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

Qinghuai's smugness seemed pale and powerless in the face of Huo Sanghua's indifferent smile.

She was somewhat exasperated and grabbed Hawthorne by the collar—

"why are you laughing?!"

“You… you’re so pitiful,” Huo Sanghua said, staring directly into Qinghuai’s eyes. So close, she could sense Huo Sanghua was even more nervous than she was. “Actually, I’ve never cared about being Qi Fei’s adopted daughter. It’s you… why do you care so much? Isn’t it because you feel you were born inferior to me? Seeing my family fall into misfortune, and me being raised by Qi Fei, you felt I was the same as you, trying to find balance in me. But then you discovered I’m still different from you, and you became angry and ashamed…”

Her smile was reflected deep in Qinghuai's pupils, and she could clearly sense that Qinghuai's anger was intensifying.

Having been hit where it hurt by Hawthorne, Qinghuai's anger grew stronger, and beneath her seemingly calm surface lay an almost insane obsession—

She wants to tear Hawthorne apart!

At this moment, she wanted to tear Hawthorne to pieces to vent her hatred!

Hearing the approaching footsteps outside the door, Huo Sanghua gave her a provocative look, which only fueled Qinghuai's anger!

Qinghuai pushed Huo Sanghua away.

She was already seriously ill and weak all over; with Qinghuai's push, she fell heavily to the ground...

Just as she had predicted, the door to the main house was pushed open the instant she collapsed to the ground, but she had no recollection of what happened next.

She was so ill that she never expected to suddenly lose consciousness the moment she collapsed.

Who exactly came in...?

They didn't even have a chance to see it clearly.

The night is getting darker.

"Cough... cough cough cough... cough..." A hoarse cough came from inside the bed curtains, the sound so weak that it made one think she wouldn't live to see dawn.

Perhaps some water is needed.

Then, Hawthorne saw a hand carrying some water in. Through the bed curtains, she assumed it was Xie Lin standing outside.

Struggling to sit up, she took the teacup from the man's hand and gulped down several mouthfuls, emptying the cup instantly. "More... more..."

Huo Sanghua handed over the teacup, pleading with "Xie Lin" to bring her some more.

The person outside clearly hesitated for a moment, but still took the teacup she handed out and quickly poured another cup and brought it in.

Hawthorne finished her tea and returned the cup to him. "Thank you."

Having said that, he had no strength left and dragged the blanket down to lie down again.

But the person didn't leave immediately. Instead, they stopped outside the bed curtains and hesitated before speaking. "Are you still feeling very unwell with a high fever?"

Hawthorne's eyes widened immediately!

That voice... it's not Xie Lin... it's Xie Shu?!

She quickly looked towards the figure outside the bed curtains, gripping the edge of the blanket tightly, and then discovered something even more important—

This isn't Xie Lin's room. "Young...Young Master?"

“It’s me.” Xie Shu’s voice still sounded calm. “You fainted, and there was no one trustworthy in the courtyard to take care of you, so I had no choice but to bring you back first. You can sleep a little longer. The doctor just came and took your pulse. He said you had a cold and convulsions, and he prescribed medicine, which is being brewed on the stove.”

"Thank you... thank you." Hawthorne then remembered what she had seen before losing consciousness—

The figure that just entered the door was Xie Shu!

"I also... sent someone to look for Ah Lin. He'll be back soon. You can just wait here for a while." Xie Shu made arrangements for everything very carefully.

It seemed as if he was worried or frightened her.

Just so she can stay here and recover in peace.

Hawthorne nodded vaguely; since that was the case, she accepted it. However...

"Young Master, what about... Qinghuai?"

She had just heard Xie Shu say that she had no trustworthy servants in her courtyard, which must have come from what Qing Huai had told her...

Only then can one make a judgment.

It seems Xie Shu has indeed discovered Qing Huai's true colors.

This made her curious about how Qinghuai was doing at this moment.

"...Although Qinghuai was your dowry maid, she still has to abide by the rules of the Xie family. This wicked servant is bullying her master and harbors ill intentions. I cannot punish her, so I have ordered her to be locked up for now. You can decide her fate yourself when you are feeling better." Xie Shu still gave her some face.

After all—

Qinghuai was, in a sense, part of her dowry. Whatever wrong she had done, it should be up to her, as the nominal owner of the property, to interrogate her and decide whether to sell her off.

After Xie Shu finished explaining, Huo Sanghua still showed no intention of moving aside, which made Huo Sanghua uneasy. "Does the eldest young master have anything else to say?"

"..." Xie Shu's expression was hidden outside the curtain, making it difficult to discern her meaning.

The room was dimly lit so that she could rest properly.

At this moment, the two remained silent, and the atmosphere unconsciously became somewhat awkward.

"You... ...shouldn't be bullied by a cunning servant." Xie Shu finally asked the question that had been bothering him. He really couldn't understand it. In his memory, Huo Sanghua was a somewhat cunning and perceptive girl who could even warn him that there was a problem among the people around him before he even realized it.

But when it came to her own situation, she seemed completely helpless, only able to foolishly let the wicked servants bully her...

This is so unlike her.

Xie Shu thought and thought, but still couldn't figure out the reason. So he decided to ask her in person if there was anything she was having trouble telling. "I know you grew up in the palace and were restricted by others. Most of the palace servants also had many ulterior motives. They fawned on the powerful and bullied the weak. You must have suffered a lot of grievances."

Hawthorne tilted her head to look outside the curtain, trying hard to see Xie Shu's expression clearly.

She was surprised, and also... flustered.

Over the years, he was the first to think that the personality that Hawthorne developed in the palace was because he had been bullied too much.

Many grievances suddenly became impossible to hide.

"Qinghuai and the others aren't friendly to you. They're probably not the sisters you got along with in the palace. So they must have been assigned to you by Consort Qi... ...No, to be precise, they're probably Consort Qi's people to control you. Even if you leave the palace, she wants to keep your every word and action under her control." While Huo Sanghua was asleep, Xie Shu thought about many things. Through the bed curtains, he had scrutinized Huo Sanghua's face, which was barely visible.

A sense of pity arose within me.

She is still just a young child. There are princesses in the palace, and children her age should be playing carefree.

Someone pampers, protects, and cherishes her.

But she was so sick, yet she could still endure it...

Recalling how Sang Hua was in excruciating pain, yet she simply curled up and endured the agony, she remembered how she had just been in so much pain.

He might not feel much better than Sang Hua.

So he stayed by her side through the bed curtains until she woke up.

She was in excruciating pain, sweating profusely inside the bed curtains. Curled up, she could barely contain the agony, letting out faint, agonizing moans. He stood outside the curtains, anxiously hoping she would recover...

"Does Consort Qi have some kind of leverage over you? Is Consort Qi the one who makes you feel threatened all the time?"

Xie Shu knew that such words were blasphemous, but seeing how upset she was, she still asked them.