After examining the adopted daughter’s physiognomy, Lin Yanxi immediately understood where her mother’s poisoning came from.
It was deeply connected to this adopted daughter.
Looking at Lin Yanxi, Lin Hongyuan’s eyes were full of satisfaction and admiration. Suddenly remembering something, he shifted slightly and introduced someone to her.
“Xi’er, let Father introduce everyone to you.”
Lin Yanxi gave no response. Her gaze remained fixed on the adopted daughter.
There were still parts of this girl’s face she couldn’t fully read.
The more she tried to examine it, the more it felt as though the entire woman was hidden behind a layer of mist.
Why?
Could it be that her half-baked skills simply weren’t enough to interpret this kind of fate?
While she was still deep in thought, Concubine Liu nudged her again before awkwardly explaining:
“Master, the eldest miss hasn’t seen you for so many years that she hasn’t quite reacted yet. Please forgive her.”
Those words instantly stirred Lin Hongyuan’s guilt.
“Xi’er! We truly neglected you all these years. I’m sorry.”
Lin Yanxi blinked in surprise and looked at him strangely.
Who was he talking to?
Xi’er?
Oh right—he was calling her.
Whether in her previous life or after arriving here, no one had ever called her that before. It was only natural that she wasn’t used to it.
“Father, I’m fine. I’ve eaten well, dressed warmly, and lived comfortably all these years.”
Those words only made Lin Hongyuan look at her with even more pity and affection.
Meanwhile, Concubine Liu secretly shot her an approving look.
That line was well said.
As long as Master felt sympathy toward her, her future in the household would be stable.
“Xi’er, let Father introduce everyone. This is your mother.”
Lin Yanxi softly called out:
“Mother.”
Shi Rong merely nodded coldly and replied with a simple “Good child,” before saying nothing further.
“This is your younger brother, Yichen.” Then Lin Hongyuan looked toward the little boy and seriously instructed, “Yichen, this is your older sister. Quickly greet her properly.”
The little radish-head didn’t obediently call her “older sister” at all. Instead, he stuck out his tongue arrogantly and declared:
“I don’t know you! I only have Sister Wanxin as my sister!”
Lin Hongyuan became so angry that he immediately smacked Lin Yichen across the head.
“What nonsense are you saying? She’s your sister too! If you dare disrespect your sister again, I’ll punish you according to family rules!”
Frightened, Lin Yichen instantly hid behind the adopted daughter while continuing to glare unhappily at Lin Yanxi.
Shi Rong gently persuaded:
“Enough, Master. Yichen is still young, and the siblings aren’t familiar with each other yet. They’ll naturally get along after spending more time together.”
Then she held the adopted daughter’s hand and brought her before Lin Yanxi.
“This is Wanxin. She’s one year older than you, so you may simply call her elder sister.”
She didn’t even properly address Lin Yanxi by name and instead stiffly introduced the adopted daughter’s identity first.
That indifferent attitude already made Lin Yanxi uncomfortable.
But Shi Rong’s next words made her feel even worse.
“Wanxin’s health is poor and she requires a quiet environment to recover. If there’s no important matter, don’t disturb your elder sister too much. Is that understood?”
To anyone listening, it sounded as though Lin Yanxi would bully the adopted daughter.
But from beginning to end, Lin Yanxi hadn’t even spoken to her.
They hadn’t interacted once.
So how had Shi Rong already concluded she would make things difficult for Wanxin?
Shi Rong’s attitude clogged Lin Yanxi’s chest with anger like a volcano on the verge of erupting.
No.
She absolutely had to snap back.
Some things simply had to be said.
Just as she inhaled deeply, the sharp-eyed Concubine Liu immediately sensed what she intended to do and interrupted before she could speak.
“Madam is right. I’ll arrange a quiet courtyard for Miss Wanxin to recuperate in. After not seeing the eldest miss for so many years, surely Madam has many things she wishes to say to her?”
Concubine Liu deliberately emphasized the words “eldest miss.”
Her purpose was obvious:
To remind Shi Rong that Lin Yanxi was the Lin family’s legitimate eldest daughter—
And her biological child.
