Chapter 571   If I Can’t Escape It, I’ll Face It

“Who are you?”

That was Ning Xueyan’s biggest question today. What he said was true, but they weren’t things that he should be privy to. How old was he then? He must have been fairly young, so he wouldn’t be so clear about it, especially about her mother’s relationship with the Empress.

If he was merely the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Min, she didn’t think he had any reason to know all these secrets.

Moreover, she was the only one speculating about this matter. She hadn’t told anyone, not even Lanning and Qingyu.

It wasn’t because she didn’t trust them; she simply preferred they didn’t get involved. The more people knew about it, the more troublesome things would be. She was roped into this unwillingly and didn’t want the people around her to get involved.

“I’m your maternal cousin. You can also call me your paternal cousin,” Wen Xueran said, looking calmly at Ning Xueyan. He didn’t give her any chance to avoid the matter. “Our mothers are maternal cousins. Our fathers are paternal cousins who share the same grandfather.”

“So, you’re also a descendant of the former royal family!” Ning Xueyan muttered to herself. After a moment of astonishment, she immediately calmed down. “Princely Heir Wen, I don’t care who you were or are. It has nothing to do with me. I’m just me, a lady from the Lord Protector’s Manor and the current Princess of the Prince Yi’s Manor. You should leave!”

Her mind was a mess. There seemed to be a hint of enlightenment, but also of entanglement. She couldn’t explain it, let alone understand it. But when Wen Xueran opened his mouth to speak, she looked up at him. “Princely Heir Wen, please leave!”

She stood up and walked to the door as if she was going to open it for him.

Wen Xueran understood that he couldn’t be hasty at this moment. He nodded and stood up. Giving Ning Xueyan a meaningful stare, he said, “The only reason I came here today was to tell you your true identity. No matter what, you’re the princess of the former dynasty and a descendant of the former royal family. We belong to the same family. I don’t want you to live without ever knowing your identity.”

Without waiting for her reply, he pushed the window by the back door and turned his head to look at Ning Xueyan who was standing there with her head down. “Cousin, the two of us are the only remaining descendants of the former royal family. I hope we can help each other instead of distrusting and being hostile to each other.”

His figure then disappeared outside the window. If it weren’t for the shaking window frame, she would have thought it was all a dream, an unbelievable dream.

Ning Xueyan returned to the table and sat heavily on the chair. She stared blankly at the pastries on the table, her eyes looking dull under her long lashes.

She didn’t believe what he said. There was only ever one princess in the former royal family and it was impossible for another to appear. Besides, she had never heard that the former Empress was pregnant and left behind another daughter. Yet, she had a feeling that he was telling the truth.

Wen Xueran’s words ought to be true.

With his explanation, everything that she could never explain in the past suddenly made sense.

The birthmark on her body, the strange circumstances in which Madam Ming gave birth to her, the carriage who came for Madam Ming on the night the palace burnt, Ning Zu’an and Madam Dowager’s complete disregard for her... Everything was proof that Wen Xueran’s words were true.

These words weigh so heavily on her heart that she could hardly breathe.

Was Ning Ziying her biological sister from the same parents? That meant that she had been reborn in her own sister’s body.

Both sisters were tragic in their own ways: one drowned in the lotus pond and the other cried to death in the mourning hall. Their time of death was nearly identical too. She felt so suffocated that she felt the urge to cry and laugh at the same time. But she could neither bring herself to cry or laugh. She was still stupefied.

Underneath her lowered head, something icy seemed to have fallen on her skirt.

Both sisters suffered such sad and tragic fates. The mothers that she truly wanted to acknowledge weren’t her own, but what about her biological mother?

She hadn’t heard of any other news about the former Empress. Everyone said that the former Empress was martyred in the end, but why was she born then? Shouldn’t she have died for her country as well?

Earlier, she had wanted to ask about the Empress. Wen Xueran seemed to know something about her. But she couldn’t bring herself to actually ask.

A fear had grasped her heart then, stopping her from asking.

She was afraid to learn that she had been abandoned. Both her past and current selves were orphans that had been abandoned. They were still so young then and one was even newly born. Yet, both suffered the same fate. How could she not feel hurt?

“Greetings, Your Highness.” The maid’s voice came from outside the door. She listened blankly without any expression.

“Where’s the Princess?” asked a cold voice.

“She’s inside.”

The sound of footsteps resounded and the door soon swung open. When the devastatingly handsome man saw Ning Xueyan looking at him blankly, he paused. He closed the door and strode toward her. After lowering his head to look at her sullen expression, he carried her up.

Ning Xueyan was immediately surrounded by his familiar breath and a pleasant smell.

“It’s fine. Don’t panic. You’re fine. I’m here with you!”

She was trembling all over. It wasn’t until she was in his embrace that she felt safe and warm.

“What happened? Don’t be scared. I’m here.” Ao Chenyi lowered his head to look at her. Her tears were falling like a broken string of pearls yet she was still quiet. It made him feel even more distressed. He knew that Ning Xueyan would be returning to the Lord Protector’s Manor today. After thinking about it, he decided to chase after her so he could keep her company.

