The Devious First-Daughter (Web Novel)
chapter-28

Chapter 28 Winning Lanning’s Heart

After falling into the water last time, Ning Ziyan had been ignored by Xia Yuhang for more than half a year. She had sneaked into Xia Manor afterward, kneeling down in front of Xia Yuhang for six hours with lightly dressed. She fainted later so Xia Yuhang forgave her reluctantly, and he warned her not to be against the woman.

Seeing Xia Yuhang’s reaction, Ning Ziyan knew he treated that woman differently, but who was this woman?

Ning Ziyan was hesitating.

Because Ning Xueyan’s words had helped her just now, Ning Ziyan had a good feeling about her. She frowned a little when she heard what Ning Xueyan said and thought it made sense. However, she couldn’t make up her mind. The main purpose of Ning Ziyan’s coming to Cold Mountain Temple with Ning Xueyan is to glorify her reputation. She wanted people to know she was a filial daughter. And the reason why the funeral turned into a wedding was because of her unawareness.

She needed to get herself out of the scandal of Lord Protector’s Manor.

Therefore, perhaps it was not wise that Ning Ziyan returned home now. Seeing that woman showed a coquettish face with a handkerchief in her hands, however, Ning Ziyan hated it a lot and couldn’t calm down easily.

“My Eldest Sister, if you don’t come back…” Ning Xueyan glanced at Chen Hexiang slightly, implying something unspoken with her lip thrown up a little. It could be told obviously that Chen Hexiang was ambitious. If Ning Ziyan really stayed at Cold Mountain Temple for a month, it would be hard to predict what would happen.

“My dear fifth younger sister, please help me to burn some incense for my second mom. I got something to handle in my manor, so I need to go back hurriedly.” Ning Ziyan said. Although her reputation was important, she decided to deal with Chen Hexiang first at the moment seeing Chen Hexiang’s face. Because nothing is more important to her than Xia Yuhang. Ning Ziyan had just got rid of Ning Ziying. It was unexpected that Chen Hexiang showed up.

Ning Ziyan even never felt guilty for killing Ning Ziying, let alone this woman.

“Eh…okay, my Eldest Sister. Our mom wouldn’t blame you for this, especially in circumstances like this. You can go home now.” Ning Xueyan dropped her eyes smiling. Her eyes fell upon Ning Ziyan’s hands, which were bound up carefully. The wound inside the bandage was a bite from Ning Xueyan. The bite contained all her grievance, hatred and pain. It, seemingly, hurt deeply because Ning Ziyan tried to protect the hand all the time.

Even though it hurt her badly and so what? The wounds would heal soon, but how about the broken heart?

Assembling two vicious women together is the purpose of her managing to make Ning Ziyan come to Cold Mountain Temple. Two hypocritical malicious women gathered in Xia Manor so it would be impossible for Xia Yuhang to get any peace. What Xia Yuhang cared about most, such as having the first prize of the next spring and passing the imperial examination for a better political career, would be destroyed by her one by one…

Both her and Ning Xueyan’s stuff, she would let them pay for it eventually…

Back to the room, Ning Xueyan sat for a long time to recover from gloomy malaise. She thought her status as Fifth Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor could play a role better now…

“My lady, do you want to have a rest?” Lanning asked as she walked in with a cup of hot tea. She noticed Ning Xueyan remained the same gesture as she saw before her leaving. So she thought about it and asked the question.

Ning Xueyan turned to look at Lanning, taking a deep breath. Her limpid cold eyes were filled with mood swings, and she came straight to the point with astonishing words, “Lanning, please tell me everything you know, and I would avenge your lady’s death.”

The words came to Lanning unexpectedly. Lanning’s face turned white promptly and couldn’t help trembling. She looked at Ning Xueyan in amazement with her eyes in panic, “My…my lady…”

Her delicate lip was bitten turning almost bloodless! And her eyes seemed losing bright!

Although Ning Xueyan appreciated it in her heart, she stared at Lanning trying hard to repress her feeling, and said by word, “Yes, I want to know the truth of Ning Ziying’s death.”

Ning Xueyan wanted Lanning, but it would be unnecessary to keep Lanning if she became disloyal. The one Ning Xueyan needed is the same Lanning of Ning Xueyan’s previous incarnation, who was loyal to her completely. She never planned to tell Lanning all the weird things about herself. How freaky what she had gone through was! Her rebirth in another girl’s body, even herself couldn’t believe it really happened let alone Lanning. So she ought to adopt some more valid measures to give a hit straight to Lanning’s heart.

“My dear Fifth Young Lady, my lady…was…was because of herself…” Lanning said, gritting her teeth when she opened her eyes wide.

“I know you don’t dare to tell the truth. Then please keep it as a secret forever, and never try to avenge her death! Let reality be the truth!” Ning Xueyan interrupted Lanning cold-bloodedly. Her eyes were insightful and peaceful, filled with rolling darkness, which could nearly swallow people.

Looking at this pair of eyes, Lanning felt a bit distressed. She burst into tears because there were hatred and sadness deep inside her heart. She flopped down on her knees, kowtowing to Ning Xueyan hard three times. Then she raised her head staring at Ning Xueyan and said, “Fifth Young Lady, please get revenge for my lady. She… she… must be murdered by Eldest Young Lady and First Madam.”

