That morning, after finishing breakfast, Xie Zhaofan began exercising her body in her small courtyard.
After her confinement was lifted, her meals had returned to their original standard. Madam Shen had even specifically instructed the kitchen not to dock her rations anymore due to her previous mistakes.
As a result, her three daily meals were once again quite exquisite. Chicken, duck, fish, meat, seasonal vegetables, and fruits—nothing was missing. Occasionally, there were even delicate pastries whose names she didn’t know.
She had to admit that while she disliked this ancient society, it certainly hadn't disappointed her when it came to food.
There were many dishes she had never tasted before. Although they weren't as varied as those in the modern world, the techniques used for stewing, boiling, frying, and deep-frying were quite distinctive.
She particularly enjoyed the soups and broths; she had originally expected them to be bland, but they were unexpectedly delicious once she actually tasted them.
With her appetite satisfied, the resentment in Xie Zhaofan’s heart dissipated quite a bit.
Human beings are adaptable; sometimes their ability to adjust is so strong it’s frightening even to themselves.
When she first transmigrated, she wanted to curse this world eight hundred times a day.
She hated the lack of phones, the lack of internet, the lack of air conditioning, and the lack of food delivery. Even using the toilet was a hassle, and she had to worry about mosquitoes while sleeping at night.
But after struggling through this past half-month, she had actually started to get used to it.
Every morning, someone served her as she got out of bed. Meals were prepared for her, and her clothes were washed. There was a carriage whenever she went out, and if she wanted to eat something, she only had to give an order. Even combing her hair and getting dressed was done with help.
Ignoring the annoying social etiquette and the melodramatic household internal power struggles that could happen at any moment, this kind of life didn't seem as unbearable as she had imagined.
Thinking of this, Xie Zhaofan couldn't help but feel a bit reflective.
“Oh no, if this keeps up, will I really be assimilated?”
In her previous life, she had been a modern person for over twenty years. If she spent another eight or ten years here, she might not even remember what a smartphone was.
By then, even if she managed to go back, she’d probably have to relearn how to use smart devices.
At that thought, Xie Zhaofan suddenly shuddered.
“No, I absolutely cannot degenerate.”
Consequently, she set aside time every day to exercise. However, her method of exercising appeared quite peculiar to others.
In the middle of the courtyard, Xie Zhaofan was sometimes lifting her legs, sometimes bending over, and sometimes performing movements from modern fitness routines.
Occasionally, she would hop in place several times. Her movements weren't exactly standard, but they were filled with the essence of modern living.
Her two personal maids stood nearby. Their expressions had gradually shifted from initial horror to current numbness.
Their eyes couldn't help but twitch, especially when they saw Xie Zhaofan finish a set of movements and casually pick up the stone block from the corner of the courtyard—the one usually used as a doorstop—and lift it up and down like a dumbbell.
They truly couldn't understand which noble family's young miss would jump around every day like a monkey.
And she liked moving stones too.
However, the Second Young Miss had already issued a strict order that no one was allowed to speak of this to the outside. Otherwise, if she ever went crazy again, no one knew what would happen.
What the two little maids feared most now was the Second Young Miss suddenly losing her mind.
After all, they had seen with their own eyes Xie Zhaofan throwing an adult mammy with one hand; that kind of strength simply wasn't something a normal person could possess.
But as they spent more time together, they gradually discovered that the Second Young Miss had truly changed.
Although she still spoke rather bluntly and occasionally complained about their slow movements, she rarely exploded into a rage over trivial matters like she used to, let alone taking it out on them at the slightest provocation.
Sometimes, she would even proactively ask if they were full or if the weather was too cold.
It was a strange feeling. They had never thought that one day they would feel an indescribable sense of respect from a master.
Even if that respect wasn't obvious, it certainly existed.
In fact, Xie Zhaofan was trying very hard to adapt to this era, but the fundamental nature of a modern person wasn't that easy to change completely.
In particular, she hadn't received the systematic upbringing of an ancient noblewoman, so she often did things according to the habits of her previous life.
“Second Young Miss, Madam has sent someone with a message.”
Just as Xie Zhaofan put the stone block back in its place, a maid's voice came from outside the courtyard.
“Madam wants you to change your clothes and go to the parlor to receive a guest.”
“Receive a guest?”
Xie Zhaofan wiped away the non-existent sweat on her forehead and asked casually, “Who is it?”
“This servant does not know, only that it is a distinguished guest.”
“Understood.”
Xie Zhaofan didn't think much of it.
Her confinement had only been lifted for a few days; she figured it was either a relative visiting or some noble lady coming to talk to her mother.
She casually washed her face, changed into a relatively formal light-colored dress, and headed to the parlor with her two maids.
For her current self, this small amount of exercise didn't even count as a warm-up.
Since her Strength attribute reached thirteen points, she had clearly felt a mysterious change in her body.
It wasn't just strength; even her stamina was much better than before.
She even suspected that the system's so-called attributes weren't just simply increasing a specific ability, but rather strengthening her body from its very foundation.
“It would be great if I could get some truly professional fitness equipment.”
Xie Zhaofan pondered as she walked. But in this day and age, forget dumbbells—even a decent iron ball was hard to find.
At this, she couldn't help but remember the Prince she had seen late that night.
That guy’s Lightwork was truly cool. He could fly across walls while carrying a whole person, his movements more graceful and natural than those in martial arts movies.
If she could learn that kind of skill, forget climbing walls—she could walk across the entire capital without fear.
“I have to get my hands on a martial arts manual if I get the chance.”
Xie Zhaofan made a silent resolution, though unfortunately, such things weren't available just because she wanted them.
She thought about these random things all the way to the parlor.
As soon as she stepped over the threshold, her footsteps paused slightly because she saw a familiar person.
Pei Shaohuai.
The former fiancé who had originally been betrothed to her but had now clearly shifted his affections.
Today, he was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe. He was tall and slender, standing behind a dignified and elegant woman. His features still bore the distinct refinement of a scion from a prestigious family.
However, the moment he saw Xie Zhaofan, a look of unmasked impatience and disgust immediately surfaced on his handsome face.
Xie Zhaofan felt a bit amused. It seemed this former fiancé of hers truly detested her to the point of not even bothering to keep up appearances.
As for that noble lady, she recognized her as well—it was the wife of the Ningyuan Marquis.
Back when the original host was still the only daughter of the Prime Minister's residence, this Marchioness had been very close to her. Every time they met, she would take her hand and ask all sorts of questions, and she would even personally send over small gifts.
Rate on N.U.
