She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 460 - 458: Serious Matters

Chapter 460: Chapter 458: Serious Matters

To Yin Xiaocheng’s surprise, his niece had not a single word of defense against his reprimand; as soon as he finished speaking, she straightforwardly admitted her mistake. Both her facial expressions and her choice of words were exceedingly sincere.

With heartfelt remorse, his niece admitted she had been too naive and the fault was entirely hers. She resolved to strictly discipline herself in the future, and to redouble her efforts in supervising Qi Jiaer and Qi Sanshun, vowing not to repeat such a mistake.

After Ye Xinyan’s self-examination, she turned her gaze to Qi Sanshun and Qi Jiaer.

Upon receiving Ye Xinyan’s cue, Qi Sanshun and Qi Jiaer instantly initiated the procedure they had used before in Clear Water Village, when facing Qi Younian and Nanny Jin. With clear childish voices, they admitted their wrongdoing and promised to heed Uncle Yin’s guidance and never err again.

Yin Xiaocheng was astounded. The admission of guilt was so prompt, and the attitudes of all three were unusually consistent. It was the first time he had encountered such a situation. Could it be that this detestable girl knew he would scold her today and had rehearsed with the two children in advance?

Yin Xiaocheng watched Ye Xinyan with furrowed brows for a good while but felt helpless. The child had already admitted her mistake, and she did so with a good attitude and earnest words. What else could he do?

Yin Xiaocheng, somewhat irritated, called for Yin Lanxu and had Qi Sanshun and Qi Jiaer taken out to play. Only then did he turn to Ye Xinyan with an unusually stern expression and ask her to sit down for a serious conversation.

"You have seen the world outside and are now the Chief Steward of two major businesses, so I won’t beat around the bush with you. Tell me, what is going on between you and His Highness Prince Yu?"

"What’s going on?" Ye Xinyan was startled, pretending not to understand.

Yin Xiaocheng’s frown deepened. After two years of experiencing the outside world, his niece seemed to have become more difficult to deal with. He could not discern the slightest hint from her demeanor.

Could he have been mistaken?

"You are merely the Steward for Prince Yu, and moreover, a divorcee. Prince Yu is not inexperienced in the ways of the world. Even if it were merely for appearances, he should still keep his distance from you and not be so attentive. Don’t tell me that Prince Yu’s recent visit to Duke An’s Mansion to speak for the Qi family’s children was simply because he liked them."

"Of course, that’s why." Ye Xinyan’s words had barely left her mouth when she received a stern look from Yin Xiaocheng.

She paused and then rephrased, "Well, am I not very capable? Finding a second Chief Steward like me would be difficult for him, so it makes sense for him to curry my favor, right?"

Ye Xinyan’s ambiguous response unsettled Yin Xiaocheng even more. This child, spoiled by his sister from a young age, never heeded discipline and often disregarded propriety and etiquette. Having already suffered greatly in the past, had she still not learned her lesson?

For her future’s sake, Yin Xiaocheng decided not to beat around the bush and asked directly, "Does His Highness Prince Yu have intentions towards you?"

Cough, cough, cough... Uncle, this is ancient times, and I am a woman. Is it appropriate for you to ask such a question?

Yin Xiaocheng’s direct question caught Ye Xinyan off guard. People in ancient times were subtle in their speech, right? As her elder, Yin Xiaocheng should have been more circumspect, especially discussing such matters with her, instead of asking so directly.

But for an elder who truly cared about her, Ye Xinyan felt that if she continued to feign ignorance, she wouldn’t even be able to justify it to herself.

She pulled a grimace and considered her words carefully before speaking, "Prince Yu values my management abilities highly, and he has always regarded me differently. Our interactions revolve around business and project matters. Besides these, Prince Yu has never shown any other intentions, and as for your question, niece truly finds it difficult to answer."

Yin Xiaocheng stared intently at Ye Xinyan, trying to detect any unusual expression on her face, but there was none.

"You’re playing the fool. As a woman, even if you manage a business, you shouldn’t have frequent contact with young men. Don’t you know even this? Furthermore, the person you frequently contact is not just any man, but a prince of the royal family."

Ye Xinyan felt rather helpless. Jinrong was a prince with ambitions for the throne, and while their discussions mostly revolved around business and projects, some of these projects were sensitive and couldn’t afford to have word spread about them.

"Then, I will try to reduce my contact with Prince Yu in the future," Ye Xinyan said helplessly.

Yin Xiaocheng, however, flatly stated, "No, you cannot continue working with Prince Yu anymore. You’re still young, and in the future, you need to get married and raise children, which is what a woman should do. It was excusable to work for a living before, but now that you have returned to Duke An’s Mansion, you should conduct yourself properly as the Ye Family’s young mistress and prepare for marriage."

Ye Xinyan was astounded by what she heard. What was this about? Was she supposed to spend her days in Duke An’s Mansion’s inner courtyard, idly dealing with Maternal Aunt Liu, Maternal Aunt Zhao, and Ye Hongyang’s two illegitimate sons, wondering if they harbored any ill will towards her, and how she was supposed to regain her position?

"No." Once her initial shock passed, Ye Xinyan too gave a resolute answer, "How could that be acceptable? I own a share of the Dairy Products Store, and it is currently a key time for expansion. I have many ideas I’ve not yet tried, how could I give up so easily? Moreover, to spend the rest of my life idling in the inner courtyard, you might as well kill me now."

Yin Xiaocheng slammed the table, "This concerns your whole life, how can you behave so recklessly according to your temperament?"

Ye Xinyan, with her temper roused, stubbornly questioned, "Uncle, do you really think that by prohibiting me from working and having me live the life of an inner-court female relative, my life would be better?"

Yin Xiaocheng’s expression grew serious as he thought back. His niece had always been different from other girls, and having proper work had kept her from causing trouble like before. If she were to truly do nothing in the inner courtyard... she might indeed stir up trouble.

Yin Xiaocheng softened his tone and said, "Uncle has never opposed your work before. But now things are different, the day Prince Yu went specially to Duke An’s Mansion to make decisions for you children has already drawn criticisms from outsiders. Do you not realize that if this continues, you will truly be unable to find a husband, and you might end up vaguely as a Concubine of Prince Yu?"

"How could that be? No matter what, I am still the granddaughter of Duke An and the maternal granddaughter of Marquis Zhongyong. If I am unwilling, even if he is a prince, could he still force me against my will?" Ye Xinyan argued, staring with wide eyes.

Moreover, having dealt with him for so long, Jinrong was not that sort of person who would forcibly take a common girl. She was also a divorcee with a tarnished reputation, and Jinrong would surely not do something that would cost more than it was worth.

"You don’t understand," Yin Xiaocheng patiently explained. "If outsiders know that Prince Yu really has such intentions towards you, even if he does not coerce you, no family would risk marrying someone Prince Yu has taken an interest in. That’s not marrying a wife, that’s inviting calamity upon one’s entire family. And with your status as a divorcee, it’s impossible for you to become the principal wife in the royal family. Even if you managed to enter the prince’s mansion, you wouldn’t even have the status of a Concubine."

Ye Xinyan repeatedly shook her head, "No, no. Uncle, why would I need to be someone’s Concubine? The assumptions you’re making just don’t hold. Alright, I understand. In any case, I won’t become someone’s Concubine or Concubine. Don’t worry, Uncle."

She didn’t have to marry, did she? As long as she married, she wouldn’t be able to go out or do anything and would have to abide by so many rules. Why should she deliberately make her life unpleasant?