C7 Identity

When Bai Liyuv woke up, she found herself lying in bed, surrounded by a room that felt both unfamiliar and familiar. This was her former bedroom. The room was sparsely furnished, which seemed rather modest given her status. The only standout feature was the heavy bookshelf a few steps away, filled with numerous books.

She sat up and rubbed her temples, checking her pulse. She noticed that most of the toxins in her body had cleared, which was strange but undoubtedly a good thing. She then recalled the events before she lost consciousness. The two people in the abandoned temple had an air of sophistication about them. Although she didn't know their identities, they clearly recognized her; otherwise, she wouldn't have woken up in the manor. What puzzled her was that those two didn't seem like the benevolent type. Was returning her to the manor an act of kindness, or did they have another motive?

Unable to figure it out, and with no memory of those two, Bai Liyuv decided not to dwell on it. Since waking up, she had absorbed most of the original memories. The previous night, she had escaped, only to be returned early this morning. The original Bai Liyuv wasn't favored, and even the maidservants weren't attentive. It was already time to get up, yet no maid had come to help her wash and dress, clearly taking the opportunity to slack off. However, this gave Bai Liyuv the perfect chance to sort through the information in her mind.

As Bai Liyuv sifted through her memories, she couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. Despite being the Third Miss of the South Suppressing King Mansion, her life had been rather stifling. The mansion housed three sons and two daughters, but the world only seemed to know about the eldest daughter. Bai Liyuv, the third daughter, was almost invisible, tucked away in the corners of the mansion, gradually fading from public memory.

Bai Liyuv's beauty and talents were on par with Bai Mengci, who was celebrated as the most beautiful woman in the capital. Yet, few had heard of Bai Liyuv's allure. The talk of the town was always about the eldest daughter, Bai Mengci, who excelled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and song. Even the Emperor praised her, showering her with unmatched favor.

However, all this was built on the exploitation of Bai Liyuv's identity and talents. Her mother, Su Zhen, was the legitimate daughter of the General's family and had an adopted sister named Su Que. The two shared a slight resemblance but had vastly different personalities. Su Zhen was gentle and dignified, renowned in the capital, while Su Que was spoiled and willful, indulged by her parents and elder sister.

Su Zhen was the epitome of a refined lady, rarely stepping outside her home. Although the capital knew the General had two precious daughters, few had seen them. On the rare occasions they attended events, Su Zhen was either too ill to attend or had allergies that kept her away. Meanwhile, Su Que thrived in the social circles of the capital's elite young women, eventually establishing herself as the one everyone knew, overshadowing the existence of the elder sister.

Su Que's mother had a childhood friend named Xiao Chen, and it was initially planned that they would discuss marriage after she came of age. However, during an outing, Su Que met Bai Sheng, the Duke of the South, and fell head over heels for him at first sight. Given her current status, she couldn't become the Duke's official wife. So, she cleverly devised a plan to make the Duke believe she was Su Zhen, the eldest daughter of the Huaihua General's family. After the Duke was intimate with her, she persuaded him to request a marriage decree from the Emperor. The Duke, completely smitten with her, agreed immediately. Before long, the imperial decree for their marriage arrived at the General's residence.