The whispers spread quickly through the Hua manor.
Just yesterday, Hua Lian was the naïve daughter who smiled too easily, too gentle to even swat a fly. But today, at fourteen, she carried herself with an aura that startled even the seasoned maids.
The rejection of Zhao Rui's proposal had not only shocked her family, but it had shaken Zhao Rui himself. He stormed out of the Hua estate, face dark as thunder. "You'll regret this, Hua Lian," he hissed.
In her past life, those words would have pierced her heart. This time, she merely lowered her gaze, lips curling into a smile no one noticed. Regret? It will be you who regrets, Zhao Rui.
That evening, Hua Lian sat by the flickering lamp in her study — a room she had once neglected. The shelves of books stood untouched in her last life. But now… she opened a heavy volume of classics, fingers tracing the characters with determination.
Her maid, Xiu'er, blinked in surprise. "Young miss… are you actually reading?"
Hua Lian looked up. "Why shouldn't I? If my enemies are sharpening their knives, why should I not sharpen my mind?"
Xiu'er didn't understand, but she felt something had changed in her mistress. Hua Lian's eyes were no longer soft pools of innocence. They gleamed like polished steel.
Two days later, her cousin Hua Mei visited.
Hua Mei, with her honeyed smile and delicate voice, had always been praised as the "jade of the Hua family." In Hua Lian's past life, she had admired her cousin, treated her like a sister… until the day Hua Mei pushed her into ruin.
"Hua Lian," Hua Mei said sweetly, placing a tray of pastries before her. "I heard you rejected Zhao Rui. How bold of you. But… are you not afraid you've offended him? He's not someone you can anger so lightly."
In the past, Hua Lian would have flinched, unsure and guilty.
This time, she lifted her teacup calmly. "If a man's favor depends only on my obedience, then he's not worth fearing. Or keeping."
Hua Mei's smile faltered — just for a breath. It was quick, but Hua Lian caught it. Her lips curved ever so slightly. You taught me in the last life how to wear masks, Cousin. In this life, I'll be the one tearing yours apart.
The game had begun.