A few more days passed.
Perhaps Madam Shen had pleaded on her behalf upon returning, as Xie Zhaofan suddenly received some quite unexpected news.
Her confinement had been lifted early.
Upon hearing the news, she nearly jumped out of her chair in joy. However, it was only when she actually stepped out of her courtyard that she realized she had celebrated far too soon.
As the daughter of the Prime Minister’s residence, the list of things she had to do every day was anything but small.
First were the morning and evening greetings; every morning, she had to go pay her respects to her parents. On specific days, she also had to pay her respects to her grandmother, Old Madam Liu.
This didn’t even account for the residence's tedious protocols and etiquette, nor the various academic subjects her father had assigned.
As Xie Zhaofan followed a maid toward the main courtyard, she ranted wildly in her heart.
Working in the modern world was already hard enough, yet she still had to get up early to clock in after transmigrating?
And there wasn’t even a perfect attendance bonus. This was a total loss!
Once at the main courtyard, she met her grandmother, Old Madam Liu, for the first time.
Truth be told, the old woman used to dote on this granddaughter quite a bit.
After all, she had watched Xie Zhaofan grow up with her own eyes. Although she was somewhat willful, she was beautiful and sweet-talking, knowing how to make people happy from a young age.
But after Xie Jinyi returned, everything changed.
One was the granddaughter she had raised for fifteen years; the other was the biological granddaughter who had truly been lost and suffered all sorts of hardships outside.
Human hearts are naturally biased, especially since Xie Jinyi was quite likeable herself. Not only was her appearance outstanding and her personality gentle, but most importantly, she understood medicine.
Old Madam Liu was getting on in years and had some minor health issues. After Xie Jinyi returned, she personally tended to the old woman’s health for a while, and the results were almost immediate.
With that, the old lady was completely won over.
Whether it was jade pendants from the bottom of her chests or jewelry she had collected for years, as long as she thought it was good, she couldn't wait to send it over to Xie Jinyi.
As for Xie Zhaofan?
Sorry, the human heart is just that realistic. Whoever is pleasing gets the favor. Whoever is annoying is naturally disliked.
And it was precisely after losing favor time and again that the original host completely descended into madness.
She felt that everyone had abandoned her, and the culprit behind it all was Xie Jinyi.
But the current Xie Zhaofan didn't think that way at all. She couldn’t wait for Old Madam Liu to find her eyesore; it would be best if even the morning and evening greetings were canceled. She really didn't care for an old woman's favor.
The Prime Minister's household wasn't particularly large. As the Prime Minister, Xie Chongshan only had one primary wife, Madam Shen, with two daughters and one son under them.
Technically, it was now one son and two daughters.
Most of the Xie family’s other relatives were still in their ancestral home thousands of li away.
Only Xie Chongshan's third younger brother—Xie Zhaofan's Third Uncle—currently held an official position in the capital. However, his rank was only of the fifth grade, so his family lived in a separate residence.
They didn't come over often, usually only visiting on major holidays or the first and fifteenth of the lunar month to pay their respects to the Old Madam.
However, this Third Uncle was quite prolific. He had married a wife and three concubines, with over ten children in total.
In the past, those cousins would often come to play with Xie Zhaofan, but after Xie Jinyi returned, many things had begun to quietly change.
Xie Zhaofan didn't care at all. After starting work in her previous life, she barely contacted any relatives during the holidays except for the few she was truly close to.
Having to adapt to a massive family surrounding her every day now actually gave her a headache.
Right then, a gentle voice suddenly came from behind her.
“Zhaofan.”
Xie Zhaofan turned around and saw a young man dressed in a cyan scholar's robe walking over slowly.
The young man was about eighteen or nineteen, with refined features and a gentle aura. He possessed the tranquil temperament of someone who had spent a long time immersed in books.
Xie Zhaofan immediately recognized him from her memories—Xie Yunzhen.
The eldest son of the Xie family and the person she had called “Brother” for fifteen years.
Xie Yunzhen was four years older than her and had doted on his sister since childhood. In the original host’s memories, the two had always shared a deep bond.
When Xie Zhaofan made mistakes as a child and their father wanted to punish her, he would always find a way to plead for her. He would even find ways to get her whatever she liked.
“I heard you were confined by Father a while ago.”
Xie Yunzhen walked up to her, his gaze landing on her with obvious concern.
“I was at the academy at the time and couldn't come back to speak for you. You won’t blame Brother, will you?”
