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Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Winning People’s Hearts
Zhan Xuerou was led by Qiuyue toward the pond.
In the pond, amidst the verdant lotus leaves, blossoms of pink and white lotus flowers bloomed, diffusing a faint fragrance.
Zhan Xuerou smiled and said, "Go on, the lotuses over there are blooming so beautifully!"
Suppressing the pain in her forehead and legs, Qiuyue took a few steps forward to pick the lotus flowers.
The expression on Zhan Xuerou’s face turned unusually cold behind Qiuyue’s back.
Zhan Xuerou took small steps forward, approaching Qiuyue from behind.
As Qiuyue picked the first lotus flower by the pond, she suddenly realized that Zhan Xuerou had never liked lotus flowers.
Today’s events were a bit unusual.
With her understanding of Zhan Xuerou, she must be up to something.
Moreover, a couple of days ago, she received a note placed under her pillow by a stranger, which read, "Stay away from places with water, recently."
At the thought of those words, Qiuyue felt a chill on her back as she stood by the pond.
While pretending to pick lotus flowers, Qiuyue bent over and listened for any movements behind her.
Not until she saw Zhan Xuerou’s shadow closing in on her.
Qiuyue abruptly turned around and saw Zhan Xuerou’s icy face at close range.
Zhan Xuerou hadn’t expected Qiuyue to suddenly turn around, and she withdrew the hand she was ready to push Qiuyue with.
But Qiuyue saw it all clearly.
She pretended not to notice and smiled, lifting a lotus flower in hand, saying, "Miss, do you find this one beautiful?"
Zhan Xuerou forced an unnatural smile, took the lotus, and said, "Beautiful! Continue picking!"
Qiuyue did not know what to do next.
Just as she was thinking of an excuse to leave,
Suddenly, a voice came from a distance, "Miss Zhan Xuerou, long time no see!"
Zhan Xuerou was startled by Zhan Lan’s voice.
She pretended to sniff the lotus flower gently and said, "Oh, it’s Lan coming back; I remember Lan likes lotus flowers so much! This one’s for you!"
She feigned sincerity and handed the lotus in her hand to the approaching Zhan Lan.
Zhan Lan gave a faint smile, looking at the relieved Qiuyue and the frustrated Zhan Xuerou.
She had, of course, seen everything that just happened.
And the reason she came over also had its purpose.
Zhan Lan pretended to reach for the lotus, then sharply withdrew her hand, purposely puzzled and asked, "Qiuyue, what happened to your forehead? Are you injured?"
Caught off-guard and embarrassed, Zhan Xuerou stood stiffly in place.
She quickly discarded the lotus in her hand, and with feigned concern, supported Qiuyue, saying, "Just now, Qiuyue and I accidentally fell. To protect me, she even hit her forehead!"
Zhan Xuerou’s face looked at Qiuyue with pity in her eyes.
Worryingly, Zhan Lan said, "Let’s go, I’ll take you to see a doctor."
Zhan Xuerou stared at Qiuyue’s forehead; due to Zhan Lan’s arrival today, she missed her chance to strike.
Qiuyue could not be killed, at least for now.
She could only wait.
"Sure, Lan, help me up," said Zhan Xuerou, lifting her arm, smiling, waiting for Zhan Lan’s support.
Zhan Lan knew that Zhan Xuerou was humiliating her; this was the gesture of a maid assisting her mistress.
If she supported her today, it would be conceding to Zhan Xuerou.
"Ouch!" Zhan Lan suddenly grimaced in pain, pressing down on the arm extended by Zhan Xuerou.
Painfully, she said, "Miss Zhan Xuerou, my shoulder blade was injured on the battlefield, and suddenly it hurts unbearably. I’m afraid I need you to support me!"
Zhan Xuerou’s delicate frame nearly buckled under Zhan Lan’s weight, as she supported the taller Zhan Lan, looking like the maid herself.
