Chapter 1: The Fourth Miss Awakens

“Madam, the matriarch is still waiting. If you don’t quickly wake the Fourth Miss, no one here will be able to bear the matriarch’s blame,” an arrogant voice declared.

“That makes no sense! Yuejiao fell into the pond and is unconscious. How could she possibly meet the matriarch in this state?” a gentle voice responded, tinged with quiet resolve.

Another voice tried to persuade, “Madam, just splash some water on the Fourth Miss to wake her. Otherwise, the entire Youyuan Garden will suffer the consequences.”

“Who dares to splash water? Yuejiao is still the Fourth Miss of the Lin family. Do you intend to rebel?” the gentle voice defended firmly.

The arrogant voice scoffed, “Someone, pull Madam aside. The rest, help the Fourth Miss regain consciousness. Who knows if she’s truly unconscious or just pretending?”

Lin Yuejiao felt a splitting headache. The noisy voices around her were both familiar and strange. Raising her heavy eyelids, she saw a basin of water about to be poured over her face.

She stretched out her hand to block it, causing the basin to topple and drench the maid carrying it.

“See? I told you the Fourth Miss is faking it. Hurry up and get up; the matriarch won’t wait,” Mu Gu sneered, showing no respect.

Jing Mingge smiled warmly, drawing her daughter into her arms. “Yuejiao, you’ve finally woken up. You scared me to death.”

The maid Ji Yu, soaked to the skin moments ago, complained, “The Fourth Miss was clearly not unconscious but deliberately drenched me. That’s too much.”

Yuejiao’s gaze swept over them all: her mother Jing Mingge, maid Ji Yu, housekeeper Mu Gu. Where was she? Why was she seeing them? Hadn’t her mother died long ago?

After some time, Lin Yuejiao finally grasped the truth.

She was not dead. She had been reborn five years earlier.

Years had passed, people had changed, but the place remained. It took her a quarter of an hour to fully understand her situation.

“Fourth Miss, why are you daydreaming? Hurry and get ready,” Mu Gu urged impatiently.

“Mu Gu, wait. I’ll change my clothes first. Mother, please stay with me. Everyone else, you may leave,” Lin Yuejiao said calmly.

Though in her past life she was the noble daughter of the Marquis’s family, now she was merely an unloved fourth miss. If she continued to act like a marquis’s daughter, she would only be courting disaster.

She would keep a low profile, endure patiently, and plan carefully.

Mu Gu sneered, “Hurry up, don’t waste time.”

The other maids left as well.

“Mother,” Lin Yuejiao looked at the plain but gentle woman beside her. Though she fought back the surge of emotion, her eyes welled with tears.

After the fire, she had regretted never calling Jing Mingge “Mother” while she was alive—regretted crying at her grave all night. But it was too late.

Heaven had been merciful, granting her a second life and a reunion with her family.

“What did you just call me?” Jing Mingge asked in disbelief.

Lin Yuejiao’s heart tightened. “Mother, your daughter was unfilial.”

“Oh, my dear child. I thought I had misheard,” Jing Mingge’s eyes reddened with relief.

Lin Yuejiao said, “Mother, I will explain everything later. For now, I must first pay respects to the matriarch. Thank you for preparing the embroidery for me.”

She had already recalled what today entailed.

Five years ago, she lived in the Lin family of Xinzhou.

The Lin family was a prestigious local clan, known for their outstanding daughters.

“Yuejiao, are you willing to use the embroidery mother prepared for you?” Jing Mingge asked happily.

“Mother, thank you for the embroidery you prepared earlier. But I want to choose the finest one. You are best at double-sided embroidery. Please give me one of those,” Lin Yuejiao smiled gently.

Jing Mingge hesitated, “Yuejiao, it’s not that I won’t give it to you. But with your current skill level, you can’t master such a refined technique. The matriarch will see at a glance that you didn’t make it yourself. The embroidery I prepared for you is simple but made to match your usual stitches. No one will suspect.”

Such devoted motherly love—within this vast Lin estate, only Jing Mingge truly cared for Lin Yuejiao. Yet in her past life, Yuejiao had been blind to this and refused to acknowledge her mother.

“Mother, I have my own plan. Please give me one of your double-sided embroideries,” Lin Yuejiao insisted.

Jing Mingge, gentle by nature and unwilling to refuse, relented, “Very well. I’ll give you one. If the matriarch exposes you, just say you grabbed the wrong piece in haste.”

“Thank you, Mother,” Lin Yuejiao’s lips curled in a confident smile.

In this second chance at life, if she didn’t seize the opportunity, she would truly be beyond salvation.

Before the guests, the matriarch would never embarrass her by exposing her. But others might, and Yuejiao was prepared for their attacks.

