Before wearing it, Xu Rong worked overtime for half a month straight, working on all sorts of reports and data until she was pale and unsteady on her feet. So much so that when she collapsed at her workstation, she didn't panic. Instead, she felt a sense of relief: finally, she could get a full night's sleep.
As for work, to hell with it.
...
If Xu Rong knew that her collapse would transform her from Xu Rong into "Xu Rong," she certainly wouldn't have thought this way.
But there's no going back in life. On the tenth day after she transmigrated, Xu Rong finally gave up all wishful thinking and accepted her new identity.
An eighteen-year-old girl who has just been jilted and lives in an era unknown from hundreds of years ago.
And then—that was it.
Since I'm already wearing these clothes, I might as well make do with them. What else can I do?
The body was injured. The original girl, Xu Rong, had fallen down a hillside and hit her forehead, leaving a hole. When Xu Rong was on the body, blood was still flowing. She was lying on the bed, surrounded by a group of women crying.
Xu Rong listened for several days, feeling completely disoriented, before finally understanding the whole story.
The young girl Xu Rong was betrothed since childhood. When she reached marriageable age, her family had prepared her dowry. However, her fiancé changed his mind. Xu Rong was heartbroken and resentful. She went to confront him and fell down the hillside during the argument.
The three parties are currently arguing about this matter.
So there were three families, because the "little bitch" who caused her fiancé to change his mind was also present. According to Xu Rong's mother, Madam Xu, Xu Rong must have been pushed down. The one who pushed her was either her fiancé or the "little bitch." However, neither her fiancé nor the "little bitch" would admit it, and they both insisted that Xu Rong had accidentally fallen.
In the absence of other witnesses, Xu Rong's testimony as the victim becomes crucial.
But Xu Rong knew nothing. Xu Rong's wisp of soul had already vanished; what she received was an empty shell, devoid of anything inside.
When pressed by Madam Xu, she could only claim that she was dizzy and couldn't remember. She said that someone might have pushed her, or no one might have; it could have been Xiao Lun—her fiancé, or it could have been "that little bitch."
Upon hearing this, Madam Xu felt as if her heart was being torn apart. Her beloved daughter had not only broken her skin but also suffered a memory loss. She covered her face with a handkerchief and sobbed, "My poor, wretched child—"
Madam Xu was a weak mother who was good at crying, and it seemed that she only knew how to cry. She cried at home, and she also cried when she went to the Xiao family and the Chang family.
The Xiao family refers to the family of Xiao Lun, who was granted the title of Marquis of Changxing.
The Chang family, also known as the "little wretch's" family, was granted the title of Duke of Zheng.
Tears can also be turned into sharp weapons when the time is right. This matter combines nobility, scandal, love triangle, and suspense, making it perfect for casual conversation. With Madam Xu's relentless weeping and wailing, the story quickly spread even among the common people, and the reputations of the Xiao and Chang families became notorious.
As a woman, Chang Er Guniang, nicknamed "Little Bitch," has an inherent gender disadvantage. It is said that she couldn't withstand the public opinion and had already hanged herself at home.
It didn't work, but the maidservant discovered it in time and saved her.
"Pah, all pretentious."
"That's right, it's clearly because they've made our girls too ashamed to go out that they're finding an excuse to hide their shame."
Xu Rong—from now on, she is Xu Rong. The maids in the room huddled together, whispering.
"Alright, why bring up those people? It's pointless to upset the girl."
An older maid in green lifted the curtain and entered, glancing around before saying something neither too loud nor too soft.
The two maids embroidering handkerchiefs head to head under the window stuck out their tongues and replied in unison, "Yes, Sister Bai Fu."
Bai Fu held a lacquered tea tray with a small white porcelain bowl on it. Xu Rong, lying on the pillow, subtly shifted her position and glanced over—what's it today? Snow fungus and lotus seed soup, or rock sugar pear soup?
She can do either.
“Miss, two baskets of freshly picked pumpkins have been sent over from the estate. Sister-in-law Nan cut one up and, seeing how tender it was, made a sweet soup for you. Do you have an appetite to try some?” Bai Fu asked with a smile as she walked over.
Xu Rong nodded weakly: "You make it sound so good, then let's try it."
Bai Fu became happy and her steps became lighter. The little maid under the window brought over a large pillow, helped Xu Rong up, and then stuffed the pillow behind her.
The young maid was only thirteen or fourteen years old and not very adept at serving others. Bai Fu frowned repeatedly as she watched, saying, "Be gentle, be gentle. The young lady is still sick. Can she withstand such pulling?"
Startled by her words, the maidservant turned around and came out of the tent. Somehow, the hair ribbon tied to her bun got tangled with the tassel ornament hanging by the tent. Unable to move, she cried out in surprise, "Who pulled me?"
Xu Rong couldn't help but laugh. He reached out and slowly untied her clothes. The maidservant finally realized what was happening and blushed as she retreated.
Bai Fu shook her head, unable to suppress a smile: "This silly girl."
After saying that, he served the sweet soup.
Nan's sister-in-law was best at making snacks and sweet soups. As soon as Xu Rong took the bowl, she smelled the sweet aroma. Without making a sound, she ate the whole small bowl, spoonful by spoonful.
When Bai Fu took back the empty bowl, she smiled and said, "Miss has had a good appetite these past two days, which means you're almost fully recovered. Madam and the Marquis will be much more relieved to know this."
Xu Rong hummed in agreement and touched his temple.
The wound she had bumped had scabbed over, and for the past two days it had been both painful and itchy, causing her to unconsciously touch it every now and then. Bai Fu noticed this, her smile fading, but she forced a smile again and comforted her, "Don't worry, Miss. There are many good doctors in the capital, not just Physician Yang. The Marquis has been searching for a doctor these past few days; he will surely find a skilled physician to completely heal your injury."
