Chapter 16: Return Visit Day, Wang Meng Pays Respects

Chapter 16: Homecoming Day, Wang Meng Pays Respects

Today was the big day for Ning Xishi's homecoming.

Although all parties felt that the capital was seething with undercurrents, because the general's mansion had sent out too many spies, others had no choice but to hold back their urge to cause trouble and could only wait and see.

"Xi'er!" The moment Ning Xishi stepped down from the carriage, his mother took both of his hands. Qin Rong squeezed her son's hands tightly, her voice choked with tears, "You've lost weight!"

Ning Xishi was also moved, but he was an honest person: "Mother, I've been eating out with Qi Huairui and the gang every day lately. I've eaten a lot, so I probably haven't lost weight."

Qin Rong's heartache was almost cut short by her son's words, and her tearful tone also faltered.

Her hands moved to pinch his ear: "Eating out? Let me tell you, your brother said that Qi Huairui's eldest brother went to the red-light district during the Ghost Festival. With an elder brother like that, Qi Huairui might very well pick up bad habits too. You're not allowed to go there, understand?"

The familiar ear-pinching made Ning Xishi feel somewhat nostalgic, and this time his mother went easy on him—it didn't hurt at all.

Ning Xishi shot his brother, who was standing nearby, a "good luck to you" look, then said quietly, "Mother, you can't just take my eldest brother's word for it. He's a proper top scholar—how would he know that Qi Huairui's eldest brother went to the red-light district? Maybe he was there too, Mother. If my eldest brother goes to such places, then you really should set him straight."

Qin Rong: "..." You two just love tattling on each other the moment you meet, don't you?

Other families have brothers who get along, but in her own household, it's become brothers at each other's throats!

When they finally approached their own front gate and the copper doors closed behind them, Qin Rong said, "Your brother went there on business—don't spout nonsense. Besides, Xi'er, you have a soft heart. If a girl speaks sweet words to you, you go soft. You absolutely must not go to that place."

Otherwise, he'd definitely get tricked.

Ning Xishi wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult—so in his mother's eyes, he was just some pushover who'd listen to any girl?!

But he was only seventeen!

"Ning Xiao'er, don't pull such a long face. Aunt Qin is right—you really are a softie when it comes to girls."

A gentle female voice came from behind the decorative wall. Ning Xishi looked over and his eyes lit up: "Sister A'yu!"

The girl in the blue dress was none other than Nangong Yu—the fiancée who had been announced at his eldest brother Ning Qishi's coming-of-age ceremony not long ago.

The moment Nangong Yu appeared, Ning Xishi immediately thought of her fate in the original novel—

"On the eve of her wedding, she committed adultery and was sent to a nunnery, to spend the rest of her life in prayer."

Nangong Yu and his eldest brother were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love—how could she possibly commit adultery? Moreover, with how straightforward Sister A'yu is, even if she no longer loved his eldest brother and had fallen for someone else, she wouldn't do something like committing adultery while engaged.

This whole thing seemed designed to clear the way for the female lead.

After all, his eldest brother Ning Lanzhi was the famous third male lead in the book, an admirer of the female lead. To make his eldest brother naturally assume that role, everyone around him had to be removed.

Unfortunately, the book didn't specify exactly when this would happen, so Ning Xishi didn't know when it would occur.

All he could do was keep an eye out and have Qingyan Tower send people to protect Sister A'yu.

Ning Xishi had thought of this before—it seemed like the book's plot couldn't really be changed, just as he had to marry Xie Jingxing, and just as Xie Jingxing had fallen into the water because of him on the day they went to see the Empress Dowager.

But the outcome could be different.

Although Ning Xishi had married Xie Jingxing, because he meant the other no harm, the other hadn't wanted to kill him either. The two were getting along fine for now;

And Xie Jingxing's fall into the water had changed even more. He had used a stone to block Xie Jingxing's wheelchair, so Xie Jingxing couldn't move and accidentally fell into the water. Luckily, he fished him out in time, and Xie Jingxing also said it wasn't his fault. In the end, the two soaking-wet men returned to the general's mansion wrapped in blankets, and everything remained peaceful.

So, the plot of the original novel seemed unable to change, but the outcomes could!

With this deduction, Ning Xishi was raring to go. He'd managed to live a second life and been reborn into a good family as a carefree young master—he absolutely refused to become that short-lived dead man.

And a miserable death at that.

"Xi'er, what are you looking at?" Qin Rong saw Ning Xishi staring at Nangong Yu, pinched his arm, and hurriedly pulled her second son away, leaving the space for Ning Qishi and Nangong Yu as a couple.

Only after they reached behind the rockery did Qin Rong say with a pained expression, "Now that you're married, and your Sister Nangong is engaged to your eldest brother, you mustn't stare at other young ladies like that anymore."

Ning Xishi felt he'd never live this down: "Mother, I truly have no romantic feelings for Sister A'yu."

At the same time, he heard the footsteps of his eldest brother and Nangong Yu approaching. Ning Xishi was truly afraid of becoming the malicious younger brother coveting his elder brother's wife, so he quickly said, "Mother, let's go inside first."

