Chapter 11: Unexpected Encounter [Edited]

When Xia Tong woke up, it was already night. Although she had rested for a while, she still felt weak, and even standing made her legs tremble.

“You should continue to rest, Miss. There’s nothing wrong with Madam now. The Old Lady not only sent you plenty of ginseng and bird’s nest but also gave something to Madam, so she must have forgiven her,” Qing’er said while feeding her bird’s nest soup.

Xia Tong slowly swallowed, leaning back against the headboard, deep in thought.

It was not strange that the old lady would show concern for her. After all, she could help her arrange a marriage alliance. However, she had never treated her mother kindly before, let alone made any show of goodwill. Why would she unexpectedly give something to her mother now?

On the other hand, it didn’t make sense that the gifts were meant to harm them. The old lady was a master of the household. She wouldn’t resort to such clumsy tactics.

Regardless, Xia Tong was certain that the old lady had ulterior motives. Suddenly, she asked, “Where’s Father?”

Qing’er quickly replied, “The Master came to see you as soon as he returned, but you were still asleep. After that, he went to see the Old Lady.”

As she spoke, Qing’er leaned in, looking around as if to share a secret. “I heard that when the Master left, he didn’t look quite right. I wonder if he had a disagreement with the Old Lady.”

Hearing this, Xia Tong frowned but said nothing. She just wanted to instigate her father to quickly split up the family. No matter what, she still wanted to take the original owner’s parents with her to escape, but if the other party really refused to go with her, then there was nothing she could do.

Then she suddenly realized an important issue. If she was going to escape, she would need a travel permit. She couldn’t use her own identification.  So she had to create a fake one.

She recalled that the young master of the Duke family worked in the Ministry of Personnel, but to get close to him, she would need Lin Qin’s help. This plastic-sister friendship seemed unreliable, so she couldn’t depend on her. Her father didn’t work in that ministry either, and it would be awkward to explain. It seemed she would have to think of other solutions.

After resting for a night, her father visited her the next day as he left court. He appeared to be in high spirits, walking lightly and carrying a small iron box.

“Is Tong’er feeling better today?” he asked as he entered the room, glancing at Qing’er.

She immediately responded, “Yes, Master. The young lady’s complexion has improved, and she’s been taking her nourishing medicine.”

“I can see that,” he said, beaming as he waved everyone out.

Xia Tong was leaning against the headboard, reading a book. Seeing her father look so joyful was a bit annoying. She muttered, “I’m in this condition, yet Father is so happy. You must not care for your daughter!”

Seeing his daughter throwing a childish tantrum, Xia Zhian shook his head helplessly, sitting down beside her. Noticing her much-improved complexion, he said earnestly, “You’re my only daughter. How could I not care for you? I just visited the regent again, and this time, he actually received me.”

Xia Tong was taken aback. Was her father out of his mind? Why was he seeking out that creep for no reason? Couldn’t he just focus on living peacefully?

“At first, I was worried that the regent would hold our family accountable for past grievances. I even considered taking all the blame on myself to protect our family from any fallout. But to my surprise, the regent was so magnanimous! He didn’t mention the past at all and discussed current affairs with me. When I left, he even gifted me a box of ‘Tianshan Snow Branches,’ which he personally cultivated. Clearly, he has truly moved on from the past.”

After finishing, he couldn’t help but laugh three times. The burdens that had weighed on his heart had finally lifted. How could he not feel joyous?

Watching her father so relieved, Xia Tong felt a bit weary. He was too naive. But it wasn’t entirely his fault. After all, villains usually resorted to direct violence if they disliked someone. It was rare for them to feign kindness, so it was understandable that her father might believe the regent really had no grudges.

But the other party is a big pervert! How could he not care about the humiliation of his past? He definitely wants to keep toying with them and, when he’s had enough fun, strike the final blow!

“But—”

“I’ve been thinking about something too,” Xia Zhian interrupted her, his brow furrowing as his expression grew serious. “Although the regent has a notorious reputation for cruelty, from what I’ve observed, he may be ruthless, but he has never acted against the interests of the court. And since this matter is our fault, you have a marriage contract with him. If possible, I think we could pretend the previous cancellation never happened.”

“No way!” Xia Tong’s expression changed, shocked. “Father, how can you think this way? Since the engagement was called off and the regent doesn’t hold a grudge, why bring up the marriage again? Do you really have the heart to marry your daughter off to him?”

Xia Tong felt like she was about to collapse!

What was her father thinking? True, the regent hadn’t done anything harmful to the court, but he was a notorious killer! Would she even survive if she married him?

Seeing her strong reaction, Xia Zhian waved his hand, conceding, “I’m just saying it. The regent might not even want to marry into our Xiahou family. Just consider that I never mentioned it.”

