The new emperor's first decree upon ascending the throne was to forcibly take his cousin as his

Ruan Zhaoyuan stared at her fiercely, looking as if he wanted to devour her.

She ignored her and walked away.

He followed her all the way out, relentlessly accusing her, "Ruan Xianrong, you're pretending to please your parents again."

She stopped and looked at him. No wonder they say your appearance reflects your heart.

The same person, who used to be cute and sensible, now has a hideous face.

"Ruan Zhaoyuan, some things are not necessarily as they seem."

"Are you sure everything you experienced in your past life was done by me?"

Ruan Zhaoyuan was taken aback at first, then realized what was going on, "You really do remember, you really were acting."

Ruan Xianrong: "..."

Is this the key point?

This book is riddled with holes, isn't it?

One is a transmigrator with a system, another is a transmigrator from a book, and yet another is a reborn one—she's finding it hard to keep up.

I finally managed to change the trajectory of my own book, and now another reborn one has appeared. Isn't this ridiculous?

What if Ruan Zhaoyuan gets angrier the more he thinks about it and still wants to kill her?

She felt it was necessary to make things clear.

"Um... would you believe me if I said I wasn't the Ruan Xianrong who harmed you?"

"Ruan Xianrong, you still want to use your little tricks to fool me? I won't fall for it again."

"No, you might not be fully awake yet. I really wasn't the one lying to you."

He scoffed coldly, "Sober?"

Having been given a second chance at life, he is now more clear-headed than anyone else. He would recognize Ruan Xianrong, that poisonous woman, even if she were reduced to ashes.

Ruan Xianrong sighed. She had too much psychological trauma in her past life and didn't trust anyone in this life. Unfortunately, she was the one who ran into him.

"Since you hate her so much, you should understand her. All my habits are completely different from hers, can't you tell?"

Ruan Zhaoyuan looked her up and down. "You only changed your habits because you suffered a terrible death in your past life. Do you think that just because you don't do those evil things in this life, you can pretend that nothing happened?"

He stepped forward, pressing closer, "Ruan Xianrong, you shouldn't be alive!"

Ruan Xianrong took two steps back. It was over. This child was blinded by hatred and didn't believe a word she said.

She'd try reasoning with them first, but if words failed, she wasn't going to back down.

She kicked him in the shin. "I've said all the nice things you want to hear, but you won't listen. So I don't need to be subservient anymore. I'll say it again: I'm not the one who hurt you. The one who hurt you is gone. If you keep being sarcastic and trying to kill me, I won't show you any mercy."

Ruan Zhaoyuan paused for a moment, then sneered, "Finally showing your true colors?"

Ruan Xianrong rolled her eyes. Well, she didn't listen to anything. If she couldn't afford to offend them, she could at least avoid them.

"You hate me, yet you keep coming up to me. What's wrong with you? Get away!"

She pushed the person away and skipped off to find Miaoyin and Cheng Qing. The three of them went out to the street together.

*

In the carriage, Cheng Qing sat a little further away, while Miao Yin hugged her arm and rubbed against her like a little kitten.

"Sister Ruan, after you got married, did you stop loving me? Is your heart only for your husband now?"

Are you still leaving Kyoto? I don't want you to go.

"Sister Ruan, if you're leaving, could you take me with you? I'd like to make you some snacks."

Ruan Xianrong sighed and patted her head. The book only said that the female lead was innocent in the early stage and grew into a strong female lead in the later stage. It didn't say that she was so difficult to deal with in the early stage.

Cheng Qing chuckled to himself, but Miao Yin caught it and said unhappily, "What are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing, I just feel that Miss Miaoyin and Niannian have a really good relationship, they're like family even though they're not related by blood."

Miaoyin rolled her eyes at him. She had been wary of the Second Prince and Shen Qinghe, but who knew that this unexpected troublemaker would beat her to it in the end.

She didn't want to be separated from Sister Ruan.

Cheng Qing shook his head helplessly, only smiling and remaining silent.

Once inside the jewelry shop, Miaoyin pulled her up to the second floor. "I had a set of jewelry custom-made last time, and it just so happens that Sister Ruan is here to take a look today."

The upstairs was mostly occupied by female customers, so Cheng Qing felt it inappropriate to go up. "Don't worry about me, I'll wait downstairs."

Miaoyin had a set of jade hair ornaments made to order, which were very gorgeous. She picked up a hairpin and put it in her hair, very satisfied. "Beautiful."

"For me?"

"Yes, I can't embroider, and I can't help embroider the wedding dress, so I can only buy this for my sister."

"Actually, I don't need such expensive things."

Their marriage was rushed; they had already told their parents that everything should be kept simple.

"How can that be? Marriage is a major life event, it can't be done casually. Let that Cheng guy see that you are the jewel of our Ruan family, so that he won't mistreat you."

Ruan Xianrong chuckled, "Who told you that?"

"Your Highness, Prince Yong."

