Chapter 041: Cousin Fell into the Lake

Chapter 041: Cousin Fell into the Lake

Ruan Qinghuan had imagined countless times a scene of heartfelt farewell where she would be seen off for miles. Yet, when the day actually came, it was abruptly skipped over.

Now, both her natal family and her in-laws thought that she had insisted on following He An, which was the most troubling point for her.

If Ruan Qingzhou knew that she was forced to go, with his temperament, he would definitely take her back to the Ruan residence, causing chaos not only for the Ruan family but also for the Prime Minister's residence.

After weighing the pros and cons in a short time, Ruan Qinghuan decided to make a pact with him: "This trip is different from staying at home. You need to be more restrained. Also, when we arrive in Lu City, you must pay attention to safety in whatever you do. The most important point is..."

"I will definitely make Madam satisfied. Don’t keep the family waiting too long; by this time, your parents should have arrived too."

Ruan Qinghuan frowned and glared at him.

He An said, "This trip will take several months, so we need to reassure them."

It seemed He An's mind was only focused on scheming against her.

Upon learning that her daughter was going to Lu City with the minister, Zhou Yunzhi assumed that Ruan Qinghuan had insisted on going. Hearing that the disaster in Lu City was severe, she couldn’t help but scold her: "You girl, how can you be so irresponsible? The minister is going for official business; why do you have to follow?"

Meng Suqiu, who walked over, hurriedly spoke up for Ruan Qinghuan: "Don't blame Qinghuan. In my opinion, it's He An who can’t bear to be apart from her. After all, they just got married; it's only natural."

"Don't defend her, mother-in-law. Everyone in the capital knows what kind of person the minister is. Be careful not to spoil him too much, or you won't be able to control him later."

Ruan Qinghuan sighed. The original persona had really boxed her in. Even her own mother thought that she was being willful and clinging to her husband.

Let the whole capital know about his character; pfft, the people of the capital had never witnessed how he was in bed.

After all the farewells, several carriages were packed full. Even the carriage Ruan Qinghuan and He An were in had two wooden boxes stuffed inside, filled with Ruan Qinghuan's favorite food, clearly prepared meticulously by her mother.

A wave of emotion washed over Ruan Qinghuan, and she felt like crying, but she held it back.

When Qingzhou Ruan heard that he couldn’t go along, he was unhappy. "Sister..."

Ruan Qinghuan, knowing what he was thinking, interrupted: "Listen, while I’m gone, you need to take care of Mom and make sure she doesn’t get hurt. Got it?"

Qingzhou Ruan shut up.

He knew the situation in the Ruan family well. With an unreliable father and a domineering second aunt, his mother, constrained by face, couldn’t openly quarrel with them.

If not for that, his sister wouldn’t have had to become so strong.

As the carriage slowly turned and left, Zhou Yunzhi, who had held back her tears, finally let them fall. Ruan Chengfu consoled her: "Why are you crying? With the minister accompanying Qinghuan, what’s there to worry about?"

Zhou Yunzhi glared at him without speaking.

Meng Suqiu wasn’t much better. Understanding the Ruan family's situation and knowing the plight of her mother-in-law, she couldn’t help but feel upset. She looked at Ruan Chengfu disapprovingly.

He Qizhang gave his father-in-law a meaningful look. At this moment, he didn’t dare provoke, afraid that if he did, even tonight’s dinner might be in jeopardy.

With a single word from his wife, no chef in the Prime Minister's residence would dare to cook for him.

Meng Suqiu invited everyone into the residence. The two mothers cried as they walked, while the two fathers behind them were helpless and dared not say much. With nothing else to do, Ruan Qingzhou wandered through the Prime Minister's residence.

As he wandered, he passed by Changchun Garden, the place where his sister and brother-in-law lived, and his mood darkened even further.

Just as she turned to leave, she heard someone speaking from the nearby courtyard.

"If it weren't for the fact that my cousin and Ruan Qinghuan were betrothed before birth, and given how much Aunt dotes on me, I might have become the mistress of the Prime Minister's residence by now. Ruan Qinghuan wouldn't even be in the picture."

Her voice became choked with sobs. "Now look, she's got my cousin so wrapped around her finger, it shows just how manipulative she is."

"Miss, please stop crying. You'll hurt your health if you keep getting upset."

"Hmph! She pretended to agree to let me go to Changchun Garden to do embroidery, but the next day, she moved to a villa with my cousin. Isn't she just playing games with me?"

"Wuu wuu... wuu..." Wei Mingxi wiped her tears and said with conviction, "Ruan Qinghuan is just too scheming. My cousin must have been deceived by her..."

"What business is it of yours, an outsider, what happens between a husband and wife?"

The sudden voice startled both Wei Mingxi and her maid. When they looked up and saw a stranger, they angrily shouted, "Who do you think you are, barging into the Prime Minister's residence like this? You've got some nerve!"

"Who I am is none of your concern. I should be asking you the same. A young lady living in someone else's house and lusting after their husband—don't you have any shame?"

"You... you... you..." Wei Mingxi was too angry to speak.

The maid, gathering her courage, said, "My young miss is the niece of Madam. She can stay here as long as she pleases."

"Does Madam even know her niece is after her son?" Qingzhou Ruan raised his eyebrows challengingly and turned to leave. "I'm going to tell Madam right now and see if she'll still let you stay here."

"You..." Seeing that he was really leaving, Wei Mingxi instinctively chased after him. Just as she was about to grab him, he lightly leaped into the air, flipped twice, and landed behind her.

Surprised that he knew martial arts, Wei Mingxi was taken aback.

Qingzhou Ruan smiled. "What's wrong? Are you scared?"

Although Wei Mingxi was bold, she knew that a woman's reputation was not something to be trifled with. If word got out and things didn't work out with her cousin, her life would be ruined.

"I'll pay you, but you can't say anything."

Hearing the word 'money,' Qingzhou Ruan couldn't help but smirk unkindly. "That depends on how much. This young master has quite the appetite."

Wei Mingxi glared at her maid and told her to get the purse. The maid ran back to the room and brought back a purse, from which she took out two banknotes. "Two hundred taels, all for you."

To an ordinary person, two hundred taels was indeed a lot, but Qingzhou Ruan had grown up surrounded by wealth. He had seen the Ruan family's accountants handling money since he was a child.

Even two million taels wouldn't phase him.

Seeing his dismissive look, Wei Mingxi really panicked. "Don't be ungrateful! Two hundred taels is enough for an ordinary family to live on for several years."

Qingzhou Ruan didn't respond, just shook his head with a frown, then lightly leaped over Wei Mingxi.

Startled, Wei Mingxi hurriedly chased after him. She couldn't shout too loudly, as her feelings for her cousin weren't a secret. If the Ruan family found out, it would be beyond embarrassing.

Seeing him take a shortcut into the garden, she followed.

Standing by the lake and looking back at her, Qingzhou Ruan thought, "Is this girl a bit foolish? I was just joking, but does she really think I'd go tell Madam He about this?"

"Don't run. Let's... let's discuss this further. I can... add a bit more." Seeing him stop, Wei Mingxi forgot everything else and rushed forward.

With a splash...

"Help... help... save me!"

Hearing the sound, Qingzhou Ruan, who was standing on top of the lake pavilion, turned back. Seeing Wei Mingxi fall into the lake and struggle, it was clear she couldn't swim, as she was getting farther from the shore.

The maid, frightened, shouted frantically, "Help! Someone come quick! The cousin has fallen into the lake..."

Sighing, Qingzhou Ruan reluctantly leaped into the air and dove into the lake.