Qin Huining saw the figure walking gracefully toward them in the setting sun from afar, and her pupils contracted.

Qin Yining was tall and radiant. As she walked, her honey-colored cloak opened slightly, revealing rippling goose-yellow robes beneath. The ripples swayed gently, making her gait appear very light. Within her delicate bearing was a hint of vigorous grace. Her spine was straight, and when she saw Qin Huining, she smiled slightly. Her resemblance to Prime Minister Qin in his youth made Qin Huining feel she had already lost a point upon seeing her.

Taking a deep breath, Qin Huining told herself: I am the legitimate daughter! I am proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting! She’s nothing but a wild person! I’m experienced at surviving in this great household—Qin Yining should be the nervous one!

Having built up her psychological defenses, Qin Huining smiled and walked toward Qin Yining, actively taking her hands and curtsying: “Little Xi, my sister, you’ve come. I was just thinking of sending someone to Snow Pear Courtyard to invite you. Our family has rules about morning and evening respects.”

Still harping on the name issue—this person wasn’t finished yet!

Qin Yining smiled and returned the courtesy: “Miss Huining, thank you for your kind intention. However, Nanny Jin thought ahead and told me about the evening respect rules, which saved me from embarrassing myself before the madam. But I appreciate your good intentions.”

Hearing the words “Miss Huining,” Qin Huining’s smile stiffened for an instant. Learning that it was Nanny Jin who had told her, she couldn’t help but begin to doubt the great madam’s attitude, imperceptibly glancing at Cai Shi beside her.

Cai Shi immediately understood and blinked knowingly.

Qin Huining then took Qin Yining’s arm as they entered Xingning Garden, saying gently: “You’ve just returned and don’t yet understand everything about the household. If you need anything, feel free to come ask me. Though I’m not particularly talented, I still know some of the most basic principles.” This was a subtle mockery that Qin Yining didn’t even understand the most basic rules.

“Thank you, Miss Huining. Father will naturally arrange for tutors and etiquette nannies to explain these matters.” Qin Yining spoke slowly and very amiably: “However, having grown up in the countryside, I naturally cannot compare to Miss Huining’s fortune of growing up in the Prime Minister’s residence from childhood.” This subtly implied that she was usurping another’s position while feeling smug about it.

The two walked to the corridor, looking at each other with smiles.

At first, Qin Huining kept staring into Qin Yining’s eyes. Perhaps because Qin Yining resembled her father, her gaze held a knowing clarity that saw through everything, along with a sharp coldness belonging to wild beasts. This made Qin Huining involuntarily avert her eyes. When she realized what she had done, she began to feel sullen.

She hadn’t expected Qin Yining’s sharp edge to be no weaker than her own.

“Fourth Miss and Miss Huining have arrived.” The voice of the senior maid Cai Ju broke the stalemate as she curtsied and lifted the warm curtain aside.

Qin Huining’s mood plummeted to the depths.

That address of “Fourth Miss” was no longer referring to her. With their father’s single statement, she had changed from legitimate daughter to adopted daughter.

Qin Yining saw her expression clearly and frowned slightly.

The dim lamplight cast a faint halo on the ground at their feet. A wave of warmth and the light fragrance of melons and fruits washed over them, as if spring had arrived.

After handing their cloaks to the maids, Qin Yining couldn’t help but blink her misty large eyes curiously as she looked around. She had originally thought her own quarters were quite nice, but now that she had come to Xingning Garden, she understood what luxury truly meant.

At least the warmth here was something her place lacked.

Passing around the screen to the side hall, Qin Huining called out sweetly with a laugh: “Mother, have you had your evening meal yet?” She curtsied, then quickly stepped forward to sit beside Sun Shi, looking at Qin Yining as if in challenge.

Qin Yining properly performed her courtesy and addressed her: “Madam.” She somewhat envied how intimately Qin Huining could interact with Sun Shi.

