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

"It's been a long time, Sister Lan looks even more energetic." Fang Chan walked over and greeted the woman with a smile.

The woman whom Fang Chan called Sister Lan was named Lin Cuilan. Her mother, Madam Lin, was on good terms with the old lady, so Fang Chan and Lin Cuilan were playmates since childhood. Later, Fang Chan married far away, and they rarely saw each other.

The two hadn't seen each other for a long time and had a lot to talk about. Fang Xiaoran and another young man waited quietly on the side. During this time, Fang Xiaoran always felt that the other man's gaze was on her, staring at her so openly, which made her very unhappy.

Upon their first meeting, he scrutinized her from head to toe as if examining an object. Fang Xiaoran could not bear it. She stared directly at the man in blue with her cold eyes and said in a deep voice, "Is there anything on me that you are scrutinizing so closely, young master?"

Fang Xiaoran's words brought the two women who were talking to their senses back to reality. They quickly turned to look at her. Lin Cuilan was clearly quite dissatisfied with Fang Xiaoran's words, and a hint of anger appeared on her face. However, she did not want to show it, so she pretended to tease her and said, "This must be the fifth daughter of the Fang family. She is indeed quick-witted."

"It seems my aunt has talked to you quite a bit about me." Fang Xiaoran smiled slightly, seemingly docile but actually revealing her sharp edge.

Lin Cuilan's face grew increasingly grim. Seeing this, Fang Chan quickly came to her rescue, "Ran'er, this is the young master of the Xue family I mentioned to you, Xue Zhiming. He just passed the imperial examination this year and his future is limitless."

"So it's Scholar Xue. I'm very pleased." Fang Xiaoran smiled faintly and gave a slight bow as a greeting.

Xue Zhiming was very pleased to be treated so well by the eldest daughter of the Fang family. He nodded and said, "Seeing is believing. Miss Fang is indeed beautiful and intelligent, with a graceful demeanor. She is a perfect match for my Xue family."

Perhaps because he had passed the imperial examination, Xue Zhiming was full of confidence, completely disregarding the fact that a marriage alliance between the Xue family and the Fang family would be a step up for the Xue family.

Hearing this, Fang Xiaoran was not annoyed, but simply smiled and asked, "What do you mean by 'well-matched'? This young lady does not understand, and hopes that Scholar Xue can explain."

Xue Zhiming replied calmly, "A handsome man and a beautiful woman, aren't they a good match?"

"If that's the case, then any talented man and beautiful woman in Moon Lake could easily be paired up, so what's the point of matchmakers?"

Seeing that Fang Xiaoran's words were becoming increasingly sharp, Fang Chan immediately stopped her, saying, "These two young people really hit it off immediately. They can chat as soon as you see them. Sister Lan, let's not get in the way here. Let's go to the temple to offer incense first. Let them wander around here and chat about everyday things."

Lin Cuilan naturally wouldn't object, and said with a smile, "Alright, you can keep Miss Fang company tomorrow."

After the two of them left, Xue Zhiming reached out and said with a smile, "Let's go for a walk in the back mountain. There are fewer people there, and it's quieter."

It was only their first meeting, yet he invited Fang Xiaoran to a secluded spot in the back mountains, showing he truly didn't care about her reputation at all.

You must know that a woman's reputation is more important than her life. If she goes with him without any regard for the consequences, what will others think of her in the future?

Although Fang Xiaoran didn't care, she didn't want to cause any trouble, so she said, "I think this place is fine. It's right in front of the Guanyin Temple. Although there are many people coming and going, it's not too noisy. Don't worry, Scholar Xue, I can hear what you say very clearly without being affected by others."

Being rejected so directly, Xue Zhiming felt a little embarrassed. He thought that Fang Xiaoran was deliberately wary of him, and he couldn't help but feel a little unhappy. "Miss Fang, do you think I am a frivolous person and that I would do something improper to you? You can rest assured that I am a gentleman and would never do such a disgraceful thing."

"Scholar Xue, you've misunderstood. I don't think you'd do anything to me. It's just that a man and a woman alone together are bound to attract gossip." Fang Xiaoran smiled faintly. Upon hearing this, Xue Zhiming said coldly, "I know. You're trying to avoid suspicion. You've already been proposed to, why are you still concerned about this?"

Fang Xiaoran tilted her head, looking puzzled, and asked, "Marriage proposal? What marriage proposal? I just happened to meet Scholar Xue while accompanying my aunt to offer incense. Scholar Xue, please don't misunderstand."

"Since we've come this far, why are you still pretending to be reserved? I'll just tell you straight: the Xue family is a family of upright officials, and my grandfather was an official. They're not much different from your Fang family. If you marry into the family, you'd better put away that aloof attitude. My mother won't stand for it and will inevitably make you suffer. Also, you must be filial to your mother-in-law in the Xue family. What happened to your mother must not happen again."

What about my mother?

At first, Fang Xiaoran listened without paying much attention, treating it as a passing breeze. However, when she heard him mention her mother, Fang Xiaoran's expression instantly turned gloomy, her entire aura underwent a dramatic change, and a fierce rage ignited in her eyes, making her awe-inspiring.

This question carried a hint of murderous intent, and the leaves around her rustled due to the influence of her internal energy.

Sensing Fang Xiaoran's change, Xue Zhiming realized that his words might have offended her, so he quickly added, "Never mind, it's not a big deal. Also, my mother doesn't like being served by maids and doesn't like the food they cook. If you marry into the family, you'll have to cook for her yourself. Besides, she's quite picky, so you'd better learn a few more dishes."

After saying that, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Can you cook?"

"Yes, I can cook things like grilled snake gallbladders, raw rat meat, tree bark, grass roots, sandworms, and termites. By the way, have you ever eaten rotten flesh? You know, the rotten flesh from a corpse. It can fill your stomach when you're hungry." Fang Xiaoran's lips curled into a cruel smile, which sent chills down Xue Zhiming's spine.

He took two steps back in alarm, looking at her in disbelief. "You, why are you saying these things to scare me? Have you eaten them?"

Fang Xiaoran sneered: "I've eaten it, and I've even drunk blood. Sometimes people will do anything to survive. Scholar Xue has been pampered since childhood, so he doesn't understand."

Xue Zhiming didn't believe him at all, thinking that Fang Xiaoran was just trying to scare him, and said with a smile, "Miss Fang is really interesting."

Fang Xiaoran replied, "Scholar Xue is more interesting."

She wasn't joking when she said that; she genuinely found the person interesting. Of course, this wasn't a positive assessment, but rather that his behavior and words were comical and made people laugh.

"I heard that Miss Fang has been wandering around for many years, so I'm afraid she hasn't had much education. Is Miss Fang literate?" For some reason, Xue Zhiming brought up the matter of literacy again. It seems that he was provoked by Fang Xiaoran's words and wanted to save face, so he decided to compare himself with her in the field he was most proficient in.

Fang Xiaoran was well aware of this little scheme. She just smiled disdainfully, "I never attended a private school, but my mother taught me when I was young. Although I don't know many characters, I can still recognize some."

Unexpectedly, Xue Zhiming then said, "It doesn't matter. A woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent. I don't need you to be so smart. As long as you are well-educated, respectful to your parents-in-law, and thrifty in managing the household, that's enough."