She accidentally flirted with the villain and was fiercely criticized as the regent for forcibly mar

Jiang Ruining lowered her eyes and sneered, her voice full of mockery: "Guilt always needs an outlet! She can't bear to blame herself, and she can't bear to give up her status as Madam Jiang and the glamorous position she holds to retreat to a cold and desolate temple with only a dim lamp and ancient Buddha."

"So she needs a scapegoat, someone to suffer in her place, to die in her place!"

Chu Jin couldn't believe it, and each word was spoken with extreme difficulty: "She...she mistook you for...herself, who made a mistake back then?"

"Yes!" Jiang Ruining's calm tone held only contempt: "She tormented me, abused me, forcibly took everything from me, and schemed to make me go hysterically in front of others, thinking she was teaching my younger self a lesson for her reckless mistakes!"

"You think that by killing me, you'll have paid back the life you owed your mother! By killing me, you can give me everything that belongs to me and make up for the sin of making you an orphan!"

"As long as I die disgraced, she will have paid off all her sins and can continue to be Mrs. Jiang with a clear conscience, enjoying wealth, luxury, and the flattery and adulation of others!"

"She's always been very clear-headed, always knowing what she's doing and what her purpose is. That's what I find most unacceptable, and what you can't understand—why I craved her love and attention so much, and suddenly suddenly wanted nothing at all!"

Chu Jin found this answer hard to accept.

How could a mother be so cruel and cold-blooded?

My mind was a jumbled mess, and I felt dizzy and nauseous. I had to hold onto a tree trunk to steady my weak legs.

"How could this be...!"

Jiang Ruining's dark eyes stopped her from staring into hers: "Chu Jin, have you thought about another question?"

Chu Jin's eyelids twitched wildly: "What?"

Jiang Ruining said, word by word, "If you had really used your scheme to harm me back then, it wouldn't have been revenge or a lesson, it would have been evil! You know how cunning and ruthless my mother is."

"And you, she raised you. How could she not know your thoughts and schemes? Your plan to turn the tables on her was exactly what she expected."

The phrase "using someone else's knife to kill" struck Chu Jin's mind like a boulder, causing her brain to throb with pain as if it were about to split open. She leaned against a tree trunk and gagged.

She hadn't eaten anything that morning, and she vomited up a few mouthfuls of bitter stuff, which burned from her stomach all the way to her chest and throat...

That's disgusting.

That favoritism and bias are disgusting!

And she almost became one of the murderers of Ningning!

Jiang Ruining then asked her, essentially analyzing Madam Jiang's mindset: "Why did she make me hate you and feel guilty?"

Chu Jin didn't want to think about it, but the answer had already jumped into her mind.

Because, deep down, my aunt doesn't admit that she's wrong!

The guilt she felt was a reflection of the fact that her mother herself had agreed to the marriage exchange, and that the massacre was her mother's own doing, and had nothing to do with her!

The reason Ningning hates her is actually because her aunt hates her mother. She believes that her mother caused her to suffer the blame!

How terrifying!

What a selfish thought!

But the logic was sound, and it corroborated everything her aunt had done, forcing her to believe that this was her aunt's true thought and true purpose!

Jiang Ruining's words were cold and ruthless: "She has borne the consequences of her own sins, how could she not know that you should bear the consequences of torturing and killing me, and taking my life? One day... even if the consequences don't fall on you, they will fall on those you care about?"

"Like your husband, like your children."

"Chu Jin, do you still think she really cares about you and loves you?"

Chu Jin's face turned deathly pale, her lips trembled violently, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Jiang Ruining finished for her: "She doesn't love me, and she doesn't love you; she only loves herself! Everything she does is just to make herself feel better!"

"Two, laughable chess pieces."

Yes!

Chu Jin had been carefully taught by Madam Jiang for many years, and was cherished and favored like a precious jewel. She did not want to attribute everything to scheming, but she could no longer believe that her aunt loved her!

At this moment, she was like a lone sail, not knowing where to go or what to do.

Jiang Ruining helped her up and gently hugged her.

Chu Jin leaned on her shoulder and finally burst into tears: "I'm so sorry... Ningning, I'm so sorry..."

Jiang Ruining explained the cruelest truth to her so that she could see through the whole story, understand her role, and know what mistakes she had made.

The original owner made many mistakes and received the retribution he deserved.

Those who hurt her should understand that they are the culprits who caused the original owner to go mad, shouldn't they?

Fortunately, the female lead is not as cold-blooded and ruthless as Madam Jiang. She realizes her mistakes, feels genuine remorse, and tries to make amends. She is forgivable.

"Chu Jin, don't feel sorry for me. You are also a complete victim in this matter. If you knew you were being used, you definitely wouldn't have had any intention of hurting me. I believe you, really."

"Be wary of her from now on, don't let her take advantage of you again, and don't give her your heart. But you should be 'filial' to her and make her work hard for your future. That's what she owes you in return."

"Chu Jin, you are not a drifting duckweed. This will always be your home. As long as I'm here, no one can kick you out. Trust me, okay?"

Chu Jin never imagined that one day she would be embracing and relying on Ningning like this.

But she could sense that every word Ningning said was sincere.

She nodded, her voice thick with emotion, but her calm demeanor soothed the unease in her heart: "I know, I believe you."

She cried sobbing uncontrollably.

Jiang Ruining wiped away her tears and smiled lightly: "You won't be pretty if you keep crying! Cheer up, at least we have a place to stay, and we're the daughter of a high-ranking official, which is much better than many people's starting point!"

Looking at her calm expression, Chu Jin couldn't imagine how she had convinced herself to accept the fact that her birth mother didn't love her, had driven her insane step by step, and had attempted to mentally torture her!

Even if her aunt didn't intend to kill her, but her doting on her was all for a purpose, she felt as if half of her heart had been ripped out.

Jiang Ruining saw through her thoughts and shrugged: "It's not that I don't hate her, it's just that I really have no other choice. I can't exactly follow her example and murder my own blood relatives, can I?"

"Since you can't do that, then detach yourself from the identity of 'daughter,' think more positively, find some advantages in your situation to comfort yourself. Only with a good mindset can you think of good ways to move in a positive direction!"

She's too optimistic.

This made Chu Jin worry.

If you bottle up your emotions too much, they will eventually explode!

In that case, you'll either hurt yourself or hurt others and yourself!

"Ningning, you still have me, your uncle, and your cousin. If you're upset about anything, you can cry it out. Don't keep everything bottled up inside."

Jiang Ruining guessed that she had dissociated herself.

But no explanation was given.

Let's just think of it that way!

The female lead's pity for herself is actually her pity for the original owner of this body, which is good.

"I know."

He paused for a moment.

He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I have urgent business to attend to and need to leave for a while, so I have to 'die' for a bit. Just pretend to be sad."

Die?

Chu Jin's eyelids twitched, but she quickly realized that she was going to fake her death and leave.

"What do you need? I can help. Are you planning to slip away during tomorrow's prayers?"

Jiang Ruining nodded and briefly explained, "My father is in danger, I have to go."

Is my uncle in danger?

How did she know?

She has no martial arts skills to protect her, so isn't she also in danger?

Was the Taoist priest who appeared today also arranged by her?

Chu Jin was filled with worry and doubt, but she didn't ask any more questions, because she knew that if the secret was revealed, it might be discovered by outsiders!

After pondering for a moment, he asked, "Whom should we use to carry out this?"

For someone to "die," there must be a murderer.

Jiang Ruining smiled.

"The murderer? The murderer is, of course, my beautiful and great mother!"

Chu Jin: "..."