From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

Yan Ruyu's gaze fell on the few remaining river-crossing tools—more like pieces of broken wooden planks pieced together and barely tied together with ropes, teetering on the verge of collapse, as if they would fall apart at any moment.

The river was swift and roared, splashing water against the rocks on the bank and creating white mist.

These are not tools for crossing the river; they are clearly stepping stones to the gates of hell.

Her brows were furrowed, and her sharp gaze swept across the river before her, as if trying to see through it.

The river is so swift that a slight misstep could result in the loss of the boat and the lives of the people on board.

Guard Li's face was also extremely grim. He rubbed his hands together, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Miss, this...this river is probably not easy to cross. These few broken planks probably can't carry many people."

“Miss, how about we take a detour?” a caravan member suggested cautiously. “Although it will take several more days, it’s better than losing our lives!” He looked anxious and kept glancing behind him as if some ferocious beast was chasing them.

"Take a detour?" Yan Ruyu turned her head sharply, her eyes piercing like knives at the member who spoke. "Taking a detour will take several more days. Can Young Master Xu wait? Every day of delay increases his danger!" Her tone was firm and left no room for argument.

The other caravan members' eyes darted back and forth between Yan Ruyu and the member who suggested taking a detour, their faces filled with hesitation and unease.

Torn between the threat to their lives and the orders of their masters, they found themselves in a dilemma.

Yan Ruyu walked to the riverbank, her gaze fixed on the water, seemingly lost in thought.

After a long silence, she suddenly pointed to a relatively calm stretch of water on the opposite bank of the river and said in a low voice, "Guard Li..."

Yan Ruyu pointed to a relatively calm body of water on the opposite bank of the river and said decisively, "Guard Li, take some men to cut down some sturdy trees and collect some vines. I have a plan!" Her eyes gleamed with confidence, as if she had everything under control.

Guard Li was taken aback at first, but then he realized what was happening and immediately called on everyone to get moving.

The sounds of felling and moving filled the air, instantly transforming the once lifeless riverbank into a bustling scene.

Yan Ruyu carefully observed the direction and speed of the river's flow, silently calculating something in her mind.

Under her direction, the group tied the felled trees together to form a raft, and then reinforced it with thick vines, thus completing a simple river crossing tool.

Although it looks rudimentary, it is much safer than the previous "broken wooden planks".

The crossing was extremely dangerous. The swift current constantly crashed against the raft, making a "whoosh" sound, as if it wanted to swallow them up.

But Yan Ruyu remained calm and composed, directing everyone to work together and ultimately successfully cross the treacherous river.

Stepping onto the land on the other side, everyone cheered and jumped for joy, their happiness at surviving the ordeal overflowing.

They all cast grateful glances at Yan Ruyu.

"Miss is truly a brilliant strategist!"

"Thanks to you, Miss, we escaped death!"

"Miss is simply our savior!"

Yan Ruyu simply smiled and said nothing more.

All she wants now is to get back to the Central Plains as soon as possible and see the person she longs for.

The group traveled non-stop and finally arrived in the Central Plains a few days later.

From afar, Yan Ruyu spotted that familiar figure.

"Young Master Xu!" she couldn't help but shout, and ran off.

Upon hearing the call, Xu, the male protagonist, turned around abruptly. The moment he saw Yan Ruyu, a look of surprise and delight appeared on his face, and he quickly went to greet her.

The two embraced tightly, their eyes filled with love and longing.

The people around were moved by this scene and cast their blessings their way.

"Ruyu, I'm so glad you're alright!" Xu's voice trembled slightly as he held Yan Ruyu tightly, afraid that she would disappear again.

"I'm fine, I'm back." Yan Ruyu buried her head in Xu Nanzhu's chest, feeling his warmth.

However, just as the two were immersed in the joy of their reunion, a discordant voice suddenly rang out: "Young Master Xu, do you know where this Miss Yan went on this trip?" The speaker was a richly dressed man with sinister eyes and a cold smile on his lips.

Yan Ruyu raised an eyebrow, gently pushed Xu away, turned to the richly dressed man, and said coldly, "Young master, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. I am going to the Western Regions to find an antidote for you, young master. Is there anything wrong with that?"

The elegant man sneered, saying sarcastically, "An antidote? It's more like colluding with traitors from the Western Regions! I saw it with my own eyes: you were drinking and laughing with those rebellious traitors from the Western Regions, arms around each other's shoulders, plotting something!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Yan Ruyu's lips curled into a playful smile. "May I ask, young master, which eye of yours saw me with my arms around a traitor from the Western Regions? Or perhaps your eyes are not sharp enough, and you're seeing things?" Her gaze was like a knife, staring directly into the magnificent man's eyes, as if she wanted to dig out the secrets deep within his heart.

The glamorous man was intimidated by Yan Ruyu's imposing presence, his eyes flickered, and he stammered, unable to utter a word.

He hadn't expected Yan Ruyu to be so eloquent, and for a moment he couldn't find the right words to refute her.

"If you can't explain it, then it's slander!" Yan Ruyu's tone was sharp. "I did have contact with several tribal leaders in the Western Regions, but that was all for the sake of treating Young Master Xu! They were grateful for my saving their lives and gave me some precious medicinal herbs. Does that count as colluding with traitors?"

As she spoke, she took out a letter from her bosom and showed it to everyone: "This is a letter of peace written jointly by several leaders of the Western Regions to the imperial court. They are willing to submit to the imperial court and never commit crimes again!"

The elegant man's expression changed drastically; the appearance of this letter had completely thwarted his plot.

He originally wanted to take this opportunity to bring down the Xu family, but unexpectedly, Yan Ruyu outmaneuvered him.

The people around them were talking amongst themselves, their eyes filled with disdain as they looked at the glamorous man.

They never expected that this well-dressed young man would be so despicable, resorting to any means to achieve his goals.

The Xu family members were extremely grateful to Yan Ruyu and stepped forward to express their thanks.

The old patriarch of the Xu family was even more excited as he grasped Yan Ruyu's hand, tears streaming down his face: "Miss Yan, thank you so much for saving the Xu family and my grandson!"

Yan Ruyu smiled slightly and said nothing more.

She did this not to gain the Xu family's gratitude, but to protect the people she loved.

However, just as everyone was rejoicing, deep within the palace, several figures were plotting something.

"That Yan Ruyu is a menace! She must be eliminated!" a shrill voice said.

“That’s right, she’s so popular, she’s bound to become a major threat in the future!” another deep voice echoed.

In the dimly lit palace, the flickering candlelight illuminated several sinister and cunning faces.

Meanwhile, Yan Ruyu and the male protagonist Xu were immersed in the joy of their reunion, completely unaware of the impending danger.

Deep within the palace, a man in a dragon robe stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze deep and unfathomable as he looked into the distance. He slowly said, "Issue an imperial decree: Summon Yan Ruyu to the palace..."