The regent held significant power, and many would want to curry favor with him. But his reputation as a target of public ire stemmed from his unpredictable nature, making him an enemy to all noble families. Even if he wasn’t interested in women, who knew if he would marry her just to torment her?

Xia Tong swore if her father entertained that thought again, she would run away immediately!

“Rest well. I have to get back to work. Don’t overthink things,” Xia Zhian said a few more words before leaving.

But Xia Tong couldn’t shake off her father’s thoughts. If she were forced to marry the regent, her grandmother would likely agree. After all, despite his bad reputation, he had great power that could bring considerable benefits to the Xiahou family. In this world, there was no clear distinction between good and evil; only power and weakness mattered.

This was a warning sign she needed to heed. To prepare for her escape, a few days later, Xia Tong used the pretext of going to Yu Defang for ready-made clothes to discreetly take her extra jewelry and savings out.

After secretly having Qing’er pawn some of her jewelry, she ended up with several hundred taels of silvers, as the items from the Xiahou family were of good quality. Carrying a large sum, she quietly stored it in a bank, keeping the receipt with her so she could run away anytime without a burden.

Just as she finished storing her money, she spotted a familiar figure in the bank—someone who seemed even wealthier than her!

“Miss, here’s your receipt,” the shopkeeper said with a smile, handing her a wooden token.

The bank was bustling with people, but there weren’t many women visiting. After taking her token, Shen Xin noticed the graceful woman a short distance away and was surprised to see her there. Remembering how this woman had helped her, she decided to walk over.

“Miss Xia.”

Seeing the heroine approach her, Xia Tong smiled back, “Miss Shen.”

Although the setting was unexpected, she was the heroine and likely wouldn’t gossip about her being there.

Looking around, Shen Xin noticed she was alone with her maid. Her eyes brightened, and she smiled softly, “Thank you for helping me that day. If you don’t mind, would you like to join me for tea?”

She also wanted to figure out why this woman who had never appeared in the original owner’s memory would be so kind as to help her?

Xia Tong hesitated for a moment but then nodded slightly. This was a great opportunity to bond with the heroine.

“Miss… this…” Qing’er tugged at her sleeve, looking hesitant.

Miss Shen’s reputation wasn’t great, and associating with her could lead to trouble. Qing’er didn’t understand why her mistress had helped this woman in the first place.

Realizing her own identity, Shen Xin smiled knowingly, “If it’s inconvenient…”

“How could it be inconvenient?” Xia Tong ignored Qing’er’s worries. She didn’t care about reputation. After all, Shen Xin was the heroine blessed by the “Mary Sue” aura.

Seeing this, Shen Xin simply looked at her without saying more.

As they left, the shopkeeper couldn’t help but mutter, clearly surprised that a woman would come to deposit money, and by her clothing, she must be from a wealthy family.

At the same time, a tall figure was standing in the attic, with a pair of eyes looking quietly in the direction where the two people left, with an obscure expression.

One of his subordinates couldn’t help but say, “That’s the Fourth Miss of the Xiahou family, whom the Empress mentioned the other day. She’s quite a character, daring to associate with Miss Shen and even coming to the bank herself. I’ve never heard of the old lady from the Xiahou family being harsh with her.”

The man said nothing, his gaze lingering on their retreating figures, a barely perceptible smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

The sun wasn’t too strong that day, and the streets were lively. After leaving the bank, the two went to a quieter teahouse.

As soon as they entered, Shen Xin couldn’t help but ask, “That day… why did you decide to help me, Miss Xia?”

Her bright face held a hint of skepticism, as she found it hard to believe anyone would act selflessly in this age.

In response, Xia Tong smiled lightly, her eyes sparkling. “Sister Shen, you have a terrible memory! We played together as children. I could never believe you would let anyone wrongly accuse you!”

She did meet the original owner a few times before the original owner left the capital, but it happened so long ago and the heroine is not the real Shen Xin. Even if she inherited the memory, it is normal for there to be omissions, otherwise she would not be able to find any other excuses.

As she finished speaking, Shen Xin paused briefly and glanced at the woman beside her. Her eyes sparkled slightly before she smiled warmly, “Anyway, I really have to thank you for this.”

“If you keep talking like that, Sister Shen, I might get upset,” Xia Tong said with a slight frown, puffing up her cheeks.

Shen Xin chuckled and didn’t respond further. Both of them tactfully avoided discussing their earlier encounter at the bank.

However, as they ascended the stairs, Xia Tong suddenly spotted Lin Yi on the second floor, engaged in conversation with a colleague. She panicked. She couldn’t let him see her. If that notorious man discovered their meeting, she knew she would be in for trouble.

Stopping in her tracks, a look of regret crossed her pale face as she spoke softly, “I just remembered that I haven’t picked up my clothes from Yu Defang yet. How about we meet another time, Sister Shen?”