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

Fang Chan was adamant, leaving without giving Fang Xiaoran a chance to refute her. However, given her temper, refuting her would be useless, and she would probably still drag Fang Xiaoran along in the end.

It was just a meeting, and it was of no importance to Fang Xiaoran.

"Miss, what should we do? What if Madam Fang just randomly marries you off to someone else? Then..." Ziju was extremely anxious, fearing that Fang Chan would just marry Fang Xiaoran off to someone else, since probably not many people in the Fang family would care about whether Fang Xiaoran would be happy in the future.

Qinglan chimed in, "Yes, Madam is not to be trifled with. If she really does something, no one can stop her."

Fang Xiaoran didn't care and just smiled, "Whether I get married or not is ultimately my decision. No one can do anything to me if I don't agree. You two don't need to worry. My aunt can't make the decision for me."

With her words, the two maids were relieved. After all, things were different from before. Fang Xiaoran's situation in the Fang family was completely different now, and getting her to agree was not an easy task.

The next morning, Fang Xiaoran was practicing her internal energy cultivation when Qinglan rushed in anxiously, saying, "Miss, Madam..."

Before she could finish speaking, Fang Chan, who had followed her, pushed her aside. Then, Fang Chan walked over affectionately, took Fang Xiaoran's hand, and said, "Come on, I've made an appointment with that family to go to the Guanyin Temple in the south of the city to offer incense. You can come with me to meet that child; maybe you'll hit it off."

"Auntie is so enthusiastic," Fang Xiaoran couldn't help but tease.

Fang Chan wasn't annoyed, and pulled her out the door.

Upon learning that Fang Chan was going to arrange a marriage for Fang Xiaoran, Fang Xiaoqi, whose health had just improved, massaged the old lady's arm and asked, "Grandmother, do you think Sixth Sister will listen to Aunt?"

The old lady gets a headache whenever Fang Xiaoran is mentioned. She shakes her head helplessly, "Who knows? That girl's temper is even more fiery than your aunt's. I'm afraid the two of them won't get along and will end up causing trouble for the whole family."

"Probably not. Aunt can get Sixth Sister to agree, which proves that Sixth Sister is also interested. What if the marriage Aunt finds for her is not bad? Once Sixth Sister is married, Grandmother won't have to worry anymore," Fang Xiaoqi said with a smile to the old lady.

The old lady smiled, gently patted Fang Xiaoqi's hand, sighed and said, "Yes, it's good that you're married. I don't want to deal with those trivial matters now. I just hope the Fang family can be more peaceful."

Fang Xiaoqi smiled sweetly, "Grandmother will get her wish."

"hope so."

The carriage traveled smoothly towards the south of the city. Fang Xiaoran and Fang Chan sat in the same carriage, and the atmosphere was somewhat somber.

Although they are aunt and niece, Fang Xiaoran was not born when Fang Chan left home in her early years, and she only returned to the Fang family once afterward. Therefore, the relationship between the two is not close, and they can even be described as strangers.

After an unknown amount of time, perhaps sensing the strange atmosphere, Fang Chan suddenly said, "You're quite capable, girl. I heard that you've turned the Fang family upside down since you returned, even taking away Wang Zhiyu's power to manage the household. Now she's in Liu Aoyun's hands. Wang Zhiyu is a scoundrel, but do you think Liu Aoyun is any better? Don't let the fox bite you without you even knowing it."

Fang Xiaoran was somewhat surprised to hear her evaluation. She thought that everyone in the Fang family thought Wang Zhiyu was a gentle and kind old lady. Obviously, Fang Chan did not think so. Then perhaps the old lady did not think Wang Zhiyu was that good either. If that was the case, why did she go to such lengths to protect her?

"It's not up to me to decide who will take charge of the family. These are all at my grandmother's behest. Perhaps she feels that there is no suitable candidate in the Fang family," Fang Xiaoran said calmly.

“Of course not. Do you think Liu Aoyun didn’t want to use the Fang family’s money to help her maternal family? She just didn’t have the chance. If we’re talking about the matriarch of the family, I think your mother is the best.” Fang Chan’s words shocked Fang Xiaoran. She looked at her aunt in surprise, feeling that these words were not meant to bring them closer.

Fang Chan wasn't the type to lower herself to such things, especially since Fang Xiaoran was just a junior. She could have simply made her demands directly; there was no need for her to say such things.

In other words, this was her truest thought. It was rare to hear positive comments about her mother from the Fang family, especially from her aunt, whose reputation was generally poor. It was truly unexpected.

Noticing that Fang Xiaoran's gaze was fixed on her, Fang Chan turned her head away and muttered, "But she's a pushover, anyone can bully her. How can she possibly control a bunch of demons and monsters?"

"Aunt is right." Fang Xiaoran smiled knowingly and nodded slightly. Suddenly, she noticed the gray hairs at Fang Chan's temples and couldn't help but ask, "Aunt, how have you been all these years?"

She didn't intend to pry into Fang Chan's past, nor was she trying to mock her. It was a heartfelt inquiry. Perhaps because she couldn't sense her hostility, Fang Chan's heart trembled slightly. Through the carriage curtain lifted by the wind, she looked at the scenery outside that flashed by like a fleeting moment. A strange emotion welled up in her heart, and her eyes involuntarily reddened.

Over the years, she has never said whether she is doing well or not. Every time she comes back, no one asks her a question. Even the old lady who dotes on her has never asked. Perhaps she doesn't know how to ask, or perhaps she thinks that someone with her temperament would never suffer a loss.

Moreover, her resolute departure at the time caused a great deal of unpleasantness with her family, which created an insurmountable obstacle between them. Their seemingly calm relationship had actually already developed cracks.

So when Fang Xiaoran asked this question from the bottom of her heart, Fang Chan did waver for a moment.

She even considered turning around and pouring out her bitterness over the years, but in the end she didn't do it. Her pride wouldn't allow her to bow her head, especially not to her elders.

So she chose to disguise herself, revealing her sharp edges, and unexpectedly retorted, "What, you're not doing well, so you hope others are doing poorly too?"

“Aunt is right, I have indeed had a very hard time these past few years.” However, Fang Xiaoran readily admitted her situation and raised the corners of her lips, revealing a calm and gentle smile, “So there will never be worse days than before.”

Instantly, Fang Chan's hands clenched her sleeves, and her heart pounded in her chest. It sounded like a word of comfort, but it was more than just comfort.

Fang Chan did not respond, but stared at the scenery outside the car window until her vision suddenly blurred.

In the blink of an eye, the carriage arrived at the foot of Yingtai Mountain in the south of the city. Guanyin Temple was located halfway up the mountain. You could reach the temple entrance by going up the blue stone steps. The distance was not too far; a fast walker could reach it in about the time it takes to burn two incense sticks.

However, Fang Chan's physical condition was average, and she started panting heavily halfway up. In the end, Fang Xiaoran had to help her to barely climb to the top.

When they arrived at the Guanyin Temple, Fang Chan took a while to recover. She led Fang Xiaoran straight inside and vaguely saw two figures. She pulled Fang Xiaoran and said, "It's them. Let's go over there."