boyutpedia Chapter 372 (102 words added)
Chapter 372 (102 words added)
Xue Ruanruan stepped down from the carriage and immediately saw the magnificent gates of the mansion. She took a deep breath, suppressing her nervousness, and walked gracefully into the mansion. As soon as she crossed the threshold, a sharp-eyed maidservant approached, scrutinizing her from head to toe, and said in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, so this is the newly arrived second young mistress? Look at her timid appearance." Xue Ruanruan didn't get angry, but simply smiled politely. At this moment, a clear laugh rang out, and the eldest young mistress, dressed in gorgeous attire, swayed gracefully as she approached. "Young lady, you're new here and don't know the rules, Chun Tao, please don't make things difficult for you." But her eyes were full of scrutiny. Xue Ruanruan curtsied, "Greetings, eldest young mistress. I hope you will take good care of me in the future." The eldest young mistress smiled, "Of course." However, just as Xue Ruanruan followed the maidservant to her quarters, passing through the garden, a basin of water was suddenly splashed down from upstairs, barely avoiding her clothes. She looked up and saw the Third Miss leaning against the railing, her eyes defiant. Xue Ruanruan clenched her fists, secretly vowing that she would not easily admit defeat in this struggle within the mansion.
Regent Murong Xun and Xue Ruanruan suppressed their anger, maintaining a polite smile as they curtsied to the Third Miss upstairs: "Third Miss is hosting a welcome dinner for her younger sister, it's just a pity she didn't get wet, next time you should be more careful." The Third Miss, not expecting her to dare retort, instantly turned ashen-faced. Just as the atmosphere became tense, a deep, mellow voice rang out: "What are you all doing here?" Everyone turned to see Regent Murong Xun. He wore a long purple robe, his posture upright, his brows and eyes cold and stern, exuding an innate majesty. Xue Ruanruan was startled, wondering why the Regent was here. The Eldest Mistress and the Third Miss immediately composed themselves and bowed respectfully. Murong Xun's gaze lingered on Xue Ruanruan for a moment, then he said calmly, "Don't cause any unruly behavior in the manor." With that, he left. Xue Ruanruan secretly breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the Regent's appearance had temporarily defused the crisis. But she also understood that the struggle within the mansion had only just begun, and she had to remain vigilant to deal with the challenges to come.
Just as Xue Ruanruan glared angrily at the Third Miss, a deep and authoritative voice rang out, "Third Sister, what are you doing?" It was the Second Young Master who had returned. The Second Young Master's face was cold and stern, his eyes exuding an undeniable authority. Upon seeing her second brother, the Third Miss immediately lost her previous arrogance and stammered, "Second Brother, I... I was just joking with Second Sister-in-law." The Second Young Master frowned deeply, "A joke? Is this how you joke? If word gets out, people will laugh at our household for having no manners." The Third Miss lowered her head and remained silent, her eyes filled with resentment.
The second young master turned to Xue Ruanruan, a gentle smile appearing on his face: "Madam, please don't take it to heart." Xue Ruanruan curtsied slightly and said softly, "Thank you, husband. I don't blame the third young lady." The second young master nodded, took Xue Ruanruan's hand, and said, "Come on, I'll show you around the mansion." Xue Ruanruan felt a warmth in her heart and obediently followed him. Along the way, the second young master patiently introduced her to various places, speaking gently. However, unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes were watching them with jealousy. When the eldest young mistress learned of this, her jealousy grew like wildfire. She felt that the second young master's concern for Xue Ruanruan was a provocation against her. Therefore, she conspired with the third young lady to teach Xue Ruanruan a lesson. That night, several men in black suddenly broke into Xue Ruanruan's room. Terrified, she forced herself to remain calm. Just as the men in black were about to attack, the second young master arrived in time. His martial arts skills were superb, and he quickly subdued the men. Xue Ruanruan threw herself into the second young master's arms, tears streaming down her face. The second young master gently patted her back, comforting her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here." "After this battle, Xue Ruanruan understood that she was not alone in this mansion, and the infighting within the household would only intensify. 'Third Sister is young and doesn't understand things, I will certainly teach her well.' Xue Ruanruan curtsied and said, 'Second Young Master is too kind.' After settling Xue Ruanruan, the Second Young Master went to thoroughly investigate the matter. Meanwhile, the Eldest Young Mistress and the Third Miss, upon learning of the black-clad men's failed operation, began plotting a new conspiracy."
