After her transformation and rebirth, she manipulates the innocent and ruthless to overthrow the wor

"I am but an insignificant servant in the General's Mansion. You are overestimating me, young lady. Moreover..." He lowered his eyes, his voice unhurried, with a hint of deliberate humility.

"It's much more interesting to hear the person involved say it from their own mouth."

Afu's gaze was piercing, fixed on her as if trying to see through her. He ignored her words, his face full of barely suppressed anticipation, as if waiting for a good show to begin.

"Ridiculous." Her tone was full of disdain.

She understood what Afu was up to, of course. She had personally delivered that letter, without entrusting it to anyone else. At most, only she, Nangong Ming, and Prince Yan knew about it.

But he also learned that, upon closer examination, the source of the information was only one of two places: either Guangwen Hall or the Prince Yan's residence. Afu's identity was a mystery, but Xiao Ran had a feeling that, with his methods, the Prince Yan's residence might not be able to stop his spies. His pressing was simply out of curiosity; he wanted to hear what she had to say.

But what could she say? Should she openly admit that she knew about Prince Yan's rebellion and had even provided him with the power of Liuyun Village? Rebellion is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family; how could she casually utter such a statement? If she did, how would she be any different from He Wan in her previous life?

Seeing her silence, Afu wasn't in a hurry. He casually stepped on the straw on the ground, making a "squeak" sound that seemed particularly out of place in the quiet space.

"This scene reminds me of the woodshed at the Summer Palace..." He raised his eyes, his gaze slowly falling on Xiao Ran's face. "Back then, you were begging me to spare your life."

Xiao Ran didn't back down, meeting his gaze directly with a cold look: "So, you plan to relive your sorrows here?"

Afu chuckled softly, a smile that held an unfathomable depth: "Of course not, I just wanted to remind you, young lady."

"Heh..." Xiao Ran sneered, "I cannot comment on matters concerning the Prince Yan's residence. Those people..."

Her thoughts drifted away, recalling her time at Liuyun Village: her shy yet brave senior brother Mo Ping, her master the Fourth Leader who silently helped her, and the courageous and resourceful First Leader—all connections she had painstakingly built up after her rebirth.

It's also...friendship.

"I understand." Afu surprisingly didn't press further. After a pause, he changed the subject, "Those people are very important to you, aren't they?"

"Ah."

Xiao Ran nodded slightly, saying nothing more, but her determined gaze had already given the answer.

“He Wan went with them, and she also saw the lion dance child.”

These sudden words caught her off guard, leaving her momentarily stunned. She didn't have time to ponder why Afu had said this to her; a single thought flashed through her mind—He Wan.

He Wan actually guessed that the lion dance child was someone she had sent... She was indeed different from her previous life, as if she had been prepared all along.

“You don’t like He Wan, right?” Afu noticed her expression change slightly, a meaningful smile appeared on his lips, and he said leisurely, “In that case, I can help you.”

She was taken aback by his words and blurted out instinctively, "Why are you helping me?"

“Because…” Afu deliberately dragged out the last syllable, keeping everyone in suspense, and said slowly and deliberately, “I, like you, hate hypocritical people.”

Hypocrisy? A wave of mockery washed over her, but she remained outwardly composed. He had the audacity to claim he hated hypocrisy, but what about himself? His identity was shrouded in mystery, shrouded in secrecy; who knew how many untold thoughts he harbored, or how much truth he spoke?

“Don’t you believe what I’m saying, young lady? Or…” Afu seemed to see through her thoughts, and his smile deepened.

"Let's make another deal, Miss Xiao."