Chapter 23 will be updated today; I'll add it to this chapter later after I calm down...

Chapter 23 will be updated today; I'll add it to this chapter later after I calm down...

After calming down and reviewing the events, Xiao Yan suddenly realized that everything that had just happened gave her an extremely eerie sense of familiarity.

Those smooth, coincidental moments feel like I've seen them somewhere before.

"But that's impossible. How could someone like me, who lives a simple and law-abiding life, have ever witnessed such a thrilling scene? So where did the sense of familiarity come from?"

Slightly agitated, Xiao Yan paced back and forth in the meditation room, feeling a throbbing pain in her head.

"Miss, would you like a cup of tea?" Green Moth entered, carrying a teacup.

"Hmm." Xiao Yan frowned and gave a casual reply, but her feet showed no sign of stopping.

"Miss, what happened outside just now?" Seeing her mistress going around in circles like a dredge-up mill, and remembering that Qingfu and Zhuyue, who had gone out with her mistress, could not hide their panicked eyes and pale faces despite their best efforts to conceal it, Lü'e cautiously asked.

"They were just a little frightened because they slipped and almost fell into the water." This was something they had agreed on on the way, since Qingfu and Zhuyue had both collapsed on the ground and their clothes were inevitably a little dirty.

"You may leave now." She felt something was about to burst forth in her mind, but there was a barrier between them. At this moment, she really had no mood to deal with Green Moth's doubts.

"Yes." Before leaving, Green Moth took out a purse embroidered with Buddhist characters from her bosom and respectfully presented it to Xiao Yan with both hands: "Master Qingwu came by earlier and asked me to give this purse to you, Miss. She said that this purse was made by a nun in Jing'an Hall. It contains a page of prayer scripture and has been offered for forty-nine days. May the Bodhisattva protect you and bring you peace and happiness."

Xiao Yan accepted the purse with both hands, a purse that clearly required a lot of effort. She recalled why the nun in the hall had specially sent it to her.

Xiao Quexian has also committed a great sin. If it weren't for her actions that frightened the nuns so much, they wouldn't be so grateful to her for saving them.

"By the way, has Second Sister been staying with the Old Madam?" Xiao Yan called out to Green Moth, who was about to leave, and asked about Xiao Quexian's whereabouts.

"Yes, the second young lady has been staying with the old lady and hasn't come out. I heard she's been crying the whole time." Seeing that the young lady had no more questions, Green Moth left and carefully closed the door behind her.

"Judging from this, she's determined to break off the engagement this time. But why is Qin Ji so unbearable in Xiao Quexian's eyes? Her unconventional and resolute attitude makes it seem as if she already knew that marrying Qin Ji would definitely lead to a miserable life." With her gaze slightly unfocused, Xiao Yanhui murmured to herself.

A long-held suspicion finally surfaced—Xiao Quexian was reborn!

Xiao Yan had previously suspected that Xiao Quexian was also a time traveler because of the membership card incident, but after testing her a few times, she felt more and more that she didn't seem like a time traveler.

To give a simple example, her arithmetic skills are so good that she could easily outperform any third-grade elementary school student.

However, if you put her in the framework of a reborn person, everything makes sense. After all, this is a world where there are predecessors who have traveled through time, so it is normal for her to have acquired some seemingly correct but actually flawed modern knowledge.

So the biggest problem now is that Qin Ji, who could still stand in front of others without hesitation in such a dangerous situation, seems like a good person no matter how you look at it.

Even disregarding his character, he is a handsome man of similar age and social standing, so what exactly is wrong with him that makes Xiao Quexian so determined to break free from their engagement?

Xiao Yan felt as if she had just parted one layer of fog, only to find that the fog before her was even deeper.

"Something's not right!" Xiao Yan was suddenly startled.

She suddenly realized why the dangerous scene she had experienced earlier felt so familiar.

The repeated coincidences and the seemingly nonsensical developments were so similar to the martial arts comedy movies she had watched before.

