Qiao Yin stood frozen in place. “Brother, what do you mean by that?”
Qiao Mo patted her shoulder, his expression heavy. “I was too hasty before. I apologize to you.”
Qiao Yin was completely baffled by his words.
Then Qiao Mo asked, “Do you know who Xie Yu’an really is?”
Qiao Yin replied, “The Dingguo General who rose to fame in a single battle four years ago.”
Qiao Mo shook his head. “Xie Yu’an isn’t just the Dingguo General who became famous overnight. He is also the eldest grandson of the Xie Family of Huaizhou, a prestigious clan with a century-old legacy. The Xie Family of Huaizhou is the foremost scholarly family in the realm. Talented Xie descendants are found everywhere, both within and outside the court, and the family’s influence is unfathomable. There’s even an unwritten rule in the Great Zhou Dynasty: all imperial tutors must bear the surname Xie.”
“The reason the current Crown Prince was able to secure his position was that he was selected by the Xie Family’s academy in his youth and gained their support, which solidified his standing in the Eastern Palace.”
Qiao Yin stood there in a daze, murmuring, “Is he really that remarkable?”
Over the years, she had focused all her attention on Lu Jinzhi and knew very little about anyone else.
“Yes, Xie Yu’an could compose essays at three and practice martial arts at five. He is the most outstanding figure of his generation in the Xie Family. Rumor has it that he abandoned literature for the military purely because of bad luck—during the assignment of roles, he drew the lot for military service. Xie Yu’an is highly likely to become the next head of the Xie Family. He is a thousand, even ten thousand times more formidable than Lu Jinzhi.”
As Qiao Mo spoke, his expression was complex and conflicted, a mix of reverence and regret.
Finally, he looked at Qiao Yin sadly. “Little sister, you should find someone else to like.”
Qiao Mo’s words extinguished all the passion in Qiao Yin’s heart. Her expression turned cold, and she opened her mouth to say, “Big brother, are you looking down on me? Do you think I’m not worthy of him?”
Qiao Mo immediately denied it. “How could I ever look down on you, little sister? I hate myself for being incapable of earning more military achievements for you.”
Qiao Mo softened his tone and spoke honestly. “I just feel that our family is currently a bit too far beneath the Xie Family. The Xie Family might look down on you. Did you know that four years ago, the Emperor intended to betroth Princess Ningyao to Xie Yu’an, but Xie Yu’an refused?”
Qiao Yin suddenly understood Qiao Mo’s perspective.
She had met Princess Ningyao once—the Crown Prince’s younger sister, the only jewel of the royal family, deeply cherished by His Majesty. Not only was her status incomparably noble, but her appearance and talents were also first-rate.
If even such a golden branch and jade leaf was deemed unworthy, how could a wild, uneducated, and rebellious girl like her ever catch his eye?
Qiao Yin was deeply disheartened, but thinking of her limited remaining days, she tried to console herself. “I don’t think Xie Yu’an is that kind of person. He wouldn’t look down on me because of my family background. He has treated me with respect and consideration these past two days. I even invited him to go flower-viewing outside the city tomorrow, and he agreed.”
“You invited him to go flower-viewing?” Qiao Mo reacted like a cat with its fur standing on end, his voice suddenly rising an octave. “A Yin, you can’t go!”
Qiao Yin asked, “Why can’t I go?”Qiao Mo stepped forward, gripping Qiao Yin’s shoulders tightly. “A Yin, have you forgotten? Four years ago, when you first came to the capital and met that Lu Jinzhi, he was gentle and attentive to you at first. He also invited you to admire flowers outside the city. But what happened? He left you alone in the woods outside the city. You waited from morning till night, got drenched in the rain, and even rolled down the mountain. Not to mention, you became the laughingstock of the entire capital.”
A sharp pang struck Qiao Yin’s heart, and a flicker of pain flashed in her eyes. She thought she had long since abandoned her dignity and cultivated a heart as calm as a breeze.
When she first transmigrated into this world, she wasn’t in the capital but in a bandit den in the western frontier. She spent half a month there in constant fear before that damned System finally arrived, telling her she had to come to the capital to win over someone.
After a long and arduous journey to the capital, on her very first day back, she encountered that dashing young man on horseback. His spirited demeanor dispelled all her resistance and aversion toward the so-called mission.
Qiao Yin took the initiative. She figured out his whereabouts, intercepted him on his usual route, and asked him three questions.
Are you engaged? Do you have someone you love? Do you mind having another admirer?
The Lu Jinzhi of four years ago was completely different from the Lu Jinzhi of today. She remembered he was startled, but only for a few seconds. He didn’t respond with harsh words; instead, he answered her questions honestly.
Not engaged, no one in my heart, feel free to pursue.
Only then did Qiao Yin launch her fierce pursuit.
For the first month, she orchestrated chance encounters every few days, building up goodwill in front of him.
In just one month, Lu Jinzhi invited her to admire flowers outside the city together.
When she received his invitation, Qiao Yin was so excited she couldn’t sleep all night, thinking that fate had been kind to her. Even though she was in a different world, at least everything was going smoothly.
Who could have imagined that her beautiful dreams would be shattered by a downpour the very next day?
Lu Jinzhi stood her up. She waited from day till night, but instead of Lu Jinzhi, she was met with a bone-chilling autumn rain. Slippery from the rain on the mountain path, she tumbled down the steps on her way back, nearly breaking every bone in her body.
She returned to the city in utter disarray and encountered Lu Jinzhi composing poetry and drinking in a tavern. Unable to bear such humiliation, she couldn’t hold back her anger and went to confront him, demanding to know why he hadn’t shown up.
Lu Jinzhi’s attitude was like that of a different person. He had people block her, preventing her from getting close, and looked at her as if she were a used rag, uttering the words she would never forget for the rest of her life.
“I was just playing with you. Did you actually take it seriously?”
From then on, the name Qiao Yin became the biggest joke in the capital.
Qiao Yin was deeply depressed for a long time after that and fell seriously ill. But… she didn’t want to die.
So, after recovering, she swallowed her pride and went back to flattering Lu Jinzhi. However, from that moment on, she treated it only as a mission, investing no more emotions into it.
Seeing that even such humiliation couldn’t drive her away, Lu Jinzhi became even more unrestrained, and even the people around him treated her with utter disregard.
If it weren’t for completing the mission to extend her life, who would willingly act like a dog without dignity?
But what if this mission was destined to fail? Should she continue?
For the first time, the resilient Qiao Yin wavered. She even began to suspect that the so-called System was simply toying with her. Otherwise, how could such a huge mistake as targeting the wrong person occur?Qiao Mo saw that his younger sister had been silent for a long time, her face ashen and lifeless, as if her soul had been drained away. Her defeated appearance was truly heartbreaking.
He scratched his head, pondered left and right, and finally came up with a compromise.
“How about this? Tomorrow, I’ll go to the city gate first to see if Xie Yu’an shows up. If he does, I’ll come back and fetch you immediately. What do you think, little sister?”