Chapter 4: You Are An Ungrateful Wolf

Mu Si'an asked suspiciously, "Why didn't she report it to the authorities?"

"I suppose she figured reporting it would be useless." Pei Hao calmly picked up his book again and turned a page. "The little girl isn't very old, but her mind is quite deep."

"The young miss used to be quite simple."

"If you've been through things and still don't grow up, then your brain has grown in vain."

"..."

As the two spoke, they turned to business.

Mu Si'an said, "We haven't found a single clue about the assassins. Should we continue the investigation?"

"Tell those investigating to pull back; there's no need to look anymore. Whether the culprit is human or a ghost, they will show their true colors sooner or later." Pei Hao knew that the people who wanted his life were always the same few. "By the way, has there been any progress on Liu Jin's matter?"

Mu Si'an replied solemnly, "Ten years ago, Liu Jin did indeed live in Chiyan County. One day, he suddenly disappeared, and his whereabouts have been unknown since."

Pei Hao asked, "So, Chiyan County was the last place he appeared?"

"That is what we have found so far."

"Hmm. We return to the capital the day after tomorrow."

"We're giving up on the search? If you return empty-handed, won't the Emperor blame you?"

"The palace has sent out wave after wave of people over the years, and many have returned empty-handed; I am merely one of them. At worst, I'll just endure a few scoldings—it's of no consequence. Besides, didn't I get attacked? Perhaps... there is someone behind the scenes obstructing the Emperor from finding the little princess."

By the time Pei Hao finished, he wore an expression of sudden realization.

Mu Si'an: "..."

Borrowing a knife to kill?

This tactic is truly vicious!

...

Just as the young master Pei had guessed.

Du Wan didn't report it to the authorities precisely because she suspected it would be useless.

Not to mention her own delicate situation, the culprit was no ordinary person.

She was Qin Yuyu, the female lead from the book *The Beggar Princess*, the long-lost little princess the Emperor had been searching for.

According to the book's description, the little princess had roamed the streets since she was small, doing whatever it took to survive—stealing, lying, and cheating. Later, she had a stroke of luck and accidentally obtained an immortal's spatial dimension. She immediately turned her life around, and with the protection of the male lead, she started businesses, seized territory, and developed her influence, thriving in the process.

In the latter part of the story, the female lead reunites with the Emperor.

After another round of power struggles, stepping over piles of corpses, the little princess eventually becomes the Empress.

Yes, for the sake of love, the little princess gave the throne to the male lead, and as for those who opposed them, she had them captured, killed, or exiled.

Heh, isn't being an Empress Regnant better?

Is she really unable to live without a man?

At the time, Du Wan had been very resentful of this ending.

It was like attending a grand feast, eating happily until the end, only to suddenly see that the dessert was a pile of dung!

Damn it, it was absolutely disgusting.

Coincidentally, the novel begins with the male and female leads meeting in Chiyan County. Qin Yuyu's "golden finger"—the spatial dimension—was also obtained in that small county.

There was a passage in the book that described it

[Because Qin Yuyu was born with a beautiful face, she was targeted by someone with ill intentions. While fleeing in a panic, she hid in a small, abandoned courtyard and accidentally discovered thousands of catties of grain hidden in a cellar, and also picked up a jade pendant. The pendant was as black as ink, with a lifelike white spider lily embedded in the center.

Months later, Qin Yuyu was accidentally injured, and her blood splattered onto the jade pendant...]

The original owner had such a jade pendant; the string had broken, and it was sitting on the nightstand by the bed.

Du Wan had played with it a few times, not thinking much of it at the time. On the night her mother-in-law died, the jade pendant disappeared.

Du Wan, who lacked the original owner's memories, realized on that very day—from the name Qin Yuyu, the jade pendant, and the county name—that she had transmigrated into a book, and she even guessed the original owner's identity.

As long as she could take back the jade pendant... Du Wan felt that this would likely be the greatest revenge for the female lead.

As for why reality differed from the novel?

It was very likely that because she had transmigrated and accidentally saved Qin Yuyu, she had triggered the butterfly effect.

Escorted by Hu San and the others, they found the small village in the mountains.

The village was very poor; over ninety percent of the houses were thatched huts. The villagers' clothes were almost entirely covered in patches.

The only person wearing a decent long gown was the old village chief.

When outsiders entered the village, the old village chief came over to inquire upon hearing the news.

Hu San's attitude was quite good; he smiled and explained their purpose to the chief.

Seeing that they weren't there to cause trouble, the old village chief breathed a sigh of relief and personally led the way for Du Wan and her group.

At the foot of the green mountain, not far from the east end of the village.

Seven or eight new thatched huts had been built, housing over a dozen children.

A few of the younger ones were shirtless, barely covered, working in the fields.

Du Wan suppressed the discomfort in her heart.

Once she explained her purpose—that she wanted to see Qin Yuyu—a five-year-old child heard her and ran quickly into the middle hut.

Before long, a young girl dressed in coarse linen clothes walked out of the house.

The girl was fourteen or fifteen years old, with a well-proportioned figure, a round face, large almond-shaped eyes, and fair skin. Perhaps because she was still young, she couldn't be called dazzling, but she was definitely a great beauty.

Wasn't she supposed to be a beggar? To be able to grow up like this was a bit illogical.

Du Wan was speechless and couldn't be bothered to complain.

At this moment, another group of older children gathered around, shielding Qin Yuyu in the middle.

It was as if Du Wan and her group were going to bully them.

The girl opened her large eyes and asked in confusion, "Miss, I heard you were looking for me."

Du Wan narrowed her eyes. "Qin Yuyu, do you remember me?"

"I'm sorry, I don't recognize you. Have we met before?" The girl's demeanor was sincere, natural, and unpretentious.

It was enough to make anyone feel the illusion that she wasn't lying.

When Hu San first heard this, he felt embarrassed for the young miss. After searching for so long, it turned out the girl didn't even know her? The young miss had previously said that the little girl had bullied her, heh.

Du Wan, however, grew vigilant. "You really don't recognize me?"

The girl nodded earnestly: "I haven't seen you."

"Then, do you remember the mute old woman in the county?" Du Wan asked directly.

The girl's almond eyes widened, and she looked at Du Wan in terror.

However, Qin Yuyu was worthy of being the female lead; she recovered in an instant.

Du Wan said with a cold little face, "You may not know me, but I know you. Last month, you fainted in the alleyway. It was I who saved you and brought you home, had the mute old woman cook rice porridge for you to eat, and even spent money to hire a doctor to treat your illness."

Hu San: "..."

Is the young miss a bit foolish?

The villagers watching from the side had similar thoughts to Hu San.

Even some of Qin Yuyu's little companions had their expressions waver. But the faces of a few of the older children turned pale, including the female lead, Qin Yuyu.

Du Wan said expressionlessly, "Return the jade pendant to me."

"W-what jade pendant?" Qin Yuyu's eyes flickered.

Du Wan sneered inwardly. "The jade pendant that is pitch black all over, with a small white flower in the center."

Qin Yuyu lowered her long eyelashes and hung her head, saying nothing.

Du Wan was in the right, so she was righteous and bold: "To tell you the truth, I regret saving you back then. You are nothing but an ingrate, returning evil for good, and forgetting all righteousness!"

"..."