Volume 3, Chapter 377 – Am I Really That Domineering?

“I heard from my mother that many of the noble clans in the capital send multiple children to the consort selection at the same time.”

“It’s so that within the deep palace, siblings of the same surname can look out for each other.”

“Cheng Lixia… There’s no way Eldest Sister doesn’t understand that, is there?”

“So why wouldn’t she want you to take part in the selection?”

Suddenly, Cheng Yinyin seemed to think of something. Her eyes widened, and she put on an exaggerated expression.

“But I also heard from my mother that not every clan gets along so harmoniously.”

“The internal factional disputes within noble clans can be complex and cruel. Some siblings who enter the palace together end up turning against each other for all sorts of reasons.”

“Could it be…”

Cheng Yinyin glanced around, then slowly leaned closer to Lu Zhuxin, speaking mysteriously.

“Could it be… Eldest Sister is worried that once you enter the palace with her, you’ll become an obstacle to her?”

“That’s why…”

Cheng Yinyin blinked her big eyes, staring at Lu Zhuxin.

Though she hadn’t finished her sentence, the meaning in her eyes was already very clear.

Lu Zhuxin looked at Cheng Yinyin wordlessly. Such an obvious attempt to sow discord, did she really think she wouldn’t notice?

Cheng Yinyin’s acting was truly nothing to praise.

And these words she’d just said were probably taught to her by Madam Qian too.

Thinking back on what happened last night, Madam Qian’s intentions were already very clear.

What a pity. If it were someone else, such a simple scheme to sow discord might actually have worked a little.

But the person Cheng Yinyin was dealing with right now was Lu Zhuxin.

Such a simple scheme, how could it possibly…

Wait… it wasn’t entirely useless either.

Lu Zhuxin’s spiritual consciousness spread out.

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With her Eighth Realm perception, she could clearly sense someone hidden not far away.

That certain girl thought she was hiding well, but little did she know, her hiding skills were no different from standing right in front of Lu Zhuxin.

***

Chi Xiyan never expected that the two girls would actually run into each other.

As for what had happened before, she knew she had truly been impulsive. She shouldn’t have lost her temper at her sister.

Afterward, she regretted it.

But Chi Muxue’s words seemed to have struck a nerve.

Some questions she couldn’t answer, and couldn’t face.

Yesterday, when she left Muxue’s room, she felt like she had practically fled.

Chi Muxue was a girl who was too pure, and too fervent.

It scorched her, leaving her heart pounding with fear.

And yet this girl could only ever be her sister.

Having not slept all night, Chi Xiyan had originally planned to find Chi Muxue early and explain things clearly.

But when that girl’s figure came into view, she hesitated again.

What was there to explain, and how could she even explain it?

Chi Xiyan didn’t know.

She stood by the roadside, watching from afar.

Watching that girl, bathed in sunlight, walking among the flowers.

A gentle breeze blew, and colorful butterflies fluttered about.

Chi Xiyan didn’t know how long she had been following her.

‘This isn’t the Chi residence. They’re living under someone else’s roof, and the Cheng family matriarch harbors ill will toward them. It’s too dangerous to let Muxue walk in the courtyard alone.’

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‘What I’m doing is only to protect her.’

Chi Xiyan told herself this in her heart.

Just then, another girl appeared in Chi Xiyan’s line of sight.

Chi Xiyan’s brow furrowed.

‘Cheng Yinyin? What is she trying to do?’

Chi Xiyan saw that the moment Cheng Yinyin spotted Chi Muxue, she went straight up to meet her.

She saw Cheng Yinyin affectionately take hold of Chi Muxue’s hand.

Watching this, Chi Xiyan’s brow knitted tighter.

‘Why doesn’t Muxue push Cheng Yinyin away.’

‘No one shows unwarranted kindness without an ulterior motive.’

‘That woman is obviously up to something. Can’t Muxue even see that much?’

Chi Xiyan’s face darkened.

She felt somewhat irritated.

She wanted to break that woman’s hand off.

“Second Sister!”

Cheng Yinyin’s saccharine voice reached Chi Xiyan’s ears.

It was very loud, piercing Chi Xiyan’s ears painfully.

It also made Chi Xiyan’s expression darken even further.

‘Second Sister? Since when did this woman Cheng Yinyin get so close with Muxue?’

‘Truly shameless.’

‘Muxue wouldn’t like a sister like that.’

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Chi Xiyan grumbled inwardly.

Just as Chi Xiyan was mocking Cheng Yinyin in her heart, she noticed Cheng Yinyin take hold of Chi Muxue’s hand.

The two girls walked toward the courtyard, laughing and chatting.

Chi Xiyan froze on the spot.

‘Muxue… She didn’t refuse?’

‘Why?!’

‘What is Chi Muxue doing?!’

‘Can’t she tell that girl has bad intentions?!’

Chi Xiyan stood rooted to the spot as all sorts of stray thoughts and guesses came flooding into her mind at once.

An irrational surge of irritated anger welled up in her heart, making her breathing grow heavier in that moment.

She watched the backs of the two girls laughing and chatting, and with a cold expression, followed after them.

For as long as Cheng Yinyin led Chi Muxue around the courtyard, Chi Xiyan followed behind them for just as long.

She circulated her spiritual power, reinforcing herself, and with the hearing granted by her Fourth Realm cultivation, the two girls’ voices reached her ears clearly.

“Could it be… Eldest Sister is worried that once you enter the palace with her, you’ll become an obstacle to her?”

“That’s why…”

Chi Xiyan stood rooted to the spot, her body stiffening.

‘What is Cheng Yinyin saying… Such a simple attempt to sow discord, there’s no way Muxue would…’

Chi Muxue had been raised by Chi Xiyan herself, so no one understood her sister’s temperament better than she did.

Just as she was thinking this, Chi Muxue’s voice drifted over.

“Little Sister Yin… Eldest Sister isn’t that kind of person…” Lu Zhuxin lowered her eyes slightly. “What happened last night was my fault. I didn’t discuss it with sister beforehand. I went against her wishes.”

“That’s why I made sister angry.”

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Chi Xiyan’s gaze flickered with surprise.

‘Muxue… This is what she thinks…’

‘But I wasn’t angry at her…’

‘I was only angry at myself…’

Chi Xiyan sighed softly.

Thinking of what had happened before, she held back the urge to reveal herself.

Lu Zhuxin continued, “I understand sister’s temperament. She hates it when people go against her, and she hates it when people do things she doesn’t expect.”

“This is my fault. As her sister, I should have thought of this sooner.”

“It’s not sister’s fault.”

Chi Xiyan heard it.

She felt as if struck by lightning.

‘In Muxue’s eyes… Is this the kind of person I am?’

She clenched her fists tighter.

Doubt rose in her heart.

‘Am I really that domineering?’

As the eldest daughter of the Chi family, in front of outsiders she had always worked hard to present herself as the perfect image of a young lady.

Well read and reasonable, dignified and gentle.

Now she was no longer the eldest daughter of the Chi family. She could not care about what others thought, but she had no way of not caring what Chi Muxue thought.

She held her breath and focused her attention, continuing to listen.

However, what she heard next was Cheng Yinyin’s voice.

“No! Second Sister, this isn’t your fault! There’s no need for you to take the blame onto yourself!”