"I wonder what Miss Cheng meant by sending this letter to Zhuo Jing?"

Noisy voices arose from the stage, but Cheng Yunxian was quiet for a moment in this broken letter.

Just a few breaths ago, she thought that she might be able to escape from the sea of ​​suffering, but she never expected that she, the one who set up the trap, had become someone else's trap.

There is no point in denying it or forcefully defending it.

Cheng Yunxian looked at the letter and was silent for a while. Then he laughed to himself,

"I didn't expect that Uncle Tan and his wife were more in love than each other. Yunxian was envious and admired her."

Tan Ting had indeed had ill intentions before seeing her, thinking of his wife I almost left home that day and my face turned cold.

But Cheng Yunxian looked at Tan Ting. When he saw the man's handsome face and calm demeanor, he thought of his affection for his wife Xiang and was in a daze for a moment.

She has no chance to get such a man again, but she doesn't want to give in to the dark choice given by her father.

Cheng Yunxian's voice was slightly lowered.

"About this letter, Yun Xian only knows this much, but I think Uncle Tan would like to know more."

Tan Ting said nothing with a cold face, tapping his fingertips on the table a few times. , looked at Cheng Yunxian.

"Is there anything Miss Cheng can let Tan know?"

He said bluntly, "Tan may be able to exchange for what Miss Cheng wants."

He saw through Cheng Yunxian's meaning almost at a glance.

Cheng Yunxian's eyes couldn't help but linger on this man for a few seconds.

She nodded and spoke.

"This is the best. There is a secret thing about my father, which involves another person related to Mr. Xiang. I think Uncle Tan will be interested in knowing. Yun Xian can find an opportunity to take Uncle Tan to see this secret thing with his own eyes."

When she opened her mouth, she mentioned her father, Cheng Luo, the chief of the Cheng clan.

Cheng Luo was not an official in the court, and he lived in seclusion. You would never see him at all.

Tan Ting used to feel that he was different from the heads of other wealthy families, but now it seems...

he couldn't help but look at Cheng Yunxian again.

"Is Miss Cheng willing to let an outsider like Tan know your father's secrets? In exchange for what?"

Cheng Yunxian is the daughter of the Cheng family. If something goes wrong with the Cheng family, how can she tell the truth?

But when Tan Ting asked such a question, Miss Cheng only laughed faintly.

she said.

"Uncle Tan, you don't have to worry too much. Yun Xian has only one request."

"You tell me."

Cheng Yunxian took a deep breath.

"When this is done, please ask Uncle Tan to change my name for me and send me away!"

Tan Ting was stunned for a moment, then looked at Cheng Yunxian, his eyes a little more thoughtful.

"Uncle Tan, are you willing to agree?" Cheng Yunxian clenched his hands.

Her last chance lies with the eldest son of the Tan family.

She knew that she could not get his affection and the position of his legal wife, but if she could let him do it for her in secret exchange, she thought, he might be better than those who share the same origin with her. Family members are more reliable and trustworthy.

She clasped her hands tightly and saw the Tan family man nodded slowly, put away his questions and became solemn.

"Tan agreed, and he will do what he says."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Yunxian's heart dropped to the ground.

If he could really send her away, she would never have to stay in that suffocating family for another day!

She stood up and saluted Tan Ting.

"Don't worry, Mr. Tan. Yun Xian will find an opportunity soon and will inform Mr. Tan to go there."

After she finished speaking, she quickly left the restaurant without staying any longer.

After she left, Tan Ting put away the letter his wife had given him, and turned the wine cup around in his hand. He did not drink it, but held the wine cup and thought about it for a while.

Cheng Luo's secret matter involved another person related to his father-in-law, who...

He thought about it silently, but saw a man wearing a purple brocade robe coming next to him.

Tan Ting didn't want to pay much attention to this person, but he sat down.

In front of his wife, he looked polite, but now that his wife was away, the man became rude.

Tan Ting glanced at Gu Yansheng, who came uninvited, but said nothing.

Gu Yansheng, on the other hand, asked casually while listening to the play.

"Miss Cheng?"

Tan Ting also glanced at the stage and responded casually.

Gu Yansheng said leisurely.

"As expected, I came here for Mr. Tan."

Tan Ting didn't need him to remind him, but he was thankful that his wife was not here, otherwise it would have been embarrassing for him to attract the peach blossoms.

"Daozhang Gu doesn't have to worry about Tan, as long as Yizhen doesn't care."

His wife would not be angry with him because of this.

However, Gu Yansheng chuckled and nodded, "Yes, of course Yizhen doesn't care."

The Taoist emphasized the word "care".

This is what I care about, not the other...

Tan Ting choked up and felt angry.

But after thinking about the temperament of his wife at home, she really didn't look like she would be sour and jealous...

Tan Ting was depressed for a moment, but he couldn't let others see it, so he snorted again.

"It doesn't matter, Yizhen is still the wife of Mr. Tan, the matchmaker."

As soon as these words came out, the Taoist priest was speechless.

There were a few babbling sounds on the stage, and the tune was brisk.

