Chapter 51 – Compensation, I’ll Compensate

Xia Tian didn’t wait for her to speak and continued, “But you know, I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want the money anymore.

I thought about it carefully just now. Marrying your brother, I wouldn’t have to worry about food or clothes. I’d have servants to wait on me and a big house to live in. I don’t really need that much money.

The key is that your brother is not only good-looking but also treats me so well. A man like him is hard to find. I’ve found one so easily, I can’t miss out on him.”

Xia Tian was infuriating, continuing to jab at Shen Hui’s soft spot.

Shen Hui, unable to contain her anger, pointed at Xia Tian and asked Shen Nian, “Look at the kind of person you’ve found! No manners or upbringing whatsoever!”

Shen Nian, hearing Xia Tian’s earlier words, slightly raised his eyes, his hand hidden under his sleeve tightening slightly.

His thoughts drifted. “Maybe she’s not entirely without feelings for me? Time will tell. Maybe after spending more time together, she won’t want to leave anymore.”

Seeing that Shen Nian remained silent for a long time, Shen Hui stood up suddenly, her finger pointing at Xia Tian as she angrily asked, “Brother, aren’t you afraid of being laughed at when you go outside?”

Shen Nian came to his senses, his lips curling up slightly as he looked at Xia Tian. “I think it’s great.”

“You…” Shen Hui tossed her sleeves in anger and turned to leave.

Xia Tian smiled behind her, calling out cheerfully, “Safe travels, Big Sister.”

Hearing this shameless woman call her “Big Sister,” Shen Hui didn’t look back, quickening her pace and leaving the courtyard.

Once Shen Hui was gone, Xia Tian turned around and, with a tilted head, pretended to be angry as she glanced at him. “Why are you laughing? Is it funny?” she said but couldn’t help but laugh herself.

Noticing that Shen Nian wasn’t angry, but instead his smile was widening, she couldn’t resist teasing him. “Is it because I said you’re handsome that you’re so happy?”

Then, pretending to be regretful, she sighed, “Sigh, just now I was closest to earning fifty thousand taels of silver.”

Shen Nian couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore, and a “hahaha” escaped him.

Xia Tian pretended to glare at him, walking over and extending her hand in front of Shen Nian’s face. “I don’t care. I lost fifty thousand taels of silver for you just now. You owe me.”

Shen Nian, smiling with his eyes, grasped her outstretched hand, “Compensation, I’ll compensate.”

Xia Tian was just joking, not expecting him to take it so seriously. Her face flushed red, and she quickly pulled her hand back, hiding it behind her. “You said it, no cheating.”

Shen Nian, a little late to realize, felt a bit embarrassed. He stood up, “You rest first. I’ll come back later for dinner.”

With that, he quickly left the room.

It looked like he was running away in a hurry.

Xia Tian watched him flee with such urgency and couldn’t help but laugh.

The two maids, Ning Xiang and Ning Xue, who had witnessed the whole scene, felt as though their hearts had been on a roller coaster, but now they relaxed and secretly laughed, thinking that the relationship between the young master and mistress seemed good.

After Xia Tian had laughed enough, she turned to Ning Xiang and Ning Xue, who were still giggling, and with a serious face, pretended to be angry. “Stop laughing and quickly bring me a cup of water. After all that bickering, my throat is sore.”

The two maids, unafraid of her, laughed even more and went to get tea.

The two girls had a new understanding of their new mistress. She was lively, cheerful, loved to joke, and had no airs about her. The key was that she was bold, even daring to argue with the eldest young lady.

The eldest daughter of the Shen family, Shen Hui, had been the most respected person in the Wu’an Marquis’s residence before her marriage, and even the legitimate third young lady, Liu Shi, wouldn’t dare to act recklessly.

Later, after marrying Su Lingyue, the heir to the Ning’an Marquis’s residence, and helping the somewhat ill Madam Ning’an manage the household, she had even more authority.

Xia Tian had offended her like this; no one knew if it would come back to bite her.

However, with the young master protecting her, the eldest young lady probably couldn’t do anything, right?

Xia Tian had no idea what these two girls were worried about. She drank two large cups of tea before feeling better.

The whole day had been spent bickering; she was exhausted!

Unexpectedly, arriving in the capital, her career hadn’t even started yet, but her bickering skills had already leveled up! At dinner time, Shen Nian finally came to Jinglan Courtyard for dinner.

Seeing that a full table of delicious dishes had been laid out without her having to cook, Xia Tian’s mood brightened instantly.

Eating delicious food, with a handsome young man beside her who occasionally helped her with food, she thought that this life, even with endless bickering, wasn’t so bad.

Shen Nian watched her eat happily while humming and wondered what she was planning. His mood lifted as well.

He had worried that she might be upset by his eldest sister’s words, but now it seemed that she wasn’t bothered at all.

Still, he couldn’t help but want to explain, “Don’t take my eldest sister’s words to heart.”

Xia Tian paused, thinking, this kid’s reaction time is a bit slow; he’s only saying this now after all that happened earlier in the afternoon.

Slowly swallowing her food, she pretended not to understand and asked, “Which sentence?”

“The one about not being a match.”

“And do you think I’m a match?” Xia Tian asked with a straight face.

“You are,” Shen Nian immediately nodded.

Xia Tian stared at him seriously, not blinking, “Really?”

“Very true,” Shen Nian responded earnestly.

With a “pfft,” she couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“I’m just kidding, Brother Shen. I didn’t take it to heart. As for whether I’m a match, that’s not for others to decide.”

“Then who decides?” Shen Nian asked, puzzled, but not angry.

“Of course, I do,” Xia Tian said, “Whether I’m a match or not, I decide for myself. I don’t need to prove anything to anyone.”

Shen Nian nodded. That was indeed true.

“Ning Xiang, another bowl of rice,” Xia Tian turned to hand her bowl to Ning Xiang, then muttered to herself, “The rice at your place is good, but the bowls are too small. I need to eat five bowls to be full.”

Shen Nian laughed, “Don’t worry, there’s plenty of food. Fifty thousand taels of silver will be enough to fill you up.”

“Eh~ Brother Shen, you’ve learned to be naughty.”

……

While these two were happily bickering, in Huai Rui Hall, Liu Shi was quietly speaking with Third Miss Shen Lan.

“You see, wasn’t I right for not letting you go? Even the usually arrogant and overbearing eldest young lady, Shen Hui, couldn’t get anywhere with her, so what can you do?” Liu Shi poked Shen Lan’s forehead.

“Hmph, it’s because my brother is supporting her. If my brother didn’t back her up, let’s see how arrogant she’d be.” Shen Lan pouted, unwilling to accept.

“It’s because Shen Nian is supporting her. Without him, she wouldn’t even be able to enter the Marquis’s gate.”

“Then what? Just let her live in the courtyard I’ve wanted for years. Why should she get it so easily?” Shen Lan was still unwilling.

“Well, what can we do? Shen Nian is the heir, and now she’s the young mistress. Whether we acknowledge it or not, if your brother says she is, then she is,” Liu Shi said helplessly, shaking her head. “Why is this child so stubborn?”

Seeing her unhappiness, Liu Shi patted Shen Lan’s hand to comfort her. “It’s just a courtyard. Let her live there. But you see, Shen Hui isn’t an easy person. She won’t let it go. We’ll just sit back and watch the fun.”

“Well, fine!” Shen Lan agreed reluctantly, pouting.

Liu Shi felt relieved, but still couldn’t help giving a glance to the maid behind Shen Lan, signaling her to wait on her.

“Yes, Madam.”