Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Not someone she could approach…

The sun rose, and swirling smoke slowly drifted up.

The usually silent streets of Ningle were now filled with the sound of conversation. Whether it was the common people who had come specially or those who had heard the noise, they gathered on both sides of the street, occasionally gazing at the large mansion not far away.

A group of people waited at the mansion door. The lady in the lead would occasionally stand on tiptoe and look toward the southwest side of the street. The woman standing beside her patted her hand, lowered her eyes and said something, and a smile appeared in the lady's slightly uneasy eyes.

"What are you all looking at?" The cook who was passing by with a load on his shoulder stopped his hurried steps. Seeing the wife and daughter of the Qin family standing at the door, he looked around the crowd suspiciously: "Why are there so many people?"

"You don't know?" The man next to the cook looked at him in surprise for a moment, looked him up and down for a moment, and said mysteriously: "I heard that the Qin family has a daughter who has been wandering outside for many years. She was found outside a few days ago, and they immediately sent someone to bring her back to Beijing."

"Daughter!?" The cook's eyes widened. Although he didn't work in the Qin Mansion, the master of the family and the Qin family were old acquaintances. How come there was no news in the mansion? "Why haven't I heard anyone mention it in all these years?" "

Who says it isn't?" the man tutted his tongue and shook his head, looking meaningfully toward the Qin residence's gate. "It's said that Madam Qin gave birth prematurely when she left the capital years ago. The midwife told her it was stillbirth, and Madam Qin never returned to that sad place again. It wasn't until a while ago when someone mentioned a little girl who looked very similar to Madam Qin that she rushed over to take a look." "You

wouldn't have known until you saw her. She's definitely a resemblance to Madam Qin in her youth. Her features—" The man was speaking when he suddenly heard a commotion. He no longer cared about the cook and stood on tiptoe to peer toward the Qin residence. The

clatter of horse hooves shattered the din, and the Qin family members waiting at the gate all glanced toward the galloping carriage.

Biezhi, sitting quietly in the carriage, yawned. She'd been racking her brains for three or four days, unable to figure out what expression to adopt when meeting the Qin couple.

Bursting in tears?

That seemed a bit fake.

Jumping for joy?

That didn't seem appropriate either.

In the end, Biezhi decided to adapt to the situation and let things take their course. The Qin family knew her identity well, so why bother with all this effort? Her main mission on this trip was to protect Xu Wenche, and nothing else was within her consideration.

The wheel tracks rolling over the bricks gradually stopped, and Biezhi heard the sound of slightly hurried footsteps. Her fingertips landed on the curtain under the window, and when she lifted it slightly, she saw a gentle and generous woman walking quickly with her skirt lifted.

Not long after, the curtain in front of the carriage was lifted.

Nanny Zhang, who came to greet her, said, "Second Miss, we're here." After

saying this, Nanny Zhang stepped aside to make way for her wife and daughter.

Madam Qin breathed a sigh of relief. Even though she had already planned how to lie with her eyes open, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. But when her eyes met the woman who leaned out of the carriage, she couldn't help but be stunned.

The girl's almond-shaped eyes were like crystal-clear glass, clear and bright. Her nose was small and straight, and her fair skin was tinged with a soft pink, a peach blossom blooming in spring not even half as bright as hers. Small dimples fell on the corners of her mouth, and a faint smile was faintly visible, which was very endearing.

Even Qin Wan, who was puzzled, was stunned.

She felt as if she had seen her somewhere before.

When Mrs. Qin heard her daughter's whisper, she suddenly came to her senses, walked forward and took Biezhi's hand, with a hint of tears in her eyes, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." She said to Nanny Zhang, "No wonder Wan'er felt that she had seen her before. This doesn't look like me when I was young, it's more like Wan'er when she was a child."

Nanny Zhang had followed her for many years and knew the inside story. She agreed, "I was also surprised when I saw the second young lady. She looks like she was cast in the same mold as the young lady when she was a child."

Biezhi listened to the master and servant talking to each other, and her slightly raised eyes quickly swept across the people present. When she met Qin Wan's gaze, she blinked and smiled with a curved lip.