Fortunately, Tan Ting was not prepared to fight Gu Yansheng to the end. He just remembered what Cheng Yunxian had just said and asked in a low voice.

"Do you think there is anything wrong with the Cheng family?"

Gu Yansheng nodded after hearing this.

The sound of the drama on the stage was loud for a while, and Gu Yansheng lowered his voice and said something.

"To be honest with Mr. Tan, I'm afraid my uncle's matter has something to do with the Cheng family..."

He secretly investigated Gu Xianying's fall from power and Xiang Zhiyuan's death, and it took more than two days.

When Gu Xianying lost power, he was still young, and because his uncle had offended many people during his lifetime, his life was difficult. He could only bury his uncle in a hurry, who had already been buried in the sea of ​​​​fire and even the bones could not be recovered.

After he had the strength to protect himself, he went to look up what happened back then. Many years had passed, but he still found some clues.

After Gu Yansheng said this, Tan Ting nodded slowly.

"In a few days' time, Miss, you may ask me to go to see the secrets of the Cheng family. I wonder if the elder would like to go with you?"

After finishing his words, Gu Yansheng couldn't help but glance at him and saw the eldest son of the Tan family, Ming Lang. Relaxed brows.

He paused slightly.

"Thank you."

As soon as Xiang Yi and Xiang Ning left, the house became empty.

The next day, when Tan Ting left the office early and went home, he met Tan Jian and Xiang Yu who had just returned from the academy.

Needless to say, Tan Jian would not come out after returning to Xikuoyuan, but Xiang Yu was a little embarrassed.

When Tan Ting saw him in the outer courtyard, he found that his wife's brother seemed to have lost a lot of weight. Now that he had returned home, he looked a little lonely.

Tan Ting thought it was because Xiang Yi and Xiang Ning were not at home and he had nothing to say to his brother-in-law.

He said tentatively.

"If Brother Yu also wants to go to the Hot Spring Villa, I'll drive over quickly and get there before dark."

Tan Ting had already made up his mind. If he didn't have to go to the office every day, he wouldn't have to cover for Xiang Yu. Got a tip.

However, when he said this, Xiang Yu shook his head.

The young man's expression became more and more downcast.

"I'll just go back to my room and study."

Xiang Yu thanked Tan Ting for his kindness, lowered his head and returned to his room.

How could the eldest sister take Ning Ning to the hot spring villa for no reason? It must have been intentional.

If he goes, the eldest sister will only be even more angry.

Xiang Yu read a book absentmindedly for a while in the room, and the sky became dark.

The Tan family's old house was lit with lights everywhere, making it bright.

The light shines on the bluestone slab, and you can move around without the need for a lamp to illuminate it.

Xiang Yu looked out the window.

I wonder if the hot spring villa is so bright, so that people can’t see passers-by at night and can walk around peacefully...

Suburbs of Beijing, hot spring villa.

When Tan Ting was in the capital, he didn't have much time for entertainment. Later, he brought Xiang Yi over. One thing happened after another, and he forgot about Zhuangzi. If the old doctor hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't have thought about it at all. .

The Tan family's hot spring villa was purchased early. It is located on a high ground. On the upper reaches of the water, there are five or six spring pools of different sizes among the carved beams and painted buildings in the villa.

Even when Xiang Yi followed his father as an official in Beijing, he had never seen a place like this. It can be seen that it is a place that only a wealthy family can own.

On the day they arrived, Xiang Yi and Xiang Ning chose a small pool to soak in for a while.

Today we walked around the villa. After dinner, the sisters sat down by the pool to soak their feet.

But the sky was getting dark, and Xiang Ning subconsciously didn't want to stay outside any longer. She was afraid that she couldn't see clearly, and the terrain here was unfamiliar to her, and she would slip and fall into the pool again.

Xiang Yi looked at his sister lovingly, reluctant to leave her and went back to her room early. He asked people to light all the lights in the yard and put two more lights beside her.

The lights reflected on the water of the hot spring pool, and everything was lit up.

Xiang Ning's eyes also lit up.

"It's so bright!"

she said, smiling and holding Xiang Yi's arm. She said it felt like it was a New Year.

"Is it a festival?" Xiang Yi asked casually as he was a little lost in thought.

But I heard Xiang Ning reply with a smile.

"After my sister married into the Tan family, Ayu and I were the only two people left during the holidays. But I couldn't be seen at night, and it seemed even more deserted than other people's homes. Ayu would light a lamp in the yard and light up the wall. From the table to the floor, he lit all the lamps. The yard was as bright as daytime. I could even see the mouse hole in the corner. It made the neighbor next door knock on the door and ask if there was a fire... ..."

She said, giggling, and said the same thing.

"I asked Ayu to save light on lamp oil and candles, but he refused, and there was nothing I could do about it. He didn't listen to me like he listened to my eldest sister. Persimmon is so soft, he is really a bad brother... "

Xiang Yi's thoughts were brought back by Xiang Ning's words.

She lowered her head to the little girl. When she saw the little girl talking, she stopped smiling and looked towards the direction of the capital.

"A'yu should take a break from bathing today. It's so nice here. It would be great if A'yu could come here..."

