After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

"Does Third Sister mean I should move out of the North Residence? Are you out of your mind, or are you delusional?"

Fang Xiaoran was utterly speechless after hearing what Fang Menghe said.

She and Zhou Qin were truly a pair—one outspoken, the other decisive. How could they just move into someone else's yard as they pleased?

"Fang Xiaoran, what do you mean? You're the one who's out of your mind. I see you living alone in this huge North Residence, which is rather desolate. Your sister-in-law also finds the Manchun Garden too cramped. Why don't you move out of here and let your sister-in-law move in? That way, there will be less trouble."

Fang Menghe spoke with righteous indignation, not even bothering to use tactful words. Fang Xiaoran felt both annoyed and amused, and replied irritably, "If that's the case, why don't you move out with Madam Wang and make room for her? That way, Manchun Garden will be much more spacious."

"You! Why should I move out when my mother and I are living comfortably?" Fang Menghe said angrily.

Fang Xiaoran couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I'm living here just fine, why should I move? Third sister, if you keep talking nonsense here, don't blame me for being impolite."

Fang Menghe was still shaken by what had happened before, and quickly distanced herself. "Anyway, I'm just here to deliver a message. Whether you listen or not is up to you. But you know, once my sister-in-law starts making a scene, even my grandmother and father can't stop her. At that point, it will be hard for you to disagree."

"Why aren't you leaving yet?" Fang Xiaoran shouted angrily, startling Fang Menghe, who immediately turned and ran.

"This young mistress is really going too far. She complains that her own courtyard is too small, so she's trying to take advantage of our North Residence." Qinglan muttered under her breath, feeling quite dissatisfied with this newlywed young mistress.

Fang Xiaoran sighed helplessly, "Do you really think she's interested in our courtyard?"

Qinglan tilted her head, looking puzzled. "What else?"

"She's just having fun. You'll find out how awful she really is later. This is just the beginning."

As expected, after Fang Meng returned empty-handed, Zhou Qin summoned Fang Huaihong. Fang Xiaoran was somewhat surprised to see Fang Huaihong appear at Beiju for the first time.

Fang Xiaoran didn't have much contact with her half-brother, only knowing that he was favored by Fang Zhengyong and regarded as the future of the Fang family.

Unlike his second brother Fang Huaide's cunning face, he resembled his father more, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, strong features, and an exceptionally upright posture due to years of martial arts training.

He was indeed the type of girl who fell in love at first sight, but Fang Xiaoran had a lukewarm impression of him because he was influenced by Wang Shi and was just like her, unable to distinguish right from wrong.

Before Fang Xiaoran could speak, Fang Huaihong said directly, "I'm here for no other reason than to hope that you can give up Beiju."

“Brother, your use of the word ‘let’ is even more unusual. You’ve probably forgotten that this is my mother’s old residence. Besides, the North Residence was renovated by me to become what it is today. Wouldn’t it be too much to ask me to move out?” Fang Xiaoran remained calm, showing no anger whatsoever.

But Fang Huaihong said, "You'll get married sooner or later anyway, why bother arguing with your sister-in-law?"

Fang Xiaoran raised an eyebrow, "So where do you plan to move me to?"

However, Fang Huaihong said with a stern face, "I will have someone vacate a place for you in Manchun Garden. You and your mother are not on good terms, so you can live separately from where she lives. If that doesn't work, you can go to the South Courtyard, where there are many empty rooms. Anyway, you are already of marriageable age, so it doesn't matter where you live."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran's attitude changed, and her tone turned cold. "I'm not even married yet, and my elder brother is already thinking of taking over my residence. How can there be such a thing? Besides, don't forget that your mother burned the North Residence to the ground. Can you and your sister-in-law really live here with a clear conscience?"

"This matter needs to be discussed. I don't want to argue with you. I only hope that you can make some concessions for the sake of the Fang family. If you get married in the future, I will definitely protect you."

In an attempt to get Fang Xiaoran to back down, Fang Huaihong even brought out the entire Fang family, but this plan was in vain. Fang Xiaoran was not someone who could be morally manipulated by him.

"What if I'm unwilling?" Fang Xiaoran's eyes turned slightly cold as she gazed at the person in front of her with a light smile, her eyes showing only a hint of emotion. This angered Fang Huaihong, who clenched his fists tightly. "We're all family. If you give in today, it will surely benefit you in the future."

"No benefit whatsoever justifies my move away from North Residence."

"I'm only speaking to you politely because of our sibling relationship. If you insist on refusing, then don't blame me for being impolite."

"What, do you want to kick me out, brother? Why don't you give it a try?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Fang Xiaoran exuded a heart-stopping aura. The peach blossoms on the peach tree behind her trembled, and several petals slowly hovered in her palm.

Fang Huaihong had only heard of Fang Xiaoran's martial arts skills but did not know them. However, he was already feeling unwell from just a slight release of her internal energy. If they were to actually fight, he might not come out on top.

Besides, even if he could overpower her, he couldn't actually make a move.

"Think it over carefully. You'll get married sooner or later anyway, and you can't stay here forever. Why not do a favor and give it to your sister-in-law? She'll be very grateful to you, and it's always good to have someone to help you in the future."

After saying that, Fang Huaihong turned and left.

After he left, Fang Xiaoran withdrew her inner strength. She picked up a fallen flower and casually tossed it into the pond. Ripples spread out, and two koi carp poked their heads out, arguing over a single flower.

The storm may seem to have subsided, but it has only just begun.

The fact that Zhou Qin had taken a liking to Bei Ju became known throughout the entire mansion. Liu Shi simply sat quietly and watched the show, ignoring it. In any case, the bigger the commotion the Fang family caused, the better. In the end, it would all be other people's faults, and only she could shoulder the heavy responsibility. Then she could hold the power of managing the household in her hands forever.

Upon hearing this, the old lady felt a headache coming on and immediately went into seclusion, refusing to ask any questions. She had finally managed to calm Zhou Qin down, and now this had happened again so soon. In addition, her health had not yet recovered, and she simply did not have the energy to deal with it.

As for Fang Zhengyong, he felt that Zhou Qin had gone too far, but he also believed that Fang Xiaoran would not suffer any loss, so he simply left it to the younger generation to negotiate on their own, so that no one could blame him for being biased.

Not long after Fang Huaihong returned, Fang Xiaoran was planting medicinal herbs in the yard with a flower hoe. The North Residence was relatively large, and it would be a waste to leave it empty, so she asked Lin Shuo to design a small medicinal garden for her during the renovation, where she could plant some common and easy-to-grow medicinal herbs.

Suddenly, Qinglan rushed over, looking flustered, and said to her, "Miss, the young mistress has led a large group of people over aggressively. Judging from their posture, they seem to be trying to forcibly take over our North Residence..."

Fang Xiaoran was not surprised. She calmly put down the hoe, raised her eyes slightly, and said, "She did indeed use this method."