The entrance wasn’t a place for conversation. Whatever the situation was, Xiaoyue followed him inside first.
The courtyard’s layout was quite simple, giving off the feeling of stepping back into the 80s or 90s at first glance.
But everyone knew—in the imperial capital, the more simple a place looked, the more ridiculously wealthy it was.
A single brick or tile from here, if sold, could probably buy an entire apartment outside.
Xiaoyue leaned close to Yulia and whispered, “Xiaoya, how do you know people from a place like this? They look loaded.”
“Don’t worry, no one’s richer than your sister.”
“Uh…”
The two followed Xu Cheng’an deeper inside. Everyone they passed stood at attention and bowed in greeting.
Only after entering a guest room and closing the door did Xu Cheng’an finally smile apologetically.
“Your Highness, my apologies for making you wait here for a moment.”
“It’s fine, I—cough!”
Forgot to switch.
“This Queen arrived slightly early. It is of no consequence. In fact, this is a good opportunity to inquire about a few matters.”
“Your Highness, please speak.”
Xiaoyue sat to the side, rubbing her hands together, doing her best to maintain a cold expression but not daring to say a word.
Whether it was the current Xiaoya or this old man, neither of them was ordinary.
Their aura was completely different from hers.
She was starting to regret coming here without asking for details first.
Right now, all she wanted was to be invisible—to bury her head in the sand like an ostrich.
But that wasn’t happening.
“Do you recognize the one beside This Queen?”
Xu Cheng’an nodded firmly. “I do. Although it may be presumptuous, we have indeed investigated Miss Xu Xiaoyue before.”
Whether from the perspective of her status as a top-tier player or her connection to Nuke Girl, she was someone worthy of their attention.
“And the results?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary was found.”
Yulia frowned slightly. “She is This Queen’s twin sister.”
“I… I do recall that she have a twin sister. So that’s how it is!”
“Based on your account, This Queen believes that she must have ties to the Xu family. Do you have any means of verification?”
Xiaoyue’s jaw dropped so wide she could’ve fit an entire duck egg in it.
What the hell?
So my dear sister dragged me here to confirm family ties?! And not just any family—this one is clearly anything but simple!
“Your Highness, please wait a moment. We have a very direct method.”
Xu Cheng’an stepped to the door and gave a brief order outside.
Soon, someone brought in a piece of jade, which Xu Cheng’an carried carefully.
The Golden Kingdom was most famous for its gold, but its mastery of jade was equally unparalleled.
This was also the origin of the Jade Empire’s name.
“Miss Xu Xiaoyue, please place your hand on it.”
Xiaoyue stared at the jade, wanting to complain: This isn’t scientific.
But then again, nothing around her had been particularly scientific lately.
She complied.
Five seconds later, the jade emitted a faint glow.
Xu Cheng’an, holding the jade, said joyfully, “It’s true! It’s indeed true! She is a member of the Xu Clan!”
Xiaoyue’s mouth opened and closed silently.
Uh… wha–? Huh?
Honestly, she had been completely lost from the start. Probably because she’d woken up too early today.
Yeah. That must be the reason.
At Xiaoya’s prompting, the two began piecing together the family tree.
It didn’t take long to figure it out.
Turns out, Xiaoyue and Xiaoya’s grandfather was Xu Cheng’an’s younger brother. In his youth, unable to stand the Xu family’s bizarre traditions, he had committed a fairly serious offense within the clan and ran away from home.
He assumed a new identity outside, lived a normal life, and eventually passed away of old age.
Who could’ve guessed that, in the end, it would be his grandchildren who hit the jackpot?
Now Xiaoyue felt even more dazed.
The wealthy heiress who’d been separated from the family… is actually me all along?!
“A minor misunderstanding, now clarified. Xiaoyue, what are your thoughts?”
“I… I need to think about it.”
Her mind was a mess.
Suddenly gaining such important relatives was… weird.
But it wasn’t that weird either.
Because the truly strange one was her sister. She was the real big shot relative.
So, after some consideration, it wasn’t completely unacceptable.
But…
“I think we should discuss this with Mom and Dad first.”
“Your Highness, I’ve just recalled some matters that require my attention. Please rest here for now—I shall take my leave.”
“Mm. You may go.”
It would be awkward for Xu Cheng’an to stay while they discussed family matters.
Xu Xiaoya thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers, activating a sound barrier around the room.
Her sharp gaze softened as wisdom took over. She grabbed Xiaoyue’s arm excitedly.
“Xiaoyue! Hurry and tell Father and Mother the good news!”
Xiaoyue shot her a cold glare before making a video call.
The call connected quickly.
Mother Xu’s pleasantly surprised voice came through. “Xiaoyue? Xiaoya? You’re up early today?”
“Are they both there? Let me see too!”
“Don’t fight! Stand further back!” her mother scolded before turning back with a smile. “Why are you calling so early?”
Xiaoyue thought for a second, then spoke in a measured tone.
“Well… Xiaoya found Grandpa’s family. We’re with them now and wanted to ask how you both feel about it.”
“Huh?”
Mother Xu froze, then glanced back at Father Xu.
He blinked, then clapped his hands. “That’s great news!”
As Huaxia people, family ties mattered deeply. Others might not understand, but Father Xu knew—Grandpa Xu had carried this regret in his later years, although he never spoke of it.
Now that they had found them, it was undoubtedly a good thing.
“What kind of family are they?”
“The Xu family of the imperial capital. I did a quick search online—most info’s hidden, but their estimated assets exceed a hundred billion…”
“……”
Her parents exchanged glances.
That was… a lot. Their combined monthly income barely broke the ten thousand mark.
“Uh… If we go there, won’t it look like we’re just trying to mooch off them?”
“Nonsense!” Xiaoya cut in. “Mooch? If anything, they’re the ones mooching off us!”
“Right. Mom, Dad, they were the ones who found Xiaoya. In principle, we don’t need to feel any pressure.”
That’s what she said, but of course, it wasn’t that simple.
Xiaoyue herself felt the weight of it, let alone her more down-to-earth parents.
“I see… You two decide, then.”
Mother Xu nodded. “Yes, we’re fine with whatever you choose.”
“Mm.”
Xiaoyue looked at Xu Xiaoya.
She’d been brought here by Xiaoya, who must’ve already considered everything.
“Then it’s settled. No need to worry. I’ll handle it—Father and Mother can just keep living as usual.”
“Okay.”
“Ah, come to think of it… Are you two in the imperial capital now?” Her mother noticed the unfamiliar background.
“Yeah.”
“You just went there suddenly?”
“Of course.” Xiaoya lifted her chin proudly. “We can go anywhere, anytime. It’s fast, and all it takes is—mmph!”
Xiaoyue clamped a hand over her mouth. “We flew here this morning. Anyway, that’s all for now. Bye, Mom, Dad.”
She hung up.
They did fly here. Literally.