Chapter 49 – The Freshly Baked Young Lady of the Heir

The sharp shout from the Marquis of Wu’an made Xia Tian take a big step back in fright. Fortunately, Shen Nian supported her from behind, and she managed to steady herself.

Shen Nian pulled Xia Tian behind him before quietly replying, “I was chased and injured.”

“Didn’t you go to find that Dr. Xue? How could you be chased?” The Marquis of Wu’an became unsettled when he heard about the pursuit.

“Maybe some people don’t want me to find Dr. Xue,” Shen Nian said, glancing at Liu Shi.

The Marquis of Wu’an’s suspicious gaze swept over Liu Shi.

Liu Shi nervously pinched her handkerchief and said to the Marquis of Wu’an, “My lord, I didn’t, I never thought of harming Nian’er. Everything before was the servants’ own doing. My lord, you must believe me.”

She then turned to Shen Nian and said, “Nian’er, quickly tell your father who was chasing you. Do you have any evidence?”

“No.” Shen Nian looked at Liu Shi’s pretentious act and the Marquis’ suspicious gaze, losing all desire to speak.

His father had changed the moment he was poisoned and almost lost control of the situation due to Liu Shi.

“Did you find Dr. Xue? Has the poison been cured?” the Marquis of Wu’an asked again.

“Mm.” Shen Nian nodded, going along with the story that the poison had been cured by Dr. Xue, as long as Xia Tian’s involvement remained hidden.

Upon hearing that the poison was already cured, the Marquis of Wu’an breathed a sigh of relief.

Although his son was increasingly disobedient, he was still his legitimate eldest son. Now that his health had recovered, he remained the heir to the Marquis’ estate, and that wouldn’t change.

Liu Shi, standing behind the Marquis of Wu’an, nearly ground her teeth to dust when she heard Shen Nian say the poison was completely cured.

“This young lady…” The Marquis of Wu’an hesitated, unsure of how to address Xia Tian. As the prestigious Marquis of Wu’an’s household, they couldn’t just treat the heir’s life-saving benefactor casually.

Now, it was a tricky situation; he couldn’t deny her presence, or rumors of the Marquis of Wu’an’s ingratitude would spread.

“Let’s leave it at that for now.” The Marquis of Wu’an rubbed his forehead in frustration. This matter still needed further consideration.

By the time of the welcome banquet, the entire household knew that the young lady brought back by the heir was none other than their future young lady of the Marquis’ household.

And not only that, but she was also the one who saved the heir’s life.

As for Xia Tian becoming Shen Nian’s wife, other than the Marquis of Wu’an and the Old Madam being dissatisfied, Liu Shi was very pleased.

Especially when she heard that Xia Tian came from a farming family, she nearly laughed aloud.

She was eagerly waiting to see how the distinguished heir of the Marquis of Wu’an would be ridiculed by the people of the capital when they found out he married such an unrefined girl.

After the banquet, Xia Tian followed Shen Nian back to Lingyun Pavilion. The moment they entered the room, she collapsed into a chair.

Shen Nian couldn’t help but laugh at the way Xia Tian sat in a slovenly manner.

“Brother Shen, your family’s meals are more tiring than a day’s worth of farming.” Xia Tian weakly complained to Shen Nian.

“Get used to it. However, some people won’t spare you face when you’re displeased,” Shen Nian remarked. He didn’t like that either; there should be some decorum, but now that she was his nominal wife, she could ignore the faces of certain people.

“Really?”

“Of course. You’re now the young lady of the Marquis’ estate. No one dares to mess with you.”

The two maids who entered with them, Ning Xiang and Ning Xue, exchanged incredulous looks after witnessing the interaction between the heir and his wife. They quickly lowered their eyes, trying to conceal their shock.

They hadn’t expected the heir’s wife to be so unruly in front of him, and yet, the heir was smiling.

Moreover, they hadn’t seen the heir smile for so long.

Shen Nian noticed the two maids standing aside and, recalling that Xia Tian didn’t have anyone attending her personally, he addressed them directly, “You two, from now on, follow the mistress and make sure no one dares to bully her.”

“Yes, Young Master,” Ning Xiang and Ning Xue responded. Hearing Shen Nian directly entrust them to Xia Tian, they understood her importance in the heir’s heart. “Who attends you?” Xia Tian hadn’t expected Shen Nian to assign her his two senior maids.

She knew well that Ning Xiang, Ning Xue, Ning Yue, and Ning Shuang were the four main maids in Shen Nian’s courtyard, and they held more status than many of the concubine’s daughters in the household.

“I have Mu Feng and the others. These two are my trusted people. Don’t easily trust other servants. If you don’t understand something, ask them,” Shen Nian said, still worried that Xia Tian, new to the household, might get taken advantage of in such a large and intricate place.

“Ning Xiang, go tell the mistress to tidy up Jinglan Courtyard and prepare it for her.”

Ning Xiang agreed and left to inform Liu Shi.

Xia Tian listened to Shen Nian’s arrangements and didn’t ask further questions. Most of her experience came from dramas and films, which didn’t compare to the practical knowledge that these people, who had lived in large estates for years, had.

Being new to this, she decided to follow the arrangements.

Before the Jinglan Courtyard was ready, Xia Tian napped in the side hall of Lingyun Pavilion.

Shen Nian stayed in the nearby study, reading books.

In the afternoon, after Xia Tian woke up, she began chatting with Shen Nian.

“Brother Shen, what I said this morning in the Old Madam’s courtyard about ‘owing a life-saving grace and having to repay it with my body’ was just something I said to fool your father. You don’t need to take it seriously.”

“Why?”

“Well, I thought you had just returned, and you might need me to hold onto the position of the young lady of the Marquis’ household for you, so I said that.”

“I heard that big families like your value marriage contracts and matchmaking. Since you’re not getting along with your stepmother, I’m afraid she might influence your father and make you marry a girl you don’t like.”

“Given your father’s attitude, your stepmother probably hasn’t stopped whispering in his ear.”

Shen Nian listened to Xia Tian’s analysis and was momentarily at a loss for words.

She was right. This was something Liu Shi would do.

But there was one thing she probably hadn’t considered – Liu Shi would be most pleased about Xia Tian becoming the young lady of the Marquis’ estate.

Now, if Liu Shi was whispering in his father’s ear, she should be thinking about how to keep her own position as the young lady of the Marquis’ estate secure.

“Brother Shen, but let’s agree on this – if you ever like someone and want to marry her, you must tell me, and we can just divorce.”

“Alright.” Shen Nian paused for a moment before agreeing. After all, whether he married anyone else or not was up to him. Perhaps no other girls would appear anyway!

“Brother Shen, if anyone bullies me, will you stand by me unconditionally?” She needed to make sure of this. In a city full of nobles, if Shen Nian didn’t support her, as a person with no background or status, she wouldn’t dare to offend these powerful people easily.

If that happened, she’d have to be extra cautious.

“Of course. With you as the young lady of the Marquis’ household, who could dare to bully you?” Shen Nian replied domineeringly.

No one could bully the legitimate wife of the Marquis of Wu’an!

Upon hearing Shen Nian’s assurance, Xia Tian finally felt at ease.

Otherwise, living cautiously every day would be unbearable.

Before long, Ning Xue came in to report that Jinglan Courtyard had been tidied up.

Shen Nian stood up. “Let’s go take a look.”