All around, lush and straight tree trunks stood in a surrounding formation, encircling a small river with green - hued water. A small pavilion was built by the riverbank. Presumably, it was deliberately constructed here for passers - by or Taoist priests to rest when they passed by. At the entrance, there was a stone tablet nearly half a person's height. Yue Chen could understand the characters engraved on it. She felt a bit strange, but didn't pay much attention to it.

　　She had originally intended to take off her shoes and socks and have a good time playing in the water, but was stopped by Lüzhi, who said that the weather had just warmed up and it wasn't suitable for such an activity. So she gave up this idea. With no one around, she simply lay prone on the edge of the pavilion, which was closest to the water. When she stretched her hand down to scoop up water, a faint chill came over her.

　　Ever since Yu Su learned the news that Yue Chen was going to leave the palace and head to the Weiyun Taoist Temple, he had early on declined invitations from irrelevant court officials in the capital. He arrived at the Weiyun Taoist Temple one day earlier than Chen Zhi. He personally selected a residence for Chen Zhi and arranged the interior layout all by himself. Everything was in line with what Yue Chen used to like. He remembered all of Yue Chen's preferences. Having stayed in the palace with so many rules and such boredom for so long, she must have been almost driven crazy. His Yue Chen disliked rules the most. She would do whatever she thought of immediately, get whatever food she wanted right away, and set off for wherever she wanted to go without hesitation. She never allowed herself to be wronged in the slightest.

　　However, the later Yue Chen was no longer the Yue Chen he knew. It was clearly the same face, the same body, and the same person, yet there was no evidence to prove that Yue Chen had been replaced. But the feeling he got was one of unprecedented strangeness. How could such an affected and overly - obedient woman be his Yue Chen? Yu Su didn't believe it, but he couldn't find any favorable evidence. Even Yue Chen's father and brother no longer believed him.

　　That woman, with Yue Chen's face, was living in the Yue Mansion. Yu Su sent secret guards to keep an eye on her at all times and knew clearly everything she did. It was as if she had lost her memory, and her actions were completely different from Yue Chen's. Her former friends gradually became unfamiliar with her and drifted apart. Finally, Yue Chen's elder brother realized something was wrong and came to him.

　　"She's not Yue Chen. I finally believe she's not my little sister!" Yue Qi had been spending a lot of time with Yue Chen in the past half - month. Everything about his sister in the past was so different from the Yue Chen in front of him. Even if she had lost her memory due to an injury, she shouldn't have forgotten all of her original cultivation and completely turned into a different person. He really couldn't accept it, just like Yu Su at the beginning! He had originally wanted to tell his father, but this matter was too strange. He didn't know how to bring it up to his father for a moment.

　　"You're not mistaken. Her temperament is too different from little sister's. Her eating habits, daily routines, and behaviors are all completely different from before. If I hadn't discovered these things myself, it would be really hard to believe." Yue Qi frowned tightly. He had asked the maid serving Yue Chen to carefully check when she was taking a bath. There was an inconspicuous mole on her waist, which meant it was indeed his little sister's body. But Yue Chen's behavior and everything that happened after she woke up really left him at a loss as to what to do!

　　His worried look was noticed by Lüzhi. One day, when he went to his little sister's courtyard, Lüzhi stopped him and mentioned Yu Su. Truly, an onlooker sees most clearly. After thanking her, he rushed over anxiously. Yu Su was the one who had noticed something was wrong. At that time, they didn't take this matter seriously and unanimously thought he was talking nonsense. How could such a thing happen in the world? It was too absurd. Later, as he came less often, they gradually forgot about this matter.

　　"If she wasn't deliberately replaced, then it must be that her soul has been switched!" Yu Su was very serious. He didn't believe in such supernatural things, but this matter was clearly in line with the soul - switching stories in the supernatural and strange tales. Those fictional stories had actually happened to Yue Chen in reality. Yu Su hid his inner emotions well and never showed them in front of others.

　　"Replacement is impossible. After Yue Chen was injured, there were always people by her side. She was never alone, and they were all people around you and little sister. There couldn't be any traitors. But... what you said about soul - switching is really too unbelievable!" Yue Qi couldn't imagine that he had already thought of this. Such an absurd reason, yet he could accept it! But what could they do? The facts were in front of them. They weren't blind or ignorant. Besides this explanation, they really couldn't find any other.

　　"So what should we do now? After all, she's using Yue Chen's body. And from my observation, she doesn't seem to be lying about not remembering the past." Yue Qi's mind was a bit muddled, and he unconsciously asked Yu Su. Besides the people in the Yue Mansion, Yue Chen was closest to Yu Su. And he couldn't escape the responsibility for this matter. If it weren't for him, how could little sister have been injured? If little sister hadn't been injured, how could someone else have occupied her body? So everything was because of him, and he had to take full responsibility for this matter!

　　"Since she's not Yue Chen, she naturally doesn't know Yue Chen's past." Yu Su replied. "But you don't need to worry too much. She's not a spy for anyone, and she won't cause harm to the Yue Mansion for the time being. But I have to remind you that since there's a different person inside, don't just look at that face and forget what you should do." His secret guards were watching in the dark all the time, and they hadn't found her doing anything out of line. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but they still had to be fully prepared.

　　"I know all this. You don't need to be so wordy." Yue Qi was quite blunt. This made it seem like he was stupid! But his reminder was also correct. The Yue Mansion was powerful, and there were countless eyes watching in the dark. They couldn't afford to make any mistakes! Now that Yue Chen had become a different person, it was like an additional hidden danger.

　　As the legitimate daughter of the Yue Mansion, although Yue Chen was still young, there were still many people who had their eyes on her.

　　"There's one more thing I haven't settled with you. Little sister's injury was all because of you. You have to take full responsibility until my little sister comes back!" Yue Qi left this sentence as he was leaving. His little sister had been doted on since she was born, growing up being cherished in the palm of their hands.

　　Since the moment he saw his little sister in his mother's arms, from that very instant, he became an elder brother. He couldn't be like a young child anymore. He made up his mind to protect his little sister. He studied martial arts diligently, enduring the cold in winter, the heat in summer, the snow, and the scorching sun. For more than ten years, he never stopped for a single day.

　　Little sister gradually grew up. Wearing a pink jacket and skirt, she would come bouncing towards him. Her chubby little face was so adorable that it instantly melted his heart. No matter what she wanted, he would give it to her!

　　Now thinking about it, he shouldn't have let little sister go to the palace banquet at the end of that year. Otherwise, she wouldn't have met Yu Su! He was the younger brother of the emperor, doted on and pampered in the palace. All the concubines in the palace tried every means to please him. The emperor's love for this only younger brother was no secret in the capital.

　　Yue Qi had an indescribable dislike for Yu Su. Since Yu Su came along, little sister came to watch him practice martial arts less often and didn't often bring him delicious snacks anymore! Fortunately, Yu Su lived in the palace. Because he was still young, he didn't have many opportunities to leave the palace, and little sister didn't see him often either. But one day, Yu Su actually came to his mansion. Seeing little sister pulling him and running around the mansion with an unceasing smile on her face made him feel jealous.

　　Unconsciously, he clenched his fists. This person was here to snatch his sister away. He would never let him succeed!