Xie Chongshan’s face had turned as dark as it could possibly get.
He was the current Prime Minister, the leader of all civil officials. Even the high-ranking, powerful veteran ministers in the court had to watch their words and tone when speaking to him. Never before had anyone dared to be so disrespectful in his presence, let alone this girl—his daughter whom he had personally raised for fifteen years.
“Xie Zhaofan!”
Xie Chongshan’s chest heaved as his fury became almost impossible to suppress. He pointed at her and shouted, “Do you have no respect for your elders? To publicly defy orders and beat a mammy in charge of this household... are you trying to turn the world upside down?!”
Xie Zhaofan’s eardrums vibrated from his roar, yet she didn't feel as nervous as before. In fact, because she had just thrown that stout old woman aside, her mood was somehow much better.
She looked down at her hands.
It felt as if a savage beast were hidden within this body. She hadn't even used her full strength just now, yet Mammy Zhou had flown out like a sandbag.
If it hadn't happened right before her eyes, she wouldn't have believed it herself.
Thinking of this, Xie Zhaofan couldn't help but mutter in her heart.
It was one thing to transmigrate for no reason, but why did she have to get stuck with such a disastrous start? What decent person would want to leave a modern, civilized society to suffer in a place like this, where etiquette was suffocating and one was expected to kneel in the Ancestral Hall or receive the Family Discipline at the drop of a hat?
She would rather go back to her life as a corporate slave working overtime than stay here and play mind games with a bunch of ancient people.
Especially this newfound father of hers—the way he looked at her was as if he were looking at some heinous criminal.
However...
Xie Zhaofan quietly scanned her surroundings. Now was clearly not the time for a complete falling out.
She had only just transmigrated and was almost entirely ignorant of this world. Aside from the fragmented memories left by the original host, she didn't even know which dynasty this was, what the capital looked like, or if the world outside was dangerous.
If she rashly left the Prime Minister’s residence and the outside world turned out to be even more treacherous, wouldn't she be jumping from the frying pan into the fire?
With that thought, Xie Zhaofan decisively decided to play it safe for now.
If she didn't have to fight, she wouldn't. If she didn't have to cause trouble, she wouldn't. If all else failed, she would stay in the Prime Minister’s residence until she had fully figured out how the system worked.
Thus, under the suspicious and uncertain gazes of everyone, she actually gave a very serious explanation to Xie Chongshan. “Father, I have no intention of defying you, let alone rebelling.”
Xie Chongshan felt a breath catch in his chest.
His earlier words had merely been a rebuke born of sudden rage. He hadn't expected this girl to actually follow up and explain the word “rebelling.”
Xie Zhaofan spoke with sincere gravity. “I just don't want to get beaten.”
She paused and added, “As long as you don't hit me, everything is negotiable.”
The courtyard fell into a bizarre silence once more. Xie Chongshan stared at her, unable to find his voice for a long while.
Madam Shen’s expression beside him was also complicated; she clearly didn't know how to respond to such a statement. Even Xie Jinyi, who had been full of terror moments ago, couldn't help but look up at Xie Zhaofan.
She truly couldn't understand this sister of hers anymore. Just a moment ago, they were at each other’s throats, yet in the blink of an eye, she was speaking so matter-of-factly about simply being afraid of a beating.
Xie Zhaofan felt her explanation was perfectly reasonable. She hadn't said she wanted to sever ties with the Xie family, nor did she plan to commit murder or arson.
She just didn't want to be hit with a cane. Could that really be considered defying one's elders?
Xie Chongshan clearly realized that continuing to argue would only make the situation even more absurd. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fire in his chest, and finally decided to isolate this dangerous daughter first.
“Since you are unwilling to receive the Family Discipline, you shall be confined to your quarters for one month.”
He commanded in a heavy voice, “Take the Second Young Miss back to her room. Without my permission, she is not to take a single step outside her courtyard.”
Having said that, he added coldly, “If you dare to leave without permission, another month will be added.”
Xie Zhaofan’s lips twitched slightly. The way these feudal parents handled problems was truly consistent. It was always confinement—nothing creative about it at all.
However, she didn't have any objections now. Confinement it is.
Anyway, she was new here. This was the perfect time to figure out what the system was and organize the memories left by the original host. As long as she didn't have to get beaten, being locked up for a few days didn't matter. It wasn't like she’d lose a single hair.
At this thought, she even cooperated quite well by waving over two maidservants.
“Let’s go.”
The two maidservants were visibly stunned. They clearly hadn't expected her to agree so easily. Seeing that they weren't moving, Xie Zhaofan couldn't help but urge them. “Weren't you supposed to take me back?”
Only then did the two maidservants snap out of it. They hurriedly bowed their heads and walked to her side. An older mammy followed behind. All three were cautious throughout the walk, none of them daring to get too close to her.
Watching them act as if they were facing a great enemy, Xie Zhaofan felt somewhat speechless in her heart. She wasn't going to eat them!
It wasn't until they stepped out of the courtyard gate that a groan of pain suddenly echoed behind her.
“Ow... my waist...”
Mammy Zhou, who had been thrown, was still lying on the ground. Several servants stood at a distance, and not a single one dared to step forward to help her up.
The scene just now had been far too shocking.
Mammy Zhou, who was known in the residence for being stout and strong, had been thrown so far by the Second Young Miss with just one hand. If it had been any of them, they would likely have been sent to meet their ancestors by now.
Who would dare go up? What if the Second Young Miss went crazy again? Besides, the Second Young Miss had even dared to harm the Eldest Young Miss today. Who knew what she would do next?
Everyone watched Xie Zhaofan’s departing figure with lingering fear. It was only when she had completely vanished at the end of the corridor that someone cautiously went over to assist Mammy Zhou.
Xie Jinyi stood where she was, her gaze lingering on the empty doorway for a long time.
To be honest, from start to finish, she had never truly regarded this so-called sister as a threat. Even though Xie Zhaofan had occupied her life for over a decade, in her eyes, she was merely a willful, shallow, and brainless fool.
Furthermore, Xie Jinyi had studied medicine under a master since she was a child and had also practiced some martial arts for physical fitness. Usually, three to five ordinary men couldn't even get close to her.
Her earlier fall into the water had been intentional—she wanted to expose her foster sister’s vicious true nature. Thus, the previous Xie Jinyi had never thought that Xie Zhaofan could pose any real danger to her.
But the scene just now made her realize for the first time that she had been making assumptions. If Xie Zhaofan hadn't vented her anger on Mammy Zhou but had suddenly attacked her instead...
Xie Jinyi’s eyes darkened slightly.
With that kind of terrifying strength, if Xie Zhaofan had truly lost all restraint and attacked with everything she had, Jinyi might not have been able to emerge unscathed.
She wasn't afraid of Xie Zhaofan, but she had to re-evaluate this “foolish sister” she had previously ignored.
On the other side, Pei Shaohuai was clearly the one most impacted. Even now, he hadn't fully regained his composure. How could he not know what kind of character Xie Zhaofan had?
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