Reborn as a concubine's daughter and entering a noble family: Xie Lang, don't be too seduc

As dusk approached, the temperature gradually dropped...

The locked gate of the Xie family ancestral hall remained completely still.

She had only eaten a few bites at noon, and now she was starving.

"It seems I'm destined to be punished wherever I go," Hawthorne sighed softly, self-deprecatingly, but thankfully she was already used to it.

He then decided to take out the dry food he had hidden on his body to fill his stomach first.

But it wasn't until he reached for nothing that he suddenly remembered...

Ever since she put on that wedding dress, she stopped hiding food on her body.

Sigh, I'm afraid I'll be going hungry tonight.

Thankfully, she's still alive...

Footsteps came from outside the door. Huo Sanghua listened intently and vaguely heard the voices of Qinghuai and Granny Guo.

Qinghuai complained, "Who knows what this woman did? She lost her virginity mark. This matter has reached Consort Qi's ears, and even Consort Qi can't hold her head up."

Granny Guo told her to stop talking, lest someone overhear.

But Qinghuai got even more excited—

"If she dares to do it, why doesn't she dare let us speak out! She's just a concubine's daughter. If her whole family hadn't been murdered, and His Majesty hadn't kept her in the palace out of gratitude for General Huo's merits, how could someone of her status have such a good life? It's a pity that some people, even if they rise to high positions, can't escape their lowly fate!"

"Alright," Granny Guo said, becoming much more "kind." "Stop talking."

"Granny, I wonder... what will happen to us? Will we be implicated because of her? If she is divorced by the Xie family because of this, can she return to the palace? I'm afraid not. So, will we stay in the Xie family or go back to the palace?" Qinghuai deliberately raised her voice, as if she wanted the people inside to hear her.

She was quite satisfied with Hawthorne's fate, but her only worry was that they would also be affected by Hawthorne.

"...If the Xie family insists on divorcing her, she naturally can't return to the palace. If she were Consort Qi's biological daughter, Consort Qi might be kind enough to find her a place to stay outside the palace. But now, because of her, Consort Qi has lost all face. How could Consort Qi possibly care about her?"

Granny Guo seemed to be doing it on purpose—

Every word she said reached Hawthorne's ears clearly.

It seems they've already confirmed that Hawthorne's actions were inappropriate and that she'll definitely be divorced by the Xie family, and then...

"Hahaha... That's terrible. The Xie family doesn't want her, she can't go back to the palace, and forget about Consort Qi. What will she do in the future?" Qinghuai seemed very concerned about Huo Sanghua's future situation.

If it weren't for that chilling sneer, some people might actually have believed it.

Granny Guo sighed, "If that's the case—then there's only one outcome: shave your head and find a remote temple to become a nun! From then on, never think of anything else, just live out your days with a green lamp and ancient Buddha."

She listened to the two people outside chatting animatedly, and was about to give up, but suddenly a smile appeared on her lips.

That double act was really well done.

When Qinghuai asked about their future plans, Granny Guo said it would depend on Consort Qi's wishes. If Consort Qi gave the order, they would naturally return to the palace to serve her. Otherwise, they would stay with the Xie family, but that would still be better than Huo Sanghua's situation...

"So you have to be careful in life! You have to be clear about what you should and shouldn't do! Otherwise you'll cause trouble and implicate the people who have been helping you, that would be bad."

The implication of Granny Guo's words was that Huo Sanghua's indiscretion had implicated Consort Qi.

"Don't be angry, Granny," Qinghuai said, feigning politeness and understanding in front of Granny Guo. Her tone was gentle, but her clever mind was racing, as if she had other plans. "Although Huo Sanghua was raised by Consort Qi's side since childhood, she has always been unruly. Without her parents' guidance, how would she know what rules are? It's really not worth getting angry with such a person!"

Granny Guo paused for a moment, then sighed after a long pause—

"You are more proper. If it were you who married into the Xie family instead of her, Consort Qi would be spared a lot of trouble!"

"If they truly followed the rules, why would they gossip behind their master's back and harbor thoughts of taking his place?"

