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

Xiao Ran remained calm, seemingly unsurprised by He Wan's sudden disappearance.

She merely frowned slightly, wondering to herself, "The palace banquet is about to begin. What could possibly make He Wan risk leaving at this critical juncture?"

"Ranmei...aren't you surprised?"

Seeing Xiao Ran's calm expression, Shen You couldn't help but ask.

Xiao Ran lowered her eyes, her tone calm but tinged with a hint of helplessness:

“My younger sister has always been her own idea. Her saying that she was going to rest was probably just an excuse.”

Upon hearing this, Shen You was immediately enraged, her face turning bright red, as if she were about to explode at any moment.

Chen Zijing gently took Shen You's hand and softly comforted her:

“Sister Shen You, please don’t be anxious. This is Miss Xiao’s first time entering the palace. She must have been attracted by the novel sights and became playful, which is why…”

Before she could finish speaking, Shen You interrupted her:

"But this is the palace! It's not a place she can run around in! What if she bumps into some noble person, or accidentally enters some forbidden area?"

Xiao Ran's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly recalled the scene a few days ago when Granny Yang came to teach her about palace rules. At that time, He Wan had asked a strange question—what should one do if they got lost in the palace?

Could it be that He Wan had foreseen getting lost today...? Xiao Ran shook her head, suppressing the thought. He Wan, like her, was a reborn person; she must have something important to do, but Xiao Ran couldn't figure it out yet.

She felt a vague unease, hoping that He Wan's actions would not implicate her and her father.

"Sister Shen You, there's no need to worry too much."

Xiao Ran spoke calmly, trying to soothe Shen You's emotions, "My younger sister has always been shy around strangers, perhaps she went to see her aunt."

Shen You was taken aback, then remembered that her mother had been summoned by the Empress before she entered the palace. In that case, He Shi should have been summoned as well, so it wasn't surprising that He Wan went to see her.

"I see..." Shen You breathed a sigh of relief, but her brows were still not completely relaxed. "Even so, she should have told us. Her sudden disappearance is really unpleasant!"

Xiao Ran smiled faintly, "She will naturally return before the palace banquet begins."

……

As the music ended, the wives of the ministers returned from Kunning Palace.

He walked calmly through the crowd, with He Wan following behind her with her head bowed and eyes downcast, just as Xiao Ran had predicted.

Xiao Ran stood up and bowed. As He Wan approached, she pretended to be anxious and went to greet her, her tone carrying a hint of reproach and concern:

"Wan-meimei, where have you gone? I went to look for you in the side room just now, but I couldn't find you. If you don't come back soon..."

"I almost went to report this to Her Majesty the Empress..."

Upon hearing this, Madam He's heart skipped a beat. Although her words seemed to be out of concern, this was the strictly regulated palace. If those with ulterior motives overheard this, wouldn't Wan'er's reputation be ruined for no reason?

Moreover, Wan'er has only been the daughter of a general for a few days, and hasn't even enjoyed the benefits of wealth and honor yet. How could she be dragged down by this reckless little hussy?

He narrowed her eyes slightly and suddenly raised her voice. The abrupt sound immediately drew the attention of everyone around her.

"Your sister only came here because she was worried about me. Besides... as the older sister, your sister has just entered the palace, and instead of taking good care of her, you bully her. What kind of behavior is this?"

At this moment, her words were full of the authority of the matriarch, completely different from the kind and gentle He Shi who was usually kind to her.