C4 The Exwife of the Female Lead!

The little boy addressed Ann Yan with a chilly tone and led his sister past her, tipping the wild vegetables from their basket into a large winnowing basket. Despite their small stature, their movements were deft and practiced; the little girl was just as capable, needing no assistance from her brother.

Upon hearing the boy call her "mother," Ann Yan recognized the siblings. They were the two children left behind by someone associated with Han Ze, the Han Family's sixth brother.

The original owner of Ann Yan's identity knew little about the situation, only that the person who had cared for the children previously was unkind and may have committed some misdeeds. The Han Family was tight-lipped about the whole affair. Even Liao Xiaofang, known for her gossipy nature, would clamp up and refuse to divulge a single detail when questioned.

Though Ann Yan was unaware of the specifics, the children's gaunt, sallow faces spoke volumes about their harsh past, stirring a sense of compassion within her.

"Did you two just come back from gathering wild vegetables?" Ann Yan inquired softly.

Han Rui was taken aback by Ann Yan's unexpected conversation. His stepmother had always been indifferent, barely acknowledging him and his sister. Since her arrival, she had spoken to them scarcely more than a handful of times.

"We haven't been slacking off. The wild vegetables in the field are nearly all gone; it took us a long time to find these," Han Rui replied, puzzled by her question. His own mother had always criticized their work, venting her frustrations on them, and he had braced himself for Ann Yan to do the same.

"Mom, we... we really haven't been lazy," Liuya stammered, her small face etched with fear. Although this stepmother hadn't resorted to the physical punishments of her predecessor, she was well aware of the woman's disdain for her and her brother, and even for their father and the household. She feared that Ann Yan harbored some dissatisfaction with them.

Seeing his sister's fright, Han Rui positioned her behind him, eyeing Ann Yan with a guarded and slightly fierce gaze.

Ann Yan sighed inwardly as she observed the wary expressions of the siblings. She hadn't anticipated their heightened sensitivity. Approaching them, she tenderly patted her young son's head, her voice soft and reassuring, "Don't be scared. I'm not upset with you. You're both so young and already helping out the family so much. You're very responsible and well-behaved."

Han Rui was puzzled by his stepmother's sudden gentleness, but he wasn't naive enough to be swayed by a few kind words. He stood there, rigid and unmoved.

Ann Yan realized that winning over the siblings' trust wouldn't happen overnight. There was plenty of time, and she was in no rush. "Alright, that's all for now. Go on and play," she said dismissively.

At her words, Han Rui breathed a sigh of relief, quickly grabbing his sister's hand and darting out as if they were being chased.

Shaking her head, Ann Yan finished her meal and began to tidy up. The courtyard was empty; everyone must have gone to work in the fields. She reflected that in the Han Family, the original owner had been the only one idle, but she had no intention of following in those footsteps. First things first, she needed to clean her room. The bed sheets and blankets were filthy, stained with black and yellow marks, and emitted a foul odor. How the original owner could have tolerated such squalor was beyond her.

With a look of distaste, Ann Yan stripped the bed and gathered the dirty clothes. She then checked the children's rooms. Their small space was relatively tidy, certainly cleaner than the original owner's room, though still somewhat disheveled. The children had done well, but their bedding was also in dire need of a wash. They were too young to manage such tasks on their own.

Determined, Ann Yan hauled everything that needed washing to the well in the backyard. She had just soaked the bedding and clothes when she realized she had no detergent or soap. Relying on memory, she found some soapberries and made do, scrubbing the items as best she could while sighing to herself.

As she washed, a sudden realization stopped her cold. Old Madam Han, Han Ze, Han Rui... these names strung together reminded her of a novel she had read called "The General's Beloved Wife." She hadn't recognized it at first because she had read the book over a year ago.

This novel tells the inspiring tale of a female protagonist who travels to the fictional North Jin Dynasty, where she undergoes a transformation, growing stronger along the way. She falls in love with the male lead and ultimately becomes the wife of a general, securing her spot as a true winner in life.

Unfortunately for Ann Yan, she isn't the heroine of this story but rather the malicious antagonist destined for doom. She once scoffed at the coincidence of sharing her name with the character. As the male lead's second ex-wife and an obstacle to the protagonist, Ann Yan's actions in the book escalate to new heights of self-destruction. She abandons the male lead's children during an uprising, resulting in one dead and one injured, and is indirectly responsible for the death of the male lead's mother. She even takes the money left by the male lead for his family and heads to the capital to chase after the Hereditary Prince she's desperate to marry. Sadly, she can't even get past the gates of the Marquis's estate. Using her exceptional embroidery skills, she barely manages to settle in a small workshop, where she faces a tough life and ostracism from the other embroiderers. Hearing of the male lead's rise to general, she shamelessly seeks him out, hoping for forgiveness and a return to luxury. Instead, she is cast out among beggars by the embittered male lead and meets a tragic end.

The more endearing and successful the heroine of the story is, the more despicable and detested the antagonist becomes, drawing a barrage of criticism from readers who eventually cheer her downfall.

As someone who has unwittingly found herself in the shoes of the villainous Ann Yan, the real Ann Yan can only sense the author's deep-seated animosity toward her. However, she quickly shakes off the initial shock. Ann Yan has never been one to resign herself to fate or admit defeat. So what if she's been transported into the body of a doomed side character? Since the original owner has already made herself unpopular with the Han Family, it's fortunate that it's still early in the story, and nothing irreversible has happened. Everything can still be salvaged.

Plot be damned—if she avoids her character's fatal mistakes, the future won't unfold as written. Now that she's become the Ann Yan of the book, she's determined to take control of her own destiny.