Meanwhile, Yin Le, trying to control her excitement, finished her work in the cafeteria as quickly as possible, went back to her place to change into some comfortable clothes, and tied her hair into a neat bun that wouldn’t come loose no matter how much she moved.

Taking one last look at the sun slightly setting in the west, she took a deep breath. While silently reciting the words she knew, she walked with a sense of sacredness towards the person she most wanted to reach.

The goal she had longed for was suddenly and passively achieved, making Yin Le feel truly anxious inside.

A moment before stepping into Qin Yao’s courtyard, she was still doubting if she heard correctly, and her raised foot paused instinctively, even giving rise to a momentary thought of leaving.

But this thought only existed for a moment before she resolutely dispelled it.

Opportunities don’t come around all the time. Missed ones aren’t called opportunities; they are regrets.

Only the opportunities you seize in your hands are real opportunities!

"Manager Qin." Yin Le stepped into the open courtyard, lifted her eyes, and saw Qin Yao sitting majestically in the Taishi Chair in the main room.

The light inside was slightly dim, so Yin Le couldn’t see her features clearly, but the powerful aura radiating from her gaze surged toward Yin Le like a tide from all directions.

Perhaps because the tight nerves suddenly relaxed, or maybe because the June sunlight was too intense, rings of blurry light appeared in Yin Le’s eyes, causing her whole body to sway uncontrollably.

But just as her steps were about to waver, she suddenly lifted her head, steadied her swaying body with effort.

Locking eyes with that pair of cold, sharp black eyes in the main room, Yin Le started moving forward, step by step.

As she approached, beads of sweat rolled like a waterfall from her forehead, soaking her cheeks.

The veil she used to cover the scars on her face clung wetly to her skin, the scars hidden beneath seemed to have a life of their own, pulsating wildly, wanting to break free from all constraints and be exposed to the air and sunlight.

The clammy sensation made it harder for Yin Le to breathe, so she simply tore off the stifling veil in one motion!

The particularly active oxygen in the air felt like it was reviving her, and she took deep breaths, finally stepping into the main room, arriving before the Taishi Chair.

Qin Yao’s mouth lifted slightly, asking, "Name?"

"Yin Le."

"Age?"

"Twenty."

"Why are you here?"

Yin Le blinked her eyelashes, causing the sweat rolling down from her forehead to shake off, clearing her vision and calming her previously roaring heart.

She knelt sincerely, speaking confidently, "To apprentice in martial arts for self-protection, hoping to control my own fate like you."

As she said this, a sneer suddenly came from above her head, "No longer avenging your good friend?"

"Or are you afraid that I’d mind you bringing trouble, so you’re hiding it?"

"No, not at all!" Yin Le hurried to explain, "Everything I say today comes from the bottom of my heart. I dare not deceive you in any way!"

Her words actually piqued Qin Yao’s curiosity even more, "Why don’t you suddenly want revenge anymore?"

Yin Le replied, "Someone specialized is already handling it, and I trust Lord Imperial Censor will not disappoint the people’s expectations, severely punishing the wicked and purifying the government."

"You sure have well-informed sources." Qin Yao’s smile widened.

Yin Le guessed she was satisfied with her answer, bowed her head, knelt, and deeply bowed, "Please accept Yin Le as your disciple!"

She didn’t utter a single word of gratitude or anything about mourning and sending off. Yin Le didn’t want to delve into why this woman before her suddenly changed her mind, nor did she care if she’d be used. She now had only one strong desire: to stand by her side!

So she lifted her head, showing Qin Yao her fervent heart without reservation.

If one were to describe Yin Le’s enthusiasm using the term "idol worship", then she would be a hardcore fan of Qin Yao.

Qin Yao had no doubts; if she handed her a knife to assassinate Wang Jin, she’d take it without a question and turn around to do it!

Mrs. Li, standing aside, glanced over at Qin Yao.

Qin Yao nodded slightly, and Mrs. Li understood, smiled faintly, and carried the prepared tea to Yin Le, squatting down to present it to her hand.

Yin Le’s heart skipped a beat; she dared not hesitate, immediately took the hot tea, crawled two steps on her knees, and presented it to her master.

Qin Yao took the cup, drinking a large sip. Having put up a stance for so long, she indeed felt parched, and this tea came just at the right moment.

"Get up, offer incense, from now on, you’re one of the Qin family." Qin Yao got up and pointed to the incense table behind her, instructing.

"Thank you, Master!"

After kowtowing once more, Yin Le stood up, arms straight by her sides, fingertips slightly trembling from excitement, asked eagerly, "Master, do I need to change my surname to Qin?"

Qin Yao speechlessly gave her a look, said no need, causing Yin Le to feel a bit of disappointment.

But it didn’t matter. From now on, in life, she belongs to her master; in death, she’ll be her master’s ghost. Whether her surname is Qin or Yin is irrelevant!

Yin Le respectfully offered incense at the altar, which bore no name plaque.

The strong sense of belonging brought by the ceremony reached its peak at this moment, easing Yin Le’s facial expression considerably, her joyous gaze occasionally drifting to Qin Yao, unable to contain her happiness.

Qin Yao gave her a disdainful look, which Yin Le didn’t mind at all.

Having been reborn today, how could she not be delighted?

"Once the house in the backyard is repaired, you can also move in."

Qin Yao beckoned Yin Le to the courtyard, introducing her to various parts of the household. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Arriving at the kitchen door, Qin Yao pointed to the two large water tanks in the house, "Fetching water will be your job from now on. Every day, before Mrs. Li cooks, you have to fill the water tanks."

Yin Le thought this wasn’t a problem, took the two ordinary wooden buckets from the wall, and asked, "Master, is it these two buckets?"

Qin Yao gave a sly smile, signaled her to bring the wooden buckets over, and in Yin Le’s stunned gaze, she struck both buckets, poked holes in them, and handed them back to Yin Le, "Yes, these two buckets."

"Remember, before Mrs. Li cooks, the buckets must be full." Qin Yao ’kindly’ reminded her.

Moving to the woodshed, "Chopping wood is also your task. See those neatly piled logs beside you? They need to be the same size as those."

The woodpile in the woodshed was Ah Wang’s work – size and length must be identical, with no noticeable discrepancies visible to the naked eye.

"For now, these are the only two tasks. If you have any questions, ask quickly; you have fifteen minutes." Qin Yao sat cross-armed on a bamboo recliner in the courtyard, squinting in the shade cast by the high courtyard wall enjoying the sun.

Mrs. Li lit an incense stick, inserting it beside the washing stone trough as the countdown began.

Yin Le was immediately startled, quickly moving to take a closer look at the woodpile in the woodshed.