The refined and noble sister-in-law versus the beautiful, frail, and obsessive yandere.

After calling out "Sister-in-law," his brows furrowed even deeper.

What was she doing here?

Xinyi blinked gently, adopting a cautious and timid expression, and asked in a very soft tone, "May I come in?"

"The wind is strong outside the door. There are things I would like to discuss inside."

She chose to strike decisively.

Xinyi had an exceptionally strong premonition that if she didn't take the initiative, Shen Rujie wouldn't let her in even if she stood there until nightfall.

"..."

The young man was silent for a moment before stepping aside. "Fine."

However, those cold eyes remained fixed on her, seemingly sizing her up with suspicion. He added indifferently, "It is merely humble quarters here; I hope you won't find it beneath you, Sister-in-law."

Having interacted with him yesterday, Xinyi was already completely immune to such unfriendly gazes.

As far as she knew, Shen Rujie hated everyone in this Marquis's estate equally. If one were to rank them, she was actually quite far down the list!

System: "..."

With that pathetic, negative favorability score, she really didn't know what there was to be proud of.

Xinyi didn't care about that gossiping system.

With a gentle curve to her eyes, she offered the young man a very soft, faint smile. "It's fine, of course I don't mind."

Even if there were a mountain of blades or a sea of fire ahead, she had to press on! What other choices did a working-class soul have?

Once she entered the courtyard and stepped into the dilapidated room with the help of her maid, Shen Rujie’s demeanor remained icy.

Xinyi glanced around.

So dilapidated. Everything here was falling apart.

A table, a bed, and a few windows with peeling paint—she had finished surveying the room's furnishings in just two looks.

She withdrew her gaze, turned her head, and asked, "How are your injuries? You were caught in the rain for so long yesterday; have you reapplied your medicine?"

As she spoke, she moved slightly closer, as if unconsciously.

It allowed him to clearly see those dark, clear, almond-shaped eyes and the undisguised concern on her face.

That herbal scent that had lingered in the rain yesterday once again wafted to his nose, impossible to avoid.

Shen Rujie pursed his lips and couldn't help but take a step back. "Thank you for your concern, Sister-in-law. It is nothing serious."

He didn't like people getting so close to him.

Nor was he used to it.

Although she didn't wear those vulgar, cloying perfumes, so she didn't smell offensive.

Xinyi, who was watching him intently, naturally caught the flash of hostility in the youth's eyes.

Knowing the importance of gradual progress, she didn't continue to close the distance. Instead, she turned to take a small jar of ointment from A-Ying and held it out. "This is the best gold-trauma medicine one can buy in the capital. It is said to be incredibly effective at stopping bleeding. I hope it helps with your injuries."

The most important thing was that it was incredibly expensive; it had cost her several dozen taels of silver!

Although the money wasn't hers—and she couldn't take it with her even if she left this small world—Xinyi still felt an unavoidable pang of heartache the moment she handed it over.

A-Ying hadn't really understood it either.

Why was her mistress suddenly being so good to the Second Young Master? As for those rare herbs from Youzhou, if she wanted to thank anyone, she should thank the Marquis; he wouldn't have gone if not for the Marquis's orders!

But then she thought about it carefully—her mistress had always been this kind of person; she treated them, the servants, very well too.

Don't look at the maids in other courtyards who seemed so imposing; A-Ying knew they were secretly envious of her. At the very least, she never had to worry about being scolded or punished.

So, the conclusion was: the mistress was truly kind.

As for this ointment:

The one Shen Rujie had bought was indeed used up, and he usually didn't use such high-quality medicine. Even though he didn't lack money after working for the Seventh Prince, he was used to the cheap stuff that cost a few pennies.

He looked at the jar in Xinyi's hand but didn't take it immediately. "Why give me this?"

It wasn't his first time being injured, and this wasn't his most serious wound.

Ever since Wu Xinyi married into the Marquis's estate, she had never initiated any contact with him, fearing that she might displease Shen Gui.

