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

"Madam Xue, you flatter me. We are complete strangers, so how can you say we are estranged?" Fang Xiaoran said calmly, with a slight smile on her lips.

Although this statement was meant to be deliberately distant, it was true that it was Fang Chan's wishful thinking. Even after they met, Fang Xiaoran's behavior was not inappropriate, so Lin Cuilan could not find fault with it.

Perhaps Lin Cuilan was angry but had nowhere to vent, so she forced a smile and said, "It doesn't matter if we're not familiar with each other now. After we marry into the family, we'll be family, and we'll naturally get to know each other over time."

Fang Xiaoran smiled slightly, "Indeed, after Fourth Sister marries into the family, the Fang family and the Xue family will be in-laws, and their relationship will naturally become closer."

Unexpectedly, she responded in this way. Lin Cuilan's eyes dimmed, and her expression became extremely complicated.

"If Madam Xue has nothing else, then I shall take my leave." Fang Xiaoran ignored her expression at this moment, and entered the Lin residence after saying this.

Watching her receding figure, Lin Cuilan did not stop her, but her face grew increasingly gloomy, and she exuded a terrifying aura, which made the maid beside her feel fear.

The maid asked softly, "Madam, what is the meaning of this sixth young lady's words?"

"Don't worry about it. No matter how she refuses, she will ultimately have no choice but to choose our Xue family." Lin Cuilan's eyes were cold, and her tone was clearly filled with anger.

In Lin Cuilan's opinion, Fang Xiaoran was ungrateful. The Xue family was an excellent choice for her, but she repeatedly refused. Did she really think they couldn't live without her? After she married into the family, she would definitely teach her a lesson.

"But if we do that, will she harbor resentment towards us? And if we marry the fourth daughter as well, she might be dissatisfied."

"What is there to complain about? She is the legal wife, and the fourth young lady is just a concubine. How can she possibly be above her? I have already given her enough face. If she still doesn't know what's good for her, I will definitely not let her have an easy time in the future."

"..."

Upon entering the Lin residence, Fang Xiaoran felt a chill run down her spine, knowing that someone must be harboring resentment and gossiping about her behind her back.

Without needing to think too much, she knew who it was, but she didn't care.

It's unpleasant to watch, and naturally, people will talk about it.

Upon arriving at Madam Lin's residence, one finds it quite different from other parts of the Lin family mansion, with a garden full of flowers and a fragrant aroma.

The flowers are of many varieties, but their fragrances are not mixed, which means they have been carefully cultivated and deliberately separated.

"Are you Miss Fang Liu? The old lady is in the warm residence. Please come with me." The maid saw Fang Xiaoran enter and stepped forward to inquire. After learning her identity, she immediately invited her to the warm residence.

The warm room is Madam Lin's bedroom. When Madam Lin fainted last time, she was sent here.

Fang Xiaoran had visited before, but there were too many people around, so she didn't speak with Old Madam Lin, nor did she want to. She was seething with anger, but couldn't confront her in public. If Fang Yunyao hadn't insisted on smearing her, she wouldn't have stood by and done nothing, and the Fang family wouldn't be in such a passive position now.

Upon entering the warm residence, Fang Xiaoran saw Old Madam Lin sitting upright on a soft couch, holding a bowl of medicine in her hand. She seemed to have a strong aversion to the medicine, but in order to recover, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and drink it down.

After she finished drinking, the maid took away the medicine bowl and handed her a piece of sesame candy. Only after the sesame candy had completely melted in her mouth did she reveal a smile. Her empty eyes looked towards the door and she said with a smile, "You've come. Come, sit down."

Unlike her grandmother, Madam Lin gave Fang Xiaoran a kind and gentle feeling, but when she thought about what Madam Lin had done before, Fang Xiaoran no longer had any good feelings towards her.

Moreover, Fang Xiaoran was also surprised. Even though those eyes were blind, they could accurately pinpoint her location, which clearly showed that Old Madam Lin had excellent hearing.

Fang Xiaoran slightly raised her eyes and said, "Madam Lin."

However, she did not approach Madam Lin, but kept her distance. She did not hear her footsteps. Madam Lin noticed this, but did not say anything. She only said, "You may all leave. I have something to say to this girl alone."

"Yes." After the maids left and slowly closed the door, only the two of them remained in the room. Madam Lin smiled and handed her a piece of shortbread. "This shortbread is sweet but not greasy. It is a specialty of Qingzhou. Please try it."

"Thank you, Madam Lin, but I don't like sweets." Fang Xiaoran politely declined and calmly walked to a stool to sit down.

Undeterred by the rejection, Madam Lin instead put the candy in her mouth and asked as she chewed, "Are you angry with me?"

Fang Xiaoran replied indifferently, "How dare I?"

Her emotions were very calm, and it was almost impossible to detect the slightest displeasure in her. However, Madam Lin already understood and said with a hint of helplessness, "Are you blaming me for intentionally leading you to Yuexian Residence that day? I didn't know about this beforehand, and meeting you there was purely coincidental. I never expected that my daughter would plot to frame you like this."

The reason why Madam Lin said such things was simply to break ties with Lin Cuilan and try to win over Fang Xiaoran. Otherwise, if she really felt guilty, she should have clarified the situation on the day of the incident, instead of perpetuating the mistake.

Perhaps she truly knew nothing, but her subsequent actions made it difficult for Fang Xiaoran to feel happy.

"Isn't it a bit too late for Madam Lin to bring this up now?" Fang Xiaoran chuckled.

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Lin sighed heavily. "This was truly a last resort, and besides, you didn't fall for the trap. Although I'm using this to blackmail you, isn't it actually a good thing for you? Although the Lin family is no longer as glorious as it once was, it's still a good match for you. If you marry into the family, you can manage all the affairs of this household. Compared to being treated coldly in the Fang family, wouldn't it be more secure to take charge in my Lin family?"

Fang Xiaoran sneered inwardly, thinking, "What a way to leave everything to her." The Lin family's assets were meager, barely surviving on the legacy of their ancestors, yet they dared to ask her to clean up this mess. Wouldn't she end up like her mother, having to use her own dowry to make up for the deficit?

The key point is that this old lady Lin kept saying it was in her best interest, and she wasn't afraid of being ridiculed. Did she really think she was so foolish as to be manipulated by others?

Fang Xiaoran had no intention of arguing with her further and said bluntly, "Madam Lin, let's be frank. You want me to marry into the Lin family because you covet my dowry, but you should also know the hardships my mother endured when she married into the Fang family. Why do you think I will repeat the same mistake?"

Clearly, Fang Xiaoran's words were within Madam Lin's expectations. She responded solemnly, "I can guarantee that as long as I am alive, you will not suffer any grievances in the Lin family. I will protect you completely."

“I need no one’s protection, and you don’t need to give me this empty and worthless promise. Madam Lin is a person who values ​​profit, so tell me, what right does the Lin family have to make me marry into their family?”

Fang Xiaoran emphasized the word "down," clearly doing so intentionally. These words pierced Old Madam Lin's heart like a sharp arrow, instantly turning her face extremely ugly.