From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

Yan Rugo and the male protagonist Xu walked quickly on their way back to the mansion, both lost in thought.

The moonlight shone on the bluestone path, casting their long shadows.

Yan Rugo frowned slightly, repeatedly recalling the old man's words, feeling that something was amiss.

The male protagonist pursed his lips and looked around from time to time, as if searching for some clue.

A night breeze blew by, rustling the leaves as if someone were whispering, which sent chills down one's spine.

“Wait,” Yan Rugo suddenly stopped, sensing a gaze fixed on them. “It seems we’re being followed.”

Upon hearing this, the male protagonist immediately became alert. He looked around but found nothing unusual.

"Perhaps it's just my imagination?" he said softly, but his tone was full of uncertainty.

Yan Rugo shook her head. "My intuition is usually very accurate. We should still be careful."

The two quickened their pace, almost jogging, hoping to get rid of this unsettling feeling as soon as possible.

However, the feeling of being spied on never left them, clinging to them like a leech.

Just then, a familiar figure suddenly appeared from the alley entrance, blocking their way.

"Oh, isn't this our Miss Yan and Young Master Xu? Why are you in such a hurry to be reincarnated?" Li Si's sarcastic voice echoed in the empty alley, carrying a hint of mockery and ridicule.

Yan Rugo and Xu Nanzhu were both stunned; they hadn't expected to run into Li Si here again.

Li Si didn't bring any help this time, standing there alone, but his eyes were even more ferocious than before, like a hungry wolf, ready to pounce and tear its prey apart at any moment.

"Li Si, what exactly do you want?" Yan Rugo asked coldly, her tone full of vigilance.

Li Si sneered, "What for? Of course, I'm here to get justice! I haven't settled the score with you from last time!"

Yan Rugo and Xu, the male protagonist, exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.

They knew that tonight was destined to end badly.

The two men silently assumed defensive stances, ready to meet Li Si's attack at any moment.

The air was thick with tension, like a taut string that could snap at any moment.

"Heh," Xu, the male protagonist, sneered, "You think you can take me on?"

Before the male protagonist's cold laugh could even finish, he had already moved, as fast as lightning!

He shot towards Li Si like an arrow released from a bow, delivering a sharp side kick that struck Li Si squarely in the abdomen.

Before Li Si could even let out a scream, with a muffled thud, he was sent flying like a broken sack, crashing heavily to the ground and raising a cloud of dust.

He clutched his stomach, his face turning deathly pale, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

"That's it? I thought he was some kind of expert, but he's just a weakling." The male protagonist Xu patted non-existent dust off his sleeves, his tone contemptuous, as if he had just swatted a fly with ease.

He looked down at Li Si, who was lying on the ground groaning in pain, his eyes filled with no pity, only icy coldness.

Yan Rugo watched Xu's clean and efficient movements. She had always known that Xu came from a prestigious family and was skilled in martial arts, but witnessing his strength firsthand still surprised her.

The moonlight shone on his handsome face, adding to his mystery and charm, making Yan Rugo's heart race and her cheeks flush slightly.

She walked to Xu's side, her gentle gaze falling on him, and said softly, "Are you alright?"

Xu, the male protagonist, turned his head and met Yan Rugo's concerned gaze. A gentle smile appeared on his lips as he shook his head. "I'm fine. This little thing is no problem for me." His voice was deep and magnetic, as if it had some kind of magic, making Yan Rugo's heart beat even faster.

The surrounding air seemed to become sweeter, filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.

The moonlight shone on the two of them, drawing their shadows closer together, as if they had merged into one.

Just then, the male protagonist Xu stopped smiling, and his eyes became sharp again.

He walked up to Li Si, looked down at him, and asked in an icy tone, "Tell me, who sent you?"

Li Si struggled to lift his head, a cold smile appearing on his lips. "Want to know? I won't tell you!"

Li Si lay on the ground, clutching his stomach, wincing in pain, cold sweat dripping down his forehead like beads from a broken string.

His eyes were filled with resentment and fear, like a toad whose spine had been crushed, unable to jump anymore.

"Not going to talk?" The male protagonist narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone carrying a hint of danger, like the coldest winter wind, making Li Si tremble in his heart.

He slowly squatted down, his slender fingers gently patting Li Si's cheek, one pat after another, as if it were a countdown to death. "I hate it when people play hide-and-seek with me."

Li Si was so frightened by Xu's gaze that he lost his mind and dared not be stubborn anymore. He spilled everything he knew like beans from a bamboo tube.

