The Female Lead Always Comes Around [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 30

The moment Ning Huaichang recognized Fuyu’s voice, he immediately set down his hand, and the anger on his face vanished, replaced by a smile a complete transformation in an instant, rivaling the face-changing in Sichuan opera.

Leng Ying walked over and stood beside Ning Shu, gently nudging Fuyu forward. Ning Huaichang stepped up with a fawning expression, but Fuyu ignored him entirely and approached Ning Shu, asking softly, “Are you all right?”

Ning Shu had always been fearless, but Fuyu’s arrival only bolstered her confidence. She shook her head with a smile, then leaned down to whisper, “Didn’t Your Highness say you wouldn’t come? Then how.”

“I only said Leng Ying should accompany you first. When did I ever say I wouldn’t come myself?”

Ning Shu raised an eyebrow, her voice teasingly intimate. “Thank you, Your Highness, for backing me up. From now on, I’ll make sure to serve you well.”

Fuyu cleared her throat lightly, turning her gaze sharply toward Ning Huaichang.

“Ning, you haven’t answered my question yet. What crime has the princess committed that makes you so furious?”

Ning Huaichang’s face changed; he forced a smile. “Your Highness, you misunderstand. I was just teasing Shu Shu. Even before she was married, this was how we interacted, right, Shu Shu?”

He glanced at Ning Shu, his eyes carrying a clear warning. He assumed she would obey him as she had in the past, but this Ning Shu was no longer that timid girl.

“Yes. My father used to hit and scold me constantly; it was just how we interacted. Your Highness has misunderstood,” Ning Shu said calmly.

The cold gleam in Fuyu’s eyes deepened. She regarded Ning Huaichang with a half-smile. “I didn’t realize Ning’s household had such… unique customs. Truly eye-opening today.”

Ning Huaichang’s expression fell as if he had just swallowed a dead fly. He could neither confront Ning Shu nor defy Fuyu, leaving his face a study in helplessness.

Su Xiaoyue, ever the quick-witted, realized Ning Huaichang couldn’t handle the situation. She hurriedly spoke: “Your Highness, you probably haven’t had breakfast yet. If you don’t mind, please join us. Our humble home cannot compare to the delicacies of the Chen Prince’s residence, so I hope you won’t mind.”

She cast a glance at Ning Chan, who immediately understood. She stepped forward, showering Fuyu with attentions.

“Earlier, my sister said Your Highness refused to come with her. I thought it must be official business. I didn’t expect you to arrive so quickly. Seeing how concerned you are for my sister, I truly feel happy for her.”

Ning Shu smiled wryly at the small white-lily girl. One sentence praised Fuyu while subtly framing the girl, a masterstroke of manipulation.

Fuyu glanced at Ning Shu with a hint of helplessness. “You told them I didn’t want to return with you?”

“That’s right,” Ning Shu replied, lips curling. “I didn’t lie.”

Though she hadn’t explicitly told Ning family members, the fact still stood.

Ning Chan, angered by Fuyu’s disregard, cooed sweetly, “Your Highness dotes on my sister so much; Chan’er can only envy her.”

Ning Shu, tired of hearing the girl’s false innocence, addressed Fuyu: “Shall we have breakfast together? I’ll let you try the foods I’ve ‘loved’ for over ten years.”

Ning Shu deliberately emphasized “loved,” and Fuyu caught the nuance. She nodded, and Leng Qing pushed Ning Shu toward the dining table, standing beside Leng Ying. Both grasped their swords, arms crossed, faces cold, intensifying the tense atmosphere.

Fuyu’s gaze fell on the congee on the table. She looked at Ning Huaichang, voice sharp: “Ning, do you feed the princess this every day?”

No wonder Ning Shu was so thin. The simple meal made everything clear. Daily congee and pickles how had she survived?

Fuyu’s eyes softened slightly with concern, but her disdain for Ning Huaichang grew. A man who pampers concubines and punishes his own daughter is unfit to be a Minister of Rites.

Ning Huaichang, practically sweating under Fuyu’s gaze, stammered: “It’s not like that… Shu Shu’s health has always been poor. The doctor said she should only eat easily digestible foods, so…”

“So you only gave her plain congee? Is there no other digestible food in the world?”

He swallowed nervously. Su Xiaoyue quickly intervened: “Your Highness, you’ve misunderstood my lord. Shu Shu loved these foods even as a girl. I prepared them carefully for her return. She’s our daughter; we’ve cherished her since childhood. How could we mistreat her?”

