GuiltyEmpress

Yun Qingqing was shocked when she discovered that her mother, whom she had believed to be dead, might still be alive.
She decided to look for her mother, and her only clues were her mother's surname, their shared striking amber eyes, and the knowledge that her mother hailed from Xia country. 
Yun Qingqing journeyed there to find her. But instead of answers, she found herself penniless.
Forced to make a living, she turned to what she knew best—becoming a beauty influencer.
Just as her new career began to take off, an actress inexplicably began targeting her, stirring up trouble in her already chaotic life. 
To make matters worse, the detective she hired to investigate her mother demanded an exorbitant amount of money to continue the search.
Yun Qingqing: “But where am I supposed to get that kind of money?”
A certain young master said, “I will give you the money. In return, you will be my contracted girlfriend.”
Yun Qingqing: "So… I went looking for my mother and ended up with a fake boyfriend instead?"

The Female Lead's Daughter

A wisp of incense smoke drifted across the dimly lit room towards the grand four-poster bed.

A woman, weak and pale, lay on the bed, cradling a newborn in her arms.

The baby's amber eyes were filled with vitality, while the woman's own eyes slowly lost their luster.

Although her vision was fading, she still saw a black, ominous aura swirling around her child.

She held the baby tighter, a silent prayer escaping her lips.

Protect her. Please, protect her.

As she prayed, a flicker of light returned to her gaze, and a small white and orange kitten padded silently into the room. Its amber eyes fixed unblinkingly on the pair.

Simultaneously, a smooth, white jade bracelet appeared in her trembling palm.

With the last trace of her strength, the woman put the simple bracelet around her daughter's tiny wrist.

"May this protect you," she whispered.

She gazed deeply at the cat, her breath growing shallow.

"Ah Fu…I…I am leaving her…in your care."

The light in her eyes extinguished completely, leaving them dull and lifeless.

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

I hope the darkness that clung to my child will not consume the generations to come...

When Did It All Begin?