Soon, Jing Mingge handed her the double-sided embroidery, and Lin Yuejiao had changed her clothes.

“Stop dawdling, are you ready?” Mu Gu at the door urged impatiently.

Ji Yu entered displeased. “Fourth Miss, why aren’t you out yet? You’re keeping me waiting.”

Lin Yuejiao’s eyes rested on her. Ji Yu was her head maid, once treated kindly, but later revealed to have started the fire.

“Is that so? If you’re tired of waiting, you don’t have to come with me,” Lin Yuejiao said coldly.

Mu Gu was untouchable for now, but Ji Yu could be dealt with.

Ji Yu was stunned. “Miss, why are you speaking to me that way?”

“Do I need you to teach me how a mistress talks to her servant?” Lin Yuejiao’s gaze turned icy.

She ignored Ji Yu afterward, scanning the room until she pointed to a maid. “Yuanwei, come with me.”

The named maid was surprised but bowed. “At your command.”

She was a low-ranking maid who had never caught Lin Yuejiao’s attention before. Yuejiao chose her because after the fire, she alone had stayed to carry water to fight the flames while others fled, unconcerned for their mistress.

Loyalty was precious. In her past life, Lin Yuejiao had elevated her to her side.

The main hall of the Lin estate, Mingli Hall.

By the time Lin Yuejiao and Mu Gu arrived, laughter and chatter filled the room.

The nanny at the door glanced at Lin Yuejiao with displeasure before reporting inside. Soon, the matriarch’s decree came, summoning her in.

“Granddaughter pays respects to grandmother, greetings to the elder lady, and to all the sisters,” Lin Yuejiao bowed deeply to the matriarch.

The matriarch replied coolly, “Rise and stand to the side.”

“Yes,” Lin Yuejiao answered respectfully and stepped aside.

But the first lady, Qian Yaoxian, was far from satisfied and scolded, “Yuejiao, why are you so late? You rarely come to serve the matriarch, and today you made her wait. Do you still have any filial piety in your heart?”

“Eldest Lady, Yuejiao is wronged. Since the matriarch asked for a piece of embroidery, I have been locked away, diligently stitching and neglected to pay respects. I only realized it just now and hurried over with the embroidery to apologize. Unfortunately, I was so anxious that I slipped and fell into the pond, causing my delay. It is all my fault—please punish me,” Lin Yuejiao bowed her head in sincere confession.

Usually dull and inarticulate, today the Fourth Miss spoke earnestly, all for the matriarch’s sake, never mentioning that she had been tripped.

Without proof, accusing Third Miss Lin Qingsheng of causing her to fall would seem like slander to the matriarch.

“Rise. Be more careful next time,” the matriarch waved dismissively, not pressing further. To her, Lin Yuejiao was an inconsequential presence.

Qian Yaoxian was surprised by Lin Yuejiao’s sudden eloquence, caught off guard and unable to leverage the moment.

Lin Qingsheng, the eldest daughter of the main branch, feigned concern. “Yuejiao, did you get hurt when you fell into the pond? Are you in pain? Let me see.”

That false mask had deceived Lin Yuejiao in her previous life.

“Thank you for your concern, Sister Liu. It’s nothing serious, no pain,” Lin Yuejiao clenched her fists, barely containing the swelling hatred inside, yet she smiled brightly.

Lin Qingsheng glanced disdainfully and ignored her.

Lin Qingsu of the second branch stood by coldly observing.

“Heh, I didn’t expect Yuejiao to be so earnest. Looks like she might surprise us after all. I can’t wait to see her embroidery,” Qian Yaoxian sneered venomously.

“Eldest Lady flatters me. With Sister Liu’s masterpiece ahead, how dare I embarrass myself,” Lin Yuejiao smiled, modestly demure.

The matriarch turned to Lin Qingsheng affectionately, “Liu’er’s handiwork is always the best. Is this time well prepared?”

“Grandmother, rest assured. I have done my best and hope not to disappoint you,” Lin Qingsheng smiled lightly.

At that moment, the nanny outside entered to report, “Matriarch, the eldest young master has arrived with two distinguished guests.”

“Show them in!” The matriarch’s face brightened with surprise as she rose to greet them.

Leading the group was a young man in his early twenties, wearing a white robe embroidered with golden Sichuan silk, adorned with the finest ice crystal silk and jewels—a robe worth a fortune.

He was Li Moqian, the third young master of the Li family, Xinzhou’s foremost noble house, and the foremost of the four great talents of Jiangnan.

Beside him was Lin Ruijie, the eldest young master of the Lin family, a handsome and well-known talent in Xinzhou, but utterly overshadowed by Li Moqian.

Yet, more than Li Moqian, there was another who instantly drew everyone’s attention.