After being reborn, I became the apple of my enemy's eye.

The concubine turned around in surprise, but Zheng Jihua was not shocked at all, because he already knew.

Aside from the concubine, the most surprised person here was Yan Yun, who never expected the old lady to bring up such a thing at this time.

Is she engaged to Lu Yan?

Yan Yun jumped down instantly, pointing her finger at the old lady. Why should this decision be made? In her previous life, she was given the same fate, but what did she get in return for being so obedient?

A family that doesn't even consider themselves human.

Lu Yan was the first to see Yan Yun point at the old lady, but he didn't go forward. Instead, he stood there and watched everything that happened.

The three words that Yan Yun almost blurted out.

"I do not want."

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back down.

She also wanted to just close her eyes and fall to the ground, but that would make everything even more hopeless. She looked at Lu Yan, wondering if he was willing to do that too.

Lu Yan noticed that Yan Yun's gaze was fixed on her forehead. She probably didn't understand what it meant, but looking into her eyes, it was clear that she knew what all of them were thinking.

Lu Yan avoided Yan Yun's gaze; he dared not speak, nor would he speak.

I can't refuse it.

This marriage was arranged to help the General's Mansion, as well as his parents and brothers, so he could accept it calmly. He didn't know when he would die, but before he died, he would definitely protect the General's Mansion.

If she is willing, I will treat her well until the last moment of my life.

Lu Yan and Yan Yun had completely different ideas.

The concubine was about to speak.

The old woman held her down.

The concubine looked at the old nanny, clearly having something to say.

Even if he's not close to his daughter, she's still the child he carried for ten months. Is she really going to be engaged at this age? He should choose someone better. Yes, the General's Mansion is impressive, but nowadays it can't even compare to the Zheng Mansion. How could the adults agree to this?

The old woman had a longer-term vision than the concubine.

The General's Mansion is related to the Old Madam. The Old Madam chose to bring it up today, so it must be a done deal. The Zheng family's focus is currently on the capital, and Ning'er is with the Old Madam, so it's best if the Madam doesn't speak up casually.

The old woman shook her head at the concubine, trying to soothe her voice, "Don't say anything, just stay quiet."

Seeing that no one responded, the old lady continued to explain her plans.

Lu Yan will stay in the Zheng family mansion and grow up with Ning'er. She warned the servants in the mansion to treat Lu Yan as a true member of the Zheng family. If she found out that the servants dared to disobey her, she would not be lenient.

Like Zheng Jihua, the old lady's decisive nature made everyone around her tremble.

The maids who overheard these words all bowed their heads to the old lady, and also to Lu Yan, who was standing in front of her.

When Yan Yun saw Lu Yan's evasive gaze, she knew he wouldn't speak. She withdrew her hand and stood blankly to the side. She had thought that pretending to be mute would allow her to temporarily escape their control, but she was wrong.

How could these people around her let her off so easily? She looked at the faces of the people around her, and every single one of them disgusted her.

She turned around and overturned all the food on the table.

The crashing sound of shattering dishes made the seated people scatter.

"ah!"

The concubine let out a strange cry, and the nanny quickly pulled her back, not daring to let her continue.

After venting his anger, Yan Yun turned and ran away.

Zheng Jihua, who hadn't spoken until now, immediately got up and chased after him.

"Ning'er."

Lu Yan wanted to go with them, but the old lady stopped him.

"She has a bad temper, so you'll have to be more tolerant of her in the future. Did you not eat well? I'll have someone prepare some more, and you can eat with me."

Since the old lady asked him to stay, Lu Yan naturally couldn't leave.

Someone dealt with the situation after Yan Yun overturned the table.

Zheng Jihua followed Yan Yun all the way back to her room. She wanted to follow her, but Yan Yun closed the door. She leaned against the door, covering her ears, not wanting to hear.

Zheng Jihua explained from outside the door, "Ning'er, if you're angry, just tell your father."

Say?

If I were allowed to speak, I wouldn't have just listened to the old lady and then remained silent.

Yan Yun originally thought that Zheng Jihua felt affection for her daughter, but now it seems that no matter how many gifts he gave her, it was all insincere. Their real purpose was to get what they wanted from her.

