Chapter 8: Warning

Xiao Min was startled! Looking at the smug expression on the woman in red, she realized this was truly a calculating person, having led the woman in plain clothes step by step into a trap of her own weaving. A chill ran down Xiao Min’s spine.

"Two?" the woman in plain clothes muttered to herself. "Two?" She thought about it again.

"Do I have two daughters?" She looked at Lin Suwan with a face full of confusion, then glanced at Xiao Min beside her, before finally falling into deep thought.

Watching the emotionally unstable woman, Xiao Min knew that the woman in red was certainly no saint. Her words were laced with traps, each one stabbing directly at the pain of her "cheap" mother. She was truly a formidable opponent. Xiao Min had no time to dwell on this.

Just then, the woman in plain clothes seemed to hit a dead end. She let out a frantic roar! As if struck by some great trauma, she began to pull at her hair wildly. "My Xin'er, my Min'er!" Her intermittent cries continued, "Don't, don't leave Mother, Mother really misses you both so much!" Her voice was choked with sobs, and her delicate, pretty face was covered in tears.

Seeing the woman in such agony, the smile on the face of the woman in red, who had been smiling all along, grew even wider.

······

Seeing her "mother" lose the composure she had just moments ago, and begin to frantically grab at anyone she saw, the woman in plain clothes approached Xiao Ruoxue—whose face still bore the red palm prints she had left earlier—with great agitation. "Min'er, my Min'er! Who? Who bullied you?" Her face was full of concern, and she reached out as if to pull her close.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Ruoxue dodged, turning her little face away. "I don't want to talk to you! It’s all because of you that my face ended up like this!" As she said this, Xiao Ruoxue looked at her with utter disgust, hiding behind her own mother, her eyes filled with immense satisfaction.

She remained calm and composed.

Exchanging a glance with her mother, she felt she had learned another trick today: no matter how powerful an opponent is, as long as you know their weakness, you can always leave them empty-handed. The woman in plain clothes looked at her own hands, then at Xiao Ruoxue hiding behind, and finally at Xiao Min, who also looked a bit frightened beside her. She stumbled back a few steps in agony. "No, no, do you both not want Mother anymore? You don't want me?" She burst into heart-wrenching sobs, looking utterly desolate······

Watching the woman sink into extreme sorrow, to the point of nearly fainting, the woman in red, who had been speaking so properly and cautiously, wore a look of triumph. She watched the scene before her with satisfaction, her exquisite little face devoid of any emotion, even tinged with a hint of glee.

The maids and servants nearby all kept their heads buried low, eyes fixed on their noses, noses on their hearts! No one dared to get involved in this mess.

Seeing the woman in plain clothes, who had been so tough just moments ago, now like a turtle stripped of its shell, drowning in her own pain and unable to pull herself out, Xiao Min immediately lunged forward and pulled the woman into her arms.

Xiao Min hated herself for her hesitation earlier. Although she had spent very little time with this woman who was technically a stranger, the woman had treated her with great care, especially in critical moments when she always managed to save her from danger.

As if coaxing a child, she said, "No one doesn't want you. I want you, Min'er wants you!" Xiao Min truly felt a pang of heartache; she hadn't expected such a strong woman to have such a fragile side.

The crowd looked on in disbelief as Xiao Min held the woman. Xiao Ruoxue, whose fun had been interrupted, was annoyed. She had finally seen the woman who had been so arrogant before her reduced to such a pathetic state, only to be stopped by someone else. She immediately rubbed her red, swollen cheek in displeasure.

"Mother—!" Having suffered a great loss earlier, Xiao Ruoxue was much sharper now, tugging at Lin Suwan’s sleeve and making a fuss.

Watching the middle-aged woman gradually calm down and drift toward sleep, a sense of satisfaction rose in Lin Suwan’s heart. Although she was now known as the "First Madam" by everyone in the Prime Minister’s residence, the outside world had not yet made this public. Most importantly, there was her position in the Master’s heart······

A moment later, looking at Xiao Min, who was still coaxing Qian Huayue, Lin Suwan’s face darkened.

"Don't forget what you promised this Madam!" Her cold voice drifted through the air like a whisper to herself, lingering for a long time, yet it left Xiao Min stunned. Her mouth hung open, unable to speak for a moment.

After saying this, Lin Suwan led her entourage out of the wooden hut without looking back.

The only thing left behind was the sentence, "Since I can keep you in the residence, I can naturally make you disappear without a trace!" The cold voice was utterly ruthless. Xiao Ruoxue glared at her viciously before following her out of the house.

Xiao Min was still ruminating on the words of the woman in red. When she finally came to her senses, she was shocked to find that the room, which had been so noisy just moments ago, was now empty, leaving only the two of them.

That woman didn't expose her identity? Xiao Min felt a bit hesitant.

There was one more thing Xiao Min couldn't understand: what kind of situation and secret could have led the owner of this body to make a deal with such a calculating woman?

However, thoughts were just thoughts. Looking at the emotionally unstable woman, Xiao Min kept replaying the woman in red’s last words. Could it be that when she transmigrated here, she had already reached some consensus with that woman?

Looking at the haggard woman beside her, could it be that she really had two daughters? Xiao Min’s mind wandered all afternoon. By dinner time, the woman’s emotions showed no signs of stabilizing. Perhaps the shock this time had been too great! That woman in red was truly detestable.

Two days later.

The woman’s emotions began to stabilize gradually, but she was no longer the same as when they had first met. Her mind was now in great chaos, and she would even be woken up by nightmares at night.

Xiao Min had been having a miserable time these past few days. Even the maids and servants below, knowing the situation, were no longer as diligent as usual when delivering meals.

Xiao Min knew that continuing like this would be detrimental to both of them, but for some reason, every time the woman woke up, she seemed terrified that Xiao Min would disappear, watching her intently as if afraid she would vanish again.

And so, a few more days passed.

On this day, Xiao Min was taking the woman into the courtyard to soak up the sun when a maid rushed in. At first, she looked at the woman in plain clothes with some trepidation, but after realizing she was just as the rumors described, she grew bold.

Turning to Xiao Min, she began, "This servant—" but after saying those two words, she seemed to find it inappropriate, and her initial humility turned into arrogance.