After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

"If you brothers want Xie Xing to save Sister Mingzhu, you've come to the wrong person."

Xie Xing didn't want to talk to the two of them anymore and turned to leave.

"Xingxing." Xie Yuhe looked at Xie Xing's bandaged hand, paused, and asked, "Did Princess De'an hurt you?"

Xie Xing was not one to swallow her grievances. She raised her bandaged hand and said, "The whip was originally meant to strike my face, but I blocked it with my hand."

Immediately, she raised her eyes, her clear, watery eyes looking directly at Xie Yuhe: "Since brother says we are family, then sister is right to plead for the person who hurt me, isn't she?"

Even after transmigrating into this body, Xie Xing could still often sense the lingering emotions within it.

Consider it compensation for using the original owner's body; she should say some things on her behalf.

Xie Yuhe was somewhat dazed.

Looking into those clear eyes again, they were filled with unfamiliarity and wariness towards them.

Xie Yuhe pursed her lips, feeling that something was amiss.

To them, Xie Xing was the culprit who disrupted their lives, but in all fairness, what did Xie Xing do wrong?

Being reported as an error was also her choice, and besides, she was the victim.

If Xie Yuhe couldn't hear her innermost thoughts, he might completely ignore this younger sister, or even resent her arrival in his heart.

In contrast, Mingzhu—

Regardless of whether Mingzhu was a princess of the previous dynasty or whether the events described in Xie Xing's inner monologue would happen, she had enjoyed too much love and too much kindness.

"You..." Xie Tongchen was about to say something more, but Xie Yuhe stopped him.

Xie Yuhe said, "Prince Jin is determined to imprison Mingzhu, and has even told us to go to His Majesty. This matter cannot be resolved by Xie Xing pleading a few times."

As Xie Xing said, why would Prince Jin release Mingzhu just because of a few words from Xie Xing?

Besides...

Xie Yuhe's eyes were deep and unfathomable, and his suspicion that Prince Jin could hear Xie Xing's thoughts became even more accurate.

If even Prince Jin suspects Mingzhu's true identity, then the Xie family is in danger.

If Mingzhu's background were as Xie Xing described, the reason of harboring a princess from the previous dynasty would be enough to wipe out the entire Xie family ten times over.

"Enter the palace!"

With a solemn expression, Xie Yuhe pulled Xie Tongchen toward the palace.

The news reached Jun Lanjin's ears.

Junlan gently stroked the teacup. "Oh? What did Xie Xing say?"

Miss Xie did not agree.

Jun Lanjin chuckled lightly: "That girl isn't stupid; she's self-aware."

"Your Highness, someone from the old princess's courtyard has come to say that she wishes to have dinner with you today and also meet the maid you brought back."

Jun Lanjin's smile slowly faded, and he said coldly, "Go and tell the old princess that I have something to do today and will not be having dinner at the manor."

The person on the other end was taken aback: "Your Highness?"

The prince never refuses the princess's requests, so what's wrong with him today?

Jun Lanjin narrowed his eyes slightly: "Hmm?"

The messenger immediately lowered his head, "Yes, Your Highness."

……

When Xie Xing came to find Jun Lanjin, Ximen Zhu was still taking Jun Lanjin's pulse.

"[Ximen Zhu?]" The system's voice rang in Xie Xing's mind.

"Who is Ximen Zhu?" Xie Xing asked.

The system's voice sounded odd: "According to the original plot, Ximen Zhu shouldn't be appearing at this time."

In the story, Ximen Zhu was summoned to treat Jun Lanjin after he discovered he was poisoned.

By then, the poison in Jun Lanjin's body was already beyond saving, and even the most famous doctors couldn't help.

Jun Lanjin withdrew his hand without making a sound.

"Xie Wu?"

His voice interrupted Xie Xing's communication with the system.

Xie Xing could only suppress his doubts for the time being, and turned to Jun Lanjin with a bright smile: "Your Highness."

She lifted her skirt and jogged towards Jun Lanjin, her large, dark eyes looking at him: "Your Highness, you said before that you wanted me to serve you personally. Look, what do you need me to do now?"

