It was the second wife of Count Sinan. Her name was Liu Ruyu, and she had been taken in by Count Sinan more than ten years ago. Her family background was deep, and within three generations they had produced a duke. So when she married Count Sinan, it caused a lot of discussion in the capital. Everyone was curious as to what the Liu family was thinking by betrothing their daughter to Fan Jian. Although Fan Jian had already inherited the title of Count Sinan, he was still a distant relative of the great Fan clan. It was only in the last ten years that Count Sinan had become more and more popular, and his official rank had gradually risen. Only then did the Liu family and this woman's vicious vision come to an understanding.
But strangely, Count Sinan had never made her official. Whether it was from the perspective of reason or from the position of Lady Liu's maiden family, there was absolutely no reason for it.
Fan Xian smiled cutely and bowed deeply to the second wife. "Xian 'er pays his respects to Aunt."
Lady Liu's face was also full of smiles, but an indescribable look flashed through her eyes. She could tell that the brat in front of her had tightly grasped the two words' Yiniang 'and did not address her as' Second Madame 'like other people.
The difference between a wife and an aunt was like the difference between the clouds and the soil.
Lady Liu smiled. "Come in. Why are you sitting under the eaves in a daze from so far away? If outsiders see you, they will say that Fan Manor is a place that cannot tolerate people. "
Cannot tolerate people? Naturally, there was something intolerable about them. Fan Xian sighed to himself. He knew that Aunt Liu was reminding him of his status as an illegitimate child, and he admired the way she spoke. Originally, he had not intended to provoke her with words. He knew that she had operated in the capital for a long time, and there was no point in taking advantage of her verbally. But then he thought, since there was an irreconcilable conflict between the two sides, why should he tolerate her?
He thought that this concubine was different from what he had imagined in the past. She should not be a sinister idiot like he had imagined. So, at this moment, he did not understand why this woman in front of him four years ago would resort to such a stupid method of killing people with poison.
He followed the second wife into the hall, not too far away from her. Fan Xian smelled the unique fragrance of a noblewoman. He sniffed it and thought it smelled good.
To be able to think of such trivial things at a time like this, Fan Xian was somewhat satisfied with his current state of mind. He smiled and chatted with Lady Liu.
The noblewoman and the young man really did play the role of a loving mother and a filial son.
…
…
The tea was served. It was the authentic Five Peaks Flower Tea. Good tea. Desserts were also served. They were authentic Jiangnan flaky pastries, delicious. After talking about what they had seen and heard along the way, greeting the old woman in faraway Danzhou, talking about the scenery by the seaside in Danzhou, and what was different about Jingdou, everyone found that there was nothing more to say.
Thus, Lady Liu and Fan Xian tacitly shut their mouths and sank into silence. Both sides realized that neither of them were easy to deal with. There was no point in trying to sound each other out with words. Since that was the case, they might as well keep silent.
Therefore, the atmosphere in the living room was a little awkward. The maids who served them were as quiet as cicadas in winter, and even their footsteps when changing the tea were much lighter.
Only Fan Xian and the second wife were not embarrassed. Occasionally, they would hold their teacups and look at each other with gentle gazes.
Lady Liu's heart was slightly heavy. She realized that the young man in front of her was indeed not ordinary. He was able to deal with this situation with ease, without the slightest nervousness or restraint. He was mature and steady, even more so than the old man.
It seemed that four years ago, she really shouldn't have listened to that person's instigation. For no reason at all, this young man had taken the initiative to see her as an enemy. Now it was not easy to deal with, and there were many tricks that she couldn't use.
In this silence, Lady Liu suddenly felt that this was weakening her influence. After all, she was the elder in name, so she lightly coughed. "Your father is now the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue. This time, when you return to the capital, will you prepare for next year's imperial examinations, or will you directly work for the Ministry of Revenue?"
Fan Xian smiled. "I will listen to you, Father." He paused. "But I don't know when you will return."
To tell the truth, there were a few people in the capital that he wanted to see. This noblewoman in front of him was naturally one of them, as well as Teacher Fei Jie and Ruoruo. But the one he was most curious about was his father.
He was very curious about how Count Sinan had attracted the attention of his mother, the head of the Ye family, who was the wealthiest in the world. In the depths of his mind, he only recognized the dead woman as his mother, and did not want to recognize Count Sinan as his father. This was probably a strange way of thinking in a man's heart.
"Your father will be back in a moment."
As they spoke, there was a slight commotion at the gate of the inner courtyard. The maids were rushing to greet someone, but the noise came too quickly. The maids couldn't stop them, and a young girl walked in.
This young girl was not particularly beautiful, but her brows were unusually clean. There was a natural softness to her, but there was also a hint of coldness. This coldness was not what most people would call an icy beauty, or a contempt for the filthy things around her. Rather, it was a kind of indifference born from some unknown confidence, a feeling of resistance to her surroundings.
Fan Xian's heart trembled. This kind of coldness on the face of a young girl from a noble family was very unfitting.
The young girl looked straight at Fan Xian's face, and the coldness between her brows gradually faded, until it disappeared without a trace. Instead, her cheeks flushed with excitement. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself. She took half a step back, and with a very slight movement tidied up her clothes. She curtsied, and with a clear and gentle voice, she said, "Greetings, brother."
Fan Xian smiled and reached out to help her up. "Sister Ruoruo, no need to be so courteous."
Their gazes met. They were both so clear, without a trace of impurity. There was only a faint smile. After years of correspondence, it could be assumed that this pair of brother and sister were the ones who knew each other the best in the world.
However, a rather insensible child's voice rang out, instantly shattering the beautiful feeling of reunion between the siblings after ten years.
"Hey, you're Fan Xian?"
Fan Xian turned his head to look at the young man who had stepped through the high threshold. The young man was a little chubby, and there were a few annoying black moles on the left side of his face. His face was full of resentment, and he looked at Fan Xian with slight disgust.
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