From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

Yan Rugo recalled Xu Linyuan's unfathomable gaze, and a sense of unease lingered in her heart.

But she did not linger there, because a banquet was being held at the mansion that evening, and she was assigned to be in charge of serving drinks.

This is an important task, and we cannot afford to fail.

After passing through the winding corridors, Yan Rugo arrived at the mansion's wine cellar.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, a damp, musty smell wafted out. The wine cellar was dimly lit, with only a few oil lamps casting a faint glow that illuminated the neatly arranged wine jars.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of alcohol, mixed with a hint of dust, creating a slightly oppressive atmosphere.

Yan Rugo couldn't help but shiver. This atmosphere was a bit like a scene from a horror movie.

She instinctively looked around and noticed that the wine cellar door lock had been pried open.

Did someone sneak in?

Yan Rugo's alarm bells rang loudly; it seemed that tonight's banquet was not going to be peaceful.

She held her breath and carefully examined every corner of the wine cellar, hoping to find some clues.

Having retrieved the wine from the specified vintage, Yan Rugo carefully carried the wine jar back to the banquet hall.

The hall was brightly lit, filled with guests, and the atmosphere was lively with clinking glasses and toasts.

Amidst the fragrance of clothes and the sway of hair, Yan Rugo skillfully poured wine for the guests, a perfectly timed smile on her face.

"This wine is not right!" An arrogant shout shattered the harmony of the banquet.

Yan Rugo looked in the direction of the voice and saw a richly dressed young man pointing at the wine cup in his hand with a look of disdain. This man was Liu Zi'ang, the young master of the Liu family, a notorious playboy.

He glanced at Yan Rugo with disdain in his eyes, "This wine is not aged properly. How can a servant like you not even be able to do such a small thing right?"

Yan Rugo took a deep breath, trying her best to suppress the anger in her heart.

She explained humbly and confidently, "Young Master Liu, this wine was retrieved from the wine cellar as instructed; there was absolutely no fraud involved."

Liu Zi'ang, however, was not satisfied. He snorted coldly and said sarcastically, "Who knows if you switched it or not? I think you're just deliberately being disrespectful to me!" The surrounding guests began to whisper among themselves, and all eyes were on Yan Rugo.

She felt an invisible pressure, as if a large net was tightly surrounding her.

"Young Master Liu, I remember the vintage of this wine perfectly clearly, there's no mistake." A clear voice rang out, like a spring breeze, dispelling the tension in the air.

Yan Rugo looked up and saw Xu Linyuan walking slowly towards her, dressed in a moon-white robe.

He had a handsome face, a gentle smile between his brows, but his eyes were as firm as a rock, which made people unconsciously convinced.

"Young Master Xu is joking. I was just saying it casually." Liu Zi'ang's attitude softened immediately when Xu Linyuan stepped forward, his tone carrying a hint of resentment.

His face turned pale and then red, and his arrogant and domineering attitude vanished instantly.

He glared at Yan Rugo fiercely, as if to say, "Consider yourself lucky," then sullenly picked up his wine glass and retreated to the side, like a defeated rooster.

Yan Rugo looked at Xu Linyuan, who had come to her rescue, and felt a surge of warmth in her heart. This man pretended to be harmless on the surface, but she didn't expect him to be so reliable at the crucial moment.

She nodded gratefully to Xu Linyuan, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

What exactly is Xu Linyuan up to?

"It's nothing, just a small favor." Xu Linyuan saw Yan Rugo looking at him, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a charming smile.

His deep eyes seemed to sparkle with starlight as he gazed at her tenderly, making Yan Rugo's heart flutter as if a deer were running wild.

"Miss, there's no need for such formalities."

Yan Rugo hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to look into Xu Linyuan's eyes again.

She felt her cheeks burning and her heart racing.

Why does Xu Linyuan's gaze seem to be seducing her?

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

The surrounding guests were also drawn to this scene, whispering among themselves and curiously observing them.

A hint of ambiguity hung in the air, as if some story was about to unfold.

Yan Rugo felt uneasy and made an excuse to leave the banquet hall in a hurry.

She had her back to Xu Linyuan, but she felt a gaze fixed on her from behind, as if trying to see right through her.

She quickened her pace, wanting only to escape this heart-pounding place as soon as possible.

"Wait." Just as Yan Rugo was about to walk out of the banquet hall, Xu Linyuan's deep voice suddenly came from behind her.

Yan Rugo stopped in her tracks, her heart filled with unease, as if she were a lost fawn being targeted by a hunter.

Aunt Zhao sat among the guests, her fingers, painted with bright red nail polish, lightly tapping the table. The crow's feet at the corners of her eyes trembled slightly with her sinister smile.

She stared intently at Yan Rugo, who was moving through the banquet hall, her eyes like poisoned daggers, wishing she could carve holes in her.

"Hmph, you little slut, you dare to compete with me for my favor?" she muttered under her breath, giving a wink to an inconspicuous maid beside her.

The maid understood and immediately crouched down, sneaking off to the drinks area.

She pulled a paper packet from her sleeve and, when no one was looking, quickly poured the powder inside into a pot of wine.

After doing all this, she looked around in a panic, afraid of being discovered, and fled back to Aunt Zhao's side like a frightened rabbit.

Inside the banquet hall, the sounds of traditional instruments filled the air, and the atmosphere was lively and bustling.

The well-dressed guests chatted and laughed, clinking glasses and exchanging toasts, completely unaware that a conspiracy was brewing in the shadows.

Yan Rugo was holding a wine pot, about to pour wine for a guest, when she suddenly smelled a faint, unusual fragrance.

The fragrance is peculiar, like some kind of floral scent, yet with a subtle hint of bitterness.

Alarm bells rang in her mind. Without making a sound, she switched the wine in the pot and then pretended to accidentally knock over another normal pot of wine.

"Oh dear!" she exclaimed in feigned panic, attracting the attention of the surrounding guests.

"What happened?" Madam Li asked, frowning.

Yan Rugo pointed to the wine stains on the ground and said in a feigned panic, "This servant accidentally knocked over the wine pot. This wine... seems a bit off."

"Something's not right? What's wrong?" a guest asked curiously.

"This wine... seems to have been poisoned!" Yan Rugo's words were startling, and the banquet hall instantly fell silent. All eyes were on her, and the atmosphere became tense.

Madam Li's face darkened, and she immediately ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.

Yan Rugo also cooperated with the investigation, but she soon discovered that many clues pointed to her.

She knew that someone was deliberately framing her, but she had to find the real culprit as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

She stood in the center of the brightly lit banquet hall, yet felt as if she were in a giant cage, surrounded by danger.

"This... what should we do..." Madam Li frowned, looking at Yan Rugo with deep concern.

Yan Rugo took a deep breath and said firmly, "Don't worry, Madam, I will definitely investigate this matter and clear my name!" She turned and walked towards the shadowy corner, her sharp eyes scanning everything around her...

"Who? Who is framing me?"