There is no way she was going to stay quiet and not do something to teach that damn little girl a lesson!
Yunyin frowned. She had expected a reaction, hurt, confusion, or at least some embarrassment. But Huaijin's calm eyes only made her uneasy.
Still, she continued, voice coated in honey. "You look bored sitting here all alone. Do you want me to take you to the dining hall? It's almost dinner time! Grandpa will be calling everyone soon."
The corner of Chi Huaijin's lips twitched.
'Ah… so this is it.'
In her last life, she had heard stories about this incident from the maids later on. "The wild child broke the family heirloom," they said. "Chi Yuanfeng's daughter has no manners." That single accusation had humiliated her father and given the family another excuse to suppress him.
This was how it began.
But now… she wasn't the same helpless child anymore.
Huaijin stood up, brushing the creases from her small dress. "Alright," she said, her voice soft and obedient. "Let's go."
Yunyin blinked, almost surprised at how easily she agreed. Her lips curved upward, satisfied. "Then follow me!"
The two girls walked down the wide, echoing hallways. Their steps, one light and cautious, the other confident and prancing, contrasted sharply. The servants they passed by smiled politely, unaware of the quiet tension forming between the two.
Yunyin kept glancing back, her smile a bit too wide. "Grandpa will definitely like you if you behave. But…" She paused dramatically. "You shouldn't say anything unnecessary, okay? Grandpa doesn't like noisy children."
"Oh?" Huaijin's tone was mild. "Then he must not like you very much."
Yunyin froze mid-step.
The words were spoken so softly, so innocently, that for a moment she couldn't even tell if she was insulted or not. By the time she turned around, Huaijin had already walked past her, humming quietly as if nothing had happened.
Yunyin gritted her teeth.
When they reached the side hall, Huaijin slowed her steps.
This hall was different from the rest, elegant yet dimly lit, lined with display shelves that held antique porcelain vases, jade figurines, and calligraphy scrolls. It was her grandfather's favorite place.
And right in the center stood that vase.
White porcelain, delicately painted with blue dragons swirling around its surface. It had been imported from the royal family of a foreign country. She remembered the story well—Grandfather Chi once boasted it was worth "more than a mansion in the capital."
Perfect bait.
"Wow," Huaijin whispered, walking closer, feigning awe.
Yunyin smirked. "Beautiful, isn't it? But be careful! If you break it, Grandpa will be very, very angry."
Her tone was playful, but her eyes gleamed maliciously.
Huaijin turned, meeting her gaze evenly. "Then you should stay far from it too. You look a little clumsy."
Yunyin's smile cracked. "W-What?"
But before she could retort, Yunyin suddenly stumbled forward, intentionally. Her small elbow brushed against the vase. The sound of shattering porcelain echoed through the hall like thunder.
CRASH!
Fragments flew across the marble floor, glinting under the chandelier's light.
Yunyin gasped dramatically, then widened her eyes as if she were horrified. "Ah! You— you pushed me!"
Huaijin blinked slowly. "...I did?"
Yunyin immediately shoved her backward and burst into tears, her cries sharp and ear-piercing. "Grandpa! Someone! Help! Huaijin broke Grandpa's favorite vase!"
Her wails carried down the corridor instantly.
Footsteps thundered closer; the butler, servants, and even a few family members rushed in, alarmed.
Luo Ming was the first to arrive, his expression turning pale when he saw the mess. "Miss Yunyin! Miss Huaijin! What happened here?"
Before Huaijin could even open her mouth, Yunyin ran toward him, crying pitifully as she pointed at Huaijin. "She, she pushed me! I told her not to touch it! But she didn't listen! She said she wanted to see if it was real porcelain, then— then she broke it!"
Her acting was flawless. The tears, the trembling shoulders, even the little hiccups between words, it would have fooled anyone.
Chi Huaijin lowered her gaze, her lashes trembling faintly.
Luo Ming turned toward her, his brow furrowed. "Miss Huaijin… is this true?"
For a moment, silence filled the hall. Everyone held their breath, waiting for her answer.
Then Huaijin slowly raised her head. Her dark eyes, usually soft and mild, now held a depth that startled even Lou Ming.
"Butler Luo," she said softly, "if I broke it, then I'll apologize to Grandpa myself."
Yunyin froze.
That wasn't the reaction she expected. No denial? No panic?
Huaijin stepped forward, small and delicate, yet carrying an aura that made her seem older than her years. Her white dress fluttered slightly as she walked past Yunyin, who instinctively stepped back.
At that exact moment—
The heavy sound of a cane tapping against the marble echoed.
Patriarch Chi had arrived.
His face was stern, his eyes sharp as ever, his presence filling the entire hall. Behind him stood Chi Yuanfeng, looking alarmed as soon as he saw Huaijin.
"What happened here?" The old man's voice was calm, yet his tone carried a threat that made everyone stiffen.
"Grandfather!" Yunyin cried, running to him immediately. "Huaijin broke your vase! I tried to stop her, but she pushed me!"
Chi Yuanfeng froze, his gaze snapping toward Huaijin, disbelief and worry flashing across his face. "Jinjin, did you—"
"I didn't," Huaijin interrupted gently, her voice steady.
The old man narrowed his eyes. "Then what happened?"
Huaijin looked up at him, her small hands clutching the hem of her dress. "I was just looking at it. Sister Yunyin tripped. I tried to help her, but she fell on the vase."
"Lies!" Yunyin screamed, stamping her foot. "You're lying! You pushed me!"
"Then why are your hands clean?" Huaijin asked softly, her eyes glancing at Yunyin's spotless palms. "If I pushed you, wouldn't my fingerprints be on the vase pieces too?"
Everyone's gaze immediately flicked to the floor; indeed, the porcelain fragments were scattered near Yunyin's shoes, but Huaijin was standing far from them.