Chapter 49

These days, Cheng Ruyi’s life was exceptionally leisurely. Aside from playing the zither for the chickens and ducks every day to keep them diligently laying eggs, she spent her time constantly applying her abilities to the estate’s fruit trees, striving to level up her wood-element power.

Regardless of where one is, strength is the ultimate guarantee of safety.

One day, after Cheng Ruyi finished her performance for the poultry, she watched with satisfaction as the flock produced another large batch of eggs. Just then, Rong Mo returned. Upon seeing Cheng Ruyi, a smile spread across his handsome face.

“Ruyi, would you like to go out for a stroll?”

Realizing she hadn’t left the estate in quite a few days, Cheng Ruyi nodded happily. “Sure!”

The capital was particularly lively today. It was said that the new top three candidates of the imperial examination—the Zhuangyuan (first place), Bangyan (second place), and Tanhua (third place)—were parading through the streets. This had attracted many noble young ladies who came to watch. The Tanhua, Luo Fei, was especially popular; he was not only handsome but also possessed peerless talent, making him the center of attention.

The Zhuangyuan wasn’t particularly old—around his early thirties—with regular features and a slightly plump build. Having already married and had children, he didn’t catch the fancy of the noble ladies. The Bangyan was a dignified middle-aged man in his forties with a house full of children, so he wasn’t their “cup of tea” either.

Only the Tanhua, Luo Fei, who was in his early twenties, stood out. He was the most handsome Tanhua in recent history and had no wife or concubines, making him a “sweet pastry” in the eyes of the noble ladies.

In a teahouse, Cheng Qingyao—who had rarely come out to relax—stared fixedly at the handsome Tanhua parading below. Where had this Luo Fei come from? In her previous life, the Tanhua was definitely not this person…

Was her memory failing her, or had everything changed because she had been reborn?

It seemed everything began to shift from the moment she plotted to ruin Cheng Ruyi’s reputation. It started as a tiny change, yet now many things differed from her previous life: Rong Mo, who lived at the Marquis of Changle’s estate, had suddenly regained the use of his legs; the Consort of Prince Rong, who originally had an excellent reputation, was now notorious; Master Huiyuan of Xiangguo Temple had become an ascetic monk; Cheng Wanru and Tang Shuhua had become engaged; and she herself had been forced into an engagement with the Heir of Prince Wei, Chu Yuan’en. Now, yet another variable had appeared—the Tanhua.

Cheng Qingyao suddenly felt a sense of bewilderment. She felt as though everything had slipped from her control.

She had no way of knowing that all of this was the “butterfly effect” caused by the arrival of the transmigrated Cheng Ruyi. If Rong Mo’s legs had been severed according to the original trajectory, he would never have had the chance to save Luo Fei. Luo Fei would have met with disaster before even reaching the capital, and today’s Tanhua would not exist.

One could only say it was fate. Cheng Ruyi had inadvertently altered the destinies of many people.

At this moment, Rong Mo and Cheng Ruyi stood side by side by the window on the second floor of Juyuan Restaurant, watching the top three candidates parading on horseback with great interest.

“A-Mo, that Tanhua Luo Fei looks a bit like Mother. Especially those eyes—they’re identical. Don’t you think?” Cheng Ruyi peered at Luo Fei enthusiastically, as if she had discovered a new continent. For some reason, she felt a sense of kinship toward him.

Rong Mo looked deeply at Luo Fei on the horse, his gaze dark and unreadable. He said softly, “Yes, he resembles Aunt very much.”

“I knew it! A-Mo, is he the student you saved?” Cheng Ruyi was clearly intrigued by Luo Fei, her eyes staring straight at him.

Rong Mo felt a bitter pang in his heart. Looking at his excited little fiancée, his hands instinctively clenched. A sudden wave of apprehension washed over him: If… if I weren’t Ruyi’s cousin… would she still like me?

“Yes.”

“A-Mo, what’s wrong? You don’t seem very happy.” The somewhat dense Cheng Ruyi finally noticed his unusual behavior and asked with concern.

Rong Mo pursed his thin lips. Gazing into her concerned eyes, he suddenly pulled his little fiancée into his arms, holding her so tightly it felt as though he wanted to merge her into his very bones.

“Ruyi, if… if I weren’t your cousin, would you… would you still like me?” His deep voice carried a hint of trepidation.

Cheng Ruyi was being held a bit too tightly, but sensing his insecurity, she reached out to hug him back. She tilted her head and blinked in confusion. “A-Mo, that’s a strange question. I like you as a person. What does that have to do with whether you’re my cousin or not?”

Rong Mo’s heart trembled. Right—how could he have forgotten? His little fiancée was no ordinary person. Back when everyone else saw him as a mere dependent with nothing to his name, she had chosen him, hadn’t she?

What was there left to be insecure about?

Having reached this realization, Rong Mo let out a smile of relief. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead—tender and full of cherished affection.

“Ruyi, thank you!”

Cheng Ruyi felt his attitude was still a bit odd and couldn’t help asking, “A-Mo, you’re so weird today!”

Rong Mo sighed softly. He released his hold on her waist and lightly stroked her hair, deciding to tell her the truth.

“Ruyi, I discovered something. I am not a member of the Rong family. The real Rong descendant is Luo Fei. Luo Fei is your true biological cousin.”