Xie Zhaofan blinked.
“I don’t blame Brother.”
She smiled. “I was the one who did something wrong. Getting a little punishment is nothing.”
Xie Yunzhen was clearly stunned for a moment.
“Oh?”
He looked his sister up and down.
“My little Zhao Zhao has actually started to become sensible?”
There wasn't much relief in his tone; instead, it was laced with a hint of indescribable complexity.
Xie Zhaofan didn't think too much of it. “People have to grow up eventually.”
As she spoke, she intentionally blinked again.
“But Brother, it would be great if you could become powerful quickly. Once you're impressive, you can be my backing, and then I can go back to being as willful and arrogant as I want.”
This wasn't a whim; it was a promise the original host and Xie Yunzhen had made since childhood.
When they were little, Xie Zhaofan had once patted her brother’s shoulder and said that when he grew up, she would become the most arrogant sister in the capital while he focused on supporting her.
Upon hearing this, Xie Yunzhen couldn't help but smile.
He subconsciously raised his hand, seemingly wanting to rub his sister's head like he did when they were little.
But midway through, his hand slowly stopped, and a flash of complexity crossed his gentle eyes.
“In this session's examinations, I will certainly pass.”
His tone was very calm. “In the future, no one will be able to easily bully you.”
Xie Zhaofan watched him, her heart stirred slightly. If outsiders heard these words, who knows how much of a stir it would cause.
To achieve success in the imperial examinations was something no scholar would dare claim with absolute certainty, yet Xie Yunzhen spoke so confidently, showing just how much self-assurance he had.
Xie Zhaofan played along enthusiastically.
“I think so too.”
She thought seriously for a moment.
“When the time comes, I want to be the sister of the Zhuangyuan… forget it, it's better to be the sister of the Tanhua.”
“Why?” Xie Yunzhen couldn’t help but ask.
“Tanhua sounds a bit better,” Xie Zhaofan said with a straight face.
Xie Yunzhen was taken aback before he couldn't help but laugh.
“You’re even picking and choosing now?”
“Of course,” Xie Zhaofan said righteously.
“A Zhuangyuan sounds like a nerd who only knows how to read all day. A Tanhua must be someone who can both study and look good.”
Xie Yunzhen didn't know whether to laugh or cry at her reasoning.
However, he indeed had the confidence to pass. As for whether he could actually secure one of the top three positions, that depended on luck and performance on the day, in addition to pure strength.
The siblings chatted in the garden for a while. Before leaving, Xie Yunzhen suddenly produced a money pouch from his sleeve and tucked it into Xie Zhaofan’s hand.
“Take this.”
Xie Zhaofan froze. “Brother, why are you giving me money?”
“Girls always have things they like. Don’t be stingy with your spending.”
Immediately after, he took out an exquisite small box from his robes. Upon opening it, there was a finely crafted white jade hairpin inside.
“This is for you too.”
Xie Zhaofan looked at the items in her hands, momentarily speechless.
She looked down and hefted the money pouch; it was heavy, clearly containing more than just a few pieces of broken silver.
Then she looked at the jade hairpin. Although she didn't understand antiques, she could tell from the texture alone that it was highly valuable.
“Brother, why are you so good to me?”
Xie Yunzhen smiled. “You are my sister. If I’m not good to you, who else would I be good to?”
After saying that, he didn't linger.
With the imperial examinations imminent, his coursework at the academy was extremely heavy; he might not be able to return even once a month.
Xie Zhaofan stood in the garden, watching the carriage gradually drive away. She looked down at the money pouch, then touched the warm jade hairpin.
After a long while, she couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of her heart, “It really is good to have a brother.”
She suddenly felt that the original host had truly taken her blessings for granted.
Her mother hadn't truly abandoned her, and her brother hadn't completely distanced himself just because she wasn't his biological sister.
Even her father, though currently utterly disappointed in her, had only resorted to confinement and scolding without truly kicking her out of the house.
With so many things in her possession, she had insisted on fighting Xie Jinyi to the death over a status, eventually turning herself into a villain in everyone’s eyes.
Xie Zhaofan couldn't help but shake her head.
“That girl really was brainless.”
But a moment later, she thought of her own situation, and her smile slowly faded.
While she didn't intend to be enemies with Xie Jinyi now, their identities were destined to ensure that conflict couldn't be entirely avoided.
Rate on N.U.