Qiuyue glanced sideways and thought Zhan Lan’s demeanor truly resembled that of Lady Zhan, while the gentle and meek Zhan Xuerou seemed much more like a girl of a lesser household.
Zhan Lan was not humiliated by Zhan Xuerou; on the contrary, she cleverly defused the situation.
A thought surged into Qiuyue’s mind — how wonderful it would be if Zhan Lan were the legitimate daughter!
Then they, the servants, wouldn’t have to tolerate such disrespect!
Zhan Xuerou grinned and pushed Zhan Lan away, saying, "Forget it, Zhan Lan, you should go. You’re injured too, no need to support me!"
Zhan Lan struggled to lift her arm, saying, "Then let’s go see the doctor together!"
Zhan Xuerou could only nod in agreement.
Qiuyue staggered as she supported Zhan Xuerou.
Suddenly, Zhan Xuerou said in a mocking tone, "Zhan Lan, tomorrow is my birthday, don’t forget to come!"
Zhan Lan smiled faintly, "Sure!"
Zhan Xuerou suddenly covered her mouth, saying awkwardly, "Oh, I forgot, it’s also your birthday tomorrow. What gift would you like? I can give it to you! I receive too many gifts every year, you can just pick any two!"
Qiuyue looked down, despising Zhan Xuerou’s heart — she was trying to humiliate Zhan Lan again.
Every year on her birthday, Zhan Xuerou received many gifts but would always choose two of the least desirable ones to bestow upon Zhan Lan in front of the servants.
Moreover, she deliberately pretended to forget that she and Zhan Lan shared the same birthday.
Such falseness, utterly nauseating!
Upon hearing Zhan Xuerou’s words, Zhan Lan’s eyes darkened, then she said with a smile, "No need, General Zhan has already given me a birthday present, it’s more than enough."
Zhan Xuerou, infuriated by Zhan Lan’s response, felt a stabbing pain in her liver.
The jealousy in her heart was like a volcano on the verge of eruption —
How could her father have given Zhan Lan her birthday present in advance!
Father, could he truly be biased towards Zhan Lan?!
Was it because she had earned military merits this time?
Zhan Xuerou clenched her frail fingers into a fist, yet said with a light smile, "Good, then you must come to the front courtyard tomorrow and celebrate my birthday with me!"
"Of course," Zhan Lan nodded gently.
Zhan Xuerou’s face beamed with pride, thinking about how she would thoroughly humiliate Zhan Lan tomorrow and show her who the real legitimate daughter of the Zhan Family was —
Who was the true darling of their father!
...
After escorting the two into the courtyard, Zhan Lan prepared to return to the rear courtyard.
As she was leaving, Qiuyue chased after her and secretly handed her a slip of paper.
After Zhan Lan returned and closed the door, she unfolded the paper to see a few crooked words written with a charcoal stick.
"Thank you, Miss Zhan Xuerou, for your warning, for your rescue!"
Zhan Lan rolled up the paper and set it aflame over the candlelight.
In her last life, a few days before Zhan Xuerou’s birthday, Qiuyue, her personal maid, died in the pond of the General Mansion.
Everyone said Qiuyue had accidentally slipped, fallen into the water, and drowned.
But Zhan Lan felt there was something fishy about it.
Not until she recalled that a new crafty maid, Meng Ling, had appeared by Zhan Xuerou’s side,
The maid supplied far too many bad ideas to Zhan Xuerou.
Zhan Lan sensed that this was surely Zhan Xuerou’s doing.
Therefore, upon returning to the mansion, she quietly slipped a note to warn Qiuyue.
Today, she even personally allowed Qiuyue to discover the peril Zhan Xuerou had intended for her.
Watching the paper burn bit by bit, turning into ash,
Zhan Lan stared at the flickering flames, thinking to herself: with her way of winning hearts, Qiuyue was a clever girl — the other party should know what to do next!
