in and have her explain properly what happened.” Huo Ningyu instructed another senior maid.
The young maid was brought into the inner chamber.
Normally, besides first-rank senior maids, other maids weren’t permitted in the inner chamber.
“Greetings, Miss. Early this morning, the Chen Family—who had an engagement with the Eldest Young Master—came to break it off. They said Da Xiao Jie’s reputation has affected the entire Huo Family’s reputation.”
“They said their daughter cannot marry into a family that has such improper daughters. They also said the Huo Family has no shame, but their family values their reputation.” The young maid spoke with indignation.
The Eldest Young Master was actually being looked down upon.
Which maid in the manor wouldn’t want the Eldest Young Master to glance their way more often?
If not for the Huo Family rule stating that men could only take concubines at forty if they had no sons, the maids would be fighting to get close to the Eldest Young Master.
The smile on Huo Ningyu’s face gradually faded.
The Chen Family—the Imperial Tutor’s Residence.
Emperor Qiande was already fifty-two.
Of his several tutors, only one remained alive—the Old Master of the Chen Family.
Though in poor health and enjoying her twilight years, her prestige and influence remained undiminished.
Their family status surpassed that of the Huo Family, yet the Huo Family’s precepts were deeply admired by the young ladies of the capital.
It was only after the Chen Family’s main branch extended an olive branch to the Huo Family, seeking marriage ties, that this engagement was settled.
In her previous life, Third Miss Chen married into the Huo Family but had a strained relationship with Huo Ningyu.
She resented Huo Ningyu for falling ill right after marriage, considering it an ill omen.
Third Miss Chen particularly detested how her husband showed more concern for his sister than for her, his wife.
When her spirit wandered after death, she witnessed the Huo Family imprisoned, and the Chen Family immediately arranged for her husband to divorce her, abandoning even their own child.
They executed their self-serving maneuvers with ruthless efficiency.
The Imperial Tutor’s Residence was precisely the kind of household that shared joy but not adversity.
Hmph!
Rumors only spread yesterday, and today they come to break off the engagement.
Utterly ridiculous.
“Manao, bring me that Light Gold and Peach-Pink Sprinkled Flower Beizi. I want to wear it. This young lady will also go meet the Chen Family elders.” Huo Ningyu deliberately dressed flamboyantly, showing no trace of worry.
If they take idle gossip seriously, the Chen Family probably has brains only fit for an Imperial Tutor.
“Yes, Miss.”
She added a Gold Filigree Ruby Twining Branch Hairpin, making her appear noble yet playfully charming.
She had an apple-shaped face, round and adorable, paired with lively phoenix-tail eyes.
Her beauty was captivating but not seductive.
Pleasant to look at, without any affectation.
Arriving at the main courtyard with Zhenzhu and Manao, she heard conversation from inside just as she reached the doorway.
“Madam Huo, my daughter has been crying her heart out.
To be spoken of like that simply for going out—she truly has no face left to show anyone.
Our Fangli has always been amiable with everyone, yet yesterday when she went out, she suffered such ridicule from the noble young ladies of the capital. She has never endured such humiliation before.
We all have daughters—my heart ached so much I couldn’t sleep all night.
Fangli refuses to marry into the Huo Family no matter what, and we as parents can only comply.”
Huo Ningyu stood outside listening until Madam Chen finished speaking before gracefully entering the hall.
“Greetings, Mother.” She performed a proper bow.
Then she turned to Madam Chen: “My respects to First Madam Chen.”
Seeing Huo Ningyu bow to her as if nothing were wrong, Madam Chen’s eye twitched.
“Ahem, no need for such courtesy, Miss Huo.” First Madam Chen cleared her throat lightly, looking at Huo Ningyu as if she were some filthy creature.
“How regrettable that my affairs have brought undeserved misfortune upon Third Miss Chen.
Some idle gossip has made her afraid to leave home, yet the talk wasn’t even about her—it was about me.
Such lack of composure truly dishonors the Imperial Tutor’s household reputation.
One would think the family that taught the Emperor would raise descendants who understand right from wrong.
Could it be that Third Miss Chen doesn’t know that rumors stop with the wise?”
Huo Ningyu deliberately spoke softly and gently, as if making casual conversation.
Yet every word carried a blade’s edge that pierced straight through First Madam Chen.
“You…” First Madam Chen choked on anger at these velvet-gloved daggers.
“Madam Huo, is this the upbringing of your Huo Manor? A junior actually daring to speak to elders like this.” First Madam Chen couldn’t properly contend with a junior.
So she directly challenged Rong Huazhi instead.
“First Madam Chen, don’t you think my Ningyu speaks quite reasonably?” Rong Huazhi secretly laughed but didn’t show it.
Although the Chen Family belonged to the Imperial Tutor’s Residence, First Madam Chen’s husband only held a fifth-rank position as a Ministry of Works official.
She wasn’t intimidated.
Her daughter’s temperament seemed to have grown more assertive than before.
If it were any other woman who couldn’t handle adversity, facing such misfortune might have driven her to desperate measures.
But her daughter showed not a trace of sorrow throughout the entire ordeal. Moreover, she managed to enlist the help of the Imperial City Envoy to uphold her rights at the critical moment.
The marriage annulment was smoothly achieved.
“Utterly unreasonable,” First Madam Chen gritted her teeth, though her voice remained low.
Today she had come to discuss serious matters.
“Madam Huo, let’s not dwell on irrelevant matters. I came today for one purpose only—my Fangli is unworthy of your esteemed Huo Family.
Having an unmarriageable spinster at home would surely cast a shadow over my future granddaughter’s marital prospects.”