The Devious First-Daughter

“What is it?” Xia Yuhang asked, stopping in his tracks.

The maid in black wiped the sweat on her head and said in a panic, “Someone is… Someone is looking for you.”

She was contradicting her previous words. He didn’t immediately understand her intention, so he went straight to the point. “Who is looking for me? Madam or someone else?”

“Someone came for you for an urgent business, Eldest Young Master. He has been taken to the study. Madam is panicking because she couldn’t find you anywhere.”

The maid was a clever one. She stopped stuttering and explained the matter to him.

Who was looking for him? Why did his mother lead the guest to his study? Xia Yuhang was surprised. His mother never interfered in his business. Why did she take matters into her own hands and invite the guest in? Why was she desperate to find him? Did they have a special guest?

He contemplated for a moment before telling the maid, “Tell my mother that I’m back and on my way to the study.”

If his mother was looking for him because the guest wanted to see him, he felt the need to meet that person.

“Yes, I understand.” The maid nodded. She wiped her sweat and turned around to leave.

Xia Yuhang took the time to compose himself before turning around and taking a small path leading to the outer courtyard. Seeing that the guest came here for him at this hour and his mother was impatient to find him, the person must not be someone ordinary.

He was no longer the celebrated nobleman that he had once been. Not even his sycophants visited him, never mind his relatives. This could only mean that his guest was someone special, and someone not linked to Ao Mingyu.

Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat and he subconsciously quickened his pace. When he realized this, he smiled wryly. What was he thinking? How could he be thinking of her?

The door of his study was left slightly ajar. Standing in front of the door was his servant and an unfamiliar servant. Xia Yuhang frowned. He had never seen that servant before. He began to wonder if he had seen his guest before.

“Eldest Young Master.” His servant immediately stepped forward and saluted him after seeing him.

The unfamiliar servant saluted him respectfully as well. His etiquette was on point. He must be a clever one.

Xia Yuhang pushed the door and glimpsed a sapphire-blue satin robe. Men’s robe made of such cloth tended to look excessively feminine, but it somehow made the man wearing it look handsome, strong, and carefree.

The man was standing in front of a bookshelf when he heard the door opening. He turned his head and his pupils shifted beautifully. His gaze was seductive. Even a man like Xia Yuhang couldn’t help but feel attracted to his charm. He was so surprised that he didn’t immediately notice that he knew this man.

He widened his eyes and couldn’t help but stutter. “What… are you doing here? Hadn’t you already left?”

Wen Xueran turned around and sat down on a wide chair. “I can always come back, can’t I?” he retorted, looking peacefully at Xia Yuhang with a smile.

Xia Yuhang closed the door, purely on instinct, and stepped forward. “You… You dare to show up here,” he said coldly.

“Why not? Even you dare to stay in the capital. Why wouldn’t I dare to come?” Wen Xueran’s smile turned even more charming as he acted as if he didn’t notice Xia Yuhang’s dark expression.

Both were once noblemen in the capital. How could they not know each other?

However, Wen Xueran was known to be a charming playboy while Xia Yuhang was known to be a promising nobleman. Their reputation was like heaven and earth, but now that they were meeting again, he felt a hit on his self-esteem. While he was nothing at all, Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Min was no longer the same playboy from before.

Wen Xueran was the prince of the previous imperial family and the new master of Annan. These two identities alone were enough to put Wen Xueran on a pedestal high above him.

Xia Yuhang looked at Wen Xueran with a complicated expression. Once upon a time, he would feel superior whenever he ran into Wen Xueran. He felt that he, at least, didn’t use his appearance to seduce young ladies from noble families and flirt with everyone.

However, meeting Wen Xueran again made him realize that he wasn’t only inferior to Wen Xueran in terms of identity. His so-called moral superiority didn’t exist at all.

“Why… can’t I stay in the capital?” Xia Yuhang sighed on the inside but maintained a cold expression on the outside.

He was sure that he wouldn’t like the reason Wen Xueran showed up at his manor. He could tell this much. Wen Xueran was rebelling against the court. It was no wonder that Wen Xueran’s appearance in his manor would make his mother look for him in a panic.

If someone were to see him in contact with Wen Xueran at this time, he would be implicating his entire family.

“Did you think Prince Xiang wouldn’t blame you for ruining the Third Young Lady of the Lord Protector’s Manor? As far as I remember, the Grand Eldest Princess of the previous dynasty died in the Eldest Young Lady Xia’s hands. Do you not regret anything at all?” Wen Xueran’s smile was charming and frivolous.

Wen Xueran sounded like he was teasing him, but he could keenly feel that Wen Xueran wasn’t joking with him.

Wen Xueran was telling the truth. Would Ao Mingyu not blame him? Both of them knew the answer, but he had no choice but to believe Ao Mingyu under these circumstances. They had to work together and put their brains together. This was the advantage of smart men. They could put aside their differences for the time being and join hands.

