Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Chapter 39 New Roommate Nan Nan

Just then, Ye Yuandong keenly noticed Xiao Lan's growing impatience. Knowing he couldn't continue beating around the bush, he decided to get straight to the point and state his purpose. He took a deep breath and slowly began, “Since that’s the case, I’ll cut to the chase. As you probably know, I share a courtyard with the Third Prince, but one of the rooms is empty. Today, the Sixth Prince suddenly came to our door, saying he wanted to live with us. However, to be honest, I’m not very familiar with him, so I lied and said that a fellow villager was planning to move in with us, and that’s how I got rid of him. But this excuse is just a temporary measure; we still need to find someone real. That’s why I thought of you and came here specifically to invite you to move in with us.” At this point, Ye Yuandong seemed worried that Xiao Lan might refuse, so he quickly added, “Don’t worry, we’ve already paid the rent. And if there’s any heavy physical labor involved, I’ll take care of it all. I promise you won’t feel the slightest bit tired!”

Xiao Lan listened quietly to Ye Yuandong's incessant chatter, her delicate eyebrows gradually furrowing tightly, as if they could trap a fly. At that moment, she thought to herself, "What nonsense is this guy spouting? It's utterly irrelevant! He even keeps saying I shouldn't be tired, how utterly ridiculous! I, the dignified young lady of the Xiao family, naturally have maids attending to my every need; why would I need him to feign pity here?"

Although Xiao Lan was already filled with resentment towards Ye Yuandong, reason told her that she would be studying with him for several years to come, and it wouldn't be wise to tear off the mask of civility now and completely ruin their relationship. Therefore, after a fierce internal struggle, Xiao Lan finally forced down her anger, managed a slightly stiff smile, and said softly to Ye Yuandong, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Ye. My cousin will be coming to Minglu Academy to study next month, and this courtyard was originally where we lived together." As she spoke, Xiao Lan raised her slender, elegant hand and gently pointed towards the west wing, explaining, "Look, that west wing will become my cousin's boudoir."

However, to Xiao Lan's complete surprise, the moment she finished speaking, Ye Yuandong seemed to be ignited, unable to contain his excitement, and hurriedly interrupted. His face beaming with excitement, his eyes fixed intently on Xiao Lan, he said eagerly, "Oh dear, since the situation is so clear, doesn't it just so happen that you have a spare room here? Hehe, what a coincidence! How about this, Miss Xiao, I can simply move in with you. Don't worry, I will definitely pay the rent on time, not a single penny late! Speaking of which, that Sixth Prince has always been at odds with me since childhood; our conflict isn't something that just started yesterday. Back in the day, we even had a huge fight, a truly epic battle! So, no matter what, I absolutely cannot live with him, otherwise we'd be constantly at odds!"

"This..." Xiao Lan felt a surge of anger, almost wanting to curse him out. This Ye Yuandong was simply a blockhead, a simpleton! Couldn't he see that she had no liking for him? However, a direct rejection wouldn't be appropriate. After all, their two families had some connections. Although the Ye family's main branch was far away in Xiwu Prefecture, they had many branches in Yu Prefecture. Moreover, as imperial merchants, the Ye family paid a considerable amount of taxes to Yu Prefecture every year. Furthermore, Ye Yuandong was the eldest son of the Ye family, with an exceptionally noble status. Under no circumstances could she easily offend him! Thinking of this, Xiao Lan frowned, racking her brains for a tactful way to refuse this troublesome person. Just then, the door to the main house seemed to be gently pushed open by an invisible hand. As the crack in the door widened, a figure appeared before everyone's eyes. This person was none other than Yan Nan Hui! He walked straight out of the room with his head held high and his steps firm and powerful, each step exuding an air of arrogance.

