Xie Zhaofan’s eyes widened little by little.
What was going on? A secret meeting?
No… Was there some Prince backing Xie Jinyi?
The more she thought about it, the more interesting it became. This true daughter had only been back for about a month, right? How did she already feel so connected to the imperial family?
Xie Zhaofan suddenly felt invigorated.
Good heavens, isn't this the standard setup for a Female Lead script?
The true daughter returns, possessing her own destiny halo. She has peerless beauty, extraordinary talent, and her medical skills are even more divine. Now, she’s even made contact with a Prince.
Following this progression, would the next step be an imperial decree of marriage, allowing her to soar to the heavens and become a peerlessly noble Princess?
And then there was her—the fake daughter who had occupied the magpie’s nest…
Xie Zhaofan suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. The more she looked at this plot, the more it resembled a standard opening for a Vicious Female Supporting Character.
Considering all the stupid things the original host had done, if she weren’t slapped to death by Xie Jinyi in the future, it would be considered a stroke of luck.
She couldn’t help but silently light a candle for the original host in her heart.
Fortunately, the current Xie Zhaofan was no longer the original. She didn’t plan to keep courting death.
Right then, the black-clad woman spoke again.
“Miss Xie, you praise me too much. My crude martial arts are merely useful, how could I deserve the title of heroine? Moreover, compared to you, this little ability of mine is nothing.”
She paused, her tone becoming significantly more respectful.
“The remaining toxins in the Prince’s body will rely entirely on you.”
Xie Zhaofan’s gaze sharpened.
Remaining toxins? The Prince was poisoned? Xie Jinyi knew medicine?
She had originally been eavesdropping just for the gossip, but she hadn’t expected to hear such important information.
It seemed this Xie Jinyi was even more remarkable than she had imagined.
Furthermore, judging by the black-clad woman’s tone, she was clearly fiercely loyal to that Prince and held Xie Jinyi in high regard.
Xie Zhaofan began to analyze the information in her mind.
A Prince, poisoning, medical skills, detoxification, secret guards…
No matter how she put those words together, it didn't seem like the kind of world an ordinary young miss of a noble house should have access to.
She suddenly felt that her previous perception of this world was too shallow. This era was perhaps far from being as simple as she had imagined.
“Alright, let’s stop praising each other here,” Xie Jinyi said with a light laugh. “Sister, you should head back quickly. It’s late into the night and there’s still a curfew outside. You must be careful on your way back.”
“Rest assured, Miss Xie, I know what I’m doing.” The black-clad woman gave her a bow. “You have also been working hard all night; you should rest early. I shall take my leave.”
As soon as the words fell, she turned to go.
In the next instant, Xie Zhaofan watched as the dark figure took several leaps and landed on the roof.
Her movement technique was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, the black-clad woman vanished into the depths of the night.
Xie Zhaofan hid behind the corner, her eyes fixed on the spot where she had disappeared.
She looked down at her own legs, then back up at the silhouette that had vanished.
She had only one thought—envy! She was simply too envious!
When would she be able to possess such skill? When the system gave her attribute points next time, she absolutely could not dump them all into Strength.
She had to allocate some to Agility, and even stats like Spirit and Constitution couldn't be left behind. Ideally, she would turn herself into a Hexagon Warrior.
By then, if anyone dared to bully her and she couldn't win the fight, she could just hop onto a roof and make a run for it; no one would be able to catch her.
Thinking of this, Xie Zhaofan’s mood improved slightly.
Once the black-clad woman had completely left and Xie Jinyi had quietly walked back into her own room, Xie Zhaofan stepped out from behind the corner.
As she looked at the tightly shut door, aside from a bit of amazement, she didn’t have many other emotions.
Instead, thinking of the original host’s past behavior, she couldn't help but start complaining again.
What exactly was the original host thinking? Without even figuring out what kind of person her opponent really was, she had dared to target them over and over again.
If it were her, she would have started living with her tail between her legs long ago.
No! She should have found a way to hug the big thigh.
Xie Jinyi had beauty, talent, medical skills, and a suspected relationship with a Prince. This was clearly the standard template for a Heavenly Destined Female Lead.
As long as she didn’t act stupidly and followed her sister around, she might even be able to bask in some of the glory.