She was simply too timid, and at most, she would watch from the sidelines or stay far away; she wouldn't mock or humiliate him like others did.

His gaze held her without blinking, missing not a single subtle expression on her face, trying to see through to her real motive.

Xinyi thought: Because I need to攻略 (conquer/capture) you.

Naturally, she couldn't say that out loud. She paused for a second, looking earnest. "Because being hurt is very painful. I hope you can recover quickly."

Afraid he would be suspicious, she intentionally bit her lip, looking sorrowful and self-reproachful. She added softly, "I know the trip to Youzhou was extremely dangerous, and I know you were injured so badly because you were working hard to find medicine for me. Regardless... regardless, I remember your kindness toward me."

"Besides, a bottle of medicine is nothing. If you have other difficulties in the future, I will do my best to help."

System: "Wow, host, you are a natural-born actor. You almost had me convinced."

Unfortunately, Shen Rujie didn't believe her.

However, he didn't refuse again. As he took the ointment, the corners of his lips twitched. "Thank you, Sister-in-law. I will accept it."

"Ding! Shen Rujie's favorability +1%."

"Current favorability toward the host has risen to -74%. Keep at it, host!"

Xinyi was shocked. "System, what is going on?"

The System didn't understand her meaning. "Your favorability increased! Shouldn't the host feel encouraged?"

Roll up your sleeves and earn another 2%!

"No, I mean... why didn't it increase when I showed concern yesterday, but it did today?"

The System tried to analyze it. "Perhaps it's because you only spoke words yesterday and didn't take any concrete action."

Today was different. She hadn't just bought the gold-trauma medicine; she had delivered it personally.

Xinyi nodded. So that was it.

She looked up at the delicate, handsome youth, just about to say something more to deepen their connection, when a loud "Bang!" echoed through the courtyard.

It sounded like someone had blown open—or rather, kicked open—the wooden gate.

At the same time, a clear notification sounded in her mind: "Ding! Important cannon fodder character 'Shen Xianxian' has appeared."

The System said: "She is about to cause trouble for Shen Rujie. Host, please react and protect your target."

Shen Xianxian, the Fifth Young Lady of the Marquis's estate, was born of the same mother as Shen Gui and was the most willful person in the entire household.

She originally had two older sisters, but they had both married off; she was the only unmarried young lady left in the estate.

She actually liked Shen Rujie's face, but due to their status and the hostility she had been fed since childhood, she was very nasty toward him.

When they were younger, she had even used a tree branch to force-feed him ants.

As she grew up, she gradually realized her feelings for Shen Rujie, which at first she couldn't accept, leading to a mix of anger and annoyance. Every time she came to provoke him, she would dress herself up beautifully just to make her presence felt.

Xinyi: "..."

What century was this? Why was there still such a brain-dead cannon fodder character? It reminded her of certain boys in middle and high school who liked to get attention by causing trouble or pulling girls' pigtails—except this was an upgraded version.

Following the loud noise, footsteps quickly headed in their direction.

Xinyi looked to the side and saw the youth's expression instantly drop several degrees in temperature.

"Shen Rujie!"

The peeling crimson gate creaked as it was pushed open. The footsteps stopped, and the young girl’s crisp, imperious voice followed heavily.

Shen Xianxian wore a cinnabar-red dress, possessed a charming and pretty face, and the pearls on her hairpins swayed with her every move.

Just as she was about to lash out at him, she saw Xinyi standing to the side and immediately switched from being aggressive to confused. "Sister-in-law... why are you here?"

Xinyi offered a gentle smile and answered the question easily. "The Second Young Master is injured, so I came to deliver some medicine."

Shen Xianxian’s suspicious gaze swept back and forth between the two of them, even more confused. "What kind of medicine is worth Sister-in-law making a personal trip? And when did you become so close to him?"

Had they ever had any contact before? She certainly hadn't heard of it.