The only person you can truly trust is yourself.

Yan Yun covered her ears, refusing to listen to what Zheng Jihua was saying to her outside.

Zheng Jihua stood guard outside the door without explaining much. He was worried that her health was already poor, and if things continued like this, she would suffer in the end. He asked the maid to bring her some snacks.

"Ning'er, I've left some snacks outside the door. Come out and have some."

No wonder Yan Yun couldn't eat. She locked the door and tried to jump out of the window on the other side.

But the darkness outside and the cold wind blowing from all directions dispelled her idea.

Zheng Jihua waited for a long time, and in the middle of the night, she still had someone jump into the house to open the door and keep the charcoal fire going, just in case she got cold.

He stood by the bed, watching Yan Yun remain silent and restrained.

Even though the room was warm, he couldn't bear to see Yan Yun huddled up in a ball, and his heart ached. He told the maid to leave and stayed by Yan Yun's side. He reached out and touched his daughter's face, "If you don't like it, Ning'er, your father will naturally help you."

Only Zheng Jihua himself knew the meaning behind his words.

This reunion was anything but peaceful.

Yan Yun started avoiding people again.

Lu Yan wanted to take care of her, but she refused to see him at all. Lu Yan knew that this meant she was even more unwilling to have any contact with him.

Although the distance between them had increased, the old lady was determined to mentor him and had Zheng Jihua take him along to greet guests.

Although Zheng Jihua has now gone to Yuanjing, he cannot do without the support of these people in the rear.

Aside from those in our own family, there are also some people who are always ready to offer help.

Lu Yan initially thought it might be too fast, but the old lady had specifically spoken with Zheng Jihua about it, insisting that Zheng Jihua must do things according to her own ideas.

That was to take Lu Yan to meet the people behind the Zheng family, and Zheng Jihua accepted.

He promised to take Lu Yan and visit those guys before leaving Changgu City.

Before leaving the house.

Zheng Jihua instructed Lu Yan: "When you're out, don't say anything no matter what you see. Keep your mouth shut when you shouldn't speak."

Lu Yan nodded to indicate that he understood.

Once they were on the carriage, Lu Yan realized from the closed carriage door that he had embarked on a completely different path, one entirely different from that of his father and brothers.

At the Zheng residence.

The concubine stayed inside to drink tea.

Speaking of Yan Yun overturning the table yesterday, she said to the nanny, "Ning'er has been raised by the old lady's side, but I haven't seen her learn anything good."

The old woman said, "Madam, your temperament still hasn't been tempered."

The concubine knew this too, but said, "Who would have thought that the old lady would pull such a stunt just to help her own relative? She's going to drag Ning'er into it."

The old woman thought about it for a while, but didn't feel that it was a waste.

"Madam, the General's Mansion is in trouble now, but it is different; it still has military power."

The adults are rich, and now they still have military power?

The old woman shook her head at the thought; it was something she dared not even consider.

Seeing that the lady still looked completely clueless, the nanny wondered how she could have given birth to such a stupid lady.

"Madam, please take your time to think about it."

The old woman felt she had figured things out.

But the concubine still couldn't figure it out, and she didn't want to figure it out. She looked at her own face.

"Granny, look at my face, have I aged?"

Her biggest worry was her reputation; protecting her husband was the most important thing.

Beauty fades with time, the old woman continued to instruct, "Madam, you not only need to be beautiful, but you also need to put more effort into other aspects."

The concubine smiled shyly; she knew perfectly well.

Everyone in a mansion has different thoughts.

Yan Yun wanted to go to Mr. Shu's residence, but after she had packed her things, the maids came and said, "The old lady has come to tell you that the master rarely comes back now, so Miss should stay at the residence."

This means that Yan Yun is not allowed to go out. If the young lady tries to sneak out, they will not stop her. However, the old lady will decide on Mr. Shu's future visits to the mansion.

The maidservant, thinking herself considerate, said, "Miss, Mr. Shu also wants to reunite with his family back home. If you go, how will they take care of you? Just stay here at the manor."