Chapter 610: Chapter 610: The Husband and Wife’s Duet

Shen Ningning stepped down from the carriage and looked up at the entrance of the Ren Mansion, now just a few feet away.

As befitting the residence of a governor, the red lacquer on the doors was brand new, the rivets were gilded, and the roof tiles gleamed as if freshly washed. The two stone lions guarding the entrance were majestic and fierce.

The wet nurse led the way. "Miss, please follow me inside."

Shen Ningning looked down and saw the ground littered with red paper scraps—the remains of recently lit firecrackers. A house servant was in the middle of sweeping them up.

Mo Lingwei asked with feigned nonchalance, "I hear it’s a local custom in Ling Mountain City to light a thousand-shot firecracker to welcome a daughter on her homecoming visit. Have they already been set off? How could they have known when we would arrive?"

The wet nurse looked rather embarrassed at his words and quickly explained, "The Master and his family didn’t know you would be arriving today, Miss. Those firecrackers were for the Second Miss’s homecoming visit."

Shen Ningning feigned surprise. "Oh? So my second sister is also visiting home today?"

The wet nurse hummed in affirmation. Just then, a figure in the distance rushed toward them. "Yue’er! You’re finally back!"

The surrounding servants immediately bowed and greeted the governor and his wife.

Shen Ningning raised her gaze and saw the portly Governor Ren. Beside him stood Mrs. Ren, whose sharp, upturned eyes held a mix of scrutiny and a hint of cruelty as they swept over them.

"Father..." Shen Ningning suppressed her disgust and called out, her eyes welling with tears. The look of someone about to cry made her already lovely face possess the pure, delicate beauty of a hibiscus flower glistening with morning dew.

Not only were the surrounding servants stunned, but even Governor Ren looked at her with a flash of awe.

’This is my eldest daughter?’

"Yue’er, why are you back all by yourself? Where are the house servants I sent to fetch you? Did those lazy good-for-nothings neglect you?" A hint of suspicion flashed in Mrs. Ren’s eyes. She stepped forward, her voice filled with feigned concern as she took Shen Ningning’s hand.

At her words, Shen Ningning’s tears began to fall like rain.

"Father, my husband and I almost died before we could see you again!" She concealed the fact that they had been ambushed by the servants, changing her story. "On the road, the carriage somehow veered off course and nearly plunged off a cliff! My husband and I barely escaped with our lives. We were lucky enough to fall into a pond. After we finally managed to climb out, we couldn’t find any of the servants."

Governor Ren and Mrs. Ren exchanged a look.

"So that’s what happened. You’ve suffered so much on your journey," Governor Ren said with great emotion. His gaze then fell on Mo Lingwei, turning sharp. "Although you protected Yue’er, that doesn’t mean I approve of you as my son-in-law. If I hadn’t been swamped with official duties back then, I would never have consented to your marriage!"

Mrs. Ren stepped in to smooth things over. "Come now, dear. Yue’er and our son-in-law have just escaped death and returned home for a reunion. You should be happy. Don’t say such things; you’ll break Yue’er’s heart."

Governor Ren took her cue and nodded. "For Yue’er’s sake, you may stay here at the mansion for the time being."

Mo Lingwei’s sharp brows were like black feathers, and his narrow eyes were as chilling as a frosted blade. He said nothing, only arching a single eyebrow slightly.

For some reason, even a wily old veteran of the political world like Governor Ren felt an intense, oppressive aura from him.

’How can a common tutor possess such a quietly formidable presence?’

Governor Ren said, "I have some matters to attend to at the government office, so I must head back. Yue’er, if you need anything, just ask your mother. I’ll return this evening for a reunion dinner to welcome you both properly."

’He’s just making an excuse,’ Shen Ningning knew. ’He’s undoubtedly going to find out what happened to the servants he sent.’

Mo Lingwei had already arranged for all traces of their handiwork along the road to be erased. She gave a delicate nod, and Governor Ren departed in a hurry.

The moment he was gone, Mrs. Ren’s expression shifted to a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

"Yue’er, oh, Yue’er. They say a girl can change so much growing up, and it’s certainly true. Just look at you. I almost don’t recognize you."

