The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Even before Qin Nanyan got married, Shilan knew the fate of the two elders.

More precisely, it was when she first personally experienced the genuine and undisguised favoritism the two elders showed towards Qin Nanyan after arriving here that she knew this day would come.

Therefore, over the years, she has never truly regarded herself as Madam Qin, their unexpected and superfluous second daughter, nor has she ever felt any genuine affection for the two elders.

But when she saw their bodies with her own eyes, she still felt a sharp pain in her heart.

It felt as if a piece of flesh had been brutally sliced ​​off.

"If they had known this would happen, they would have just stayed with Qin Nanyan alone. Why did they have to bring you and me into this?"

Qin Zhengyang stared at the two elders with bloodshot eyes. From the moment he heard the news that his father and Qin Nanyan had died together, he, like Shilan, had no reaction.

Now, barely managing to fulfill his duties as a son and heir, Qin Zhengyang carefully collected the remains of his parents, placed them in fine coffins, set up a mourning hall, and sent messages to friendly families and relatives. Dressed in mourning clothes, kneeling in the hall, Qin Zhengyang finally managed to grit his teeth and utter a sound.

Wang Ruofu was newly pregnant and still in the early stages of pregnancy. In any case, the Qin family had only one son per generation for the last three generations, and the main elders within the last five generations were all gone. The remaining collateral bloodlines were too distant to have any influence over the Qin family. So Shilan and Qin Zhengyang decided to let her rest under the pretense of illness and not come to the hall to kneel, so as not to harm the fetus in her womb.

Therefore, the only one who heard Qin Zhengyang's words was Shilan, who was kneeling beside him.

Shilan repeated the action of burning paper money, and through the smoke and firelight, she also looked towards the altar where the two elders lay side by side.

Since Qin Nanyan was a "deceased person," she could not appear here. Shilan had already ordered her to be placed in an ordinary coffin and buried in the Qin family ancestral tomb in advance.

Right next to the two elders of the Qin family.

That's a complete picture, showing the deep bond between their family, who would stand together through thick and thin.

Thinking of this, Shilan coldly said, "We want you so that the family line can continue and the Qin family bloodline can not be cut off. When they go to the afterlife, they can give an account to their ancestors."

She paused, then said, "I'm the one who's superfluous."

As soon as she said these words, it felt as if half of the heavy weight on her heart had been lifted. Shilan thought that this must be Xiao Qinshi's obsession, not her own.

In the original story, the young Qin Shi did not have her foresight to plan ahead for herself, nor did she manage to win over Qin Erge in time. As a result, she was implicated and affected by the eldest Qin Shi from beginning to end. Even though she was unwilling, she could only jump into the pit left by the eldest Qin Shi and struggle and waste her life in the mud of the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion.

She once commented on Xiao Qinshi in the mysterious space, wondering why she didn't use that ruthlessness she would later display earlier, which might have saved her.

Lady Qin, however, said, "A person's heart cannot be hardened overnight."

Shilan scoffed at the time, but now that she has experienced it herself, she understands.

They are all her own children. Watching her parents go to great lengths and give everything for her older sister, even if she felt resentful, how could she not have a sliver of hope?

If the two elders could give her the same level of favoritism as they showed to Da Qin Shi, even if she couldn't marry into a high-ranking family again, wouldn't that be enough for her as the legitimate wife of a well-off and honest family?

That was what Madam Qin thought until she witnessed her parents close their eyes.

By repeatedly holding onto hope and failing to consider the worst-case scenario for her loved ones, she was ultimately driven step by step to the very end by them.

When she finally realized that everything she needed was something she had to plan for herself, not something given to her by others...

It's too late.

Shilan sighed softly. She had always thought that she and Xiao Qinshi were completely different people. She was as fiery as fire, and her love and hate were extremely sharp. When she loved someone, she wanted them to live, and when she hated someone, she wanted them to die. She would not stop until she had crushed them to ashes.

Lady Qin, however, was like a deep, cold pool, seemingly calm, but in reality, the surface was covered with a thick layer of ice, with no ripples and no bottom visible.

Unexpectedly, both of them were actually troubled by love.

The only difference is that she is with a man.

Xiao Qinshi, on the other hand, was referring to her relatives.

They only fully regained consciousness when they were bleeding profusely and there was no turning back.

Shilan was immersed in that inexplicable sadness, but Qin Zhengyang, who was beside her, came back to his senses. He was not comforted at all. Instead, he felt a sense of revenge, thinking that if he had known this would happen, he would have preferred to have been a playboy to the end, completely ruined the Qin family's fortune, and never married or had children, so that the Qin family would be completely wiped out.

But this desire for revenge vanished when he saw Shilan, who seemed lost in thought.

Sometimes, a person's sense of happiness can indeed be demonstrated through comparison.

At least he was a son whom his parents had hoped for. Although he was like a somewhat useful object, he was still better than his sister. They were both daughters, but they were worlds apart from Qin Nanyan. In fact, because Qin Nanyan was healthier, she was targeted by her both openly and secretly.

"No, that's not it."

Qin Zhengyang raised his hand and grasped his sister's shoulder with a firm but not too strong grip. This was the most intimate gesture an older brother could make to his sister under the strict separation between men and women: "It's clear that Heaven couldn't bear to see me become the only superfluous person left in the mansion, so it sent you down to keep me company."

Shilan looked up and gazed into his warm eyes, and images of the two of them supporting each other over the years flashed through her mind.

A warmth filled my heart.

Although her initial intention with this second brother was to use him to win him over, as he said, after so many years of sticking together for warmth, the two of them had actually developed a genuine brotherly and sisterly affection for each other.

"The Duke of Ying's residence, Zhang Erlang has arrived!"

The sound of singing from the doorway pulled Shilan back to reality.

Who's here?

She turned around in disbelief, only to meet a pair of dark eyes filled with worry.

The disheveled hair, the steaming top of the head, and the thick layer of snow covering the cloak all spoke of the traveler's arduous journey day and night.

Shilan stared blankly at the newcomer, but Zhang Yun only gave her a deep look before looking away.

It really was just one glance.

It is so short, almost instantaneous, that even the most demanding and etiquette-obsessed old scholar could not find fault with it.

Deeply, at least in that brief moment, Shilan clearly felt his care and comfort, and a promise that seemed to echo deep within her heart:

"I am here."

Shilan lowered her head, feeling her heartbeat quicken, and was somewhat dazed.

Zhang Yun's appearance pulled her out of the grief she had just shared with Xiao Qinshi.

How could it be too late?

She was fortunate enough to be reborn. Qin Erge was no longer a playboy, and the stingy and ruthless sister-in-law in her memory had become Wang Ruofu, who was kind, generous, and followed her lead.

Although Qin Nanyan died, her reputation was not tarnished even without the letter of divorce.

In this life, she will no longer rely on anyone's gifts, nor will she live by anyone's favor.

"Brother Zhengyang, Third Miss, please accept my condolences."

Zhang Yun bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

When Shilan and her brother got up to return the greeting, they noticed that the man had bowed a second time. The first time, his body was turned to the side towards her brother, but the second time, he was facing her directly.

Seeing the serious look in the young man's eyes, Shilan felt a little relieved.

In this lifetime, she will never again wait from darkness to dawn.