The Vicious Supporting Actress Has to Live as a Widow? Brother-in-law, I'm So Scared~

Pei Jingxu spent her previous life as the malicious female supporting character in a novel titled 'Chong Guan Jing Hua.' She mourned her husband Rong Xuanzhou for three years, only to watch him return to the capital with his fallen comrade's widow, Bai Shutong. Bai Shutong, the story's heroine, received the noble title Rong Xuanzhou had earned, while Pei Jingxu was mocked as a laughingstock. Eventually, driven by Bai Shutong's admirers, Pei Jingxu was drowned in a cold lotus pond. At the brink of death, she learned she was merely cannon fodder paving the way for the heroine's rise. Upon reopening her eyes, Pei Jingxu found herself reborn two years earlier, shortly after receiving news of her husband's death. Determined to avoid her tragic fate, she resolved to survive by leveraging her knowledge of the plot.

Pei Jingxu identified Rong Jianxue, the eldest son of the Rong family and the Crown Prince's Junior Tutor, as her only hope. In the original story, Rong Jianxue remained unmoved by Bai Shutong's charms, making him the only figure capable of deterring her enemies. Pei Jingxu decided to attach herself to his influence, viewing him as a necessary shield against the fate awaiting her. Her first move involved manipulating Shen Congyue, the Prime Minister's daughter and Rong Jianxue's fervent pursuer. Shen Congyue had previously betrayed Pei Jingxu by aiding Bai Shutong in the lotus pond incident. Pei Jingxu deliberately provoked Shen Congyue at Randeng Temple, feigning distress over insults to her late husband. This performance allowed Rong Jianxue to intervene, establishing a tenuous connection with the man she intended to rely on.

Pei Jingxu continued her calculated approach by orchestrating an assassination attempt during their return journey. She knew from the original story that Rong Jianxue would be attacked on the mountain path. By positioning herself in danger, she forced Rong Jianxue to rescue her, creating a bond forged in life-and-death circumstances. During the chaos, Pei Jingxu sustained injuries and deliberately worsened a wound on her back to elicit sympathy. Upon returning to the Rong mansion, she faced hostility from Nanny Wang, a servant loyal to the Old Madam who coveted Pei Jingxu's dowry. Nanny Wang forced Pei Jingxu to kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment. Pei Jingxu endured the pain until Rong Jianxue discovered the scene, leading him to expel Nanny Wang for her misconduct.

The expulsion of Nanny Wang marked a turning point in Pei Jingxu's struggle for control within the household. The Old Madam, furious at the loss of her trusted servant, confronted Pei Jingxu and demanded she learn to manage the family's shops and accounts within three months, threatening to seize her dowry if she failed. Pei Jingxu, born into a merchant family with natural aptitude for finance, accepted the challenge. She secretly obtained the real account books, which the Old Madam had hidden, and prepared to expose the deception. Meanwhile, she cultivated a relationship with Rong Jianxue, using acts of vulnerability and care, such as delivering ginger soup, to draw him closer. Rong Jianxue, though initially distant, began to show concern for her well-being, particularly regarding the mistreatment she suffered at the hands of his mother's faction.

Pei Jingxu's plan involved not only reclaiming her financial independence but also securing Rong Jianxue's protection against future threats from Bai Shutong and her allies. She understood that her survival depended on becoming indispensable to Rong Jianxue while dismantling the power structures that had oppressed her in her previous life. As she prepared to present her accounting skills to the Old Madam, she anticipated a confrontation that would shift the balance of power within the Rong family. Her rebirth had given her the opportunity to rewrite her destiny, transforming from a victim of circumstance into a strategic player navigating the treacherous waters of court and family politics.