Could it be that even ghosts in this world know how to bully the weak and fear the strong?
Or perhaps they know how to pick the softest targets, realizing that she, the Second Young Miss of the Prime Minister’s residence, is not someone to be trifled with, so they dare not confront her directly and instead resort to the next best thing—tormenting her two little maidservants?
The more Xie Zhaofan thought about it, the more amusing she found it, and she even let out an involuntary chuckle.
This world really was fascinating. She used to think that being a villain just made one hated by others, but now it seemed that being a villain not only kept people at a distance but even made ghosts think twice about the hassle.
Thinking this way, the fear in her heart actually dissipated quite a bit.
Of course, she didn’t truly let her guard down because of this; after all, she had only just discovered a few days ago that cultivators existed in this world.
She had already prepared herself mentally to accept all sorts of things that defied common sense. If demons and ghosts really did exist, it didn't seem like something impossible to accept.
When night fell, Xie Zhaofan simply didn't go to sleep.
On one hand, she had long since grown accustomed to secretly watching the drama in the middle of the night.
In particular, the duo of Xie Jinyi and Prince Qin had recently become the biggest entertainment program in her life—and it was absolutely free, so naturally, she couldn't bear to miss out.
Speaking of which, Xie Zhaofan actually quite admired the two of them.
She now had a system-enhanced body and energy so abundant that she couldn't stay idle all day long, but Xie Jinyi and Prince Qin didn't have that kind of cheat code.
Prince Qin, especially, had to handle official business and chase down assassins during the day, yet he could still climb over walls for a tryst at night and show up the next day looking refreshed without a single dark circle under his eyes.
Could this be the protagonist halo? Or was the constitution of martial artists in this era just that good?
Xie Zhaofan was completely baffled by this.
As for the other reason, she truly wanted to see with her own eyes whether Chunxing and Xiahe would have another nightmare tonight.
If it was just a regular nightmare, she wouldn't mind, but if the two of them dreamt of that corpse-pale man again and the dream continued to evolve, then this matter was likely not as simple as a common night terror.
When Chunxing and Xiahe heard that the Second Young Miss intended to keep watch for them tonight, they were instantly moved.
Regardless of what the Second Young Miss's personality had been like in the past or how strict she had been with them as servants, ever since this eerie event occurred, they had vaguely realized that she was truly trying to find a way to help them.
Otherwise, with the courage of two ordinary little maidservants, they probably would have already collapsed after experiencing those terrifying dreams for two consecutive nights.
As the night deepened, the Prime Minister’s residence gradually fell into silence.
Xie Zhaofan sat by the window, munching on melon seeds while waiting listlessly.
Before long, a familiar sound of something cutting through the air drifted in from a distance.
She immediately perked up.
He’s here!
As expected, His Highness Prince Qin couldn't endure the loneliness and had scaled the wall once again.
Xie Zhaofan peeked out the window with eyes full of envy. She had to admit, this Prince Qin’s Lightwork was truly beautiful.
Under the moonlight, the man in the xuan-colored robe moved as lightly as if he had no weight, gliding over the eaves with his robes fluttering in the wind, making almost no sound at all.
If it weren't for Xie Zhaofan’s five senses now being far beyond those of an ordinary person, she probably wouldn't have noticed anyone approaching at all.
“It would be great if this Lightwork could be taught to me,” she muttered softly to herself, then thought about her current Agility of only four points. She wondered when she would possess the ability to scale walls and leap over roofs, and her heart filled with a few more layers of anticipation.
On the other side, Xie Jinyi obviously knew he was coming long ago.
The two met under the moonlight, and Xie Jinyi’s expression was noticeably helpless.
“Your Highness, why have you come again?”
“Jinyi, I apologize. I only wanted to see you for a moment today.”
Prince Qin’s voice was as deep and gentle as ever, a stark contrast to the man who was decisive and ruthless against assassins during the day.
Xie Jinyi sighed softly and whispered, “You shouldn't do this anymore. If someone finds out, it won't be good for either of us.”
“Understood.”
Prince Qin agreed very readily, without even a hint of hesitation.
Hiding in the shadows, Xie Zhaofan curled her lip.
She understood this routine all too well. Their mouths spoke more obediently than anyone else's, but next time, he would still come exactly as before, and he would find all sorts of high-sounding excuses to justify it.
When a woman says no, sometimes she really means no, but other times...
Well, that was hard to say.
At least based on her observations, every time Xie Jinyi told Prince Qin not to come, hadn't she already prepared in advance?
Occasionally, she would even change into a beautiful outfit.
Xie Zhaofan couldn't help but marvel to herself—as expected, one couldn't entirely believe a woman's words either.
However, the ambiguous pull between the two was indeed quite interesting, satisfying her appetite for gossip immensely.
She even began to seriously consider whether she should follow them all the way to see if these two would eventually get married, and then see what happened after their wedding.
But at the thought that Xie Jinyi might move into the Prince's residence or even the palace in the future, she felt this task would be quite difficult.
She couldn't exactly marry into the Prince Qin residence just to watch the drama, could she?
The moment this thought surfaced, Xie Zhaofan immediately spat in her mind.
What was she thinking! Sacrificing herself just to watch a show? She wasn't crazy.
Under the moonlight, the two sat side by side in the courtyard. Their conversation didn't consist of world-shaking events, but mostly daily trifles.
Prince Qin spoke of the investigation into the assassins over the past two days, telling Xie Jinyi that two of the five assassins who escaped that day had been captured, and the locations of the remaining three had been pinpointed.
“They belong to the same sect, called Haoyu Hall.”
Prince Qin’s tone was calm, as if he were discussing an insignificant matter.
“Two years ago, someone from Haoyu Hall killed a court official. I was ordered to conduct a thorough investigation and ultimately wiped out the entire Haoyu Hall.”
“These few who slipped through the net have always held a grudge. A few days ago, they somehow obtained an exotic poison from foreign lands and secretly poisoned me, timing their attack for when the poison broke out and began dissipating my internal energy.”
At this point, his gaze fell on Xie Jinyi, and his voice softened considerably.
“If you hadn't detoxified me in advance, it truly would have been dangerous that day.”
Xie Jinyi listened, but she didn't show the joy Prince Qin had expected. Instead, she frowned slightly.
“I’ve heard my master mention Haoyu Hall before. Their reputation in the martial world wasn't bad.”
Prince Qin’s gaze shifted slightly, but he didn't interrupt her.
Xie Jinyi continued, “The County Magistrate they killed back then was corrupt, ignored the law, and even caused the deaths of many commoners. The people from Haoyu Hall only acted because they couldn't stand the injustice.”
She looked up and stared at Prince Qin earnestly.
“So, in my view, that man truly deserved to die.”
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