When one person rises to the top, the whole family benefits; wouldn't it be wonderful for everyone to live well? What could be better than that?
Unfortunately, it was already too late. The original host had offended Xie Jinyi far too severely, even reaching the point of attempting to harm her biological sister.
Even if she suddenly ran over now and said, “Sister, let’s live in peace from now on, I actually admire you very much,” the other party probably wouldn't believe her and would only think she was playing some new scheme.
At this thought, Xie Zhaofan suddenly remembered someone else.
Pei Shaohuai, the Heir of the Marquisate who was once the original host’s childhood sweetheart but had clearly shifted his affections now.
She couldn’t help but curl her lip.
So… what was that man supposed to be? An unrequited Male Supporting Character?
Thinking of this, she actually felt a bit of schadenfreude. That fellow had humiliated her to her face yesterday; he hadn't just been bullying the original host.
The one being humiliated was Xie Zhaofan herself. Since that was the case, he deserved his bad luck.
She had even begun to look forward to seeing what kind of expression Pei Shaohuai would have in the future when he discovered that the Eldest Young Miss he was so enamored with already had someone else in her heart.
But those were all matters for the future. For now, the most important thing was to live her own life well.
Xie Zhaofan quietly climbed the wall back to her own courtyard. This night, she had eaten her fill and overheard some major gossip, so her mood was much better than it had been during the day.
Lying on the soft bed, she didn't even spend much time thinking before falling into a deep sleep.
It wasn't until the next morning that the door was knocked upon again.
“Second Young Miss, breakfast has been delivered.”
Xie Zhaofan opened her eyes dizzily. When she sat up, her hair was still a bit messy.
“So early? What time is it?”
She let out a yawn and casually threw on an outer robe. The door opened, and the same servant woman from the kitchen yesterday walked in carrying a food box.
Xie Zhaofan frowned when she saw the contents. It was the same simple food as yesterday, and the portion was even smaller.
Rubbing her empty stomach, she couldn't help but say, “This isn't enough.”
The disdain on the servant woman’s face was barely concealed.
In her eyes, the current Second Young Miss had already lost the favor of the Prime Minister and the Madame. She had been confined and her stipends had been cut; her high status was a thing of the past.
“If the Second Young Miss doesn’t want to eat, then don’t eat.”
Her tone was passive-aggressive. “I’ll just take it back in a bit and throw it away. It won't go to waste; I can just use it to feed the dogs.”
Xie Zhaofan’s previously groggy expression cleared up instantly.
She stared at the servant woman for a few seconds and suddenly smiled.
“By the way.” She spoke as if she had just remembered something. “Do you know what happened by the lake yesterday?”
The servant woman was stunned. Something by the lake?
She naturally didn't know. All the servants who had been involved in the incident by the lake yesterday had been strictly ordered to stay silent. Anyone who dared to discuss it in private would be caned and sold off.
Therefore, she had only heard that the Second Young Miss had made a major mistake, but she had no idea what had actually transpired.
Seeing Xie Zhaofan mention it, she actually became a bit curious.
“Oh?” The servant woman gave a cold laugh. “Did the Second Young Miss do something incredible by the lake? If you’re willing to say it, it would be a good way to broaden my horizons.”
The two young maids standing to the side turned pale instantly, frantically winking at the servant woman.
Stop talking! Quickly, stop talking!
Unfortunately, the servant woman was in the middle of her temper and didn't notice them at all.
Seeing that things weren't right, the two maids even quietly stepped back a few paces.
You couldn't blame them for being timid; the way the Second Young Miss had acted yesterday was truly terrifying.
If she started a fight again and they were standing too close, they might be caught in the crossfire.
Xie Zhaofan took everything in, but she wasn't angry. She just looked at the servant woman in front of her, the corners of her lips slowly curling into a smile.
“Is that so…”
In the next instant, she suddenly reached out.
That hand looked slender and fair, even carrying the delicate softness unique to a young girl.
Yet, it was such a hand that, before the servant woman could react at all, accurately clamped onto her neck.
Then—
She lifted her with one hand.
“Urgh…”
The servant woman’s feet instantly left the ground, her entire body suspended in mid-air as Xie Zhaofan dangled her like a little chick.
Rate on N.U.
