The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Wei Yanwan frowned as she looked at the person in front of her. Her previously cheerful and bright expression had faded somewhat. She said in a muffled voice, "No need. I already had someone take the things back last month, so there's no need to trouble you again this month."

Ling Yunche frowned upon hearing this: "You gave it to me last month, so you haven't given it to me this month yet? I happen to be off duty tomorrow and can leave the palace, so just give me the things. It will save me from having to ask someone else. I can also go and see your mother and Zuolu for you and ask them how they are doing."

Wei Yanwan tightened her grip slightly, and mumbled, "Anyway, it's not necessary this time. I have other things to do, so I won't bother you any longer."

Ling Yunche didn't move aside. Instead, he carefully examined her expression and softened his tone: "Is something bothering you? If so, just tell me. We grew up together, why are you being so polite with your brother Yunche?"

Wei Yanwan's heart skipped a beat.

She looked up at the handsome face in front of her. The two of them lived close by and had known each other since childhood. Now they had both entered the palace. When they first arrived, Ling Yunche was the one who ran errands for her, sending things and messages home.

To say that she had no lingering feelings for him would be a lie, but the more she saw and learned in the Xiefang Palace over the past few years, the more the scales in her heart seemed to grow little by little. Some things that she used to take for granted now seemed a little off when she looked back.

After hesitating for a long time, Wei Yanwan finally mustered up her courage and said, "From now on... I only plan to send money home once every two months, so you don't need to bother me this month."

"It's precisely because I gave everything away before that I feel I can't continue like this."

Wei Yanwan pursed her lips, deciding to be more direct: "I gave Mother the money so she could raise Zuolu properly and send him to school to learn to read. Our family has no man to support us now; if he's willing to study, he might at least find a decent future. But so much time has passed, and not only has he not studied properly, he spends all his time playing around with other children. What's the use of sending ten taels of silver back every month if things continue like this?"

Ling Yunche asked instinctively, "How do you know Zuo Lu hasn't been attending school properly?"

Wei Yanwan glanced at him and said, "I have a close friend whose younger brother happens to be in the same school as Zuo Lu."

Ling Yunche was silent for a moment, then said, "But if you give less money, what will happen to your mother and brother? Are you just going to abandon them?"

"How could I not care?" Wei Yanwan said, "I just feel that we have to think of another way to get Zuolu to actually start studying. As for what to do, I haven't figured it out yet. In short, I won't give him any money this month. I'll think about it again later."

As she finished speaking, she gave Ling Yunche a slight bow: "I have indeed troubled you a lot over the years, thank you for your hard work."

"Why are you being so polite with me?"

Ling Yunche subconsciously replied, his gaze falling on her face, but he couldn't help but linger for a while longer.

Three years have passed, and Xiefang Palace truly lives up to its reputation as the residence of the First Prince. Life there is indeed nourishing. Her skin is now more delicate and fair, and her eyebrows and eyes have fully relaxed. Her eyes are especially clear and bright, which makes his heart flutter slightly.

They were childhood sweethearts and entered the palace together. He had thought about the possibility of the future before, but the Wei family mother and son were like a bottomless pit. Wei Yanwan was obedient to her mother and younger brother, sending every penny of her monthly allowance home. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't help but think about it more carefully.

But now that she has come to her senses and knows that she can't just indulge her family, those thoughts that were originally suppressed in her heart have inevitably resurfaced.

He couldn't help but take a step forward, his voice lowering slightly: "Yanwan..."

Wei Yanwan almost immediately took a step back.

The two of them once again maintained a proper distance from each other.

She lowered her head and said, "My shift is almost over. If I don't go back soon, I'm afraid the nanny will ask questions. I'll be going now."

Without giving Ling Yunche a chance to speak again, she hugged the thing in her arms tightly and walked past him.

Ling Yunche stood there, watching her hurried figure disappear into the distance, and after a long while, he could only let out a helpless laugh.

Wei Yanwan showed no sign of a smile. She walked down the long street again, her previous cheerful mood largely gone, her brows and eyes remaining heavy.

Just as she passed through a palace gate, a clear, crisp voice suddenly called out from behind: "Yanwan!"

She turned around and the gloom on her face immediately dissipated: "Spring Cicada!"

Chun Chan trotted up to me, carrying a sewing box in her hands, and said with a smile, "I was just on my way to deliver something to the Imperial Clothing Bureau. I didn't expect to run into you here. We're going the same way."

Wei Yanwan was naturally pleased.

After exchanging their arrival times, the two realized they had plenty of time, so they walked slowly forward side by side.

"That guy just now, could it be your childhood sweetheart, the boy next door again?" Chun Chan said.

Wei Yanwan nodded helplessly.

Chun Chan's face immediately fell: "I knew it was him! No one else could be so ignorant of the rules! Has he even memorized the palace regulations? Even palace maids and eunuchs aren't allowed to be too close in private, yet this young guard comes looking for you every few days, even brazenly asking someone to pass on his message, as if he's afraid no one will know. Let me tell you, you can't always be so lenient. Next time he's so abrupt, you have to clearly refuse him, and it would be best to embarrass him again!"

Wei Yanwan looked troubled: "It's not that I spoil him, it's just that we've known each other since we were little, and if I say something too harsh, I just feel..."

"He's willing to make things difficult for you, but you're unwilling to make things difficult for him?" Chun Chan interrupted her bluntly, "If this continues, he'll be the one to harm you sooner or later."

Wei Yanwan was taken aback.

Chun Chan finally blurted out everything she had been holding back for so long: "Ever since he revealed the amount of your monthly allowance that you had been so careful to hide from your family with just a few words, I knew he was unreliable. You didn't even think to brag about how much your allowance had increased at Xie Fang Palace, or what rewards your masters had given you. But he, after just one trip home, told you everything. If it weren't for his mouth, how would your mother have known you had saved up money? Over the past three years, it must have taken at least seven or eight taels! Seven or eight taels of silver may not be much to those masters, but how could it be a small amount for a lowly palace maid like you?"

Wei Yanwan's thoughts were exposed, and her heart sank slowly.

Chun Chan sneered again: "What's even more interesting is that, with such a long tongue, why didn't he tell you about Zuo Lu skipping school to gamble on the streets? But he knows exactly how much silver and how many rewards you got."

Wei Yanwan stopped, her face showing more confusion than anger: "Chun Chan, I'm not trying to make excuses for him, but I just can't understand what benefit he could gain from doing this. If he intends to harm me, he has indeed delivered many things for me and relayed many messages for my family over the years. If I can't understand the reason and just assume he has bad intentions, what if... what if I really wrong an innocent person?"

"Then you've been wronged!"

Chun Chan answered crisply, "Even if he didn't have bad intentions, he's still not a very good person. He's such a grown man, and he doesn't even know when his tongue should be long and when it should be short. Do you really expect him to protect you in the future? His first job after entering the palace was being assigned to guard the Cold Palace; you could say it was just bad luck. But now almost three years have passed, with annual assessments, and he hasn't made any progress in three years. He's still stuck in the same old job, neither thinking about learning new skills nor trying to climb the ranks. It's clear he has absolutely no ambition!"