While those coincidences can certainly be explained by a stroke of good luck, wouldn't it also make perfect sense to view them as a meticulously planned arrangement?

She didn't want to make such unfounded assumptions about Qin Ji, but once a thought arose, she couldn't suppress it.

This idea made Xiao Yan Hui even more anxious. Whether it was admitting that she was despicable and suspicious, or suspecting that someone who had been kind to her was despicable, neither was a pleasant thing.

"It seems that the investigation into Qin Ji can no longer be delayed." Xiao Quexian has already made such a move; whether to completely overturn the chessboard or seek personal gain, I must make a decision.

......

"Qin Xi, are you sure you heard that too?" Qin Ji asked Qin Xi, touching the jade fan that should have been discarded.

"Yes, the Third Miss did say that she didn't know if she could go back after death." Qin Xi was confident in his ears, but what puzzled him was why his master would specifically ask about this. When they encountered danger on the mountain, it was perfectly normal for the Third Miss to worry that her soul wouldn't be able to return home after death.

"It seems we need to continue investigating Miss Xiao." Qin Ji's thoughts were completely different. He felt that going back didn't mean going back to the Xiao family, but rather going back to modern society.

Just like every time before, whenever death was close, he would ask himself if he could go back after death.

At this point, Qin Ji was at least 90% certain that the third young lady of the Xiao family was also a time traveler. He could even roughly guess when she had transmigrated.

If his intuition is correct, she transmigrated to this world precisely on that day at the Lotus Lake Pavilion in the Xiao family.

In fact, for Qin Ji at this moment, those fragmentary pieces of evidence were extremely superficial. What made him actually make such a judgment was something even more illusory, such as a feeling.

Although they had only met twice, the feeling she gave off, that subtle, out-of-place quality, always made Qin Ji sense a familiar scent from a distant past.

"So, should we let you continue to exist? Or destroy you before you degenerate?" Qin Ji's demeanor completely changed in an instant.

Qin Xi, who had been calm and somewhat ingratiating, suddenly felt the change. His pupils contracted sharply, and he almost instinctively knelt down, his head bowed low, and his back arched into an arc of absolute submission.

Even though he was just kneeling there, sweat was still dripping down his forehead.

He didn't know why his lord had become like this during what was just a normal conversation, but he knew that in such a situation, being inconspicuous was the best option.

But then, Qin Ji asked him a strange question: "Fifteen, if I had a fruit that I really liked, should I keep it safe or let it rot and fall to the ground?"

"My lord, I do not know, for this is your fruit," Qin Xi replied in a calm tone.

He thought this answer wouldn't satisfy his lord, but to his surprise, he heard a low chuckle above him.

"You're right, these are my fruits. What I do with them is naturally up to me."

......

"Xiao Quexian has been crying in your father's study all day. The old lady is also there, presumably speaking up for her. Yan Hui'er, what do you think about this?" In Xiao Yan Hui's small flower hall, all the maids who were serving her were dismissed, leaving only the mother and daughter to talk privately. Seeing that her daughter was still in a stable mood, the First Madam felt waves of anger surging in her heart.

"If we let her keep making a scene, things will become a fait accompli."

"What does Mother think?" Xiao Yan didn't want to answer directly, but she herself hadn't figured it out.

"Although the actions of the second wife are truly infuriating, but..." The First Madam looked at Xiao Yan Hui again before continuing, "To be fair, the eldest son of the Qin family is indeed a good match, and I think it's not something we can't consider."

"Couldn't my family have kept me a few more years? I want to get married later." She tentatively expressed her most desired outcome.

(The following is supplementary content)

"The wedding date is secondary; the real question is whether we should go through with this marriage." To be honest, the first wife was also conflicted. To her, this marriage was like a delicious dish she had once set her sights on and wanted to save for her precious daughter, but which was snatched away halfway through.

Now, the dish has been returned by all sorts of means and people are trying to force it back. Although it still looks like a good dish, she is worried that it might be poisoned because of the other party's attitude.

