Chapter 217: Chapter 217

"Miss... Miss, you're awake!"

"Madam, look, Miss’s fingers are moving..."

An Ning struggled to cough out the water flooding her throat just as she was about to open her eyes. Before she could, a pair of warm hands had already firmly grasped her palm.

"Oh my, my good daughter, you finally woke up. If anything had happened to you, what would your mother do?"

By the bedside, a noblewoman of about thirty was weeping uncontrollably, her magnolia-scented handkerchief stained beyond recognition.

Seeing her daughter wide-eyed and dazed, as if she had no idea what time or place it was, her complexion drained of color, she panicked completely.

She pulled her precious girl tightly into her arms and turned to shout at the maids nearby:

"Ah Nan, speak to your mother! Doctor! Where is the doctor?"

"Daughter, if anything were to happen to you, what would your mother do..."

Alright, even though nothing had happened yet, the crying had already begun.

Thinking of this mother from the original body’s memories, An Ning couldn’t help but rub her forehead.

Great, the legendary silly beauty, today she finally saw the truth.

The woman before her was about thirty years old, dressed in a white robe with golden embroidery and a rose-and-plum-patterned rouge-colored sheer half-sleeve over it. Though she was already the mother of four children, she still had snow-white skin and a delicate face. Most importantly, her eyes were unusually clear.

Especially now, crying, she looked stunningly beautiful. Though she restrained herself from wailing loudly for the sake of appearances, her soft sobs never ceased.

This sound made Yang’s father, who had just arrived, twitch at the brow. He knew well how formidable his wife’s "fierceness" could be. Especially when it concerned their treasured daughter, it would likely take more than half an hour before she calmed down...

Yet as he approached, seeing the mother and daughter on the bed—both sharing the same appearance and expressions—Yang’s father stopped in his tracks.

Truly, lust cuts like a sharp blade!

Recalling his youthful recklessness, the man in his forties cleared his throat subconsciously before stepping forward. He carefully examined his daughter, whose eyes had grown even clearer after illness.

His voice was as gentle as he could manage:

"Little San’er, do you still recognize your father?"

Seeing her remain silent for a long time, Yang’s father’s heart sank. No way, had his daughter really gone dumb?

She was never smart to begin with; if her mind was now muddled...

Imagining such a scene, Yang’s father shook his head and grabbed his wife’s hand, which was beating his own. His eyes never left his eldest daughter.

Fortunately, under this embarrassed gaze, An Ning finally accepted her memories and nodded slightly. Imitating the original body’s manner, she crisply called out: "Father!"

Good, at least she still recognized people.

Yang’s father just began to relax when he noticed the unchanged clarity in her eyes...

Honestly, it was impossible to tell if the girl was dumb or not!

He decided to send someone to the palace for an imperial physician to examine her.

After all, as a third-rank attendant minister who had long navigated officialdom, no matter how much he grumbled inwardly, Yang’s father kept a dignified face.

"That’s good... As the saying goes, a bite teaches wisdom. Next time, be careful near water..."

However, before he could finish saying "near water," his wife suddenly pushed him aside.

"Daughter, daughter... do you still recognize your mother?"

At this, An Ning’s smile grew sweeter. Her face, resembling Yu’s, bloomed like a flower, though she tilted her head slightly in puzzlement.

"Ah!" Yu squeezed the silk handkerchief tightly and exclaimed excitedly:

"I knew it! My daughter is so smart, how could her brain be damaged?"

But what did those two have to do with each other?

At this moment, ignoring Yang’s father’s suddenly stiff expression, even An Ning herself nearly failed to maintain her clear little gaze.

After much effort, imitating the original body’s manner to act spoiled and obedient, she managed to coax the two adults away.

Watching the couple’s retreating backs, perhaps because she had switched bodies, An Ning felt more exhausted than after practicing swordsmanship all afternoon.

Only after the two left did An Ning lie back, utterly drained, and slowly sift through her memories.

The original body’s name was Yang An Ning, fourteen years old. If one said her background was decent, she was the legitimate youngest daughter of the Ministry of Revenue’s attendant minister, ranking third in her family.

She was her biological mother Yu’s treasure. Logically, with this family background and treatment, even in ancient society, life would not be entirely smooth but should not be too difficult either.

However, the girl was good in every way except for having a head just like her mother’s—equally dense.

She got sleepy after reading a book twice, could not understand a single poem for days, and her musical skills were so poor that several masters angrily left in disgust.

If it were just that, it would be fine. Yet among the three sisters, the eldest was dignified and graceful, and the second daughter, though illegitimate, was talented beyond measure. At barely her teens, her calligraphy and painting were renowned in the inner chambers, and even masters praised her poetry with admiration. The original body was deeply ashamed by comparison.

Eventually, after many hardships, the second sister married into the imperial family and became the envy of many as the crown prince’s wife.

In short, she was the quintessential example of an illegitimate daughter’s rise to prominence.

In contrast, the unlucky original body was utterly useless at everything.

Moreover, there was always rivalry between the sisters. In such an environment, the original body was not only depressed but had an unhappy life in the inner chambers. Especially because of her overly beautiful face, some noble ladies looked down on her and often secretly compared her to their own sisters, openly and covertly belittling her.

Even her supposedly happy marriage was a half-hearted affair, as it turned out the groom had always been infatuated with her second sister. Marrying her had been a mistake caused by various circumstances—only after the wedding did she find out.

The original body had lived in her second sister’s shadow for the first half of her life—there was no greater humiliation than that.

Faced with such a slap in the face, the original body had cried and thrown tantrums many times.

Yet at home, besides her equally foolish mother and little brother, no one stood behind her.

Even her eldest brother and eldest sister blamed her for being useless and unreasonable, smiling at the second sister who had become the crown prince’s wife.

Though all shared blood, the only person she could confide in was a powerless mother. The original body could only end in melancholy.

Looking at the delicately painted girl in the mirror, An Ning closed her eyes, then reopened them. After several moments, seeing the familiar clarity in the reflection, she finally exhaled in relief.

This character setting—she had never encountered one before!