An Wan suddenly stood up and stared intently at An Xin, saying, "Sister, was this hairpin given to you by the Left Prime Minister?"
The question came out of nowhere, which made it difficult for An Xin to answer. She was not an extremely outgoing person, and she was reserved and cautious about relationships. She couldn't quite explain her feelings for Yan Zhen. She just subconsciously didn't want to give his things to others.
An Xin completely ignored An Wan's question, but An Wan interpreted it as an admission of guilt.
An Wan remained silent for a moment, then began to secretly wipe away her tears. Xu Ruolan and Luzhu brought in the bathtub just in time to see this scene. Xu Ruolan's expression changed slightly, and she hurriedly put down the bathtub and asked anxiously, "Wan'er, what's wrong? Why are you crying for no reason?"
An Wan continued to wipe away her tears, but remained silent.
Xu Ruolan looked at An Xin and said, "Xin'er, what's wrong with Wan'er...?"
An Xin frowned. She had always respected her parents. Even though An Youwei and his wife were not her real father and mother, the care they gave her after she transmigrated made her deeply entrust her longing for her parents from her previous life to them. Moreover, they were also the parents of this body. That kind of blood-is-thicker-than-water emotion could not be changed by her consciousness from her previous life!
While she could remain cold towards An Wan, all her indifference melted away like ice meeting fire when facing Xu Ruolan.
An Xin hesitated to speak at this moment, but not wanting Xu Ruolan to worry, she lied and said, "I'm afraid it's just that the scenery has brought back memories."
Xu Ruolan was taken aback, then breathed a sigh of relief and looked at An Wan with a smile, "Good child, we will never be separated again, why are you crying?"
An Wan said, feeling extremely wronged, "Mother, my sister is lying."
Xu Ruolan looked at An Xin with suspicion and asked, "What lie did your sister tell?"
An Wan pointed to the hairpin in An Xin's hand and said, "Mother, I like that hairpin, but my sister refuses to give it to me no matter what. But I really like it!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Ruolan looked at the hairpin in An Xin's hand, and her expression changed drastically upon seeing it. Wasn't that the hairpin with the dust-repelling bead that the Right Prime Minister had given to An Xin?
How can we possibly accept that?!
Xu Ruolan hurriedly said, "Wan'er, if you like hairpins, I will buy them for you, but those hairpins were given to your sister by someone else, how can you accept them?"
An Wan said aggrievedly, "Mother! I've been away from home for years, and the hardships I've endured are too numerous to recount. Yet now you're showing favoritism towards my sister? Even if it was a gift from someone else, my sister and I have always been inseparable. Why can't that hairpin be given to me?"
When Xu Ruolan heard what An Wan said, the bitterness in her heart was unimaginable. When she saw An Wan's aggrieved eyes full of tears, her heart ached even more. But that hairpin was a gift from the Right Chancellor!
If it were someone else, she could discuss with An Xin about giving the gift to her younger sister. However, the Right Prime Minister's temperament is always unpredictable. If he sees that An Xin has given the gift to someone else, he might be furious, and An Xin would be in danger!
"Mother, I don't want anything, I just want my sister's hairpin. Even if you don't give it to me, I'll just let me wear it for a few days. Mother, I just got back, can't you even grant me this small request?" An Wan became more and more aggrieved.
Xu Ruolan said with difficulty, "Wan'er, besides that hairpin, what else do you want? As long as it's something your mother can do, I'll do it for you, okay?"
An Wan burst into tears, crying, "No! Mother doesn't love me! Mother favors my sister! These past few years, I've eaten everything—grass roots, tree leaves, leftovers—I've never had warm clothes in winter, never slept well, and I've always been neglected and looked down upon. Don't you feel any pity for me after all the hardship I've endured these past few years?!"
Xu Ruolan's face turned pale: "Wan'er, these past few years you..." Before she could finish speaking, tears welled up in Xu Ruolan's eyes. Both of her daughters were flesh and blood of her own flesh and blood. If either of them was hurt, she would feel even more pain than they did. However, the suffering An Wan had endured these past few years made her feel even more guilty.
An Xin looked at Xu Ruolan's heartbroken face, a cold line forming on her lips, and said indifferently, "Mother, it's just a hairpin. If she wants to give it to her, then so be it."
Xu Ruolan's body trembled suddenly, and she looked up at An Xin.