But Shi Rong still didn’t place Lin Yanxi in her eyes at all.
“No. Since Wanxin is the elder sister, then from now on Wanxin will be the Lin family’s eldest miss. Lin Yanxi shall be called Second Miss instead.”
“Mother, wouldn’t that be inappropriate? Younger Sister has already been neglected all these years. If this causes her dissatisfaction…” Lin Wanxin softly said while holding Shi Rong’s arm, deliberately stopping midway through her sentence.
Combined with her frail appearance and lowered brows, she looked as though she had suffered some enormous grievance.
Lin Yanxi: Dissatisfied? Dissatisfied my ass!
Just as she was about to explode, Lin Yanxi suddenly caught an important detail.
“What did you say your name was?”
Lin Wanxin slightly lowered her head.
“Younger Sister, my name is Wanxin.”
“Wanxin? Lin Wanxin?”
Shi Rong’s face darkened as she sharply scolded:
“Lin Yanxi, what kind of attitude is that toward your elder sister?”
“I was originally an orphan. Meeting Mother was the greatest blessing of my life. She accepted me as her adopted daughter and even allowed me to bear the Lin surname. I already swore that I would remain by Mother’s side forever and care for her in her old age.”
Lin Yanxi rolled her eyes.
“You could’ve just answered yes or no. Who are you giving that speech for?”
“Lin Yanxi! What kind of attitude is this? Apologize to Wanxin immediately!”
Lin Yanxi’s brows tightly furrowed.
Shi Rong’s voice buzzed around her ears like an annoying fly that wouldn’t stop humming.
But right now, her focus wasn’t on Shi Rong’s attitude.
It was on Lin Wanxin herself.
The name Lin Wanxin left an especially deep impression on her.
Because in the novel, the heroine—the female spy sent from Linyuan—was also named Lin Wanxin.
So the person before her…
Was she truly that female spy?
Or was it merely a coincidence of names?
But could something really be that coincidental?
Lin Yanxi refused to believe it was coincidence.
Which meant the woman before her truly was the Linyuan spy—
And the heroine of this book.
That would also explain why Lin Yanxi couldn’t clearly read her physiognomy.
“Lin Yanxi, did you hear what I said?!” Shi Rong still stubbornly insisted she apologize.
Lin Wanxin made no attempt to stop her. Instead, she shrank behind Shi Rong looking entirely like a victim while Lin Yichen tightly protected her.
Lin Yanxi could no longer endure it.
This time, no matter how Concubine Liu tried to warn her, the fire in her chest absolutely had to come out.
She let out a cold laugh. When facing Lin Wanxin, traces of arrogance flashed through her eyes.
“If I apologize to you, do you intend to kneel while listening?”
Just as Shi Rong was about to unleash another lion’s roar of fury, Lin Yanxi abruptly changed her tone and revealed a look of regret.
“Although you’re merely the adopted daughter my mother took in, the moment you returned to the Lin family, I changed from Eldest Miss to Second Miss. Since Mother believes my attitude toward you was improper, then I’ll apologize. There’s no need for you to kneel.”
Lin Yanxi deliberately raised her voice during the first half of that sentence so even the passing commoners outside the residence gates could hear her clearly.
She intentionally emphasized Lin Wanxin’s identity first, then followed it by saying she was apologizing only because Shi Rong believed her attitude was wrong.
Her purpose was obvious:
To deliberately create the image of a biological daughter abandoned by her mother for years, only to be mistreated again after reunion because the mother favored her adopted daughter.
If Lin Wanxin wanted to play the weak victim—
Then Lin Yanxi would let everyone see who the true victim actually was.
And if her judgment was correct, based on Lin Wanxin’s steady and rhythmic breathing, there was absolutely nothing wrong with her body.
In fact, she was perfectly healthy.
Lin Yanxi herself had grown up surrounded by medicine in her previous life.
A person who was genuinely weak versus someone pretending to be weak—
She could distinguish them with one glance.
This Lin Wanxin was clearly faking it.
All for the sake of gaining her mother’s sympathy.
As for what exactly existed between the two women beyond that—
That remained unknown.