I think that's what happened in the book. We don't see this in the series but we see Aruo in the Cold Palace covered in scratches.

I've seen comments that in the book she was thrown in a sack with cats who scratched her.

@@RhamanaChan Horrific.

@@dukecity7688 you can see the scratches on her in the final scene

Yes, I have heard in the books that Ruyi either pulled out A'ruo's long fingernails herself or had someone do it. Then she was placed in a sack with cats to be ripped to pieces, yet not die. Remember, in this time, cats were not neutered. The sack could be beaten with rods to frighten or enrage the cats. A full grown Tom cat could bite and scratch very badly.

They are very different. One is a traitor and delusional, the other is loyal and dignified

@@rarasraya622 all petulant.

While it is true that both were ultimately chasing after the wrong guy, the situations in which they ended are kind of different (I can't say about the book but more in regards to the drama). While Ruyi was (wrongfully) placed under suspicion and shunned by that fool of an emperor, she was actually getting sick of his behavior and poor treatment of her and others in the harem. Moreover, she made it clear that she didn't care about the position. A'rou was (rightfully) put under suspicion and shunned by the emperor, but she still craved his attention, the lavish lifestyle, and superiority over others. There is also the fact that while Ruyi was demoted by the emperor after her death, she had a lot of people who were loyal to mourning her passing. A'rou, sadly, was abandoned by the vipers that she allied herself with and was probably only missed by her surviving brothers. Then, there is how their final moments played out. Ruyi spent her final moments trying to expose a certain person's crimes (spoilers omitted for those just joining us) while A'rou's final moments saw her being muted to cover up crimes.