After her transformation and rebirth, she manipulates the innocent and ruthless to overthrow the wor

After the porridge and banquet, He Wan helped He Shi back to her room to rest, while Xiao Ran was led to Xiao Mu's room.

The room was simply furnished yet exuded a calm and dignified atmosphere, with several calligraphy and paintings hanging haphazardly, and a few potted green plants thriving. On the desk, an incense burner emitted gentle curls of smoke, the fragrance of agarwood drifting softly. After entering the room, Xiao Mu went straight to the desk, remaining silent and absentmindedly flipping through the books and scrolls.

Xiao Ran keenly sensed that her father seemed to have something to hide, and that he was hesitant to speak, so she guessed that there must be something difficult to say.

For example... He Wan's matter.

"Ran'er, what do you think of He Wan?" Xiao Mu suddenly asked.

Xiao Ran sat on a grand chair to the side, maintaining a perfect distance from Xiao Mu, making it difficult to catch each other's subtle expressions.

“My dear sister Wan’er is exceptionally intelligent. She has helped me a great deal by being my study companion. I wouldn’t be so satisfied with someone else. I will definitely prepare a generous gift to thank her next time I have the chance. Hmm…” She changed the subject, winking playfully, “Why did Father suddenly ask about this?”

Xiao Mu was slightly taken aback, his expression of unease deepening. He coughed lightly and slowly said:

“Your Aunt He and I have discussed it. He Wan’s status in our General’s Mansion is rather awkward, and she is all alone. We really can’t bear to leave her like this. So, we plan to adopt her as our daughter. But Ran’er, you don’t need to worry. If He Wan becomes your sister, she can still help you with your studies, and she will be no less helpful than she was as a study companion.”

"Ran'er, what do you think?"

The room fell silent for a moment, with only the howling wind outside. Xiao Mu felt like he was sitting on pins and needles and swallowed hard.

How could he not know how much of an impact it would have to adopt He Wan as his daughter? But He Wan was truly a pitiful child. She lost her parents at such a young age, yet she was so strong and had no complaints. Moreover, she was well-behaved and intelligent... Heaven had not been kind to her, but Xiao Mu could not stand idly by.

"Father, if I may ask, was this something Aunt He mentioned?"

Seeing that his daughter didn't seem angry, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "The decision to adopt He Wan as our adopted daughter was made by He Shi and me after careful consideration. However, this matter..." He glanced at Xiao Ran and confessed, "It was indeed He Shi who brought it up."

Xiao Ran nodded slowly and asked, "There is one more thing. I want to know the real reason why Father wants to take He Wan as his daughter."

"This..." Xiao Mu suddenly felt a little confused. What real reason? Wasn't what he just said the reason? Could it be...?

He sighed heavily and said frankly, "Father did have selfish motives, Ran'er. You know that your mother passed away early, and Madam He never had any children. I've lived most of my life, but you're my only daughter... I've always felt guilty. What good is the title of general? When I'm buried, I won't have the face to face our ancestors..."

Xiao Mu suddenly changed the subject, staring straight at her: "That's why I had the idea of ​​adopting He Wan. Besides, He Wan is quite smart and has a very high aptitude for learning. Although she hasn't been studying for long, she stood out in this big test and won first place, which really impressed me."

She strained her fingers, her nails digging almost into her palms, desperately suppressing the surging anger within her. After a moment, her expression returned to calm, and she asked in a measured tone:

“But Father, I also got an A grade.”