His deep eyes were like the water of an icy pool, cold and piercing, seemingly freezing everything in their path. It was as if nothing and everyone around him could enter his field of vision, not even deigning to glance at it. Even Ye Yuandong, standing not far away, received no attention from him. Yan Nanhui's gaze was fixed directly on Xiao Lan, as if the entire world consisted only of the two of them.

Then, he parted his thin lips slightly, his voice not loud but clearly audible: "Xiao Xueyou, I quite like this house. I will have my luggage moved here later." His words were brief and decisive, leaving no room for negotiation. After speaking, he turned around without hesitation and strode out.

However, just as he took two steps, for some reason, Yan Nan Hui suddenly stopped as if he had sensed something. Then, he slightly turned his head and glanced at Ye Yuan Dong, who was still in a state of shock, out of the corner of his eye.

At this moment, Ye Yuandong's eyes were wide open, his mouth slightly agape, looking utterly incredulous. Just moments ago, he had witnessed Yan Nanhui swagger out of the house and declare that she was going to move into the courtyard that originally belonged to Xiao Lan. This sudden turn of events left him completely stunned and unable to process what had happened.

Just then, Yan Nanhui's slightly mocking voice rang out again: "Oh? So this is the Third Prince's cousin, the young master of the Ye family." As he spoke, he carefully sized up Ye Yuandong from head to toe, a hint of contempt and amusement in his eyes. Ye Yuandong, who had been lost in his thoughts, was suddenly jolted back to reality as if struck by lightning. Startled, he quickly adjusted his posture, respectfully answering while performing a standard bow, his voice slightly nervous as he said, "Greetings, Fifth Prince. I am Ye Yuandong from the Ye family of Xiwu Prefecture."

The Fifth Prince, standing before him, narrowed his eyes slightly, sizing Ye Yuandong up and down. A faint smile played on his lips as he slowly spoke, "Young Master Ye of the Ye family? Oh! So you're the Imperial Concubine's nephew. No need for formalities." With that, he gently waved his hand, signaling Ye Yuandong to rise.

However, just as Ye Yuandong straightened up, the Fifth Prince suddenly changed the subject, still wearing that forced smile on his face, and continued to ask, "Just now, I overheard Young Master Ye mentioning that there seemed to be some unpleasantness between you and my Sixth Brother. I wonder what my good-for-nothing Sixth Brother did to make Young Master Ye so disgusted?" As he spoke, the Fifth Prince's gaze was fixed on Ye Yuandong, as if trying to see through his eyes to his inner thoughts.

How could Ye Yuandong dare to agree? He knew that as a commoner, daring to speak ill of a prince was a serious matter. If no one heard him, it would be fine, but if it were brought to light, the consequences would be unimaginable! At best, he would be accused of slandering a prince and imprisoned for at least six months to a year; at worst, if he were deemed to have disrespected imperial authority and defamed a prince, it would be a catastrophic disaster. It wouldn't be as simple as exterminating three generations of his family; it could easily involve the execution of nine generations! Thinking of this, Ye Yuandong broke out in a cold sweat and quickly explained with a forced smile, "Fifth Prince, please don't misunderstand. I was just joking with Sister Lan."

"Sister Lan?" Upon hearing this, Yan Nanfei immediately turned around, staring directly at Xiao Lan with a puzzled look on his face, and asked, "Is he your brother? Could it be that your Xiao family and the Ye family are related by marriage?"

“No, that’s not it.” Xiao Lan answered crisply and decisively, without the slightest hesitation. She slightly raised her chin, looked firmly at the Fifth Prince, and said slowly, “Your Highness, this young lady has no relation to this Young Master Ye, not even being acquainted with him.” As she finished speaking, Xiao Lan still felt indignant, so she abruptly turned her head, staring directly at Ye Yuandong, her beautiful eyes wide open, and said in a coquettish voice, “Young Master Ye, I already told you, please call me Miss Xiao! Now that we’re all in the academy, you can call me Friend Xiao.” With that, as if in a fit of pique, she quickly turned her head back, refusing to look at Ye Yuandong again.