Xie Xing's attitude was very positive.

[Hold on to the powerful, and you'll be arrogant!]

Jun Lanjin's lips curled up slightly: "What can you do?"

Ximen Zhu looked at the girl with curiosity, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

This is truly astounding! It's incredibly rare that Jun Lanjin has a woman by his side for the first time ever!

Gee tut.

Ximen Zhu slowly shook his head, "It's just that the little girl is a bit young."

Xie Xing glanced at Ximen Zhu with a puzzled look, and answered Jun Lanjin's question first. She raised her hand, her eyes sparkling, and said, "I can massage heads, rub backs, grind ink, paint, play chess, and cook!"

"Chess?" Ximen Zhu looked at the little girl with interest and asked, "What kind of chess do you know?"

Xie Xing proudly raised his chin, "Go!"

My Go skills were taught by my grandfather; I'm the kind of player who makes it to the national championships, and nobody can beat me!

"Oh?"

Ximen Zhu became interested and rolled up his sleeves: "I happen to know a little bit too, why don't you play a game with me?"

Xie Xing paused, then glanced hesitantly at Jun Lanjin.

Jun Lanjin rested his forehead on his hand, his eyes smiling, and said, "I'll see about the next round."

Hua An went to fetch the chessboard.

Xie Xing chose black first. Ximen Zhu looked at Xie Xing in surprise, then laughed and said, "I didn't expect that this little girl would be so aggressive."

Xie Xing smiled slightly at him.

The game began quickly.

Once the game started, Xie Xing's face tightened, and he looked at the chessboard with a serious expression.

Her chess skills are different from her seemingly soft and easy-to-bully appearance; she is ruthless and cunning, taking every step with meticulous planning.

Jun Lanjin raised an eyebrow.

The little girl's chess moves surprised him. Every move she made was full of killing intent. The black pieces were unstoppable, and the white pieces were forced to make no progress and were caught in a dilemma.

A sly glint flashed in Xie Xing's eyes. He devoured three of Ximen Zhu's white stones in a row, then looked up at him with bright, sparkling black eyes: "You've run out of options."

"I'm not logging off anymore!"

Ximen Zhu pushed the chess piece aside.

Ximen Zhu was drenched in cold sweat after this game. He looked at Xie Xing with some surprise: "How can a girl like you play chess with such ruthless tactics?"

Xie Xing puffed out his chest, a hint of arrogance flashing in his voice: "I learned it from my grandfather."

Ximen Zhu laughed heartily: "Everyone says that the young lady from the countryside that the General's Mansion found is not presentable, and is no good at any etiquette or manners. She is not even as good as a single hair of the famous first talented woman in the General's Mansion."

"When I met you, you were not as the rumors described."

Jun Lanjin tapped his long, slender fingers on the table, a dark light flashing in his deep eyes.

According to the information gathered by the secret guards, Xie Xing didn't have a grandfather who knew how to play chess.

Xie Xing gave an awkward smile.

She touched her nose.

This rumor didn't just come out of nowhere.

When she first transmigrated into the original owner's body, she was filled with a sense of fear upon arriving in another world, not to mention the rules of a noble lady, which she knew nothing about.

They made a fool of themselves during the homecoming gift ceremony.

This is how the rumor came about, which made Madam Xie, who already disliked her, feel even more ashamed of her.

[This Ximen Zhu is quite interesting.] Xie Xing thought to the system.

After the game of chess, her feelings for Ximen Zhu improved considerably.

[Ximen Zhu is on the villain's side. In the story, Luo Hanfeng wanted to recruit him to work for him, but after being refused, he sent someone to kill him.]

Jun Lanjin's face, which had been smiling, gradually turned cold because of this sentence.

The system then dropped a bombshell: [Jun Lanjin's background is actually quite complicated. He is actually the emperor's son. Only Luo Hanfeng, who overheard this, the emperor, and his mother know this. It's probably because of this that his mother drugged him.]