Xiao Yi was increasingly satisfied with Jin Ning, which made some people increasingly unhappy.
At this moment, Pei Mingyue bit her thin lips and slowly lowered her head, looking very dejected.
Xiao Chen, sitting diagonally opposite, saw this scene and wished he could get up and go over to care for her. Marchioness Yong'an, Madam Song, even said gently across Jin Ning, "Yue'er, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Pei Mingyue gently shook her head and smiled obediently, "Mother, I'm fine."
Pei Mingyue said she was fine, but Madam Song's concern did not diminish.
"Yue'er, try this shredded thousand-osmanthus fish, it's very delicious."
Pei Mingyue looked at the shredded thousand-osmanthus fish, her expression dazed, and tears instantly welled up in her dark eyes.
Seeing this, Madam Song quickly asked with heartache, "What's wrong all of a sudden? Who bullied you?"
Speaking of this, Madam Song's gaze drifted towards Jin Ning.
Jin Ning sat there with an impassive expression, as if it had nothing to do with her.
Pei Mingyue said in a weak voice at this moment, "In the past, our family was poor, and we couldn't afford to eat fish..."
Upon hearing this, Madam Song knew that Pei Mingyue was recalling the hardships of the past, and her heart ached as if she couldn't bear it.
She quickly served Pei Mingyue dishes one by one, across Jin Ning: "Yue'er, try this, and this..."
In a short while, Pei Mingyue's bowl was filled with many dishes.
Pei Mingyue looked at Jin Ning, blinked her eyes, picked up a glutinous rice ball with fermented rice from her bowl, and placed it in Jin Ning's bowl: "Sister, you eat too! It's all Mother's fault, she only doted on me and forgot about Sister."
Madam Song smiled gently, "Mingyue is so sensible."
Jin Ning looked at the glutinous rice ball with fermented rice in her bowl but had no intention of eating it.
Pei Mingyue looked at Madam Song innocently and asked, "Why isn't Sister eating the food I gave her? Does she dislike me?"
Speaking of this, Pei Mingyue's eyes were teary: "I grew up in the countryside since I was young, unlike Sister who is a princess. It's natural for Sister to dislike my coarseness..."
Madam Song looked at Pei Mingyue and reprimanded, "Don't say that! You were born to your mother after ten months of pregnancy, and you are the true legitimate daughter of the Marquis's Manor. No one in the Marquis's Manor is more noble than you. Who would dare to dislike you?"
Jin Ning: "..."
It truly is a mother and daughter's deep affection.
But if you have deep mother-daughter affection, must you step on her?
Madam Song looked at Jin Ning, her tone still gentle, but with a hint of dissatisfaction: "Sister had good intentions, how could you not eat it?"
Jin Ning looked at Madam Song and said faintly, "Mother, have you forgotten? I cannot eat glutinous rice balls with fermented rice."
When she was young, she almost choked to death on glutinous rice balls with fermented rice, and since then, she could never eat them again.
At that time, Madam Song stayed by her bedside, her eyes red from crying, saying that she could not lose another daughter.
Thinking of this, Jin Ning gave a self-deprecating smile.
It is likely that Madam Song no longer considers her a daughter now.
Madam Song recalled the past, and her eyes softened slightly: "People always change. I thought that as you grew older, you would no longer be afraid of glutinous rice balls with fermented rice."
Jin Ning smiled upon hearing this: "Yes, people always change."
"If Sister doesn't like glutinous rice balls with fermented rice, then I will pour tea for Sister." Pei Mingyue smiled and poured tea for Jin Ning.
Jin Ning said, "No need."
"Sister, don't be polite with me." Saying this, Pei Mingyue took the teacup herself and, before Jin Ning could dodge, the tea in the cup was all spilled on Jin Ning.
Pei Mingyue exclaimed first, "Ah!"
"What happened?" Madam Song quickly asked.
Pei Mingyue looked at Madam Song aggrievedly: "I was pouring tea for Sister, I didn't expect... Sister..."
She raised her hand, and the cotton gauze used for bandaging was also stained with some tea, making Madam Song's eyes full of nervousness and heartache.
Speaking of this, Pei Mingyue slightly lowered her eyebrows and continued, "It's not Sister's fault. Sister didn't push me, I was careless myself. Mother, please don't blame Sister."
Madam Song's gaze towards Jin Ning could no longer maintain its former gentleness. However, at the palace banquet, Madam Song could only suppress her dissatisfaction and said impatiently, "Since your clothes are wet, why don't you go out and change?"
Madam Song found her an eyesore, and Jin Ning did not want to sit between the two of them and cause herself trouble, so she got up and walked out.
As for Pei Mingyue's framing just now, she knew that even if she explained, Madam Song would not believe her.
No, even if Madam Song saw the whole incident clearly, she would still be biased towards Pei Mingyue. What was the point of explaining?
Seeing Jin Ning leave, Pei Mingyue looked towards Xiao Chen, who was wearing a moon-white formal robe diagonally opposite. She felt that his robe looked more pleasing to the eye.
As soon as Jin Ning left Tingxue Pavilion, Pei Jingchuan chased after her before she had walked a few steps.
"Pei Jin Ning! Stop right there!" Pei Jingchuan shouted.
Jin Ning did not want to pay attention to Pei Jingchuan and continued to walk forward, but Pei Jingchuan quickly caught up to Jin Ning, taking two steps at a time.
"Pei Jin Ning, are you deaf?" Pei Jingchuan blocked Jin Ning and said coldly.
Jin Ning raised her eyebrows and looked at Pei Jingchuan: "Do you need something?"
"You're not deaf? Why didn't you respond when I called you just now?" Pei Jingchuan said unhappily.
Jin Ning said, "When I greeted you just now in Tingxue Pavilion, didn't you also not respond?"
Pei Jingchuan did not expect Jin Ning to remember what happened just now! Moreover, why had his usually gentle and good-natured sister suddenly become so difficult? Although she didn't pierce anyone and draw blood, she was like a soft nail stuck in one's throat, making people feel uncomfortable and uneasy.
He immediately said, "I'm not talking to you about this! I'm looking for you today to ask why you made things difficult for Mingyue at the palace banquet?"
Jin Ning looked at Pei Jingchuan in disbelief upon hearing this: "I made things difficult for her?"
"I saw it all! Mingyue was pouring you tea, and you deliberately knocked over the teacup!" Pei Jingchuan said in a deep voice.
Jin Ning smiled: "It seems you are not only deaf but also a bit blind."
Pei Jingchuan continued, "Pei Jin Ning, I really didn't expect you to become like this!"
It had only been two or three days since Jin Ning returned, and this was the second time Pei Jingchuan had said such a thing.
Jin Ning was not angry, but looked at Pei Jingchuan faintly: "So, you chased after me just to say this to me?"
"I want to tell you that everything you have now was obtained by sacrificing Mingyue. You had better treat Mingyue well. If I find out that you dare to make things difficult for Mingyue again... don't blame me..."
"Blame you for what?" Jin Ning retorted.
"Don't blame me for not valuing sibling affection and being impolite to you!" Pei Jingchuan warned in a deep voice.
Jin Ning looked at Pei Jingchuan, a hint of heartache in her tone: "So, do you think there is still sibling affection between us?"
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