Xie Jinyi: “...”
She suddenly felt a bit of a headache coming on. What exactly was the situation?
She simply didn’t want to accept the gift, so how did it turn into her being unwilling to forgive?
“I truly don’t blame you,” Xie Jinyi explained helplessly.
“Things from the past are over. I don’t need an apology from you.”
“But if Sister doesn’t accept my gift, I won’t feel at ease in my heart.” Xie Zhaofan lowered her head, looking as if she had suffered a great grievance.
“Otherwise, Sister, you could just beat me once, or scold me a bit. As long as you can vent your anger, it’ll be fine.”
Looking at that peerlessly beautiful face, Xie Jinyi felt for the first time that this foster sister of hers was actually a bit difficult to handle.
She had followed her master to learn medicine from a young age. Her master most often taught her to be composed when things happened and never to let her state of mind be disturbed. Consequently, no matter the situation, she could generally remain calm.
Yet, facing someone like Xie Zhaofan—who was cheekily grinning and playing completely outside the box—she actually felt a faint sense of being at a loss for where to even start.
Ultimately, she could only sigh helplessly.
“Fine, say no more. I’ll accept it.” She gave Xiangling a meaningful look. “Bring it over.”
Xie Zhaofan’s face immediately lit up with a smile.
“Sister really is the best!”
Xie Jinyi shook her head in resignation.
She took the brocade box from Xiangling’s hands. She had thought it would be some expensive piece of jewelry inside, but after opening it, she found it was a rather strange bronze ornament.
Its form was hideous, with a blue face and jagged fangs, looking even a bit sinister. Xie Jinyi couldn’t help but take a couple more looks at it.
“This item is quite unique; it also looks like it has some years on it.”
“Sister has a good eye!” Xie Zhaofan immediately beamed even brighter.
“I knew Sister was knowledgeable and could tell at a glance that it’s extraordinary. Sister really is magnanimous and extraordinary in spirit. I was truly too immature in the past.”
Xie Jinyi was left between laughter and tears by her praise.
On the side, Xiangling also had a strange expression. What kind of wrong medicine had this Second Young Miss taken today?
Just as Xie Zhaofan was smiling her brightest, Xie Jinyi suddenly had a moment of trance.
She had to admit that this foster sister of hers was indeed becoming excessively beautiful now.
Especially with this smile—her eyes curving and her gaze becoming spirited—her entire face seemed to be lit up. That vivid and bright feeling even made her, another woman, unable to resist taking a few extra looks.
Xie Jinyi couldn’t help but wonder how many men in this world could withstand such looks.
However, she quickly thought of Prince Qin.
That Highness had a determined heart and had always kept women at a distance. He probably wouldn't be easily influenced. At least in her view, Prince Qin was absolutely not the kind of person who would be swayed by beauty.
“Since the item has been delivered, I’ll take my leave first.”
Having achieved her goal, Xie Zhaofan didn't feel like continuing the act. She stood up and prepared to leave.
Before departing, she said in a dignified manner, “Sister, if you’re free in the future, you can come sit in my courtyard. I’m quite bored by myself.”
Xie Jinyi was slightly startled but ultimately nodded.
“Alright.”
Only then did Xie Zhaofan lead Chunxing away with satisfaction.
Once they were out of Xie Jinyi’s courtyard, Chunxing held it in for a long time before finally being unable to resist. She cautiously asked, “Miss, just now... were you doing that on purpose?”
“Doing what on purpose?”
“Gifting that item to the Eldest Young Miss.”
Xie Zhaofan looked back at her, the corners of her lips curling slightly.
“What do you think?”
Chunxing was instantly choked up. Of course she thought it was on purpose.
Otherwise, who would specifically package and gift someone a sinister thing that could crawl back on its own after being thrown into the moat?
At this moment, Chunxing’s awe of her own Second Young Miss had reached a new height.
In the past, she had thought the Second Young Miss just had a bad temper, was bold, and was difficult to serve. Now she realized that it wasn't just about being difficult to serve—this girl clearly even dared to plot against ghosts and monsters!
The little maidservant swore in her heart that from now on, she would do whatever the Miss said. She would rather offend King Yama than ever dare to defy the Second Young Miss again.
As for the poor Xie Jinyi... Chunxing silently looked back at the Eldest Young Miss’s courtyard, only able to pray for her in her heart.
She hoped the Eldest Young Miss's fate was strong enough to withstand this “apology gift” from the Second Young Miss.
After sending the item out, Xie Zhaofan was actually unsure whether this maneuver of hers would succeed.
After all, she hadn't yet figured out if there was such a thing as karmic connection in this world, let alone the origin of that bizarre bronze ornament.
In the event that even this so-called Child of Destiny, Xie Jinyi, couldn’t suppress it, wouldn't she have made things even worse?
But regardless, the item had been sent out, and she didn't have any better ideas for the time being.
She couldn't very well be expected to take a kitchen knife and fight some unknown demonic creature as a weak woman who only had fourteen points of Strength, right?
Thus, Xie Zhaofan soon tossed the matter to the back of her mind and continued her carefree life.
Eating when she should, drinking when she should, basking in the sun when she should, and researching the Teal Jade Hairpin when she should.
Taking advantage of the good weather, she even had Chunxing and Xiahe set up a lounge chair in the courtyard so she could leisurely sunbathe for half the afternoon, lacking even the slightest sense of urgency regarding the impending horror.
On the contrary, the two little maidservants, Chunxing and Xiahe, were on edge all day long, to the point where they almost walked glued to each other.
They couldn't help but look back and scan their surroundings at even the slightest noise outside the window, and they didn't even dare to open their doors casually at night.
Xie Zhaofan looked at their paranoid behavior and couldn't help but offer some comfort.
“Don't be so worried. There will always be a way to solve things. If it really doesn't work out, we'll observe again tonight. If there are still problems, I'll go to Gangen Temple tomorrow to invite a high monk, or find a capable Daoist priest in the city to come take a look. We'll find a way to deal with it eventually.”
Chunxing and Xiahe exchanged a glance, their eyes full of helplessness.
The Miss spoke easily enough, but that thing wasn't looking for her!
They even suspected that the Second Young Miss was only so composed because she hadn't personally seen that corpse-pale face of a man.
If she were to personally experience that kind of nightmare once, she probably wouldn't be able to be this leisurely anymore.
However, they naturally didn't dare say such words aloud, and could only obediently nod in agreement.
In truth, regarding this matter, Xie Zhaofan herself also felt it was strange.
By all accounts, she was the one who spent twenty taels to buy that bronze ornament, so its true owner should be her.
Furthermore, she had not only touched it personally but had even held it in her hands to study it for a long time. Yet, she hadn't encountered any abnormalities from start to finish.
On the contrary, it was the two little maidservants—who had privately kept the item—who were being tormented to death by it.
Rate on N.U.
