Zhao the Great Bamboozler

As she spoke, she looked at Zhao Ruxi with her big, watery eyes.

Zhao Ruxi ignored her and walked straight ahead. When she was almost at the entrance of the Tea Tasting Residence, she said, "Come in." She was very curious about what Zhao Ruyu wanted to say to her.

To be honest, in the novel, Zhao Ruyu is the female lead, radiant and dazzling. All the female supporting characters who get close to her either become the green leaves that set off her red flower, or become cannon fodder.

But now that she's transmigrated into the novel and spent some time with Zhao Ruyu, Zhao Ruxi really hasn't taken a liking to the female lead. The slight awe she once felt for her aura has long since vanished after she's seen through her.

In Fu Yunlang's eyes, Zhao Ruyu might be the embodiment of truth, goodness, and beauty. But in Zhao Ruxi's eyes, she is nothing more than a selfish and incompetent ordinary girl.

In her past life, she was able to marry Fu Yunlang smoothly, become the Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan, and become a winner in life in a sense, not because she was so outstanding or hardworking, but because she was gloriously created by the author and designated as the female lead.

So no matter how plain and unassuming she may seem, in the eyes of the male lead Fu Yunlang, she is dazzling, captivating, and the most radiant, outstanding, beautiful, and moving woman in the world. No arguments allowed!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The filter of love is the most perfect filter in the world, unmatched by any software filter.

Seeing Zhao Ruyu about to go inside with Zhao Ruxi, Fushu quickly came over and called out worriedly, "Miss."

Zhao Ruyu stopped, glanced at Fushu, and said, "You come in too."

Matron Yuan glanced at them warily, then hurried forward and whispered to Zhao Ruxi, "Should we inform Madam?"

"No need," Zhao Ruxi said, leading Zhao Ruyu into the hall.

"I want to speak with you alone, and it's best if no one can hear us." Zhao Ruyu looked at Zhao Ruxi meaningfully.

Remembering Zhao Ruyu's question about who she was, Zhao Ruxi vaguely guessed what she was about to say. These were words that really shouldn't be overheard by others.

She ordered, "You all go out. Stay outside the courtyard and don't let anyone near you."

The courtyard was too small, and the house wasn't soundproof. Even if the servants spoke a little loudly in the courtyard, they could be heard.

"Miss..." Matron Yuan was responsible for Zhao Ruxi's safety and was really worried about letting Zhao Ruxi be alone with Zhao Ruyu.

"Don't worry, she can't possibly eat me up," Zhao Ruxi laughed.

Matron Yuan looked at Zhao Ruxi, then at Zhao Ruyu.

Zhao Ruxi was tall and slender with a perfect figure. Zhao Ruyu, on the other hand, looked delicate and frail, as if she could be blown away by a gust of wind. Matron Yuan thought that if the two of them really fought, her young lady would definitely be able to beat Zhao Ruyu to a pulp.

Therefore, her worries immediately lessened, and she said "Yes," leading the people out.

Empress Shengyao invented glass, and the windows of the Earl of Suiping's Residence were fitted with glass. To keep out mosquitoes, an additional window was installed inside the glass window, and this window was covered with a layer of gauze.

To prevent anyone from eavesdropping outside the window, Zhao Ruxi opened the screen window as well, revealing the wall behind the courtyard.

"Alright, what do you want to say? Go ahead," she said.

Zhao Ruyu bit her lip, looked at Zhao Ruxi, and said, "Who exactly are you? Why are you ruining my life? You've caused so much trouble, my marriage with the Fu Family is completely off. What good does this do you?"

Zhao Ruxi looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

Her personality was completely different from the original owner's; others might not know, but it couldn't be hidden from the reborn Zhao Ruyu. Was Zhao Ruyu speaking with such certainty trying to make her admit that she wasn't the original owner?

Instead of letting Zhao Ruyu overthink things, let's all speak frankly today. That way, we can avoid this woman from doing anything underhanded and causing us endless trouble.

"I am Zhao Ruxi," she said calmly, "But like you, I'm starting over."

She wouldn't be foolish enough to admit she was a time traveler; that was incomprehensible to Zhao Ruyu. Zhao Ruyu would only think of her as a wandering ghost, a demon, an outsider who had possessed Zhao Ruxi's body. Since she herself was the original, she could stand on the moral high ground to condemn and despise her. Even if she herself was unhappy, she might go to the Old Madam, the First Madam, and others to expose her, plunging her into a reign of terror.

Zhao Ruxi wouldn't give her that chance.

You were reborn, weren't you? So was I. You were the original, and so was I. Your life can be relived, so why can't mine? Who is more noble than the other?

"No, you're not. The Zhao Ruxi of your past life was not like you at all," Zhao Ruyu retorted excitedly.

Zhao Ruxi looked at her quietly for a while, then smiled.

"Yes, I'm not," she said calmly. "I'm not Zhao Ruxi from my past life. To be precise, I'm not Zhao Ruxi before I died; I'm Zhao Ruxi who has been a wandering ghost for several years after I died."

"What... what do you mean?" Zhao Ruyu stared at her, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Zhao Ruxi looked out the window, her tone calm and low. "In my past life, after I died, perhaps because I was too unwilling, I did not fall into reincarnation, but wandered the world as a soul. I watched you live a good life for two years, and watched you die in childbirth while giving birth to your third child."

It was completely dark by then, and only an oil lamp was lit in the room. The light flickered in the wind, illuminating Zhao Ruxi's face and making her dark eyes appear even more profound.

Hearing Zhao Ruyu's deep voice, Zhao Ruxi suddenly shivered.

Zhao Ruxi's lips curled slightly as she continued, "After you died, I don't know if my resentment had dissipated, but I also lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, I was Xu Xi before I turned fourteen and returned to the Marquis's mansion. At that time, although my adoptive parents had passed away, my uncle and aunt loved me dearly. I wouldn't be ridiculed or looked down upon for speaking or acting timidly or in a rustic manner."

Zhao Ruyu opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but found her throat dry and unable to utter a word.

Zhao Ruxi remained silent. The room fell silent.

Zhao Ruyu herself was reborn, but she was still very afraid of Zhao Ruxi, who had been reborn after being a wandering ghost.

She swallowed hard, then spoke hastily, deliberately breaking the silence. "Then... how do you know you're not Lady Wei's daughter?"

Zhao Ruxi curled her lips. "Being a wandering ghost is just drifting around, it's so boring. So I just follow everyone I knew in my previous life, watching them do things and listening to them talk. After the Marquis's mansion was raided, wasn't Lady Wei redeemed by the Wei Family? She kept sending people to the place of exile to deliver things to Zhao Jingli and Zhao Jing'an, and she even told her parents and her own brother about taking the child, which is what I heard."

A look of resentment crossed her face. "My past life was so miserable, all because of her. In this life, I'll make her pay for it in blood."