Yu Wan turned around and was slightly surprised. “Miss Xiao?”
Xiao Ziyue smiled. “Sister-in-law.”
Yu Wan was stunned by the word sister-in-law, but she quickly realized that she was indeed her sister-in-law. If it were anyone else who called her that, she would have considered that the other party was mocking her, but Xiao Ziyue would not.
Yu Wan looked behind Xiao Ziyue.
Xiao Ziyue followed her gaze and turned around. “What’s wrong, Sister-in-law? What are you looking at?”
Yu Wan retracted her gaze and shook her head. “Nothing.”
In fact, when she entered the small garden, she vaguely felt a gaze that could not be ignored on her. So it was Xiao Ziyue?
Yu Wan heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. “I didn’t see you in the front hall just now.”
Xiao Ziyue smiled and said in a soft voice, “I didn’t go to the ritual. I came later with my mother. My mother was chatting with a few madams in Chunhui Pavilion. I saw you walking down the corridor, so I came to look for you. Did I scare you?”
Yu Wan smiled. “How can that be?”
So she had specially come to look for her. They had only met twice, and she was still her hidden love rival. Wasn’t this little girl too naive?
“How old are you this year?” Yu Wan asked.
“Fourteen. I’ll be fifteen in three months.” Sisters who were on good terms would know each other’s age. Xiao Ziyue did not think that there was anything wrong with this question and answered honestly.
Why did this child say everything? She was just asking casually and didn’t expect her to answer.
Yu Wan did not doubt that she would tell the truth even if she asked her eighteen generations of ancestors. What a silly girl. No wonder Zhao Heng deceived her.
Suddenly, Xiao Ziyue held Yu Wan’s hand.
Yu Wan’s arm stiffened.
Other than the children and her husband, she was not used to being close to others. Even when she was living in the countryside with her mother, she tried her best not to touch her mother. Although she got to know Bai Tang after that, Bai Tang was not a clingy person. Wasn’t this girl too familiar?
This was how young ladies got along. Xiao Ziyue was used to it and held her hand naturally. However, her sisters did not know that she had that illness. Her sister-in-law knew that, yet she did not look at her differently. Her sister-in-law did not despise her. She liked her sister-in-law.
How could Yu Wan know the twists and turns in this child’s mind?
Yu Wan cleared her throat and was about to retract her hand without batting an eyelid when she saw a beautiful and slightly plump young girl walking over with two personal maidservants.
Yu Wan did not care about the other party, but the other party came straight to her and Xiao Ziyue.
Then, the girl glanced at Yu Wan and turned her face away. Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something and suddenly turned around. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “It’s… it’s you?”
Only then did Yu Wan’s gaze land on the other party’s face. Memories surged into her mind and Yu Wan recognized her. “It’s you.”
Xiao Ziyue looked at Yu Wan and then at the girl. “Zilin, do you know each other?”
This time, it was Yu Wan’s turn. Yu Wan looked at Xiao Ziyue. “You know each other?”
Xiao Ziyue said, “She’s my third sister, Xiao Zilin.”
“From the same mother?” Yu Wan asked.
Xiao Zilin’s expression changed.
Xiao Ziyue coughed lightly and whispered, “Zilin is Concubine Meng’s daughter.”
Yu Wan exclaimed. A concubine’s daughter. A concubine’s daughter of the Xiao Manor was abusing her power in the Yunshui Aula. She thought that she was the daughter of some official’s wife. However, the Xiao Manor was the Marshal Manor. Even the daughter of a concubine was superior to ordinary women.
Speaking of which, it had only been a month since they last met, but this Third Miss of the Xiao family seemed to have gained weight again. Didn’t she want to wear the clothes made by Madam Meng? How could she stuff it in when she was growing day by day?
Xiao Zilin pried open their hands and pulled Xiao Ziyue back. She glared at Yu Wan covetously. “Third Sister, why are you with her? Don’t talk to her! She’s not a good person!”
Xiao Ziyue shouted, “Don’t be rude. She’s your sister-in-law.”
Xiao Zilin rolled her eyes and said, “My brother is long dead. How could I have a sister-in-law?”
“It’s Young Master Yan,” Xiao Ziyue said.
Xiao Zilin was stunned for a moment before she rolled her eyes even more. “He’s not my big brother! My big brother is Xiao Yan!”
Yu Wan found it funny. If this girl thought that she could humiliate her like this, then she had thought too highly of herself. Who did she think she was? Could it be an honor to be recognized as her brother and sister-in-law?
She had yet to respond to Xiao Ziyue’s greeting.
