Chapter 456: Chapter 456

"Second Sister, Second Sister, are you alright?"

"Second Sister, what's wrong with you? You mustn't do anything rash…"

It was mid-September, the air still carrying a slight chill, especially within this obviously crude and simple small room.

The thatched roof leaked a faint, sporadic coldness from time to time. Outside the window, the occasional crow of a rooster could be heard.

This was completely at odds with the tactile sensation she had just felt upon waking.

In that hazy moment between sleep and wakefulness, the instant her eyes opened blurrily, An Ning had already swiftly assessed the current predicament of the body she now inhabited.

The bedding beneath her felt exceptionally soft; judging by the fabric, it was at least high-grade silk. Yet, strangely, the clothing currently worn by this body was not of the same quality.

Not only that, but the surroundings before her were equally incongruous, almost everywhere exuding an air of peculiarity.

The dilapidated room, the dust on the floor that had just been swept clean, the windows haphazardly pasted over—it all clearly resembled the daily dwelling of a farming family. However, the hands of this original body were not so; compared to heavy housework, they seemed more like the hands of someone who frequently held a brush, even painted.

Everything, everything, seemed utterly out of place in this shabby little farmyard.

Where there is abnormality, there must be trickery.

Considering all these signs and recalling the usual pitfalls at the start of each mission, An Ning couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding welling up inside. Yet, her face showed nothing, maintaining her previous posture as she silently turned over.

Sure enough, the next moment, she heard the half-grown girl beside her stamp her foot heavily, then say with a face full of indignation:

"I said it all along! I told Big Brother and Fourth Uncle they should be more careful! Usually, selling some of your handwritten copies of books to supplement the family income is one thing, but even that Lady Yang said your poems and paintings absolutely must not be leaked out."

"See? Now look what happened! We're in trouble, aren't we?"

So that's how it is. Combining this with the current environment, even though it was just a few fragmented words, An Ning had already guessed the general situation.

Most likely, it was an ancient farming family setting, a talented woman—one whose talents had already been exposed…

In a situation where her family could no longer provide any deterrence, let alone protection.

She hardly needed to think before guessing what came next.

Thinking of the things she had just seen, An Ning mused that, no matter what, this original body's literary talent was indeed genuine, not diluted by even half a drop of water.

The question was, from what opportunity did this original body's status and circumstances arise?

Could it be the Lady Yang mentioned by the other party just now?

Before An Ning could ponder further, she saw the little girl of about ten years old beside her plant her hands on her hips again, launching into a series of curses directed at another household—the chief culprit behind this incident.

"What kind of people are they?! A supposedly respectable noble family of dukes and marquises! This is clearly what's called… coercion and enticement, forced seizure and plunder."

"Offering a concubine's position and wanting to take your things for free! Truly despicable and shameless!"

Perhaps knowing the temperament of the person before her, or perhaps due to sheer hatred, this young girl cursed with absolutely no restraint.

Finally, she quietly pulled at the person, whispering furtively:

"Second Sister, maybe… maybe you should just run away. Find a place to hide properly."

Surely that would be better than becoming a concubine, a free tool for someone!

However, after a long silence in the chilly room, the person on the bed finally spoke, her voice slightly hoarse:

"If I run away, what will happen to the family?"

As these words fell, seeming somewhat puzzled—since her aloof, poetry-and-painting-obsessed Second Sister would usually think of such things—the little girl by the bed couldn't help but lean her head in curiously.

Yet, after a moment, she couldn't help but sigh, plopping down onto a nearby seat:

"Ah. It's not like they'd let our family off even if you didn't run."

Not far away, the young girl's face unconsciously took on a trace of melancholy, even worry, that didn't suit her age:

"Second Sister, do you think they're spending all this silver, paying such a price, really just to have you enter their household, to use your paintings to earn some silver, or for something else that simple?"

That's a Ducal Manor. They definitely wouldn't lack money.

"Second Sister, I don't know why, but I've been feeling uneasy these past few days."

By the bedside, Xiao Si said hesitantly.

It seems the smart people in this family aren't limited to just one.

No wonder she was the only one who managed to escape alive in the end.

Turning to look at the half-grown girl before her, having smoothly received the original host's memories, An Ning couldn't help but think to herself:

Of course! After all, in the previous life, this family was almost completely wiped out!