Shen Ningning blinked her long lashes and retorted, "Have you and I met before, Mrs. Ren?"

The fact that she didn’t call her "Mother" didn’t surprise Mrs. Ren in the least. ’It would be a miracle if Ren Liuyue actually liked me!’

When Ren Liuyue’s maternal grandfather was alive, he had constantly told everyone that she was a seductive homewrecker who had destroyed the original wife’s family.

’So how could Ren Liuyue, who grew up hearing such things, not hate her?’

Hearing Shen Ningning’s tone, Mrs. Ren gave a hollow laugh. "No, we haven’t met. But I used to hear the maids in the mansion describe your mother. They said she was beautiful and demure, but not as striking as you."

Shen Ningning nodded slowly. "I suppose I take after my mother’s side of the family, then."

The remark was incredibly impolite. Mrs. Ren’s smile nearly faltered.

She changed the subject, turning to Mo Lingwei.

"Is everything all right with your family? I heard that your mother fell gravely ill some years ago and you had no silver for her treatment. Yue’er wrote to the Governor for help, but an ignorant gatekeeper intercepted the letter, thinking it was an extortion attempt from an outsider. We only learned the truth later. It’s been a constant source of regret for the Governor that we couldn’t help you, and I feel terrible about it as well. That gatekeeper was punished, of course. I was just wondering... did your mother recover?"

Mo Lingwei’s tone was frigid. "She passed away."

Mrs. Ren was asking a question to which she already knew the answer.

Back then, in order to pay for Fang Huan’s mother’s treatment, Ren Liuyue didn’t have enough silver. It was the first time in over a decade that she had written to her own father for help.

She never received a reply.

In the end, Ren Liuyue had to sell the property her maternal grandfather left her to scrape together the silver, but by then, Fang Huan’s mother was too ill. Nothing could be done.

By bringing it up now, Mrs. Ren was not only showing her complete disdain for Fang Huan’s humble origins but also attempting to put Ren Liuyue in her place.

But Shen Ningning was not Ren Liuyue. She was not about to let anyone bully her.

And Mo Lingwei, even less so.

He replied in a level tone, "Death comes for everyone. Mrs. Ren, you don’t look so young yourself. You should take good care of your health. You wouldn’t want an illness to strike so suddenly you have no time to prepare."

Mrs. Ren’s face twisted as she listened.

’Is this poor tutor cursing me?!’

Her expression soured, and just as she was about to lose her temper, Shen Ningning darted to her side and stared intently at her face.

"Oh, dear, I think my husband has a point. Mrs. Ren, you have so many wrinkles... but that’s not the most important thing. Why is the spot between your eyebrows so dark? Have you seen a doctor lately?"

Mo Lingwei added, "Dark between the eyebrows? That’s a very bad sign. You must be careful. My mother, before she... well, never mind."

Their back-and-forth banter made Mrs. Ren’s face turn ashen.

"You... you two, stop saying such frightening things! A doctor checks on my health every few days. Besides, a fortune-teller told me I am blessed with a long and prosperous life. What you’re suggesting would never happen... Anyway, this is the courtyard where you will be staying. If you need anything, just send a maid to find me." With that, Mrs. Ren turned and scurried away.

Shen Ningning guessed she must have been frightened. A mischievous glint appeared in her bright eyes.

Mo Lingwei took her hand and gazed at the small courtyard before them. "I’m sorry you have to endure this, living in such a place. It’s no bigger than a mouse hole."

Shen Ningning blinked. "You think this is small?"

’But then again,’ she thought, ’compared to his Zichen Palace, it really is nothing special.’

The two of them entered the house together.

Their entrance left the sisters Ren Er and Ren San, who were peeking from behind a tree near the courtyard gate, utterly starstruck.

"Is... is that Ren Liuyue? And the man next to her, is that her husband?"

Ren San was flabbergasted. "How did she get so beautiful? And Fang Huan... I always pictured him as some sallow, skinny, poor scholar. I never imagined he would be so dashing and heroic..."

Ren Er was the most shocked of all.

’Her own husband was short and fat as a pig, yet Ren Liuyue’s husband was so impossibly handsome?!’

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.