The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

The day before Xia Dongchun left the palace, Suiyuxuan was unusually lively.

Inside the room, chests and trunks were wide open, and silks and jewelry were piled up on the couch. Several maids were tidying up back and forth, while she herself sat in front of the dressing table, picking out things to take home. She would occasionally look up and urge them on, complaining that this was packed too slowly or that was placed crookedly. But she was in a rare good mood and did not curse as usual.

As the curtain moved, Shen Meizhuang and An Lingrong walked in one after the other.

Xia Dongchun turned around, startled at first, and then instinctively asked, "Why are you all here?"

Shen Meizhuang smiled and said, "Why else? You're leaving the palace tomorrow, so I had to come and see you off."

An Lingrong also stepped forward and curtsied, saying softly, "I came with Sister Mei to add to Sister Xia's makeup."

Upon hearing the words "adding makeup," Xia Dongchun maintained her composure on the surface, but her eyes unconsciously lit up.

Shen Meizhuang first handed over the headdress and two feet of brocade that Yanzhi had bestowed upon her, saying, "These were bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress."

Xia Dongchun was even more delighted: "No wonder, they are all of excellent quality. I knew they weren't the kind of things you could produce."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but reach out and touch the hairpins and jewels, his eyes and brows brimming with barely suppressed pride.

Shen Meizhuang and An Lingrong exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

Well then, I heard that Xia Dongchun is going to marry a wealthy man from Jiangnan. After today's parting, we may never see each other again in this lifetime. I'll just have to bear with her for one more day.

So he handed over the gift he had prepared.

Shen Meizhuang presented a pair of Hetian white jade bracelets. The jade was warm and lustrous, and of excellent quality, clearly indicating that they were very valuable.

Xia Dongchun took the box and opened it, his expression becoming more serious. He looked up at her, but didn't say anything more sarcastic. He simply said, "You're quite generous."

"Your marriage is a joyous occasion," Shen Meizhuang said gently. "Of course, I should prepare a proper wedding."

Xia Dongchun's lips moved slightly, but unusually, he didn't nitpick anymore. He simply closed the box and put it aside.

Finally, there was An Lingrong.

She handed over a double-sided embroidered fan. The fan ribs were delicate, and the two sides of the fan surface were embroidered with different patterns. One side was a pair of crabapple blossoms, and the other side was a butterfly among peonies. Both were delicately outlined with gold and silver threads. When illuminated by the lamp, they shimmered and swayed, exuding an indescribable sense of luxury.

Xia Dongchun had originally hoped that she could give away something nice, but when she received it, she was slightly stunned. She looked at it over and over again, but couldn't find any fault with it, and was even more reluctant to return it.

She pursed her lips and said, "The embroidery is indeed quite good."

An Lingrong simply smiled upon hearing this, her expression remaining calm. She was neither flattered by the praise nor displeased by the tone of the compliment. She simply said softly, "I'm glad you like it, sister."

Xia Dongchun glanced at her, feeling inexplicably uneasy.

What she used to find most annoying was that An Lingrong was terrified inside, harboring ambitions that were obvious to everyone, yet she pretended to be indifferent and non-competitive, as if she could swallow any grievances.

So hypocritical!

But now, seeing that this person is no longer afraid and has truly become neither humble nor arrogant, neither competing nor fighting, I feel a little complicated.

As she was thinking, she suddenly flicked her handkerchief and told someone to open the two jewelry boxes behind her.

"Here," she gestured with her chin, "these are my return gifts."

Shen Meizhuang and An Lingrong were both slightly taken aback.

The two boxes contained jewelry, not extremely valuable, but each piece was exquisite, clearly not something to be given away casually.

Xia Dongchun remained stubborn, but looked somewhat uncomfortable: "These are all things I brought from home. I wasn't planning on taking them back anyway, so I'm giving them to you. I never owe anyone favors."

Shen Meizhuang looked at her, smiled first, and replied in agreement, "In that case, we'll shamelessly accept it."

Seeing that Shen Meizhuang had already accepted it, An Lingrong did not refuse, but only thanked her sincerely before taking the box as well.

Seeing that they had accepted the offer, Xia Dongchun relaxed a bit. But as if afraid that the atmosphere would be too soft, she immediately raised her chin a little higher and her tone became firm again: "Since we've known each other for a while, I'll say a few words from the heart to you. From now on, you two should pay more attention and find yourselves a good home as soon as possible."

"Especially when they're serving the Emperor, those Imperial Guards are all the best of the Eight Banners, with very promising futures. What future is there in constantly running errands for others in the palace, doing things that offend people? If you can make money, make money; if you can build connections, build connections. Don't put on that fake high and mighty act all day. Be careful that in the end you're old and faded and have nothing left."

"If you're willing," she paused, her tone surprisingly earnest, "I can ask my father to keep an eye out for you. It can't be too bad."

She was saying "you" to everyone, but her eyes were clearly fixed on An Lingrong.

She knew Shen Meizhuang's family background and even heard her mother say before she entered the palace that if Shen Meizhuang hadn't willingly entered the palace to become a lady-in-waiting, she would probably have already married into the Prince An's mansion and become the eldest prince's wife. There was no way she would have to worry about this.

After much thought, the one whose future is most likely to be worse than hers is probably An Lingrong.

An Lingrong remained calm and composed, and after listening to her, she simply smiled and replied gently, "I have remembered your teachings, sister."

Xia Dongchun took it seriously.

It was still early, so the two came out of her room. Shen Meizhuang squeezed An Lingrong's hand and whispered, "Don't take her words to heart. You've been in the palace for so long, you should know what kind of person she is. She always speaks without thinking, but she may not necessarily have bad intentions."

An Lingrong grasped her hand in return, smiling calmly, "Don't worry, sister, I understand."

Shen Meizhuang glanced at her and, seeing that her expression was indeed calm, felt relieved.

The two slowly walked back along the path.

The sky was a pristine blue, the clouds were thin, and when the wind blew, the leaves on the treetops rustled softly.

Shen Meizhuang looked up at the sky and suddenly sighed softly, not with melancholy, but with a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection).

"To be frank," she said, "of all my years, only since entering the palace have I truly felt joy."

Upon hearing this, An Lingrong paused slightly.

She thought of the Empress's high regard for her, of the palace servants' transformation from initial disdain to their current trust and respect; she thought of her mother, far away in Songyang, whose life was finally getting better and better thanks to the money and respect she sent back...

Suddenly, my heart felt bright.

She chuckled softly, "Who says it isn't?"

Even if she had become His Majesty's concubine back then, her life probably wouldn't have been any better than it is now.

As for the future...

An Lingrong pursed her lips, mimicking Shen Meizhuang, and looked up at the clear sky. A warm and bright ray of sunlight fell, illuminating her calm face.

She learned one thing from her mother at a young age.

The most dangerous thought is wanting to tie your whole life to one man.

Because you never know whether it's a destination or an abyss.

If possible, she would rather live like this forever.

She has a wise and reasonable superior, a job that allows her mother to hold her head high and live a stable life, a dignity and respect she has earned herself, and a close friend who has never looked down on her and has always treated her as before.

These days are already very good.