Chapter 169: Are You Little Xue, Right?

Not long after entering Qingzhou, Nan Xueyin removed her Human Skin Mask; she was now using her own face.

The old woman's words left her slightly stunned; how did she know this?

The old woman likely sensed her confusion and pointed to her face, "You look a bit like Master Nan."

Master Nan?

Nan Xueyin's heart tightened, and she asked, "Who is this Master Nan?"

The old woman found it a bit strange; how could this person not even know Master Nan?

But she did not think too much of it and replied, "He is the Changshi of our Qingzhou, a very good man. It is said that this courtyard here is the one his older brother lived in back in the day. His older brother and sister-in-law passed away over a dozen years ago, leaving behind a daughter, though no one knows where she went. Master Nan specifically bought this courtyard and has people look after it every year, so that if his niece ever suddenly returned one day, she wouldn't be unable to find her home."

A wave of soreness hit the bridge of Nan Xueyin's nose.

She couldn't help but think: if she had gathered the courage to return to her hometown earlier, would she have known about this sooner? She would have also known that her uncle had actually been looking for her all along.

The old woman looked at Nan Xueyin, "You wouldn't happen to be Master Nan's lost niece, would you?"

Nan Xueyin closed her eyes, fighting back the urge to shed tears.

She did not answer, only saying, "I would like to meet this Master Nan."

"Master Nan is usually very busy. He would normally come here every so often, but he just came yesterday, so he likely won't be back for a while... Why don't you go find him? He is in the city, living on Lihua Lane."

Nan Xueyin noted it all down, thanked the old woman, and led her horse away from the small village.

Although Qingzhou City had undergone many changes, the general streets remained the same; Nan Xueyin had been here a few times in the past and knew where Lihua Lane was.

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Nan Xueyin stood outside the gate of a residence.

The courtyard gate was open, but after thinking it over, she eventually left and found an inn to stay at.

That night, Nan Xueyin took advantage of the darkness and snuck into the courtyard.

She had been an Assassin for many years, and this seemed to have become some sort of professional habit; come to think of it, being cautious never hurt.

Nan Xueyin found the main room and heard people talking inside from the roof.

"... It was rejected again."

"Master, they certainly refuse to offend Prince Duan. After all, he is the Emperor's son, and I hear he is now even discussing marriage with the Yan Family..."

Hearing the familiar title, Nan Xueyin focused slightly.

Did her uncle have some connection to Prince Duan as well?

But it sounded like her uncle was at odds with Prince Duan.

Just then, Nan Xueyin heard a cat meow.

She turned her head and saw a small orange cat lying on the eaves.

Person and cat, the two locked eyes under the cover of night.

At the same time, a young girl's wail came from below: "Daddy! I don't know where my Mimi ran off to again! Hurry and help me find her!"

A middle-aged man replied, "I'm afraid she's run up to the roof again."

Nan Xueyin looked at the orange cat again and tentatively called out, "Mimi?"

The little orange cat flicked its tail and took the initiative to walk over and rub against her.

Nan Xueyin:...

It really was her.

If they came up to the roof to look for the cat, they would definitely discover Nan Xueyin.

That would be very awkward.

It sounded like the people below had already begun to act, preparing to move a ladder up to the roof to find the cat, so Nan Xueyin made a prompt decision and rose to leave the roof.

However, just as she moved, she was caught off guard by a voice from her right: "Who are you?"

Nan Xueyin turned her head and saw a face that could be called familiar under the moonlight.

She almost blurted out "Daddy."

But she quickly realized that this was not her father, but her uncle.

It turned out that while the others were making a big scene moving the ladder in front of the house, her uncle had also climbed up a large pear tree from the right; this was meant to be a pincer attack, leaving the little cat no chance to escape again.

Nan Xueyin only felt awkward; eavesdropping on her own uncle from the roof, only to be caught on the spot...

She wanted to flee without a second thought, but then she heard her uncle's voice: "Are you... are you Little Xue?"

Nan Xueyin's footsteps paused.

It was precisely this pause that gave her uncle the time to climb onto the roof.

"You look so much like your father and mother! I recognized you at a glance!"

Her uncle stood on the roof, speaking as he tried to move closer to her.

Someone below asked, "Master, who are you talking to?"

As soon as Nan Xueyin heard that, she quickened her pace to leave.

"Wait!"

