Xu Yinyin slowly lifted her head.
The sun was blindingly bright. In the distance, a man rode a tall horse, leading a group of soldiers at full speed, and came to a stop right in front of her.
Civilians don’t contend with officials. At first, the crowd had eagerly gathered to watch the spectacle, but the moment they saw the Marquis—clad in armor, riding a warhorse taller than a man—they instinctively stepped aside to make way.
From his high vantage point, Qi Zhen looked down and scrutinized the soaked girl not far from him.
After a moment, he raised an eyebrow and asked indifferently, “You were the one who reported to the authorities?”
With his back to the sun, Xu Yinyin faced the full force of the glare, momentarily unable to open her eyes.
She looked frail, her face smeared with mud, completely unbefitting of a noble lady.
But what Qi Zhen noticed at first glance was her straight, upright posture.
Before Xu Yinyin could answer, Yunque—who had long been displeased with her—dropped to her knees with a thud in front of Qi Zhen.
His horse reared, startled by the sudden movement, hooves raised dangerously high.
Yunque turned pale in fright.
Fortunately, Qi Zhen expertly tightened the reins, stopping the horse just in time from trampling her.
Trembling on the ground, Yunque kowtowed furiously, pointing at Xu Yinyin and shouting with desperate anger, “My lord, the young lady insisted on reporting to the authorities despite all our pleas! We truly had no other choice…”
As a servant born and raised in the Marquis’ household, Yunque knew her masters’ temperaments well.
And Qi Zhen had always cared most about the family’s reputation. He would never let such a reckless, foolish daughter off the hook.
Raising her head, Yunque’s gaze clashed with Xu Yinyin’s.
She had expected to see fear, perhaps tears—or at least some visible panic.
But there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
This girl, after suffering so much, showed no excitement or emotion upon meeting her birth father. Not even a flicker of expression.
Yunque’s eyes widened. For a moment, it was as if something had dawned on her.
But it was too late. Qi Zhen had already raised his riding whip and brought it down hard.
Crack!
The whip lashed across Yunque’s back, instantly splitting her garment and drawing a pained scream as she collapsed, writhing in agony.
At Qi Zhen’s glance, one of his guards immediately dismounted and dragged her away.
As she was being dragged off, drenched in sweat and pain, Yunque caught one last look at Xu Yinyin’s eyes.
They were calm and still—like the surface of an ancient, undisturbed well.
And just then, Xu Yinyin slowly made a slashing gesture across her neck.
She had made a vow: anyone who tried to kill her would die before she did.
She always kept her word.
The sunlight was glaring. Qi Zhen turned to look at the corpse of Hua Momo.
The rest of the servants, already terrified from Qi Zhen’s earlier blow, scrambled to carry the body away.
Only then did Qi Zhen slowly turn back to Xu Yinyin. “You were the one who reported it?”
By now, the men from the Marquis’ estate and the constables had begun dispersing the onlookers.
Though the crowd was reluctant to leave the drama behind, none dared defy authority. In no time, the area in front of the yamen was cleared, leaving only Qi Zhen and Xu Yinyin.
He silently studied the girl before him, feeling a flicker of something strange.
Before this, he had felt nothing toward this daughter.
He already had several children. Among them, the one he favored most was Qi Jin.
Qi Jin was gentle, elegant, filial, and had been chosen as a companion reader for a princess at the age of twelve.
If nothing went wrong, she would have the brightest future among all the daughters of the Qi family.
But then something had gone wrong.
That “something” was Xu Yinyin.
When her background was uncovered, everyone in the Marquis’ household had felt like the sky was falling.
From the old Marquis to Xu Yinyin’s own mother, Madam Wang, no one had high hopes for her.
Qi Yunting even outright suggested sending her to a country estate to be raised quietly.
Qi Zhen had wavered at that.
After all, they had raised Qi Jin for over a decade—it was hard to cut ties.
And practically speaking, Qi Jin had spent years building the identity of the Marquis’ true daughter among the nobility.
She had good connections with imperial princes and princesses alike.
What did Xu Yinyin have?
Being cast aside seemed like her fate.
Even if she was brought home, she could never surpass Qi Jin’s status.
Qi Zhen looked at the girl in front of him, and felt a bit of regret.
Such a shame—she had the guts to report to the authorities, the instinct to protect herself from malicious servants, and the composure to stay calm under pressure.
Even now, facing the father she had never met, she remained poised, standing tall.
Her temperament… resembled his younger self.
Was this what they called blood ties?
Xu Yinyin nodded, calmly admitting, “Yes.”
Her face was covered in dried mud, so much that her features were hard to discern.
Only her eyes were strikingly bright.
Qi Zhen’s heart stirred slightly. He asked, “Why? Did no one teach you proper conduct? Do you not understand that for noblewomen, preserving the family’s reputation comes above all else?”
It was a harsh question—enough to frighten anyone.
But Xu Yinyin didn’t care. She looked up at him and even let out a cold laugh before speaking.
“No. The first thing they did when they arrived—was try to drown me.”
A gust of wind blew by, and Xu Yinyin sneezed.
Still, she didn’t dodge or react—she just said coldly, “I don’t believe a mere servant would dare kill me on their own. So I had to report it, to protect myself. At the very least, I needed to be safe before I could start learning your rules.”
She wasn’t wrong.
Qi Zhen was actually quite satisfied with her answer.
Compared to some useless country bumpkin who only knew how to herd pigs and chop firewood, this girl’s quick thinking and adaptability had exceeded all expectations.
But something was off…
When Xu Yinyin looked at him, she showed none of the respect or affection a daughter should have for her father.
Qi Jin never treated him like this.
He let out a cold snort. “Sharp-tongued and utterly uncultured!”
Xu Yinyin wasn’t the least surprised by his reaction.
These so-called blood relatives had never treated her like family. They measured her worth by what she could offer.
If she was useful, they’d give her a room and a meal—even without emotional bonds.
If she was useless, no amount of loyalty or devotion would make them value her.
So why bother pretending there was love between them?
She was just about to speak, when a familiar voice rang out from afar: “Marquis Yongping?”
Qi Zhen turned at once. The moment he saw who it was, his stern demeanor vanished. He quickly dismounted and bowed: “Your Highness!”
Xu Yinyin also turned suddenly—just in time to meet a pair of familiar eyes.
Xiao Yunting raised his brow slightly. After seeing her eyes clearly, he calmly said to Qi Zhen, “Marquis, you may rise. By the way, why are you here?”
Qi Zhen coughed awkwardly. “I… I came to bring my daughter home.”
