Some people appear shrewd and capable on the outside, but inside they are confused, impulsive, timid, and cowardly. For example: First Attendant Xia and Noble Lady Fu Cha.
Some appear like a delicate white lotus, trembling as if a mere breeze could break them, yet inside, a giant resides, resilient and tenacious, unscrupulous in achieving their objectives, while also capable of gauging the situation with extreme calm and shrewdness, like the woman now kneeling before Li Xu.
An Lingrong!
One of the initial three sisters of the Son of the Plane, a character with perhaps a higher narrative weight than Consort Hua's world!
As a top-ranked antagonist, before betraying the Son of the Plane, she surely had a journey of struggle, hesitation, and conflict.
Even significant antagonists need time to develop, and a series of encounters, trials, and necessities pushed her to embark on that path involuntarily.