"It's...it's that...that lowly maid named Cuihua from the manor...she's jealous of Miss Yan, and she wants...she wants..."

As Li Si recounted his story, the truth gradually came to light.

It turns out that this was all the work of a servant in the mansion. She was jealous of Yan Rugo's favor with the emperor and colluded with outsiders to frame her.

It's practically an ancient version of modern workplace power struggles, or rather, a ridiculously stupid version!

Yan Rugo was furious. Her chest felt like it was about to explode. She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her flesh. Her eyes were like poisoned arrows, and she wished she could tear Cuihua to pieces right then and there.

When Xu saw that Yan Rugo's face was red with anger, he felt sorry for her, took her hand, and gently massaged it to comfort her.

He stood up, his cold gaze sweeping over Li Si on the ground as if he were looking at an insignificant ant.

"Take him back."

The two escorted Li Si back to the mansion and told Madam Li the whole story.

Upon hearing this, Madam Li flew into a rage and immediately ordered the maid named Cuihua to be brought to her.

When Cuihua was brought to the main hall, she was still arrogant and kept making excuses until Li Si pointed her out, at which point she completely panicked.

Madam Li immediately ordered her to be dragged away, flogged thirty times, and sold off, never to return to the mansion again.

When Cuihua was dragged away, she cried out for her parents, screaming desperately. Her voice was so shrill that it sounded like the wailing of ghosts and wolves, as if the end of the world had come. It made people feel a sense of relief. This must be the legendary "evil people will get their just desserts"!

Having avenged her great grudge, Yan Rugo felt incredibly relieved. The anger that had been building up in her chest dissipated, and a smug smile couldn't help but appear on her lips.

To make amends to Yan Rugo, Madam Li bestowed upon her a great deal of gold and silver jewelry and also had many new clothes made for her.

Yan Rugo not only resolved the crisis this time, but also gained a lot of benefits. It was a win-win situation!

The moonlight, like water, gently poured over every corner of the mansion.

“You’re very different today,” Xu, the male protagonist, suddenly said. His eyes were as deep as the stars in the night sky, making Yan Rugo somewhat unable to see through them.

"What's different?" Yan Rugo tilted her head in confusion.

The male protagonist didn't answer, but simply looked at her deeply, and then slowly extended his hand...

The male lead slowly reached out and gently brushed a strand of Yan Rugo's hair behind her ear, his eyes so tender they were almost dripping with affection.

“Ru Ge,” his voice was deep and magnetic, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, “I like you. From the first time I saw you, I was deeply attracted to you.”

Under the moonlight, the male protagonist's eyes shone with a dazzling light, like the most brilliant star in the night sky.

He gazed at Yan Rugo with deep affection and said, word by word, "I know I misunderstood you a lot before and did many things that hurt you, but I really know I was wrong. From now on, I will spend my whole life protecting you, loving you, and spoiling you, and I will never let you suffer even the slightest harm again."

Yan Rugo's cheeks instantly turned bright red, like a ripe apple, delicate and luscious.

Her heart was pounding like a drum, as if it were about to burst out of her chest.

She looked up at Xu, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness, and nodded gently, "I...I like you too."

"Ahhh! Together! Together!" The servants around them immediately erupted in cheers and whistles, creating a deafening atmosphere, as lively as if it were Chinese New Year.

The entire mansion was immersed in a sea of ​​joy, filled with happiness and bustling with activity.

Madam Li was all smiles, holding Yan Rugo's hand and praising the male lead Xu incessantly, her eyes full of love and satisfaction.

She had long sensed the feelings between the two, and now that she saw them finally together, she was naturally happy to see it happen.

Just then, a mechanical voice suddenly rang in Yan Rugo's mind: "Ding! New mission detected, please prepare, host..." This voice came from her system.

Yan Rugo's smile froze slightly, and an ominous premonition welled up in her heart.

She subconsciously looked at Xu, only to find that he had also heard the voice, and the smile on her face froze.

The cheers around them stopped abruptly, the air seemed to freeze, and the atmosphere became eerie and oppressive.

“A new mission? What mission?” Yan Rugo murmured to herself, her voice trembling slightly.

The system's voice sounded again, but it was even more muffled, as if it had been interfered with: "Mission details...unknown...danger level...unknown..."

Yan Rugo's heart sank suddenly, and a chill ran from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

She stared at the system's vague message, her heart filled with confusion and worry.

“Ru Ge…” The male protagonist gripped her hand tightly, his tone solemn.