From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

"System, scan this pastry." Yan Rugo lightly touched the surface of the pastry with her fingertips, the icy touch making her even more vigilant.

In the dim candlelight, the delicate patterns on the pastries gleamed eerily, like lurking venomous snakes.

Yan Rugo's eyes flickered slightly, a sense of tension spreading through her heart, but she remained outwardly calm, as if she were simply admiring the exquisite pastry.

The system quickly provided the results: trace amounts of sedative components were detected; the dose was not lethal, but it would cause temporary unconsciousness.

"Heh, a mere trick." Yan Rugo sneered. It seems that the harem is indeed full of traps.

She rolled her eyes and figured it out.

She took out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve and dripped a few drops of the clear liquid inside onto the pastry.

This is an antidote redeemed by the system; it can quickly neutralize the effects of the sleeping potion.

After doing all this, she put the dessert back on the tray, pretending to be completely unaware.

When Eunuch Zhao returned to retrieve the tray, he saw that the snacks were untouched and was secretly pleased, thinking that his plan had succeeded.

He smiled obsequiously and said, "Miss Yan, is it to your liking?"

"Very good." Yan Rugo smiled faintly, her tone revealing nothing unusual.

The eunuch Zhao left satisfied, completely unaware that he had fallen into Yan Rugo's trap.

No sooner had he left than Yan Rugo eagerly took out the ordinary pastries she had prepared in advance and began to savor them.

"At least I can finally eat a peaceful meal." Yan Rugo patted her chest, relieved that she had escaped a disaster.

Little did she know, an even greater crisis was yet to come...

Suddenly, a slight noise came from outside the window.

Yan Rugo looked up alertly and saw a piece of paper floating in through a crack in the window.

Yan Rugo caught the note quickly and unfolded it in the dim candlelight. Her delicate handwriting came into view: "It's late and the dew is heavy. Be careful not to catch a cold. I already know about the pastries." The signature was a simple "Xu".

Yan Rugo couldn't help but smile, a warm feeling welling up in her heart.

I knew that scoundrel wouldn't let himself suffer. He pretends to be harmless on the surface, but who knows how he's protecting me behind my back.

She pulled a small charcoal pencil from her sleeve and wrote on the back of the note: "Don't worry, your young master isn't someone to be trifled with. This little trick won't stump me. But you, take care of yourself and don't overwork yourself." After writing, she crumpled the note into a small ball, flicked it gently, and the ball landed precisely on a tree branch outside the window.

A dark shadow flashed by, and the crumpled paper disappeared.

The whole process was completely silent, as if it had never happened.

The room was quiet, with only the soft crackling of the candlelight, as if protecting the ambiguous feelings being conveyed in the shadows.

The next day, the sun shone brightly, and the Imperial Garden was filled with blooming flowers and fragrant aromas.

The young women gathered here to learn court etiquette.

Yan Rugo stood among the flowers, listening listlessly to Granny Sun explaining the complicated rules, but her mind had already wandered far away.

Suddenly, a scream shattered the tranquility of the Imperial Garden.

"Ah!" Lin Xiunv exclaimed dramatically, her body falling straight backward, the teacup in her hand falling to the ground and shattering into pieces.

By sheer coincidence, the direction she fell was exactly where Yan Rugo was.

Upon seeing this, the surrounding women gasped in surprise, all turning their gazes toward Yan Rugo.

"Miss Yan, why did you push me?" Lin Xiunü clutched her chest, accusing him with a pained expression, her eyes still glistening with tears, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Yan Rugo was completely dumbfounded. Wasn't this staged accident far too obvious?

Before she could react, Consort Li and her maids strode over menacingly.

Consort Li looked down at Yan Rugo, her tone icy: "Miss Yan, how dare you commit violence in the palace!"

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

Just as she was about to explain, a palace maid rushed over and whispered a few words to the Empress.

Upon hearing this, the Empress's expression changed slightly...

"The Queen has arrived——"

Yan Rugo sneered, her almond-shaped eyes narrowing slightly as she swept a chill over Lin Xiunü's tear-streaked face: "Miss Lin, your acting is far too clumsy. When did I push you? There are so many eyes watching, do you think everyone is blind?" Her tone was sharp and resounding, silencing the whispering ladies around her.

Just then, Qiao'er, a palace maid serving the Empress, passed by and witnessed the whole incident.

She walked quickly to the Empress's side and whispered a few words in her ear.

Upon hearing this, the Empress's expression darkened slightly, and she looked at Lin Xiunü with a more probing gaze.

"Qiao'er, you tell me, what exactly happened?" The Empress's majestic voice rang out, carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.

Qiao'er stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and reported what she had seen: "Your Majesty, I saw with my own eyes that Lady Lin fell down by accident, and it had nothing to do with Miss Yan."

Lin Xiunü's face turned deathly pale instantly. She hadn't expected anyone to stand up and testify. The tears in her eyes froze in place, making her look ridiculous.

She opened her mouth, wanting to defend herself, but found herself unable to utter a word.

Seeing this, Consort Li knew she could no longer make a fuss over the matter today, so she could only wave her hand sullenly and turn away with her maids. Before leaving, she did not forget to glare fiercely at Yan Rugo.

"Consider yourself lucky!" Lin Xiunü muttered through gritted teeth.

When the news reached Xu Moqing's ears, he was painting. His brush paused, and the ink spread on the rice paper, forming a blurry ink stain.

His handsome brows furrowed, a hint of worry flashed in his eyes, and his thin lips pressed together as he murmured, "It seems I have to go there myself."

As night fell, all was quiet outside the palace walls, broken only by the occasional chirping of insects.

Dressed in black, Xu Moqing concealed himself in the darkness, his figure as swift as a ghost as he scaled the palace walls and infiltrated the palace.

His movements were light and his breathing even, as if he blended into the night.

A sharp alarm pierced the night sky, startling a flock of birds.

Yan Rugo was reading in her room when she heard the alarm, and the book in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

She stood up abruptly, her face pale, her heart pounding, and a sense of foreboding washed over her.

"Is it him? Has he come?" she murmured to herself.

Chaos erupted within the palace as guards, torches in hand, searched frantically, a tense atmosphere filling the air.

In the darkness, pairs of vigilant eyes, like cheetahs, searched every corner.

"Who goes there?!" a guard shouted sharply, his torch illuminating a dark corner...