The first one.
The second one.
The third one.
She originally thought she would eat two at most, but once she actually started eating, she discovered that these white flour buns were unexpectedly fragrant.
Perhaps she was just too hungry, or perhaps after the system reinforced her body, her sense of taste and her body's nutritional requirements had undergone some kind of change.
Back in modern times, she wouldn't have even spared a second glance at a plain white flour bun, but now, every bite she took seemed to carry a rustic wheat aroma.
While it wasn't exactly a gourmet delicacy, its substantial, filling nature was a merit in its own right.
Xie Zhaofan ate faster and faster. By the time she snapped out of it, only half a bun remained in her hand.
She looked down at it, then glanced at the basket beside her.
“...”
Xie Zhaofan suddenly realized a very serious problem. Given her current appetite, would people start saying she was the reincarnation of a starving ghost?
She couldn't help but look up at the pitch-black night sky.
“System, you better actually be useful, otherwise my character persona is going to be completely ruined.”
Having resolved the urgent crisis in her stomach, Xie Zhaofan patted her belly with satisfaction and set off on her way back.
She had been somewhat nervous when she first came out, fearing she might bump into an estate guard on patrol and be caught red-handed.
But after having traversed the path once, she felt that the nighttime security of the Prime Minister’s Estate was actually quite mediocre. As long as she was a bit careful, scaling a couple of walls didn't seem to be a difficult task.
However, this lifestyle of sneakily running out to find food clearly couldn't last forever.
As Xie Zhaofan walked, she began to calculate seriously. The first issue to resolve was the matter of food and warmth.
For the dignified Second Young Miss of the Prime Minister’s Estate to not even be able to fill her stomach—people would laugh their heads off if word got out.
She didn't want to spend every night climbing over walls to run to the kitchen like a thief, and she especially didn't want to encounter a stroke of bad luck one day where there weren't even buns in the kitchen. Was she, a transmigrator, supposed to go to sleep on an empty stomach?
At this thought, her resolve to turn her situation around as quickly as possible grew even firmer.
At the very least, she needed to ensure her food was provided for. Ideally, she should also find a way to get some silver.
With money, even if she couldn't leave the Prime Minister’s Estate immediately, she could at least quietly prepare some living supplies for herself.
While she was pondering this, she followed the route in her memory toward her own courtyard.
Seeing that she was almost there, she suddenly came to a halt. In the next instant, her figure flashed as she quickly ducked behind a nearby corner.
It wasn't an estate guard passing by this time; rather, she had spotted two people who absolutely shouldn't be here.
One of them was an old acquaintance she had just seen—Xie Jinyi.
The true daughter, who was treated as the palm-held pearl of the entire Prime Minister’s Estate.
Xie Zhaofan peeked out slightly to look into the distance. Moonlight spilled down from between the eaves, casting a hazy silver glow over the courtyard.
Xie Jinyi was standing there, and beside her was a tall woman dressed in black.
The woman had a slender build, nearly the same height as Xie Jinyi, and a layer of black gauze masked her face, leaving only a pair of sharp, cold eyes exposed.
What surprised Xie Zhaofan even more was that the two of them hadn't entered through the main gate at all.
She clearly saw the black-clad woman support Xie Jinyi’s waist with one hand and hook an arm around her shoulder with the other before leaping directly over the courtyard wall.
The silhouettes of the two women traced a graceful arc through the air, and they made almost no sound when they landed.
The entire movement was fluid and effortless, as light as a bird gliding over the eaves in the night.
Xie Zhaofan’s eyes widened. She subconsciously recalled how she had looked while climbing the wall earlier.
The running start, the jump, the grabbing of the wall, the flipping over, and then nearly landing face-first in the dirt.
Then look at them—carrying a whole person while scaling a wall, yet not even a corner of their clothes was ruffled upon landing.
Xie Zhaofan immediately felt a wave of envy.
“Is that the legendary Lightwork?” she couldn't help but mutter internally.
If she’d known, she should have saved a few attribute points for Agility.
While thirteen points in Strength was certainly useful, her movements could hardly be called elegant, aside from her ability to toss people aside.
She imagined a future scenario where she would face an enemy, slap them away with one hand, and then have to chase after them while huffing and puffing. The aesthetic was just wrong.
No, she had to find an opportunity to increase her Agility as well. Ideally, she wanted to be able to truly walk on walls and fly over rooftops.
While Xie Zhaofan was busy plotting in secret, Xie Jinyi’s gentle voice drifted from ahead.
“Thank you for seeing me back, Big Sister. You should head back quickly.”
The black-clad woman bowed her head slightly, her tone carrying a hint of respect.
“Miss Xie is too polite. This is merely my duty; I do not deserve your thanks.”
Xie Jinyi gave a light laugh.
“In your Prince’s eyes, you are a subordinate, but in my eyes, you are a heroine who can come and go as she pleases with extraordinary martial arts.”
Her voice was gentle and melodious; even from a distance, it sounded pleasant to the ear.
Watching from behind the corner, Xie Zhaofan had to admit that Xie Jinyi really did have a knack for making people feel close to her.
Even knowing they were destined to be on opposite sides, she found it difficult to truly feel repulsed by this elder sister.
After all, the girl was beautiful, spoke kindly, and carried herself with gentle grace. Such people naturally attracted favor.
But right then, Xie Zhaofan suddenly caught a keyword.
“Prince?”
She blinked.
Wait! What Prince? Where did a Prince come from?
In the middle of the night, a guard from a Prince’s manor was seeing Xie Jinyi back home? And by flying over rooftops and jumping over walls, no less?
Rate on N.U.
