Senior Sister, Please Act Human! - Chapter 11

Xiao Yuanzhi placed all the snacks on the table. She opened a few packages and tasted them.

They were actually pretty good!

And so, she decided she would not go out and fight everyone else for food today.

“Senior Sister, why don’t you come in and have some?”

Xiao Yuanzhi’s voice suddenly came from inside the room.

Yan’er was not the sort of person who stood on ceremony. Besides, these snacks had originally belonged to her in the first place. The moment Xiao Yuanzhi invited her in, she entered.

As they ate, Xiao Yuanzhi subtly guided the conversation. Combined with everything that had happened yesterday, Yan’er gradually developed the uncomfortable feeling that accepting someone’s food made it difficult to refuse their requests.

Unfortunately, she had a weakness for snacks.

The food was already in her mouth. She could hardly spit it back out, could she?

Some of these treats were things she had treasured for a long time and had never been willing to eat.

Therefore, this time, Yan’er answered every question Xiao Yuanzhi asked honestly. She even volunteered everything she had previously neglected to mention.

Only then did Xiao Yuanzhi learn that Wei Zisu came from a prestigious and influential family.

One of her ancestors had once served as the prime minister of Canglai, while several generations of his descendants had also become government officials and important ministers of the imperial court.

However, when it came to Wei Zisu’s great-grandfather’s generation, he abandoned officialdom and went into business instead.

At present, only one of Wei Zisu’s uncles still held an insignificant, leisurely post in the imperial court.

Wei Zisu’s father had inherited the family business and rapidly expanded it, becoming the wealthiest man in the land.

Compared with the Wei family, the Qin family—the family of Wei Zisu’s fiancé, Qin Yiluo—was clearly nothing more than a clan of nouveau riche.

None of their ancestors had accomplished anything worth remembering.

Yet fate had brought the two families together.

Years ago, while Wei Zisu’s great-grandfather was traveling on business, he encountered mountain bandits who stole his merchandise. The Qin family happened to pass by and rescued him.

The two men became good friends and made an agreement: if the Wei and Qin families each produced a son and a daughter, the two children would marry, joining the families through marriage.

Unfortunately, for several generations, the circumstances never aligned.

Only in Wei Zisu’s generation had the agreement finally become possible.

And Wei Zisu’s fiancé was none other than the scumbag who had nearly raped Xiao Yuanzhi when she first transmigrated—

Qin Yiluo.

The moment Xiao Yuanzhi thought of that bastard, she became furious.

She wished she could go over and teach him how to behave all over again.

How could Wei Zisu still honor an agreement made generations ago and marry a piece of garbage like him?

Wei Zisu might have had a terrible temper, a vicious tongue, and a black heart. She might also have treated Xiao Yuanzhi badly.

But with a face like hers, marrying a scumbag like Qin Yiluo would simply be a criminal waste of beauty!

“Does Eldest Senior Sister like that bastard?”

Caught up in her emotions, Xiao Yuanzhi spoke without filtering herself.

Yan’er’s mouth was stuffed full of snacks, but her eyes widened dramatically in shock.

Bastard?

Thinking Yan’er had not understood her, Xiao Yuanzhi explained, “I mean Qin Yiluo.”

After a brief pause, Yan’er became even more astonished.

Little Junior Sister had actually called Eldest Senior Brother a bastard?

Yan’er hastily swallowed everything in her mouth, only to choke.

She quickly gestured for Xiao Yuanzhi to bring her water.

Xiao Yuanzhi hurriedly poured a cup and handed it to her.

Only after drinking several cups did Yan’er finally recover.

“Eldest Senior Sister and Eldest Senior Brother grew up together. Everyone knows she likes him. Besides, they have been engaged since childhood. Isn’t that perfectly normal?”

Xiao Yuanzhi shook her head repeatedly.

Another blind woman.

“What a pity. Such a pity.”

“It is a pity. Eldest Senior Sister and Eldest Senior Brother should have married after her coming-of-age ceremony.”

“If they were already old enough to marry, why didn’t they?”

The subject immediately irritated Yan’er.