"Forget it, that girl Xiao Quexian is very cunning. If it's a good thing, why would she go to such lengths to push it onto you? We can't gamble with your life's happiness." The First Madam slammed her hand on the table and made her decision, deciding to reject the temptation and avoid internal strife.

“Mother is right. No matter how much trouble they cause over there, we will just refuse.” Xiao Yan nodded in agreement with the First Madam’s idea after a moment of contemplation.

Her hesitation stemmed from two reasons: firstly, based on their life-or-death ordeal at Jing'an Hall, Qin Ji seemed to be a decent person in terms of character and temperament; and secondly, his appearance was indeed to her liking.

On the other hand, she always had a vague feeling that this person was hiding some secret that was hard to see through, and Xiao Quexian's attitude clearly showed that she had already gone through the trouble before she couldn't wait to find someone to take over.

Although there are still many things that are unclear, it is wise to avoid risks if there are doubts.

Xiao Yan Hui still had doubts: "Grandma and Father are discussing this matter in the second branch of the family. What if they insist on changing the person?"

"Now that the marriage is with Xiao Quexian, the old lady might pressure us, and your father might offer some benefits, but as long as my daughter and I firmly refuse to accept these threats and inducements, do you really think we can force you sisters to exchange marriages?"

The First Madam looked at her daughter and earnestly advised her, "Yan Hui'er, although you have become more assertive than before, this assertiveness is somewhat superficial. But what are you being superficial about? She is a daughter of the Xiao family, and you are also a daughter of the Xiao family. According to the principles of ethics, we are the eldest branch of the family, and we should be superior to her second branch."

Even if the old lady is biased, even if your father secretly favors her a bit more, so what? You still have your mother and your older siblings. We are all your support. Your mother will plan for you, your sister, though married, still cares deeply for you, and your brother, though studying away from home, will surely come back to uphold the reputation of our eldest son's family if the family needs him. So what do you have to worry about?"

The first wife gave a long and earnest plea.

These were originally words of comfort from the First Madam to her daughter, but to Xiao Yan Hui, they struck her like a heavy drumbeat.

She had always thought she was hiding her true self so well that she had even fooled herself, but when the First Madam exposed her true self, she suddenly realized that she had always been insecure and lacked confidence. In this era, she was a rootless duckweed, an outsider who didn't fit in, and naturally, she couldn't easily say that she could rely on anyone.

As she lowered her eyes, a variety of emotions flashed across them. When she looked up again, Xiao Yan Hui had a slightly spoiled and arrogant smile on her face: "Mother is right. I have you as my support. Xiao Que Xian is capable of using all sorts of tricks. If I am not satisfied, I can certainly make a scene and see how my father will handle it."

“That’s right. Since you’ve made up your mind, there’s nothing more to discuss. Just refuse.” The First Madam took her daughter’s hand. “The flower viewing banquet is just around the corner. With my son’s character and looks, do you think he can’t find a good family to marry into?”

Right now, this is the most important thing on the First Madam's mind.

"Choosing should be done slowly." Choosing for a few more years means marrying a few years later, which is much more convenient than getting engaged and then discussing delaying the wedding.

That night, Xiao Yan received the news and calmly told her mother and her adoptive father that they had a big fight in the courtyard. Then, Xiao Fuyan, the patriarch of the Xiao family, was kicked out of the main courtyard.

The news was personally delivered by Xianghui, the head maid of the main house.

"The First Madam was afraid that the young lady would be frightened by the rumors spread by the servants, so she specially sent me to tell her that it was just a few words of bickering and nothing serious. Also, the First Madam said that the young lady doesn't need to worry about the petty actions of those Tom, Dick, and Harry anymore, and that everything that needed to be resolved has already been resolved."

Seeing Xiang Sui's relaxed expression, Xiao Yan Hui felt relieved.

In the second courtyard of the Wutong family, the sounds of overturned tables and chairs, shattering porcelain, and weeping and cursing filled the air. All the maids and servants serving them were extremely cautious and silent, wishing they could walk on tiptoe without making a sound.

