From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

Yan Rugo's eyes sharpened, and her eyes, which had been full of joy just moments before, instantly turned as cold as ice, as calm as a precision instrument.

She quickly scanned her surroundings, her mind racing as she began to analyze Young Master Zheng's schemes.

What a persistent bastard! Looks like if we don't teach him a lesson, he'll really think he's something!

“Young Master Xu,” Yan Rugo’s voice was clear and firm, “it seems we need to have a proper talk with this Young Master Zheng.”

The male lead frowned slightly.

The two quickly went to the study, where they found the desk piled high with intelligence gathered from various places, the papers covering the entire room as if to flood it.

The intelligence report was densely covered with all sorts of information, some of which was marked with circles and dots, making it as complex as a maze.

The air was filled with a faint scent of ink, and the atmosphere instantly became tense, much like a preparation room on the eve of a major battle.

Yan Rugo and Xu Nanzhu stood side by side, staring intently at the contents of the paper, occasionally whispering and discussing countermeasures.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only their soft breathing and the occasional rustling of pages turning, as if the whole world had shrunk to just the two of them.

Meanwhile, in places where the city's nobles gathered, the henchmen sent by Young Master Zheng were spreading rumors about Yan Rugo with great enthusiasm.

With ferocious smiles on their faces, like demons crawling out of hell, they spewed out all sorts of slanderous words, convincingly portraying Yan Rugo as a witch colluding with a cult.

"Have you heard? Miss Yan is no good. She's secretly colluding with a cult and might just be a witch!"

"Yes, I heard she also knows sorcery and can bewitch people!"

The rumors spread rapidly like a virus, quickly causing a huge uproar.

Those nobles who had previously held a favorable impression of Yan Rugo now began whispering among themselves, their faces filled with shock, doubt, and incomprehension.

Yan Rugo and Xu the male lead also received the news very quickly.

When they heard those slanderous words, their brows furrowed and their eyes burned with anger.

But they didn't lose their minds; instead, they became even calmer.

"Hmph, how despicable!" Yan Rugo sneered, her eyes filled with disdain. "It seems that Young Master Zheng has run out of tricks and can only resort to these low-down methods."

"Ru Ge, we need to find the source of the rumors as soon as possible, and we can't let them continue to be so arrogant," Xu said in a deep voice, his tone tinged with worry.

The surrounding nobles were all shocked upon hearing these rumors.

They whispered among themselves, their faces filled with doubt and distrust.

"Is...is this true? Miss Yan is actually involved with a cult?"

"Who knows? I think there's something fishy about this!"

"Could it be that everything that happened before was just an act by Miss Yan? You can never truly know a person's heart just by looking at their face!"

Looking at the various expressions of the people around her, Yan Rugo suddenly grabbed Xu Nanzhu's hand and said with a firm look in her eyes, "Let's go, let's find evidence that they are spreading rumors!"

"Wait! I think I know who the witness who spread the rumor is..." The male protagonist suddenly stopped and stared straight ahead at a certain spot, a meaningful smile on his face.

Yan Rugo's lips curled up slightly, a confident smile blooming on her face, like a plum blossom proudly blooming in winter, cool and dazzling.

A sly glint shone in her eyes, as if she had everything under control.

"System, target locked," she said softly, as if she were simply greeting an old friend.

The next second, a clear coordinate map appeared in her mind, showing the target's location clearly.

"Let's go, the show's about to begin!" Yan Rugo said cheerfully, taking Xu Nanzhu's hand. The two, like a pair of chivalrous heroes fighting side by side, headed directly towards the location of the fake witness.

When they appeared before the crowd, the fake witnesses were spouting off a pre-written "script" as if they were witnesses themselves.

Yan Rugo sneered, her clear voice cutting through the noise like a sharp blade.

"This 'witness,' you speak so vividly, I wonder if you have the courage to confront me?"

The fake witness was startled by the sudden sound, his expression freezing instantly, like a puppet whose pause button had been pressed.

His eyes darted around nervously, and fine beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead.

But by then, he couldn't escape, because the nobles around him had already surrounded him completely.

"You...you...who are you!" the fake witness stammered, his voice trembling.

"Who I am is not important. What's important is whether what you said is as good as gold that can withstand the test of fire." Yan Rugo pressed on relentlessly, her eyes like sharp swords piercing straight at the false witness.

The fake witness felt extremely guilty under her gaze, and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

Under Yan Rugo's repeated questioning, the false witness's lies were quickly exposed. His face turned ashen, beads of sweat dripped from his forehead like broken beads, and his pants were soaked, as if he had been washed. He was in a sorry state, and there was no trace of his previous arrogance.

The surrounding nobles suddenly realized that this was the truth.

They looked at Yan Rugo, and the fake witness, like a clown, was despised by everyone.

The male protagonist, Xu, stood by Yan Rugo's side the whole time, his gaze never leaving her.

Yan Rugo felt Xu's gaze and was filled with emotion and admiration.

She looked at the male lead, her eyes shining with a gentle light, much like a sky full of stars.

The surrounding air seemed to become fresher, filled with pink bubbles, and the flowers and plants began to sway gracefully, as if cheering for their love.

"This is just the beginning..." Xu, the male protagonist, suddenly said, looking into the distance with a deep gaze and a meaningful smile on his lips.

Yan Rugo and the male lead Xu pressed their advantage and followed the clues, actually uncovering a huge secret!

They discovered that not only did Young Master Zheng spread rumors, but he also colluded with cults in private. The evidence was conclusive, and he was caught red-handed!

At the gathering of nobles, Yan Rugo presented her evidence in public, speaking with righteous indignation. Like an ancient version of Conan, she was logically sound and eloquent, leaving Young Master Zheng speechless, his face pale, trembling like a leaf, and he collapsed to the ground, feeling worse than if he had eaten three pounds of spicy crayfish.

That expression is perfect material for an emoji; all that's missing is a sign saying "I am a sinner" on his head.

The nobles' initial suspicions about Yan Rugo vanished, replaced by deep admiration. They looked at her with the same sparkling gazes that fans would have for their idols.

As for Young Master Zheng, they looked down on him with disdain, casting disdainful glances at him as if he were a worthless piece of trash.

Young Master Zheng could only slink away from the banquet, his departing figure looking more pathetic than a drowning dog.

The entire Yan residence erupted in cheers, even more lively than during the Lunar New Year.

The lady held Yan Rugo's hand, tears streaming down her face, almost as if she were about to award her the "Best Daughter Award".

Surrounded by the crowd, Yan Rugo smiled radiantly, like a queen ascending the throne, enjoying her moment of glory.

But amidst the joy of victory, Yan Rugo overheard the servants whispering, suggesting that a bigger secret was hidden within the family.

A chill ran through her, and her smile gradually faded, replaced by doubt and worry, like the calm before a storm.

The male protagonist, Xu, noticed Yan Rugo's change, gently took her hand, and gave her a firm look.

"Don't be afraid, we'll face this together."

Yan Rugo looked at Xu, her eyes filled with complex emotions, which eventually turned into a resolute expression.

She turned her head to look in a certain direction, her eyes sharp as knives, "The Liu family..."