"The Marquis instructed the Second Young Master to go to Youzhou to find medicine for me. Now that he is injured, it is only right and proper for me to come and see how he is."

Xinyi paused slightly and continued, "Yesterday, the Marquis specifically instructed that the Second Young Master should be allowed to rest and recover in the estate for these few days, and that others should not disturb him. I am also curious, Xianxian, why are you here?"

She said these things with a smile, her tone soft and melodic, as if everything she asked was perfectly natural and devoid of any hostility.

Shen Xianxian, however, was left speechless for a long time. "I, I..."

She actually felt a bit embarrassed.

Of course, she was here to cause trouble for Shen Rujie, to make his life miserable as per her usual routine.

But Xinyi was here, and it seemed she was quite concerned about Shen Rujie.

She couldn't forcefully do anything; after all, the woman was the legitimate wife of the Marquis and held the title of her sister-in-law.

Furthermore, her health was terrible. What if she accidentally tripped or bumped into something and fainted here?

Although her older brother didn't like her, he had never mistreated her. If something were to happen to her sister-in-law because of her, she certainly wouldn't be let off as lightly as she was when she bullied Shen Rujie.

She might even be grounded, forced to kneel in the ancestral hall, or made to copy Buddhist scriptures.

No, no, that wouldn't do. Thinking of this, Shen Xianxian shook her head, choosing to be sensible.

But since she had come, she felt stifled if she left without doing anything.

She had to make Shen Rujie feel uncomfortable today.

So, she reached out, wanting to pinch the youth’s cheek hard. "I'm here to show concern for my Second Brother, too. I want to see if his injuries have healed. Did you get hurt on your face too? Let me see..."

Unfortunately, her fingers were swatted away before they could touch him.

"You!"

Shen Xianxian was furious, her eyes widening as she glared at him. "Are you crazy? How dare you defy me! If I tell my brother, I guarantee you'll regret it!"

For some reason, Shen Rujie could not stand her proximity today; he didn't even want to pretend.

Suppressing his intense murderous intent and disgust, he said coldly, "Tell him if you want. Now, get out of my room."

Shen Xianxian laughed in anger, repeating sarcastically, "Your... room? Is there any part of this Marquis's estate that belongs to you? Remember this, my brother is the master of this house! Who do you think you are to put on airs in front of me?"

She was fuming, disregarding whether Xinyi was present, and continued to hurl insults as she usually did. "You're just a little bastard born from your mother's infidelity, an unclean thing. No wonder Father didn't love you when he was alive. You should be thanking everyone just for being alive, do you understand!"

Xinyi listened, her heart pounding. She wanted to say—do you know what a "boxed lunch" (slang for death) is, girl?

Your boxed lunch is already piping hot and waiting for you.

So, out of humanitarian spirit and the strict requirements of her mission, she quickly interrupted Shen Xianxian's attempt to court death. "Enough!"

"Xianxian, how can you speak to your brother like that? It is simply, simply..." Xinyi put on an expression of shock and disappointment, clutching her chest as if frightened.

She looked so fragile; though she was reprimanding the girl, she seemed as if she might collapse from the sheer agitation at any second.

Shen Xianxian stopped speaking. She was still fuming with unvented anger, pouting and looking at no one, appearing almost aggrieved.

She was furious but didn't dare talk back, fearing she might accidentally stress her to death.

It was A-Ying's first time seeing Xinyi like this, and she hurried to support her in a panic. "Mistress, Mistress, are you alright? Is it serious?"

Xinyi leaned on her, shaking her head weakly. "It's nothing."

Though she said it was nothing, every inch of her body screamed: "Physically frail, pretending to be strong."

Shen Xianxian felt her scalp tingle. "Sister-in-law..."

It was the first time she had ever had to lower her head and apologize to someone, even though she was the one who was unhappy. "Sister-in-law, it's my fault. Please don't be angry."