Chapter 39 : He Songning’s Fury

“Is it true your estate has a manor in the countryside?” Princess Jinque asked with a smile.

“It is,” Xue Qingyin replied, wondering if the information had come from Prince Xuan. But Prince Xuan wasn’t the type to casually share such details.

“I find that very intriguing. I’ll visit your manor in two days,” the princess declared.

“That sounds great!” Xue Qingyin agreed. She had been meaning to inspect the estate herself. There were parts of her property she hadn’t yet seen due to her recent busyness.

Princess Jinque lowered the curtain and escorted Xue Qingyin a short distance before returning to the group of guests she had invited for a lakeside outing. She couldn’t just leave after extending the invitation.

Once the curtain dropped, Xue Qingyin glanced at Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe’s face was pale, showing little emotion, but her maid couldn’t hide her indignation.

What was she upset about? Xue Qingyin began to understand.

She said, “Qinghe, if you’d like to stay here and enjoy yourself, feel free. The coachman will return later to pick you up.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Xue Qinghe chose to stay. She had realized how confined her life in the rear courtyard had become, where her only company was waiting for her brother’s visits. It was time to step out, just as Xue Qingyin had done.

Unaware of her sister’s thoughts, Xue Qingyin rubbed her nose and returned home.

Madam Xue, seeing her daughter return alone with a changed headpiece, asked anxiously, “What happened? Were you wronged?”

Xue Qingyin shook her head and removed her hairpin. “Didn’t you notice this one is worth more?”

Madam Xue clenched her teeth. “You little miser! Who cares about that?”

“Yes, yes, I know you care about me,” Xue Qingyin replied, hugging her mother and kissing her cheek.

Madam Xue was taken aback. She had noticed her daughter becoming increasingly affectionate, unlike the reserved demeanor typical of young ladies. Yet, she couldn’t suppress a smile.

Madam Xue tapped her daughter’s head. “Behave! Where’s Qinghe?”

“I felt a draft and came back early. She wanted to stay a bit longer.”

Madam Xue frowned. “What draft? Come inside quickly!” She couldn’t hold back from saying, “Don’t leave Qinghe behind next time.”

“Why not?” Xue Qingyin asked, puzzled. “If I take her with me and she doesn’t enjoy herself, she’ll just have to accommodate me, which isn’t fair.”

Madam Xue huffed. “What do you know, you little girl? If something happens to her, you’ll be blamed!”

Realizing the truth in her mother’s words, Xue Qingyin replied, “I left a coachman and two attendants my brother assigned to me, plus her maid is with her.”

Madam Xue nodded and took Xue Qingyin to soak in a hot bath to ward off the cold.

Later, as Xue Qingyin reviewed her account books while her maid dried her hair, a steward arrived, requesting to see her.

Xue Qingyin found this unusual and said, “Write it down for me.”

The steward, recalling her formidable connections, dared not refuse. Soon, a note and a heavy black box were brought to her.

When she opened it, there was silver inside.

“Why does everyone keep sending me money these days?” Xue Qingyin laughed. She assumed it was a bribe from the steward but found it was a fee from the Xuanwu Army for using her land to train their horses.

Her maid exclaimed, “Miss, you’re amazing!”

Before the praise could settle, the door burst open. He Songning stormed in, his face dark with anger.

“Everyone out!” he commanded.

The servants, frightened by his tone, quickly left.

Xue Qingyin sighed inwardly. This family really was something.

“Do you realize what you’ve done? Leaving Qinghe alone by the lake?” He Songning asked coldly.

“She stayed by choice, and I wasn’t feeling well,” Xue Qingyin replied calmly.

“She’s not like you! She’s inexperienced and gentle. Do you know she got hurt—pushed into the lake and hit her head?”

“Was the doctor called?” Xue Qingyin asked, ignoring his anger.

“How can you be so indifferent? She’s your sister!” he snapped.

“I’m your sister too,” Xue Qingyin reminded him, meeting his cold gaze.

“You still don’t get it!” He seized her shoulders.

Ignoring the pain, she said coolly, “If I show concern, you say it’s fake. If I don’t, you say I’m indifferent. What do you want from me?”