Even without looking, Xiao Lan knew Ye Yuandong's expression must be extremely unpleasant. However, no matter how gloomy Ye Yuandong's face was, it couldn't compare to the Fifth Prince's skill in adding fuel to the fire. Yan Nan Hui, seemingly oblivious to the small argument before him, smiled and spoke casually to Ye Yuandong, "Young Master Ye, do you have anything else to attend to? If not, please leave as soon as possible. After all, this is the academy, and it's not appropriate for a man like you to stand in a young lady's courtyard for so long." Hearing Yan Nan Hui's words, Ye Yuandong felt a raging fire burning in his chest, threatening to explode! He thought resentfully: I'm a man outside the academy? Fine, then what are you, the Fifth Prince? Are you some kind of man within the academy? These thoughts only flashed through his mind; no matter how angry Ye Yuandong was, he dared not utter a single word.

He suppressed his anger, respectfully clasped his hands in a salute to the Fifth Prince, and said, "This humble subject takes his leave." Then, he turned to Xiao Lan, cupped his hands again, and said in a slightly stiff tone, "Fellow student Xiao, I have truly disturbed you today." After saying this, he strode away without looking back, his back view seemingly carrying a sense of resolute determination.

When Xiao Lan saw Ye Yuandong turn and leave, her tense nerves finally relaxed slightly, and she felt much more at ease. However, Yan Nan had casually mentioned moving in to help her out of her predicament, and she needed to explain this to him clearly…

So, Xiao Lan bowed slightly and said softly to Yan Nan Hui, "I am very grateful to the Fifth Prince for his righteous help in getting me out of trouble. However, if anyone in the future inquires about this matter, I hope Your Highness can decline and say that this place is not very convenient and it would be better for you not to stay here."

Upon hearing this, Yan Nan raised an eyebrow, his face showing displeasure, and said in a deep voice, "Hmph! Now that I have agreed, how can I go back on my word and change it at will? Miss Xiao, I just did you a great favor, how can you be so eager to kick me while I'm down?"

Xiao Lan hesitated for a moment, then said slowly, "Your Highness, please don't be angry. That's not what I meant. But Your Highness just mentioned that it's inconvenient for a man and a woman to be alone in a room. To avoid gossip and complications, Your Highness might as well find another place to stay. In this way, Your Highness's reputation can be preserved, and unnecessary trouble can be avoided. I hope Your Highness will think it over."

Unfortunately, Yan Nan Hui didn't buy into Xiao Lan's act at all. He went straight to the point, saying, "Miss Xiao, there are three great advantages to living here! First, I specifically asked the tutor beforehand and learned that although you are at the bottom of the list, your actual score is first! It's just that His Highness the Crown Prince is also on the list, so the rankings were changed according to gender. If I could live with you, Miss Xiao, it would be much more convenient to ask you for help with my studies, and my academic performance would definitely improve steadily. In this way, my father, the Emperor, would be spared his constant nagging and lecturing." Yan Nan Hui paused for a moment. His gaze was fixed on Xiao Lan, observing her reaction. Seeing that she didn't refute him, he was delighted and quickly continued, "Secondly, since we've decided to cooperate in business, and our residences are relatively close, it'll be easier to discuss solutions together if anything happens. Although I would never arbitrarily interfere with your business, Miss Xiao, if we ever encounter a tricky situation involving dealing with the government, it might be more appropriate for me to handle it personally." However, to Yan Nan's surprise, even after he had put his words to this extent, Xiao Lan remained unmoved. Left with no other choice, Yan Nan Hui had to unleash his ultimate weapon...: As for the third one, after pondering for a moment, Yan Nan Hui slowly said, "This benefit certainly cannot be monopolized by me! As long as Miss Xiao can diligently supervise my studies in the future, I am willing to give up 10% of the shares to you. In this way, the profits of Wutong Residence will be distributed according to your 60% and mine 40%."