Chapter 70 – Why Are You Telling Me All This?

Shen Nian heard Xia Tian ask him who had the most physical activity during the Ice Festival. He thought about it seriously for a moment but couldn’t figure it out and asked her, “Who is it?”

“It’s me!” Xia Tian pointed at herself.

Shen Nian was stunned, still trying to understand how it could be her, when Xia Tian, in a slightly resentful tone, added, “To be precise, the most exertion during this Ice Festival was in my cheekbones.”

Cough, cough, cough!

Shen Nian, who had been drinking tea, immediately choked on it upon hearing this remark.

Xia Tian quickly patted his back a few times, giving him a more resentful look. “What’s wrong? Am I wrong?”

Shen Nian quickly nodded. “You’re right.”

Her logic was indeed quite unique!

Xia Tian huffed and sat back down.

This kind of exchange had become routine, and Ning Xiang and Ning Xue had almost gotten used to it. Usually, except for making tea, they wouldn’t disturb them.

Shen Nian stayed for a while longer. When he saw that Xia Tian was getting sleepy and about to yawn, he finally returned to Lingyun Pavilion.

The next day, Xia Tian woke up late, only getting out of bed when the sun had already risen high.

The past three days of early mornings had really taken a toll on her.

After breakfast, she asked Ning Xue to bring her the “Women’s Precepts” and continued to sit on the heated bed in the warm room, copying the book.

After practicing for a while, her brushwork had improved significantly.

This meant that the writing she copied onto paper had become more elegant.

She planned to finish copying it a hundred times, which would mark the completion of her calligraphy practice. By then, her handwriting would naturally become more refined.

The old lady wouldn’t be able to find any flaws in her handwriting either.

Shen Nian had already gone on duty early, and Xia Tian had copied some more pages. When she saw Ning Xiang bring in food with Cuiyun and others, she stopped and put away her work.

In the afternoon, she thought about painting for a while. She hadn’t touched her brush in three days. Last time, a customer had ordered a painting, but she hadn’t started yet. It had been seven or eight days since then.

Just as she entered the study and was about to start, Ning Xiang knocked on the door.

Xia Tian put down her brush and went into the warm room, where she found Miss Shen Ning, the second daughter of the Marquis of Wu’an, sitting at the edge of the heated bed.

It was a rare visit. Since Xia Tian moved into Jinglan Courtyard, aside from Shen Hui and Shen Lan, no one from the Shen family had come to visit.

When Shen Ning saw her enter, she quickly stood up, smiling and greeting, “Sister-in-law.”

Xia Tian raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Oh, it’s the second miss. What brings you here?”

Cuiyun served the tea, and Xia Tian motioned for Shen Ning to sit. “Second miss, please have some tea.”

“Thank you, sister-in-law. There’s no need to be so formal. You can just call me ‘Second Sister’ or ‘Shen Ning’.”

Xia Tian smiled but said nothing.

Shen Ning knew that since the incident at the Pavilion, Xia Tian must have been a little wary of them.

Everyone originally thought she was just a clever peasant girl, but no one had expected that she would easily see through the Pavilion incident and quickly extricate herself from it.

This Ice Festival had also shown the prominent families in the capital that this girl from a farming background was not so simple.

Although it was just a simple ice skating competition, it was still difficult for someone with no experience to master it quickly.

Moreover, she had been poised and graceful when facing the emperor and empress, and her manners were impeccable.

Most importantly, Young Master Shen was clearly very different toward her. He even rejected the famous talent Wen Jin, who was highly sought after in the capital.

This sister-in-law had truly caught everyone’s attention.

Shen Ning asked Xia Tian to dismiss the servants, and without further ado, leaned in and spoke softly.

“Sister-in-law, recently, when my brother is on duty, he should be cautious.” “That day, on the second day of the Ice Festival, when you were competing, I overheard Fourth Brother scolding his guards. It seems like they might harm my brother, possibly hiring someone from outside.” Shen Ning quickly explained, then took a sip of tea.

She had hesitated about whether to tell her brother. After all, she was only a concubine-born daughter in the Marquis’s household, and she had to live under the authority of her mother. But over the past few days, she had realized that, in the end, her brother would be the one to take over the household.

Although Liu Shi seemed to be in charge now, since her brother’s recovery, things in the house seemed to be changing.

Her sister-in-law, who had been kept by her brother despite her status, also seemed not as simple as she appeared.

So, after weighing the pros and cons, Shen Ning decided to take a gamble.

Anyway, she would be married off soon, and her future husband was already decided. Liu Shi couldn’t use this matter to control her anymore. If her gamble paid off, the Marquis of Wu’an’s household would become her support.

Xia Tian was surprised. “Why are you telling me all this?”

Shen Ning didn’t hide her intentions. “I hope that when my brother becomes the head of the household in the future, after I get married, he will remember this and support me.”

Xia Tian hadn’t expected Shen Ning to be so straightforward. It seemed like there were people in the Marquis’s household who were still on her side.

“Alright, thank you for telling me this. I’ll keep my brother informed. If you ever need anything in the future, feel free to come to me.”

When Shen Ning heard Xia Tian call her “Second Sister,” she knew she had made the right choice.

Shen Ning stood up and bowed to Xia Tian. “Thank you, sister-in-law. Time is getting late, so I’ll take my leave now.”

“Alright, if you have time, come visit again.” Xia Tian smiled and escorted her out. “Ning Xiang, see Miss Shen off.”

After Shen Ning left, Xia Tian leaned back, deep in thought.

She had always thought that only Liu Shi had bad intentions toward Shen Nian, never suspecting that Shen Ke might be involved too.

She wondered if Shen Nian knew that Shen Ke also wanted to harm him. Xia Tian couldn’t sit still anymore.

“Ning Xiang, go send someone to Lingyun Pavilion and see if they have arrived yet. If they haven’t, check if Mu Feng or Mu Chen is there, and ask them to come if possible.”

Ning Xiang was puzzled. “What happened, Madam?”

“Hurry up.”

“Yes, I’ll go right away.”

After a while, Ning Xiang returned. “Madam, they haven’t arrived yet. Mu Feng and Mu Chen aren’t here either.”

That made sense. It wasn’t time for the shift yet. One of Mu Feng or Mu Chen would usually accompany Shen Nian, so it should be fine for now.

Moreover, Shen Nian wasn’t lacking in skills.

Xia Tian tried to calm herself down and went back to the study to paint.

But even after thinking for a long time, she couldn’t bring herself to pick up the brush.

Her mind was in chaos, and she realized she needed to tell Shen Nian as soon as possible. If she didn’t, it might be too late, and Shen Ke might harm him.

She put down her brush, left the study, and called Ning Xiang. “Get ready. We’re leaving the house.”

Ning Xiang didn’t ask why this time, quickly calling for the carriage.

Xia Tian changed her clothes, grabbed a porcelain bottle, filled it with spirit water, and placed it in the space.

Soon, Ning Xiang said the carriage was ready.

Xia Tian and Ning Xiang headed out.

She planned to go to Shen Nian’s duty post first and wait to bring him back.

Shen Ning had only overheard that someone might harm Shen Nian but didn’t know when. If it happened to be today, it would be disastrous.

Sitting in the carriage, Xia Tian’s mind was racing.

Ning Xiang noticed her deep in thought, her brows furrowed, and a touch of anxiety on her face.

“Madam, we’ve arrived.” The driver noticed she hadn’t reacted and spoke up to remind her.

“Oh, we’ve arrived?” Xia Tian snapped out of it and pulled back the curtain, looking out. They had already reached the gate outside Shen Nian’s duty post.