Since the Lord Protector’s Manor would eventually end up in Ning Huaijing’s hands, it was only reasonable for him to show them some respect. Having a powerful family would only benefit Ning Xueyan.

He placed his chin on her head as he gently held her. He reached out to pat her back, gently soothing her like she was a baby. A trace of hostility crossed his eyes. Ning Xueyan looked like she had suffered a tremendous shock. Why would this happen here out of nowhere? The woman in his arms had never shown any measure of fragility, so this made him furious.

“I... If I’m related to the former royal family, what should I do?” Ning Xueyan asked, uttering the words with immense difficulty. She had once asked him a similar question, but she was even more unsure this time.

Ao Chenyi reached out to lift her chin and stared deeply into her eyes. “Even if you’re the former princess, you’re still you.”

“I wouldn’t like you more because you’re the former princess and neither would I like you less because you’re the former princess. You’re just you. That’s all that matters to me.”

Ning Xueyan struggled hard to understand what he meant. When she finally did, she slowly regained her sanity. She leaned against his chest as tears streamed down her face.

He treated her as he usually did, so why should she suspect him?

Yet at that moment earlier, she truly felt like she was all alone in this world, and someone who was abandoned by the whole world at that.

He trusted her, he really did. He even hinted to her that even if she was the former princess, he would believe in her like he always did. She was sure that he had investigated her before. Knowing his skills, he would have surely learned something.

He had always trodden cautiously because of his dealings with the Emperor. He lived every day like he was walking on a tightrope. Therefore, he would solve her issue satisfactorily. Since she couldn’t avoid this anymore, she would choose to face it! It was better than her past life, when she died without knowing anything.

Outside the yard, Lanning and the other maids listened to quiet, suppressed crying inside the room with pale faces. They didn’t know what to say. They didn’t know what happened in the room or why their master would cry so sorrowfully, but they couldn’t enter and check on her. They could only wait outside, worrying by themselves.

They hoped that nothing bad had happened.

When Ao Chenyi sensed that the woman in his arms was beginning to calm down, he caressed her head indulgently and comforted her in a soft voice. “All right, don’t cry anymore. If you have any problems, let me solve it for you, okay? Just leave it to me.”

“No, I’ll do it myself. I’ll find out what happened,” Ning Xueyan said resolutely, shaking her head. “You’ve already given me two men. With them around, I think I can find out what’s going on in the backyard.”

She didn’t investigate thoroughly before because she was doubtful about certain matters. She herself was uncertain about it. Now that the veil had been lifted and she had no choice but to investigate, she might as well do a proper job. She must learn the truth, whether it be about Ning Ziying or Ning Xueyan.

The two biological sisters had dwindled to one now.

Ao Chenyi read her mind almost instantly. He held her gently and watched her use his robe as her handkerchief to wipe her tears. He said rather helplessly, “Okay, go ahead and investigate. Tell me if you need anything. It won’t bother me.”

He had just changed into a new robe to accompany her to the Lord Protector’s Manor. But after this episode, his new robe was a goner.

Even so, he couldn’t bear to even criticize her.

“The flower embroideries are so rough. It’s not comfortable using to wipe my tears at all,” she said with some annoyance. The red spider lily embroideries on the cuff of his robe had poked her in the face.

“All right. I’ll wear a softer robe next time so you’ll feel more comfortable using it to wipe your face, okay?” Ao Chenyi coaxed her.

She nodded in satisfaction but soon discovered a problem. She raised her head in astonishment and asked, “Why are you here?” Her movement was so sudden that she hit his lower jaw. She immediately reached out to stroke his lower jaw and even blew on it.

Her action was childish but it made his heart turn into mush. “I came here to accompany you to the Lord Protector’s Manor. I want them to respect you.”

“You don’t have to come. They have enough to be proud of even without you there.” Ning Xueyan snorted. She didn’t want to see Madam Dowager’s hypocritical smile.

“Their good reputation is also yours. Besides, the manor will go to Ning Huaijing anyway. He thinks of you as his sister and he also promised me that he’ll take care of you. He said he’ll never ignore you when you need him,” Ao Chenyi said with a triumphant smile.

“You met him?” Ning Xueyan was startled.

“Yeah. I had him brought to the manor as soon as he reached the city. If he treats you poorly, I wouldn’t let him inherit the Lord Protector’s Manor. I have to choose someone who treats you well and won’t act against your interests, don’t I? I need someone who will back you up. I think Ning Huaijing is a clever person.”

He glanced enchantingly at her as he spoke softly.

For her, he purposefully had his men keep an eye on Ning Huaijing and bring him to Prince Yi’s Manor as soon as he reached the capital. He even threatened Ning Huaijing for her sake... Thinking about everything he had done for her, Ning Xueyan’s eyes turned red again. She leaned into his arms, stretched out her hands from behind him, and hugged his slender waist tightly.

There was indeed someone who cared for her, someone who would consider her wellbeing wholeheartedly! She was no longer all alone and helpless in this world!