She shot Xiao Yuanzhi a displeased glance.

“Because Eldest Senior Brother never went to the Wei family to formally propose. Although their engagement was arranged when they were young, Eldest Senior Sister is still a woman. How could a woman possibly beg a man to propose marriage? If word of that spread, what would people think of her?”

No wonder Wei Zisu had become so furious that day.

Of all the things Xiao Yuanzhi could have said behind her back, she had struck precisely where it hurt most.

However, according to Yan’er, the Qin family was inferior to the Wei family. That meant the Qin family would be marrying above their station.

Wei Zisu was also her parents’ only daughter, so she would most likely inherit the family estate someday.

Would that not make Qin Yiluo the sort of man who married an only daughter just to swallow her family’s entire fortune?

With such an enormous advantage waiting for them, the Qin family still refused to propose.

What were they so proud of?

Was it merely because Qin Yiluo was a man?

Had Xiao Yuanzhi been in Wei Zisu’s position, forget stupidly waiting for him. Even if he came to propose, not only would she refuse, she would smash his worthless head on the spot.

With a vast family fortune, why not live a life of luxury, eating and drinking whatever she wanted?

Why would she need some shitty man?

Yan’er was still staring at her with a trace of resentment in her gaze.

Wait.

Why was she looking at Xiao Yuanzhi?

What did any of this have to do with her?

“Senior Sister, why are you looking at me like that? It isn’t as though I stopped the two of them from marrying.”

“How could it have nothing to do with you? If Junior Sister had not inserted herself between them, Eldest Senior Sister and Eldest Senior Brother would have married long ago.”

Yan’er continued, “Eldest Senior Sister might appear cold and unapproachable, but she is not truly like that. She helps her junior brothers and sisters, and despite being so skilled in martial arts, she has never used her strength to bully anyone or lost her temper with them. Considering what you said about her yesterday, you really cannot blame her for treating you that way.”

Yan’er felt indignant on Wei Zisu’s behalf, so her tone inevitably carried accusation and resentment.

Wait a minute.

If that bastard refused to propose, what did it have to do with the original Xiao Yuanzhi?

If the original owner had genuinely fallen for trash like Qin Yiluo, Xiao Yuanzhi would gouge out her own eyes.

During the past several days, Xiao Yuanzhi had gone through the original owner’s belongings whenever she became bored.

Admittedly, rummaging through someone else’s things was not good, but she needed to understand the original owner and the era she now lived in.

There was not a single object connected to Qin Yiluo.

Even when the original owner drew crabs, every one of them was female.

Aside from an entire collection of pale-pink clothes and some paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones, she had drawn quite a few candied hawthorn skewers.

She had probably been an adorable little foodie.

Since neither Xiao Yuanzhi nor the body’s original owner had any interest in Qin Yiluo, Xiao Yuanzhi believed she ought to clear the original owner’s name.

“Why does Senior Sister believe I have feelings for him? Did I ever say so, or did I ever do anything to suggest it?”

Yan’er replied, “Everyone in the manor knows Eldest Senior Brother is in love with you. He also said that you accepted his feelings.”

Wonderful.

So that bastard had personally dumped this entire pot of blame over her head.

“What Senior Sister said was that Eldest Senior Brother likes me—not that I like him. So what does that have to do with me?”

Xiao Yuanzhi continued, “You also said that Eldest Senior Brother claimed I accepted him. Other people’s mouths belong to them. They may say whatever they please. But did Senior Sister ever personally hear me say such a thing?”

Yan’er thought about it.

That did seem to be true.

Xiao Yuanzhi had never once said she liked Eldest Senior Brother.

Xiao Yuanzhi continued questioning her.

“Have I ever crossed any boundaries with him? Have I ever behaved intimately with him?”

Yan’er shook her head.

“No. Aside from going down the mountain to distribute food, Little Junior Sister rarely becomes close to anyone. You keep your distance not only from the senior and junior brothers, but from the senior sisters as well.”

Now the truth was perfectly clear.

This entire mess was the fault of that loose-mouthed bastard.

