🌸 The Poison Empress Reborn As The Disgraced Heiress 🌸

"Help... Help me!" Lin Xia struggled desperately in the freezing river. Water rushed into her mouth and nose as her body sank deeper beneath the surface. Her hands clawed upward, reaching for the sunlight. Reaching for life. But no one came to save her. On the riverbank stood the people she trusted most. The wealthy young masters and ladies of Jade City. Her friends. Her fiancé. And her foster sister. "Sister..." Lin Yuwei trembled in Xu Minghao's arms, her delicate face pale with fear. "I-I didn't mean to make Sister angry. I never thought she would try to kill me." Tears streamed down her beautiful face. Anyone who saw her would immediately feel pity. The crowd glared at the struggling girl in the river. "She's still pretending!" "Miss Yuwei has always treated her well." "A fool is a fool. Look at how vicious she is." "She deserves it." Each word struck Lin Xia harder than the icy water. "I didn't push her..." She wanted to shout. Wanted to tell them she was innocent. But no sound came out. Moments earlier, Lin Yuwei had slipped into the river on her own. The moment Xu Minghao rescued her, she pointed at Lin Xia. Then everything changed. No one listened. No one believed her. Not even the man who was supposed to marry her. Lin Xia's gaze locked onto Xu Minghao. Her heart shattered. For years, she had loved him. Followed him. Defended him. Even fought with her brothers because of him. Her brothers had warned her countless times. Xu Minghao didn't love her. He was only interested in the Lin family's wealth. But she refused to listen. She cried. She threw tantrums. She locked herself in her room until they finally stopped interfering. Now she understood. They had been right all along. Xu Minghao looked down at her coldly. Not a trace of concern appeared on his face. Instead, he tightened his hold around Lin Yuwei. "Lin Xia." His voice was colder than the river. "Stop acting." Acting? A bitter laugh echoed in her heart. Even now... He believed Lin Yuwei. Or perhaps he simply wanted to believe her. Because he loved her. Not Lin Xia. Never Lin Xia. A young lady standing nearby suddenly sneered. "Why are we wasting time watching her?" Before Lin Xia could react— A stone struck her shoulder. Splash! Pain shot through her body. Then another. And another. The young masters and ladies began throwing stones into the water. Some struck her arms. Some struck her head. One hit her forehead hard enough to draw blood. They laughed. They mocked her. They watched her drown. As if she were nothing more than entertainment. The river carried her farther away. Her strength slowly disappeared. Lin Xia stopped struggling. Perhaps this was her fate. A fool. A disgrace. An embarrassment to the Lin family. Even her own parents preferred Lin Yuwei over her. The adopted daughter received everything. Praise. Affection. Attention. While Lin Xia received only disappointment. Only her brothers had truly cared for her. Yet she had pushed them away. A tear mixed with the river water. She suddenly missed them. Her eldest brother. Her second brother. All five of them. If they were here... No one would dare touch her. Unfortunately, they weren't. And she was dying. As darkness swallowed her vision, Lin Xia saw one last thing. Lin Yuwei. Smiling. The sweet, innocent smile had vanished. In its place was triumph. Mockery. Hatred. At that moment, Lin Xia understood everything. The accusation. The river. The witnesses. The stones. It had all been planned. Lin Yuwei wanted her dead. And she had succeeded. Regret filled Lin Xia's heart. If she could live again... She would never trust these people. Never love Xu Minghao. Never abandon her brothers. The last trace of warmth left her body. Darkness descended. Then— A cold voice echoed through the void. "Pathetic." The voice was female. Ancient. Terrifying. "You allowed yourself to be bullied to death." Lin Xia's fading consciousness trembled. "W-Who are you?" Silence. Then the voice spoke again. "I am Shen Yue." The name shook the darkness itself. "The Poison Empress." The legendary woman feared throughout the empire. The queen of assassins. The ruler of shadows. A woman who had died carrying endless hatred. Lin Xia stared in disbelief. "You're dead..." "So are you." The response was calm. Merciless. Shen Yue's crimson eyes appeared within the darkness. Cold. Powerful. Unyielding. "Your enemies killed you." "Mine killed me." A dangerous smile curved her lips. "Since fate has brought us together..." "I'll help you take revenge." The darkness exploded. And somewhere beneath the river— The dead girl's fingers moved. Her eyes slowly opened. This time... The fool was truly gone. To Be Continued...🌸🖤🌸