Sun Shi patted Qin Huining’s hand and looked at Qin Yining with complex eyes, saying coldly: “You sit down too. Have you eaten dinner?”

Cai Ju immediately brought over an embroidered stool, placing it five steps away from Sun Shi, directly across from her.

Qin Yining sat sideways, looking at Qin Huining’s position and her hand clasped tightly with Sun Shi’s. Her gaze gradually grew cold as she politely and properly lowered her eyes: “In response to madam, I have already eaten.”

Sun Shi said “Oh” and then didn’t know what else to say.

The atmosphere became somewhat stiff.

Qin Huining seemed to understand Sun Shi’s awkwardness and smiled: “Is Little Xi comfortable living in Snow Pear Courtyard? Is there anything you’re lacking?”

Sun Shi immediately said: “Yes, if you’re missing anything, just tell the servants and have them prepare it.” She approvingly tapped Qin Huining’s nose tip.

That intimate gesture made Qin Yining feel even more like an outsider.

In fact, when Sun Shi suspected she was an illegitimate daughter, she had already become an outsider, hadn’t she?

Burying her expectations and disappointment deep in her heart, Qin Yining curved her lips in self-mockery, revealing two small dimples on her cheeks: “Yes, thank you for madam’s concern.”

Sun Shi looked at Qin Yining, her gaze becoming slightly gentler.

A girl so similar to Qin Huaiyuan, with a personality that wasn’t disagreeable—it was truly impossible to feel aversion toward her. However, she still harbored doubts and wasn’t certain whether she was actually raised by a mistress.

Seeing Sun Shi’s attitude softening, Qin Huining felt uneasy and asked coquettishly, knowing full well: “Mother, where is father? Will he return today?”

Upon hearing this, Sun Shi’s expression darkened by half.

Qin Huaiyuan had four concubines, and today was Concubine Hua’s turn. Just earlier, Qin Huaiyuan had sent word that he wouldn’t be returning today.

Thinking of how the couple had just quarreled over this little hussy, and now when she wanted to reconcile in the evening, she couldn’t even see him, Sun Shi couldn’t help but feel angry. Looking at Qin Yining, her eyes held several points of undisguisable disgust, and she couldn’t help but let sharp words burst forth.

“Your father dotes on you. He’s already sent someone to the palace to request an etiquette nanny to teach you proper behavior and deportment. She’ll come first thing tomorrow morning. He’s also spent a fortune to hire a tutor for you. This is preferential treatment that even Hui Jie’er and the others never received.” The more Sun Shi spoke, the more sour her heart became. Things she hadn’t yet confirmed, she had already convinced herself were eighty percent true. Feeling that Qin Huaiyuan was so good to Qin Yining because he was fond of that mistress, her voice inevitably rose.

“I don’t care where your mother is now. Since you’ve come to the Prime Minister’s residence, you must follow our household rules. When I arrange for you to study, you must study diligently. Don’t think about being lazy or making excuses. In a family like ours, there will be many occasions to appear in public in the future. If you embarrass yourself outside and lose face for our Prime Minister’s residence, I’ll skin you alive!”

Hearing Sun Shi’s scolding, Qin Yining had already stood up. At this moment, she lowered her long lashes expressionlessly, her heart feeling as though Sun Shi’s knife-like words had carved out a chunk of flesh, which was then frozen by cold blood into an icy lump.

Her birth mother repeatedly refused to acknowledge her and suspected her origins—this truly broke her heart!

Since returning to the residence, in just half a day, she had been disliked by her grandmother, suspected by her relatives, bullied by the servants, and even her birth mother treated her this way!

Had she returned just to suffer indignities?

She had endured again and again, thinking she could move these people’s hearts with her obedience and understanding, but what had she received in return?

Perhaps she had been too naive, imagining life in an aristocratic family too beautifully.

Every person living here was generous with their malicious assumptions about others’ hearts. Even though she hadn’t hindered them in any way, they couldn’t wait to trample her underfoot to highlight their own superiority.