A few days later, a flower-viewing banquet was held in the mansion. The eldest young mistress deliberately arranged for Xue Ruanruan to sit with several of the most difficult noblewomen to get along with. These noblewomen spoke harshly and constantly made things difficult for Xue Ruanruan, saying that she was of humble birth and unworthy to marry into this high-class family. Xue Ruanruan was furious, but she suppressed her anger. Just as the situation reached a stalemate, Regent Prince Murong Xun reappeared. He went straight to Xue Ruanruan's side, helped her out of the predicament, and reprimanded the noblewomen. Everyone was surprised, not understanding why the Regent Prince would defend Xue Ruanruan so much. The eldest young mistress and the third young lady were both angry and anxious. Xue Ruanruan looked at Murong Xun gratefully, but Murong Xun only nodded slightly. This scene was witnessed by the second young master, and a strange emotion stirred within him. After the flower-viewing banquet, the undercurrents in the mansion intensified, and various forces seemed to be waiting for an opportunity; a greater storm was quietly brewing. "My sister knows that the Third Miss meant no harm; she's just being a little unusual in her way of getting close to me." Her words both flattered the Second Young Master and subtly put the Third Miss in her place. The Second Young Master nodded slightly, quite satisfied with her answer. The Third Miss bit her lip, secretly resenting Xue Ruanruan's sharp tongue. At this moment, the Eldest Young Mistress stepped forward, smiling as she tried to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, we're all family, there's no need for grudges. Second Sister-in-law is new here, we should take good care of her." On the surface, she was trying to ease the atmosphere, but in reality, she was reminding Xue Ruanruan that she was still a newcomer to this household. Xue Ruanruan smiled and agreed, but in her heart, she knew that this Eldest Young Mistress was no pushover either. The Second Young Master took Xue Ruanruan's hand, "Madam, come back to our room to rest. You've had a long journey, don't tire yourself out." Xue Ruanruan nestled close to him and followed him away, while behind them, the Third Miss's gaze was like a thorn in her back… Her eyes softened slightly, “Second Sister-in-law, please don't take it to heart. Third Sister is young and doesn't understand.” Xue Ruanruan curtsied, “Second Young Master is too kind. I won't hold it against you.”
At this moment, the eldest daughter-in-law stepped forward, smiling as she tried to smooth things over, saying, "Alright, alright, we're all family, how can we not have a little quarrel? Second sister-in-law has just arrived, so let's all get along well, then this mansion will be more lively." Everyone nodded in agreement.
Xue Ruanruan secretly rejoiced that the situation had stabilized for the time being. However, she knew in her heart that the eldest young mistress's words were just empty words.
That evening, Xue Ruanruan was embroidering in her room when a maidservant furtively brought her a letter. Upon opening it, she found it was from the Third Miss, inviting her to a meeting at the garden pavilion. The letter was earnest and seemed to contain an apology. Although Xue Ruanruan found it suspicious, she decided to accept the invitation in order to secure her position in the household.
Upon reaching the garden pavilion, they found no sign of the Third Miss. Suddenly, a group of maids and servants swarmed out and surrounded her. The Eldest Mistress slowly emerged from the shadows, a smug smile on her face: "Second Mistress, you'll be staying here tonight." Xue Ruanruan inwardly cried out in alarm, but forced herself to remain calm, saying, "Eldest Mistress, what is the meaning of this?" The Eldest Mistress sneered: "You think you can live peacefully once you're in this mansion? Don't dream." With that, she gestured for the servants to act. Just as the servants were about to pull her away, a figure flashed by like a ghost—it was the Second Young Master. His eyes widened in fury, and he shouted, "Stop!" Everyone stopped immediately in fright. The second young master walked to Xue Ruanruan's side, shielding her behind him, and coldly looked at the eldest young mistress: "Eldest young mistress, this mansion doesn't allow you to be so presumptuous." The eldest young mistress's face changed, but she forced herself to say, "Second brother, I just wanted to set some rules for this new sister-in-law." The second young master snorted: "Setting rules isn't done this way. If there's a next time, don't blame me for being impolite." With that, he pulled Xue Ruanruan away from the garden. Xue Ruanruan leaned against the second young master's chest, a warmth welling up in her heart. It seemed that in this power struggle within the mansion, she was not alone. Suddenly, a group of masked men surged out and surrounded the two of them. The second young master protected Xue Ruanruan even tighter, drawing his sword from his waist, ready for battle. Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, Regent Murong Xun arrived with his guards. His brows furrowed, his eyes icy. "What's going on? How could such a thing happen in broad daylight?" The second young master clasped his hands and said, "Your Highness, we don't know where these people came from, intending to harm me and my wife." Murong Xun ordered his guards to seize the masked men. After some interrogation, they learned that it was the eldest young mistress who had colluded with outside forces to completely eliminate Xue Ruanruan. The eldest young mistress was brought before everyone; she collapsed to the ground, her face deathly pale. Murong Xun said coldly, "This mansion should be harmonious, yet you are so ruthless, committing such an evil deed. According to the law, you should be punished." The eldest young mistress pleaded desperately, but Murong Xun remained unmoved. After this incident, Xue Ruanruan understood even more clearly that there might be a larger conspiracy behind this power struggle within the mansion, and she and the second young master had to be even more careful to survive in this treacherous residence. They surrounded her. Xue Ruanruan had a bad feeling. Just as she was panicking, the second young master appeared like a god descending from the sky, holding a long sword and quickly repelling the masked man.