"Your Highness Prince Yong? You still have dealings with him?"

"The Prince Yong's mansion is deserted. Sometimes I go there to keep him company and talk to him. He helped me back then, and I will always remember this kindness."

Ruan Xianrong understood perfectly; it was a waste for such a kind and grateful girl to marry Xie Chengyan.

Coming downstairs, Cheng Qing was standing at the counter, talking to the shopkeeper.

Seeing that the person was about to leave, he tugged at something in his sleeve and followed behind.

After shopping for half a day, Cheng Qing's hands were simply too full to carry any more items.

Originally, she was going to hand it to the servant to put back on the carriage, but Miaoyin insisted that Cheng Qing take it.

She didn't want him to overwork and suggested he rest first, but Cheng Qing shook his head, "No need. Although I don't know martial arts, I'm more than capable of handling these things as a man."

Miaoyin gave a coquettish "humph" and entered the restaurant with Ruan Xianrong in her arms.

As the group stepped onto the second floor of the restaurant and passed a private room with its door half-open, a voice suddenly rang out, "Eh? Cousin Ruan?"

Ruan Xianrong heard a familiar voice and sensed something was wrong. Just as she was about to hurry away, Xie Chengli and Xie Chengming came out of the private room.

Xie Chengli asked with a smile, "What a coincidence! You're here to dine too? We just arrived, and the dishes haven't all been served yet. Why don't we join you?"

Ruan Xianrong was about to refuse, but before she could even speak, Xie Chengli had already put his arm around Cheng Qing's shoulder and led her into the private room. "No need to stand on ceremony, we're all family, please sit wherever you like."

Cheng Qing was taken aback for a moment, then quickly bowed.

Xie Chengli waved his hand: "Don't mention it."

He then waved to Ruan Xianrong and Miaoyin outside the door, "Come in quickly, what are you doing standing at the door?"

Ruan Xianrong sighed. It was such a small world; she really didn't want to see him.

Since returning to Beijing, he has made her look at paintings whenever he sees her, treating her like she's not a human being at all. She's really tired of it.

She suspected that he was retaliating because she hadn't told him about Miaoyin's preferences last time.

After they went inside and sat down, Xie Chengli spoke to Miaoyin with a smile, "Cousin Miaoyin, you probably aren't familiar with Kyoto. Just tell me where you want to go, and I'll take you there."

Miaoyin nodded, "Thank you, Third Prince."

"Why are you being so polite with me? Your sister Ruan almost rode on my head when we were kids, so you don't need to be so polite with me either."

Ruan Xianrong: "..."

Why are you making comparisons and attacks when you're just talking?

Miaoyin became interested. "Then, Your Highness, could you tell me about your childhood?"

Xie Chengli's eyes lit up. "That's something to talk about! Let me tell you..."

"Nian Nian?"

Another voice interrupted them as Shen Qinghe walked in, his face slightly flushed. "What a coincidence, you're here too?"

Xie Chengming looked up and knew that he had rushed over in a hurry, panting as he climbed the stairs, which was why his face was flushed.

He looked at Ruan Xianrong again, a slight smile playing on his lips as he shook his head.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"I'm feeling a bit better, so I came out for a walk. I was planning to have lunch before going back, but I didn't expect to run into Your Highnesses here." Shen Qinghe said, glancing at Cheng Qing opposite him without making a sound, his smile fading slightly.

"That's quite a coincidence. It's rare for Qinghe to go out. Today it's my treat, eat whatever you like." Xie Chengli waved his hand.

I originally just wanted the three of us to have a quiet meal, but now the room is full of people.

For some reason, Ruan Xianrong had a bad feeling.

Miaoyin was sitting to her left and Cheng Qing to her right. At first, everything seemed normal. After all the dishes were served, Cheng Qing put some greens in her bowl.

Not to be outdone, Miaoyin next to her picked up a chicken wing, saying, "My sister likes to eat this."

Shen Qinghe's eyelids twitched, and he picked up a piece of fish. "Eating fish is good for your health, Nian Nian, eat more."

She ate the vegetables, but Shen Qinghe and Miaoyin were not satisfied and put two more pieces of food on her plate. "Sister Ruan, you have to eat mine first this time."

After several rounds of this, Ruan Xianrong was stuffed, but the three people around her got into a competition, keeping piling food onto her plate, bowl after bowl.

Xie Chengli's eyebrows curved slightly, and he could no longer hide the smile on his face that suggested he was enjoying the show.

Deliberately trying to be mischievous, he stood up and added a slice of bamboo shoot to her bowl. "Cousin Ruan has lost weight; she should eat more, don't you think, Second Brother?"

Ruan Xianrong glared at him fiercely. What was he doing here to cause trouble again?

Xie Chengli returned her an innocent yet radiant smile.

Xie Chengming paused for a moment, then picked up a piece of meat and placed it in her bowl.

Ruan Xianrong: "..."

She shouldn't have left this door today.