Yan Jiaojiao, caught red-handed, felt a pang of embarrassment. She coughed lightly and closed the door behind her, cutting off the prying eyes of Rong'er and the others still in the private room.
Inside, she couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise towards Wen Jinshu.
Even though she had cast a barrier, neither Yan Ruxue nor Chen Bingbing had detected her presence. Yet, Wen Jinshu had calmly waited for her to walk into a trap. Such perceptiveness and strategy made Yan Jiaojiao believe that Wen Jinshu was the true rival for the assessment.
As for herself, at a mere Red level three, she posed no threat to Wen Jinshu.
Thinking this, Yan Jiaojiao couldn't help but offer a wry smile. "Yes, I had to eavesdrop to know someone was plotting against me."
Wen Jinshu frowned. "Know your enemy and yourself. I had no intention of doing anything to you."
"I wasn't referring to you," Yan Jiaojiao said, realizing Wen Jinshu had misunderstood. "Since you've investigated, have you received the latest news that I have severed ties with the Yan family?"
Wen Jinshu remained silent; her expression said it all. She knew, and had also figured out that Yan Jiaojiao was referring to Yan Ruxue and the other.
"I merely encountered them by chance and acted in self-defense, with no other intentions," Yan Jiaojiao added.
Wen Jinshu's expression softened slightly. "Yes, they reported that you stole and refused punishment. I was wondering if a genius girl had such a peculiar habit."
"Do I look like that kind of person?" Yan Jiaojiao asked back with a laugh.
The Yan family was truly adept at slandering others, completely disregarding her reputation. They truly didn't consider her a daughter of the Yan family!
Wen Jinshu naturally didn't want to meddle in their family affairs. Unaware of the truth behind Yan Jiaojiao's departure from the Yan family, she offered no judgment. Instead, she turned around, lifted her chin, and said, "Your family disputes are your own concern. Do not let them interfere with the assessment. I hope such an incident does not happen again. I strongly dislike being eavesdropped upon."
With that, Wen Jinshu said no more and turned to walk downstairs.
Yan Jiaojiao watched her retreating back, feeling that although the City Lord's daughter was arrogant, she was not unreasonable. She was, in fact, much easier to get along with than Yan Ruxue and the others.
After Wen Jinshu left, Yan Jiaojiao and her companions also departed the eatery and found a temporary inn, sleeping until dawn.
The next morning, Yan Jiaojiao used her "money power," giving the innkeeper a small silver ingot to find her a small courtyard.
Time was tight, but the innkeeper was well-connected in Grenan City. By afternoon, he had found several courtyards for Yan Jiaojiao to choose from.
Yan Jiaojiao immediately discarded two that didn't sound appealing. She then took Rong'er and the others to view the remaining ones and finally selected a small courtyard no more than a mile from Grenan Academy.
The courtyard was divided into two sections. The front was an open space, followed by a hall with a kitchen and a small guest room. Further back were three rooms surrounding the rear courtyard, which was just enough for the three of them to live in.
Yan Jiaojiao generously paid for the property in full, obtaining the deed. She then gave the innkeeper another silver ingot, much to the delight of both the innkeeper and the original owner, who assured Yan Jiaojiao they would be happy to help her again in the future.
Yan Jiaojiao smiled in agreement and saw them off. She then led the two guards from the Sheng family outside to purchase some furniture and daily necessities.
By the time the guards had settled these items, it was nearing evening.
Rong'er had also returned with food from outside, and they had their first meal in the new courtyard.
After dinner, they tidied up further, and the small courtyard finally began to look like a proper home.
Dongfang Xu, being a small child, had long fallen asleep. Yan Jiaojiao arranged for the two guards to stay in the front guest room and personally carried him back to her room. After settling him in, she returned to her own room to find Rong'er making a bed in the side room.
"Rong'er, the room on the left is for you," Yan Jiaojiao said, stepping forward to stop her. She didn't need Rong'er to continue serving her as a maid.
"Eldest Miss, how can that be? If you need something at night, I can come over promptly if I stay here," Rong'er insisted stubbornly.
"You are no longer bound by your servant status, and I have never treated you as a subordinate."
"But..."
"Zhao Rong," Yan Jiaojiao said seriously, taking Rong'er's hand. "This freedom was bought with your brother's life. You no longer need to confine yourself to the past. We have endured so many hardships together to reach this day. I consider you family, and you should consider yourself one of the masters of this household. Otherwise, I cannot rest easy."
Rong'er was stunned. In the days following Zhao Qi's death, she had felt disheartened. Even though she forced a smile for Yan Jiaojiao, her heart ached.
Yan Jiaojiao's words truly warmed her heart. She knew that the current situation was hard-won, and her emotions were overwhelming.
Tears welled up in Rong'er's eyes. She quickly turned away, wiped her tears, and smiled at Yan Jiaojiao, nodding. "Eldest Miss, I understand. From now on, we are family. I will move into that room."
"That's right," Yan Jiaojiao smiled, leading Rong'er to the left-side room. She then reminded Rong'er to rest early before closing the door and leaving.
Yan Jiaojiao stood in the courtyard, her heart filled with complex emotions.
From a past life where she controlled everything, to a present life where she had nothing, and now to this moment of brief peace, Yan Jiaojiao struggled to articulate her feelings.
The future was even more distant and unpredictable. For instance, tomorrow's assessment ceremony at Grenan Academy presented a significant challenge for Yan Jiaojiao.
Yan Jiaojiao looked up at the moon hanging high in the sky and sighed deeply. "Things are as they are. I will treat it as another form of cultivation."
A thousand-year-old ancestor, fearing nothing.
Yan Jiaojiao quickly cheered up and walked back to her room with a lighter step to rest.
Just as Yan Jiaojiao fell asleep, Dongfang Cangwu suddenly appeared in her room. The man with black hair and white robes was like a painting.
He looked at Yan Jiaojiao and used his divine sense to probe her body. After a thorough search, he indeed found the spiritual jade that had merged into her body.
"Water Spirit."
Dongfang Cangwu's divine sense called out.
The Water Spirit seemed to hear Dongfang Cangwu's call and emerged from the spiritual jade space the next moment, appearing before him.
Dongfang Cangwu retracted his divine sense and opened his eyes. The pure spiritual energy emanating from the Water Spirit was indeed enticing. At times when his cultivation was not smooth today, even he had wished to nurture the Water Spirit and slowly absorb its spiritual energy.
"Little Black," the Water Spirit smiled at Dongfang Cangwu. Natural spiritual beings recognized the true form of others, so even in his human guise, Dongfang Cangwu was still the black dog she remembered.
Dongfang Cangwu took a deep breath, shot an displeased glance at the instigator on the bed, and reluctantly nodded. "Mm, do you want to come with me?"
The Water Spirit was bewildered, unaware of Dongfang Cangwu's intentions. She tilted her head and asked, "Go where?"
Dongfang Cangwu remained silent, then opened his palm to reveal a white porcelain bottle. He uncorked it, revealing water from the Thousand-Year Cold Pond.