Chapter 3: Deceived

Chapter 3: Deceived

Yan Sanhe found herself alone in the chilly main hall of the Xie residence, without even a warm cup of tea being offered to her.

Xie Daozhi had made his intentions clear with a strong show of authority.

Two hours later.

The lights flickered on outside the courtyard, and a figure walked into the main hall with hands behind their back—it was none other than Xie Daozhi himself.

As Yan Sanhe had imagined, he possessed an attractive appearance, with his white hair and beard doing little to conceal his noble aura.

Approaching him, she bowed slightly.

Xie Daozhi passed by her expressionlessly, lifting his robe as he sat down.

Seeing that Yan Sanhe remained standing, Manager Xie scolded, "Miss Yan, why haven't you paid your respects to my master?"

Pay respects?

Yan Sanhe's brows lifted, and he turned slowly, walking right in front of Xie Daozhi to the other side of the Eight Immortals table.

He sat down with an air of nonchalance.

"Bold!"

"And what of it?"

Yan Sanhe raised his head slightly. "Are the chairs in your Xie residence merely for show?"

House Manager Xie nearly choked on his own words.

Just as he was about to lash out again, Xie Daozhi's profound gaze landed on him. The scolding died in his throat, forced back down.

The atmosphere froze in an instant.

After a long while, Xie Daozhi lifted his eyelids and finally cast a casual glance at Yan Sanhe.

"What is your family name?"

"Indeed."

"Where are you from?"

"From Fugong County, Yunnan Prefecture."

"What brings you all the way here to see this official?"

Yan Sanhe leaned forward, gazing at the profile of Xie Daozhi. "I have come for Yan Xing!"

As expected.

Xie Daozhi sneered inwardly. "What is your relationship with Yan Xing?"

"Family."

"What kind of family?"

"I address him as my grandfather."

"How old are you this year?"

"Seventeen."

"And Yan Xing...?"

Xie Daozhi tapped his fingers on the table. "What's the matter?"

Yan Sanhe continued to look at him. "He passed away a month and a half ago."

Dead?

The tension in Xie Daozhi's shoulders, which had been tightly clenched, eased imperceptibly. He covered his mouth and coughed. "Did he pass away peacefully in old age?"

Yan Sanhe replied, "Life, aging, illness, and death are all part of a natural end."

Xie Daozhi furrowed his brow slightly.

Such words were not expected from a seventeen-year-old young lady; they were too mature!

"Did he leave any final words for me before his passing?"

"No words were spoken."

"And did he entrust any tasks to me?"

"No tasks were assigned."

The false warmth in Xie Daozhi's eyes dissipated instantly, revealing a guarded demeanor as if facing an adversary.

If Yan Xing had no message and no task, why would his granddaughter seek him out?

He stroked his beard leisurely and spoke with an encouraging tone, "I had a few encounters with him but was not well-acquainted."

Yan Sanhe continued to look at him, her gaze now more somber.

"Was your relationship with him truly limited to just a few encounters?"

"Would this official deceive you?"

Yan Sanhe softly uttered two words, "Deceived."

"Outrageous!"

Xie Daozhi slammed his hand on the table, furious beyond measure.

Involuntarily, he was about to call for someone to come in and discipline this audacious creature with the heart of a bear and the courage of a leopard. But then, the corner of his eye caught sight of Yan Sanhe suddenly standing up.

She approached Xie Daozhi and met his gaze directly.

Xie Daozhi felt a sudden throb in his heart.

"I must act recklessly, even if I can't."

Yan Sanhe's voice remained calm. "Xie Daozhi, you once bore the Yan surname and called Yan Xing 'Father.'"

Father? !

Forty-eight-year-old Xie Daozhi, upon hearing these words, was momentarily stunned before he burst into laughter.

"Who in this world doesn't know me, Xie Daozhi, who lost my father at the tender age of one and a half, and was raised solely by my widowed mother? Do not speak nonsense!"

Yan Sanhe was about to respond when she noticed the change in Xie Daozhi's expression.

"You can even engage me in conversation now only because of our previous encounters. Otherwise...you might not even have the chance to set foot in the Xie residence."

Yan Sanhe's pupils constricted.

She had anticipated that this matter wouldn't be straightforward, but she hadn't expected Xie Daozhi to be so resolute in her words.

"Someone!"

The chief steward, whose blood had run cold from Yan Sanhe's remarks, hurried over. "Master?"

Xie Daozhi sternly commanded, "Prepare accommodations for Miss Yan for the night. Tomorrow morning, instruct the accountant to provide her with one thousand taels of silver."

One thousand taels?

The chief steward was taken aback. "Master, such a large sum?"

Xie Daozhi's expression was visibly repelled. "She has traveled all the way from Yunnan Prefecture to the capital, and it must not have been an easy journey. It's likely she won't have another chance to come again."

"Yes!"

"Miss Yan..."

"Miss Yan!"

Xie Daozhi's voice was as stern as iron, his gaze sharp as blades.

"This! Is! The! Xie! Estate!"

In just five words, the aura of a superior was laid out.

Yan Sanhe gritted her teeth forcefully, swallowing back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

There was more to what Xie Daozhi had to say but he didn't finish the sentence:

"We will not tolerate your arrogance!"