In ancient times, spreading rumors that ruined a young woman’s reputation was both vile and contemptible.

Xiao Yuanzhi did not even need to think hard to understand what Qin Yiluo had been plotting.

Fortunately, she lived in a martial sect.

Had she been living with an ordinary family, she might either have been forced to marry the man involved in the rumors or drowned in a pig cage for supposedly dishonoring herself.

Fuck!

Had this happened online, people probably would have launched an entire campaign of slut-shaming against the innocent woman.

Xiao Yuanzhi’s anger instantly surged.

“I never told him I liked him, nor did I agree to be with him. Why does everyone believe him and dump this entire bucket of shit over my head?”

Yan’er had been carefully considering everything Xiao Yuanzhi said and realized it genuinely made sense.

She was still lost in thought when Xiao Yuanzhi’s sudden outburst startled her.

Those words were shocking enough on their own.

Ever since Little Junior Sister fell into the lake, why had even her manner of speaking become so… bold?

She dared say absolutely anything.

But Yan’er really liked the current Little Junior Sister!

“Little Junior Sister, calm down. Don’t be angry anymore. Now that everything has been clarified, once Eldest Senior Sister learns it was all a misunderstanding, she certainly won’t remain angry with you.”

Yan’er continued, “The other senior and junior sisters did not know the truth before, so they also misunderstood you. I hope Little Junior Sister will not blame them for it.”

Seeing that Xiao Yuanzhi was still displeased, Yan’er hurriedly picked up a pastry and handed it to her ingratiatingly.

“Little Junior Sister, eat this one. It’s delicious. And this one—this one is delicious too. This one, and this one…”

Seeing more and more snacks pile up in her hands, Xiao Yuanzhi hurriedly stopped her.

“All right, all right. Stop giving them to me. Eat some yourself.”

Yan’er chuckled.

“All right.”

Xiao Yuanzhi rolled her eyes.

The moment she said she did not like that bastard, Yan’er’s attitude changed astonishingly quickly.

Afterward, Yan’er told her about several other senior brothers and sisters.

Naturally, she also spoke about herself.

Xiao Yuanzhi’s face remained expressionless, but the mung-bean cake in her hand had been crushed into powder.

Who could possibly have imagined it?

Yan’er was actually the daughter of a government official!

Wei Zisu’s family was filthy rich, with mansions, land, and numerous servants.

Even Gao Yan was the second son of a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan.

Then look at Xiao Yuanzhi.

Aside from the title of “personal disciple,” she had absolutely nothing.

She was utterly penniless.

What use was being a personal disciple?

Could she exchange the title for food?

Could she trade it for something to drink?

Oh, apparently her master was also a renowned wine connoisseur who enjoyed drinking every kind of wine he encountered.

In common terms, he was an alcoholic.

Xiao Yuanzhi was unhappy.

Extremely unhappy.

Unbelievably unhappy.

Other people transmigrated into wealthy young heiresses. Even those less fortunate might at least become neglected empresses.

Why had she transmigrated into a penniless nobody?

Xiao Yuanzhi raised her head and gazed up at the ceiling beam at a perfect forty-five-degree angle.

Could the beam please begin operating for once and collapse?

Perhaps it could crush her and let her transmigrate again.

Yan’er’s cheeks bulged as she chewed. Even though her mouth was already packed with food, she kept stuffing in more, as though determined to eat back every snack she had surrendered.

After finally swallowing some of it, she asked, “Little… Junior… Sister, mmph… why aren’t… mmph… you eating anymore?”

Her words were muffled, but Xiao Yuanzhi could roughly understand her.

Her eyes filled with sorrow.

She sighed softly and waved her hand.

“I’m not eating anymore. Take all of it.”

“Really?”

Yan’er was overjoyed.

Several crumbs fell from her mouth, but she did not care.

As though terrified Xiao Yuanzhi might change her mind, she quickly gathered every snack into her arms, looking as though she had just won an enormous bargain.

“Little Junior Sister, you’re the best!”

With that, she happily scampered away carrying the snacks, leaving Xiao Yuanzhi alone to mutter bitterly at the ceiling beam.