They were in charge of being beautiful, and she was in charge of taking the hits.

When the news reached the mansion, chaos erupted. The officials and servants were all whispering among themselves, but strangely enough, very few people actually packed up and tried to flee.

Some people were genuinely crying and sobbing, their grief seeming entirely real. They were wailing and shouting in the courtyard, "Oh dear! My master, how are we supposed to live without you!"

Fang Yuerong came to his door as soon as she learned about this, which was very disadvantageous for him.

Originally, since Wu Ziyan left, a large part of the business in the manor was handled by him and Sima Linchuan, and they gradually became friends.

In his memory, Sima Lingchuan was dignified, gentle and elegant, with the demeanor of a great man; but now, looking at him, his face was pale, his eyes were empty, his hair had lost its luster, and his lips were even a few cracks.

They sat together, with Mo Baiyun standing to the side, looking very sad—of course, it was an act. Fang Yuerong took Sima Lingchuan's hand and said, "Master Sima, now is not the time to be sad."

Sima Lingchuan sighed, "Although I didn't want to believe it, everyone was saying it, so I slowly started to believe it."

"The news may not be true." Although the merchants in various places had also received such bad news, he did not believe that the little princess would die like this.

"Thank you, Mr. Fang."

"You should still call me Yue Rong."

They talked for a while longer, but Sima Lingchuan still couldn't help but shed tears from the corners of his eyes. He could have avoided being in so much pain, but the kindness Wu Ziyan had shown him was still vivid in his mind, and he just couldn't hold back anymore.

At that moment, an announcement came from the doorway: "The Second Princess has arrived." Even the messenger's voice was extremely arrogant.

It just so happens at this time; it's clearly an attempt to kick someone when they're down and watch them suffer.

The crowd reluctantly bowed, but Wu Chengye scoffed, "Hmph, even if she's dead, none of you have left. You're all really loyal. Is there anyone willing to come with me?"

Fang Yuerong really couldn't stand this behavior. [Fourth Sister's body is barely cold, and Second Sister is already trying to steal her away. How clever!]

"Second Princess, what do you mean by this?" Sima Lingchuan's voice was hoarse, his eyes filled with hatred.

"Hey, Lingchuan, you have good eyesight, but I want to tell you the truth: my sister is probably not coming back." His eyes were full of smugness.

Then she walked closer to him, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "I had someone do it!"

Although he knew that Sima Lingchuan had taken two steps back and almost fell to the ground after returning to the Prime Minister's residence, Fang Yuerong quickly caught him.

Sima Lingchuan's eyes were practically spitting fire. He had somehow managed to grab a hairpin in his hand and was about to step forward when Mo Baiyun pulled him back and whispered, "Master, think carefully about the master's letter."

Yes, make him believe her, but everyone says the body has been found, how can he still believe her? He bit his lip, closed his eyes, and Wu Chengye laughed out loud at his appearance.

She ransacked Wu Ziyan's private treasury, but found nothing of value inside. Because of her status, she didn't do anything outrageous.

Before leaving, she left a message saying that anyone who wanted to go with her could do so now. A few people did follow her, but of course, their fates were not good.

The rest were still at the mansion. After taking a nap, Sima Lingchuan resumed his demeanor as the head of the household, acting as usual. However, everyone knew that he was enduring it all alone.

Mo Baiyun couldn't bear to watch any longer. After all, the act had to be convincing enough to be realistic and to deceive the enemies.

In the Prime Minister's residence, Sima Zongcheng sat there while Sima Lingyu knelt on the ground. It was unclear what was going on. After a long while, Sima Zongcheng spoke: "This is not up to you."

"Mother, I don't want to." He bit his lip.

"You must marry the second princess." The tone left no room for refusal.

After a long silence, Sima Lingyu asked, "Fourth Princess, did Mother send someone...?"

*Slap!* A loud slap landed on his face, swiftly. Sima Zongcheng's eyes were sinister, his gaze sending chills down one's spine.

"This is not something a man like you should know. Just focus on embroidering your own wedding dress!" Each word struck Sima Lingyu like a hammer.

He gritted his teeth. Why should men have to be like this? Why can't men know? But he stood up, still as knowledgeable and reasonable as ever, his eyes lowered respectfully: "Yes, your son takes his leave."

On the other side, Wu Ziyan was quite relaxed, thinking that they must have found his faked body by now, and that things should be in chaos everywhere.

Changsun Boyu sat with her by the river washing clothes. Seeing her lost in thought, he asked, "Why are there always owls circling around us? Strangely enough, they're there even during the day."

"Waiting for the prey to appear, huh?" Wu Ziyan's long-lost relaxed smile appeared before Changsun Boyou, and in his eyes, it was magnified infinitely. He subconsciously looked around to see if anyone was there.

Seeing that no one was around, he started to stroke Wu Ziyan's face as if it were his own. Wu Ziyan didn't flinch and stared straight at him: "What are you doing?"

"There's a mud spot." Changsun Boyu withdrew his hand somewhat shyly, but Wu Ziyan grabbed Changsun Boyu's hand, having not examined it closely.

In this era, a man's hands should be smooth, flawless, and as delicate as jade, but his hands had some calluses.

"It's quite rough, isn't it?" He pulled his hand away and hid it in his sleeve. Wu Ziyan shook his head, his eyes shining with a fascination.

“A man should be self-reliant. Why do you need to hide or conceal yourself? In fact, you are very charming, and I like you very much.”

Changsun Boyu didn't know what emotions came from these words, but he gradually came to believe them. Wu Ziyan was a magical woman who knew what he was thinking, especially after hearing her say, "I like it very much."

"Can I like you?"

That handsome face loomed infinitely large in front of Wu Ziyan. Was he confessing his love to her? How could she resist such a handsome man saying such sweet things?

Seeing that Wu Ziyan was stunned, he lightly kissed her hand: "The water is cold, let's go back quickly."

A child walking from a distance saw this and asked curiously, "Dad, what are they doing?"

The man working in the fields blushed and quickly walked away with his child. Wu Ziyan smiled happily; he was so gentlemanly, and just the kind of handsome that appealed to her taste. It was hard not to feel her heart race.

The system notification sounded: "Warning! Warning! Your affection for Changsun Boyu exceeds that for Sima Lingchuan, and you will be punished!"

"Is this even allowed?" Wu Ziyan suddenly frowned. "Yes, she doesn't even have as much affection for Sima Lingchuan as she does for this person in front of her. But I wonder what kind of punishment this is."

The sudden frown made Changsun Boyou's heart tighten, and he looked at her with concern. Meanwhile, Wu Ziyan was checking the favorability list, and Changsun Boyou's favorability had actually reached 35%.

Considering all the award-giving stages we've gone through, does she only get a reward when things get really dangerous? What will she give me? Ideally, something that could save my life.