CHAPTER TEN — NOT THE SAME
A faint prickle ran along Tang Ke Xin's spine. She lifted her gaze sharply toward the doorway, as though sensing a presence just beyond sight. Yet when her eyes swept the hall, she found nothing amiss. Her brows drew together in a thoughtful crease, but she said nothing.
Around her, the murmurs began.
"Was Miss Liu… mad just now?"
"Who knows? But after such a scene, I fear Miss Liu's reputation…"
The speaker trailed off, shaking his head. The implication was clear enough.
Tang Ke Xin's expression remained perfectly composed. She had never sought to provoke others; she merely ensured that those who sought to harm her found themselves unable to do so. If she did not offend, she could not be blamed.
Dong'er, standing quietly behind her, watched her mistress with a mixture of awe and disbelief. The young lady she had once served—a foolish, pitiable girl who needed constant protection—had vanished. In her place stood someone sharp, poised, and formidable. Dong'er felt not only loyalty, but admiration.
---
Meanwhile, in a secluded chamber, Liu Ruyue stirred.
Her lashes fluttered open, and she found herself staring into Mu Shaoyi's storm-dark eyes. A tremor ran through her. She knew her own poison better than anyone. She had failed to escape in time; she knew precisely what had happened after she drank the tea.
No wonder Mu Shaoyi's expression was so grim.
"Brother Yu… what happened to me?" she whispered, her voice trembling with fear and innocence. "What did I do?"
She forced tears into her eyes, her expression pitiful. She knew exactly what she needed to do—restore her image in Mu Shaoyi's heart. She had no choice but to feign ignorance and helplessness.
"You don't know what happened?" Mu Shaoyi asked, startled.
"I remember offering tea to Miss Tang," Liu Ruyue murmured, lowering her gaze. "She refused it for so long… then insisted I drink her cup instead. After that, I felt dizzy. I only wanted to return to my room. Brother Yu… did I faint?"
Her voice quivered with confusion and wounded innocence. She carefully avoided the truth, nudging suspicion toward Tang Ke Xin.
Mu Shaoyi's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Tang Ke Xin.
That wretched woman dared to poison Ruyue?
Seeing the shift in his expression, Liu Ruyue felt a cold satisfaction bloom in her chest. Her deception had taken root. She would make Tang Ke Xin pay for humiliating her.
"Brother Yu," she whispered, "I… I didn't do anything shameful, did I? I cannot remember…"
Her voice was soft, fragile, tinged with just the right amount of shyness.
Mu Shaoyi's heart softened at once.
"No. Nothing happened," he said gently, pulling her into his arms.
Liu Ruyue nestled against him, a triumphant smile flickering across her lips where he could not see.
---
"Tang Ke Xin! Come out at once!"
The furious shout echoed halfway up the mountain.
Inside her carriage, Tang Ke Xin lifted an eyebrow.
Ah. So it begins.
It seemed Liu Ruyue had wasted no time.
But Tang Ke Xin knew with absolute certainty that Liu Ruyue would never reveal the truth. She would never admit to poisoning herself. She would never confess to her schemes. She would twist the story until Mu Shaoyi saw only what she wished him to see.
"Tang Ke Xin, how dare you poison Yue'er!"
Mu Shaoyi's voice cracked like thunder—filled with rage, accusation, and blind devotion.
Tang Ke Xin let out a soft, inward laugh.
Exactly as expected.
With unhurried grace, she lifted the carriage curtain. Under Mu Shaoyi's blazing, accusing gaze, she stepped down from the carriage—calm, composed, and utterly unafraid.
The woman he thought he knew no longer existed.
And the one standing before him now was not someone he could easily crush.