“Alright, you’ve put in the effort, now go back and rest!”

Zhao Hanya nodded in relief and urged Lin Yuxin to rest quickly.

“Okay!”

As Lin Yuxin left, her second brother was still waiting.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you to your courtyard!”

Lin Shaoyang said to Lin Yuxin.

“Hehe, thank you, Second Brother!”

Lin Yuxin smiled brightly, her eyes curving into crescents.

Lin Yuxin followed Lin Shaoyang back to her own courtyard, which was called Listening Rain Pavilion.

It was located to the left of her mother’s courtyard because her mother had said that being closer to her would give her peace of mind.

Lin Yuxin didn’t mind.

She could sleep anywhere, so she simply followed her mother’s wishes.

Lin Shaoyang escorted her to the small courtyard, gave her some words of advice, and then left.

As Lin Yuxin walked in with her maid, the first thing that caught her eye was a fish pond—not too big, but she could see carp swimming back and forth inside.

To the left, there was a rockery, resembling a miniature landscape painting.

Lin Yuxin smiled softly. It seemed that her mother had truly put a lot of thought into this place.

She headed straight for her room.

Aside from the courtyard’s picturesque scenery, the interior was much more refined. The furniture was made of the finest redwood, and even the decorations showed careful attention to detail.

Sitting on a stool, Lin Yuxin rested her chin in her hand, deep in thought.

In the past two days since returning, she hadn’t seen the Lin family revolving around that fake daughter at all.

On the contrary, they almost turned against each other.

This development felt… off.

Had she traveled into a fake novel world? Or had her arrival somehow altered the plot?

But the changes were too drastic!

Wait, if she calculated the time, the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet was in a month.

It was said that foreign envoys would come to challenge the Xia Kingdom that day. In the original novel, the Xia Kingdom barely won the competition.

However, during the banquet that night, there would be an assassination attempt.

If she could attend, she would be able to confirm whether the original plot had changed.

After sorting out her thoughts, Lin Yuxin touched a mark on her wrist. In the next moment, her expression shifted, and she disappeared from where she was.

She had entered her personal space. Inside was a room with a bookshelf filled with books—books she had already finished reading.

There was also a small forest filled with medicinal herbs, which would regrow even after being dug up.

This space came from a jade pendant passed down in her family from her previous life. She had discovered it by accident and had since read all the books inside, mastering most of the knowledge.

All her skills had been self-taught from this space.

She took some time to organize the items inside. Ever since she transmigrated and realized the space had followed her, she hadn’t had the time to enter. Now was a good opportunity to prepare some medicine for emergencies.

By the time Lin Yuxin finished, it was already late at night. She exited the space and went straight to sleep.

..

In the following days, Lin Yuxin stayed at home with Zhao Hanya.

Her mother insisted on teaching her the etiquette of a noble lady, saying she didn’t want her to embarrass herself in front of outsiders.

Lin Yuxin agreed that her mother was right and seriously studied for a few days.

On the fifth day, her third brother returned from his business trip.

“Mother, your son is back!”

Lin Yuxin, who was studying in her mother’s courtyard, heard a man’s voice.

She turned to look—this must be her third brother. He had delicate features, a handsome face, and an air of refinement.

[This is Third Brother? He’s so good-looking! No wonder he attracts so many admirers. If he ends up dying because of a woman, it wouldn’t even be unjust.]

Lin Shixiao, who had just stepped in, suddenly froze.

Who was speaking? Die? Were they talking about him?

He looked around and finally turned to Lin Yuxin.

“Xiao’er, you’re back!”

Zhao Hanya had also heard Lin Yuxin’s thoughts and called out to her youngest son.

Hearing his mother, Lin Shixiao quickly stepped forward and saluted.

“Greetings, Mother!”

“Good, good. It’s good that you’re back. Let me introduce you—this is your younger sister, Lin Yuxin.”

Zhao Hanya was happy to see her son return but didn’t forget about her daughter.

“Xin Xin, this is your third brother.”

“Hello, Third Brother!”

Lin Yuxin greeted him with a smile.

“Hello, Little Sister.”

Lin Shixiao replied politely.

Though he had heard about the mistaken identity issue, he still found it hard to believe.

But looking at this lively, adorable girl in front of him—her bright, blinking eyes—he felt an unexpected sense of closeness.

Was this the power of blood relations?

His first impression of his sister was quite good.

[Wow! Third Brother is so good-looking! He definitely inherited Mother’s beauty! What an expert at growing up!]

Lin Shixiao froze again. This time, he was sure—he had really heard someone talking. Third Brother?

He glanced at his seemingly innocent little sister. Was she the one speaking just now? But her lips hadn’t moved. What’s going on?

[Speaking of Third Brother, his luck with women is almost ridiculous. No matter where he goes, women throw themselves at him. All kinds, really. Sometimes, he can’t even escape. Over time, people started calling him a playboy.]

[But the thing is, Third Brother is actually really capable. At a young age, he already holds a position in the Judicial Department. Unfortunately, he gets ruined by that scumbag father of ours! He conspires with outsiders to set Third Brother up, making him accidentally sleep with Prince Rui’s concubine. He gets caught red-handed, has his manhood destroyed, and ultimately takes his own life.]

Lin Yuxin sighed in her heart, feeling sorry for her third brother.

Meanwhile, Lin Shixiao snapped out of his shock and realized something—his sister could hear his thoughts. And “scumbag father”… Was she talking about their father, Lin Xiongan? Prince Rui?

Lin Shixiao’s eyes darkened as he processed this information.

But suddenly, he felt a chill down there.

Zhao Hanya’s face also turned cold.

Lin Xiongan… even a tiger doesn’t eat its own cubs, yet you’re worse than a beast.

“Little Sister, this is my gift to you.”

Lin Shixiao handed over a gift he had prepared in advance.

“Thank you, Third Brother!”

Lin Yuxin happily accepted it. Upon opening the box, she found a beautiful red jade hairpin.

[It’s pretty, but I already have too many hairpins. Why does everyone give hairpins? I only have one head—I can’t wear them all!]

Lin Yuxin smiled while silently complaining in her heart.

“As long as you like it.”

Lin Shixiao’s mouth twitched.

Well, he had already given it—he couldn’t exactly take it back and choose something else now.

After staying for a while, he left. He still needed to report back to the Judicial Department.

However, as soon as he left, Lin Qianqian arrived.

“Mother, I personally made this soup for you. Please try it!”

She spoke softly as she opened a food box and handed a bowl of soup to Zhao Hanya.

[Is there poison in that soup? It smells off! No way—Mother can’t drink that!]

Lin Yuxin’s face darkened, and just as she was about to knock the bowl over—

“Crash!”

“Ah!”

The bowl fell to the ground as Zhao Hanya’s hand “accidentally” trembled while receiving it.

Lin Qianqian gasped in distress.

[Phew! Good thing Mother didn’t drink it. Lin Qianqian and her mother sure are ruthless—trying to poison her just because I’ve threatened their position?]

Zhao Hanya coldly looked at Lin Qianqian and said icily:

“It’s spilled. You may leave.”