The beloved is reborn as a substitute, and the tyrant begs for forgiveness every night.

Xu Leyao watched as he walked towards her small courtyard, then stopped in her tracks.

She stared at the fake Taoist priest with great interest.

The fake Taoist priest narrowed his eyes slightly and looked solemn.

Seeing the servant leading the way like this, I couldn't help but feel a little flustered.

He had witnessed the Taoist priest's abilities firsthand.

Such religious ceremonies are rare even in the capital.

This shows that the Taoist priest is quite capable.

But now, the fake Taoist's behavior made him a little uneasy.

The rooms in the backyard are all occupied by distinguished guests of the Jiang family.

If the fake Taoist priest says something is amiss, then he, a mere servant, cannot afford to offend the people inside.

Under the servant's trembling gaze, the fake Taoist priest shook his head.

"Although something seems amiss, we need to observe it further."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for the servants following him to hear clearly.

The servant secretly memorized the location upon hearing this, and then led him to the courtyard that had been arranged in advance.

After saying this, the fake Taoist priest stopped walking and strode into the courtyard with the servant.

The servant left after dropping him off.

As the servant left, the fake Taoist immediately opened his palm, revealing a silver note inside.

The banknote looked exactly like the one I told him about last night, but the face value was a whopping three thousand taels.

Thinking that the three thousand taels of silver would soon be in his hands, the fake Taoist priest couldn't help but laugh out loud.

People in the capital really do have an easy way to make money!

If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't stay long after committing fraud here, otherwise he would be breaking the rules of Jianghu.

Otherwise, fake Taoist priests might even be willing to settle down in the capital and never leave.

Rich, with free time, and relaxed.

He could occasionally commit fraud and that would be enough to cover his expenses for many days, and he could even go to the biggest brothel to have some fun with the girls.

Even the fake Taoist priest felt a little reluctant to leave these blissful days.

Unfortunately, once the fat sheep here have been slaughtered once, they are not easily fooled anymore.

It will still take a long time before the second round can be completed.

Thinking of this, the fake Taoist shook his head and stopped thinking about it, instead preparing the tools he would need next.

The money the Jiang family gave for the ancestral worship was enough; he still needed to contribute to the upcoming ritual to catch the thief.

If you don’t make money, you’re a bastard!

With the mindset of "I'd rather take a gamble than miss out on a single penny," the fake Taoist priest accepted Jiang Xiuxiu's job.

He deliberately put on that show in front of the servant just now to prepare for what would happen later.

Jiang Xiuxiu arrived earlier than Xu Leyao, so she inquired about Xu Leyao's residence from her mother beforehand.

Taking advantage of the time difference, Jiang Xiuxiu had Shizhu, who was beside her, deliver a message to the fake Taoist priest.

That's why the fake Taoist priest stopped when he reached the outside of Xu Leyao's courtyard.

However, what Jiang Xiuxiu didn't know was that Shizhu not only sent a message to the fake Taoist priest, but also to Xu Leyao.

Xu Leyao felt utterly bored while staying in the courtyard.

The ritual is now complete, but the ancestral worship process is not yet finished and will continue for a while.

But since the fake Taoist priest wasn't performing on stage anymore, Xu Leyao naturally had no interest in watching.

Thinking of the message Shi Zhu had sent a while ago, Xu Leyao curled her lips into a cold smile.

Jiang Xiuxiu really wasn't willing to let her off the hook. On such a day, in front of everyone, she was still thinking of playing those little tricks.

Since she wasn't afraid of losing face, Xu Leyao was naturally happy to grant her wish.

Moreover, the courtyard where Xu Leyao is now is not the one that Jiang's mother originally assigned to her!

The courtyard that Jiang's mother allocated to her was right next to Jiang Xiuxiu's courtyard.

However, after Xu Leyao arrived here, she used the excuse that the location was too close to the pond and would not be suitable for her to be included in the family genealogy today, and changed to another courtyard.

From the courtyard where she was standing, she could see the entire scene of the original house.

The only person living next to that courtyard was Jiang Xiuxiu.

So it's hard to say who tricked whom.

Seeing Xu Leyao's thoughtful expression, Zhu'er quietly went to the outer room and brought in a plate of pastries.

"Miss, please have something to eat first to fill your stomach."

Xu Leyao did not refuse Zhu'er's kindness.

She casually picked up a piece of pastry and gently put it in her mouth.

The pastries melted in my mouth; they were truly delicious.

As the pastries were eaten, Xu Leyao's stomach also felt a bit full.

Xu Leyao didn't have to wait long before Jiang's mother sent another maid to call her.

After following another maid to Mother Jiang's courtyard, Xu Leyao asked.

Why did Mother call me here at this time?

Faced with her question, Jiang's mother had mixed feelings.

"I just heard from the servant that the Taoist priest seemed to linger outside your old courtyard for a while and said some ominous things."

Xu Leyao was somewhat surprised by Jiang's mother's bluntness.

However, she then showed a surprised expression.

"What does Mother mean by that? Does she suspect I am unlucky?"

Seeing Xu Leyao's face darken, Jiang's mother quickly tried to smooth things over.

"That's not what I meant. But why did that Taoist priest linger outside your original courtyard?"

Xu Leyao's face turned cold in response to her questioning.

“Mother, what you’re saying makes no sense. The reason I didn’t want to stay in that courtyard today was because it’s near the water by the pond, and ancestor worship involves fire, so I deliberately avoided it. Besides, I wasn’t the only one living there back then. If I remember correctly, after I moved to that courtyard, it seems that only Jiang Xiuxiu lived there.”

At this point, Xu Leyao gave Jiang's mother a deep look.

Upon hearing this, Jiang's mother immediately showed a thoughtful expression.

When Cai'er came to report that Xu Leyao wanted to change courtyards, it was indeed because of this excuse.

Therefore, Jiang's mother did not doubt the truthfulness of Xu Leyao's words.

Just thinking about how Jiang Xiuxiu still lives next to that courtyard made Jiang's mother's face turn somewhat unpleasant.

Now only Jiang Xiuxiu lives there. Could it be that the fake Taoist priest said Jiang Xiuxiu was unlucky?

Upon realizing this, Jiang's mother felt her heart skip a beat.

She carefully considered it in her mind.

If it weren't for the appearance of Jiang Xiuxiu's biological mother, Xu Leyao and Jiang Xiuxiu wouldn't have been switched at birth during the initial delivery.

That way, Xu Leyao wouldn't be so distant from her.

Moreover, ever since Xu Leyao returned from the estate, Jiang's mother felt that everything was going wrong.

But every time, besides Xu Leyao, Jiang Xiuxiu's shadow is also involved.

Thinking about all this, she began to doubt Jiang Xiuxiu.

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Xu Leyao did not disturb her thoughts.

Sometimes, what people imagine is more convincing to themselves.