037 Order Must Not Be Disrupted

Whenever something involved Ning Qian, Ruan Qi became flustered; especially with such a serious matter at hand, she was truly worried for Ning Qian’s safety. Seeing that Ning Qian was still standing there, she hurriedly pushed him and said, “Husband, hurry and write the letter, won’t you? Qianqian must be waiting at home. If this wasn’t truly necessary, I don’t believe she would have written to us.”

“I think so as well. Very well, I’ll write a letter at once.” Ning Qian didn’t hesitate further, immediately composing a letter and sending it back with Xiao Liu.

Receiving Ning Qian’s reply, Ning Qian couldn’t help but laugh. Return home? She was still under house arrest—how could she possibly visit? Nevertheless, she knew this matter had to be discussed face to face; it was certainly not something that could be explained in a few lines. Since she couldn’t leave, she would have to trouble her parents to come to the residence instead.

She wrote another letter, sending it with Xiao Liu, and arranged to meet in three days at the Yu residence. For three full days she waited, and on the appointed morning, Ning Qian instructed Nian Yu to prepare some of Ruan Qi’s favorite pastries and the tea preferred by Ning Qian.

Around mid-morning, Nian Yu came running in to report that her parents had arrived. But first, they were paying their respects to the old madam and would come to her courtyard after.

Ning Qian straightened her clothes once more and went to wait at the courtyard gate; she wanted to greet them herself. After about half an hour, she finally caught sight of Ning Qian and his party in the distance, accompanied by Jiaoran.

Jiaoran came over first, saluted Ning Qian, and whispered in her ear, “Third Madam, the Old Madam says that since we so rarely have your parents visit, your house arrest is lifted for today. Enjoy your time together.”

Ning Qian nodded, “Thank you, please thank my mother for me.”

With another bow, Jiaoran quietly withdrew.

As soon as she was gone, Ning Qian rushed into Ruan Qi’s arms, crying, “Mother—” Her eyes brimmed with tears. “Mother, I’ve missed you so much, truly so much.”

Ruan Qi looked around hurriedly, pushing her away. “Child, where are your manners? Let’s go inside and talk.”

Wiping her tears, Ning Qian noticed the servants gathered nearby and felt a little embarrassed, nodding her agreement. Once inside the inner room, she dismissed everyone except Nian Yu and Shuni.

Before she could speak, Ruan Qi interrupted, “Shuni, stand outside on guard. One servant in here is enough.”

Shuni was clever and immediately understood Ruan Qi’s concern—walls have ears, and someone had to be on watch. “Yes, Madam, I’ll go right away,” she said, stepping quietly outside.

“Mother, Father, I’m afraid I must trouble you this time.” Ning Qian decided to get straight to the point.

Ning Qian set down his teacup, his brow furrowed. “Qianqian, what exactly did you mean in your letter? Is it true?”

“Father, it should be. He wouldn’t have made up such a thing to deceive me.” Ning Qian recounted everything that had happened at the new house that day.

A round of sighs followed. Stroking his beard, Ning Qian said, “So Ziqi has such a past. In big families, things are always complicated. Still, I think well of Ziqi, but if he harbors hatred in his heart, that’s not good. Qianqian, when you have the chance, try to advise him. The past is past; there’s no need to dwell on it.”

Ruan Qi added, “Qianqian, your father is right. This is no simple matter. I don’t want Ziqi to become someone who stops at nothing for his goals. That would not be good for either of you.”

“Mother, Father, I know what worries you. I have my concerns too. But I don’t think he’s ruthless—at least not yet. I’ll pay attention.”

Ruan Qi took her hand and sighed. “Qianqian, you must take care. You’re our only daughter; the last thing we want is to see you hurt. If you need our help, promise you’ll tell us. As long as you are happy, that is enough. Remember, your father and I will always be here to support you.”

“I will, Mother.”

“Oh, and about Ziqi’s plan—even if his origins are as rumored, from ancient times, it’s always been right for the eldest legitimate son to inherit the family estate. How can one upend such order? After all, his current status is that of the third young master of the Yu family.” Ning Qian was a traditionalist; though Ziqi was his son-in-law, he could not accept otherwise.

But Ruan Qi had another view. “Husband, you can’t say that. The family estate should go to the most capable. As for the eldest young master of the Yu family, I’ve heard he’s a wastrel who does nothing but indulge and squander. Wouldn’t handing over the estate to him ruin everything? Besides, Ziqi is the legitimate eldest grandson.”

“Still, order must be preserved. His identity is set, and that’s that. Don’t go stirring up trouble or giving reckless advice,” Ning Qian warned.

“Fine, fine,” Ruan Qi relented. “It’s the Yu family’s business, after all. Who inherits their estate is for Old Master Yu to decide, not us. If Ziqi truly has the ability to win the inheritance, it proves his worth—so long as he uses honorable means.”

“Father, Mother, don’t worry too much. He may not truly love me, but he wouldn’t harm me either. I just hope we can live in peace.” Ning Qian drew a deep breath. “Talking this over with you both has eased my heart so much.”

“Silly child,” Ruan Qi said, unable to resist embracing her.

“Mother,” Ning Qian replied, smiling sweetly.

With the important matters discussed, they moved on to lighter conversation. Lunch had already been arranged by Nian Yu, and they enjoyed a happy meal together. After some time chatting, Ning Qian and Ruan Qi took their leave.

Watching their receding figures, Ning Qian’s tears fell silently. In this household, there was no one who truly cared for her, which only made her cherish the happiness of her earlier days all the more.

“Madam, let’s go back. There will be other chances to visit your parents in the future,” Nian Yu comforted her.

Ning Qian turned to her maid. “But, locked behind these doors day after day, how easy is it to see them at all?”

“There will be opportunities,” Nian Yu assured her.

“Never mind, I’ve resigned myself to it,” Ning Qian sighed, waving her hand in defeat, and trudged slowly back inside, drained of strength. How pitiful women were in these olden days—even seeing one’s parents could be a rare event, perhaps only a handful of times in an entire lifetime.