Chapter 11: The Half-Truth

After absorbing the original owner’s memories yesterday, Song Huan had spent the entire night meticulously studying and memorizing them.

It could be said that no one in the world now understood the original owner better than she did.

So, no matter how Pei Yan tried to trap her, she remained unfazed.

He suspected her bandaging skills were too practiced?

Ever since her mother’s death and the arrival of her stepmother and stepsister into the Song family, the original owner had suffered injuries several times a year.

What was wrong with knowing a little about bandaging?

“Is that so?” Pei Yan clearly didn’t believe her, his gaze sweeping over her with a subtle yet imposing air.

Song Huan smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. “Yes, indeed. If you doubt me, send someone to investigate the Song family—discreetly, of course. Find any servant or errand boy, offer them some silver, and ask. They’ll tell you everything they know, and even invent what they don’t.”

“Whatever you want to know, they’ll tell you what they know, and even make up what they don’t.”

The Song family’s servants and attendants were all relatives from Madam Song’s maternal side—her aunts, sisters-in-law, and their husbands, sons, and daughters. The network of relationships was undeniably deep and intertwined.

In such a tightly knit social web, secrets rarely remained hidden for long.

Pei Yan could uncover anything he wanted with minimal effort.

In fact, he had already investigated the matter Song Huan mentioned.

However, he found it utterly implausible that someone who had only suffered a few injuries could treat wounds with such meticulous cleanliness and bandage them with such practiced skill.

This woman wasn’t telling him the truth.

But Pei Yan wasn’t in a hurry.

According to Chen Ji, Song Huan possessed some aptitude in the Qi Huang Arts. The extent of her skill, however, would only be revealed through Chen Ji’s assessment.

If Song Huan truly possessed talent, Pei Yan might consider sparing her life.

But only if she proved loyal and useful to him.

Otherwise, he would still kill her.

System: [“Target ‘Pei Yan’s’ favorability toward you has changed.” Favorability +5.] 

Song Huan paused briefly with her bandaged hand before resuming her movements with practiced speed.

I’m used to it now. I’ve grown.

Pei Yan was nothing but an unpredictable madman, his favorability fluctuating wildly. As long as it didn’t drop below -50, Song Huan could remain calm.

True to form, just as she finished bandaging her wound and tied an ugly knot, the system notified her: [“Target ‘Pei Yan’s’ favorability toward you has changed.” Favorability +15.] 

What a fickle man.

Song Huan checked her [Daily Chat] progress. Pei Yan had just said so much; she should have completed the task by now.

But when she opened it, the display read: [Daily Chat – 7/10.]

Song Huan: “……” System, are you okay?

Pei Yan had just delivered a lengthy monologue. Why hadn’t she reached ten replies yet?

Now that her wound was bandaged, what else was she supposed to talk about?

“……Why hasn’t anyone from the Song family come looking for me these past few days?” Song Huan forced herself into an awkward conversation with Pei Yan.

Pei Yan scrutinized her. “Do you want to see them?”

Song Huan shook her head vigorously. “Of course not.”

If Pei Yan summoned them to the Marquis’s Estate, she would only be inviting trouble for herself.

“That day, I pretended to be a corpse and scared Madam Song and Song Yun away. When they returned home, they must have realized I was deliberately trying to frighten them.

Given their personalities, they would have undoubtedly stormed the Marquis’s Estate in a fit of indignation. Yet, they haven’t shown their faces for days. Could they actually believe I’ve turned into a zombie?”

Hearing this, Pei Yan stood up and began dressing. “They came a few times, but this Marquis ordered them to be turned away at the gate.”

Song Huan stared in disbelief. Is this scoundrel actually looking out for me?

Pei Yan added, “You don’t need to attend tonight’s palace banquet. Stay here at the Marquis’s Estate.”

[Ding—”Daily Chat” mission completed. Please claim your life points as soon as possible.]

Seeing the system notification, Song Huan felt immensely relieved. “Alright, if you say I don’t have to go, I won’t.”

What a ridiculous palace banquet! I couldn’t be happier to skip it.