An Xin's usually cold and hard face suddenly broke into a smile. "Besides, An Wan also said that she's only keeping it for a few days. Once she gets tired of it, I'll take it back. No one will blame me." To be honest, even if Yan Zhen knew that she had given the Dust-Avoiding Pearl to An Wan and was therefore angry, it would only be anger. It would never involve the life or death of her family.
An Wan immediately stopped crying and started laughing. She happily took the hairpin and ran to the bronze mirror to put it in her hair. However, she was still not satisfied. Then she remembered that she was dirty and ugly all over. She hurriedly said, "Mother, I'm so itchy. I need to take a bath."
Xu Ruolan grabbed An Xin's hand and patted it, hurriedly saying, "Mother will pour you some water right away."
An Xin grabbed Xu Ruolan's arm and said with a smile, "Mother, let me do it. You're not feeling well, you should rest." Before Xu Ruolan could refuse, An Xin went over and poured hot water into the bathtub. Lu Zhu also brought soap and clean towels to help.
Xu Ruolan stared at An Xin for a moment, then sighed softly.
An Xin's maturity was something she had never expected. Sometimes she even wondered how she had raised such a sensible child. Thinking of this, Xu Ruolan's eyes welled up with tears. Now things were finally alright. Wan'er was back, Xin'er was by her side, and she also had a handsome godson. Life seemed to have suddenly become so wonderful that she was a little overwhelmed.
While pouring water, Luzhu cautiously approached Anxin and said, "Miss, that hairpin was a gift from the Right Prime Minister. Why are you giving it to the Second Miss like this?"
An Xin glanced at her and said, "Shut up."
Dewdrop stuck out her tongue and dared not say anything more. She busied herself helping An Wan change her clothes. An Wan glanced at Dewdrop and said, "I didn't expect you to still be in my house."
Dewdrop paused in her work and smiled, "Second Miss, of course I'll stay by your side."
An Wan said, "You've always been clumsy since you were little, and you've caused me so much trouble. If I were you, I would have left long ago. Why would I stay and hold you back?"
Dewdrop lowered her eyes in disappointment and said, "Second Miss is right. I am really stupid. If it weren't for Miss's tolerance, I would have been homeless on the streets long ago."
An Wan immediately smiled and looked at An Xin, saying, "Sister, shall we hire more new maids? Father has been promoted now, and our family is richer, so naturally we need more maids to serve us."
An Xin said calmly, "Wealthy? Where did you get that idea? My father is an honest and upright official; where would he get the money to hire so many maids? No way!"
An Wan immediately looked at Xu Ruolan with a wronged expression and said, "Mother, how can I live without a maid? Just because my sister has one doesn't mean I can do without one?"
Xu Ruolan hurriedly comforted her, "Luzhu grew up with your sister, so their bond is naturally very strong. She won't want a new maid. Of course, a maid will be assigned to you. Don't worry, okay?"
An Wan glanced at An Xin with slight dissatisfaction before getting out of the bathtub. An Xin's gaze fell on her, and she narrowed her eyes slightly. She had injuries on her body, and although the scabs had fallen off, the marks were still visible. It seemed that what she said earlier was true; she must have suffered a lot these past years.
Watching Xu Ruolan personally feed An Wan to wash her body, An Xin turned and walked out. Dewdrop hurriedly asked, "Miss, where are you going?"
An Xin said calmly, "If Mother asks, just say I'm going out for a walk and will be back soon. Don't wait for me."
Dewdrop said, "It's so late. Let me accompany you, Miss. I'm worried about you going out alone."
An Xin said indifferently, "No need." Then she walked away on her own.
The moon, like a silver plate, was high in the sky. An Xin stepped out of the mansion. The moonlight illuminated the bluestone road. An Xin walked slowly down the street. Ancient cities stood all around, and the sound of the night watchman's gong could be heard from afar. Looking around, the bustling capital city had fallen asleep.
An Xin couldn't help but think of her past life. At this time, the city in her past life should have been brightly lit. Even at night, the sounds of traffic could not be stopped. On such a night, could her parents sleep peacefully?
An Xin is not a sentimental person, but recently these feelings have been creeping in unexpectedly, making her feel quite depressed.
The moonlight was dim, and An Xin slowly stopped in her tracks, staring at her shadow on the ground.