Those two short words were crystal clear to both father and daughter.

Mr. Xin slowly sat back in his chair. "Then tell me, why did you go to such lengths to scheme against him?"

Before Xin Jiuwei could answer, hurried footsteps suddenly came from behind her.

Wang Qing lingered outside the study, hesitant to come in, yet her face showed anxiety for some reason.

"What happened that you're so flustered?" said Mr. Xin. "Come in and tell your young lady."

Wang Qing then came in and said, "Master, Miss, Miss Xue has arrived and is arguing with the eldest young lady."

Father Xin frowned, but then heard Xin Jiuwei say:

“Father, come with me to see this. Perhaps then you will understand my reason.”

On the other side of the Xin residence, in front of Xin Xiyao's Snow-Treading Pavilion, two equally proud figures were facing each other.

Xin Xiyao frowned slightly, having lost all patience to speak to the person in front of her.

“Miss Xue, your uninvited visit is already impolite. Don’t forget whose home this is.”

However, if she could frighten him, Xue Yingxue wouldn't have appeared at the Xin residence at this time.

She maintained her usual serene and unassuming demeanor, and said calmly, "I don't care about the prestigious families and social status you always talk about. I just want to take back what's mine from you, Miss."

The maid behind Xin Xiyao said, "What do you have? You even stole the tunes you played from my young lady. How dare you say such a thing?"

Xue Yingxue's expression changed. "When did it become your turn to speak?"

"Who gives you the right to speak here?" Xin Xiyao retorted coldly. "I'll say it again, even if my things aren't kept in the Taxue Pavilion, they belong to the Xin family. When did it become your place to ask for them? Do you want to change your surname to Xin as well?"

It turned out that there would be a lake tour and flower appreciation banquet in Yingzhou City soon. In order to participate in this lake tour, Xue Yingxue actually found Xin Xiyao and told her that she hated something.

She said, "That hundred-day peony was something Huaiyu acquired by chance. He had already promised to give it to me, but because Miss likes it, it has been kept with you for a while. When did it become Miss's?"

Xin Xiyao laughed instead of getting angry, "I bought these seedlings with my own money, and carefully cultivated them. And they're not even mine? Does Qi Huaiyu have that much money to sign his name?"

Xin Xiyao, who rarely argues with anyone, spoke a little louder.

Xin Jiuwei happened to be bringing her father over when she caught sight of a figure. She said to her father, "Father, please stay behind this tree and don't move. I'll go help my sister."

Thinking about what she had just said, Xin's father gave up on immediately acting as the head of the family to uphold justice, and instead, as his youngest daughter had suggested, he hid himself away.

Xin Jiuwei walked over and raised her voice a little.

"Miss Xue, have you been deceived by Qi Huaiyu again? This flower was auctioned at the flower shop for several days, and my sister eventually got it back. What does it have to do with Qi Huaiyu?"

Xue Yingxue's expression changed slightly, "He said..."

Xin Jiuwei asked, "Did he say that the money was his, but my sister was willful and insisted on keeping it, and he didn't want to argue with a woman, so he temporarily kept it with my sister, but she hasn't returned it for a long time, right?"

Xue Yingxue looked surprised and embarrassed, because that was indeed what Qi Huaiyu had said.

Xin Jiuwei sneered: "Miss Xue is still the same as ever, she gets fooled by Qi Huaiyu every time!"

"What do you mean?" Xue Yingxue could no longer maintain her usual composure. "Does this mean whatever the Third Miss says goes?"

"Then let's have Qi Huaiyu confront us." Xin Jiuwei smiled slightly. "It's true that Qi Huaiyu took the money to get the Hundred-Day Peony, but Miss Xue, could you ask Qi Huaiyu for me what his status was when he took our Xin family's money?"

For once, Xue Yingxue showed a clear look of surprise on her face.

What identity could Qi Huaiyu have in front of her?