The day before yesterday, they went out together to the river to catch fish.
This winter is very cold; the river has been frozen over for a long time.
At this time of year, farmers take the opportunity to fish.
By simply drilling a large hole in a relatively thin section of ice and lowering a net, one can catch a considerable number of fish.
Her father and Uncle Chen from next door went out early in the morning to go online.
Her father and Uncle Chen had to go to the capital to work, so the task of closing the net was left to her and Chen Fang, who is sixteen years old this year.
She was older and stronger than Chen Fang. When she was pulling the net out of the ice, she told Chen Fang to wait on the shore. But just as she was about to pull the net out of the ice, someone suddenly pushed her hard from behind, and she fell into the ice hole.
Ma Cai'er grew up by the river and knew how to swim. She was quite good at it. Even though the river water was icy cold, she still managed to surface and saw Chen Fang's pale face.
She tried to climb out of the ice, but the ice was too slippery, and she failed several times. In addition, the water was too cold, and Ma Cai'er quickly ran out of strength.
Chen Fang just watched from beginning to end, and did not offer any help even when Chen Fang cried out for help or begged for it.
The moment she sank, Ma Cai'er felt utterly desperate. When she woke up again, she found that her soul had left her body and possessed the body of this man.
Ma Cai'er didn't go home immediately; instead, she came to Ye Xianya's place.
The girl felt that leaving this body was more important than revenge; she couldn't accept becoming a man.
"Wear this talisman on your body. With the talisman, your soul will not leave this body. Even if a cultivator sees it, they will not notice anything unusual and will only treat you as an ordinary person." Ye Xianya handed a talisman to Ma Cai'er.
"Thank you, Princess." Ma Cai'er quickly reached out and took it.
"Although I agree with your desire for revenge, if you want to be reborn into a good family in your next life, it's best not to get involved in these karmic consequences. After you've figured things out, you can report it to the authorities and let the person who harmed you receive the punishment they deserve. You don't need to do it yourself, so as not to get tainted by karma and affect your reincarnation."
Ma Cai'er nodded upon hearing this.
Ye Xianya ignored her and turned to leave the courtyard.
She was going to the Prince Duan's residence to see Qi Chengshuo.
It was still early, but the Prince Duan's mansion was very quiet, and not a single person could be seen walking around, which looked very strange.
When Ye Xianya arrived, the guards who had been standing blankly at the door suddenly moved.
"Greetings, Princess." Several guards hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, appearing no different from usual.
"I need to see Qi Chengshuo. Please go in and inform him," Ye Xianya said.
"Yes, Your Highness, please!" The head guard responded and quickly sent someone to deliver the message, while he welcomed Ye Xianya into the Prince Duan's residence.
The hall used for receiving guests in the Prince Duan's mansion was in the front courtyard, but since Ye Xianya was a woman, she was naturally entertained in the back courtyard.
This wasn't Ye Xianya's first visit to the Prince Duan's residence.
There is a long way to walk from the front to the backyard. Logically speaking, such a family must have many servants moving around the house.
But today, apart from the guards who led her to the backyard, Ye Xianya did not see anyone else.
"Where are the people in your household?" Ye Xianya asked.
The guard was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Your Highness, the old prince has been feeling unwell these past two days. The madam felt that the mansion was too crowded and noisy, which was not conducive to the old prince's recovery, so she ordered the servants in the mansion not to wander around unless necessary."
Ye Xianya, however, sensed something was amiss.
The old prince had his own courtyard, where sick people could recuperate quietly. Even if people walked around outside, it wouldn't affect him.
Wei Shuyu's order was completely unnecessary.
Not long after, Ye Xianya arrived at the courtyard where Wei Shuyu lived.
She was going to find Qi Chengshuo, but the guard led her to find Wei Shuyu instead.
Isn't it against the rules to take her directly to Qi Chengshuo?
Ye Xianya did some quick calculations and found nothing unusual, so she entered the courtyard where Wei Shuyu lived.
Today, Wei Shuyu was dressed in a light blue dress, looking very elegant.
Although the room was warm from the underfloor heating, Ye Xianya felt something was off about Wei Shuyu, who was dressed in very thin clothes.
The palace also had underfloor heating, but whether it was her mother or Furong and the others, they were still wearing thin cotton-padded jackets when they were indoors. Even if they felt a little hot, they would wear two layers of clothing. They were not dressed as lightly as Wei Shuyu.
Wei Shuyu was a widow. Ye Xianya had seen Wei Shuyu a few times before. Wei Shuyu always dressed very simply and hardly used any makeup.
But today, Wei Shuyu was dressed very elegantly, and her makeup was very elaborate, making her look much younger and more beautiful than usual, not at all like a woman in her thirties.
"Princess, please have a seat!" Wei Shuyu smiled at Ye Xianya.
Ye Xianya remembered that the last time she came to the Duan Prince's Mansion, before she even entered the main gate, Wei Shuyu, having received the news, personally went to the main gate to greet her, and was extremely enthusiastic towards her.
Today was much colder than last time.
"Madam." Ye Xianya nodded slightly and sat down on a chair to the side.
“Princess, our old master is ill, and Chengshuo has to take care of him. He won’t be able to accompany you for fortune telling these days. He’s busy serving the old master his meals right now and can’t come to see you. Please forgive him!” Wei Shuyu said softly.
Upon hearing this, Ye Xianya looked at Wei Shuyu but remained silent.
Today, Wei Shuyu gave her a mysterious and unpredictable feeling, as if she had become a different person.
She did some calculations but found nothing unusual.
“Madam, I have urgent business with Qi Chengshuo. Please do me the favor and let me see him after he has finished serving the old prince his meal.” Ye Xianya said calmly.
"The princess is a woman. Isn't she afraid of gossip from outsiders for coming to our residence to see Chengshuo? What kind of talk is it for a man and a woman to be alone in a room?" Wei Shuyu said with a half-smile.
Ye Xianya frowned slightly upon hearing this.
The Wei Shuyu of the past seemed to her to be a carefree and kind person, and she was the best mother to her son, Qi Chengshuo. As long as Qi Chengshuo wanted to do something, Wei Shuyu would always stand by his side.
But today, Wei Shuyu gave her a feeling of being aggressive.
“The princess is a cultivator and doesn’t care about these formalities. But what about Chengshuo? He’s always following the princess around. Everyone thinks they’re in love and will get married. The princess probably doesn’t know that no one dares to come to our palace to propose marriage to Chengshuo. If the princess has feelings for him, she should give us a straight answer. If she doesn’t like him, we naturally won’t pester her. As his mother, I can help him arrange his marriage. This ambiguous situation can’t go on like this!” Wei Shuyu said with a faint smile.
Ye Xianya felt a pang of anxiety upon hearing this.
Was that why Wei Shuyu treated her this way?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com