It turned out that the second young master had been secretly sending people to protect her, fearing she would be targeted again. He shielded Xue Ruanruan behind him, gently comforting her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here." Xue Ruanruan was deeply moved, her eyes slightly reddening. At that moment, the manor's steward rushed in, his face filled with alarm: "Something terrible has happened! Second young master, second young mistress, a fire has broken out in the kitchen! The fire is raging, and I'm afraid it's out of control!" The second young master frowned, making a decisive decision: "I'll go deal with the fire first. You take Madam to a safe place." Xue Ruanruan, however, tugged at his sleeve: "Husband, I'll go with you." The second young master hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement. The two rushed to the kitchen, where they saw a raging fire and thick smoke billowing. The second young master directed everyone to fight the fire, and Xue Ruanruan helped pass buckets of water. In the chaos, Xue Ruanruan noticed a furtive figure, seemingly deliberately obstructing the firefighting efforts. A chill ran down her spine, and she quietly followed. Just as she was about to grab the person, the person suddenly turned around, revealing herself to be the Third Miss's personal maid. The maid said viciously, "It's all your fault! You ruined our plans! You won't get away with this today!" With that, she lunged at Xue Ruanruan… Meanwhile, someone secretly followed her. After this incident, Xue Ruanruan felt a greater sense of gratitude and dependence on the Second Young Master. The Eldest Mistress and the Third Miss, upon learning of the plan's failure, became even more furious and began plotting more insidious schemes. The struggle within the mansion intensified, and Xue Ruanruan understood that her challenge had only just begun. It seemed this Second Young Master was a reasonable person. She knew that in this mansion, she could no longer simply endure; she had to learn to protect herself to gain a foothold in this complex struggle. "Third Sister, what is the meaning of this?" It was none other than the Regent, Murong Xun. The third young lady's expression changed, and she quickly dropped her arrogance, curtsying and saying, "Your Highness, my sister only accidentally spilled water." Xue Ruanruan dodged the maid's attack. Taking advantage of the maid's stagger, she shouted loudly, "Help! Someone is setting a fire!" Hearing the shouts, the firefighters around rushed over. Seeing the situation was bad, the maid tried to escape but was stopped by the crowd. The second young master, hearing the commotion, arrived and, seeing this scene, angrily questioned the maid, "Speak, who ordered you to do this!" The maid trembled with fear, stammering that it was the Third Miss and the Eldest Mistress who had instigated the fire. Just then, the fire subsided and was brought under control. The Second Young Master led the others to take the maid to see the Master. Upon learning of this, the Master was furious and decided to severely punish the Third Miss and the Eldest Mistress. The Third Miss and the Eldest Mistress, not expecting their scheme to be exposed, cried and begged the Master for forgiveness. However, the Master was determined, punishing the Third Miss by confining her to her quarters for three months, and stripping the Eldest Mistress of her power over the household affairs. After this incident, Xue Ruanruan's position in the mansion gradually became more secure, but the undercurrents within the household were far from over, and a new struggle might be quietly brewing. Murong Xun glanced at her coldly, then looked at Xue Ruanruan, his gaze softening slightly. "Second Mistress, please don't take it to heart." Xue Ruanruan curtsied gracefully and said softly, "Thank you, Regent, for rescuing me."
The eldest young mistress also rushed over at this moment, her face full of smiles: "The Regent is here as well. I was unaware of your presence and have failed to greet you properly." Murong Xun said indifferently, "I came to see my second brother." After saying that, he left with his entourage.
The eldest mistress looked at Xue Ruanruan, her jealousy intensifying. That night, she summoned the third young lady to her room to plot. "This Xue Ruanruan, I don't know what kind of seductive tricks she used, to get both the Regent and my second brother protecting her," the eldest mistress said through gritted teeth. The third young lady's eyes lit up. "Sister, why don't we start with the Regent? I've heard he's still unmarried and always indifferent to women, but he's been exceptionally kind to my second sister-in-law. Maybe he's interested in her. Let's find a way to create discord between the Regent and my second brother." The eldest mistress's eyes lit up. "Great idea! When my second brother loses the Regent's support, Xue Ruanruan will have no one to rely on, and we'll have her at our mercy."