Volume 3, Chapter 368 – My Daughter Was Born in Summer

Chi Xiyan frowned slightly.

She did not like the way Cheng Zhuo was looking at them.

Back when she had been the eldest daughter of the Chi family, no one had ever looked at her that way.

She cleared her throat, took Lu Zhuxin’s hand, and gave Cheng Zhuo a small, respectful curtsy. “Master of the house.”

Cheng Zhuo snapped back to his senses. He smiled warmly.

“It has been so long. In the blink of an eye, you two have grown this much.”

“Oh, these past ten years must have been so hard on you both.”

Cheng Zhuo looked at the two young women before him, and something tender and pitying rose in his eyes.

“But it is alright now. You have come home.”

“Now that you are home, no one will bully you again!”

Watching this man’s display of genuine feeling, Chi Xiyan was at a loss for words.

What was this man doing?

Before arriving, Chi Xiyan had obtained the files on these two girls from Huang Shangshang.

After learning what they had been through, she understood clearly that every hardship these two had suffered traced back to the man standing before her.

Had she not known the full story behind it all, she might have actually been taken in.

What kind of father drives his own daughters out of the house and pays them no mind for ten years?

When Huang Shangshang had first suggested Chi Xiyan temporarily take on someone else’s identity to enter the consort selection, she had worried it might be easy to see through.

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But looking at things now, even these girls’ own biological father could not recognize them. So what exactly did Chi Xiyan have to worry about?

The thought drew a quiet, inward laugh from her.

Noble family heads across this land all seemed to be cut from the same cloth.

“Master of the house.” Chi Xiyan smiled. “During all our time away, my sister and I thought of you every single moment. We thought of this home every single moment.”

Lu Zhuxin shot Chi Xiyan a sideways glance.

Well. This girl had really gotten into the role.

“Wonderful, wonderful!” Cheng Zhuo stroked his beard with a pleased chuckle. “Your father missed you both as well.”

“That, um, Cheng…” Cheng Zhuo’s words suddenly faltered.

“Master. Your daughter was born in summer. You named me Lixia.” Chi Xiyan said. “My little sister was born on a snowy day, so her name is Lixue.”

“Lixia. Lixue.” Cheng Zhuo’s expression did not change. He continued, “You have been traveling for days. You must be exhausted. Your father has already made arrangements. We will have a welcome dinner for you shortly.”

“Thank you, Master.” Chi Xiyan nodded.

Lu Zhuxin stood off to the side the entire time, watching Chi Xiyan’s performance.

This girl really was gifted at this sort of thing.

With her here, Lu Zhuxin did not have to spend any effort dealing with the complications herself.

While Chi Xiyan was going through the motions with Cheng Zhuo, a servant came rushing in.

Cheng Zhuo’s expression cooled when he saw the state of him. “What are you running around in a panic for?”

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The servant said hastily, “Master! The mistress has returned!”

Cheng Zhuo startled. “Did I not already send the mistress off with Ayin to the academy? How has she come back so soon?”

The mistress.

The moment Chi Xiyan heard that title, she knew exactly who the servant was talking about.

The lady of the Cheng household. Cheng Zhuo’s official wife.

According to what Huang Shangshang had told her, the two Cheng sisters’ forced exile all those years ago had been her doing.

Her returning at this particular moment almost certainly meant she had learned that Cheng Zhuo had brought the Cheng sisters home.

Chi Xiyan looked toward Cheng Zhuo’s face, curious to see what the man planned to do.

Cheng Zhuo did not hesitate long. He said to Chi Xiyan, “Lixia, take your sister and go rest for now. Your father will send someone to come for you shortly.”

“Of course, Master.”

Cheng Zhuo called the Cheng family steward in, gave him a brief set of instructions, and had him take Chi Xiyan and Lu Zhuxin away.

As they left the main courtyard, both Chi Xiyan and Lu Zhuxin caught the faint sound of raised voices drifting from behind them.

So Cheng Zhuo truly had not told his wife about bringing the Cheng sisters back.

He had even sent her away first, planning to present her with a done deal.

The Cheng family steward led the two of them directly to a quiet, secluded courtyard.

“Misses, this is the courtyard the master has prepared for you.” The steward said to the two girls. “What happened several years ago, the master had his reasons. Please do not hold it against him.”

“We would not.” Chi Xiyan said. “My sister and I both understand the difficulties the master faced. If we truly held a grudge, we would not have come back.”

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Hearing that, the steward’s eyes flickered with that same layered complexity as before.

Even so, he said nothing more.

He simply added, “You may live here in peace. No one will come to disturb you.”

“However… the courtyard next door belongs to the eldest miss. Her temper is not the gentlest. Please be mindful, and avoid wandering into her courtyard or doing anything to upset her.”

Chi Xiyan nodded with understanding. “So it is Ayin’s courtyard. Lixue and I will be careful.”

“Good to know that you know, Miss Lixia.”

The steward exchanged a few more brief words with Chi Xiyan and then took his leave.

Only Chi Xiyan and Lu Zhuxin remained in the courtyard.

The two of them looked at each other, and each caught a glimmer of amusement in the other’s eyes.

“Does Sister find this funny?” Lu Zhuxin asked.

“A little.” Chi Xiyan said. “The situation in the Cheng family is even more absurd than I imagined.”

As she spoke, she walked through to the inner room and checked it over carefully.

“There are no spell seals or formations set in the courtyard.”

“It seems that mistress truly did not know we were coming.”

“Little Xue’er, wait here for a moment. I am going to reset the seals.”

Lu Zhuxin blinked. “Alright, big sister Lixia~!”

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“Don’t tease.”

Chi Xiyan laughed softly at that and gave a mild reproach.

She drew a handful of talismans from her robes and methodically laid her own seals across every corner of the room.

Once that was done, Chi Xiyan returned to the main hall.

“Finished.”

With these powerful seals and talismans in place, they would be well protected against any threat to their safety during their time living under someone else’s roof.

“Little Xue’er, what do you make of this place?”

“My thoughts?” Lu Zhuxin sat at the table, propped her chin in her hand, and considered for a moment. “I think the Cheng family really is an excellent stepping stone.”

“In a small noble household like this, no one is going to suspect our identities.”

“Young Sect Master Huang put some genuine thought into choosing this for us.”

Of course, Lu Zhuxin knew it had actually been Huang Xifeng who selected this place.

“But…” Lu Zhuxin lowered her gaze slightly. “Paper cannot wrap fire forever.”

“If we are truly going to save the Chi family, we cannot keep up this identity indefinitely. Especially not in front of the Human Empress.”

Chi Xiyan’s gaze dropped. “I know.”

“But this is the only way we have to get an audience with her.”

“On the road here, Young Sect Master Huang sent word that the Demon Suppression Bureau sealed off the Chi family the very night we left Beihe Commandery.”