"Oh no, the Eldest Miss has fallen into the water..."
"The Second Young Lady has just returned to the mansion, and the Eldest Miss falls into the water. Could it be that her identity as the Fake Heiress was exposed, and she couldn't bear it, so she jumped into the lake..."
The chaotic voices flooded into Song Ci's ears.
She suddenly opened her eyes, and what greeted her was a carved wooden bed, cascading gold-thread gauze curtains, like smoke and mist, exuding an air of unreality.
Where is this?
Hadn't she been in a car accident?
A wave of unfamiliar memories surged into her mind. Song Ci was stunned—she hadn't died; she had transmigrated. She had become the Eldest Miss of the Yong'an Marquis Manor, and she was even a Fake Heiress?
Today was the day the True Heiress, Song Qianqian, returned to the mansion.
As luck would have it, she, the Fake Heiress, fell into the water.
Too coincidental.
So coincidental it aroused suspicion.
The little maidservant by the bedside, seeing her awake, unconsciously wept with joy.
"Eldest Miss, you're finally awake. You scared your servant to death. Weren't you supposed to be resting in the pavilion? How did you accidentally fall into the water while your servant was just getting tea?"
Accidentally?
In her memory, someone had clearly pushed her from behind.
Her falling into the water was no accident; someone wanted her dead.
But when the family heard the news, they thought she was making a fuss and didn't come to see her.
Song Ci frowned and asked, "What time is it now?"
"It's the hour of the Shen. Madam just... sent word that the Second Young Lady has returned to the mansion. They are holding a family banquet in the front hall tonight to welcome her. If you are awake, you should... go over."
Amber spoke cautiously, her eyes full of worry.
Song Ci knew what she was worried about.
The original body had been doted on by the entire family for sixteen years. Overnight, she went from being a favored daughter of heaven to a fake, caught in an awkward position, wishing she could crawl into a crack in the ground.
Although her mother and several brothers repeatedly assured her that they would treat her the same as before, once a relationship had cracks, it could not withstand the slightest pressure.
In the previous life, the original body did not die after falling into the water. When she woke up and found no one cared about her, she deliberately claimed to be sick and did not attend the family banquet. Soon, rumors spread in the manor that she was narrow-minded and couldn't tolerate the True Heiress, making her situation even more difficult.
Her mother and brothers all felt they owed Song Qianqian and tried desperately to make up for it.
Her grandmother even wanted her to vacate her courtyard and give it to Song Qianqian.
The fiancé also took the opportunity to propose breaking off the engagement.
Under a series of blows, the original body's emotions collapsed, and she lived in constant fear. Even so, Song Qianqian did not intend to let her off.
She hated Song Ci for stealing sixteen years of her life. Only her death could erase this stain.
To achieve her goals, Song Qianqian used every means, climbed the high branch, and became the Crown Prince's Consort, becoming the hope of the entire marquis's mansion.
But the original body, under a series of blows, became muddled and paranoid.
Her mother found her ignorant and alienated her. Several of her brothers isolated her because of Song Qianqian's instigation. Her grandmother and the Second and Third Branches added insult to injury, suppressing her.
In the end, it drove the original body to a dead end, where she hanged herself.
It could be said that every person in this manor had blood on their hands from the original body.
Song Ci had inherited this body, and it was her duty to seek justice for the original body.
"Eldest Miss." Amber came forward holding a jade box.
"This was sent by Madam's side. They said it's a new item from Baoyue Pavilion. Would you like to see if you like it?"
Song Ci's gaze landed on the box.
The white jade bracelet was exquisite and flawless, but everyone in the manor knew she loved green jadeite.
She didn't even need to ask to know that this was sent by Song Qianqian, using Madam Fang's name to disgust her.
In the previous life, after receiving it, the original body cried all night over the bracelet, swallowing the grievance whole.
She was sick for half a month, yet rumors spread that she was putting on airs.
Song Ci was not the original body. With a loosening of her hand, the bracelet hit the ground with a sound and shattered into several pieces.
Amber was completely stunned.
"Eldest Miss, what are you doing?"
"Pick it up and pack it well. I'll bring it to the family banquet later. Go wash your face and have Jade Bead come in to help me dress." Since Song Qianqian didn't act like a decent person, Song Ci didn't mind teaching her a lesson.
