The sun hung high in the sky like a golden plate. The summer day was windless, with only the sound of cicadas chirping.

A little maid wearing a brown short cloth dress, her hair in twin buns and with a cute appearance, helped another person down from the carriage.

The girl appeared to be only fourteen or fifteen years old, in the bloom of youth, yet she wore a gray nun’s robe that had been washed until it was faded. The robe was oversized, making her look even more delicate and frail. Her raven-black long hair was half-pinned with a wooden hairpin, the rest falling casually behind her head—a waterfall of dark hair that made her lips appear red and her teeth white. A pair of eyes like a little deer in the forest, gentle and kind, exceptionally delicate and refined.

On her wrist was only a string of wooden Buddhist prayer beads, on her feet the simplest gray cloth shoes. With her hands clasped together and her eyelids slightly lowered, her lashes were long. Her snowy skin and dark hair made people involuntarily hold their breath for a moment upon seeing her.

She was like a mayfly born at dawn—beautiful, fragile, yet so gentle as to be ignorant of the world’s dangers. Like a maiden attendant beneath Guanyin’s seat, pure and clear as a blank sheet of paper.

In the windless sixth month, the moment this girl descended from the carriage, people felt that everything around them had become cool and comfortable. Her features were not as exquisite and striking as Jiang Youyao’s, yet they were naturally refined and elegant. Perhaps because she had grown up in a deep mountain temple, she was spiritually blessed, desiring nothing, and as she walked step by step, she was as spiritually clear as the evening breeze.

The little maid helped the girl walk to the entrance of the Jiang residence. The girl stopped, bowed slightly, and her voice was as gentle and soft as her appearance. She said, “Jiang Li has been unfilial. I greet Father and Mother.”

When she spoke, the surrounding commoners seemed to be awakened from a trance. They all stared at her blankly. Suddenly, someone called out, “Second Miss Jiang looks just like the Chief Minister!”

Jiang Li’s lashes trembled slightly, and she pressed her lips together lightly, but her posture became even more compliant.

Jiang Yuanbai watched this daughter with complex emotions. After seven years, the change in Jiang Li was so great that he could hardly recognize her as his formerly fiery-tempered daughter. He had always felt that Jiang Li’s temperament was more like Ye Zhenzhen’s—acting simply and roughly, not knowing how to adapt, and even less knowing how to bow her head. Now, hearing the commoners’ words, Jiang Yuanbai suddenly discovered that the grown-up Jiang Li, in terms of appearance alone, resembled him more, even more so than Jiang Youyao.

Jiang Youyao inherited Ji Shuran’s beauty—exquisite and small like porcelain. But Jiang Li was like a pear tree grown in the deep mountains—clear, noble, and outstanding in bearing, more like the character of their literati.

Even if this literati character was only a disguise.

Perhaps it was the daughter he hadn’t seen in seven years suddenly appearing that triggered the natural blood connection in Jiang Yuanbai’s heart, or perhaps it was that the current Jiang Li’s appearance so resembled his own that it made Jiang Yuanbai feel closer to her. In any case, Jiang Yuanbai’s heart softened. He reached out to support Jiang Li’s bowing waist and said warmly, “It’s good that you’ve returned. Go inside. Your grandmother and the others are still waiting for you.”

When Jiang Yuanbai spoke, Ji Shuran beside him stiffened in her smile for a moment, then became even more genuine. She also grasped Jiang Li’s hand and smiled, “You’ve finally come back.”

Jiang Youyao blinked, then suddenly said, “Second Sister, why are you still wearing the nunnery clothes when returning to the residence? Didn’t Mother have Nanny Sun make new clothes for you? Why dress so plainly? If people didn’t know better, they’d think Mother had treated you poorly.”

The surroundings fell silent for a moment. Ji Shuran reprimanded, “Youyao, don’t talk nonsense!” Then she turned her head, patted Jiang Li’s hand soothingly, and smiled, “Your younger sister speaks without thinking. Don’t take it to heart.”

The commoners who hadn’t yet dispersed from the entrance all stared at Jiang Li. Ji Shuran’s apologetic consolation, Jiang Youyao’s gaze containing hints of smugness, and Jiang Yuanbai’s expression changing slightly as he looked at her—all were taken in completely by Jiang Li.

Tsk tsk tsk, what a grand performance. She had merely returned to Yanjing and hadn’t even entered the house yet, and they had already given her such an initial blow to establish authority. How should she respond to this? Jiang Li had returned to the residence, clearly there were newly made clothes, yet she deliberately wore the nun’s robe—what did this mean? Was it that she was dissatisfied with Ji Shuran so she wouldn’t wear the clothes Ji Shuran prepared, or was it deliberately trying to make the commoners think the Chief Minister’s residence had mistreated her? In any case, in Jiang Yuanbai’s eyes, Jiang Li’s actions showed disregard for the Jiang residence and harbored resentment toward it.