"Mother knows you're suffering in your heart. My child, if life in the general's mansion ever treats you badly, just tell Mother. Even if I have to risk my life, I'll fight to get justice for you." Qin Rong stroked Ning Xishi's face, and because her heart ached too much, she couldn't bear to look into his eyes. She said, "Come, your father is waiting for you in the main hall. Half of today's dishes were cooked by him early this morning—all your favorites."

As mother and son walked away, Ning Qishi and Nangong Yu arrived belatedly.

In truth, they had both heard the earlier conversation, but at this moment they could only tacitly pretend not to know. What else could they do?

Nangong Yu suddenly recalled that before Ning Qishi's coming-of-age ceremony, she had gone to see her grandfather and said, "Since it's a marriage contract between the Nangong and Ning families, why can't it be Xishi? I like him better."

Her grandfather, who had always doted on Nangong Yu, flew into a rage upon hearing this and told her that the eldest daughter of the Nangong family could only marry the legitimate eldest son of the Ning family. Not to mention that Ning Qishi had achieved the rank of top scholar at a young age with boundless future prospects.

But if you took out that good-for-nothing wastrel Ning Xishi, what did he have that could possibly match the Nangong family's eldest daughter of exceptional talent and beauty?

Seventeen years old and hadn't even passed the county examination—what a disgrace to the Ning family!

In fact, a similar conversation had taken place in the Ning family. Ning Qishi had rarely taken the initiative to have a heart-to-heart talk with his younger brother, though his younger brother had looked at him with a rather terrified expression, as if he thought Ning Qishi was some man-eating monster.

Ning Qishi had only asked about taking on the family responsibility and fulfilling the marriage contract with the Nangong family, and Ning Xishi had shaken his head repeatedly, saying that his eldest brother and Sister A'yu were a perfect match made in heaven, and that he, the useless good-for-nothing, just wanted to lie flat and do nothing.

Only when Ning Qishi saw that his younger brother wasn't putting on an act did he agree to bring up the marriage contract at the coming-of-age ceremony.

But then the emperor issued an edict marrying Ning Xishi to the general's mansion, and fate played its tricks, creating the current awkward situation.

Nangong Yu stepped forward, her tone calmer than ever before: "Let's go. Don't keep Aunt Qin waiting."

If not for the faint hint of tears hidden in her voice, everything might have seemed more reasonable.

·

After spending a whole day with his family, Ning Xishi felt as though he'd returned to the days before his marriage.

Eating and drinking at home, playing chess with his eldest brother and getting thoroughly trounced, fishing with Sister A'yu and getting scolded for making too much noise and scaring away the fish...

It wasn't until dusk that Ning Xishi suddenly realized parting was near. Reluctantly, he walked out of the house.

The general's mansion carriage was already waiting outside, but Ning Xishi didn't want to go back so soon. He said, "It's not far anyway. I'll just walk back myself. You all go on ahead."

His original plan was to detour to Qingyan Tower to see what that man called Old Fourth Ming had revealed.

But halfway there, Wang Meng blocked his path.

Wang Meng was travel-worn, his skin even darker than before from the sun, his eyes bloodshot—it looked like he hadn't slept in who knows how many days and nights.

Ning Xishi was startled and was about to have Dongshuang call for people.

But Wang Meng knelt down with a "thud" in front of Ning Xishi first.

Tears from the burly seven-foot man splattered onto the ground: "Back then, my elder sister traded herself for a measure of grain to send me into the army—that's how I have today. You saved my sister from fire and water. You are her reborn parents, and thus my reborn parents as well. I, Wang Meng, failed to recognize your greatness and instead repaid kindness with enmity—all of this is my fault. Now, this life of mine belongs to Second Young Master Ning. Whether you want to kill me or cut me up, I'll obey your command!"

As he spoke, he produced a dagger, holding it up high with both hands and bowing his head low.

Ning Xishi was dumbfounded, even instinctively recalling the original plot—perhaps in the original story, this very dagger was what would have sliced him into a thousand pieces.

He said, "Since you sincerely thank me and apologize, if I simply say I forgive you, it would make me look like a sap. I'm not that big-hearted either. Wang Meng, I want you to protect me. Not as a personal bodyguard, but when someone gives you an order to harm me, you pretend to comply, then come back and tell me about it before we decide what to do."

Wang Meng was startled, lifting his head to look at Second Young Master Ning.

The young man was slender in build, but his spine stood straight, and though his words asked for being two-faced and playing the turncoat, his gaze was remarkably candid and far-seeing.

For a moment, Wang Meng felt that this wastrel Second Young Master Ning seemed even harder to read than his brother, the Tanhua scholar.

Wang Meng finally kowtowed low and said, "Wang Meng obeys."

A curved crescent moon hung over the upturned eaves, casting light on Second Young Master Ning's unhurried retreating figure, which seemed somewhat smug.

Dongshuang shook his head helplessly—his young master truly had a childish temperament, getting cocky at the slightest bit of good news.

==========Author's Note:==========

Good night.