This was especially true for the daughter she had raised for fifteen years.
From a snow-white, adorable toddler to the graceful young lady she was today, Madam Shen had watched Xie Zhaofan grow up bit by bit with her own eyes.
How could fifteen years of affection be easily discarded with a simple “not biologically mine”?
Moreover, while bloodlines were indeed important, for a mother, the child she raised with her own hands was just as much a part of her very being.
However, she now had another daughter.
Xie Jinyi, the child who truly carried her own blood but had suffered outside for more than a decade.
Every time she thought of this, Madam Shen felt a profound sense of debt, wishing she could compensate for all the missing maternal love all at once.
Yet, this very compensation had become the most eyesore of things in the eyes of the original Xie Zhaofan.
She was afraid—afraid that she would no longer be her mother’s most beloved daughter, afraid that her father would no longer value her, and afraid that her brother would side with Xie Jinyi.
She feared that one day, everyone would tell her that she was the redundant one.
Thus, jealousy had wound around her heart like vines, eventually turning into complete madness.
Xie Zhaofan sat by the window, looking at Madam Shen before her, and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
If she hadn't seen the original host's memories with her own eyes, it would have been hard to imagine that someone who originally possessed so much love could eventually live her life in such a manner.
“Zhaofan.”
Madam Shen held her hand, her tone remaining gentle.
“Mother knows you feel wronged in your heart, but your elder sister has suffered a lot outside these past years and naturally has some gaps in her heart. Can’t you yield to her just a little?”
Xie Zhaofan didn’t argue.
“I can.”
Madam Shen was clearly stunned for a moment.
She had already prepared herself to continue persuading her, and had even thought about how to soothe her daughter if she started making a scene as she had in the past.
She hadn't expected Xie Zhaofan to agree so readily.
“Mother is right.”
She nodded seriously. “Sister finally managed to return; I’ll just get along with her properly from now on. I won’t look for trouble with her anymore.”
Madam Shen stared at her blankly. “You… truly mean it?”
“Of course it’s true.”
Xie Zhaofan spoke very naturally. She wasn’t the original host; she would have to be out of her mind to constantly pick fights with Xie Jinyi.
That girl clearly wasn’t an ordinary person, and she had a Prince as a great backing.
Her own only advantage right now was the system. Before she completely figured out what the system could do, why would she proactively make an enemy?
Madam Shen looked at the well-behaved daughter before her, but the relief in her eyes didn’t last long. Instead, it was gradually replaced by a hint of scrutiny.
She had a delicate mind and naturally noticed something was off.
Since that incident by the lake, her daughter truly seemed to have changed. Not only was she no longer hysterical like before, but she was even much more composed in her speech and actions.
Then there was that monstrous strength. Some servants in the manor were already whispering in private, saying that the Second Young Miss might have been possessed by some malevolent entity.
Although she had strictly suppressed it and forbidden anyone from gossiping further, as a mother, how could she be entirely without suspicion?
Madam Shen fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
“Zhaofan, do you still remember the first time you learned embroidery when you were seven?”
“I remember.”
Xie Zhaofan answered subconsciously.
Madam Shen’s smile deepened.
“When you were seven, you tried to embroider by yourself for the first time. You wanted to embroider a phoenix, but you accidentally pricked your finger. You even ran to me crying, saying you would never touch a needle and thread again.”
“No.”
Xie Zhaofan frowned. “That time, I clearly wanted to embroider a big tiger, but it ended up not even looking like a kitten.”
The smile on Madam Shen’s face paused slightly.
Immediately after, that trace of probing in her eyes completely vanished.
“Yes, it was a tiger.”
She began to smile tenderly.
“Mother remembered it wrong.”
Xie Zhaofan didn’t notice anything unusual and instead started chatting with Madam Shen about the funny stories of the past.
It wasn’t until Madam Shen left that she was still thinking about why her mother had suddenly brought those things up today. After a long while, she suddenly froze.
“Wait…”
The smile on her face slowly disappeared.
Just now… was Madam Shen probing her?
Those seemingly casual childhood stories were actually details known only between the mother and daughter.
And the reason she could answer accurately was because the original host’s complete memories were still preserved in her mind. What if she hadn't been able to answer back then?
Xie Zhaofan couldn’t help but shiver.
That was close! She had been so busy criticizing the backwardness of this world that she had forgotten one of the most important issues.
Although she currently possessed the original host’s memories, she wasn’t the real original host.
If one day someone discovered this… she simply didn't dare imagine the consequences.
Exorcism? Or treating her as a monster? Or simply concluding that she was no longer that Xie Zhaofan?
Regardless of which one, none of them were good outcomes.
For the first time, Xie Zhaofan truly realized that although this world wasn’t as advanced as modern society, it was likewise not a place where she could recklessly mess around.
In the future, she would have to be much more cautious in her speech and actions.
Rate on N.U.
