Sure enough, here it comes.
Xie Zhaofan sighed inwardly, but she didn’t let any trace of it show on her face. Instead, she widened her eyes, putting on a look of utter confusion.
When she returned to the residence yesterday, she had deliberately taken a detour through two extra streets and had the guards carefully check for anyone following them. She had even remained vigilant after entering the residence.
She thought she had been cautious enough, but she hadn’t expected her father to find out by the very next day. It seemed that the guards of the Prime Minister’s residence were passable for dealing with ordinary petty thieves, but when it came to professional hidden guards from a prince's estate, they probably couldn't even touch the hem of their clothes.
At this thought, Shadow Seven’s figure involuntarily floated into her mind.
That girl didn't say much, but she was truly efficient. It would be wonderful if she could get Shadow Seven to be her personal maid in the future. Then, she wouldn't have to worry about being followed whenever she went out, nor would she have to worry about the walls having ears while she slept at night.
Unfortunately, Shadow Seven belonged to the Prince Qin’s estate. For now, it was just a fantasy; if she actually tried to snatch someone away, Prince Qin would likely be the first to disagree.
“Father, you’ve misunderstood.”
Xie Zhaofan snapped out of her thoughts and immediately adopted an open and honest posture.
“Your daughter actually has no significant relationship with Prince Qin. After returning from Gangen Temple last time, we only crossed paths once during Prince Qin's assassination attempt.”
“Then, a few days ago, when I went to Zuixian Restaurant for a meal, I just happened to run into Prince Qin while he was in a fight. I was accidentally caught in the middle, which is why we spoke a few more words.”
Xie Chongshan’s brow furrowed slightly.
“The time Prince Qin was ambushed by that matchless archer a few days ago?”
“Yes.”
Xie Zhaofan nodded like a chick pecking at grain, her tone as natural as could be.
“That time, your daughter happened to be eating nearby. Prince Qin was pursuing a culprit and then suffered an arrow wound. It was such a major incident, and since your daughter was caught up in it, we naturally met once.”
“Yesterday was the same. When I went to the City God Temple, I happened to run into Prince Qin again, so we chatted for a bit. Aside from that, there really is no other relationship.”
She spoke with a straight face, acting as if she and Prince Qin were truly as clean as a whistle, without the slightest hint of ambiguity.
Xie Chongshan’s expression softened slightly, but he still said sternly, “Then why did you use Prince Qin’s name to pressure others?”
“Father, you’re wrong about that.”
Xie Zhaofan immediately put on a slightly aggrieved look. “Your daughter was doing that for the sake of the Prime Minister’s residence’s reputation.”
Xie Chongshan was speechless.
“Think about it. If your daughter really got into a conflict with someone outside, I couldn't just stand there and tell everyone, ‘I’m the daughter of the Prime Minister, clear the path for me,’ could I? Wouldn't that be openly inviting trouble for the residence?”
The more Xie Zhaofan spoke, the more she felt she was in the right, and her tone became increasingly confident.
“That’s why your daughter thought that since Prince Qin’s status is so noble, borrowing his name to scare those people would be enough. Moreover, I didn't throw my weight around too much, nor did I mention the Prime Minister’s name. How can this be considered bringing trouble to the family?”
“So you still know that throwing your weight around is a bad thing?”
Xie Chongshan didn't know whether to be angry or laugh as he listened.
If he were to say this daughter was ignorant, she knew exactly when to keep the Prime Minister's residence hidden, knew not to easily reveal her identity, and even knew how to intimidate others by flaunting powerful connections. But if he were to say she was well-behaved, she had the nerve to smash someone’s stall yesterday, to snap at an official from the Court of Judicial Review, and finally to bring out Prince Qin’s name to suppress others.
And now, she even dared to accept a token personally given by Prince Qin.
That was a token of the Prince Qin’s estate! In the entire Great Zhou, there were likely very few people who dared to casually accept such a thing.
“Do you have any idea what that token signifies?”
Xie Chongshan’s face darkened. “Prince Qin’s things aren't just for anyone to take, especially not for the young miss of the Prime Minister’s residence. If you take his token, what will others think?”
Xie Zhaofan blinked.
She naturally knew what others would think—nothing more than believing she had an unusual relationship with Prince Qin. But the problem was that Prince Qin had proactively shoved it at her. She couldn't have said, “Prince, this is too valuable, I don't want it,” and pushed it back in front of all those people, could she? That would have been truly disrespectful.
Of course, she couldn’t say such things out loud, so she could only obediently lower her eyelashes and put on an apologetic look.
“Your daughter knows she was wrong. I won't dare to do it again next time.”
“It’s good that you know you were wrong.”
Looking at her like this, the fire in Xie Chongshan’s heart dissipated a little, but when he thought about the events of yesterday, he still felt a headache. This foster daughter of his had truly become more and more inscrutable lately.
She clearly used to be a well-behaved little girl when she was young, but as she grew up, her personality had become increasingly wild. What’s more, her courage was extraordinary—she dared to do anything.
The biggest problem was that while she didn't deliberately expose her identity as part of the Prime Minister’s residence, that face of hers was far too striking. She was becoming more bright and moving by the day, and simply standing there easily drew the eyes of others.
Sometimes, as Xie Chongshan looked at her, he couldn't help but feel a complex surge of emotion. This was the daughter he had raised for over ten years; even without blood ties, those years of companionship were real. Especially lately, she had become more adept at acting sweetly before him and his wife, occasionally calling him “Father” in a sugary tone. They were just two ordinary words, but when they reached his ears, they always made his heart soften, and he found it quite pleasant.
In contrast, his biological daughter Jinyi, whom they had just found, was related by blood but had been separated from them for over a decade. Blood ties could not be broken, but affection needed to be nurtured bit by bit. As a father who was already not good at expressing his feelings, he always found himself trying to compensate for the affection Jinyi had missed out on, which made him overly cautious in their interactions. He was afraid a single wrong word might make her feel wronged. This cautiousness between them naturally formed an invisible barrier.
Even his wife, Madam Shen, had mentioned it to him in the quiet of the night. She said that while she very much wanted to be close to Jinyi, trying to hold her as naturally as she held Zhaozhao always felt like something was missing. It wasn't a lack of love or affection, but rather that a fourteen-year gap existed there; blood ties alone couldn't fill it instantly.
Xie Chongshan was open-minded about this. The human heart was not made of wood or stone, and feelings didn't spring from nothing. Having not been part of each other’s lives for so long, it naturally required time to become familiar again.
At this thought, his gaze toward Xie Zhaofan softened even more, though his face maintained the dignity of a stern father.
“Fine, I don't want to say more about this matter, but you are to stay on your best behavior lately.”
Xie Chongshan paused, and finally said with a grim face, “Confinement for one month.”
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