Chapter 469: Chapter 469

"Fourth Young Lady, please follow this servant over here!"

Without paying attention to the anxious, somewhat hesitant gazes of Third Sister and Third Cousin behind her, and looking at the several maids before her whose attire, demeanor, and every movement exuded an extraordinary air of propriety and grace, Siya pursed her lips, tightly hugged the medium-sized bundle in her hands, and followed them without looking back.

The area where the imperial carriage had stopped was heavily guarded by imperial guards with long swords at their waists. From a distance, their imposing aura was indeed somewhat intimidating.

Throughout the journey, Siya tried her utmost to control her eyes, straightening her chest and looking straight ahead, not daring to glance around too much.

This composure, however, earned her a bit of respect from the maid leading the way not far off.

She thought to herself, no wonder the True Person showed no interest in her own younger siblings but was willing to receive this Fourth Young Lady alone.

It was around 10 AM when An Ning had just finished her daily "morning training." Siya arrived just as An Ning had finished bathing.

Watching as the originally drenched long hair dried completely in mere moments, even though this wasn't the first time they had witnessed such a scene, the palace servants couldn't help but feel astonished, their movements becoming even more cautious.

In the front hall, exquisite tea and pastries were soon served by the palace servants.

Only when An Ning spoke did Siya opposite her finally snap back to reality.

It was still a somewhat cold voice, sounding particularly chilly in this quiet small courtyard, and also exceptionally detached.

However, Siya didn't mind at all. After all, her cousin had been before, and Siya was already accustomed to it.

Her gaze fell on the person opposite, catching a hint of concern in their eyes. Xiao Ling's originally tense expression instantly relaxed a little.

It seemed Second Sister had changed a lot, but her person hadn't changed much.

Letting out a slight sigh of relief, she glanced around, confirming there was no one else nearby and the previous maids had already left. Then, Xiao Ling quickly reached out and untied the somewhat bulky long padded coat she was wearing.

Well, this move even made An Ning opposite her pause for a moment, nearly failing to maintain her cold expression.

But soon, she understood why the other had done this.

Underneath the originally bulky pink-white long coat, hidden within the skirt hem, was a large stack of long scrolls carefully wrapped in oiled paper.

Without needing to look closely, they were clearly the few paintings the original owner had left at home.

To be safe, most of the original owner's paintings from recent years were stored at her master's residence, that is, Tutor Yang's place. But as an inspiration-based master and a naturally talented artist, it wasn't unheard of for her to create something on a whim occasionally.

The painting that Xiao Dalang had sold earlier fell into this category.

To avoid being too deliberate, An Ning hadn't stored those in her space before leaving that day.

After all, they would eventually return to her hands.

She just hadn't expected...

No wonder even the current Emperor's people hadn't succeeded in collecting them.

Glancing at the little girl opposite whose small face clearly showed pride, a more genuine smile unconsciously appeared on An Ning's face.

Seeing that her second cousin was indeed pleased, Siya couldn't help but feel even more proud. She subconsciously lifted her little head and began boasting about her "great achievements":

"I knew someone would have designs on these! As soon as I heard the news of Second Sister's successful enlightenment, I immediately ran to the room and hid all these paintings!"

Thinking about how the old master and several uncles searched for most of the day, practically turning the room upside down, not only finding nothing but also growing paler and paler the more they searched...

Who knows what they were thinking, the old master scared himself so badly he nearly fell ill.

Regarding this, Siya felt not a shred of guilt. This was called what? If you usually do no wrong, why fear the ghost knocking at your door!

Mentioning the scene from that day, Siya smiled until her eyes were nearly slits. She reached out and picked up an especially tempting osmanthus pastry:

"Ah, Second Sister, you have no idea the expression on... ah, no, not us, on the old master's face back then."

"Especially after learning that Tutor Yang and the others were going to return to the capital with you this time."

Although unclear about the Xie family's internal affairs, in the eyes of the Old Xiao Family, this was clearly a situation where their own granddaughter had ascended but was taking a neighboring family of outsiders to the capital to enjoy prosperity!

Once this news spread, how could the whole family sit still?

After several failed attempts—not just the old master, even her own parents were refused entry—well, seeing this was likely the last chance, they had no choice but to send someone else.

Although this child Siya had always been clever and mischievous, rebellious and disobedient all day, there was no other way. Who let it be that earlier in the family, only Siya had a somewhat decent relationship with the True Person?

Even her own younger siblings were a step behind!

The old master pondered back and forth, his brow furrowed dozens of times, before finally, with Siya cleverly hinting and urging from the sidelines, reluctantly nodded.

But this... how could it not be considered a kind of opportunity?

Continuing to sip the fragrant tea in her hand, An Ning's gaze unconsciously paused on the meticulously preserved scrolls before her, which had hardly any creases.

After a moment, she finally looked up, smiling as she watched the lively and clever little girl before her:

"Never mind others, Siya, do you want to go?"

"To the capital, or perhaps even farther places in the future?"

The sun climbed the branches. The small room occasionally carried a faint scent of roses, mixed with the crisp fragrance of bamboo leaves.

Before the tea table, the woman in a blue robe spoke as if casually.

Yet as her words fell, the pastry in Siya's hand immediately dropped. She didn't even bother wiping the crumbs from the corner of her mouth:

"Ah, the cap... capital?"

However, after a brief moment of surprise, seeing her second sister's expression clearly, Siya quickly understood. Thinking of her parents at home, a hint of hesitation unconsciously appeared on Siya's face.

An Ning didn't press her, her tone still light:

"The imperial procession will depart in a few days. Fourth Sister, you still have time to consider carefully."

"As for the others, between them and me, there is no longer any karma..."