Fuyu finally looked at Su Xiaoyue, voice cold: “I’m speaking to Ning, not you. Why are you intervening?”

Su Xiaoyue froze, glancing at Ning Huaichang, hurt and helpless. Seeing his beloved wife wronged, Ning Huaichang’s panic turned to anger. “Your Highness, Xiaoyue is my wife and Shu Shu’s mother. She treats Shu Shu as her own. If you truly care for Shu Shu, you shouldn’t speak to Xiaoyue like that.”

Ning Chan comforted her mother but had already been completely drawn to Fuyu, regretting that she hadn’t married in Shu Shu’s place.

Fuyu smiled faintly, eyes cold: “As far as I know, Shu Shu’s mother is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Wuan, from a noble family, gentle and virtuous. The woman beside you now… need I say more?”

Su Xiaoyue, once wealthy, had fallen from grace and become a courtesan. Only Ning Huaichang would elevate such a concubine. In all of the capital, no one else would break ancestral customs like him.

Fuyu had heard rumors of his obsession with this concubine but seeing it firsthand revealed the truth: even worse than anyone imagined.

“Then may your union last a hundred years, with love enduring through all lives,” Ning Shu said with a smile, then turned to Fuyu: “Your Highness, this chaotic place is hardly suitable for you. Let’s go home.”

Fuyu nodded. Leng Ying pushed the wheelchair, and Ning Shu rose gracefully, scanning Ning Huaichang, Su Xiaoyue, and Ning Chan as she passed, already assessing their personalities and planning future moves.

But one person didn’t need to wait for her return; they were already eagerly presenting themselves.

Seeing the eager Ning Chan, Ning Shu’s cold gaze softened for a moment, replaced by a mocking smile. Such a foolish, poisonous girl dared call herself talented what a waste of the title.

As soon as Fuyu reached the door, Ning Chan chased after, cheeks faintly flushed. “Your Highness, I’ve never been apart from my sister, and I’ve missed her these past few days. May I stay at your residence with you a little longer?”

Ning Shu mentally rolled her eyes. This girl wanted to cling to Fuyu, not her sister.

Ning Chan’s beauty was average, but she habitually feigned innocence, her seemingly casual gestures carefully crafted a strategy that usually worked.

After glancing at Fuyu, Ning Chan shyly lowered her head, exposing the nape of her neck, a provocative gesture in winter. Ning Shu inwardly admired the audacity.

Su Xiaoyue considered stopping her but thought better of it. Fuyu protected Ning Shu because she was now princess consort; if her daughter gained Fuyu’s favor, Ning Shu’s influence would be challenged. Better to let her try.

Fuyu observed Ning Chan with a neutral expression but inwardly thought: both share the Ning surname, yet Shu Shu’s actions charmed me, while Ning Chan’s disgusts me.

“Your Highness, what does the princess wish?” Fuyu asked, leaving the decision to Ning Shu.

Ning Shu raised an eyebrow at Ning Chan. “I know you miss me, but my marriage is new. Our time together is private. If the prince needs help later, I’ll let you know.”

Ning Chan froze, then forced a smile. How dare she treat me like a servant! But the more forbidden, the more she desired it.

Ning Shu accepted her praise with a grin. “I think I’m humorous too. Your Highness likes my humor.”

Fuyu naturally responded, “The princess is right,” nearly flustering Ning Shu. Apparently, her efforts these past two nights hadn’t been wasted.

Ning Shu smiled, then left with Fuyu. As she passed, she saw servants throwing out belongings among them, a beautiful painting belonging to her late mother.

Ning Shu stepped forward, picking up the painting. “Who told you to throw my mother’s belongings?”

The servant stammered, falling to their knees. “Miss, Madam ordered us to clear the former madam’s room.”

Ning Shu glanced at Su Xiaoyue, who immediately lowered her head, covering her mouth with a handkerchief. What a fool, appearing at the worst possible moment.

“You promised me when you elevated Su Xiaoyue. How quickly you’ve forgotten,” Ning Shu said coldly, turning to Ning Huaichang. He had promised to preserve her mother’s belongings, yet now, only years later, everything was gone.

Ning Huaichang tried to dismiss her concerns. “It’s just one room. She’s been gone long enough. Keeping her things isn’t auspicious.