She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 326 - 325: Something to Ask

Chapter 326: Chapter 325: Something to Ask

Jinrong posed the question, staring intently at Jiang Yifan’s face to gauge his reaction.

Unfazed, Jiang Yifan turned the teacup in his hand and spoke slowly, "Looking back now, I admit my actions weren’t all that great back then, no wonder people looked at me with disfavor."

"Oh?" Jinrong was quite surprised. Was Jiang Yifan actually admitting that he had been wrong and regretted his past actions?

Jiang Yifan was telling the truth but felt no regret. He indeed had made a mistake, and it lay in the timing of the divorce. He proposed divorce to Miss Ye at an extremely difficult time for her, which led directly to Xinyan being sent to the ancestral temple by the Duke’s Mansion. His actions were certainly not those of a responsible man.

However, had it not been for that situation, and had the Divorce Document not been promptly dealt with at that moment, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to divorce at all. As long as the divorce paper was not written and stamped, people with vested interests would emerge if there was even a slight delay.

In this world, many things are beyond one’s control. This was a lesson he learned after his youthful fight with Jinrong in the capital. Divorcing the Duke’s Legitimate Granddaughter was the same, and under the onslaught of persuasion from many, he had no choice but to compromise, and the Duke’s Legitimate Granddaughter was clearly not going to change either.

Even though he had successfully obtained the Divorce Document at the time, the head uncle of the Jiang Family came to negotiate with him, scolding and intimidating him, urging him to reconsider.

Jiang Yifan drained the tea from his cup and said with a meaningful, faint smile, "These kinds of things can’t be rushed; they need to be eased into gradually."

He didn’t really see Jinrong as a rival. The empty position of Jinrong’s wife was eyed by many powerful and noble families of the capital, with the royal family’s regulations also acting as a constraint. Given Xinyan’s status, it was certain she had no chance of entering Prince Yu’s Mansion.

Even if Jinrong didn’t compete for that position, it would still be impossible for him to marry Xinyan given the stature of the sons of the long-established Great Xia Dynasty, let alone the fact that he harbored the ambition to vie for the crown. Giving away such a coveted wife’s position to a woman who was to remarry would cost him much support.

Seeing Jiang Yifan reveal nothing of his emotions, Jinrong spoke resentfully, "You’ve become quite sly, haven’t you? I’ve been so direct, and you still manage to keep your cool, without giving anything away."

He still did not know what Jiang Yifan had said to Xinyan that day. Nanny Liu had been serving in the Qi family for some time, and he was well aware that Xinyan always preferred to keep servants at a distance, no amount of persuasion would work. But after her private talk with Jiang Yifan, she surprisingly arranged for servants to attend to her in her room, including a maid to stand night watch.

To be honest, he was a bit bothered by the matter. Before, Xinyan wasn’t particularly warm to either of them, and he wasn’t in a rush since they had all the time in the world, and there was no one nearby who was a match for Xinyan. So, they all took it slow.

But Jiang Yifan had disrupted this balance, seemingly gaining a unique place in Xinyan’s eyes.

Unable to restrain his curiosity, Jinrong asked, "What did you say to Xinyan that day to make her heed your advice and arrange for attendants?"

Jiang Yifan maintained that irritating smile, "Haven’t I told you, Sixth Master, that I merely reminded her of her current status. As for the rest," Jiang Yifan picked up the teapot and refilled Jinrong’s cup, continuing, "that is a matter between husband and wife, and it’s really not suitable to discuss with you, Sixth Master."

"..." This was shameless; Jinrong glared at him for a long time before angrily retorting, "Would you dare to repeat those words in front of Xinyan?"

Jiang Yifan immediately narrowed his eyes in amusement, pushed the teacup towards Jinrong, and pleaded, "Don’t rush it; these are just casual words between us, how can we speak them to others?"

Jinrong grabbed the teacup, almost spilling the tea inside. Alright, this fellow had become increasingly shameless, and he hadn’t made any progress.

