"First Sister, I truly never meant to steal your engagement with the Second Prince. But… but, I really love him! We are childhood sweethearts! Please don't hate me!"

The shrill voice of a girl, accompanied by sobs, suddenly made Hu Lihua's eardrums ache. She slightly shook her aching head and tried to focus her blurry vision. When she could finally see clearly, she saw the figure of a young girl, wearing a light green hanfu, with golden ornaments in her hair. Her face looked frightened, and tears were ready to fall at any moment.

Hu Lihua furrowed her brows, confused, and asked herself, "First Sister? Stealing engagement with the Second Prince? What is this girl talking about?"

"First Sister, An'er really cares about you like a sister. Please don't hate me." Tears fell as the girl spoke these words.

"An'er? Wait! Why does this scene feel so familiar?" Hu Lihua thought to herself. She looked around and was shocked to see everything here looked like an ancient world. Isn't this the opening plot of the novel she just read titled "The Phoenix Queen: The Adopted Daughter of the Hu Residence"? She had just fallen asleep after cursing the male and female protagonist, why was she suddenly thrown into this novel's world?!

Hu Lihua took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. After a moment, she stared sharply at Hu Rui'an.

Hu Lihua was the legitimate daughter of the Hu General's Residence. When she was born, a maid who had just given birth secretly swapped her with her own daughter. The maid then left the Hu General's Residence, taking Hu Lihua to a remote village, and lived in poverty. They treated her like a maid.

When Hu Lihua was 15 years old, her biological family found her and brought her back. Unfortunately, because of their love for Hu Rui'an, they did not return her to her birth family but made her the Second Daughter of the Hu Residence and announced the arrival of Hu Lihua as their First Daughter, who had been living in a village to recover her health.

In the Hu General's Residence, only her mother, Song Xiuuan, loved her. Her father, grandmother, and two older brothers treated her coldly. After two years of trying, not only did she fail to gain their affection, but she was often scolded by them for hurting Hu Rui'an multiple times.

Hu Rui'an was startled when she saw Hu Lihua's sharp gaze. When had this sickly girl dared to look at her like this? However, she didn't want to think about it any further. Her eyes darted as she saw two figures rushing toward them.

"First Sister, I…" Hu Rui'an approached Hu Lihua, her body staggering as though she were about to fall into the pond.

With a mocking smile, Hu Lihua lifted her foot and kicked Hu Rui'an into the pond.

Hu Rui'an's eyes widened in disbelief as her body quickly fell into the water.

Splash!

"An'er!" A loud voice filled the air. He glared angrily at the nearby servants, then shouted, "What are you doing?! Why are you just standing there like fools?! Hurry and find a servant who can swim to help the Second Miss!"

"Hua'er! Are you alright?" Song Xiuyan held both of Hu Lihua's arms, looking at her with concern.

"How could something happen to her?! She's the one who's evil and hurt An'er!" Hu Zhangwei shouted angrily.

Hu Lihua frowned but didn't bother to look at Hu Zhangwei. Her gaze remained focused on the woman in front of her, seemingly unfazed by the commotion around her.

[Is this my mother? She's so beautiful! Unfortunately, her face looks so pale!]

Song Xiuyan was stunned. Who was speaking? Why did it sound like her daughter? But… Hu Lihua didn't move her lips at all. Was she hallucinating?

"Of course she looks pale! How could she not be sick with a wicked daughter like you?" Hu Zhangwei snapped.

Hu Lihua finally turned to look at Hu Zhangwei with an unhappy expression. Hu Zhangwei was tall and sturdy, with a mustache and beard. Despite that, his face still looked very handsome.

[Is this my cheap father? What is he saying? I didn't say a single word just now!]

This time, Hu Zhangwei was also stunned. His daughter hadn't spoken at all, but why could he hear her voice? Was that Hu Lihua's inner voice? Wait! Why did she curse him as a "cheap father" in her mind?!

Hu Zhang Wei's face, which had been pale with shock, turned red in an instant. "You… you…" Hu Zhangwei raised his hand to point at Hu Lihua, but his words couldn't come out due to his anger.

Song Xiuyan suddenly realized something. She quickly grabbed Hu Zhang Wei's outstretched hand and subtly shook her head at him.

Hu Zhangwei took a deep breath, trying hard to calm himself. After a while, he finally felt a little calmer, but his face and tone were still full of anger as he asked Hu Lihua, "What happened to An'er?!"

"As you saw, I kicked her into the pond," Hu Lihua answered indifferently.

"I know you kicked her into the pond! But why do you keep hurting her again and again?!" Hu Zhangwei asked impatiently. However, he felt something was off with his daughter's indifferent attitude. Usually, Hu Lihua would look scared and reluctant to admit her actions. Why was she so different this time?

Hu Lihua casually shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I was bored, and she was really annoying today. So, I kicked her into the pond."

Hu Zhangwei was about to scold Hu Lihua when he suddenly heard the voice again in his head.

[Besides, that girl was going to throw herself into the pond to trap me again. So, why not help her out? That way, I won't be scolded for nothing.]

Hu Lihua's inner voice shocked Hu Zhangwei. Trapped? How could someone as gentle as Hu Rui'an do something so underhanded to trap Hu Lihua?

Meanwhile, Song Xiuyan gritted her teeth. No matter how hard she tried, she could never feel close to Hu Rui'an. Eventually, she gave up and only treated her as a mother would.

When the Hu General's Residence finally discovered that their child had been swapped, Song Xiuyan naturally grew resentful of Hu Rui'an. She really wanted to send the fake daughter back to her real family. Unfortunately, the whole family was very fond of Hu Rui'an, especially Old Madam Hu, who had raised her since childhood.

"Mother, Father, please don't blame the First Sister. She didn't do it on purpose." A clear, weak voice suddenly interrupted everyone's thoughts.