Her uncle tried to follow, but he was no Assassin; he was just a scholar. The roof was not level, and as he hurried forward two steps, his foot suddenly slipped, and he plummeted downward.

"Daddy!"

A shrill scream rang out from below.

Just as he was falling, Nan Xueyin grabbed his wrist in time.

Her uncle, still shaken, looked up at her.

Nan Xueyin pulled him up and steadied him, "You had better go down."

Her uncle, however, gripped her hand, "Little Xue, you are Little Xue, aren't you? You've grown so big..."

He looked so much like her father that it gave Nan Xueyin a strange feeling.

She could certainly shake his hand off, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"I'm sorry, it's Uncle's fault. When your father and mother met with their accident, I wasn't in Qingzhou..." Uncle's face was full of guilt. "When I returned, I only saw your parents' two graves... Fortunately, I didn't see your grave, so I thought, you must still be alive! All these years, I've posted missing person notices everywhere, wanting to find you... I even had someone repair your family's courtyard. Have you gone back to look? Nothing inside has changed; it must still be the home you remember."

While he was speaking, the ladder had already been set up, and the other servants climbed up one after another.

Seeing the young woman above, the group looked at each other in dismay.

"This... where did this girl come from?"

"Wasn't it said that a cat was up there?"

One quick-witted person had a sudden thought: "Could it be like what's said in the storybooks, that the cat turned into a beauty?!"

Uncle laughed crossly: "This is no cat!"

Nan Xueyin looked at his expression.

She saw that Uncle was beaming with joy, saying: "This is my niece who has been lost for many years! I have been longing for her day and night, and finally, I have waited for her return!"

The crowd was shocked.

The young girl below was also shocked: "Is it Big Sister? Have you found Big Sister?"

A moment later, Uncle Nan Jiyun brought Nan Xueyin down from the roof, and he had people go to fetch tea and snacks.

In the room, besides a group of manservants and maidservants, there was also a bright and beautiful young girl.

Nan Jiyun told Nan Xueyin: "This is my youngest daughter, Nan Lizhu."

Nan Xueyin nodded.

Nan Lizhu looked Nan Xueyin up and down with a face full of curiosity, exclaiming: "Big Sister, you are so beautiful!"

She asked again: "But, Big Sister, why were you on the roof?"

Nan Xueyin:...

Ah, this.

Should I say that I came to eavesdrop on your father talking?

Nan Jiyun waved his hand: "That is not important! What is important is that Little Xue has returned."

He told her gently: "I have always kept a courtyard empty in the Nan Family, specifically reserved for you. Whenever you return, there will be a place for you to stay."

He arranged maidservants and manservants to attend to Nan Xueyin and wanted to personally take Nan Xueyin to her courtyard. "Your aunt's health is not very good, and she has already gone to sleep for now. When you wake up tomorrow, you will be able to see her. Your aunt is a very gentle person, so you don't need to worry about anything."

Nan Xueyin nodded.

"I have had people prepare new clothes for you; wash up in a moment and get some rest early."

Having finished speaking, Nan Jiyun prepared to leave.

Nan Xueyin felt uneasy and couldn't help but call out to him: "... Uncle."

Nan Jiyun turned back: "What is it?"

Nan Xueyin frowned slightly. "I was on the roof just now, Uncle, why aren't you curious as to why?"

Nan Jiyun laughed instead: "You have been missing for so many years, and as such a beautiful young woman, for you to be alive and well and to have returned here, you must have experienced many things that ordinary people cannot imagine. You are still an unmarried young woman, right? If there are things you don't want to say, then don't mention them. If you want to say them, feel free to tell me. Rest assured, the people in the residence are all tight-lipped, and nothing else will be rashly spread out. From now on, you are the niece of the Qingzhou Chief Clerk, who was lost for over ten years, was taken in by kind-hearted people, and only recently returned to Qingzhou."

The worries and shadows in Nan Xueyin's heart were finally dispelled, and she said sincerely: "Thank you."

Nan Jiyun smiled kindly: "What is this, why thank me? We all have the blood of the Nan Family flowing in us; we are one family and should take care of each other."

At night, after Nan Xueyin finished bathing and lay on the carefully prepared bed, she thought, I actually have family again.

It's just, what was it that Uncle was discussing with others about Prince Duan earlier?

Nan Xueyin had forgotten to ask just now.

However, this bed was truly too soft and comfortable, and Nan Xueyin did not think much more before falling into a deep sleep.