The Fourth Lady

Murong Jingxuan listened to her still with a frivolous smile, "I'm only interested in beauties."

Qingyan refused to acknowledge his words, "If you were to say beauties, then I believe Shizi is mistaken. Eldest sister and second sister are both well known beauties of the Su manor, yet why would Shizi come here?"

"That's because the beauty in my eyes, is only you alone." Murong Jingxuan said, still smiling mischievously. He rubbed his chin and teasingly said, "I like that phrase you wrote, 'Arriving at where there's little water, sit and watch the cloud rise'."

As Qingyan listened to him, she furrowed her brows, "Why do you have my calligraphy?"

Murong Jingxuan said still smiling, "You want to know?"

His manner of speaking made Qingyan uneasy, "If there's nothing important, then please return!" Qingyan looked to him and began to show him the door.

"Beautiful, don't you miss big brother?" Murong Jingxuan shamelessly asked.

"Where did this come from? You and I aren't even close. I didn't know that Shizi would have that kind of thought." Qingyan replied without even lifting her head from the book.

Murong Jingxuan took a glance at Qingyan, then flew away.

"Miss, Huangcen has finished making dinner." Zizhu lifted the curtains and called out to Qingyan sitting in the inner room.

"Alright."

Qingyan really liked Huangcen's cooking, her cooking really fit well with Qingyan's usual palate. In a few more days, she could prepare some recipes for them follow.

Not long after dinner, Yingshuang residence welcomed Deng Yan.

Seeing Deng Yan gradually approaching, Qingyan welcomed her with a smile, "Yiniang, you came."

Qingyan led Deng Yan into the room, "Zizhu prepare tea."

"Yiniang, what brings you here to my residence?" Qingyan casually asked as she looked to Deng Yan.

"Fourth young miss, I know there's been a great change in your personality, yet I'd never thought that you'd become this decisive." Deng Yan looked to Qingyan and nodded in satisfaction. Towards Deng Yan's compliment, Qingyan nodded smiling, "Yiniang didn't come here just to praise me right?"

"Fourth miss, today seeing how you treated Cong'er, I knew that you really genuinely like him. At the third house I'm an unpopular master, even my husband hasn't visited me in a long time. I just wish that if one day anything were to happen to me, you can protect my Cong'er." Deng Yan said this as she kneeled at once.

"Yiniang why are you being so formal." Qingyan said this as she helped up Deng Yan, "Don't worry, as long as I'm here, I will protect Cong'er."

"Fourth miss, I know that your life here at the Su manor is also difficult. The second house and the third house madams are all eyeing you like a tiger watching its prey. When Xue'er had returned, she told me some things that had happened at school." Deng Yan directed her gaze at Qingyan as she said this. She could see the expression on Qingyan's face, yet she was surprised to see that Qingyan was completely calm.

"Oh." Qingyan raised her tone as she looked to Deng Yan, afterwards she understandingly laughed, "It's nothing more than a present they've prepared for me at school."

Deng Yan was a bit taken aback by Qingyan's reaction. She'd never thought that Qingyan would have predicted this current situation already.

She smiled at Qingyan and said, "That's right, the first young miss has certainly prepared a great gift for fourth miss at school."

"That's expected of course! With Ning Siyao's personality, it would be unlike her to not have Su Qingyuan slander me in front of others." Qingyan said, openly calling out her name, "Moreover, there's some unsavory people in my yard as well."

"Fourth miss, how will you deal with this situation then?" Deng Yan felt this was her chance to let out the doubt in her heart.

"What to do?" Qingyan titled her head as she looked to Deng Yan. That look looked awfully adorable, yet what came after was incomparably cruel, "If one does not wrong me, I will not wrong them. If one wrongs me, I certainly will end them."

Deng Yan felt that when Qingyan said that, her whole body seemed to be emitting a violent aura. And this kind of aura, only belonged to the men that have long served the battlefield.

"Yiniang, are you willing to form an alliance with me, I can guarantee you a peaceful and healthy life." Qingyan look towards Deng Yan and confidently said this. That raised look, for unknown reasons, made Deng Yan think of the current Empress's dignified appearance.

"Fourth miss, how do I believe in your words?" Deng Yan looked to Qingyan with a serious look.

Qingyan knew that Deng Yan simply did not believe her. She titled her head towards the Sacred Lilies in her yard and casually said, "I know that Yiniang doesn't believe me now, but we still have time, don't we?"

"It's not that I don't believe you." Deng Yan looked at Qingyan's appearance and smiled, "You have to know that in these 10 or so years you've always lived like that. They all say that after you nearly drowned, your personality changed greatly. Looking at it now, it seems to be true."

"Yiniang, you don't have to praise me like that, I'm not worthy." Qingyan turned her sight away from Deng Yan and towards the chessboard on the table, "Yiniang do you know chess?"

"I understand a bit." Deng Yan didn't understand why Qingyan would ask this.

"What would happen if your chess piece is hindered?" Looked to Deng Yan still with a face full of smile. However she wasn't intending on letting Deng Yan reply, she continued, "eliminate all the piece in your way, this is my way of life."

Deng Yan had never expected that such a thing could come out of Qingyan. This kind of thing wasn't something that a girl her age could say. She'd always thought that Qingyan was a child that was the easiest to bully in the Su manor, but looking at it now it wasn't like that.

If there were no mishaps, then she, would be as changeable as the moon in the Su manor.

"Fourth miss, I'm willing to form an alliance with you." Deng Yan looked to Qingyan and said with a serious tone.

Qingyan lifted the corner of her mouth in satisfaction, "Then from now on, aside from grandmother, you will be the closest person to me in this Su manor."

Deng Yan was a bit surprised. She didn't expect Qingyan to say this. She warmly replied, "Naturally, I will forever stand by you."

"This is naturally for the best." Qingyan singlehandedly propped herself against the table and looked up towards Deng Yan, still with an unwavering expression.

"If there's nothing else, then I'll head back." Deng Yan looked at Qingyan with a genuine smile.

"Alright." Qingyan said this as she picked up a hairpin and placed it into Deng Yan's hands. As Qingyan whispered something to her, Deng Yan couldn't help but to widen her eyes.

Seeing the expression on Deng Yan's face, Su Qingyan knew that her words had definitely affected her. However, presently the most important thing was still eradicating the useless pawns by her side one by one as soon as possible.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