Jiang Li smiled faintly, her eyes even purer than Ji Shuran’s. She smiled and said, “I appreciate Mother’s kind intentions. The clothes Nanny Sun sent over were made of the finest silk, with intricate embroidery, and even inlaid with jewels and jade. Anyone would be delighted to see them.”

Ji Shuran looked at Jiang Li’s smiling gaze and for some reason suddenly had an uneasy feeling. Her instinct told her to stop Jiang Li from continuing. But before she could speak, Jiang Youyao had already said, “If that’s the case, why didn’t you wear them?”

“It must be that Li’er is accustomed to simple clothes and plain food and can’t adjust for the moment,” Ji Shuran quickly said. Her instinct told her she couldn’t let Jiang Li speak, so she preemptively blocked her.

Jiang Li shook her head. “How could that be? Jiang Li is a woman after all. What woman doesn’t love beautiful clothes? It’s just…” She shook her head regretfully. “After all, Jiang Li hasn’t returned to the residence to see Mother for seven years. We’ve also corresponded very rarely over these seven years. Mother didn’t know how many inches Jiang Li had grown. Those magnificent clothes she made—not a single one fits.”

Not a single one fits!

The surrounding commoners erupted in an uproar. With these words from Jiang Li—never mind not returning to the residence for seven years, but corresponding very rarely over seven years? It probably wasn’t “very rarely,” but rather not at all! Otherwise, as a mother making clothes, how could she not know her daughter’s measurements? It was because over the past seven years, she simply didn’t know what condition Jiang Li was in or how tall she had grown!

How truly heartless! No matter how great the mistake, she was still one’s own flesh and blood!

The pointing and criticism fell upon Jiang Yuanbai. Jiang Yuanbai felt secretly annoyed in his heart but remained impassive on the surface. However, Ji Shuran knew that Jiang Yuanbai was displeased. In her urgency, Ji Shuran looked at Nanny Sun. How could Nanny Sun not have mentioned such a major matter on the way back? Otherwise, how could she, with all her cleverness, let a little girl like Jiang Li gain leverage over her?

Nanny Sun was also crying bitter tears in her heart. Previously, when she had given those clothes to Jiang Li, Jiang Li didn’t wear them. When Nanny Sun asked her why she wouldn’t wear them, Jiang Li only said she didn’t like wearing such things. Nanny Sun hadn’t pressed the matter, only thinking that Jiang Li was being temperamental. She even thought that throwing such a tantrum was better—when returning to the residence, it would be perfect leverage for Ji Shuran to use against Jiang Li, making her suffer a setback.

At that time, Jiang Li had only said she didn’t like wearing them, not that they didn’t fit! Thinking of Jiang Li’s various behaviors before, Nanny Sun suddenly understood. Good grief, Jiang Li had dug a pit from the very beginning, just waiting for the Madam and Third Miss to jump into it!

Jiang Li laughed inwardly. She hadn’t deliberately dug a pit for others—she had merely acted accordingly. It was also a test. If Third Miss Jiang and Ji Shuran truly weren’t easy to deal with, they would naturally collide with it. If they had been honest, nothing would have happened. She hadn’t expected that just upon returning to the residence, everyone’s true nature would be revealed with one test. Ji Shuran was not as kind and gentle as her appearance suggested, and Third Miss Jiang was quite hostile toward her.

As for this convenient father, Jiang Li wasn’t his biological daughter, so she wouldn’t be disappointed by what he did. Otherwise, if it were the real Second Miss Jiang experiencing this, she would probably have become utterly disheartened long ago.

Forget it. The Jiang family was one of the foremost official households in Yanjing City, a distinguished family. It inevitably wouldn’t be calm and peaceful. Since that was the case, she could only meet soldiers with generals and water with earth.

It was just that the current her was neither the Second Miss Jiang who drowned due to inferior skills, nor the submissive Xue Fangfei who was murdered. The current Jiang Li feared nothing.

If you harm me, how do you know I can’t harm you?

Jiang Li smiled at Ji Shuran and said, “Although Mother made the clothes not quite fitting, it was still done with sincere devotion. Jiang Li dares not forget this. However, seven years of nunnery life taught Jiang Li not to be wasteful. Since the clothes have been made, even if they don’t fit, they can’t just sit with me unused.” She suddenly looked at Jiang Youyao beside her.

Ji Shuran’s heart jumped. She heard Jiang Li smile and say, “I notice that Third Sister’s measurements are exactly right for the clothes Mother made. Why not give all the clothes Mother made to Third Sister? Now that I think about it, those styles and colors would suit Third Sister perfectly and look extremely good on her.”

Ji Shuran’s face turned pale.

The last straw that broke the camel’s back! Starting tomorrow, all of Yanjing City would spread talk about how the Jiang family’s newly arrived madam treated her stepdaughter versus her own daughter. The difference in intimacy was clear at a glance. Jiang Li had just returned to the residence and had already shattered the virtuous reputation she had painstakingly cultivated for many years!

What a formidable Second Miss Jiang!