Cheng Ruyi froze, stunned. After a long pause, she broke into a wide smile.

“So Luo Fei is my real cousin! No wonder I felt a sense of kinship with him.”

“Yes. I didn’t expect it either. If I hadn’t seen how much he resembles Aunt, I wouldn’t have investigated his background. Originally, I thought he was simply another surviving Rong, but I didn’t expect the truth to be so cruel—that I was the one who was an impostor.”

Rong Mo’s emotions were complex. When he first uncovered the truth, he had indeed felt lost, even harboring a fear of losing his little fiancée. An Yi was a secret guard of the Rong family; even if An Yi still acknowledged him as master, Rong Mo felt he had stolen what belonged to Luo Fei. A large portion of everything he currently possessed belonged to the Rong family.

Once Luo Fei’s identity was acknowledged, Rong Mo intended to return everything to him.

But if I am not a Rong, why did the Consort of Prince Rong want to kill me? One mystery was solved, only for him to fall into another.

“A-Mo, regardless of whether you’re an ‘impostor’ or not, you are my fiancé.” Cheng Ruyi didn’t care about the rest; she only acknowledged Rong Mo.

“Besides, back then, you didn’t even know your own origin.”

“I won’t give you up to Luo Fei.” Rong Mo clenched his fists, a look of resolve flashing across his handsome face. “However, once I give up the Rong identity, I will have almost nothing. I might not be able to give you a grand wedding!” He gave a wry smile, stroking her cheek.

With their wedding day approaching, Rong Mo felt immense guilt over this turn of events.

Cheng Ruyi waved her hand grandly. “If we have nothing, we have nothing. I can support you! I’m very good at making money now.”

“And as for the wedding, why does it need to be grand? It’s a waste of silver!”

Yes—from now on, she would be the breadwinner. She quite liked the feeling. She remembered that at the start of the apocalypse, she had taken on the responsibility of supporting her family at just five years old. Now she was fifteen, nearly sixteen; supporting a household was no difficult task. Her “divine medicine” was selling like wildfire. The silver was pouring in; there was no pressure at all.

In Cheng Ruyi’s mind, there was simply no concept of “a man can’t live off a woman.”

A warm current flowed through Rong Mo’s heart, and the corners of his mouth tilted up. His little fiancée was still so adorable. After this heart-to-heart, the two became even closer.

Upon returning to the Marquis of Changle’s estate, Cheng Ruyi and Rong Mo confessed everything to Rong Susu. Rong Susu was completely stunned. She never expected that Rong Mo was not her biological nephew, but that the new Tanhua, Luo Fei, was.

“Regardless of whether you are my nephew or not, you are my daughter’s fiancé. That will not change.” After the initial shock, Rong Susu smiled, giving Rong Mo a reassuring promise. As long as her daughter liked him, Rong Mo was her son-in-law.

Furthermore, Rong Mo had lived at the estate for so many years; she and the Marquis already viewed him as half a son. They weren’t snobs. So what if he wasn’t a Rong? It was enough that he treated her daughter well.

When the Marquis returned and learned of this, he patted Rong Mo on the shoulder, sharing Rong Susu’s sentiment. Cheng Yu didn’t have much to say either; he liked his future brother-in-law quite a bit.

With their approval, Rong Mo finally felt completely at ease.

The remaining task was to acknowledge Luo Fei. As Luo Fei’s savior and having spent time together recently, the two were like brothers.

“Rong Mo, you’re saying I’m a member of the Rong family? You’re not joking, are you?” Luo Fei frowned, his face full of disbelief.

“It’s true. After I saved you, I noticed how much you resemble my aunt, so I suspected you might be a survivor of the Rong family and investigated your background,” Rong Mo said apologetically.

“I… I need to verify this with my grandmother and mother.” Luo Fei didn’t know if it was true or not. He took a deep breath and replied calmly.

Rong Mo looked deeply at him. “Alright.”

After Rong Mo left, a conflicted Luo Fei stayed in the courtyard for a long time. He had never understood why his grandmother looked at him with such guilt. Now, he understood. Perhaps he really wasn’t a member of the Luo family; he looked nothing like them, nor did he share any resemblance with his sister, Yirou. Yet, he still found it hard to believe he was a descendant of the massacred Rong family.

After a long silence, he immediately contacted his sister, Lady Yirou, and Nanny Luo.

In the Prince Rong Estate, Lady Yirou opened the letter with a good mood, but her expression suddenly changed. She looked at Nanny Luo in bewilderment. “Mother… Little Fei is asking me if he is the descendant of the Rong family from Qinghe County that was wiped out.”

Nanny Luo froze, then gave a bitter smile. “The day has finally come. Now that Little Fei is a Tanhua, it is time for him to know his true identity.”

“Mother, must we really tell him?” Lady Yirou was panicked and felt terrible. Would he hate them once he knew the truth?

Nanny Luo closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she had calmed down. “Tell him everything. It is we who have failed him, and failed the hundred-plus people of the Rong family who died.”

If her mother hadn’t taken the little heir to seek help from the Rong family back then, perhaps the Rong family would never have suffered that massacre. Her mother surely never imagined that the Consort of Prince Rong would be so ruthless.

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