Lanning was already chocked with sobs pulling Ning Xueyan’s dress when she finished talking,

At that moment just now, Lanning was convinced by some unreasonable feeling to believe Fifth Young Lady. She had a strong instinct that the fragile Fifth Young Lady could definitely be the one who could revenge her Young Lady. Lanning looked at Fifth Young Lady’s black jade eyes which were the same as Ning Ziying’s eyes and made up her mind that she would do everything to reciprocate Fifth Young Lady, so long as Ning Xueyan finished the revenge.

“Please stand up.” Ning Xueyan reached out to Lanning. She saw Lanning raising herself with tears, so she whispered,” Where were you the day when your lady drowned?”

“My lady was about to marry, and I was afraid that someone of the manor wouldn’t take it seriously. So I went to the people in charge to ask about the wedding stuff. It was said everything was ready, but suddenly they told me it was not fully prepared. They asked me to check on. I knew there wasn’t anyone who cared about my lady in the manor, so I worried about it and went to check up myself. However, I didn’t expect that… that…” she said.

Lanning became speechless for the tears while she was talking.

When she returned, her lady and Xiang’er had disappeared. She found no one in the yard. And the older female servant of Ning yard happened to deal with something outside. Lanning looked for them everywhere with anxiety, but she saw nobody after keeping looking for half more night. Finally, someone remained her that she should go to see whether Ning Ziying fell into Lotus Pond. Then a man who could swim made sure that her lady and Xiang’er both were drowned there.

How was that possible her lady killed herself by drowning?

Tomorrow was Ning Ziying’s wedding day, but the wedding dress, which she had embroidered over half a year, was thrown on the ground in chaos. All the evidence showed her lady was murdered. In Lord Protector’s Manor, First Madam was the only one who could do this. Except for her, no one could send all the people of their yard away leaving the lady and Xiang’er alone.

Besides, it could be told from the bruise on her lady’s face that someone beat the lady. However, all the maids were lying obviously saying the people drowned to death all looked like this. Moreover, Lanning didn’t have the chance to say more, and her lady was put in a coffin. She only saw her lady once before the coffin was nailed.

Most importantly, the one who should be in the bridal sedan chair should be her lady, but it turned to be Eldest Young Lady instead. To her great surprise, everyone said the Eldest Young Lady and Xia Yuhang were engaged when they were young and nobody knew the bride should be Ning Ziying. It seemed that the one who could change everything, like turning black to white, sabotaging her lady’s wedding could be no one but Madam Ling and First Young Lady.

Lanning wanted to make terrible at the wedding under the impulse. But she was clear that she was just a maid who barely kept alive. How could she revenge her Young Lady? If she really went to sabotage the wedding, she would be dead before entering the hall. If she died, nobody would find out the truth for her lady.

“Therefore, you came to my place to revenge Ning Ziying. But don’t you think I’m fragile without any ability?” Ning Xueyan asked after hearing what Lanning said. She tried hard not to show her hatred.

“At that moment, I didn’t know what to do. But now, I believe you can find a way.” Lanning said decidedly looking at Ning Xueyan. From the moment she became Ning Xueyan’s maid, she got a feeling that she didn’t approach to the wrong person. The girl in front of her was not incompetent because the lady can rescue her from the First Lady, then punished them without hesitation.

The one who did such things couldn’t be incompetent or coward.

“Lanning, if you want to avenge Ning Ziying’s death, you must follow my order all the time.” Ning Xue’s face was full of the cold smile, and she said, “You know where I am now, I can’t confront Madam Ling or Ning Ziyan for the moment. But I will let them pay back step by step, are you willing to follow me?”

Ning Xueyan was short-staffed now, especially loyal staff. If she only got Qingyu and Mother Han, it wouldn’t be enough. Lanning was always her close maid and loyal to her, so she hoped Lanning still was.

“So long as we can get revenge my lady, no matter how long I have to wait, I will wait.” Lanning’s eyes became bright. She wiped her tears and said, gritting her teeth. She often dreamed of her lady’s bloody face. They not only changed the wedding but also killed her. So Lanning was determined to avenge her lady’s death.

“Lanning, do you believe that there is a ghost?” Ning Xueyan asked quietly.

“Ghosts? I believe in their existences. I believe my lady is watching me in heaven, to see how I make the bad guys pay back.” Lanning said with great hatred.

Ghosts? Ning Xueyan dropped her eyes again and smiled slightly. Nobody knew better than her. She was an evil ghost who died sadly. She was the one who relived from bloody hell!

Since the day she was reborn, Ning Xueyan knew clearly, she came here for revenge.

The water flowed into her nose. She could feel Blood came out from her organs and her chest hurt like being cracked. She struggled once, then twice, using up her all strength. But she was pressed by someone whom she glanced at clearly. The water flowed, but the familiar gentle face became strange and horrible, like a man-eating demon.

Struggling to the extreme, she felt nothing but extreme pain. Ning Xueyan suddenly sat upright from the darkness. She put her hands on her chest, breathing quickly. She saw blood, and she opened her eyes in the end. Her eyes looked at the sky blankly, and blood emerged in front of her.