My name is Bai Runyi, the only daughter of Bai Xian, the Minister of Revenue. My story is a bit long, so please listen carefully.

As far as I can remember, my mother has been frail and sickly. My father was often worried about her being alone at home, so he would take me with him to court.

At that time, I was just a young child, but day after day I became familiar with the solemnity and majesty of the court.

Among the nobles in the palace, the Empress was the most respected. Seeing how clever and well-behaved I was, she gradually came to know me. And among my peers in the capital, because of this unique experience, I was recognized as a young lady.

My life was smooth sailing, surrounded by the love and admiration of others. Outsiders saw me as a proud and dignified young lady, whose every move exemplified the demeanor of a lady from a noble family.

However, only I know that in my heart I am happy to take revenge. I cannot tolerate the people and things that I don't like.

Until later, by chance, I met Murong Zhi.

It was a particularly sunny day. I followed my father into the palace and met him unexpectedly at the corner of the imperial garden.

He was dressed in a moon-white robe, with an upright figure and a heroic look between his eyebrows. Just a quick glance at him, and my heart was pounding, and I fell in love with him at first sight.

He is the prince of the palace, handsome and elegant.

Later, I met Shen Jing. She was a thoughtful woman who struck a chord with me. We quickly became friends.

I originally thought that Chen Jing was my close friend, but as the days passed, I gradually discovered Chen Jing's true face.

I was enjoying the flowers and chatting with her in the garden. As we were talking, a little maid passed by and accidentally knocked over the teacup on her table.

The little maid was so frightened that she immediately knelt down and begged for mercy. I thought it was just a minor incident and I could just give her a scolding. But Shen Jing raised her eyebrows and without saying a word, she had the little maid slapped so hard that her cheeks were red and swollen, and she cried miserably.

At that moment, the cruelty and harshness on her face shocked me.

She explained to me that she was just scalded by the tea, so she reacted violently, and I believed her.

I know she takes advantage of me occasionally, but I don't mind. Because of my status, few people dare to be my friend, so she's just a little bit of a jerk.

I told her that I liked Murong Zhi, and she didn't show anything wrong. She even said she would help me pursue Murong Zhi.

I believe it.

That day, we gathered in the garden to drink tea and chat. Shen Jing took a sip of tea and said to me in a low voice: "Sister Runyi, do you know that something big happened in my family recently?"

I approached her curiously and asked, "What's the big deal? Tell me quickly."

Shen Jing frowned and said, "My family's real daughter, Shen Qing, who has been away for many years, will be brought back soon. I heard that she has been wild outside, and this time she comes back, I am afraid she will compete with me for the position in the family."

When I heard this, I couldn't help but feel indignant for my friend and said angrily, "How could she succeed so easily?"

Shen Jing's eyes flashed, and she took my hand and said, "Sister Runyi, you have to help me. As long as you help me, I will help you catch up with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

When I heard Murong Zhi's name, my heart warmed and I agreed immediately.

I thought I was just going to teach Shen Qing a lesson, but that day I overheard her conversation with the maid.

"I will make sure that Shen Qing will never be able to turn over a new leaf. Everything in this Shen family will only be mine!"

The ferocious expression and calculating words gave me chills.

I just thought Shen Jing was badly bullied by Shen Qing, so she was so scary.

Coincidentally, that day, I made an appointment with Shen Jing to appreciate the flowers together, and Shen Qing also came along.

She was wearing a simple dress, but it couldn't hide her natural beauty. Her eyes were clear and firm, without the slightest trace of timidity or fear.

I wanted to give her a warning, so I walked up to her and said coldly, "Are you Shen Qing? You look disgusting."

But she said a bunch of incomprehensible things that left me a little confused.

A gentle breeze blew past the pavilion, ruffling her hair and causing me to lose focus for a moment. I had thought she would be rude and impolite, but the Chen Qing before me was so graceful and gentle in her words that I couldn't bring myself to say the difficult words I had prepared.

This meeting didn't go as I expected. I began to reevaluate my views on Shen Qing and began to doubt my previous impulsive decision. Perhaps things were not as simple as Shen Jing said.

That was the first time I met her, and I had no idea that we would become such good friends later on.

But in my contact with Shen Qing, I found that she was completely different from what Shen Jing described.

Shen Qing is a person who occasionally speaks in a mean way. No, he often speaks in a mean way.

for example……

One time I made a new dress and showed it off to her with great joy, hoping to get some praise from her.

But she took a quick glance and said coldly, "This pattern looks like it was taken from some old maid."

For example...

I practiced piano for days and finally played it for her, hoping she'd praise me. Instead, she tilted her head and said jokingly, "Your piano sounds like you're scaring off all the birds around here."

But somehow, the way she spoke made me want to get close to her. I felt that she was much better than Shen Jing, at least she was more straightforward.

In fact, what changed our relationship was that night when she climbed into my window covered in blood...

That night, the moon was bright and I was in my room feeling sad about Murong Zhi's matter.

Suddenly, the window was pushed open, and a figure flipped in, startling me so much that I almost screamed. When I saw who it was, I gasped, it was Shen Qing.

She was covered in blood, her clothes were tattered, and her hair was messy and stuck to her face, but she still had that familiar smile on her face. She said to me, "Miss, please help me."

Without asking any more questions, I quickly helped her sit down on the bed, fetched some water, and prepared to treat her wound.

When I undressed her and saw the shocking wound on her chest, tears rolled down my face uncontrollably.

But she still looked nonchalant and said, "Don't cry yet, I can't comfort you now."

I was angry and heartbroken. Why was she always like this? She was still so nonchalant in the face of important things and didn't even care about her own life.

I fought back my tears as I carefully cleaned her wound and applied medicine. She gritted her teeth and said nothing. I knew it must be very painful, but she didn't even groan.

She said, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt."

After treating her wound, I let her sleep on my bed. She thanked me and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, when I woke up, Shen Qing was no longer by the bed. There was only a note left, which read: "Thank you, Miss. I will report back another day."

From that day on, we really became good friends.

Many years later, after going through countless ups and downs, I am extremely grateful to have met Chen Qing.

She really has been protecting me.