Chapter 455: Returning Home (2) (1/2)

At the five kilometre mark out from the capital, Chu Lian bid goodbye to He Changdi and followed He Erlang back into the capital.

As for He Sanlang’s party, they would have to head straight to the palace to attend the ceremony before they would be allowed to return to their estates.

In the afternoon, Chu Lian finally reached the entrance of the Jing’an Estate.

They had already sent some of their family’s soldiers ahead to report their return. Just as Chu Lian’s carriage stopped, the sound of excited female voices carried in from outside.

“Third Young Madam, you’re finally back!” Xiyan had been trying to put on the steady air that a handmaid should have, but who could have thought that she would lose control of her emotions even before seeing Chu Lian in person? Her voice was almost close to a sob.

Wenqing, who had been seated in the carriage with Chu Lian, leaped out to lift the curtains covering the entrance of the carriage. She shot a speechless look at Xiyan before teasing her, “You missed Third Young Madam that much? What are you blanking out for? Come and help Third Young Madam out!”

It was only then that Xiyan came to her senses and looked up into the carriage. As expected, she was met with the sight of Chu Lian trying to hide a warm smile.

She quickly wiped away the tears in the corners of her eyes and reached out to hold Chu Lian steady, “Third Young Madam, please excuse this servant.”

Chu Lian let Xiyan help her out of the carriage before speaking with affection, “Alright, that’s enough. I’ll forgive you this time.”

Once she was out of the carriage, Chu Lian spotted the group of people standing at the entrance.

The one in the lead was the kindly Matriarch He. Her mother-in-law, Countess Jing’an, was standing right next to her with the help of Miaozhen. Chu Lian’s gaze slid down to Miaozhen and she noticed that her clothes were loose, while her belly seemed to have swelled a little.

A brief wave of emotion passed through her. She hadn’t expected Miaozhen to have gotten pregnant with her brother-in-law’s child so quickly.

Her gaze shifted again, only to be met with two strangers.

A middle-aged woman was standing to Matriarch He’s right. Her face was rounded and she was dressed richly. However, that unbridled measuring look she had on her face only drew dislike. If she looked a little closely, the middle-aged woman’s features were a little similar to Matriarch He.

Standing behind the middle-aged woman was a tall young lady.

The young lady seemed to be about her age. She was dressed in a bright pink dress with a vest on top. An exquisite fox fur-lined cloak was wrapped around her. The strings of pearls on her golden hairpin shook gently in the breeze.

Her outfit seemed strangely familiar to Chu Lian’s eyes.

The girl seemed a little timid as she shied away from meeting Chu Lian’s eyes directly. She darted glances at Chu Lian from underneath her lowered lashes from time to time.

Xiyan noticed the misgivings in her master’s eyes and whispered behind her, “Third Young Madam, those two are Eldest Madam and Miss Pan. They returned to the estate right before the New Year.”

Eldest Madam? Miss Pan?