Liang Muchen was initially taken aback when Rong Rong invited her to join the group on a lakeside outing.

After a brief moment of surprise, she quickly stood up and followed Rong Rong’s lead.

Princess Zhaoyang, also caught off guard by Rong Rong’s inclusion of Liang Muchen, maintained her graceful smile as she linked arms with Rong Rong.

Princess Su turned to the others still seated and asked with a lighthearted tone, “What about the rest of you? Would you like to join us for a boat ride on the lake?”

“No, thank you,” Princess Jing responded coolly. “We came to enjoy the flowers, and that’s what I intend to do. I have nothing to hide.”

With her words, Princess Qing and Princess Jing remained in their seats.

Princess Qing kept a neutral expression, while Princess Jing appeared slightly uneasy, perhaps worried about offending Rong Rong.

But then she reminded herself that no matter how favored Rong Rong might be, she was still just a concubine and could do little to a royal princess.

It was Princess Anyang who stood up, saying, “Sitting around is getting boring. I think I’ll join you for a while.”

With both Zhaoyang and Anyang planning to go, Princess Su, as the eldest sister-in-law, naturally had to accompany them and manage the outing.

She stood up and told her three sisters-in-law to make themselves comfortable, then led Zhaoyang, Anyang, Rong Rong, and Liang Muchen towards the lake, all the while pointing out the scenic spots along the way.

The lake at Su Wangfu wasn’t large, but its modest size was compensated by the massive trees along the shore and on the island in the center.

Their thick canopies cast vast shadows over the water, creating an impression of a giant parasol hovering above the lake.

This made boating on the lake feel especially serene and private.

“Look over there,” Princess Su pointed out. “There’s a large painted boat. All four of you could fit on it together, and there’s a boatman to row it for you. Over here, we have some newly added small boats. If you want to try those, it’ll be two people per boat, but you’ll have to row it yourselves.”

No sooner had Princess Su finished speaking than Princess Zhaoyang squeezed Rong Rong’s arm tighter. “Rowing ourselves is much more fun! Rong Rong, let’s share a boat.”

Princess Zhaoyang’s enthusiasm made it difficult for Rong Rong to refuse.

She was about to nod when Princess Anyang, who had been quiet until now, slipped her arm through Rong Rong’s other arm. “Sister, you’ve been chatting with Rong Rong for so long; it’s time for me to get to know her better. Rong Rong, whenever Yuanbao comes to the palace, he loves playing with me. He doesn’t even bother with Sister Zhaoyang.”

Rong Rong found herself caught between the two princesses, An Yang and Zhaoyang, each pulling her in opposite directions.

Just as she was struggling to figure out what to do, Liang Mu Chen’s voice came from behind, offering a solution: “Miss Rong Rong, why don’t you join me for a boat ride?”

Princess Su, already exasperated by the bickering between the two princesses, seized the opportunity and pulled Rong Rong towards Liang Mu Chen. “That’s a good idea. You two sisters can go together, and Rong Rong can join Miss Muchen on the other boat.”

Zhaoyang, who had been eager to get closer to Rong Rong, was frustrated that her chance was ruined by An Yang’s interference.

An Yang, however, was quite pleased with herself; as long as Zhaoyang didn’t get her way, An Yang was content.

Princess Su chose two of the most beautiful boats for the four of them and summoned eunuchs to help them with the rowing.

Zhaoyang and An Yang, both skilled at rowing, quickly headed towards the middle of the lake.

Rong Rong and Liang Mu Chen, meanwhile, carefully learned the basics.

Once Rong Rong had a good grasp of how to row, they let the little eunuch untie their boat, and they slowly made their way into the lake.

Since it was Rong Rong’s first time rowing, she used a lot of effort, and soon her arms began to tire.

The boat had barely moved a short distance before her hands started to ache.

Seeing Rong Rong’s struggle, Liang Mu Chen suggested, “Why don’t we stop rowing? It’s cool and shaded here; just drifting like this isn’t so bad.”

“That’s a good idea,” Rong Rong agreed, placing her oar on the boat next to Liang Muchen’s.

In the distance, Zhaoyang and An Yang had already reached the small island in the middle of the lake.

They waved enthusiastically, urging Rong Rong to row over.

“Your Highness, I’m too tired to row any further. You go ahead and have fun on the island; we’ll join you in a bit,” Rong Rong called out to them.

Zhaoyang had no choice but to nod and turn back to continue bickering with An Yang.

The two princesses, now out of earshot, continued their playful argument.

“I never imagined I’d get the chance to row a boat on the lake with you,” Liang Muchen suddenly said, her tone tinged with emotion.

Rong Rong hadn’t expected it either.

“I heard your marriage has been arranged. Congratulations,” Rong Rong said after a brief silence.

Liang Muchen smiled, but it was a fragile, melancholic smile.

After her fall into the water, her health had suffered, and she had lost a lot of weight.

Her once rosy complexion had faded, and now, her smile seemed almost tragic.

“Do you really think this is something worth celebrating, Miss Rong Rong?” Liang Mu Chen asked softly.

“It depends on how you see it. Perhaps you think I’m just mocking you?” Rong Rong replied.

Liang Muchen remained silent, implicitly confirming Rong Rong’s suspicion.

Rong Rong continued, “You were unconscious after falling into the water, nearly losing your life. Now that you’ve recovered, it’s only right to celebrate.”

Liang Muchen couldn’t help but recall the words the Crown Prince had spoken to her that day after the accident.

“I never intended to marry you.”

Those cold, indifferent words, coupled with his icy expression, had haunted Liang Mu Chen ever since, making her feel as if she were trapped in winter, even in the warmth of spring.

