After refusing marriage, she was pampered by the prince who acted as a shield.

Chapter 2: Refusal of Marriage

The morning light streamed through the window, illuminating Lin Rusi's face, which was filled with complex emotions. She hadn't slept a wink all night, sitting on the edge of the bed, reminiscing about that nightmarish period of her past life.

She recalled those details one by one, those subtle clues she had overlooked, and finally understood many things she hadn't understood before.

Now, she has been reborn, and this time, she will never let the tragedy of her past life repeat itself!

Her first step in changing her fate was to resolutely reject this marriage that would lead her to ruin!

"Miss?"

Hongxiu knocked on the door cautiously, her voice hesitant: "Are you up?"

Lin Rusi's eyes turned slightly cold. Hongxiu, her personal maid who had been with her since childhood, appeared to be loyal to her, but in reality, she was Lin Ruqin's spy planted beside her. She had to get rid of this menace as soon as possible.

"Come in." Her voice was slightly hoarse.

Hongxiu pushed open the door and entered. Seeing Lin Rusi still sitting on the edge of the bed in yesterday's clothes, her expression changed: "Miss, you haven't slept all night?"

Lin Rusi smiled faintly, her tone tinged with mockery: "How can one sleep when one is filled with joy?"

Hongxiu echoed with a smile, "Miss is overjoyed that her wish has been fulfilled." Then, she cautiously reminded her, "Madam instructed this morning that Miss should accompany her to the palace to express her gratitude to the Empress Dowager. You haven't slept all night, do you still want to go?"

Lin Rusi sneered inwardly. In her past life, she had cried tears of joy at this marriage and eagerly followed her mother to the palace to express her gratitude, ultimately sending herself into an abyss of no return. Now, she would never repeat the same mistake.

In her past life, Lin Ruqin took advantage of her arrogance and haughtiness, watching her die a tragic death. Now that she has returned, she is her mortal enemy!

"Wash up and change your clothes," she calmly instructed.

Refusing marriage is a heinous crime, but in any case, it's much better than her and her family experiencing the tragic ending of their past life.

Lin Rusi changed into a proper palace dress and, together with her mother Si Yu, boarded the sedan chair that had been prepared in advance, heading straight for the palace.

Upon arriving at the palace, she carefully knelt before the Empress Dowager and respectfully bowed, saying, "This humble woman greets the Empress Dowager."

Seeing this, the Empress Dowager smiled and beckoned her forward: "Sisi, come here quickly, let me take a good look at you."

Lin Rusi obediently stepped forward, knelt before the Empress Dowager's knees, and forced a naive smile to suppress her fear and disgust: "Empress Dowager, Sisi misses you very much too."

The Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction, gently stroking her face, and said affectionately, "Sisi is indeed becoming more and more beautiful. I can't bear to see you get married."

Lin Rusi's heart tightened upon hearing these words. In her previous life, the Empress Dowager had acted similarly, seemingly showering her with extraordinary favor, which led her to marry Li Zeyan without hesitation.

"Empress Dowager," she bit her lip and mustered her courage to say, "Sisi actually... doesn't want to get married yet."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

"Sisi!" The Empress Dowager's expression changed slightly, her tone carrying a hint of reproach: "What nonsense are you talking about? When a girl grows up, she will naturally get married."

Lin Rusi took a deep breath, knowing that this step was ultimately unavoidable, and resolutely raised her head and said, "Empress Dowager, this subject... is unwilling to marry the Third Prince."

Everyone in the hall was stunned. Seeing this, Si Yu immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness: "Your Majesty, please forgive me! Si Si has had a high fever for days, and it may have caused her to faint from joy, and she spoke nonsense without realizing the severity of her condition. Please forgive her, Your Majesty!"