......

Without anyone to dampen their spirits, Zhao Gang and Guan He really enjoyed their drinks, drinking from the end of Si Hour until You Hour, before they staggered to their feet and rode back to Clear Water Village on horseback.

After a good night’s sleep, as the color of the winter sky began to lighten, Zhao Gang finally awoke from his hangover. Thinking about the enjoyable conversation he and Guan He had yesterday, he realized that it was indeed possible to drink for an entire day with someone whose company you enjoy. After all, drinking is only truly enjoyable with kindred spirits.

Looking at the window paper that had begun to brighten, Zhao Gang turned over and got up. It was definitely too late for his morning horse ride, but he still wanted to talk to Miss Cousin, so he got up early to see if there was time.

After washing up, Zhao Gang had just stepped out of his room when he saw Ye Xinyan, accompanied by her maids and the old woman servant, turning out from the back courtyard, apparently about to go on an inspection.

Greetings exchanged, Zhao Gang said, "Ye Zi, are you going to inspect the businesses? Can you wait for a moment? I’ll join you."

Ye Xinyan laughed, "What’s so interesting about that? Uncle Zhao has seen it all before. Look at your face, still pale from last night’s drinking. You drank all day yesterday; your stomach must not be feeling right. The kitchen has prepared fine and glutinous rice porridge for you. You’d better eat a stable breakfast and take care of your stomach first."

Did drinking a bit too much really show that much? Zhao Gang rubbed his face and said, "I also have something to discuss with you."

"Uncle Zhao, take your time with breakfast, I’ll come to find you later." Ye Xinyan waved her hand and walked out the door.

Remembering that Zhao Gang had something important to discuss with her, Ye Xinyan returned from her inspection and did not go to plan the road construction for the cattle farm and workshop. Instead, she sent someone to see if Zhao Gang was around.

Zhao Gang was in the old courtyard helping Cheung Wusi with some chores, and it wasn’t long before he returned to the living room. He saw Ye Xinyan sitting leisurely next to a small table in the chair, chatting with Nanny Liu, and asking if Qi Sanshun and Qi Jiaer were still practicing the horse stance for two quarters of an hour.

Seeing Zhao Gang return, Ye Xinyan stood up to greet him. The two of them took their seats, and Jiu Yue served Zhao Gang some tea.

Zhao Gang glanced at the two maids standing by in the room and said to Ye Xinyan, "I have something to ask you."

That was a sign that he did not want others present. Ye Xinyan gestured for Jiu Yue and the other maid to leave and asked, "What does Uncle Zhao want to ask?"

Zhao Gang carefully chose his words and said, "Yesterday, Guan He and I went to the Great Crane House for drinks and ran into Sixth Master and Jiang Yifan." Ye Xinyan nodded to show she was listening, "Jiang Yifan was quite warm to me, more respectful than when we were in the capital."

Ye Xinyan was momentarily taken aback. Was Zhao Gang asking because he felt there was no need for secrets among their own people? That made sense since it was just the two of them, there seemed no need for concealment.

She knew what Zhao Gang was puzzled about, and she herself was also wondering why Jiang Yifan was repeatedly getting involved in her affairs. Her life had little to do with Jiang Yifan, and even if he was concerned about whether she could contribute to Jinrong’s cause, that was something Jinrong should consider, and it would be more appropriate for Jinrong himself to address it, right?

According to what Jiang Yifan had told her last time, it seemed she couldn’t rule out the possibility that he had developed certain feelings for her.

Ye Xinyan had given it serious thought afterward and felt it was rather unlikely. Although the original owner of her body had a beautiful appearance and a graceful figure, Jiang Yifan, with his unmentionable past experiences, should logically detest someone with her appearance. Moreover, faced with a soul whose origins he knew nothing about, surely Jiang Yifan wouldn’t have such unusual tastes?

Ye Xinyan shook her head at Zhao Gang and said, "Don’t count on asking me, Uncle Zhao. I don’t know what’s going on either."