Seeing Liang Muchen’s eyes begin to well up with tears, Rong Rong felt a pang of sympathy.

She handed Liang Mu Chen a handkerchief.

Liang Muchen’s eyes were filled with bitterness as she took the handkerchief from Rong Rong and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.

“If you were me, what would you do?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Rongrong looked at Liang Muchen. “Are you talking about you and Liu Zhen—I mean, the Crown Prince? Or you and Prince Qing?”

Liang Muchen felt a sharp pain in her heart when she heard Rongrong casually mention “Liu Zhen.”

“Would you like to talk about it? It’s just the two of us here, no one else will hear. We can treat it like a joke, and I won’t remember any of this later.”

Rongrong lowered her eyes.

The wind blew across the lake, making the leaves above rustle.

She should have kept her distance from Liang Muchen instead of opening her heart to her.

But Liang Muchen was just a young girl, and Rongrong didn’t want to see her getting stuck in her own thoughts just like when she was Jing Rong.

“If… if the Crown Prince didn’t like me, I wouldn’t stay by his side,” Rongrong sighed. “He’s a ruthless person. He knows exactly what he wants and doesn’t want. Trying to change his mind or impose your own ideas on him is impossible.”

Liang Muchen’s eyes flickered.

It seemed Rongrong really did understand the Crown Prince better than she did.

“Then… if he didn’t like you, wouldn’t you be sad?” Liang Muchen pressed on.

Sad?

“Of course, I would be sad. But what does sadness matter? I still have to live my life. With him, I might be happy, but without him, I can find other things to be happy about. There are plenty of people and things in this world—he’s not the only one!”

Liang Muchen was unconvinced. “You make it sound so easy. He’s fond of you now, but if one day he stops, I don’t believe you’d still be able to smile!”

Rongrong smiled at her words.

After all, Liang Muchen was still just a young girl with little experience.

Rongrong had been through much more than just losing someone’s favor.

“You’re young and haven’t tasted the bitterness of life. For me, survival is the most important thing—nothing else really matters. When a person faces death, they realize what’s truly important.”

In her previous life, all Jing Rong had thought about was her status and giving birth to her child safely.

But she knew that in the moment before death, she couldn’t remember anything about the Crown Prince, her status, or her child—she only wanted to live.

She was ashamed to admit it because she felt that, as a mother, such thoughts were unfair to her child.

But it was the truth.

Liang Muchen stared blankly at the lake.

After a moment of silence, she said softly, “Actually, I’ve died once before.”

That day in the Eastern Palace, someone had grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the walkway repeatedly.

Each time, she felt like her skull was about to shatter. With each blow, her consciousness grew fainter until she finally passed out.

“And at that moment, what were you thinking?”

“I wanted to scream for help. I thought of my parents and wished they could come and save me right away.”

Rong Rong’s words struck a chord with Liang Muchen, and for a moment, she seemed to lose herself in the weight of her emotions.

The thought of her parents, especially her mother, enduring silent suffering while she wallowed in her own despair made her heart ache even more.

She had been so consumed by her own grief that she hadn’t even noticed the toll it was taking on her family.

“But I’m just a concubine,” Liang Muchen finally cried out, unable to hold back her tears any longer. “I’ve disgraced the Wei Yuan Marquis Residence. You heard what the princesses and the other ladies were saying. I don’t know how many more insults I’ll have to endure.”

Rong Rong smiled gently. “Such words are not new to me.”

Liang Muchen looked up, startled. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Neither did I,” Rong Rong interrupted, her tone calm and understanding. “Hearing such things is painful for anyone, but I only meet them a few times a year, and we barely exchange a few words. I let it pass as if it were wind by my ear. Everyone knows their own pain and joy; as long as I live my life well, there’s no need to argue with them.”

“But I can’t do that,” Liang Mu Chen admitted, her voice trembling.

“Then think about this: Why did the Princess Consort of Gong and Princess Consort of Jing choose to target you and me today, while the Princess Consort of Su did not?” Rong Rong asked.

Liang Muchen was puzzled and couldn’t immediately grasp the reasoning behind Rong Rong’s question. “Maybe it’s because the Princess Consort of Su is hosting us today, and as our host, she feels obliged to give us some respect.”

“That’s part of it,” Rong Rong nodded, then shook her head slightly, “but it’s not the whole story.”

“What do you mean?” Liang Muchen asked.

“Think about it. Do you think the Princess Consort of Gong or the Princess Consort of Jing would ever invite us to their manors?”

“No, they wouldn’t,” Liang Mu Chen replied without hesitation.

“Exactly,” Rong Rong said with a smile. “The fact that the Princess Consort of Su invited me shows that her perspective is different from that of the other two.”

Liang Muchen’s smile was faint and weary. “But that’s because you are favored by His Highness the Crown Prince. That’s why she treats you differently.”

“You’re still missing the point. Have you ever met the Princes of Gong and Jing?”

Liang Muchen didn’t understand where Rong Rong was going with this and looked at her with confusion. “I’ve seen them, but I’ve never spoken to them.”

“Both the Prince of Gong and the Prince of Jing are known for being womanizers, with many wives and concubines in their households. That’s why the Princess Consorts of Gong and Jing have to put on the airs of proper wives to maintain their dignity. But the Prince of Su has only one wife, and his household is quiet and peaceful. The Princess Consort of Su doesn’t have to treat concubines as threats.”

As Rong Rong explained, Liang Mu Chen lowered her head again, feeling the heavy weight of the word “concubine” pressing down on her.

The bitter reality was that, despite being the legitimate daughter of a marquis, she was now forced into the role of a concubine.

“Why is fate so cruel to me?” Liang Mu Chen thought bitterly, feeling as though the heavens themselves had turned against her.