The girl's sudden smile was unbelievably pure. Qin Wan, casting aside her distracting thoughts, stepped forward and said, "Mother has been at home for many days, eager for you to return home soon for a family reunion." "

Yes," Madam Qin raised her handkerchief to wipe away the tears that had formed in her eyes. "Your father and brother have gone to court and will be back later."

"Your sister is tired from the journey, let's go in first," Qin Wan reminded her.

Madam Qin nodded quickly and led Biezhi inside.

Biezhi followed them inside with a sigh of relief. She had assumed it was all a play, but she still felt nervous when she actually stepped on stage. Fortunately, Madam Qin and the young lady from the Qin family chatted with each other, so she didn't need to speak.

Biezhi followed them back to the Qin Mansion, listened as Madam Qin explained the layout of the Qin family, and then followed them to the small courtyard they had arranged for her. In the blink of an eye, the morning had passed.

Qin Wan was just about to ask Biezhi about her life when Nanny Zhang suddenly entered, interrupting their conversation. She leaned over and whispered something in Madam Qin's ear. Madam Qin's eyes flickered, and she stood up and asked, "Are they at the door?"

Nanny Zhang nodded, "They are."

Madam Qin's expression hardened. Her gaze passed over Biezhi, who was bewildered, and then to Qin Wan, who had risen after her. She said, "Your father and brother have returned." She glanced at Biezhi and said, "His Royal Highness Prince Su heard of the family's happy event and stopped by to see."

Biezhi immediately understood the meaning of her words and pursed her lips slightly.

She wondered if the Qin family had informed Prince Su of their partnership with the building. If not, as the future son-in-law of the Qin family, Prince Su's visit would likely be a congratulatory one. If so... he would have come specifically for her, to see what Xianyun Building was planning, and what she, in turn, was planning.

"It's okay." Qin Wan saw the flash of tension in Biezhi's eyes and assumed she, like everyone else, was afraid of Fu Huaiqing. She patted her palm and said soothingly, "The prince often visits our family, and we have a good relationship with him. Don't worry too much."

Biezhi smiled.

It was because they had a good relationship that she was worried.

If she wasn't careful, she would accidentally become a villain in his eyes, someone who was hindering the Qin family. Even if she fled to the mountains, he might have people traversing the mountains and rivers to find her and imprison her.

But Biezhi definitely couldn't tell Qin Wan. She nodded obediently, "Okay."

Biezhi's courtyard was not close to the main hall. As she approached the main hall, she heard Qin Xiao's voice.

"Yesterday, someone came to the Dali Temple to accuse Xianyunlou of indiscriminate killing of innocent people and demanded a thorough investigation of Xianyunlou."

Fu Huaiqing's eyes darkened at this.

He opened his mouth slightly and was about to speak when he caught a glimpse of the light green skirt rising at the corner and glanced at Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue nodded and whispered to the other guards.

Madam Qin brought her two daughters into the main hall and bowed to the man in front of them, "Your Highness Prince Su, and I greet you."

Biezhi had never learned how to perform formalities, but she had eyes and imitated Qin Wan's movements.

She lowered her eyes slightly, but she could feel the cold gaze passing over her head, as if probing, but also as if confused. The heavy gaze was fixed on her like this, and the overwhelming pressure fell on her bit by bit.

Biezhi's fingertips trembled inadvertently.

It was with this shudder that the gaze suddenly swept away, and she felt relieved.

Fu Huaiqing retracted his gaze and nodded slightly to Madam Qin.

Madam Qin stood up.

Biezhi followed suit and clenched her sweaty palms.

Only then did she see the man in the hall clearly. He looked even worse than when she accidentally met him some time ago. His expression was cold and distant, and he kept people at a distance.

Cold.

Too cold.

He was not someone she could approach.

If she provoked such a powerful person, she would surely die without a burial place.

Biezhi silently drew a circle in her heart. During the three months of pretending to be the second lady of the Qin family, she had to make a judgment on who she could contact and who she could not contact.

She still couldn't figure out the others, but she must stay away from His Royal Highness the Prince Su in front of her.

Fu Huaiqing glanced at Biezhi, whose eyes were rolling around, and knew at a glance that she was thinking about some little tricks in her mind, and it didn't look like it was a good thing.