Xie Shu's voice came from outside the door.

Huo Sanghua, who had been unmoved by their back-and-forth conversation, immediately perked up.

After that, there was nothing more to hear. A short while later, the ancestral hall doors were opened...

Xie Shu, wearing a wide and flowing cloak, moved gracefully towards her.

She was momentarily stunned, then regained her composure and slowly stood up. "Young Master?"

Subconsciously following the direction Xie Shu had come from, I looked towards the door and saw Liao Bin standing guard at the door beside Xie Shu. The few people who had been mocking her just moments before were now obediently standing to the side, restrained by Liao Bin's murderous aura, not daring to peek inside even once.

Xie Shu stood silently before the ancestral tablets, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

For some reason, Hawthorne felt a faint anger emanating from him, making her hesitant to approach Xie Shu. "Young Master..."

Unexpectedly——

Xie Shu suddenly raised her hand and pulled out a food box that she had prepared earlier from under her large cloak.

Caught off guard, Hawthorne took a half-step back in fright when he saw him raise his hand, only then realizing what he was carrying...

Xie Shu turned her head away, her expression still cold and aloof.

Hawthorne felt somewhat intimidated by his gaze, and under his watchful eye, she could only cautiously accept the food box.

If you bring it closer, you can smell the aroma of the steaming food inside the food box.

"What's wrong?" Xie Shu asked, frowning.

"No, nothing..." Hawthorne didn't know what he was angry about, so she avoided his gaze and looked at her toes.

"Eat it while it's hot," Xie Shu said.

Hawthorne was stunned... "Now?"

Xie Shu looked at him with such cold indifference and aloofness, as if he had become a different person after last night, no longer the gentle and harmonious person he used to be.

Huo Sanghua was frightened and became even more cautious, not daring to ask any more questions. He could only carry the food box and find a place to eat.

But there aren't any tables or chairs in this ancestral hall...

She could only find a corner, carry the food box, stagger over, and put it on the ground.

Xie Shu didn't say a word, only watching her small figure carry the food box away. The food box, which was inconspicuous in his hands and could be easily hidden under his cloak, seemed much more difficult for Huo Sanghua to handle.

She huffed and puffed as she went over, put down the food box, took out the food one dish at a time from the box, and sat down on the ground to start eating.

Xie Shu frowned again...

This side of Hawthorne is truly surprising.

He followed her and sat down on the ground, just like her.

After all, it was her mother who ordered her to be locked up here, so Xie Shu couldn't be too conspicuous, lest she attract the attention of her mother's people and they tell her mother about it, causing more trouble.

While his mother was keeping him company during the visit of guests, he hurriedly ordered two side dishes to be prepared before arriving.

Knowing that she had been hungry all day, he didn't dare to waste a single moment.

Seeing her enjoying her meal, it seemed as if her earlier displeasure had vanished, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. "Eat slowly, no rush."

"...These are all my favorite foods, what a coincidence!" Hawthorne laughed awkwardly, wanting only to finish eating as soon as possible and get rid of this big shot.

"I know."

Xie Shu's voice was very soft.

He knew, of course, that these were all foods that Hawthorne loved to eat. When they ate together in the morning, he saw Ah Lin pile all sorts of vegetables and meat into Hawthorne's bowl. She carefully observed the reactions around her and only picked a few to try.

There were only two side dishes among them that she ate a little of, so she must have liked them.

So he had people prepare...

Huo Sanghua was slightly taken aback after hearing this; she didn't understand what Xie Shu meant.

But she quickly regained her composure, focusing only on eating and not daring to show anything...

"What's wrong with you?" Xie Shu hesitated for a long time before trying to ask.

He just felt that Hawthorne was... different from usual today. He couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong, but he just felt that something was different.

Perhaps because of what happened last night, Sang Hua was deliberately avoiding him.

"I'm fine." Huo Sanghua was completely confused, but then she immediately thought of everything that had happened today. "... ...It seems like I'm not really fine, but I should be."

"You really..." Xie Shu frowned three times, the words were on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't know how to say them.