"Yes."
Amber quickly picked up the bracelet and carefully placed it back in the box.
She had thought the Miss would cry, make a scene...
She never expected the Eldest Miss would smash the bracelet.
Today's Eldest Miss was terrifyingly calm.
Years of working in the corporate world had long taught Song Ci the coldness and warmth of human relationships, the tendency to flatter the powerful and trample on the weak. That's human nature.
She had finally been promoted to Chief Expert of Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. To celebrate, her parents specially arranged a family dinner.
But unexpectedly, as soon as she parked the car and walked toward the family waiting across the street, a sharp screech of brakes suddenly sounded. A violent collision sent her flying.
When she opened her eyes again, she had become this Fake Heiress in the deep mansion.
The only consolation was that she had returned from thirty-six to sixteen years old, better than transmigrating into an eighty-year-old grandmother.
This deep marquis's mansion, seemingly a riot of flowers and splendor, was actually fraught with dangers at every step.
The days ahead would not be easy.
She wondered how her parents were doing.
She hoped they could survive the disaster.
Cui Zhu pushed the door open and entered: "Servant greets Eldest Miss."
Song Ci withdrew her thoughts.
"Find a suitable outfit for me, and match it with appropriate accessories. Help me with my makeup."
"Eldest Miss, you..."
"Today is Second Younger Sister's good day returning to the mansion. How could I, as the elder sister, be absent?"
Song Ci lifted the quilt and got out of bed. Her legs and feet were still a bit weak. She supported herself and walked to the dressing mirror, looking at the face in the bronze mirror—a face that was seventy to eighty percent similar to her original one.
Still immature, bright and charming. So beautiful, it would be a pity to die.
She must attend this family banquet, and she would go looking beautiful and dignified.
Bringing the 'generous gift' Song Qianqian had sent.
To expose Song Qianqian's 'true face'.
"Cui Zhu, you accompany me. Notify Amber and tell the girls to pack my things. We're moving."
"Moving? Moving where?"
"This courtyard will be vacated for Second Younger Sister to live in. Where we move doesn't matter; someone will arrange it."
Song Ci's voice was light, without fluctuation, as if stating the most ordinary matter.
Cui Zhu's eyes were full of surprise. She didn't understand what had gotten into the Eldest Miss.
How could she know that Song Ci had already foreseen the previous life? This courtyard was something she couldn't keep.
Rather than wait to have it taken from her, it was better to generously give it away. Forcing to keep it would only add insult to injury to her situation.
Cui Zhu didn't dare ask more and left to carry out the tasks.
Song Ci had not considered leaving this troubled place, the marquis's mansion.
But the original body's parents had died early. Without this identity as a marquis's daughter, she, an orphan girl, could hardly move an inch in this Great Xia Dynasty.
Of course, the marquis's mansion was not a place for a long stay.
Song Qianqian hated her to the bone. She would surely retaliate by all means.
She would have to leave sooner or later, just not now.
In the front courtyard, the lights were bright, and laughter and joy overflowed from the hall.
Inside the room, Madam Fang, the Marchioness, was holding a gentle-eyed young girl. Her gaze was full of the pity of finding something lost: "Qianqian, Mother finally found you. Come quickly, meet your grandmother, Second Aunt, Third Aunt..."
"Qianqian greets Grandmother and all the elders."
Song Qianqian curtsied obediently, her voice soft.
Madam Li from the Second Branch picked up the conversation with a smile, her gaze wandering between mother and daughter's faces.
"Good child, get up quickly. Your appearance is exactly like Eldest Sister-in-law when she was young."
"Isn't that right? The biological one is truly different." The Third Branch also echoed.
"The Eldest Miss arrives..."
A report broke the warmth inside the room.
As soon as Song Ci entered, the atmosphere in the room suddenly froze.
All eyes focused on her—sizing up, curious, sympathetic, mocking...
Bang!
The teacup in the Old Madam's hand crashed to the floor with a clatter.
"Outrageous!
Song Ci, you clearly knew that Qianqian was returning to the mansion today, yet you deliberately arrived late. What a big air you put on, rubbing it in your grandmother's face?
Who gave you the nerve?"
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