Moreover, looking at the young official's expression, it didn't seem like he was simply backing down because Prince Qin had just appeared; rather, he truly felt he had done wrong.
Such a person was indeed a rarity in this era.
Xie Zhaofan waved her hand dismissively.
“It’s of no consequence. However, in the future, investigate clearly before you act. Don’t be so quick to rush forward and uphold justice the moment you see someone doing something. If you end up misunderstanding a good person, wouldn't you just be slapping your own face?”
A flash of shame crossed the young official’s face, and he hastily clasped his hands again.
“The young lady’s lesson is well-taken.”
Xie Zhaofan had no interest in continuing to make things difficult for him, so she immediately let down the carriage curtain.
“Let’s go.”
The carriage slowly departed from the City God Temple.
Meanwhile, the commoners watching from the sidelines didn't disperse just because the protagonists had left. Instead, they began to gossip with great enthusiasm.
“Who was that young lady just now?”
“I didn’t hear her announce her identity, but to be acquainted with Prince Qin, she must surely come from an extraordinary background.”
“But what exactly is her relationship with His Highness Prince Qin?”
“Prince Qin personally gave her a token. What kind of relationship do you think it is?”
“Could it be… His Highness Prince Qin is finally getting married?”
“Hiss…”
As soon as this speculation surfaced, a series of sharp intakes of breath sounded from the surroundings.
After all, Prince Qin was already in his late twenties yet had never married, making him a rather unique figure among the noble lady circles of the capital.
Now that a stunningly beautiful girl had suddenly appeared—one who was clearly close to him and even dared to talk to him casually on the street—it was truly difficult for people not to let their imaginations run wild.
Naturally, these chaotic rumors would soon grow wings and fly across the entire capital.
At this moment, Xie Zhaofan remained completely unaware of this. She didn't obediently return to the Prime Minister’s residence at all; instead, she had the driver change course to a different restaurant.
The ten taels of silver she had just obtained from Daoist Ma were still warm in her pocket. If she didn't use them to improve her meals, wouldn't she be doing a disservice to all the trouble she had gone through?
Although the scale of the new restaurant wasn't as large as Zuixian Restaurant, it had several signature dishes with unique characteristics. Xie Zhaofan ate to her heart's content.
While the food in this world was nowhere near as diverse as it was on Blue Star, the different regions and era provided many unique ingredients and seasoning methods. Some flavors were things she had never experienced in her past life.
Xie Zhaofan ate until she was stuffed, not even letting the last bowl of sweet soup go to waste.
She felt herself beginning to get more and more used to this era.
As long as she didn't have to stay in the inner chambers fighting with a group of women, this small life of having money, leisure, good food, and a system by her side was actually quite nice.
By the time she returned to the Prime Minister’s residence satisfied, the sky had already darkened.
She had originally thought today's events were over, but she hadn't expected that as soon as she lay down in bed that night, the familiar movements would once again come from next door.
Her cheap brother-in-law was here again? Xie Zhaofan’s spirits instantly lifted.
She was too lazy to even get out of bed; she simply lay comfortably under the covers, concentrating her mind to hear the movements next door with crystal clarity.
Sure enough, the first thing Prince Qin did upon seeing Xie Jinyi was ask if she had been affected today.
“Jinyi, are you alright?”
The tension in his tone made him seem like a completely different person from the cold man who had faced others during the day.
Xie Zhaofan couldn't help but roll her eyes internally. Here we go, the classic show is starting again.
Xie Jinyi smiled and shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s just that Xiangling had a few nightmares some days ago. My sister got a bit anxious and ran to the City God Temple to buy a talisman. As a result, she was scammed out of five taels of silver and said she was going to smash the man’s stall. It was quite interesting.”
Prince Qin fell silent for a moment.
“She did indeed go today.”
Xie Jinyi was slightly startled.
“She really smashed it?”
“Mhm.”
Prince Qin nodded, his expression calm.
Xie Jinyi was left momentarily speechless.
She clearly hadn't expected Xie Zhaofan to actually follow through on her word. The girl said she would smash the stall, and two days later, she actually ran there with estate guards to do it.
This level of initiative was a bit too strong.
Xie Jinyi couldn't help but chuckle.
“She really doesn't procrastinate at all.”
As for the matter of the malevolent entity, she didn't mention even half a word about it.
After their previous discussion, they had reached a consensus that no one—including Chunxing, Xiahe, and Xiangling—could casually reveal this matter to outsiders.
Once such a thing spread, no one knew what kind of trouble it would cause.
So, to the outside world, the story was simply that Xie Zhaofan had been worried about her sister’s maid falling ill and, in her haste, was scammed by a Daoist at the City God Temple, prompting her to go back and smash the stall.
As for what had truly happened, it would remain buried forever in the hearts of those few people.
After confirming his beloved was safe and sound, Prince Qin’s mood clearly relaxed. He stayed to chat with Xie Jinyi for a long while, only leaving once the night had grown deep.
Meanwhile, Xie Zhaofan, who was listening next door, was already starting to feel drowsy. Lying in bed, she couldn't help but complain in her head.
Elementary schoolers date faster than you two.
It’s been so long, yet they haven't even kissed.
This gossip is getting less and less satisfying to listen to.
With that thought, she rolled over and curled up in her blanket, deciding that in the future, she should focus her energy on earning attribute points and finding treasures.
Eating this kind of romantic gossip was fine once in a while, but it was honestly a bit sickening to do it every day.
What she didn't know, however, was that everything that happened tonight would soon stir another minor storm in the capital.
In particular, that token Prince Qin had personally handed to her had already allowed interested parties to track down her true identity as the Second Young Miss of the Prime Minister’s residence.
Some people began to worry. Had the Prime Minister's residence and Prince Qin already reached some sort of agreement? Was this a sign of an impending marriage alliance?
...
Xie Zhaofan's trouble had indeed come again.
Early the next morning, she had just finished breakfast and hadn't even warmed up her seat on the reclining chair in her courtyard when a personal attendant from her father, Xie Chongshan, came over to deliver a message. He said the Prime Minister wanted her to pay him a visit.
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhaofan already had a good idea of what it was about.
Although the commotion she caused yesterday wasn't particularly huge, Prince Qin's name wasn't something ordinary people could just throw around for influence.
Furthermore, she had accepted the token Prince Qin gave her before she left. With that item in her hands, it would be difficult not to be noticed by those with keen eyes.
She wasn't too nervous. She leisurely tidied her dress and followed the attendant to the front courtyard.
As expected, as soon as she stepped into the study, Xie Zhaofan saw her father sitting tall behind the desk. His face was set in an even more serious expression than usual; he had clearly been waiting for her for some time.
“Zhaozhao, come here.”
Xie Chongshan looked up at her, his tone unreadable.
Xie Zhaofan walked over obediently and performed a proper salute, her face wearing an innocent and well-behaved expression.
“Did Father have something he needed from his daughter?”
“Do you not know what you did outside yesterday yourself?”
Xie Chongshan stared at her and asked directly, “Daring to smash someone’s stall? Why did you get involved with Prince Qin again? And that token he gave you—why did you accept it?”
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