These people were even more terrifying than wild beasts!

Wild beasts ate people for survival.

They “devoured people” for personal desires!

Qin Yining suddenly understood that blindly being weak and yielding would not earn her pity! If she continued to show such weakness and gentleness, she feared that one day she might be poisoned to death by those around her without even knowing it!

“Madam, do you still refuse to believe my identity? In your many years as husband and wife with father, have you ever seen him deceive you over such matters? Father has few heirs—if there truly were blood relatives, he could bring them back openly and honestly without anyone criticizing him. Why would he need to deceive you, a mere woman? Your groundless suspicions and fabrications—if you don’t care about hurting your daughter’s heart, don’t you care about hurting father’s heart either?”

Sun Shi’s face flushed bright red. Just the phrase “few heirs” already stabbed at her heart, let alone the subsequent questioning.

Because of Qin Huaiyuan’s few heirs, she had endured considerable disdain from her mother-in-law. Unable to bear children herself, she had to allow Qin Huaiyuan to take concubines. But when the concubines also couldn’t bear children, it could only mean Qin Huaiyuan had problems. Yet her shrewd mother-in-law insisted on believing she had given the concubines medicine out of jealousy.

Now this little hussy dared to bring this up so brazenly—how could she not be angry?

“Shut your mouth!” Sun Shi pointed at Qin Yining with trembling hands: “What do you think you are! This madam teaches you a few words, and you dare to talk back! Give you an inch and you take a mile! Someone! Teach this wild girl a lesson!”

Sun Shi pointed randomly and called over the senior maid Cai Ju.

Cai Ju acknowledged the order, rolled up her sleeves to slap her face, but when she looked up and met Qin Yining’s ice-pick-like gaze, she immediately felt her spine grow cold. The hand she had raised couldn’t come down, thinking privately that this young miss truly was a wild person—those eyes were like a wild beast’s!

Sun Shi felt disgusted by Qin Yining’s cold stare. She stepped forward briskly, pushed Cai Ju aside, and raised her hand to slap Qin Yining across the face.

Qin Yining covered her face, her expression changing from disbelief to the clarity of understanding.

The slap rang out crisply, making Sun Shi’s palm tingle, yet her heart felt considerably more satisfied. She grabbed Qin Yining’s collar with one hand, saying hatefully: “Whether or not you’re my daughter, I’ll naturally investigate. But regardless of whether you are or aren’t, it’s not your turn to speak in my presence! Qin Meng has few heirs—is that somehow my fault? If you want to defend him, then just acknowledge him as your father and don’t think about acknowledging this ‘mere woman’ as your mother!”

“Madam, please calm your anger.” Seeing that Sun Shi was saying everything, Nanny Jin quickly stepped forward to mediate.

Qin Huining also timely supported Sun Shi to sit aside, tearfully pleading: “Mother, don’t be angry anymore. It’s all daughter’s fault. If daughter hadn’t been brought here, none of this would have happened, and you wouldn’t have been wronged. Mother, your anger is like stabbing a knife into daughter’s heart.”

Hearing this, Sun Shi pressed her lips together and tears began falling like drops.

Looking at the girl who had been stunned by her slap, Sun Shi somehow felt both guilty and heartbroken. She thought that regardless of whether she was her biological child, as the legitimate wife, she must teach when teaching was necessary. Only then did she suppress that guilt and say coldly: “Get out of here!”

Qin Yining watched Qin Huining’s performance and learned several points from it.

She lowered her head to hide her cold smile, but her voice was very gentle: “Please calm your anger, madam.”

Sun Shi turned her eyes away, refusing to look at her.

Qin Yining was about to leave.

Just then, they suddenly heard the sound of the warm curtain being pushed open. Qin Huaiyuan entered wearing a light gray cloak with a large fur collar, looking at Sun Shi with a dark expression.