Physician Yang was the same doctor who had treated Xu Rong's injuries before. He was a proper eighth-rank official in the Imperial Medical Academy. He had given a subtle diagnosis: "It would be difficult to leave no trace of the wound on your thousand-dollar coin."
As for "Lord Marquis", he is Xu Rong's younger brother, Xu Huazhang. The Xu family is also a noble family. Xu Huazhang has just turned fifteen this year. Because his father died early, he has inherited the title of Marquis of Ji'an in this generation.
Xu Rong reached for her pillow, only to find it empty, and then reached out to Bai Fu: "Where's my mirror?"
Bai Fu hesitated, but seeing that Xu Rong's hand wouldn't retract, she had no choice but to turn around and take out a small target mirror from the rosewood cabinet in the corner. She said helplessly, "Miss, don't look at it all the time—it will get better in the future."
She thought Xu Rong was worried about her injury and that's why she kept looking at it, afraid that it would upset her.
Little did Xu Rong know that when he held the mirror in his hand, he needed to press down the corners of his mouth before he could raise it and look into the mirror.
The perfectly polished bronze mirror is almost as clear as a glass mirror, and the face reflected in it is both familiar and unfamiliar.
It's been almost ten years since I last saw him.
She looked pretty much the same when she was seventeen or eighteen; the resemblance was close to 90%.
What a youthful face!
Her eyes were bright, her cheeks were plump, her skin was snow-white and delicate, without a single large pore, and even the tip of her nose was straight and smooth. To be honest, she was so pure that Xu Rong didn't want to blink.
At that age, she had to work two jobs besides studying: one as a tutor and another as a cafeteria worker provided by the school. Although the national policy was good and student loans could cover most of her expenses, the insecurity of being an orphan raised in a welfare home made it impossible for her to stop pursuing money. In this high-intensity, day-to-day overspending, her teenage years flew by.
At the time, she had little understanding of this period and did not like it because she felt too helpless and weak, while the responsibilities she would have to bear as an adult after graduation stood like a mountain in front of her.
Just before she transmigrated, she finally saved enough for a down payment and bought an 80-square-meter pre-sale apartment in the new first-tier city where she worked, and only then could she finally relax a little.
She's going to have a home.
Then--
She collapsed, and then she was dressed.
After years of hard work, it all came to nothing. The exhaustion from head to toe kept her in bed for ten days straight, her daily routine consisting of nothing but eating and sleeping, like a perfectly pickled salted fish.
The only consolation is this face that has regained its youth.
No matter how high-end the makeup brand is, it can't reverse the passage of time; only a true young girl is fearless.
As for the small scar on his forehead, what does it matter? Even if it can't be removed, Xu Rong doesn't care. A flaw in a flawless piece of jade is still a flawless piece of jade.
At eighteen, she was like a tender willow budding on a spring branch, her cheeks a soft pink like the delicate tips of lotus leaves on a pond in early summer, and her eyes and brows like distant mountains in late autumn, shrouded in mist and radiating a gentle glow.
“Miss,” Bai Fu cautiously interrupted her all-encompassing self-absorption and self-praise, “give me the mirror?”
Bai Fu always felt that something was off about her daughter's appearance when she looked in the mirror. She didn't see the injury as an injury, but rather as a flower—could it be that she was getting angrier and angrier, and had gone crazy?
It's hard to say. After all, the blows have been coming one after another without stopping.
"oh."
When handing over the mirror, Xu Rong was still somewhat reluctant to part with it.
It's not that she's really that narcissistic; if someone has ever experienced the passing of youth and felt that regret that can't be held onto, they will understand just how precious those two words truly are.
“Miss,” Bai Fu confiscated the mirror, but didn’t put it away immediately. Instead, she hesitated, “Zhi Tao and—”
"Rong'er, Rong'er!"
The woman's joyful voice drifted in from outside the door, interrupting Bai Fu.
Xu Rong raised her eyebrows in surprise. She recognized the voice; it was her "mother," Madam Xu. Because her son had inherited the title early, she had become an old lady before she was even forty. However, since Xu Huazhang was too young and not yet married, she was still addressed as "Madam" in various places.
Since waking up, Xu Rong had never seen Madam Xu's tears dry, and this was the first time he had seen her like this.
Bai Fu stood by the door and lifted the curtain. Madam Xu quickly entered, her face beaming with joy.
Overjoyed, Madam Xu sat down by the bed and said, "Rong'er, you don't need to worry anymore. The Xiao family has agreed that your engagement with Young Master Xiao will not be called off. Once your injuries have healed, his family will come to take you in!"
Xu Rong: "...?"
What is Ms. Xu saying?
Madam Xu noticed the question marks on her face, but categorized them as surprise and delight. She smiled and patted her hand affectionately, saying, "It's true. No matter how powerful their family is, they can't be more powerful than reason. I risked my reputation to argue with them for several days and finally got justice for you."
Xu Rong continued: "...?"
What kind of fairness is this?
Before the incident involving the young girl Xu Rong, the Xiao family had already intended to annul the engagement. Xu Rong was so shocked by this that she went to confront Xiao Lun.
After she transmigrated, she assumed that since the two families had fallen out like this, the marriage agreement could not possibly continue. So she ate and drank without a care in the world and didn't bother to plan for the future.
Unexpectedly, after many days of hard work and a series of miraculous maneuvers, Ms. Xu managed to salvage the marriage. And now she's even trying to take credit for it?
Regardless of whether Xiao Lun pushed the young girl Xu Rong, he had an affair with another woman before breaking off the engagement, and his treacherous nature could never be changed.
Shouldn't this kind of man be sorted into the hazardous waste bin?
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