"I won't marry, I won't marry, I won't marry!" With each shout, Xiao Quexian smashed something on the ground, and by this time there was almost nothing of value left in the room.

When she had nothing left to smash, Xiao Quexian stopped what she was doing, breathing heavily, and the room finally fell silent.

"Bang!" Just then, a teacup shattered at Xiao Quexian's feet. Startled, Xiao Quexian jumped aside, then raised her face, which was a mess of tears, and glared at the Second Madam, who sat at the head of the table, her expression unchanged. It was she who had smashed the bowl.

"Xiao Quexian, have you gone mad enough? Why don't you go look in the mirror and see what you look like?" The second wife's face was so dark it seemed like water could drip from it.

"Where did your previous confidence go? Where did your arrogance go? Didn't you always think you could outsmart Xiao Yan Hui? Didn't you always think that getting what you wanted from your father was just a matter of crying and making a scene? How come you can't even handle such a small matter?"

Faced with the second wife's merciless reprimand, Xiao Quexian was so shocked that she forgot to shed tears. But this was really not her fault, because in her two lives, she had never seen the second wife so sharp and mean.

"I thought you'd really grown up, so I decided to let you do things your own way, but..." The second wife sighed, her expression softening, "Do you know where you went wrong?"

Seeing her mother, who had become familiar again, Xiao Quexian's heart, which had been pounding in her chest, returned to normal. She burst into tears again: "Since Father doesn't care whether I live or die, then don't blame me..."

Another "bang" interrupted her words with the sound of porcelain falling to the ground. This time, it was a bowl lid that landed at Xiao Quexian's feet.

"Your mistake lies in your complete lack of understanding of human nature." Looking at her stubborn and foolish daughter, the second wife couldn't help but sigh deeply in her heart.

Her daughter has always been proud and not very smart. If that were all, she wouldn't be unteachable. But her most terrible flaw is that she thinks she is very smart even though she is not smart. She even thinks she is smart enough to manipulate others.

Thinking of this, the second wife couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

Back then, she made a mistake in sending Xian'er to the old lady's courtyard to be raised. At the time, she only thought about destroying Xiao Yan Hui bit by bit with a soft knife, but she never thought of comparing the two girls. While the repeated suppression was certainly crushing Xiao Yan Hui, the repeated praise also made Xian'er into what she is today.

They had finally managed to salvage things somewhat, but for some reason, it escalated again a few months ago, with those inexplicable ramblings repeatedly involving gods and ghosts. But are such banners of gods and ghosts really so effective?

"Xian'er, if Xiao Yan Hui discarded something like trash, and she gave it to you, would you take it? You think you are more favored by your father, but does that mean Xiao Yan Hui is treated like dirt by the master? I believe you have your reasons for doing things, but can your reasons convince your father? If you want him to completely side with you, then how much value have you shown to him?"

After saying this, the second wife stood up and walked out, saying, "Think it over carefully yourself."

After the two families had a big fight over the master, the servants of the Xiao family were still trembling with fear, waiting for the conflict to escalate, but unexpectedly, both sides calmed down in a strange way.

However, judging from the way the two girls were preparing their clothes and jewelry and even hiring a teacher to learn etiquette, perhaps they were just too busy and had temporarily stopped fighting. Some people who knew the inside story speculated in secret.

......

On the riverbank of Qibao Street, the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed. Xiao Yan wiped the sweat from her forehead and was about to say goodbye to the person beside her.

"One part sulfur, two parts saltpeter, three parts charcoal." Qin Ji suddenly approached and uttered this sentence quickly.

"..." Xiao Yan felt that the sunlight above her head was too intense, making her dizzy and even causing her to hallucinate.

So how did things develop to this point?! She had only intended to do a simple inspection of the properties and go shopping today.

A note from the author:

----------------------

I've decided that placing the second half of this chapter before the VIP chapter is more appropriate, since it's already scheduled to be a VIP chapter. This novel will be VIP tomorrow. Thank you all for your continued support, dear readers! Love you all!