However, they both knew the truth. What they thought and what they said were two separate matters.

Xia Yuhang’s expression changed subtly. He sat on the chair opposite Wen Xueran and composed himself. He went straight to the point and said, “Princely Heir Wen, just say what you want to say.”

“I want Ning Xueyan,” Wen Xueran said matter-of-factly, as if he was discussing a most ordinary event or that Ning Xueyan was an ordinary maid, not the Crown Princess.

Surprised, Xia Yuhang couldn’t help but retort, “What do you want her for?”

“Won’t it benefit you and Ao Mingyu if I take her away?” Wen Xueran looked up and smiled. His smile was as enchanting and cunning as a fox. He didn’t give Xia Yuhang any clues about Ning Xueyan’s identity.

His words aligned with the plan that Xia Yuhang made up for Ao Mingyu, but Xia Yuhang didn’t dare to agree so easily or rashly. It was apparent that Wen Xueran was no easy opponent.

“Forget it if you’re not willing to tell me, Princely Heir Wen. Neither Prince Xiang nor I have the intention to target the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess is the Crown Prince’s official wife. We can’t approach her as we please. I ask that you leave immediately lest you bring trouble upon my family.”

Xia Yuhang’s eyes turned cold.

Wen Xueran laughed when he saw Xia Yuhang pretending to respect Ning Xueyan. The corners of his mouth were curved into a gentle, seductive arc.

“You’re quite the jokester, Eldest Young Master Xia. Why don’t you consider it? I’ll be staying in the capital for a few days. If you and Prince Xiang are interested in working with me, I’m sure we can accomplish this task with considerable ease. You want Ao Chenyi’s life, but all I want is Ning Xueyan. It’s a good deal for both sides. Why don’t you get it?”

Wen Xueran stood up leisurely, not at all surprised at Xia Yuhang’s refusal. Only then did Xia Yuhang notice that a female bodyguard in white was hiding in the shadow cast by his bookshelf.

His attention had been on Wen Xueran, and the female bodyguard was hiding the shadows, resulting in a blind spot in his vision. He didn’t notice a third person inside the study at all.

It was a fierce-looking woman with seemingly good martial arts. She must be Wen Xueran’s guard. Xia Yuhang felt deeply uncomfortable that a woman was looking at him so sharply.

“Farewell, Eldest Young Master Xia. If you’re interested in meeting me, come to the Cold Mountain Temple. I believe you’re familiar with the place,” Wen Xueran said with a smile. His words stabbed straight at Xia Yuhang’s conscience.

How could he forget the Cold Mountain Temple? He would never forget the place!

“You should leave immediately, Princely Heir Wen. If someone finds you, I won’t be able to explain myself.” Xia Yuhang stood up and began to chase his guest out like a terrible host.

Even so, both of them knew that they would be in trouble if Wen Xueran’s whereabouts were exposed. Wen Xueran wouldn’t be able to escape and Xia Yuhang would be in hot water too. Not only would the people in the capital suspect him, but those in Annan wouldn’t spare him either. Therefore, Xia Yuhang didn’t want anyone to find Wen Xueran, especially when Wen Xueran had dropped by his manor.

It was obvious that Wen Xueran knew this as well. That was why he came to Xia Manor so bravely to meet Xia Yuhang. Since he had said what he wanted to say, he didn’t waste any more time on Xia Yuhang and leave the manor with his female guard and servant.

They had entered Xia Manor in their carriage, so they left in the same way.

Once inside the carriage, Wen Xueran leaned against the soft couch and closed his eyes to rest.

His female guard looked at him uneasily and then outside the window. In the end, she couldn’t help but say respectfully, “Master, you should return. You can leave the matters here to me and Xia Yuhang. It’s not safe for you to stay here.”

Wen Xueran’s identity had become public knowledge, and both camps were currently at war. In her opinion, it was unwise for him to return to the capital at such a time. Even so, her master had insisted.

“It’s all right!” Wen Xueran replied indifferently. He opened his eyes and looked at his female guard coldly. His gaze made her shiver and lower her head in a hurry. She couldn’t even talk anymore.

She felt a stab of guilt. She had handled Ning Ziying’s affairs by herself, only to…

However, Ning Ziying and Ning Xueyan were different people. It was evident that her master didn’t care about Ning Ziying. She knew his feelings for the Crown Princess, so even though she was envious, she wouldn’t dare to be careless.

In the end, she knew that her master treated that woman differently or he wouldn’t have traveled a hundred miles to return to the capital without caring for danger. She could still remember how determined he had been before they left.

“Make a detour,” Wen Xueran said emotionlessly. The chauffeur answered him and turned the carriage as ordered. The female guard put aside her thoughts. Seeing the new direction that the carriage was taking, her expression changed.

“Master…”