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

“Sister Shen You, since Uncle Shen won’t let you go out, then I will come to find you.”

"You mean..." A hint of hesitation flashed in Shen You's eyes, then she shook her head and said, "No, no! This is too risky. If Father finds out, he will definitely punish me."

“But if you don’t tell, who will know?” Xiao Ran grasped her hand in return, her tone firm.

"Don't worry, trust me."

Shen You nodded reluctantly, but her face still showed some unease.

How could Xiao Ran not know her difficulties? Although it might be the best choice for the two of them not to see each other, this palace banquet today...

Her gaze shifted to the men's section, separated by a gauze curtain, and a slight tightness gripped her heart. Today, the Emperor would bestow a marriage upon Shen You, making her the Crown Princess, and the Shen family would be forced to choose sides, becoming pawns on this power chessboard.

The most heartbreaking character is Shen You. She faces countless difficulties in the palace, and Shen You herself is a naive and innocent girl with no guile—a trait strikingly similar to her past self. But such a nature is destined to make it difficult to protect oneself in the deep palace.

Now... if she could arrange for Wen Ming and Shen You to meet, perhaps Shen You would find some peace of mind, at least she wouldn't die in despair like she did in her previous life.

"Alright, alright." Xiao Ran took Shen You's hand, who was feeling uneasy, and said in a light tone, "In the past, Ran-mei didn't have many friends, so naturally she didn't dare to wander around the palace. Now that I have Sister Shen You, and you're a frequent visitor to the palace, I've heard that the scenery here is absolutely stunning. Sister, you must show me around properly!"

"Of course." Shen You then perked up a bit and went for a stroll in the garden with Xiao Ran.

The Imperial Garden was very large. The two chatted and laughed all the way. Xiao Ran would stop from time to time to point to a building or flower and ask Shen You for advice. Shen You would patiently answer her questions, and Xiao Ran gradually let go of her earlier displeasure.

"Sister Shen You looks more like an old lady from the palace," Xiao Ran said with a light laugh, walking gracefully to a flowerbed.

The flowers in the flowerbed were in full bloom, bursting forth in vibrant color even in the depths of winter. Xiao Ran couldn't help but exclaim, "The flowers in this Imperial Garden are blooming so beautifully at this time of year; the person who takes care of them must be incredibly thoughtful."

She bent down to approach a flower, about to smell it carefully, when she heard Shen You's urgent voice behind her:

"Ranmei, stop! You can't smell this flower!"

Before Xiao Ran could react, Shen You grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her back a few steps. She looked up at Shen You, somewhat bewildered, and asked, "Sister, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with the flowers?"

Shen You's expression was serious as she explained in a low voice, "Ranmei, you may not know this, but most of the flowers in the palace are carefully cultivated by specialists. In particular, these flowers that bloom so beautifully in winter are tributes from beyond the borders. Although the flowers from beyond the borders are beautiful, they often contain poison. If you touch or smell them casually, you may harm your health."

"I see." Xiao Ran murmured softly, her gaze returning to the flowerbed.

She hadn't looked closely before, but now that she did, she realized that the flowers in the flowerbed were of many kinds and colors, and were clearly not ordinary flowers.

A sense of lingering fear crept into her heart; if she had actually touched or smelled those flowers just now, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

However, as she was looking closely, she suddenly noticed a figure that seemed to be faintly visible in the shadows where the flowerbed met the wall.

She frowned slightly and said, "Sister Shen You, look... isn't there someone over there?"

Shen You followed her gaze and, sure enough, saw a figure standing furtively by the wall at the edge of the flowerbed, seemingly spying on something.

She was naturally strong-willed, and seeing this, she was immediately enraged. Before Xiao Ran could say anything more, she strode forward.

"Who's lurking around here?! This is the Imperial Garden, no disrespect allowed!"