Lin Wanqing should have been the cherished true daughter of the Lin family. In her previous life, however, the fake heiress Lin Weiwei stole her identity, leaving her timid and cowed. She endured cold treatment and scheming in the Lin household, then, after marrying into the Marquis's household, faced the hatred of her husband Xiao Ce and the torment of her mother-in-law, Madam Liu. In the end, all her sincere love earned her was a cup of poisoned wine.
Reborn, she returns to the day Lin Weiwei pushed her into a pond. This time, she is no longer weak. Her eyes hold nothing but a cold, sharp resolve. But rebirth has given her no all-knowing golden finger. She has only scattered fragments of memories from her past life, triggered by familiar scenes and accompanied by splitting headaches. She keeps her claws sheathed, deliberately botching her needlework to lower Lin Weiwei's guard as she secretly gathers evidence. When the Marquis's household makes things difficult for her, she cleverly enlists a maid to get out of trouble. And as she navigates her dealings with Xiao Ce, she gradually helps him see Lin Weiwei's true nature.
From exposing the fake heiress's schemes and reclaiming her shops, to uncovering the truth behind her birth mother's death and revealing the Lin family's collusion with remnants of the former dynasty, Lin Wanqing plans her every move. She no longer craves false family affection. She kicks Xiao Ce, who starts out as a scumbag (and spends the latter half of the story desperately trying to win her back), to the curb, and uses her intelligence and the strength of others to establish herself in the capital. She even unexpectedly discovers that she is a lost royal descendant.
When Lin Weiwei betrays the family after her origins are exposed, and Madam Liu struggles between conscience and hatred, Lin Wanqing remains clear-eyed: In this life, she'd rather wrong the whole world than let the whole world wrong her again! In the end, she not only protects her country, but becomes a legend whom everyone in the capital admires.