The water in the hot spring reflected in Xiang Yi's eyes, which made Xiang Yi's eyes sore.

It seems that the younger brother really knew that Ning Ning was not from the Xiang family a long time ago.

But so what?

Unless Ning Ning's mother shows up to recognize her daughter, maybe the younger brother still has a chance. If not, he will never even think about it in this life...

Xiang Yi rubbed his eyes and sighed secretly.

It just so happened that someone would come over and pass the news, saying that someone from the capital government was here.

Xiang Ning stood up faster than Xiang Yi, "Huh? A Yu heard that we were here and rushed over, right?"

Unfortunately, it wasn't the case. The servant shook his head.

"It's not Master Yu, it's the uncle who sent a message to Madam, saying to reassure her that the uncle will come over after two days of rest."

The person below said this, and Xiang Ning could only sit back down.

But Xiang Yi heard what the old man meant.

It seems he lured out the messenger.

It's so fast, then he will really come after two days of rest.

...

The two sisters soaked their feet by the pool for a while, talked, and returned to their respective rooms early.

There are also many people from the Tan clan in Beijing and Gyeonggi. One of the two families is having a wedding or funeral. As the clan's wife, Xiang Yi has to send people there even if she doesn't show up. She went back to her room to sort out her affairs for a while before resting.

Xiang Ning, on the other hand, couldn't see anything at night and always went to bed soon after dark. Naturally, he woke up very early the next day.

At dawn the next day, she was ready, but there was no movement in Xiang Yi's room.

The weather is getting hotter, and only the early mornings are cooler. Seeing that her sister was not awake, Xiang Ning asked the little maid to go out the back door with her and walk up the hill behind.

This is a villa with a noble family. Except for the servants who come in and out in the morning, there are not many people.

Xiang Ning walked up with the maid, and when they reached the mountainside, there were many fewer houses, leaving only two other high-lying mansions.

Xiang Ning naturally wouldn't go to other people's yards. She was tired now, so she picked a big rock and sat on it to rest.

Seeing that she had no intention of going home for the time being, the maid took two steps up to explore the way for her.

Xiang Ning nodded and said hello. He sat on the stone and picked up a big leaf to fan himself.

Looking down at this point, half of the mountain and the small village lake stretching at the foot of the mountain are all in sight.

Xiang Ning was looking at it seriously, but he didn't pay much attention to the muttering behind him, thinking that it was just someone's servant passing by.

Unexpectedly, in the next breath, two sets of hurried footsteps suddenly came behind her. Before she could react, someone picked her up from both sides and pulled her away without any explanation.

"How can Madam be here alone? It's really going to kill the slaves!"

Only then did Xiang Ning see two maids, and she was stunned for a moment.

"Who are you? You got the wrong person!"

As soon as she spoke, the two of them were startled, and then they turned around and saw Xiang Ning's face.

At first glance, the two of them seemed to be dazzled. When they recovered, they looked at each other.

"Why is it so similar..."

"But it's not!"

The two of them realized that they had recognized the wrong person and quickly let go of Xiang Ning.

Xiang Ning is both inexplicable and funny.

"Whose family are you from? Does your wife look similar to me?"

She was not angry, but thought the coincidence was very interesting, and asked the two of them with a smile.

But the two people dressed as maids couldn't laugh at all. They apologized repeatedly, but did not respond to Xiang Ning's words. They turned around and ran away.

Xiang Ning only felt strange. He came down from the mountain from time to time and returned to the Tan family's hot spring resort. When he and Xiang Yi had breakfast together, they talked about it.

At that time, Xiang Yicai had just served her a bowl of porridge. After hearing what she said, the porridge water in her hand almost spilled over. Fortunately, Qiao Yun raised her hand to hold her up.

"Ma'am, be careful."

Xiang Ning was also surprised. The eldest sister has always been very stable in her work, so why did she almost spill the porridge?

She asked Xiang Yi, "Did sister hear anything wrong from what Ning Ning said?"

Seeing that her sister noticed something unusual, Xiang Yi apologized for a moment.

But until the matter was clear, she was not ready to tell her sister's life experience.

After all, Ning Ning has thought that she is a child of the Xiang family since she was a child. If Xiang Yi suddenly told her about her different life experience, she was afraid that she would not be able to accept it.

She said it was nothing and said, "I thought the flower photographer was here to take Ning Ning away."

As she said this, her eyes quickly fell on Xiang Ning.

"We have just arrived here, and we are not familiar with everything. Ning Ning has been in the villa for the past few days. Don't go out yet. If there is someone taking pictures, my sister will be worried."

What is the situation of Xiang Ning's mother? Xiang Yi doesn't know either.

If her biological mother is really nearby, and the mother and daughter look so similar, something unexpected might happen.

Xiang Yi didn't dare to let Xiang Ning go out anymore, and told her to stay in the villa and not go anywhere.

Xiang Ning was very surprised. He didn't know why his sister was so careful. He just glanced at her quietly but didn't say anything.

However, Xiang Yi felt vaguely uneasy. After eating, he called in the servants who lived in the villa and asked about the situation of the nearby people.