Everyone immediately noticed the change of atmosphere in the room, especially Feng Wangshu. Since he had watched them grow up, Wangshu knew each of their personalities like the back of his hand. His oldest daughter, Feng Ruyi, tended to be more prideful and outspoken. She wasn't afraid to offend others, whether she was right or wrong. On the other hand, his younger daughter, Feng Qingqing, born of concubine birth, was more of an observer. She was extremely shy and rarely spoke her mind. But now, it seemed as if their personalities had switched.
Feng Wangshu noticed the strong glint in Feng Qingqing's eyes. Her gaze was no longer fixed on the floor in submission. Instead, she held her head high, making eye contact with him and others around her with an unmistakable confidence.
Meanwhile, Feng Ruyi seemed restless. She kept playing with the bed sheets, twisting and turning them until they wrinkled. Her body was tense, sitting up straight, and her eyes showed clear signs of fear and apprehension.
Feng Qingqing broke the silence, her voice soft but laced with an underlying tension. "How are you feeling, jiejie?" Her words carried a surface-level concern, but they were enough to make Feng Ruyi sit up straighter, as though preparing herself for something that she wasn't sure was coming.
"I'm fine, I apologize for making you worry," Feng Ruyi replied, her words stiff, her smile forced. The room went still. Did they hear that right? The arrogant eldest daughter of the Prime Minister had apologized? It felt as unbelievable as if the sun had risen in the west.
The rumors about Feng Ruyi had always been harsh. They said she was spoiled, conceited, and had a tendency to bully the weak, knowing she could get away with anything thanks to her father's powerful position. If she wanted to, she could even kill someone, and no one would dare say a word. In this case, the target of her cruelty had been none other than Feng Qingqing, her younger sister.
But no one was more shocked than Liqin. Liqin had seen firsthand how much Feng Ruyi despised Feng Qingqing. Every day, she watched the eldest daughter's schemes to torment her younger sister. Though Liqin never agreed with any of them, she had always been a servant, powerless to do anything. Besides, Feng Ruyi was the one who had taken Liqin in when she was only five years old. For orphans like Liqin, there were only two choices: become a maid or fall into worse fates. Since then, Liqin had always felt a debt of gratitude toward her mistress, even if she had witnessed the cruelty in her heart.
Yet, recently, Liqin had noticed a drastic shift in Feng Ruyi. This morning, when she spoke to Liqin, her tone was softer, gentler. The sharp edge of her usual arrogance was gone, replaced by a sense of kindness. She even seemed... approachable. It was as though her soul had been replaced. Liqin shook her head. No way, that's impossible.
Feng Qingqing, too, was thrown off by the change. From the memories of her past self, she remembered Feng Ruyi always snapping at her with vicious words. There was never a trace of kindness in their interactions. Yet now, here she was, sitting quietly, apologizing for something she had done.
"Where are the usual harsh words?" Feng Qingqing thought, dumbfounded. She had come prepared for a confrontation, ready for an argument, but instead, she found a subdued and timid older sister before her.
Then, something clicked in her mind: Was it because Father is here? But no, that couldn't be it. Feng Ruyi had never hidden her animosity toward Feng Qingqing in front of their father. In fact, it was well-known throughout the household how strained their relationship was.
As Feng Qingqing continued to puzzle over this, Feng Ruyi suddenly spoke, her voice steady, yet carrying an uncharacteristic authority. "Can everyone please leave? I would like to be alone with my younger sister."
Everyone was shocked. The proud, aloof Feng Ruyi, who hated being in the same room as Feng Qingqing, now wanted to be alone with her? It was as if the world had stopped spinning.
Wang Fenshu, standing by the door, looked at Feng Qingqing for approval, silently asking if it was alright to leave. Feng Qingqing met his gaze and gave him a slight nod. With the Prime Minister leaving, who dared to stay? With that, the room cleared out in an instant, leaving the two sisters alone.
For a long moment, they simply stared at one another, neither saying a word.
Inside, Feng Ruyi was exhausted. She didn't want to battle. She had read countless books about transmigration—villainesses locked in endless battles of wits with the original protagonists, fighting for their lives, for power, for survival. It was always a cycle of manipulation and scheming, and she was so tired of it. She was living in a novel now, in this ancient world she had always dreamed of, and she had no intention of spending every waking moment trying to outwit everyone around her. "No thanks," she thought. She had finally gotten her wish to be in this world, and she was not about to use every second to fight for her life.
What good was it to constantly strategize, to play these tiring games of survival when she just wanted peace? What good was being the villainess if it meant constant anxiety and scheming?
Feng Ruyi had always dreamed of being a daughter of a wealthy and prestigious family, living in peace, surrounded by luxury. She didn't want to be a part of endless battles with the female protagonist—especially when she had the perfect opportunity to step away and enjoy life on her terms. She had no energy for this anymore.
Her mind made up, Feng Ruyi looked up at Feng Qingqing, a mischievous glint appearing in her eyes. A sudden idea formed in her mind, a way to break the monotony of this world. She smiled—sweetly, but with a bit of mischief—as her dimples deepened, and her gaze held something that was clearly no longer the arrogance of the past. It was something softer, almost playful.
Finally, after a long pause, she broke the silence, her voice light and teasing. "Do you like Wang Yibo?"
The thought of taking control of her life, of living it the way she wanted without hiding or cowering from the past, filled her with an unexpected confidence.
Finally, after a long pause, Feng Ruyi broke the silence with a question that no one expected. With a playful glint in her eyes, she looked at Feng Qingqing and asked, "Do you like Wang Yibo?"